america - The Taft School

Transcription

B
U
L
L
E
T
College Counseling
j My Life with Julia Child
j Angel of Denali
j
I
N
crisscrossing
America
Fall 2009
in this issue
16
College
Counseling Today
A conversation with Terry Giffen
h Seniors Galen Sanderson, Jan Stransky,
Sam Fifer ’11 and Max Frew were among the
nearly three dozen Tafties who volunteered
to help set up and organize the W-A-L-K for
Juvenile Diabetes in Litchfield in September.
Some even left Taft at 6 a.m.! Peter Frew ’75
22
B ulletin
Crisscrossing
America
Fall 2009
by John Gussenhoven ’65
32
My Life With
Julia Child
Q & A with
Alex Prud’homme ’80
36
Angel of Denali
Lowell Thomas ’42
by Mike Macy ’69
Departments
2 From the Editor
3 Letters
3 Taft Trivia
4 Alumni Spotlight
8 Around the Pond
40 From the Archives
from the EDITOR
A movable feast. That’s what I called the
plan to keep us fed here at Taft while the
dining hall undergoes a major transformation. The biggest news on campus this fall
has been the opening of the new “servery”
(see page 9). Although the view of the old
kitchen corridor this fall, as seen from the
pond, has looked more like a scene from
Beirut than it has the Gund Partnership’s
beautiful sketches, arriving at the new
market-style serving area to select our
meal each day has been a welcome light
near the end of our construction tunnel.
To be honest, the process has gone far
more smoothly than anyone anticipated.
Using the Jigger Shop as a second dining
hall until the new spaces are completed
has eased the crowding and been a very
pleasant spot for faculty and students
alike. If all goes well, seniors are hoping to
have the Jig and adjacent student union
back for part of spring term.
In any event, Horace Dutton Taft Hall
should be looking mighty fine by Alumni
Weekend in May. So please come back
and see it for yourselves. You’ll find details
about the weekend, and specific reunion
plans as they unfold, on our website:
www.TaftAlumni.com.
This is the fourth issue of Taft
Bulletin published on 100 percent
postconsumer recycled fiber. Please
note that we’ve also lightened the
weight this issue. What difference
does that make? Well, this issue consumes nearly five tons of paper. Not
using virgin fiber translates into the
following savings:
B ulletin
Fall 2009
Volume 80, Number 1
Bulletin Staff
Director of Development:
Chris Latham
130 trees, which supply enough
oxygen for roughly 65 people a
year
Editor: Julie Reiff
Alumni Notes: Linda Beyus
Design: Good Design, LLC
www.gooddesignusa.com
59,236 gallons of water, or
enough to take 3,444 eightminute showers
Proofreader: Nina Maynard
enough BTUs to power your
home for more than five months
Mail letters to:
Julie Reiff, Editor
Taft Bulletin
The Taft School
Watertown, CT 06795-2100 U.S.A.
ReiffJ@TaftSchool.org
3,596 lbs. of solid waste that
doesn’t go to a landfill
Environmental impact estimates provided by Neenah Papers and are based on
the U.S. EPA Power Profiler and other
publicly available sources.
Send alumni news to:
Linda Beyus
Alumni Office
The Taft School
TaftBulletin@TaftSchool.org
—Julie Reiff, editor
On the Cover
Deadlines for Alumni Notes:
Winter–November 15
Spring–February 15
Summer–May 15
Fall–August 30
WWW
Taft on the Web
B
U
L
L
E
T
College Counseling
j My Life with Julia Child
j Angel of Denali
j
I
Send address corrections to:
Sally Membrino
Alumni Records
The Taft School
TaftRhino@TaftSchool.org
Find a friend’s address or
look up back issues of the Bulletin
at www.TaftAlumni.com
N
crisscrossing
America
Fall 2009
n John Gussenhoven ’65 parks his Harley
to capture this image of the Anza-Borrego
Desert, east of Julian, California, for his book,
Crisscrossing America (p. 22). “Even though
there is no visible water source for miles across
this imposing landscape,” writes John, “these
colorful, healthy ocotillo plants oddly flourish in
these dry, desert climes.”
2 Taft Bulletin Fall 2009
For more campus news and events,
including admissions information,
visit www.TaftSchool.org
1.860.945.7777
www.TaftAlumni.com
What happened at this
afternoon’s game?
Visit www.TaftSports.com
The Taft Bulletin (ISSN 0148-0855)
is published quarterly, in February,
May, August and November, by The
Taft School, 110 Woodbury Road,
Watertown, CT 06795-2100, and is
distributed free of charge to alumni,
parents, grandparents and friends of
the school. All rights reserved.
Don’t forget you can shop
online at www.TaftStore.com
800.995.8238 or 860.945.7736
This magazine is printed on
100% recycled paper.
Letters
I’ve just finished reading the latest issue. It is an excellent publication from
all points—the recycled paper, the photographs, the layout and the many and
varied stories. You and your associates did
a great job and I thought I would send you
a note, both of appreciation and of praise.
I look forward to many more issues.
—Frank Martin Reichenbach ’52
I was surprised to open the cover to see
Jack, Marlene, and me leading the parade.
It was especially clever of you to include
the Lincoln head with his newboy tie on
page 25. Thanks again for making our
reunion a success. My job as chairman of
the directory turned out to be one of the
most rewarding things that I have done in
a long, long time.
—Bruce Powell ’59
I have noted the statement that this summer
Bulletin is the third issue on 100% postconsumer recycled fiber. The weight of the paper
seems quite a bit heavier than I remember
the two earlier issues and I am curious why.
Frankly, the heavier pages makes the whole
Bulletin a little more difficult to handle. Be
that as it may, I enjoyed going through it.
—Dan Van Soelen ’42
???
Taft Trivia
Can you identify the year students all received a day off from classes to schlep
stacks of books, in Dewey decimal order, from the Woolworth Library of CPT
into the newly constructed Hulbert Taft Jr. Library? Not only did the school save
on moving costs, but the books also stayed in perfect sequence.
A sleeve of Taft golf balls will be sent to the winner, whose name will be drawn
from all correct entries received. Please send your replies to the editor at the address or e-mail at right.
Congratulations to Julian Erde ’52, who correctly identified The Taft Oracle as
the literary magazine that debuted in 1906. Thanks to all who wrote in.
Printing the Taft Bulletin on recycled
paper seems to make good sense in some
ways and I also prefer the matte finish to
the shiny high gloss stuff. As a professional
forester, however, I call into question the
figure of 103.18 trees being “preserved for
the future.” I doubt the trees have been
preserved, and I wonder why you wish to
spare trees from the saw and really wonder
why you wish to spare a pulpwood-quality
stem. Sound forest practices coupled with
timber harvesting provide landowners
with income incentives not to sell out to
development. My focus is on preserving
the land base and stopping urban sprawl,
not preserving trees. In New England,
many of our forests have suffered from
a “cut the best, leave the rest” philosophy. Are the figures provided to make us
feel better about our massive amount of
consumption?
—Peter T. Hasler ’84
Editor’s Reply
The figures in that issue are from the
Neenah Green Eco-Calculator and are
based on information from publicly available
information sources like www.Savatree.com.
You may notice that we also lightened the
paper weight on this issue.
Love it? Hate it?
Read it? Tell us!
We’d love to hear what you think
about the stories in this Bulletin.
We may edit your letters for length,
clarity and content, but please write!
Julie Reiff, editor
Taft Bulletin
110 Woodbury Road
Watertown, CT 06795-2100
or Reiff J@TaftSchool.org
Taft Bulletin Fall 2009 3
alumni Spotlight
Yuma Crossing
The Colorado River, known as
America’s Nile, is arguably the most
important river in the Southwest. For
millions of years it flowed unchecked,
flooding annually, and creating some
of the most incredible landscapes on
the planet. Yuma’s strategic location at
the only practical crossing point on the
lower Colorado River assured its importance as a transportation hub in both
prehistoric and modern times.
But soon, the river, “bounded by levees
for flood control, choked by non-native
vegetation, a haven for illegal activity and
the homeless, and starved of an adequate
water supply, this 1,400-acre area became
a ‘forgotten land,’” says Charlie Flynn ’70,
“a parched patch of river bottom where
once cottonwoods and willows grew,
where the Quechan Indian tribal members
once hunted and fished, and where hundreds of birds nested.”
For decades, the community of Yuma,
Arizona, sought to improve a five-mile
stretch of the Colorado. Then, in 2000,
their efforts got an enormous boost when
Congress created the Yuma Crossing
National Heritage Area and authorized up
to $10 million in federal matching funds
for a 15-year period to conserve, enhance,
and interpret the natural and cultural
resources of the community. And Flynn
serves as the project’s executive director.
The Yuma Area is rich in historical
resources, buildings, bridges, neighborhoods and archaeological sites, but many
original structures on Yuma’s Main Street
were destroyed in flooding.
“The highlight has been the Yuma
East Wetlands,” says Charlie. “It seemed
technically impossible from a restoration
standpoint, but even more gratifying has
been helping bring historically distant
groups together to achieve restoration—
particularly, my work with the Quechan
Indian tribe. I also want to give credit to
our consultant, Fred Phillips, who is now
considered the leading environmental expert on the lower Colorado River.”
Over the last eight years, the Yuma East
Wetlands has evolved from a trash-strewn
jungle of non-native vegetation into one
of the largest, most ambitious restoration
projects in the Southwest. “The story of
the East Wetlands is the story of a growing
partnership among the Quechan Indian
Tribe, the City of Yuma, private landowners, federal agencies and the Heritage
Area,” says Flynn. The partnership between the City of Yuma and the Quechan
Indian Tribe was greatly strengthened
when they agreed to jointly fund the
restoration and reopening of the Oceanto-Ocean Bridge.
For more information, visit
www.yumaheritage.com.
h Charlie Flynn ’70
at the Ocean-toOcean Bridge, part
of the Yuma Crossing
National Heritage
project. Gene Doten
h In between carting
and toting, Bill Crane
’76 captured some
amazing photos of his
daughter’s crew, left,
racing in Italy.
Bill Crane
Kings’ Ransom on ESPN
Director Peter Berg ’80, who first gained
notoriety as a hockey-playing doctor on
Chicago Hope (and is now better known
for his work on Friday Night Lights), has
turned his attention to the ice again.
His documentary on NHL legend
Wayne Gretzky, whom he’s known
since the ’90s, premiered at the
Toronto Film Festival and aired on
ESPN in October.
“Knowing Wayne,” Berg told
www.NHL.com, “is like knowing one of
those rare human beings like Michael
Jordan or Tiger Woods, who are so utterly dominant in their sport that it’s
mesmerizing to be around them. The
trade to the Kings was not only a huge
moment in his career, but also a very
contained and interesting way to look at
this incredible athlete’s life.”
In his interview with Berg, Gretzky
points out that he was newly married and
already living in Los Angeles at the
time of the famous trade to the Kings
in 1988.
“Through the years, I went to lots
of Kings games,” Berg adds, “and we
played lots of golf and poker together.”
When Bill Crane ’76 introduced his
children to his passion—sailing—little
did he know one day he would become
their “head Sherpa.” Last summer
he “carted and toted for 16-year-old
daughter, Olivia,” at the International
420 World Championships in Riva del
Garda, Italy.
She has been sailing on the international circuit for about four years, and
she and her crew were the youngest
on the U.S. team. “They represented
themselves and the U.S. well and had a
really exciting regatta.” Not long after,
she competed in the Buzzards Bay
Regatta and then sailed in the C420
North American Championships in
Macatawa Bay, Michigan.
“In the midst of this, my wife, Tory
(sister of Tonia Falconer ’79), was in
California with our two sons at the
Optimist National Championships
and then in Newport, Rhode Island,
for the Optimist New England
Championships. And, yes we are nuts.”
Bill still finds time to sail himself
as well, competing most recently in
September at the Lightning World
Championship at the Mallets Bay Boat
Club in Burlington, Vermont.
h Peter Berg ’80
interviews hockey
legend Wayne
Gretzky for
ESPN’s 30 for 30.
Courtesy of ESPN
alumni Spotlight
In Print
Crisscrossing America:
Discovering America
From the Road
John Gussenhoven ’65
Rizzoli, 2009
n Freddy Gonzalez ’05 plays trombone on the New York Subway.
Discs or Downloads
Classmates Mia Borders, Freddy “Fuego” Gonzalez and Cyrus
McGoldrick ’05 have all been busy making music and have two
albums out this fall to prove it.
Mia released her debut album, Southern Fried Soul, in August
under her own label, Blaxican Records. The album features eleven original songs written by her and composed by the band.
A New Orleans native, Mia played at the Blue Nile this fall and
sang with Big Sam’s Funky Nation at the Voodoo Music Festival
on Halloween. Her band, who played under the title MNSKP, has
been hailed as “New Orleans hottest buzz band” by Where Y’at
magazine. Take a listen at www.miaborders.com.
Freddy chose an online release of his debut album, the New
York Chapter. And an auspicious date: 09.09.09. And listeners
returned to the site for a new song each week.
Cyrus, a New York saxophonist who plays under the name
Cyrus Khan, lent his talents to both endeavors.
“This first album is a compilation of the first songs I’ve ever
written,” says Freddy. “I was always hesitant to turn my ideas into
songs because I never felt that I was ‘ready,’ that I had to reach a
certain level of musicianship before I could allow myself to make
my own music.
Freddy studied at Boston’s Berklee College of Music and has
returned to New York to actively pursue his music education.
“Music is the simplest form
of self-expression,” he adds.
“It’s a universal form of
communication that has allowed me to break barriers
of race, language and social
standing.”
To have a listen,
visit www.myspace.com/
freddyfuego
v Mia Borders’ new CD,
Southern Fried Soul
Towards a General
Theory of Social
Psychology:
Understanding Human
Cruelty, Human Misery,
and, Perhaps, a Remedy
Wendy Treynor ’93
Euphoria Press, 2009
The Last
Founding Father:
James Monroe and
a Nation’s Call to
Greatness
Harlow Giles Unger ’49
Da Capo Press, 2009
A History of
Modern Britain:
1714 to the Present
Ellis Wasson ’66
Wiley-Blackwell, 2009
small towns and oddities that can be discovered only by traveling the open roads
one mile at a time.
The unique coupling of ground and
aerial photographs highlights details that
most of us would miss if we were to see
them from only one perspective. The images, as supplemented by the author’s
travel logs, arouse a beautiful and poignant
vision of America.
An excerpt can be found on page 22 of
this issue.
Who has not been tempted to escape the
daily grind, hit the open road and truly
find America? Crisscrossing America is such
an odyssey—a photographic journal of a
two-year, two-leg, 27-state epic crisscrossing of the United States—from Mount
Vernon, Washington, to Naples, Florida,
and then from San Diego, California, to
Eastport, Maine.
It all started with a Harley-Davidson
Road King Classic. In 2004, Gussenhoven
purchased his first Harley and almost instantly conceived a plan to crisscross the
country. For someone who was born of
American parents, but in Mexico City, he
spent most of his childhood and youth in
South America and missed growing up in
the United States. As an adult he yearned
to know this country that was “foreign”
to him and did so by taking off on an
American bike to complete a genuinely
American journey.
The author’s quest to experience
America has resulted in this photographically stunning view of this nation’s richly
diverse landscape, roadside attractions,
After ten years of intensive inquiry
and research, Treynor offers scientifically informed answers to long-standing
questions about human nature that philosophers have debated for centuries. She
offers insight into how wartime atrocities
can be committed with a clear conscience
by well-meaning individuals, and how the
peer pressure process is the culprit.
Treynor earned her Ph.D. in social psychology at the University of Michigan
Kirkus Review called Unger’s latest biography a “cogent reexamination of a relatively
neglected American icon…. Unger makes
a solid and cohesive argument for
Monroe’s importance in the early years of
the United States…A worthy attempt to
rescue Monroe from obscurity for a mainstream audience.”
Decorated by George Washington for
his exploits as a soldier, Monroe became
a congressman, a senator, U.S. minister to
France and Britain, governor of Virginia,
secretary of state, secretary of war and
finally America’s fifth president. The country embraced Monroe’s dreams of empire
and elected him to two terms, the second
time unanimously. Mentored by each of
America’s first four presidents, Monroe
was unquestionably the best-prepared
president in our history.
Unger has also written biographies
of Lafayette, Washington, Hancock and
other early-American icons.
A History of Modern Britain: 1714 to the
Present presents a lively introduction to
the history of the modern British Isles
from the Hanoverian succession to the
present day. The book conveys the broad
sweep of the period’s major events with
particular emphasis placed on observing Britain’s past from a global context,
including imperialism’s role in shaping
social, economic and political developments at home. Ellis Wasson explores
the relationships between Great Britain’s
three nations—Scotland, England and
Wales—and Ireland, and the development
of their unique national identities. He also
discusses controversies that remain in dispute between historians today and reflects
on new perspectives in British history.
The story is punctuated throughout
with description of fascinating personalities from Britain’s past, from celebrated
statesmen to lesser known characters,
including the 18th-century shopkeeper
Thomas Turner, the arsonist James
Aitken, the female adventurer Jane
Digby, the celebrity footballer George
Best and the writer Dorothy Sayers. The
vignettes complement the broader story
and give the reader a sense of the rich
variety of British life during the modern era. The book is accompanied by a
companion website, including online
supplements and a preliminary chapter
covering events from 1688.
A History of Modern Britain provides
readers with a firm understanding of the
period of Britain’s history that defined its
role in the modern world. Taft Bulletin Fall 2009 7
For the latest news
on campus events,
please visit
TaftSchool.org.
around the Pond
By Sam Routhier
h Dance teacher Meredith
Lyons received summer
grant funds to participate
in the Bates Dance Festival
last summer. Arthur Fink
Faculty Make the Most of Summer
While summer break marks a respite
from the intensity and pace of the
school year for some teachers, more
than 25 Taft faculty members used the
vacation to help develop their curricular
passions and the depth and breadth of
their own learning and experience.
Dean of Faculty Chris Torino awarded
more than $125,000 in grants from
the school’s endowed funds for professional development.
Assistant athletic director Ginger
O’Shea used the new Sheppard Family
Grant to explore one of her passions
and one of the many areas in which she
has a significant impact at Taft: the potential for athletics to empower young
women. O’Shea traveled to Ireland
for 12 days in June to network with
golf coaches there, in hopes of putting
together an international tournament
for independent school girls. O’Shea
has directed the Pippy O’Connor
Independent School Girls’ Golf Classic
for the past five years and used that role
as a starting point for establishing relationships with schools overseas.
“With potential for global understanding, growth for female athletes, and
lessons in sportsmanship and competition,” she explains, “this opportunity
seemed to fit well with the Portrait of the
Graduate. It was a fantastic opportunity.”
Meredith Lyons, now in her second
year directing Taft’s dance program,
spent six weeks at two nationally renowned dance festivals at Bates College
in Maine as a recipient of a grant from
the Davis Family Junior Faculty Fund.
For the Young Dancers Workshop, she
brought Taft seniors Ally Hamilton and
Thu Pham and worked as a counselor.
The second, more geared toward Lyons’
own advancement, was the Bates Dance
Festival Professional Training Program.
“I was able to step away from the Taft
campus and fully immerse myself with
fellow professional dancers and enjoy our
passion for dance,” Lyons says.
With the help of the Penny and
Michael Townsend Faculty Fund,
Lowermid Class Dean and English teacher Bob Campbell ’76 returned to the
classroom as a student, taking a course
on 19th-century American literature at
Yale University. Although he was initially
surprised at sharing a classroom with six
undergraduates, he reaped significant
rewards from the course.
“My professor made me realize how
to think as a student,” says Bob, “and my
hope is that I can engage my kids as effectively as he engaged me.”
Twelve endowed funds now support
professional development for faculty
in the summer. (There are 47 endowed
funds for faculty support overall.)
Although the pursuit of graduate degrees
predominates, faculty also traveled, attended conferences and workshops or
developed new curricula.
Two teachers completed degrees:
Chamby Zepeda earned an M.A. in
Spanish literature, language and culture at Middlebury College, and Rick
Lansdale finished an Ed.M. in educational leadership studies at Columbia.
“Summer opportunities for teachers support Taft’s credo of producing
lifelong learners,” says physics teacher
Chris Ritacco, who pursued graduate
work at Wesleyan with support from
the Drummond and Ruth Bell
Fellowship, “by helping its faculty be
lifelong learners themselves.”
Hardhat Headlines
Making Headway
Since Spring 2008, the Bulletin has
been updating readers on the progress
of the HDT Dining Hall Renovation
Project. This marks the latest installment
in those updates.
After more than a year of construction, the progress on the HDT Dining
Hall renovation is still igniting excitement among the Taft community.
As athletes rolled in for preseason in
early September, the school rolled out
the new serving area to accompany
the east dining hall. With almost too
many options as well as enhanced
quality of food, the dining hall has
already gone a long way in bringing
this community together.
“I didn’t realize how big a deal it
was going to be to have a new dining
hall,” says Head Monitor Bo Redpath
’10, “For a long time, construction just
felt like something constantly going on
at the school, but now that we can see
what’s turned out, all the waiting was
totally worth it.”
“The food here is so good,” uppermid Chiamanka Anonyuo says, “and
the atmosphere of the dining hall is really happy. It’s made the start of school
more fun I think.”
While most attention has certainly been focused on the dining
hall renovation, plenty of other work
has occurred around campus thanks
to Jim Shepard and the facilities
crew. Bingham Auditorium got an
updated sound system, 27 faculty
apartments and houses were painted
or received other renovations and the
Security Office upgraded its camera
surveillance system. Additionally, the
Woodward Black Box Theater has a
new, more polished look. With new,
more comfortable chairs and a fresh
coat of paint, spectators will enjoy a
true theater-in-the-round experience.
“The Black Box renovations are
really exciting,” says acting teacher
Helena Fifer. “I’m hopeful that the
newer space will have effects in raising interest for the arts and building
even more camaraderie in my classes,
improv group and theatrical productions. We’re even more excited about
the arrival of David Kievit, our new
performing arts technical director.
While the success of construction
projects is certainly astounding, the
Taft community looks forward to their
continuation and culmination. The
west dining hall looks to open up in
January, when finish work resumes on
the east dining hall. By spring, the entire school should be able to eat in one
location and the Jigger Shop will return
to its former role as a student union.
, The dining hall’s new servery, which
opened this fall. Other sections of the
HDT dining hall renovation will open
progressively throughout the year.
Peter Frew ’75
around the POND
The Princes of Denmark
n The combined “football” teams after Taft’s scrimmage with FC North Zealand, north of Copenhagen, in August. New middler Alexander Bang from
Denmark joined the team there for his first Taft game. Chip Orben
For Will Orben ’92, there are few greater
passions than the Taft soccer program and
the culture and discipline of European
football. When the varsity boys’ coach got a
chance this summer to combine the two, he
and 20 Taft soccer players took it and ran.
Orben has close ties with Danish soccer. Seven years after his graduation from
Taft, he joined FC Copenhagen, where
he played until 2001 under Flemming
Pedersen, who currently coaches at FC
Nordsjaelland, a top-flight Danish professional team. During Orben’s first year as
Taft’s head coach, in 2004, he took his
team to Denmark for a training trip, and
was excited to head back this year.
“There is no better way to cultivate passion for soccer than to immerse yourself
in the European game,” Orben says. “I was
so lucky to have that experience, and I
wanted to share it with my players.”
The team arrived in mid-August in
London, where their tour included a
mix of soccer and sightseeing—Trafalgar
Square, Piccadilly Circus, Buckingham
Palace and the Tower of London. Their
introduction to English soccer included
watching clubs Tottenham FC and West
Ham United compete in preseason matches and playing against an U-17 English
team called Euro Dagenham.
After London, the team headed to
Copenhagen for three days, where they
worked with former colleagues of Coach
Orben. Further treats included a Q & A
session with U.S. National Team member Michael Parkhurst, who plays for
FC Nordsjaelland, as well as a trip to a
Denmark-Chile friendly match.
“It felt like every Chilean in Europe was
there!” said Orben.
Rounding out the trip, the team
crossed the Oresund Bridge to Malmö,
Sweden, where they spent their final two
days. Orben noted a huge improvement
as they played their last match of the trip
against Malmö F.F., and he was delighted
to enjoy the vibe of the Malmö festival.
The team visited three countries,
watched three pro matches, played in four
training matches and had four training
sessions with some of European soccer’s
finest. The trip included eight varsity
returners, seven new players, and five players from both the JV and thirds levels who
certainly represented Big Red well.
New Faculty
New arrivals this fall are Ozzie Parente, Alex Kelly ’05, Kisha Watts, Emily Fontaine, Kendall
Adams ’05, Johnny Webster, Ashley Goodrich-Mahoney, Kristin Honsel, Shannon Tarrant and
Nick Smith. Peter Frew ’75
h Uppermid Ujal
Santchurn enjoys some
time on the beach with his
cousins in Mauritius.
Namesake
Looking out as the blue waves crashed
onto the yellow sand while sipping water from a coconut, I sat on the beach
in the company of my extended family
in the beautiful island of Mauritius.
Mauritius is a small island nation in the
Indian Ocean roughly 600 miles east of
Madagascar. A popular tourist destination, Mauritius combines its rich and
vibrant culture, beautiful landscape
and wide array of people whose backgrounds lie primarily in India, as well
as China, Africa and Europe, to create
a utopia. In fact, Mark Twain once said
after visiting the island, “You gather the
idea that Mauritius was made first and
then heaven, and that heaven was copied after Mauritius.”
My story is similar to that of Gogol
Ganguli, the main character in Taft’s
school-wide summer reading book, The
Namesake, by Jhumpa Lahiri. Gogol’s
story relates to tension with identity,
as his family is Bengali but he yearns to
fit in with his American peers. Born in
London, I have lived in the U.S. since
I was seven, but my parents have lived
the majority of their lives in Mauritius.
Navigating cultural pride with immersing myself in Western culture has been
challenging but also exciting. Unlike
Gogol, who is reluctant to hop on a long
haul flight to see his homeland, I have
grown fond of Mauritius with its tradition, culture and way of life. Through
my summer experiences, I have learned
to incorporate some Mauritian culture in my life, as well as bring some
American culture there.
Mauritius runs deep in my veins. I
can speak the native tongue, FrenchMauritian Creole, and I look forward
to eating Mauritian cuisine—which has
hints of Indian food—and listening to
Mauritian Sega music. I spend only a few
months a year with my family, so I try to
make the most of my time there, whether
it is playing soccer with my cousins or
cooking with my grandmother. I continue to be amazed at the importance
of courtesy, hospitality and decorum in
Mauritian society.
Through my cousins, I learned that
community service was a rare activity
there. This lack of support stunned me
as it is so prominent in American society
and is even the focus of Taft’s motto, so I
decided to go to a shelter for the elderly
and disabled called Human Services
Trust. There, I spoke to the director
of the program and I asked about the
volunteering situation in Mauritius. He
informed me that it is not a common
activity and most schools do not incorporate it in their missions. Therefore,
I proposed to create a volunteering
program, whereby it would encourage
students to serve their community more.
To my cousins in Mauritius, they see
visiting America as a thrilling experience that holds much excitement, but
as I reflect on my summer expeditions,
I realize that I feel the same way about
visiting Mauritius. Come fall, though, I
do miss my family and the attraction I
feel for Mauritius.
—Ujal Santchurn ’11
around the POND
Angela Lamond
The Taft Papyrus
Club
The Taft Papyrus, the student
newspaper that has been a foSpotlight rum for campus discussion since
1893, has hit the presses for the
new school year. The organization is coming
off the heels of an extremely successful spring
season, as its first April Fools edition complemented some fiery editorial pieces to create all
kinds of stir at Taft. In this vein, editors-in-chief
Caroline Castellano ’10 and Hailey Karcher ’10
are excited about the upcoming opportunities
and challenges.
“We plan to expand our creativity when it
comes to our articles,” Caroline says, “ranging
from serious matters to silly ones and from traditional formatting to new, innovative techniques.”
The group hopes to put out three issues for
the fall semester, with the help of its staff and
faculty adviser John Magee. Caroline praised
Magee’s ability to push them as editors to “take
risks, stir controversy and just have fun.”
Running the Papyrus is an exciting opportunity for both seniors. The staff includes nine
section editors, who each select and mentor
contributors to the paper and report back to the
editors-in-chief.
It is a real challenge to get such a big group
of busy students together in order to publish
it, explains Hailey, but they are confident that
everyone views the Papyrus as a high enough
priority.
“We are proud of the dedication of our entire
staff,” she says, “and look forward to sharing in
their enthusiasm for our paper.”
x Editors-inChief Caroline
Castellano
and Hailey
Karcher ’10.
Andre Li ’11
Prep for Prep
Campus plays host to Prep For Prep’s
3-day summer program
The campus played host to Prep for Prep in August. Nearly 100 students
entering grades 7 and 8, along with 23 advisers and 21 other staff, arrived
at Taft for three days of bonding, taking advantage of the opportunity to
help build on their sense of community.
Prep for Prep students complete a rigorous 14-month course of study
to prepare them for independent-school success. Once placed, Prep offers support services and leadership development opportunities that
foster success at whatever students choose to pursue.
“Taft has had a long and wonderful relationship with Prep for Prep,”
says Headmaster Willy MacMullen ’78, “in part because John Vogelstein
’52 and Lance Odden were both such committed leaders in creating a relationship that has thrived to this day. I was delighted that we could host
them this summer.”
Prep for Prep students meet on Wednesday and Saturdays throughout
the year to build their academic readiness for private schools. The time at
Taft also gave them the opportunity to meet their post-placement counselors.
Facilities director Jim Shepard and Angela Lamond from the Business
Office coordinated the visit. “They were extremely accommodating and
pleasant,” says Prep for Prep’s Jeff Roth. “They were always asking if there
was anything more they could do.”
The appreciation was mutual. “These kids were absolutely wonderful,”
says Business Manager Gil Thornfeldt. “You couldn’t have asked for a
nicer group.”
Opening Faculty Speaker
Starting the year off for the Taft faculty is
no easy job, but this year’s speaker, Robert
Evans, hit a home run. Evans is the head of
the Human Relations Service, a mental-health
agency in Wellesley, Massachusetts. He also
is the author of two books, The Human Side
of School Change and Family Matters, a look at
the relationship between schools and family
in contemporary America.
Evans had a sharp perspective on the
challenges of independent schools and impressed the faculty with his understanding of
the major issues
“We’ve become so obsessed with outcomes
that we’ve forgotten the importance of the
journey,” he told the faculty, “which is what
your students are likely to remember most.”
x Clinical and organizational psychologist Robert
Evans speaks to the assembled faculty at the opening
meetings. Yee-Fun Yin
Summer Fellowships
Meg Page ’74 Fellowship
• Aislinn McLaughlin ’10—Antigua, Guatemala, with Surgicorps International,
a medical mission team of doctors, nurses and other medical professionals that
travels around the world performing operations on people with physical defects.
h Aislinn McLaughlin assists hand surgeon David Kim
in Guatemala. “The woman had been burned on her
hand,” explains Aislinn. “We had to remove the scar
tissue, open the hand, and then do a skin graft with
skin from her stomach.”
Robert Keyes Poole ’50
Fellowship
• Cara Maaghul ’10—Helped improve the standard of living for the
inhabitants of the small village of
Malakati, Fiji, with Rustic Pathways.
Kilbourne Summer
Enrichment Fund
• Senior Jeffrey Yam attended a photo
workshop at the High Cascade
Snowboard Camp.
• Brian Sengdala ’10 participated in
Summer Portals Choral Workshop.
• Uppermid Sam Willson went to
a pipe organ workshop with the
American Guild of Organists.
• Nicholas Auer ’11 attended
the American Academy of
Dramatic Arts.
• Max Brazo ’11 studied architecture
through the Julian Krinsky Program
at UPenn.
• Deirdre Shea ’11 studied Irish step
dance with master teacher Tony
Nolan in Limerick, Ireland.
NEW TRUStees
around the POND
Yee-Fun Yin
2009–10 Music For A While
Concert Series In Walker Hall
Sarkis D. Izmirlian ’90
www.Mettawee.org
Yee-Fun Yin
October 2
Basically Baroque
Taft School Music Faculty
October 16
Five Play
Jazz Quintet
www.Divajazz.com/Fiveplay
November 6
Hudson Shad
Men’s Vocal Sextet
www.HudsonShad.net
December 4
Chris Norman
Wooden Flute
www.ChrisNorman.com
December 15
Taft School Annual Service of
Lessons and Carols
7:30 p.m., First Congregational
Church, Watertown
January 8
Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem
Folk/Blues
www.Raniarbo.com
January 22
Darmon Meader Quartet
Jazz
www.DarmonMeader.com
G. Carter Sednaoui P’10,13
February 12
Manhattan String Quartet
www.ManhattanStringQuartet.com
February 26
Art From the Heart
Taft School Music Faculty
April 9
Divi Zheni
Bulgarian Women’s Choir
www.Divizheni.net
Unless noted, all performances are at 7:00 p.m. on Fridays and last approximately one
hour. Concerts are free and open to the public. No tickets are required.
Timothy A. and
Nancy N. O’Neill, P’11
Julie Reiff
September 25
Beyond the High Valley—
A Quechua Story
Mettawee River Theater Company
Ralph Lee ’53, Director
40 North Street
www.Mettawee.org
Dylan T. Simonds ’89
In addition to welcoming Steve Turner ’86 as the newly elected alumni trustee, the board welcomes the following new members this fall.
Sarkis resides in the Bahamas with his wife
and children. He is a 1994 graduate of
Georgetown University with a b.s. degree
and a double major in international business and finance. From May 1994 to June
1996 he was employed in the New York
Portfolio Management Department of
JP Morgan. He has been actively involved
in his family’s businesses since 1996. Such
businesses include commodities trading,
agricultural equipment manufacturing,
commercial real estate investment and
development and financial investments.
He is also a board member of the Izmirlian
Foundation, which contributes regularly
to various projects in Armenia in such
fields as education, health care and varied
development assistance.
Tim graduated with a B.A. from Colgate
University in 1978 and an M.B.A. from
Columbia Business School in 1983. After
business school, Tim worked for the First
Boston Corporation, Lehman Brothers
and Bear Stearns, where he held various
management positions in capital markets
and corporate finance. Tim is a founding
partner of Parsonage Point Partners in
Rye, New York, and a managing partner
of Golden Seeds. He is on the board of
CSI Group Holdings and currently serves
on the board of the Rye YMCA.
Nan is a 1978 graduate of St.
Lawrence, and formerly worked in securities sales and trading. She serves on
the board of the Carver Center in Port
Chester, New York, and is involved with
other charitable organizations.
Tim and Nan live in Rye and have
four daughters: Ellie ’11, Caroline ’11,
Maggie, 14, and Jarvy, 11.
Carter lives in Skillman, New Jersey, with
his wife, Staley, and their son Carter,
while Coco ’10 and Betsy ’13 attend
Taft. He has been an active alumnus and
supporter of St. Albans School, including serving on the Governing Board
from 2002 to 2008 and as co-chair of
its $80 million Centennial Campaign.
He received a B.S. in economics from
the Wharton School of the University
of Pennsylvania and then worked for
Marine Midland Bank in New York
City, where he specialized in loan workouts. After an M.B.A. degree from the
University of Virginia’s Darden School in
1986, he joined the San Francisco office
of Eastdil Realty, a New York-based real
estate investment-banking firm. For the
eleven years ending in December 2001,
he served as CFO, administrative partner
and general partner of Accel Partners, a
Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm
specializing in information technology
start-ups. He is currently chairman of
Premium Power Corporation, a Boston
area cleantech company that produces
the world’s lowest-cost, grid-scalable flow
batteries based on proprietary advanced
energy storage technology.
Dylan began his career at the Oregon
nonprofit, Ecotrust, developing programs in sustainable forestry and green
enterprise. During that time, he also
helped to establish a regional chapter
of the Good Wood Alliance, working to
promote environmentally conscientious
wood use and to strengthen regional
forest-dependent businesses. He worked
subsequently for an oil and gas development joint venture in Texas, where he led
resident leasehold negotiations, supervised environmental compliance efforts,
and oversaw investor relations. Currently,
Dylan invests privately in a wide array
of early-stage green businesses, ranging in focus from home furnishings to
algae-derived chemicals for the renewable energy, industrial chemical, and
specialty ingredient markets. Through
the Dylan Todd Simonds Foundation,
he supports environmental and civic
projects in Pennsylvania and on the West
Coast. He serves on the boards of the
Headlands Center for the Arts in Marin
County (California), the Pittsburghbased Elsie H. Hillman Foundation, the
Brooklyn-based Cardamom Project, and
Q Collection, a leading environmentally
sound furnishings company. He is an
advisory board member of both Ecotrust,
where he previously served three terms
as a director, and the Center for Business
and the Environment at Yale University.
Dylan holds a B.A. from Middlebury
College, a master of environmental management degree from the Yale School
of Forestry and Environmental Studies,
and an M.B.A. from the Yale School of
Management. He lives in Mill Valley,
California, with his wife, Dorlon, and
their sons Will, 2, and Andrew, 1.
e
g
e
l
l
o
C
How did you become interested in
college counseling?
“Once I got
here, it was
pretty clear
to me that Taft
was a special
place. There’s a
sense of family
here that was
different than
lots of places
I’ve been.”
I was in my third year at the Kiski School near
Pittsburgh—teaching English, coaching, living
in the dorm—when the headmaster asked me
to become their college counselor. I said to him,
“What’s a college counselor?”
Becoming a college counselor literally
changed my life. It has provided me with not
simply a job, but also a career that I have loved.
Two years into that stint at Kiski, the dean of
admissions at Allegheny, my alma mater, asked
me to consider coming over to that side of the
desk and to join the staff there, which I did.
You’ve been around schools most
of your life. Can you give us a
snapshot of your career?
Apparently I was doing fairly well because I
had a few college and university presidents
start to call me to ask me to take over their
admissions operations. I passed on several
of them initially because I didn’t think I was
ready for that challenge.
When the president of Coe College in
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, called me, I went out
and took a look at it, and ultimately made a
decision to move the family from northwestern
Pennsylvania to the heart of the Corn Belt. I cut
my teeth on the admissions world out there. I
also learned a great deal about what it meant
to be of service to students and families as they
were in the midst of the college search and selection process.
Ultimately I found that college recruiting
was not necessarily where I needed or wanted
to be; I really, truly, enjoyed working with kids
on a day-to-day basis. So I looked for an opportunity to get back to college counseling. I
literally applied through an ad that I found in
the Chronicle of Higher Education for the director of college counseling position at Choate
Rosemary Hall. I spent 11 years there, raised my
family there, educated my children there; and
made friendships that continue to be strong.
In 2000, after my kids went off to college,
we went across the pond, and I became head
of the upper school at TASIS The American
School in England. After the first year, I became the assistant headmaster for external
relations and dean of admissions, but I missed
being a college counselor.
Looking to come back to the States, I accepted the job as director of college counseling
at Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, and
for the next six years had a great time.
g
n
i
l
e
s
n
Cou
today
A conversation with Terry Giffen
College counseling
What attracted you to Taft?
“...here I think
one can still
be a wellrounded
student, be
involved in
art, music,
and theater,
academics,
student life.
That makes
Taft different.”
What initially drew me to Taft was both personal and professional. My wife and I had lost
both of our remaining parents and being more
than 1,000 miles away from both of our children
suddenly began to feel too far. We also missed
living in a boarding school community.
As luck would have it, there were major
changes going on here at Taft. Andy McNeill,
whom I’d worked with at Choate, had been
looking to step aside to devote more time
to his four kids, and as it all unfolded Willy
MacMullen ultimately offered me the job as
director of college counseling here in 2008, and
I jumped at the chance.
What are your impressions now
that you’ve been here more than
a year?
Once I got here, it was pretty clear to me that Taft
was a special place. There’s a sense of family here
that was different than lots of places I’ve been. We
all work in and off this main hall here at school so
we see each other constantly. That ability to see
my professional colleagues every day, to talk about
students, and to get to know students in several different ways, has made this place very, very special.
The college counseling world has changed
dramatically. It’s become big business, so Taft
has really put its money where its mouth is in
supporting this office. We now have four fulltime college counselors in the office and our job
is to work day-to-day with our students as they
negotiate the college process.
Can you tell us about how you work?
I’ve tried to build a strong team approach into
this process. Having four full-time college counselors here with more than 85 years of collective
experience in both college admissions and college counseling, including a former financial aid
officer, is awesome. We meet twice a week as a
staff here in the college office, the first time to talk
about the nuts and bolts of what’s going on, planning for deadlines, programs, travel and the like.
But we also meet a second time every week to
talk exclusively about students.
What stands out most for you
about Taft students?
There’s a balance here that I really appreciate. We frequently see students who are
varsity athletes become involved in the plays,
students who are phenomenal vocal and instrumental musicians be involved with other
activities like a math team or be involved
in leadership roles on the newspaper or the
yearbook. At larger places you find pockets of
specialization; here I think one can still be a
well-rounded student, be involved in art, music, and theater, academics, student life. That
makes Taft different.
What about the faculty?
I really am struck by the collegiality of this
place. The fact that we are one school under
virtually one roof allows us all to work together. I sit in on the department head’s meetings
once a week, and one thing with which I have
been particularly impressed has been the level
of collegiality and support for one another.
Here I see an educational community where
people are working together with the ultimate
goal of helping kids move through this place
and be prepared for college.
Willy MacMullen’s support and confidence
in me has been tremendous. I am also very
grateful to the faculty for the superb work they
do on behalf of our students. I’d also like to
thank my college office colleagues: our office
manager Cheryl Gatling, who helps keep all
the pieces together, and the other counselors,
Andy McNeill, Catherine Ganung and Jason
Honsel, who all work tirelessly on behalf of Taft
students.
Can you describe your philosophy
toward college counseling?
What we do is not college placement, as
some people call it, it is college counseling.
We are here to help support students in what
truly is a rite of passage. The application
process has gotten very complex, so as fulltime college counselors we follow that changing world carefully.
What we strive to do is to work together with
students, parents and faculty to assure that our
students have done all that is possible to maximize their ability to be admitted to our nation’s
best colleges and universities. I want our kids
to get into the best schools possible for them. I
want to help our students find the best place for
them, a school where they can continue to grow,
and where they can take this incredible Taft
education, to use it as a foundation for further
learning on this journey that is our life.
How do you get started with
students?
What does the “calendar” of the
process look like?
The ultimate goal for us is to create, by the
end of the second semester, a working list of
colleges that students can research more fully
over the summer—hopefully making visits to
a number of these schools so that when they
come back to school in the fall of the senior
Photography by Peter Frew ’75
In some ways, the college counseling process
starts when students enroll at Taft, by encouraging them to branch out, to try new things.
We begin the formal college counseling
process here at Taft in January of the uppermid
year. We start by asking students to complete
a self-assessment that gives us extensive information about their educational background,
their academic strengths and weaknesses,
their extracurricular involvements, and their
thoughts about potential colleges. From there,
students begin to meet individually with their
assigned college counselor and we work carefully with them to help shape their academic
and extracurricular programs.
College counseling
“I want to help
our students
find the best
place for
them, a school
where they
can continue
to grow, and
where they
can take this
incredible
Taft education,
to use it as
a foundation
for further
learning on
this journey
that is our
life.”
x The College Counseling team includes Director Terry Giffen, Senior
Associate Director Andrew McNeill
(right), Associate Director Jason B.
Honsel (left) and Associate Director
Catherine Ganung.
year we can quickly work toward creating a
final list of colleges to which they will apply.
We’ll also work very carefully to help them
finalize work on college application essays that
we encouraged them to write during the summer.
After January 1 or so, most of the applications are—have been—submitted and it
becomes a little bit of a waiting game until the
admissions decisions start to appear in late
March and early April. We are there to support
kids all the way through this process, to counsel,
to comfort, to celebrate as the decisions start to
appear and then throughout the spring to work
with students as they strive to make the best
choice possible as to where they might enroll
given the options that are presented in April.
In some cases, kids are placed on waiting lists
and we work very carefully with them to help
them build a wait-list strategy, so to speak, to
keep their name and face in front of the colleges.
What are the important trends in
the admissions landscape?
Throughout the year we certainly monitor
trends in the admissions landscape, and the
recent trends that have been interesting for us to
monitor have really related to the financial crisis
that our country has faced.
Other trends we see are the increasing levels
of sophistication with regards to admissions
marketing and that the process is becoming a
paperless one. So much so that this year we will
be submitting virtually all the application materials from Taft to colleges in electronic form.
How did the most recent senior
class fare? And how do you
measure success?
The 170 members of the Class of 2009 submitted well over 1,200 applications to over 240
colleges and universities and now attend 90
different schools in 25 states. (See “Where Did
They Go?”)
I believe that we’ve been successful when our
students feel that they’ve been supported. My
ultimate goal, as I mentioned earlier, is that kids
have choices come April.
In what ways does Taft stand
out to colleges?
What makes Taft unique in today’s world is the
breadth of focus that our students have. While
we know that many colleges are admitting
lots of kids with really sharp points (less wellrounded), with strong academics and strong
special skills in many, many areas, I think Taft
can still hold its head up very proudly by saying we do educate that whole person, as our
mission states. And that we are preparing students for a lifetime of learning. We’re preparing
them to become contributors to a campus
community both in the classroom and out of
the classroom. We’re preparing kids who really
value serving others as Horace Dutton Taft
made so clear; that’s something we value.
And that’s something I tell colleges all over
the country. I think if a college takes a student
from Taft, they can know that that student is
well prepared for the classroom; they’re going
to engage with the faculty, they are going to be
out there in the community participating and in
many cases leading teams and clubs and groups
throughout their college careers.
Where Did They Go?
The top ten percent of the most recent graduating class attends the following colleges and universities:
1. Princeton
2. Columbia
3. Cornell
4. Amherst
5. Carnegie Mellon
6. University of Virginia
7. Dartmouth
8. Stanford
9. University of Pennsylvania
10. Columbia
11. University of Pennsylvania
12. Yale
13. Notre Dame
14. Stanford
15. Johns Hopkins
16. Columbia
17. Vassar
How does your experience help
your work here?
Given the gray hair I have, it’s pretty obvious
that I’ve been involved in this business for a
long time. I believe that I’ve built a national
reputation among my peers and pride myself on
continuing to build and maintain relationships
with college admissions officers around the
country. In many cases that includes the deans
and directors of admission, but it’s equally
important to get to know the younger staff
members. They are very likely the first reader of
a Taft application. Our other counselors do this
as well, so when we phone a college, we can assure folks that when someone takes a call from
us, our story is going to be heard.
I plan to set deep roots here at Taft. I’ve felt
immediately welcomed into the community,
and it’s my full intent to be here as long as
they’ll have me, finishing out my career here,
providing counsel and mentorship to my colleagues, and keeping the seat warm for my
eventual successor.
I’m glad to say that, with many people’s help,
we have put together one of the strongest counseling offices in America—I will hold them up
beside anybody. I’m proud to be at Taft and look
forward to helping many Tafties in their college
hunt for years to come. j
“I think if a
college takes
a student from
Taft, they can
know that that
student is well
prepared for
the classroom;
they’re going
to engage with
the faculty,
they are going
to be out
there in the
community....”
crisscrossing
America
by John Gussenhoven ’65
47°51’28.61”N,
121°42’05.47”W
Gold Bar, Washington
This stationary train at the western foothills of the
Cascade Mountain Range was a welcome taste of
what was to come: a daily encounter with east- and
west-bound freight trains conducting commerce
across America. Here, only the familiar rhythm of steel
wheels rolling over the track seams was missing.
It began with the purchase of a Harley-Davidson
motorcycle on November 2, 2004.…
CrissCrossing america
47°52’01.52”N, 121°44’54.85”W
Startup, Washington
The ironic starting point of the first leg of my journey. Sure, I was disheartened that my
bike was not waiting for me when I arrived in Seattle, Washington, in 2005.
However, if not for this delay I might not have enjoyed how fitting it was to begin
my northwest-to-southeast trip in Startup, Washington.
Have you ever ridden a Harley? I hadn’t, so this would be a new experience for me, one that many people might find
risky or puzzling for someone who had spent his entire corporate life dressed in a suit and tie. But, yes, here I was, almost 60,
buying a Harley—with the express purpose of exploring a country, which until 2005 was truly “foreign” to me.
While I am an American citizen, as are my parents, I was born in Mexico City. Because of my father’s work, I spent most of
my youth in South America. I attended schools in the United States starting at age 14 and began my business career living and
working primarily in the Northeast, save for a seven-year stint in the Midwest and a few years abroad. It was not hard to see why,
after all these years (almost a lifetime), I had an intense curiosity about the vast sections of America that I had never seen.
I planned the trip by placing
a map on the table and drew
an “X” across the country, like
two traversing plumb lines
that crossed in the middle
This crisscross served as my
guiding itinerary and expanded the scope of the geography
and riding experience more
than if I had traveled along a
more horizontal route.
Facing my own personal crossroads back in the winter of 2004, I made the decision to travel across the United States.
I created a two-legged “discover America” itinerary in which I would cross the country in west-to-east journeys that would
occur in two separate two-week excursions. On the first leg of the journey (May 2005), I would travel from the Northwest to the
Southeast, and on the second leg of my trip (May 2006), I would ride from the Southwest to the Northeast. Somewhere in the
middle of the “X” that would be formed by these two trips, I would find myself in the center of the country. I was drawn by the
urge to make the crossings by motorcycle. That, in my mind, would be the best vantage point from which to capture all that one
could see from the road—unobstructed by roof posts, tinted windshields, headrests and rearview mirrors.
Photography had always been one of my great passions, and I wanted to use this opportunity to record my impressions of
the country. Fewer than six months after I purchased the Harley and Jim Wark had signed on for the aerial photos, I shipped
the bike from my home in Naples, Florida, to Seattle, Washington, where I launched the first leg.
I intentionally began each journey on May 15 so that I could capture what was left of the colorful new growth of spring
and witness the rebirth that this glorious season represents. It would also be the time of year when our roads and highways
would be largely devoid of summer travelers. I oriented both legs of my trip from west to east so that I could keep the afternoon sun and evening sunset at my back—the time of day when fatigue would usually set in.
32°50’46.71”N, 90°24’50.87”W
North Main Street,
Yazoo City, Mississippi
This is a fine example of America’s quintessential Main Street—memories
of yesteryear that we long for and strive to recreate in our urban renewals.
Yazoo City has restored its historic district with dazzling color that preserves
the charm of its architecture. If you’ve never visited a Hollywood movie lot,
this is a dead ringer. The linear, functional layout of the buildings can be
especially appreciated in Jim Wark’s aerial photograph above Yazoo City!
I’d never heard of it, but leave it to me to happen upon this extraordinary
little town as I made my way toward Jackson. What struck me most was the
wildly creative, artistic use of color that embellished some of the town’s
most dignified commercial buildings, located on South Main Street.
Though the experience was unforgettable and life altering, the book is not about me. It is about what I saw through the
lens of my camera. I photographed images without people in them so that you could become the observer that I was and so
that you could see America through your own eyes.
Ironically, the book is as much about what I did not see as it is about what I saw. If you could hover above the ground at
500 or 1,000 feet as you traveled across the country, you would see what Jim Wark captured from his airplane—vistas or sites
that were only hundreds of yards from the main road, but that I was unable to see even from that close distance. I achieved
this by marking and recording every ground shot on a GPS device.
CrissCrossing america
31°58’20.14”N, 87°29’10.86”W
A Weyerhaeuser lumber mill on Highway 10,
in Yellow Bluff, Alabama
From my limited roadside viewpoint, I imagined that behind the security fence
there would likely be a traditional manufacturing plant. But this aerial image
reveals something far more intriguing: the uncanny symmetry of neatly circled
piles of uncut tree trunks waiting to be stripped of their bark and cut into floorboards. Had I not known better, I might have thought this was the underside of
an industrial floor polisher, with its twin-bristle brushes. Call it nostalgia, but of all
the pictures I took during my trip, I was almost always mesmerized by abandoned
factories and old mills that you could see from the roads leading into the larger,
industrial cities, especially in the Midwest and Northeast.
I crossed a total of 27 of the 49 continental states, passing through only two of them twice: Oklahoma and Kansas.
The total mileage recorded on my Road King Classic for the two legs was 8,556.5 miles.
I welcomed the idea of traveling on some of these lesser-traveled roads, since it would be in the spirit of my quest for discovery.
While the interstates were unavoidable (albeit safer, in my view, for motorcyclists), they offered generous opportunities for
unique and memorable pictures. I did not select in advance the precise route for each leg, but did so on a day-to-day basis,
depending on weather and traffic conditions, road construction and my personal stamina. For many who have wondered about
the safety of such an expedition, I made the entire trip without accident, traffic violation, flat tire, spill, bruise, bump or hangnail.
34°11’41.01”N, 91°54’31.97”W
Southeast of Pine Bluff, Arkansas
The mounds of dirt in the rice fields are made to contain the water used to flood these fields. The green is paler because the light
reflects from the shallow water covering the ground. This mesmerizing image looks like a delicate, Italian-designed silk fabric.
As I read through the daily logs I had kept, I couldn’t help but remember the extraordinary hospitality and generosity of
the many people I had met on the road. Each encounter had its own story, but the common theme that linked them all was
that of genuine kindness and courtesy. You might think of these complete strangers as Good Samaritans, especially since what
struck me most about their memorable contributions to my trip (delicious, home-cooked meals; assistance with my Harley;
evenings spent in local bistros and bars hearing about families and local folklore) was that most, but not all, of these generous
people seemed to be just getting by, yet gave freely of what they had. All of them, however, were rich in character and spirit.
Collectively, they helped me realize that this kind of goodwill and kindness is the essence of America’s greatness.
In large part, thanks to these good people, I began to understand that this book could have a greater purpose than
being merely a vehicle to share my passion for photography. I came to see that Crisscrossing America could acknowledge,
if even in a modest way, people who quietly touch the lives of others without seeking anything in return. So in April of
2006, I funded a trust from which money or gifts could be directed to those who were in need, or who deserved some
form of recognition or a lift.
The book is dedicated to my beloved twin sister, Nini Gussenhoven (Westover Class of ’65), who passed away
unexpectedly in October 2006. She lived the journey with me vicariously from her New York City apartment through
44°56’46.49”N, 67°11’44.65”W
West of Pembroke, Maine
Things looked pretty quiet at this roadside motel on a post-holiday weekend
day. Nevertheless, the shoulder-wide motel rooms look appealing and
comfortable, given the few choices in this most remote eastern part of Maine.
32˚03’20.75”N,
87˚48’28.26”W
East of Marengo,
Alabama
As I traveled at more than 60 mph,
I would capture a scene from the
corner of my eye, then take a second
or two to decide if the subject was
worth photographing. If so, I would
slow down my bike, check for traffic
behind me, then circle back to the
object I had spotted. I repeated this
cycle hundreds and hundreds of times.
The journal entries in the book
describe the only “close encounter”
on the trip at this package store.
telephone conversations and e-mails during both legs of my trip. I had planned to surprise her with the first proofs of the
book on our 60th birthday, but she left us just a month before this milestone celebration. While I have had a few willing
riders on the back of my motorcycle, none was more enthusiastic than Nini on her first and only Harley experience. I will
cherish that one ride with her forever. j
Photographs and excerpts are from John Gussenhoven’s book, Crisscrossing Americ. For more, visit www.crisscrossingamerica.org
where you will see photographs and journal entries, in their entirety, that are not included in the book.
Christopher Hirsheimer
My Life with Julia
Q&A with Alex Prud’homme ’80
Fans of the popular summer movie Julie & Julia may already know that the film is based on two true stories:
Julie Powell’s Julie & Julia and My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme.
For the growing number of Julia fans, here’s the rest of that story…
Q:
what was your original
connection to Julia Child?
Q:
how well did you know
Julia and Paul Child growing up?
A:
A:
Julia’s husband, Paul, was the twin brother of my
grandfather, Charles Child. So she was my great-aunt. I
grew up knowing her on TV and in person; the two Julias
were one and the same. The personality you saw on TV
was the same personality I saw at home—funny, smart and
happiest when cooking something delicious for an appreciative audience.
Paul had been a diplomat, was an accomplished artist
and was an essential part of Julia’s success. In fact, our book
is dedicated to him. He was ten years older than she was,
knew all about wine and entertained us with unusual tricks.
He and I shared a love of bacon and bananas, and Julia
thought we looked alike—which is probably one reason
she liked me.
Quite well. Although they lived in Cambridge,
Massachusetts, and we lived in New York, they were frequently in Manhattan as Julia’s career flourished. We’d
often have Thanksgiving together, and we’d see each other
in Maine during the summer, where Paul helped my grandfather build a log cabin.
They never had children of their own but were close to
Charlie’s children (my mother, aunt and uncle). They weren’t
quite another set of grandparents to us—Julia was a celebrity, and they were always flying off to exotic places like France
or California—but they were very down-to-earth people,
and always curious about what WE were up to.
Julia and Paul were generous, and would pass on gifts of
food and cookbooks they’d been given from well-meaning
friends. But their biggest gift was to live their lives in an
exemplary way: they taught us the importance of passion,
doggedness, creativity and humor.
My Life with Julia
“…their biggest gift was to live their lives
in an exemplary way: they taught us
the importance of passion, doggedness,
creativity and humor.”
Q:
what are some of your
favorite memories of Julia and Paul?
A:
Mostly about eating, of course. Julia’s kitchen in
Cambridge was her laboratory, and the center of the house.
We’d sit around the big table there talking—about movies,
politics, food—while she tinkered with some new recipe on
her old Garland stove. There were all sorts of giant knives
and copper pots and exotic culinary contraptions in her
kitchen—like the giant mortar and pestle she bought in
Paris. (Her entire kitchen is on display at the Smithsonian.)
This seemed natural to me, and it was only much later that I
realized how lucky I was to spend time with her.
In Maine, Julia would join us in picking strawberries, fishing for mackerel and digging for clams. She’d make chowder,
bouillabaisse, lobsters, bread, jams and berry pies, and—our
favorite—lace cookies.
In New York, Julia would sometimes take us along to a
fund-raiser she was doing, and then we’d go out to a restaurant, where they’d seat us in the middle of the room and feed
us way too much food. Afterward, Julia made a point of going into the kitchen to thank everyone from the dishwasher
to the head chef. Entering a restaurant with her was an experience; I’ve seen near-riots break out when Julia walked into
a room. Once, a woman at a fancy restaurant set her napkin
on fire when she knocked a candle over in a rush to get Julia’s
autograph. Julia handled the crush of attention very well;
Paul didn’t like it much but put up with it for her sake.
We visited Paul and Julia in Provence a number of times.
Shopping at the great outdoor market in Cannes, Julia
spoke to every vegetable and meat purveyor, and, naturally,
they loved her. In 1976, when I was 14, she took us to La
Colombe d’Or, a restaurant in St. Paul de Vence, where I had
my first really extraordinary, three-plus-hour French lunch.
Then Paul set up a TV on the veranda, and we watched the
Montreal Olympics while Julia grilled the most delicious
chicken I’ve ever eaten.
Of course, one of my best memories of all is spending
time with Julia at the end of her life: we were writing this
book together, and getting to know each other—and our
family stories—all over again. I feel very lucky to have spent
this private, reflective time with her.
Q:
when did you first
learn that Julia was writing a
book about her life?
A:
The years she lived in France, Julia said, were
“among the best of my life.” It was there that she figured out
who she was and what she wanted to do with herself. And
for almost as long as I can remember, she talked about writing a book about that time—“the France book.”
In 1969, Paul suggested printing the letters that he and
Julia had written to my grandparents from France. But the
publishers weren’t interested. Julia liked the idea, though,
and kept notes about it. In her desk, I found files of things
she had written about her experiences there—her first
meal in Rouen; how to shop for partridge in Paris, or fish in
Marseille; the trials and tribulations of getting Mastering the
Art of French Cooking written and published. But for some
reason, “the France book” never got written.
“All right, dearie, maybe
we should work on
it together.”
Talk about the process of writing this
book with Julia.
Q:
how did you first
become involved in the writing
of My Life in France?
A:
I was a professional writer, and had long wanted
to do something collaborative with Julia. But she was selfreliant, and for years had politely resisted my offer.
By December 2003, Julia had retired to Santa Barbara,
California, and when I made my annual visit, she once again
mentioned “the France book” in a wistful tone. She was 91,
and growing frail, and I once again offered to assist her. This
time she surprised me by saying, “All right, dearie, maybe
we should work on it together.” I wasn’t especially prepared,
but we sat down and did our first interview the next day. Our
collaboration grew from there.
For a few days every month, I would sit in Julia’s modest living room, asking questions, reading from a stack of family
letters, looking at Paul’s evocative photographs, and listening
to her stories. Occasionally we’d watch a tape of one of her
old TV shows, and she’d tell me about it.
It wasn’t always easy, though. Julia could only work for
a couple of hours at a time. She didn’t like to talk about
her innermost thoughts. My tape recorder distracted her,
so I took notes instead. But after some fits and starts, we
finally got into a good working rhythm. Many of our best
conversations took place over a meal, on a car ride, or
while I rolled her wheelchair through the farmers’ market.
Something would trigger her memory, and she’d suddenly
tell me how she learned to make baguettes in a home oven,
or how one had to speak very loudly in order to be heard at
a French dinner party.
When I had enough material, I would write up a vignette.
Julia would read it, correct it, and add new thoughts. She
loved this process, and was an exacting editor. “This book
energizes me!” she’d say.
We worked like this from mid-January to mid-August
2004, when she passed away in her sleep from kidney failure.
She died on August 13, two days before her 92nd birthday. I
spent the next year finishing My Life in France, and wishing I
could call on her to fill in the gaps.
The final product is a true collaboration, featuring the
voices of Julia, Paul and a bit of me. I wrote some exposition
and transitions, and used her funny words—“Yuck!” “Plop!”
“Hooray!” In some places I have blended Paul’s and Julia’s
words. Not only was this practical, but Julia encouraged it,
noting that they often signed their letters “PJ,” or “Pulia,” as if
they were two halves of one person. j
n Denali from the north by air: the Muldrow Glacier and
North Summit (19,470’) with South Summit (20,320’)
visible behind and to the left. Rising 18,000’ above the
lowlands just to the north, Denali has more vertical relief
than Mount Everest. The cirrus clouds are a good indication
that foul weather is coming.
Angel _
of_Denali
A Love For Adventure
Lures
Lowell Thomas To Alask
a
by Mike Macy ’69
It is about -20 F. The air is
sm
No snow blowing off the rid ooth. No sign of downdrafts.
ges. Just a gentle north wind,
5 to 10 knots.
And Lowell Thomas, Jr. ’4
2 is searching for Japanese
cl
im
Naomi Uemura, the first m
an to summit Denali alone ber
in winter.
“I’ve had five forced landin
gs in my career,” says Thom
as, “but I’ve never damage
injured a passenger—which
d an airplane or
I mostly attribute to good
luck and The Good Lord.
searching for Uemura, was
That day in 1984,
probably the closest I ever
came.
“I was at 20,000 feet, on
oxygen, in my wheel-skied
HelioCourier, on the north
mountain. The next thing
side of the
I knew, we were in a free fal
l.
We pulled out of the down
30 seconds later, at about
draft less than
14,000 feet, just above the
surface of the Ruth Glacier—
ible rate of descent, more tha
an incredn 12,000 feet per minute. W
hat probably saved me was
stopped flying. That, and ou
that I never
r momentum had carried us
just beyond the rock and ice
Denali’s east face.”
cliffs of
To put Thomas’s Niaga
ra-like plunge in perspecti
ve, most small planes are de
and descend at rates of hund
signed to climb
reds of feet per minute, no
t thousands.
Today, Air Force high-a
ltitude helicopters routinely
rescue climbers on Denali.
ever, Thomas was the only
For years, howfixed-wing pilot the Natio
nal Park Ser vice authorized
the mountain.
to land high on
Uemura, who was forced
by weather on his descent
to bivouac high on the mo
never found. Other injured
untain, was
or sick climbers did sur viv
e,
however, thanks to Thomas’s
braver y. All but one or two
skill and
of his dozen landings at 14
,000 feet were evacuations.
v Tay and Lowell Thomas with the wheel-skied
“Helio,” known for its outstanding short takeoff
and landing capability. Rob Stapleton Photography
v One of the last Westerners to visit Tibet in 1949 before
the borders closed, Lowell Thomas ’42, left, is pictured across
the valley from the Potala, one of the wonders of the world,
with interpreter Rimshi Kyipup, Luishahr Dzaza and Lama
Dorje Changwaba from the Tibet Foreign Ministry, and
Lowell Thomas, Sr.
The saw is that Alaska has old pilots, and bold pilots, but no
old, bold pilots. And for good reason: Alaska’s weather is hostile
and fickle; until recently, navigational aids were scarce and unreliable; and the terrain is unforgiving. But Thomas, now 86, is a
signal exception: In an aviation career spanning six decades, he
spent nearly two flying Denali, one of the world’s most challenging aviation environments.
At 20,320 feet Denali—or Mount McKinley as it is officially
known—is North America’s highest. Like all great mountains,
Denali makes its own weather. But the world’s other great
mountains are closer to the Equator, where the atmosphere is
significantly thicker; consequently, Denali’s effective altitude
equals that of a 24,000-footer in the Himalaya. Furthermore,
Denali’s position on the boundary between the North Pacific/
Bering Sea and Arctic/Continental weather systems means that
bad weather can come from two directions, sometimes at once.
If you press Thomas about his flying record and his emerging
unscathed from those five forced landings, the most that he will
allow is that, “Well, I always knew what to do.”
Thomas grew up on a dairy farm in Pawling, New
York. His dad, Lowell Thomas, Sr., author and radio
news commentator, was one of the most recognized
voices in America and a friend of many explorers. And
so it was that as a mere 16-year-old, Lowell Jr. joined
the great mountaineer and photographer Bradford
Washburn, his wife, Barbara, and four college seniors
from the Harvard Alpine Club on the first ascent of
Mount Bertha, in Alaska’s Fairweather Range. Thomas
didn’t get a shot at the summit; nonetheless, he “fell in
love with Alaska, its mountains and glaciers.” He also became
lifelong friends with the Washburns.
In 1942, during his senior year at Taft, a classmate’s father
buzzed the school in a Grumman Wildcat, which would become the Navy’s preeminent fighter during WWII. The Wildcat
then landed on the athletic fields. “That was really exciting!”
recalls Thomas, who went on to Dartmouth the following year,
before enlisting in the Army Air Corps. He trained to fly B-25
Mitchells, the twin-engine, twin-tailed medium bomber that
carried Jimmy Doolittle in his 1942 raid over Tokyo. Thomas
proved so adept with the B-25 that he spent the rest of the war
training others to fly it.
He graduated from Dartmouth in 1948 and joined forces
with his dad, filming and producing movies. In 1949, the Tibetan
government made an exception to their policy of excluding foreigners and invited Thomas father and son to Lhasa in the hopes
that the Thomases’ reports would help persuade the U.S. government to defend Tibet against the Chinese. The journey by foot
and donkey from Sikkim across the monsoon-drenched, leachinfested Himalaya took 40 days, with taped reports dispatched
back to India by runner every day.
The Thomases became the last Westerners to reach Lhasa before the Chinese. On the way home, Lowell Jr. had to evacuate his
dad after Sr. was thrown from his horse, breaking his hip in eight
places. Published in 1950, Out of This World, Jr.’s book about the
expedition, became a best seller.
Though both father and son continued to write and lecture
about Tibet, the U.S. largely declined to intervene. In the face of
Soviet hostilities and with war looming in Korea, the U.S. was
leery of tangling with an increasingly belligerent China. CBS
v A good day at the office: Thomas is a signal exception to the Alaskan saying that there are old pilots and bold pilots, but no old, bold pilots. He has
landed numerous climbing parties and personally made several first ascents
on Denali’s Tordrillo Range.
did not broadcast the resultant film, Expedition to Lhasa, Tibet,
until years later. Lowell Jr. had been the cameraman. Although
the results were not as hoped for, the Tibetans remain grateful
for the Thomases’ efforts; in 2005, the Dalai Lama bestowed
the International Campaign for Tibet’s Light of Truth Award
on Lowell Jr.
Thomas followed his Tibetan adventure by taking his young
wife, Tay Pryor (whose own Taft connections are numerous),
on a 45,000-mile flying odyssey by Cessna 180 through Europe,
Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. Throughout the 1950s,
he continued to film and produce movies. In 1958, with statehood imminent, Thomas and his dad returned to Alaska to film
a series about whether a wild place like Alaska could support
young families from elsewhere in the U.S. Lowell Jr. flew wife Tay
and first child north, again in a Cessna 180.
Tay immediately fell in love with Alaska, so the family stayed
on after the project. [Tay has written six books about their life
and three National Geographic features, including “Night of
Terror,” her hair-raising account of the 1964 Alaska Earthquake
that destroyed their neighborhood.] While making films, Lowell
and Tay met and befriended Alaskans from many walks of life,
some of whom persuaded him to run for public office.
“They needed cannon fodder, I suppose,” says Thomas, who
at the time was a Republican in a Democratic state. After two unsuccessful runs for Congress, the second ending in a recount, he
was elected to the State Senate, eventually serving two terms.
From the outset, Thomas’s mission was conservation. At the
request of Alaskans seeking protection for the mountains in
Anchorage’s backyard, Thomas introduced legislation to create
Chugach State Park. Despite stiff opposition stirred up by the
concurrent battle to protect federal lands, the legislation passed.
Today, the half-million-acre Chugach State Park is universally
acclaimed as one of Anchorage’s greatest assets. A generous
supporter of conservation, Thomas made a million dollar bequest to Alaska Conservation Foundation in 2000, still their
largest ever.
He had another target: end bounty hunting, which he
viewed as ethically and environmentally wrong. Right or
wrong, many Alaskans were habituated to receiving government money for killing predators and therefore vigorously
opposed his proposed legislation.
Thomas had an unlikely ally in Charles Lindbergh, who was
appalled by the notion of using aircraft to slaughter defenseless
wildlife. When Lindbergh heard that prospects for Thomas’s bill
were bleak, he volunteered to help. Within days, Lindbergh was
in Juneau, addressing the legislature and governor behind closed
doors. Ultimately, the legislature scrapped bounty hunting. Two
years later, Thomas flew Lindbergh over the Chugach and Kenai
mountains, landing on several glaciers in the process. Few aviators can claim to have piloted one of the most famous of them all.
In 1972, Jay Hammond ran for governor and asked Thomas
to run with him as lieutenant governor. “I liked Jay Hammond.
I would have done whatever I could to help him,” says Thomas.
They won and he served one term before retiring from politics.
“Throughout my time in Juneau, I kept flying and landing on
glaciers at every opportunity,” says Thomas.
Very few climbers fly; even fewer flyers climb. Again, he was
the exception. He helped explore and climb the most prominent summits in the Tordrillo Range, the glaciated peaks and
volcanos dominating Anchorage’s southwestern horizon. Over
several years, Thomas landed a score of climbing parties above
the mudflats and alder thickets that guard the Range’s flanks and
personally made several of the first ascents.
Looking for a post-political career, he was already thinking about glacier flying when the guide Ray Genet asked if he
was interested in helping shuttle his climbing clients on and off
Denali. After seven years flying climbers as owner of Talkeetna
Air Taxi, Thomas spent another 12 years flying guests of Camp
Denali/North Face Lodge around, and sometimes landing on,
the mountain.
“Everyone wanted to fly with Lowell
Thomas, Jr.,” says Wally Cole, Camp
Denali’s owner during that period and
still a good friend today. “For many of
our guests, flying with him was the highlight of their Alaska trip.”
And for a few, it was a flight that saved
their lives. j
A craniosacral therapist, Mike Macy ’69,
who lives in Anchorage, first moved to
Alaska in 1976.
n The National Park
Trust honored Thomas
with its first Annual
Bruce Vento Public
Service Award in
2001 for his lifetime
contributions to
conservation. Thomas
helped establish
Chugach State Park and
also led the fight to
end bounty hunting
in Alaska.
from the ARCHIVES
Thunder and Stagecraft for Sun-Up
On February 24, 1935, the Taft Dramatic
Association, under the direction of science teacher
Robert Olmstead, put on Sun-Up (1932), a play
by Lula Vollmer. This was the Golden Age of dramatic stagecraft at Taft (with apologies to Rick
Doyle), when English teacher and “aesthete” Rollo
DeWilton directed set design, taking full advantage
of the new, state-of-the-art Bingham Auditorium’s
backstage apparatus. The results were always elegant and real-life. An article in the Papyrus of the
time describes the effort to create the World War Iera, North Carolina log cabin interior and the
atmospheric effects of the mountain setting.
“…flats are divided into doors and windows…
and painted. The fireplace…is made of boxes
covered with canvas frames, with bulges here and
there to give it the lifelike appearance of hewn
stone…Lighting effects are created from an intricate switchboard system, by throwing certain lights
on an external blue cyclorama in order to suggest
bright daylight…”
Stage crew made the sounds of a heavy windstorm by turning a drum of slats at high speed over
a canvas-covered frame. “Thunder is created by
merely pounding on a sheet of tin.” And to complete the sensory experience, “members of the cast
will cook bacon and other food…on a small electric grill placed inside the fireplace.”
—Alison Gilchrist, Leslie Manning Archives
n The hillbilly Widow
Cagle (played by Robert
Chapman ’36), grieving
the death of her son in
the war, hears his voice
telling her to spare
the life of the stranger
(Henry Bertram ’36),
whose father killed her
husband, since the act
would only be of the
same blind nature. Also
shown are Bud (Charles
Coit ’35) and Emmy
(John Packard ’37).
Blake Joblin ’13
Mark W. Potter ’48 Gallery 2009–10 Season
September 1 to 26
Taft Visual Arts Students
2008–09
Taft Student Work in Drawing,
Design, Painting, Sculpture,
Photography and Ceramics
November 6 to December 4
Ubuntu: I Am Because We Are
Art from the Juvenile Justice
System and Beyond
www.artisticnoise.org
Opening reception November 6
October 2 to 31
Susan Mastrangelo: Slice of Life
Rockwell Visiting Artist
www.susanmastrangelo.com
December/January
2009 Student Work
Taft Student Work in Drawing,
Design, Painting, Sculpture,
Photography and Ceramics
January 29 to March 5, 2010
Greenswards, New Work
by Nancy Friese
Tremendous Trees, Bending
Skies and Greenswards
Rockwell Visiting Artist
www.nancyfriese.com
This exhibition is funded by
the Andrew R. Heminway ’47
Endowment Fund.
Opening reception January 29
March 26 to April 24
Celia Gerard ’91: Drawings
www.celiagerard.com
Opening reception March 26
April 29 to June 29
Eladio Fernandez ’85
Caribbean Landscape
Photography
www.eladiofernandez.com
Opening reception April 29
Taft Bulletin
The Taft School
110 Woodbury Road
Watertown, CT 06795-2100
860.945.7777
www.TaftAlumni.com
Nonprofit Org
U.S. Postage
PAID
Burlington, VT
Permit No. 101
Change Service Requested
Super SUNDAY
Thad Reycraft ’10 happily
tackles the Crisco slide
for the light blue team on
Super Sunday in September.
Held on one of the opening
weekends of school, Super
Sunday is a longstanding
tradition at Taft. Can anyone
identify the year it began?
Peter Frew ’75

america - The Taft School

Transcription

Similar documents

Brotoloc South Brochure

Baccalaureate Mass and Commencement Exercises

Trip distance: 61 miles Time: 1 hr 21 mins, per Yahoo directions

Violet`s Porch - Jefferson Township Public Library

B U L L E T I N - The Taft School

Mock Rock shocks the house with talent, eye

November 2005 - Taft Union High School

L` Alliance Française de Cincinnati