georgian, march 2012
DESCRIPTION
The Georgian is the official publication of George School.TRANSCRIPT
GeorGianpublication of george scho ol, newtow n, pennsy lvania
InsIde
march 2012
01perspectives Learning from Competition
meetinghouse turns 200Wisdom Lives in This Place
18
Vol. 84 No. 01
12fi e ld of dreamsNew Cougar Track and Cougar Field
alumni weekendMay 11, 12, and 13, 2012Everyone Welcome
20
Table of ConTenTs Vol. 84 | no. 01 | marCh 2012
GeorGian
PhoTos: Inside Front Cover: George School celebrates the first coin toss on the new Cougar Field at the start of the varsity boys’ football game against St. Andrews on October 15, 2011. (Photo by Jim Inverso) Front Cover: The balance of competition and collaboration is an important element of a George School education, both in the classroom and on the field. Here Martina Russo ’13, Laety Walendom ’11, and Arya Mazanek ’11 collaborate on an assignment. (Photo by Bruce Weller)
01 perspectives Learning from Competition
02 Competing and Collaborating for Success
06 Competition on the Soccer Field
08 Life After George School: Competition for College Admission
10 eQuiz Highlights
12 features
12 Field of Dreams: New Cougar Track and Cougar Field
14 Honor Thy Coaches
16 Seeking the Source
18 Wisdom Lives in This Place
20 Alumni Weekend 2012
22 Planning for Financial Sustainability
23 campus news & notes
24 alumni tell us
48 in memoriam
GEorGiAN | 1
perspecti V esJi
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eR
SO
A quick perusal of the Merriam-Webster dictionary
reveals that while the definition of the word “com-
pete” is “to strive consciously or unconsciously for
an objective (as position, profit, or a prize); be in a
state of rivalry,” its Latin origin, competere, means
“to come together, agree, be suitable.” This etymo-
logical link between the concepts of competition
and collaboration shows in microcosm the heart
of a larger dialogue going on today—in Quaker
schools, in other schools and colleges, in American
society, and in the world at large.
This leads us to ask ourselves some underly-
ing questions: What are the benefits of competi-
tion? How do competition and collaboration work
together? What does it mean to be—and what
does it take to be—“competitive?” This issue’s
Perspectives focuses on competition in its many
forms: in academics, athletics, the arts, and other
extracurricular activities at George School, as well
as in the educational, professional, and personal
lives of alumni.
John Tauer Ph.D., wrote in a 2009 article in
Psychology Today that “competition is pervasive in
our culture, and can be a double-edged sword.”
The appeal of team sports, he notes, is that they
provide individuals the opportunity to compete
and cooperate at the same time.
in the pages of this Perspectives section, i
think you will see that competition and collabora-
tion have played, and continue to play, significant
roles in the lives of alumni, faculty, and students at
George School and beyond. in the words of one of
our alumni, “if you compete just for the thrill of
winning, you’re doing it wrong. [You should com-
pete] to challenge yourself and to experience the
joy and thrill of teamwork.”
Learning from Competition
head of sChool nanCy sTarmer posed with George School cheerleaders Kristean Hellmuth ’15, Faith Karaffa ’14, Rachel Brimmer ’14, Amanda Frischmann ’15, and Taylor Potye ’14 after her celebra-tory remarks about the new Cougar Track and Cougar Field on Visiting Day.
Perspectives edited by diNa mccaffery
2 | GEorGiAN
march 2012
by KareN doss bowmaN
As a student at George School, David Miller ’67,
wanted to wrestle. Though he admits he was a
“terrible” wrestler, then-coach russell Weimar
gave everyone a fair chance to compete by holding
“wrestle-offs” the day before each match to deter-
mine who would appear on the next day’s roster.
With determination and preparation, he had the
same opportunity as any other boy to earn a spot
on the team.
“You learned very quickly that if you were not
mentally alert and physically fit, you weren’t going
to make the cut,” says David, operations manager
at Southeast Frozen Foods, one of the largest
regional food distribution companies in the nation.
“it’s the same with business. if you have not pre-
pared, your chances of failure far and away will
exceed your chances of success.”
Like David, many George School alumni have
learned the benefits of competition through sports.
Preparing for athletic contests has instilled in many
the desire to pursue excellence and to perform at
the highest level. in the process of continually striv-
ing to improve, many have discovered more about
themselves—their strengths and weaknesses—and
gain confidence to take risks.
“My coaches and teachers created an environ-
ment of understanding that was still goal-oriented
across the line,” David says. “The rest was up to
you, to take that into anything you did. i was will-
ing to pay the price to do it. That gave me the disci-
pline, regimentation, and structure to understand
and tolerate the politics or nuances to survive the
business world.”
Being competitive requires preparation,
practice, drive, and motivation. For William “Bill”
Nelson ’52, striving for excellence served as the best
means to rise above the poverty that defined his
childhood.
Bill studied hard at George School, becoming
an outstanding student-athlete. After earning a
bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College,
an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s
Wharton School of Business and a Ph.D. from rice
University, Bill became an economics professor
at Washington University and later a business
executive who served at the helm of numerous
leading companies, including Pilot Software, Geac
Computer Corporation, Ltd., Pansophic Systems,
inc., and on-Line Software. He was the found-
ing investor and is on the board of directors of
Carbonite inc.
“i was handed a bad hand, if you will, so life
wasn’t going to be very good for me if i didn’t do
something about it in a competitive world,” Bill
says. “So i began to do the things that help you win
and that i thought would get me ahead. i trained
myself to compete and to compete fairly.”
Collaboration and Competition
Competition isn’t always an individual endeavor.
For Tod rustein ’79, learning to achieve his best
while cooperating with teammates was a lesson
in how collaboration and competition intersect to
bring about positive results. Thus, the playing field
became an extension of the classroom at George
School.
“The balance of competition and collabora-
tion is a natural element in any decent educational
experience,” says Tod, a history teacher at Friends
School of Baltimore. “in the same way that you
cannot understand light without darkness, good
without bad, happiness without misery, i don’t
think you can really understand collaboration with-
out competition. They are, in a sense, two aspects
of a united whole. When a group of individuals
collaborates, a natural clashing of ideas is likely to
occur. And if these different views are considered
with an aim for achieving unity of thought, a
Perspectives
Competing and Collaborating for Success
GEorGiAN | 3
perspecti v es
constructive plan for moving forward can be
achieved. if the freedom to express differing views
is suppressed, i contend that less creative outcomes
are achieved.”
Competition and collaboration are necessary
in the fine arts, says Amanda Perez ’83, who has
worked as a stage manager in Broadway and off-
Broadway productions around the country, some-
times alongside icons such as Arthur Miller, John
Guere, Peter Falk, Anne Bancroft, and robert
Wilson. The theater field is competitive in the sense
that there are few jobs available (and those posi-
tions are subject to a director’s personal taste and
vision). However, dynamic collaboration results
from working closely with other performers and
behind-the-scenes talent to put together a produc-
tion the audience will love.
“Collaboration is a big part of theater and the
arts,” says Amanda, who played field hockey and
lacrosse at George School and was on the swim-
ming and diving team. “Though the field itself is
competitive, the most rewarding aspect of theater
is the collaborative factor. There is no play with
just one actor. You have many actors, set designers,
stage managers—everyone working toward a single
goal or vision for the production.”
Keeping Competition in Check
While competition “encourages excellence and
innovation,” says Lee Price ’61, people sometimes
may be tempted to go too far to get the win. Left
unchecked, competition may breed unethical
behavior.
“i think from an ethical point of view, the dan-
ger in competition is that sometimes competition
can be destructive,” says Lee, a retired investment
manager. “That can happen in business situations,
where firms or companies break the rules—such as
accounting rules—or do things that may be illegal.
That has historically been a problem in the invest-
ment business, particularly when managers tend to
overstate past performance.”
For that reason, Lee collaborated from 1990
to 2000 with other members of the CFA institute, a
global, nonprofit organization for investment pro-
fessionals, to develop ethical standards for port-
folio managers. Because clients hire investment
managers who provide the best returns, the stan-
dardized guidelines—which are known globally
as the Global investment Performance Standards
(GiPS)—level the playing field by ensuring that
investment returns are calculated and reported
within a uniform framework.
GeorGe sChool alumni: David Miller ’67, William “Bill” Nelson ’52, and Tod Rustein ’79
“ It’s important to treat competition within an accepted framework of ethical behavior … and George School does a good job of stressing the importance of winning in an ethical context.”
4 | GEorGiAN
march 2012
“Competition does encourage growth and innova-
tion, but sometimes you have to accept that you’re
not going to win every time,” Lee says. “it’s impor-
tant to treat competition within an accepted frame-
work of ethical behavior … and George School does
a good job of stressing the importance of winning
in an ethical context.”
Though competition has benefits, Melissa
“Lissa” Merritt ’90, is grateful that George School
provided an academic environment that, in her
view, was mostly non-competitive. While not
everyone has the same level of competitive spirit,
she believes too much competition can have the
negative effect of causing self-doubt, and the
George School atmosphere nurtured confidence in
her intellectual capabilities. These days, she draws
from that educational foundation as she works
in the extremely competitive academic field of
philosophy.
“i think the real danger of competition is
that it accustoms people to comparing themselves
to others,” says Lissa, a lecturer in the School of
History and Philosophy at the University of New
South Wales. “This is dangerous, both psychologi-
cally and morally. Too much competition makes a
person lose touch with internal, self-driven forms
of motivation—and without this, a person loses
any real sense of oneself.”
“The most important things to learn about
competition have to do with not taking it too seri-
ously,” adds Lissa, noting that she does not need
competition as motivation to do her best work. “it
is a very hard lesson to learn—and i don’t claim to
have learned it yet—not to draw any kind of lessons
about your worth as a person from how you fare in
competition.”
Even so, Amanda Perez adds, competition
will always be a part of life, and it offers an oppor-
tunity for everyone to improve their performance
in sports, career, or personal life. She believes it’s
important to teach children how to cope with com-
petition and to learn to embrace it.
“i believe competition is a natural and impor-
tant drive within all of us,” Amanda says. “There
is no getting around that the world today is a very
competitive place, and we must give our children
the tools and experience to handle it, compete, and
hopefully succeed.”
GeorGe sChool alumni: Amanda Perez ’83, Lee Price ’61, and Melissa “Lissa” Merritt ’90
“ There is no getting around that the world today is a very competitive place, and we must give our children the tools and experience to handle it, compete, and hopefully succeed.”
GEorGiAN | 5
perspecti v es
Alumni Profile: Cori Stott ’98
How does competition play a role in your career?i am an education consultant at a regional educa-
tion lab in Denver, called McrEL. i provide high-
quality, scientifically valid research and techni-
cal assistance to schools, school districts, and state
departments of education. Education is a hot-but-
ton issue right now and everyone is clamoring to
have their ideas at the top of the pile.
Was competition part of your education after George School?i earned a bachelor’s in psychology from Wellesley
and a master’s in education policy at Harvard and
am currently finishing an MBA at the University of
Colorado. At Wellesley and Harvard, everyone was
a high achiever, suddenly in a pond of other high
achievers. i saw my peers struggle under the weight
of constant measurement and scrutiny, but George
School had prepared me well. i was challenged by
my peers as much, if not more at GS, but those
challenges were usually friendlier. This taught me
to compete appropriately, measure myself realisti-
cally, and derive my self-esteem internally. i side-
stepped the crises others experienced because i had
been well trained in graceful competition, both
winning and losing.
How did competitive experiences at George School influence you?international Baccalaureate (iB) was amazing prep-
aration for the competition i encountered. iB was
tough, and we all competed for the best grades, the
most insightful papers, and the coolest art proj-
ects. But learning that you couldn’t be the best
every time, that you were still smart even when you
failed, and that there is more to you than a grade
was priceless.
Alumni Profile: Kelsey Yonce ’09
Has competition been part of your education since George School?i am a student at American University, majoring
in film and media arts and minoring in market-
ing. Though internships are not required at AU,
most students incorporate them into their pro-
gram, and i have managed to do some interesting
internships—at America’s Most Wanted, Sanofi-
aventis, and Juicy Couture. But in this economy,
trying to get internships is difficult because fewer
businesses are able to take in students. i’m actually
applying for a spot now that my roommate is apply-
ing for, too.
How did competitive experiences at George School influence you?Even though i didn’t think of it that way at the
time, having your dance chosen for Dance Eclectic’s
student choreography was competitive. The dance
had to be unique to win a spot. Likewise, compe-
tition existed when it came to the iB program and
sports, but it never involved hurting or knocking
down other students. Because of the Friends values
that were instilled in all of us, George School didn’t
make me feel like i was competing against oth-
ers. instead it taught me to grow as a person, main-
tain a positive attitude, and find things that could
distinguish me from others. Being different and
being proud of it are what will make you success-
ful. No matter what you apply for—prefect, college,
or a job—you have to be able to demonstrate what’s
unique about you.
Editor’s Note: This photo shows Kelsey Yonce ’09
and Sarah Pollock ’09 performing an expressive
composition during Dance Eclectic April 2009.
6 | GEorGiAN
march 2012
“ A lesson I learned from George School sports was that if we focused on being our best, the competitive results would take care of themselves.”
by KareN doss bowmaN
Chinezi Chijioke ’96 learned lessons about compe-
tition on George School’s playing fields. A former
wrestler, baseball, and soccer player, Chinezi recalls
his coaches emphasizing preparation and the pur-
suit of excellence in athletic competitions.
“our opponents, in some sense, were often
less of the focus than the quality of our own per-
formance,” says Chinezi, who earned a bachelor’s
degree from Harvard College and a master’s degree
in business administration as well as a master’s
degree in education from Stanford University.
“The focus at George School was on being prepared,
on never giving up, and on defining success as
much in how you played as whether you won. i can
remember running laps after a lackadaisical win,
and getting congratulations after hard fought losses.
often it was the striving that counted, and looking
back it was the striving that i remember with great-
est pride.”
Chinezi credits his many good coaches—and par-
ticularly soccer coach Paul Machemer ’65—with
encouraging him and his teammates to push beyond
their perceived limitations with drive and persis-
tence. Though the soccer teams on which he played
while at George School didn’t win every game,
Chinezi says, the team’s “unrelenting preparation
and effort” was rewarded with bids to post-season
playoffs and four league championships.
“A lesson i learned from George School sports
was that if we focused on being our best, the com-
petitive results would take care of themselves,” says
Chinezi. “of course it was nice to win—i hated
losing when it happened—but in retrospect the
rewards had less to do with winning than with the
fulfillment we felt from our efforts and perfor-
mance. That lesson has been incredibly valuable.”
Chinezi, who played varsity soccer at Harvard,
where he won Harvard’s John P. reardon Award as
a top scholar-athlete of his graduating class, believes
that competition—as can be experienced through
sports—has many benefits that carry over into one’s
personal and professional life. Through athletic
competition, Chinezi believes people learn to pur-
sue a passion with discipline, to work cooperatively
with teammates, and to remain calm and focused in
high-pressure situations.
Most of all, Chinezi says, participation in
sports teaches a person much about themselves.
“You learn that the limits you imagined for
yourself were fictions,” Chinezi says. “You gain a
sense of possibility, faith, and self-belief. You can
learn the maturity that when things go wrong, you
have to pick yourself up quickly and have a short
memory, and that failure only really happens when
you stop striving.”
one of the risks of competition, Chinezi
believes, is becoming too concerned with one’s
Competition on the Soccer Field
Perspectives
GEorGiAN | 7
perspecti v es
performance in comparison with others, as
well as placing too much emphasis on outcome.
oftentimes, he adds, people overlook the crucial
role that the process of competition plays in build-
ing character. At George School, Chinezi recalls Paul
setting high standards for his players, emphasizing
expectations for good sportsmanship, playing hard,
and achieving goals.
Chinezi says his experience at George School
stands in stark contrast to some of the other teams
and clubs with which he has played, where teams
measured themselves only by wins and losses or
simply lacked a collective commitment to excel-
lence. He describes those experiences as “less
enjoyable and far less rewarding.”
Learning to strive for excellence and one’s
personal best is a philosophy that serves Chinezi
well these days in his career as an associate prin-
cipal in Johannesburg South Africa for McKinsey
& Co., inc., a global management consulting firm.
Chinezi’s clients consist largely of African and
European school systems, for which he develops and
helps implement improvement strategies. “Winning
means very little in this context, but excellence
means everything. My striving is about, ‘How can i
best serve my clients in their own efforts to educate
the learners who depend on their schools to prepare
them for life?’”
“While this is not an arena where ‘winning’ is par-
ticularly meaningful, the outcomes of our efforts
are deeply meaningful and demand our unflagging
best. The lessons from George School remain deeply
relevant,” says Chinezi. “i have kept the faith that
i learned on George School’s fields and wrestling
mats—if i strive for excellence and do so with rigor,
good results will come.
“in that respect, George School athletics pro-
vided a foundation from which i continue to draw
strength today.”
Chinezi Chijioke ’96 raises his fists in triumph after he scores the game’s lone goal in overtime to give George School the Friends Schools League championship.
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Alumni Profile: Inna Alecksandrovich ’07
Does competition play a significant role in your career?
Finance is a highly competitive industry. Not
only do you have to compete with extremely
high-caliber individuals for jobs, but the work
environment itself is fast-paced, ambitious,
and high-achieving.
Does collaboration come into play as an investment banker?My job is entirely focused on teamwork. As an
investment banker, my work can be completed
only through successful collaboration with
everyone on my deal team. The better we work
with each other, the better our final product,
and hence the better we compete with other
firms.
How did your George School education help?GS taught me to maintain perspective in the
face of high competition. The school’s focus
on forming real bonds with others and helping
others without an expectation for repayment
is without question helping me in a career in
finance. GS helped shape the nature of my
competitiveness, such that it is based on a core
of integrity, collaboration, and compassion.
8 | GEorGiAN
march 2012
by NaNcy culletoNdirector of college guidaNce
if you’re a George School graduate, you came into
the school through a selective admissions process.
More than likely, there was competition for the spot
you were offered. Did you ever wonder about that
competition? Perhaps at least one applicant that
George School rejected the year you were admit-
ted had higher middle school grades or SSAT scores
than you did. But we wanted you, and you came.
Then, before you knew it, college application
time arrived. Each year, hundreds of thousands of
high-achieving seniors compete for acceptances to
Elite University X (a fictional name, of course) and
the handful of other institutions that turn down
ten applicants for each one they admit. The bar will
be high in terms of course selection, grades, and
test scores, and while earning these credentials is
necessary, it is rarely sufficient.
When determining how to shape its incoming
class, Elite University X considers myriad factors
in addition to grades and standardized test scores.
Some of these have to do with educational philos-
ophy or social consciousness, others with practical
concerns and institutional priorities. Some deci-
sions are subjective and inscrutable to anyone out-
side the admissions office. The acceptance letter to
Elite University X is a moving target, and the whole
reason for taking aim can easily get lost in the
stress of competition.
i remember what i learned my first year of
college, in Psychology 101. My classmates and i
tracked the responses of lab rats to various patterns
of reinforcement with food pellets. The rats’ dis-
tress level spiked when we awarded the pellets ran-
domly. in other words, when they couldn’t count
on receiving food in response to a specific behav-
ior, their attempts to obtain it grew more frantic.
Ambitious high school seniors aren’t rats, of course,
but i do see a parallel. They ask, “Will this [insert
SAT score, GPA, summer program, or college essay]
get me into Elite University X?” and, to their dis-
tress, they get the answer, “it’s hard to tell.”
Best sellers about the college admissions “rat race”
portray these students scrambling to get every
possible AP course, leadership position, ath-
letic achievement, and community service activ-
ity onto their resumes, hoping it will be enough.
Many become what Marilee Jones, former dean
of admissions at MiT, once called “human doings
rather than human beings.” Films such as, The
Race to Nowhere claim that today’s high-achieving
high school and college students are increasingly
stressed and less resilient – reluctant to take risks,
make mistakes, or think independently.
in my world, fortunately, most students don’t
present that profile. As a group, George School stu-
dents abound with creativity and good will. Their
altruism is achingly sincere. They celebrate one
another’s triumphs and successes, and support each
other during heartbreaks. They’re open-minded
and ask questions. Colleges that accept our students
value these qualities, along with their excellent aca-
demic preparation in international Baccalaureate
and other challenging courses. Admission officers
who visit George School often remark on what inter-
esting questions they ask. of course, our seniors
are stressed by competing assignments and com-
mitments. They have anxieties and sometimes even
meltdowns, and they feel deeply the pain of rejec-
tion letters. But over the volcanic college admissions
landscape they walk remarkably cheerfully.
i think this has a lot to do with the kind of
applicant who ends up at George School and the
values we promulgate. in meeting for worship,
students share their hopes and vulnerabilities in a
climate of equality. We encourage them to ref lect.
our classes and curriculum emphasize spirituality,
social justice, and the arts; our athletic teams
subscribe to the Friends Schools League philosophy.
our students for the most part like each other,
enjoy exploring their differences, and seem com-
fortable in their individuality. They engage in con-
sensus decision-making with peers and adults.
They have high hopes for college, but grounded
self-awareness helps most of them keep the college
process in perspective.
Life after George School: Competition for College Admission
Perspectives
GEorGiAN | 9
perspecti v es
on the other hand, i wish i had a latte for every
senior who has told me over the years, “i’m apply-
ing to Elite University X because it’s ranked in the
top twenty.” College counselors hate those college
rankings, which are disproportionately based on
selectivity and prestige. i tell my counselees that
“selective,” “prestigious,” and “good” (as in, “But
is it a good college?”) are not synonymous, though
they often converge. Selectivity depends on the size
of the applicant pool. Prestige is based on nothing
more than perception, and “goodness” means
something different for each applicant. is it value,
as a ratio of tuition cost to future earning power?
is it the grad school admission rate? The intellec-
tual je ne sais quoi? Success in developing citizen-
scholars who let their lives speak? And how can
these qualities be measured?
Sometimes the college that is right for a parti-
cular student is one that cultivates a self-selective
applicant pool. i love it when a visiting college rep
candidly tells a group of George School students
gathered around our conference table why some
of them probably shouldn’t apply to her school.
Schools like this don’t try to boost their rankings
by generating an inordinate number of applica-
tions. They value applicants who have thought
carefully about what kind of college they want,
have completed a demanding curriculum, and have
competed with themselves to get the most they can
out of high school.
if George School were to admit only the applicants
with the highest grades and scores, or the ones who
came from prestigious middle schools, it would be
a very different place. And thank goodness it isn’t!
For more than thirty-five years at George School
i’ve had the privilege of working with a marvelously
diverse range of students; every year i get to know
counselees who are interesting in new and different
ways. Fortunately, this country possesses an equally
rich range of colleges, and while only a handful are
“elite” in terms of selectivity, there is a plethora of
very, very good ones eager to accept our students.
it was exciting to see last year’s graduates enroll at
schools as wonderfully different as Amherst College
and the University of Mississippi. (Elite University
X is on the list, too.)
i’ll close with the story of a former coun-
selee who dreamed of applying to Elite University
X. “But it’s so hard to get in, and i don’t think i’m
good enough,” she said. She was an excellent stu-
dent taking tough courses, so i encouraged her to
apply. Sure enough, she didn’t get in, but by April
she’d been admitted to several other very fine col-
leges. A few months later she wrote to me, “i’m
so glad i applied to Elite University X, because in
reaching for that dream i improved my grades and
scores, and my confidence as well. That helped me
get into the other schools, and i’m really happy
with the one i chose!” Her story exemplifies com-
petition at its best. By all measures, she had won.
members of The Class of 2011 display their college gear.
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ine
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10 | GEorGiAN
march 2012
eQuiz Highlights
Our most recent eQuiz asked alumni to share
their thoughts on competition. Some of their
responses are highlighted here. Thank you to the
155 alumni who participated.
Equiz On Competition
1949 | Helen (Lightfoot) Boissevain
i helped my two children learn about competition
and encouraged them to compete in sports because
it teaches how to survive in this life.
1951 | William (Bill) R. Wilson
really everything we do involves competition as
well as cooperation and collaboration. As long as
there is life there is competition!
1952 | Headley S. White Jr.
Good survey! i wish our politicians could give
some sincere thought to the topic of collaborating
while at the same time competing.
1955 | Suzanne (Parry) Lamborn
Some competition is good and a character builder.
Feeling good about accomplishments is more
important. Cooperation, empathy, and walking
in another’s moccasins are all more important.
1958 | Phillip S. Lippert
Before George School, my stuttering consumed me.
When i came to campus as a sophomore, oppor-
tunities to compete were abound. i used these to
build character and my identity. i discovered a
passion for swimming and was captain my senior
year. i discovered a new self-image of someone
worthwhile with confidence and capability…and
my stuttering was well on its way to history!
1958 | George L. Pickering
i have been a volunteer firefighter for many years.
Training and practicing skills are very important.
Friendly competition against others (or a time
standard) often leads to enhanced performance by
a firefighter who is trying to complete a given task.
The person who improves his/her skills may be
the firefighter that i must depend on during our
next fire call.
1958 | Sherrie L. (Platt) Gibson
Learning to lose is far more difficult and more
important than winning.
1959 | Robert B. Dockhorn
What makes the harmony between competition
and collaboration work is respect for others as
ref lected in the Quaker principle of “that of God
in every one.” Understanding this has been central
for me.
1962 | Thomas D. Nichols
You need to turn around if you are ahead, and
respect and help those behind you. Your life may
depend upon it; not to mention the lives of others.
1963 | Frances P. (Preston) Schutz
Any competition i felt was self-imposed. i prefer a
collaborative process, and have been fortunate to
be able to implement collaboration more often than
competition in my life.
1965 | Philip T. Lynes
i think our emphasis on competition both team
and individual is counter-productive. in many
subtle ways the social norms are coercive and do
not allow an artistic or introspective student the
opportunities to pursue those features of his/her
personality and gain peer respect and pride.
1968 | Moira J. (Eitzen) Haag
i just try to focus on my own “personal best” each
time. That has served me well in the long run, and
often in the short term as well.
1968 | Amy J. (Lewis) Tabor
Playing on a team sometimes means not always
being the star and letting someone else shine.
Business takes cooperation and knowing that
you are not alone in the endeavor.
1969 | Randolph W. Henning
Promotion, recognition, and income is driven
by your ability to outperform others. Competition
is good for you. The current trend to encourage
everyone to be a winner is a false thought. i coached
little league and refereed soccer and the young play-
ers keep score regardless of what the parents say.
Perspectives
GEorGiAN | 11
perspecti v es
1971 | Barbie J. Gale
Although i am a strong competitor, i appreciate
and value the camaraderie and teamwork in sports.
The journey through effort, hard work, concentra-
tion, and consistency is just as important as the end
result.
1972 | Monica Ladd
Winning is a huge motivational force. But you need
to create an environment which does not focus
overly on the winners.
1973 | Tom Woodman
i hear a lot of focus in Quaker circles and at schools
about focusing on cooperation and collaboration,
with competition treated as a bad word. From your
survey, i take that competition is a valued experi-
ence at GS as it should be.
1974 | David Curtis Rutstein
By their very nature, competitive team sports
require collaboration. A team usually can’t be com-
petitive without collaboration within the team. in
the workplace collaboration and competition can
be used in tandem to achieve excellence. They are
each tools that reinforce useful aspects of human
nature.
1981 | Dave Aronson
if you compete just for the thrill of winning, you
are “doing it wrong.” Do it to challenge yourself.
Even do it to show off. But being hung up on win-
ning can lead to unethical practices and bad
attitudes.
1984 | Francesca R. (Kule) Kennedy
i believe competition hinders and diminishes
individuals from hearing and listening to one’s
internal compass. it is not all about winning or
being the best. if that is the goal, there will be
much disappointment and little glory.
1987 | Tara M. Chambers
Competition is simply part of being a musician.
1989 | Christopher M. Horner
While my career is rife with competitiveness and
well populated with ambitious people, collabora-
tion is part of the lifeblood of my career. it may be
a strange dichotomy, but the military is an essen-
tial blend of strong team reliance and individual
competition.
1989 | DJ Tejeski
Competition is in everything we do. Whether
it is sports, education, or our professional life.
1992 | Mychel K. Russell-Ward
George School taught me that competition, in
order to truly cause the competitors to improve
themselves, must be fair and the rules must apply
equally to all parties.
2002 | Gabe Tilove
Paul Machemer ’65 instilled a very strong sense
of sportsmanship. Your opponent was there to test
you, to make you better. Your competitor was your
collaborator in bringing out your best performance.
With that mindset, there was no room for negativ-
ity towards your opponent or unfair play.
2004 | Krysten L. Trull
Competition has always been a part of my life.
Sports and classes at GS helped me to learn how to
work with competition and use it to help me excel.
2008 | Chris Berends
often competition is misinterpreted for aggression,
but i find that those who collaborate the most typi-
cally win.
2011 | Nia M. Imani
The competition that i felt as a student was not the
competition between myself and other students as
much as i felt pressure to be competing with myself
to always be doing my best. it was not until junior
and senior year that i began to feel pressure relating
to my test scores, grades, and GPA.
12 | GEorGiAN
march 2012
by aNdrea lehmaN
if you build it, they will run—and jump, throw,
shoot, pass, defend, tackle, and score—better and
more safely. That was the impetus behind the con-
struction of Cougar Track and Cougar Field, a new
state-of-the-art all-weather track and synthetic
turf field, completed in late fall 2011. This impres-
sive multi-sport facility replaces the old 1903 cinder
track and grass football field and with its increased
size and features will support a greater number of
teams and athletes.
only a few fall contests were held on the new
field honoring legendary George School coaches
Anne LeDuc, Bob Geissinger, and John Gleeson ’65,
but the effects were felt immediately.
“The two football games we played on the new
field this fall were inspirational,” says John. “it’s
a modern stadium, a beautiful field to play on in
terms of footing—without the potholes and irreg-
ularities of the old field. our practices were more
intense. it brings up the morale.”
Perhaps nothing demonstrated the field’s
potential more than the final game of the season, a
42-12 win over Emily Fisher Charter School during
late october’s freak snowstorm. According to John,
the team enjoyed playing in the bad weather in a
game that could not have happened were it not for
new, all-weather turf.
“The turf is really fast, so it’s a completely dif-
ferent game,” says rowan Holloway ’13 after the
varsity girls’ field hockey team played its first home
game on turf against Lower Moreland High School
in october. “it was really cool.”
“Field hockey is pretty much played on turf at
the college level and at other schools,” says Girls’
Athletic Director Nancy Bernardini who sees the
new field, and its truer bounces, as a huge advan-
tage. “it will enable us to refine our skills and play
a faster and more exciting game. Having the oppor-
tunity to play and practice on the turf will really
pick up our level of play.”
Similarly, the Cougar Track, honoring for-
mer teacher, athletic director, and cross-country
and track coach David Satterthwaite ’65, represents
a huge leap forward for the school. Where the cen-
tury-old cinder track had three narrow lanes, the
new six-lane 400-meter oval includes a 120-meter,
eight-lane sprint straight with the lane widths, race
lengths, and surface materials of today’s best com-
petitive facilities.
The complex also contains new performance
areas for pole vault and high jump, dual runways
for long jump and triple jump, dual circles for shot
put, a discus circle, and protective screens. The
larger track will enable more runners to train and
compete at a time, resulting in fewer heats and
quicker meets and, in the future, a return to host-
ing multi-school invitationals.
it didn’t take long for coach Stephen Moyer ’82
to see many of the new track’s benefits. The old
cinder track was largely unusable during snowy
winters and wet early springs. With the new track
in place, the winter track team has already spent
more time training on it than in it did during the
entire 2010-11 season. More field athletes than ever
before have used the new facilities and the runners,
who have used the track for practice, have set six
Field of Dreams: New Cougar Track and Cougar Field
GEorGiAN | 13
features
new indoor running records. Stephen attributes the
improved performances to more consistent, good-
quality workouts on the same solid synthetic sur-
face as competitions.
He predicts even more results during the out-
door track season, eclipsing even recent successes.
(The girls’ team has won the Friends School League
the past two years, while the boys’ team has had
several individual standouts.)
“The vast majority of our school records were
set somewhere else,” explains Stephen, but with a
faster and more consistently usable track, not to
mention home-field advantage, he sees that chang-
ing quickly. “it will be great for our fans to see how
incredible our track teams are and see new records
at home. These fantastic facilities are good for all
the students—those who excel at a high level as well
as those who are learning to run a mile.”
Features of the new facilities and their con-
struction were in keeping with George School’s
values, with an eye to practicality and sustainabil-
ity. A sophisticated underground stormwater
management system puts all runoff back into the
water table, while the artificial turf will reduce the
need for irrigation and chemical fertilizers and
herbicides.
instead of frequent mowing and lining, the grounds-
keeping staff will see reduced upkeep, with only
an occasional f luffing required. The current econ-
omy made construction cost-effective, while design
and materials make the track and field available for
practice and competition regardless of weather.
As a result, not only will Cougar track, field hockey,
and football teams use these great fields of play,
but cross-country, lacrosse, and soccer squads are
slated to as well.
The advantages of the new track and field for
teams and athletes are significant. But the bene-
fits to George School extend well beyond that—to
include greater use, pride, and community spirit.
“As a fan, the facility and its seating are set up
well. i love that it is right out there on route 413,”
adds Nancy. “People see it and see that our facilities
are being improved.”
“it’s exciting. There’s such a positive atmo-
sphere,” agrees John. “The field is a wonder-
ful statement to our students that what they do is
important, that we value the growth potential that
sports offer them. By bringing the community
together, the whole school benefits.”
field hoCkey Julia Um ’12 moves past defending opponents from Lower Moreland High School during the team’s first game on the new turf.
TraCk Seniors Emily Mapelli, Francesca Aldrich, Chrissy Haney, and Priscilla Wiggins run sprints during their first practice session on the new turf under the watch of former track coach David Satterthwaite ’65.
The CouGar field and CouGar TraCk stand ready to host the next generation of George School athletes.
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14 | GEorGiAN
march 2012
Anne LeDuc A resident of Moorestown,
New Jersey and a gradu-
ate of Moorestown Friends
School as well as Rollins
College and Columbia
University Teachers
College, Anne served as
girls’ athletic director
from 1962 to 1993 and coached field hockey, basket-
ball, lacrosse, and swimming. Since retiring, she has
volunteered on several George School fundraising
campaigns.
“i am very excited about the campaign for new
fitness and athletic facilities. Everything George
School is planning is badly needed and overdue,
though, as a former field hockey coach, i have a
special place in my heart for the new turf field. The
plan for a new indoor fitness and athletics facility
doesn’t cut corners, but it isn’t extravagant either.
From the outside of the building to what’s inside—
offices, lockers, gyms, a wrestling center—every-
thing is going to help George School, and it will
fit in with the rest of the campus. one of the great
things about the school is that it is well rounded. it
has a beautiful campus with other wonderful facili-
ties, but the athletic facilities have lagged behind.
The new ones will benefit not only the students but
also the faculty, parents, the whole community. ”
John Gleeson ’65John has done it all at George School. He’s been a
student; English teacher; football, baseball, and, for
one year, lacrosse coach; Orton head; department
chair; SAGE founder and sponsor; and parent of two
graduates, Maura ’94 and Dylan ’11. He joined the
faculty four years after graduating, earning a BA
from Haverford and MA from Dartmouth.
“i think football is a
wonderful opportu-
nity for our students
to learn about them-
selves. over the years,
some teams have been
very successful and
some have struggled
with fewer wins, but
the lessons learned are
very similar. i’m proud of how successful my play-
ers have become. on the football team Facebook
page, former players write about going on to big-
ger and better things. it’s very satisfying to know
that some of their growth took place on the foot-
ball field. i’ve had students who played at college
say it wasn’t the same—that it was more of a busi-
ness, without the fraternal bonding that happened
here. it’s great to see how many of the players are
still close to one another.”
David Satterthwaite ’65David has played
many roles at George
School. After getting
his BA from Earlham
College (followed by a
master’s in education
from Temple), David
returned to George
School in 1970, where he served as a Spanish teacher,
department chair, cross-country and track coach,
athletic director, and alumni director. His three
daughters, Lisa ’92, Laura ’99, and Virginia ’04, are
fourth-generation George School graduates.
“one of the reasons i wanted to come back to
George School was so that i could coach as well
Honor Thy Coaches George School teammates, colleagues, and friends will come together to celebrate
four legendary George School coaches — Anne LeDuc, Robert Geissinger, John
Gleeson ’65, and David Satterthwaithe ’65 — at a series of special events this year.
The activities will culminate in the formal dedication of the new Cougar Field and
Cougar Track facilities on Saturday of Alumni Weekend, May 12, 2012.
GEorGiAN | 15
as teach. The goal is to see our students perform,
have success, and feel good about what they’ve
accomplished. Winning is great, but in the sports i
coached, it was primarily about individual achieve-
ments. i have seen the school undergo a number of
changes over the last several decades — new build-
ings, new students, and new faculty. The school’s
basic philosophy, to educate the whole person
remains the same. As a school founded on Quaker
values, it continues to instill the fact that God is in
everyone and takes everyone for who they are.”
Bob GeissingerA graduate of Springfield College, Bob, or Geis as
he is known, spent thirty-eight years at George School
as assistant athletic director and athletic director,
history teacher, Drayton dorm head, and football,
basketball, baseball, and lacrosse coach. He still lives
in his hometown of Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, and
is the father of Betsy ’74.
“George School students will be among our next
generation of leaders. They learn how to do much
of that through
team sports, foot-
ball in particular.
Whether you play
offense, defense, or
special teams, what
you do affects ten
other people. it’s a
good lesson to learn.
“i treasure the people at George School.
My thirty-eight years there were a privilege and
a pleasure. When i visit friends nearby, i try to
catch a game. i came to a football game against
Jenkintown this fall and saw someone who played
for me, who was there to watch his son play.
Alumni Day is like a rebirth for me. i love to see
who is back and where they are in life, and i often
find out what being on a team meant to our stu-
dents. Last year i talked with a former football
player, now in his forties, and we went over an
entire season in which we had won all but three
games. Even now he knows how far he came as a
player and teammate.”
features
Celebrate New Cougar Track and Cougar Field
George School teammates, colleagues, and
friends will come together to celebrate four leg-
endary George School Coaches — Anne LeDuc,
robert Geissinger, John Gleeson ’65, and David
Satterthwaithe ’65 — at a series of special events
this spring. The activities will culminate in the
formal dedication of the new Cougar Track and
Cougar Field facilities on Saturday of Alumni
Weekend, May 12, 2012.
The event to honor John Gleeson ’65 was
held on Saturday February 25. Members of the
George School community feted John with sto-
ries about their team experiences, what it meant
to play, and the lessons learned on the field.
Honor Thy Coaches Events
; Anne LeDuc
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Brunch at Middletown Country Club
; Dave Satterthwaite ’65
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Dinner at Yardley Country Club
; Robert Geissinger
Friday, May 11, 2012
Dinner at Middletown Country Club
if you would like to attend any or all of these
events or for more information, please visit
georgeschool.org/honorcoaches.
if you are unable to attend but would like to
make a gift to honor your coaches or to share
team memories or photos, contact Director
of Donor relations Michelle ruess at
or 215.579.6571.
These events are the first in a series to honor beloved
coaches as the George School athletics capital initiative
moves forward.
16 | GEorGiAN
march 2012
by aNdrea lehmaN
George School’s renovated Performance & Wellness
Center, located in the former weight room of the
Alumni Gym, now houses the Source institute, a
strength and conditioning company that empha-
sizes personal development through physical
activity, athletic performance, and optimal health.
Every George School athletic team has its own
Source coach to design a program, instruct, and
supervise strength and conditioning sessions each
week during pre-season. These sessions include
stability, strength, and speed training techniques.
in addition, each athlete receives a full twelve-
month plan to help him or her meet personal
goals for their sport and position(s) of play.
“in my first years as a George School wres-
tler i struggled particularly with not being strong
enough for the weight i was wrestling,” said
Peter Verner ’12, one of the team’s captains. “The
strength training at Source has been incredibly
beneficial and has allowed me to be much more
competitive. Additionally, the wrestling specific
workouts that Source planned for us allowed me to
better maintain my fitness through the vacations
and during the off season.”
“The Source has been incredibly accommo-
dating for the wrestling team,” says wrestling coach
Pacho Gutierrez ’77. “We attend weekly circuit
sessions and they put together a plan for us to
use over breaks and vacations. The staff is very
knowledgeable and have made a great difference
in our wrestlers’ strength conditioning and body
mechanics.”
“Fitness doesn’t take days off,” says cross-
country and track Coach Stephen Moyer ’82 who
sees several advantages for his athletes. The Source
conditions people to learn about the benefits of
fitness and the commitment that’s required, rein-
forcing their commitment to the team.
“Working with our Source coach and imple-
menting a coordinated fitness program, we’ve seen
everyone’s performance improve this year,” adds
Stephen. “our runners are turning in great times
and beating personal and school records on a reg-
ular basis.” This year all twenty-five girls on the
cross-country team set a new personal record.
in addition to working with George School
athletic teams, Source supervises the physical
education weightlifting program. These sessions
include basic biomechanical assessments, neuro-
muscular re-education, speed-training, f lexibility
work, stress reduction techniques (including medi-
tation), and nutrition counseling.
“With the Source, i feel that i will definitely
know the right way to train in order to see results
and prevent injury,” says Lenny Gottlieb ’12 who
does conditioning and strength training to pre-
pare for tennis season. “The trainers are extremely
knowledgeable and answer all of my million ques-
tions. These guys just get it, and they don’t just help
with the workout. They help with everything, be it
your daily diet or even your state of mind.”
The approach is holistic. in addition to helping
clients improve performance in particular sports by
gaining strength, f lexibility, endurance, and overall
fitness, the Source helps them prevent and rehabil-
itate injuries, relieve pain and stress, improve their
nutrition, and address structural, chemical, and
psychological aspects of health.
“instead of saying, ‘You’re an athlete. We’ll
train you as an athlete,’ we approach it as, ‘You’re a
student. We’ll get you to seek knowledge about how
to take care of yourself,’” says Source coach Mike
rothwell.
The Source provides complimentary train-
ing to Cougar teams and individual assessments
for students, faculty, and staff. in exchange, it uses
the facilities for private clients, many of whom are
members of the extended school community—stu-
dents, employees, and parents—getting one-on-one
help for individual needs.
individuals use the Source for a host of rea-
sons. Sean Potter ’12 appreciates having the weight
room open more, “and there is always someone
there to give good advice.” (With the Source there
Performance and Wellness at the Source
GEorGiAN | 17
to supervise, the facility has more extensive hours
and is often packed.)
Like Director of Alumni relations Karen
Hallowell, who used the Source to continue reha-
bilitating her shoulder after physical therapy, many
students come seeking treatment for injuries.
Ashley Yoo ’14 thanks the Source for helping her
deal with shin splints and for getting her—and
other athletes—back to their sports.
Another student, Emma Wells ’13, who went
to the Source for a reoccurring iT band injury
explains, “instead of the usual response (heat
before, ice after), they gave me all sorts of exercises
for strengthening my hips and feet, which didn’t
seem to have to do with my iT band but were really
the root of the problem, now gone.
“i worked on general strengthening, espe-
cially upper body strengthening, which i’d never
done because lifting weights seemed like something
only guys did,” adds Emma. “The Source helped me
with the psychological aspect of sports, helping me
figure out what is important to me and makes me
happy athletically.”
The Source’s presence is also slowly affecting
George School as a whole, since its ultimate goal is
to strengthen and enhance the quality of life not
just of individuals but also of the communities it
serves. “The Source is teaching what we want to
teach in our school community,” says Stephen. “i’m
seeing a greater awareness on campus of what you
need to do to maintain a fitness lifestyle for life.”
Mike looks forward to the future plans for an
expanded fitness and athletic facility. “We’re off to
a good start,” he says. “What we will be able to do
for our students with an adequate facility will be
amazing.”
features
JOJO
DA
S ’1
3
lenny GoTTlieb ’12 (above) prepares for the upcoming tennis season with Source coach Mike Rothwell.
WresTler Tri-CaPTain Peter Verner ’12 (left) earns a late third period pin during the Friends Schools League semifinal championship match, helping the team win 40-39 over Academy of the New Church.
JOH
n G
Le
eS
On
’6
5
18 | GEorGiAN
march 2012
by margaret a . saNborN
The George School Meetinghouse exudes peace.
Sheltered by towering old trees, it gives the impres-
sion that it has always stood in this quiet place. But
in reality George School is its third home.
The meetinghouse began its life in 1755 at
Second and Market streets in Philadelphia and
was called the Greater Meetinghouse. it replaced
the 1696 Great Meetinghouse, so known because
for more than half a century after its construction
it was the largest meetinghouse in Philadelphia.
The 1755 structure was larger than the Great
Meetinghouse, so it took the name “Greater.”
By 1812, the area around Second and Market
streets had become too urbanized to provide a
tranquil atmosphere for meeting for worship, and
the Quakers looked toward the western suburbs in
their search for quiet. They sold the land on which
the Greater Meetinghouse stood and established a
new monthly meeting for the Western District out-
side the city on a plot of land that is now on the
west side of Twelfth Street between Market and
Chestnut streets.
Construction on what came to be known as
the Twelfth Street Meetinghouse began in 1812; the
first monthly meeting was held there on March 16,
1814. Known for their thrifty ways, the Quakers
re-used much of the woodwork from the Greater
Meetinghouse, especially the great pit-sawn pop-
lar trusses and joists. Two pine trusses were added
to the 1812 structure to lengthen the building,
but overall Twelfth Street strongly resembled the
Greater Meetinghouse.
The building that was to become the George
School Meetinghouse stood on Twelfth Street for
more than 150 years, used for a variety of purposes.
While it remained a fully functioning meeting-
house until 1956, a separate wing was added in 1882
to house the Friends institute, a social organiza-
tion for center city Quakers. in 1875 Penn Charter
School was built just north of the meetinghouse,
and for the next fifty years, until Penn Charter
moved to Germantown, the meetinghouse was
filled with school children for meeting for worship,
its yard serving as their playground.
in 1917, the Twelfth Street Meetinghouse
became the first home of the American Friends
Service Committee (AFSC). By then the rusticity
that had drawn the Quakers to Twelfth Street was
long gone. The entire neighborhood was fully urban.
As the 1970s neared, urban renewal was in full
swing in center city Philadelphia. The Philadelphia
Savings Fund Society—which stood on the land
once occupied by Penn Charter—wanted to acquire
the property to serve as a means of exit and entry
for its new parking garage. The meetinghouse had
been surplus property since the departure of the
AFSC in 1960, and in 1969 the Central Philadelphia
Monthly Meeting, an entity created by the dip-
lomatic merger of the orthodox Twelfth Street
Meeting and the Hicksite race Street Meeting in
1956, agreed to sell the building to the bank. The
purchase price of $810,000 included both meeting-
house and land.
There was an outcry from both the Friends
Historical Association and the Pennsylvania
Historical Commission, and ultimately, the bank
modified the agreement of sale to allow the build-
ing to be moved, providing a site for it could be
found. George School wanted the building.
Unlike other Quaker schools in the
Philadelphia area, which grew out of monthly
meetings and so essentially had their own meet-
inghouses, George School had no meetinghouse
it could call its own. For most of its history, the
George School community gathered for meeting
for worship in a large assembly room on the second
f loor of Main Building; when the Walton Center
for Performing Arts was built in 1964, meeting for
worship moved there. The auditorium of Walton
Center could at least seat all of the students, but its
Wisdom Lives in This PlaceThe George School Meetinghouse Celebrates 200th Anniversary
GEorGiAN | 19
typical auditorium seating was unsatisfactory for a
meeting for worship.
Though there were other suitors for the meet-
inghouse, from a local synagogue to the new
Community College of Philadelphia, the Central
Philadelphia Monthly Meeting ultimately decided
to give the building to George School and to under-
write the $60,000 cost of dismantling the building
and moving it some thirty miles to the northeast.
The cost of rebuilding the meetinghouse on its
new site was underwritten by the Spruance family,
major benefactors of George School. The elements
of the building were trucked up to route 413 (also
known as the Newtown-Langhorne road) to the
George School campus.
Kingdon Swayne ’37 inventoried the pieces of
the meetinghouse that arrived from Philadelphia
in his 1992 book, George School: The History of a
Quaker Community: “Eight magnificent sixty-foot
hand-hewn roof trusses; five doorways with doors,
porches and marble steps; exterior trim; thirty win-
dows with shutters; benches and cushions; interior
wainscoting; f looring; and a large pile of bricks.”
Charles Hough ’44, the main architect for the proj-
ect, salvaged about three-quarters of the old brick.
The remainder of the façade is new, virtually indis-
tinguishable from the thoroughly cleaned old brick.
The George School Meetinghouse has taken
on a special meaning for members of the com-
munity. it is much more than the sum of its parts,
more than a pile of bricks and mortar and tim-
ber. it is both the spiritual center of the school
and a symbol of the school community. For this
reason, the meetinghouse bicentennial anniver-
sary will be celebrated throughout the 2012 year
by students, alumni, faculty, families, and friends.
Events include a mid-April lecture explaining the
importance of the meetinghouse from a histori-
cal and spiritual perspective and a mid-May mas-
ter class and rededication ceremony during Alumni
Weekend. The meetinghouse will also be the loca-
tion for the late-April annual meeting of Friends
Council on Education, the only national orga-
nization of Quaker Schools which traces its ori-
gin to an idea that blossomed at the Twelfth Street
Meetinghouse eighty years ago. For details about
public events, see below or visit our website at
georgeschool.org/meetinghouse200.
Editor’s Note: This article was excerpted from
Margaret Sanborn’s research paper, Wisdom Lives
in This Place, which she wrote during her Master
of Liberal Arts program at the University of
Pennsylvania. Margaret and current George
School religion teacher Carolyn Lyday will speak
at an April 15, 2012 program in the meetinghouse
at 1:00 p.m. All are welcome to attend.
features
S p e c i a l M e e t i n g h ou s e Ev e n t s
april 15, 1:00 p.m
May 11, 1:30 p.m.
May 11, 2:30 p.m.
The Spirited History of the
Meetinghouse
Meetinghouse Master Class:
A Center of Welcoming, Wisdom,
Light, and Connection
rededication, A Celebration of
Change and Continuity
20 | GEorGiAN
march 2012
Alumni Weekend May 11, 12, and 13, 2012George School Welcomes the entire Community to Celebrate alumni Weekend
This is a particularly special year for the Class of
1962, marking their fiftieth reunion, and the Class
of 1987, celebrating their twenty-fifth reunion. if
your class year ended in a two or a seven, you are
celebrating a five-year milestone and your class-
mates have plans in place for a fun-filled reunion
weekend for you.
Whether you are coming by yourself or with
friends and family, please let us know so that our
faculty, student volunteers, and reunion team are
ready to show you a great time. You can register
online at georgeschool.org/alumniweekend.
Friday’s schedule features a special mas-
ter class hosted by George School’s religion
Department followed by a rededication of our
meetinghouse in celebration of its 200th anniver-
sary. Friday evening you can attend a dinner hon-
oring robert Geissinger (reservations required),
one of the four legendary coaches who will be com-
memorated as we dedicate our new Cougar Track
and Cougar Field in their honor.
Morning highlights on Saturday, May 12
include an alumni-faculty breakfast, memo-
rial meeting for worship, master classes, and the
All-Alumni gathering. Lunch and reunion pho-
tos are followed by alumni-student athletic games,
a Cougar Tailgate party, and the dedication of
Cougar Track and Cougar Field.
on Sunday, community members are invited
to attend meeting for worship and celebrate
Mother’s Day on campus at a special brunch.
All in all, it’s not only a weekend to reconnect
with George School but a day to renew old friend-
ships and undoubtedly forge new ones.
Award Recipients on Saturday morning, we will honor three indi-
viduals for their outstanding accomplishments
and service in their professional, personal, or
civic life. Their achievements inspire other George
School students and alumni and bring honor to our
school. This year’s award recipients are:
Anne Culp Storch ’67, for-
mer George School director of
development, will receive the
2012 Alumni Award for her
commitment to the financial
sustainability of educational
institutions and for her volun-
teer efforts with three Quaker organizations,
George School, Mercer Street Friends, and
Chandler Hall. Her professional success has earned
her national attention in the advancement and
development field.
Ernie Wong ’77, an interna-
tionally acclaimed award-
winning landscape architect,
will receive the 2012 Alumni
Award for his outstanding
creative vision and design con-
tributions to his city of Chicago
and for his devotion to community as exemplified
by his leadership of the Chinese American Service
League.
Leon Bass, an educator, a
parent of two George School
graduates, and former George
School teacher, will receive the
Distinguished Service Award
in recognition of his long career
as an educator. Sharing lessons
learned as an African American soldier in World
War ii and his experiences at the Nazi concentra-
tion camp of Buchenwald shortly after its libera-
tion, Leon encourages students to use their educa-
tion and the power of love to stand up for what they
believe is right.
GEorGiAN | 21
features
fr i day, may 11
10:00 a.m. All-School Assembly
11:30 a.m. Lunch
12:30 p.m. Campus Walking Tour
1:30 p.m. Master Class
2:30 p.m. Meetinghouse
200th Anniversary
Celebration
3:30 p.m. Student Athletic
Contests
5:30 p.m. Volunteer &
Leadership Donor
reception
(invitation only)
6:00 p.m. robert Geissinger
Celebration Dinner
saturday, may 12
8:00 a.m. Alumni/Faculty
Breakfast
9:00 a.m. Memorial Meeting
for Worship
10:00 a.m. Master Classes
Tennis round robin
11:00 a.m. All-Alumni Gathering
12:00 p.m. Lunch
1:30 p.m. reunion Photos
2:00 p.m. Alumni Games
3:30 p.m. Cougar Tailgate
4:15 p.m. Cougar Track
and Cougar Field
Dedication
Evening off-Campus reunion
Class Events
suNday, may 13
9:00 a.m. Yoga Class
10:45 a.m. Meeting for Worship
12:00 p.m. Mother’s Day
Brunch
Note: We are in the planning stage for Alumni Weekend 2012 and these events and times may change between now and
May 11, 2012. Please visit our website at georgeschool.org/alumni for the most recent schedule and to register online.
You also may call the Advancement Office at 215.579.6564.
come oNe, come all! Students, alumni, faculty, and staff are busy making plans for a community-wide
celebration for Alumni Weekend. online registration is open to all alumni, parents,
students, and friends and a full schedule of events is posted at georgeschool.org/
alumniweekend.
Class of 1962 Commencement photo
22 | GEorGiAN
march 2012
Su
SA
n q
uin
n
by odie lefeVer
At the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year, Head
of School Nancy Starmer announced a reorgani-
zation of the George School Administrative Team
to better support the school’s strategic objectives
around financial sustainability by redefining the
responsibilities of two key members.
“Questions of long-term financial sustaina-
bility are perhaps the most complex of our strategic
planning tasks,” explains Nancy. “Like independent
schools and colleges across the country, George
School continues to struggle to meet rising costs
while making ourselves affordable to a broad spec-
trum of students and families.”
To provide leadership in this area, Ari
Betof ’98 now chairs the Strategic Affordability
Committee which is charged with considering
models for ensuring George School remains afford-
able for families across the socioeconomic spectrum
while ensuring the school’s financial sustainability.
Ari, who received his doctorate from the University
of Pennsylvania, is uniquely qualified to lead this
effort because of his recent dissertation in educa-
tional leadership. His research examined how the
largest and oldest Quaker schools plan for and
adapt to the challenges and opportunities of finan-
cial and organizational sustainability.
Ari also has assumed responsibility for over-
sight of development, marketing, communications,
and admission functions as director of institutional
advancement. “our goal in institutional advance-
ment is to help connect families with George
School from their first inquiry about admission
through a lifelong engagement with our commu-
nity as alumni, parents of alumni, and friends of
the school,” says Ari.
Former dean of faculty and director of studies,
Scott Spence P’10, ’14, assumed a new position as
associate head of school. Scott is now responsible
for oversight of all aspects of the student experience
including academics, arts, athletics, and student
life. “Having been at George School for twenty
years and being the graduate of a Friends school,
i am excited about more formally bringing together
the complete George School student experience in
my work,” wrote Scott.
These structural changes are allowing Nancy
to focus more of her time on fundraising for capital
initiatives and endowment while coordinating the
broad implementation of the strategic plan.
“it is an exciting time for the school,” explains
Ari. “our work will provide insight, not only for us,
but also for other Quaker schools and independent
schools that are struggling with how to provide a
quality education at an affordable cost.”
Nancy affirms the importance of this effort,
“We are working to ensure that the core of what
we all embrace about George School thrives for
decades to come while making certain that the
school has the financial resources—primarily
through tuition and fundraising—to live out our
mission.”
Planning for Financial Sustainability
head of sChool nanCy sTarmer poses with Associate Head of School Scott Spence and Director of Institutional Advancement Ari Betof ’98, two members of the seven-person adminis-trative team which includes Business Manager/Treasurer Cynthia Coleman, Directorof Admission Christian Donovan ’95, Dean of Students Catherine Ezzo, Director of Operations Mike Gersie, and Director of Communications and Marketing Odie LeFever.
GEorGiAN | 23
campus News & Notes
Julian Bond Returns to George SchoolCivil rights pioneer H. Julian Bond ’57
returned to campus for an all-school
assembly and discussions with stu-
dents and faculty. Julian was joined
by Mark K. Updegrove ’80, director
of the Lyndon B. Johnson Library in
Austin, Texas who interviewed Julian
about his experiences as a politician
and civil rights and student activist.
Julian has credited George School
with introducing him to non-violent
social change and individual commu-
nity service.
International Performancesinternational students attending
George School come together each
year to present a collection of perfor-
mances which share elements of their
cultures with the community. on
Friday, January 13, 2012 students per-
formed traditional and contemporary
art forms ranging from a classic hat
dance from Vietnam to hip-hop ren-
ditions of popular Asian music.
A Communion of Saints PublishedPoet and George School English
teacher Terry Culleton has been writ-
ing poems about a delightful assort-
ment of quirky fictional saints for
about a dozen years. Now that collec-
tion, A Communion of Saints, has been
published by Anaphora Literary Press.
The Curious George Receives GoldThe Curious George, George School’s
student newspaper, received Gold
Medalist standing from the Columbia
Scholastic Press Association. Gold
is the highest level awarded as part
of the association’s Scholastic Print
News Critique process, which assesses
school newspapers in the areas of
essentials, verbal, and visual content.
Zany Play Delights AudiencesThe audience couldn’t stop laughing
at Moss Hart and George Kaufman’s
comedy, You Can’t Take It with You.
“This is the best performance i’ve ever
seen on a George School stage—and
i’ve seen many,” said one audience
member.
Costa Rica Trip Highlighted Students shared their Costa rica ser-
vice learning experiences at a George
School assembly in Walton Center
on october 14, 2011. Six students had
traveled in the summer with trip lead-
ers and teachers Pacho Gutierrez ’77
and richard Polgar. At the assembly,
as is a school tradition, they presented
photos and discussed their experi-
ences with the entire school.
Priscilla Wiggins the FastestPriscilla Wiggins holds the new
Pennsylvania state record in the
1,500-meter race, setting the mark
by running in a time of 4 minutes,
57.8 seconds. Earlier this season she
qualified for the indoor State Cham-
pionships for the one mile race with
a time of 5:17.07, joining Chrissy
Haney ’12 on the list of George School
athletes heading to the indoor State
Championships.
Varsity Swim Teams VictoriousGeorge School’s varsity girls’ and
boys’ swim teams defeated Westtown
School with the girls’ team posting an
87-83 win and the boys’ team an 89-50
win. in their next league match the
boys’ team defeated Abington Friends
81-49, while the girls’ team won 47-18.
Wrestlers Win FSL SemifinalsThe varsity boys’ wrestling team
defeated Academy of the New Church
40-39 in the Friends Schools League
semifinal championships. Aidan
Greer ’14, Campbell Alden ’13, Peter
Verner ’12, and Tommy Lodge-Yanez
’12 earned pins to give George School
the win.
Campus News & Notesby susaN QuiNN
suBmit a class note1. Fill out the form at georgeschool.org/alumni2. or send it by email to: [email protected]. or mail to:
Georgian, PMB 4438, Newtown PA 18940
upDate Your contact information1. Modify your profile on the alumni website 2. or contact the Advancement office:
• By phone at 215.579.6564 • By email at [email protected] • By mail at PMB 4438, Newtown PA 18940
contact otHer alumni1. Visit the alumni website at:
georgeschool.org/alumni2. or contact the Advancement office:
• By phone at 215.579.6564 • By email at [email protected] • By mail at PMB 4438, Newtown PA 18940
visit tHe alumni weBsiteSee class homepages, update personal profiles, contact friends, check the event calendar, see photos, and moreat georgeschool.org/alumni.
Stay ConneCted
GEORGIAN
MArCH 2012 | VoL. 84 | No. 01
Note: if you have received multiple copies of this issue at your address, please contact us with updated address information at [email protected] or at 215.579.6564.
GeORGIAn edITORSusan Quinn
215.579.6567
GeORGIAn sTAFF Tina DiSabatino ’03
Colleen Hasson
© 2012 George School
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PhoTos: Inside Back Cover: Commencement class photos from George School’s earl iest graduating classes grace the walls of our meetinghouse. Back Cover: Members of the George School community sit in si lent ref lection. This year the George School Meetinghouse turns 200. A special rededication wil l be held on Friday May 11, 2012 during Alumni Weekend. (Photos by Bruce Weller)
Printed using soy-based ink on recycled paper with 30% post-consumer waste, manufactured using Bio Gas and Green-e certified renewable wind-generated electricity.
odie LeFever
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