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Parents’ PostA Newsletter for Parents and Friends of The Thacher School Year-End 2003

Dear Parents and Friends:This final Post of the year begins with the sound of hefty pipes clanging not far from my study window facing the center of cam-pus—the last part of taking down the tent under which seventy graduates were, one by one, handed their Thacher diplomas on June 7—Thacher’s largest class in the School’s history. Ten days earlier, I’d stood with a few seniors by the flagpole, watching as the same big white truck ground its way up Pepper Tree Lane and eventually parked on the Forest Cooke Lawn. Its back door flung open, we peered in, and worried aloud at what we saw, or didn’t see: Just chairs? Where’s the tent? Had they forgotten the tent? Soon enough, though, chairs off-loaded, the big bags of canvas got the heave-ho, then, the metal posts. Within hours, the biggest visual symbol of festivities to come stood, stolid and important, over the lawn. Under that tent, Commencement came and went (though, in Thacher fashion, lingered ceremonially for a little over two-and-a-half hours), but by Saturday afternoon, the scene was already a little ghostly: the fine new oak podium standing guard over a desolate scene of chairs breaking rank, over-folded, dog-eared programs lying here and there, a hat forgotten by its owner perched on a close-by tree branch.

Yet a week later, the tent again housed members of the Thacher family—graduates celebrating their fifth-year reunion all the way back through the years to the “old boys” whose memories of this place were hewn in the early 1930s. They numbered over 400, a small and fond army who’d returned, many with families, to re-member when. Only one of the fourteen reuning classes (the most recent) actually recalls a graduation tent—at least this sort—and yet under it, in after-banquet speeches that ran for close to two hours, they found commonality and continuity, not, perhaps in the precise details of their individual Thacher experiences, of their particular and unique coming-of-age, but assuredly in the values underpin-ning them: honor, fairness, kindness, truth. In fact, relatively few—primarily only those of us who work and live here—have the privilege and infinitely rich perspective afforded by the two tent-events, but we hold a certain secret: when at the end of the second, generations of Thacher alumni and alumnae fill the space to the ridgepole top with the words and music of The Banquet Song, it’s not too difficult to imagine the freshly-minted grads of a week ago joining the celebratory throng a brief five years hence. They already belong.

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“Out-Of-DOOr StuDy”…is how, in a late nineteenth century advertisement, Mr. Thacher framed the elemental and defining aspect of his school on the then far edge of the country. All

these years later, step-ping out into wilder-ness takes a slightly different sort of effort—but it’s still a semi-annual event for al l students (though many venture out more often than is re-quired). This spring’s trips, orchestrated by Director of the Outdoor Program

Brian Pidduck and his able crew of Camping Committee cohorts (Whitney Snyder, Arielle Flam, Calvin Lieu), fanned out across the Golden State and a couple of its neighbors, taking in some magnificent country and mak-ing the kind of memories that will delight and cheer for years to come. [Editor’s note: When Michael and I host the oldest alumni during June’s Reunion Weekend, we note this predict-able consistency: horses and camping are the two subjects that connect the old boys with a sure and stunning immediacy.] Some of the destinations for backpackers, horse campers, sail-

ors, skiers and mountaineers:the south fork of the Kern River in the Southern Sierra , Hum-phrey’s Basin in the High Sierra, and Kennedy Meadows on the

eastern slope of the Sierra; various Sespe River fishing and swimming holes; the Manzana-Sisquoc and Rogue Rivers; Point Reyes; the San Rafael Mountains; Lake Oroville; the Domeland Wilderness and Utah’s Zion National Park; the lower Colorado River and Havasu Canyon (part of the Grand Canyon).

“As our canoes floated downriver, we became witness to

wildlife of all kinds—beautiful bird and plants, dramatic landscapes. At times, we passed cliffs that reached nearly 80 feet high—begging for us to climb

and jump.”—Raelyn Viti 

on her Colorado River 

canoe trip

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Year-End 2003  ::  �

Waikiki GOlDThirteen members of Thacher’s Chamber Singers—the School’s elite a cappella vocal ensemble—packed their bags in late April for a short but very musical trip to a choral festival at Brigham Young University on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. The competition in-cluded groups from eight other high schools. Good thing our sing-ers packed light, because they surely had some heavy metal to return with: a gold medal and a first place trophy, awarded by adjudicators who gave our Toads perfect scores for their intonation, technique and interpretation. Pictured here with their director, Greg Haggard, between stops at Pearl Harbor (where they performed on the USS Arizona Memorial), the Dole Plantation, and a Polynesian village: Bianca Kissel, Matt Mayne, Clare Holstein, John Babbott, Hugh Gor­don, Julia Erdman, Russell Grether, Jackie Fiske, Whitney Livermore, Nikke Alex, Brenton Sullivan, Ali Arastu, and T.J. Bermant. Front and center: Lilly Haggard.

ShOrt takeSIn Elissa Thorn’s Phreshman Physics classes, spring means it’s time for anchors aweigh. The annual model boat-building project,

which involves each student or student pair’s choosing a boat with literary, historical, or cultural significance, and, using principles of buoyancy, stability, and resonance, then designing and constructing a ship, barge, bark, dory, dinghy,

tanker—whatever. Predicting how much cargo and wave action the boat could handle was also part of the assignment. “Standouts this year,” said the good professor, “were Aubrey Wynn’s Venetian gondola, Kaggie Orrick’s highly original peach [of James and the Giant Peach fame], and Ruth Sawyer’s molded ice boat—even if it didn’t quite work, a very cool idea!” Shown putting their handiwork to the test in this photo are Josh Cornwell, Eric Elias, Erica Puccetti, Dallas Swift, Aubrey Wynn, and Drew Smith. e Several Thacher riders, primarily underclassmen, participated

in a local show at Soule Park, compet-ing in western and English equitation and pleasure classes, as well as in gymkhana races. Pictured here: Annie Lathrop, who did it all—and emerged at the end of the long day as champion in her division. e As just reward for achieving his A-Horse Camper rating this spring, Matt O’Meara cre-ated a three-day solo trip, hiking from Lyon’s Camp through the Sespe on the Red Reef trail, over the Ridge and back to campus. “I wanted to de-lineate symbolically and actually the rite of passage that graduating from Thacher represents to me,” he mused. “Completing a period of aloneness in the wilderness is a way to do so.” e Thacher’s

Dance Ensemble, under the directorship of Gal­lia Vickery, spent time and much energy in San Francisco on a trip that included taking classes at Citicentre Dance Theater in Oakland and at The Branson School in Marin. Hip-hop and

classical ballet were barely the beginning: they also studied West Af-rican dance (which includes singing), contra-costa ballet, and the Brazilian Capoeira—an esoteric combination of martial art and dance that left even our strongest girls a little weak in the knees. Many thanks to the families who hosted the ensemble for over-nights and meals: the Fiskes, the Morrills, the Bechtels, and the Sanseaus. e Winners of The Mangled Measuring Spoons Award, “in honor of the impulse of rigorous helpfulness and established to recognize the student or students who have consistently gone beyond the call to be of assis-tance at Open House throughout the year”: Elizabeth Craver, Hana Chang, Annie O’Donnell, and Stephen Rooke. e The Famous Couples Dance—another brainchild brought to us by the indefati-gable Indoor Committee—paired the usual suspects (Clark Kent and Lois Lane, et al) and some slightly more contemporary: pictured here, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger (known to those who love ’em as Nick Brownell

and Jessica Cornwell). The Indoor Committee, with Jacey Roche and Robert Cerda as its student heads and Theana Hancock as its faculty advisor, kept weekends packed with unique and toadally terrific activities through-out the year. We’re grateful! e A quartet of Thacher riders who had officially qualified back in the

When the final ballot had been counted, the esteemed position of School Chair for 2003-04 went, by vote of the student body, to Evan Werlin, pictured here giving his campaign speech before the Assembly.

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winter—Katherine Bechtel, Phoebe Barkan, Sara Schnei­der, and Hanna Uscinski—headed to Ohio with their coach, Elizabeth Mahoney, in April to compete in the Nationals. Each girl rode for individual points, then again for team points both on the flat and over fences, drawing horses at random for each class. Sara earned a call-back out of the original 30 in her class, putting her in the top fifth. Katherine rode in the Championship class, which consisted of the top ten riders of the weekend in terms of point accumulation. “She had a tough horse draw, but wound up eighth nevertheless,” reported Coach Mahoney. “I was proud of all our riders.” Meeting the Thacher equestrians at the event was Amanda Grumman CdeP 2002, who earned a first place in the alumni division. e Nearly 100 grandparents joined

their special someones for two days on campus, walking and/or being whisked to various performances, classes, Assembly, sports and riding events, and no end of terrific meals. The celebration’s chief orchestra-tor was Elaine Elliot, ably aided by Carol Castanon, Susie Swan,

Linnea Richards, Kristin Vanderloop, Becky Swift, and Jane Car­roll. Pictured here is Lauren Chase with her grandmother, Patricia Bergen. e Celebrating “The Birthplace of Interscholastic La-crosse in Califor-n i a i n 1 9 6 7 ” and dedicating a plaque to its honor this spring were coaches and players from the t wo s cho ol s —namely, Thacher and Cate—that went boldly where no one had dared go before (lacrosse being more generally per-ceived as a sport solely for east coast types). Pictured here with Bill Rexford and Thacher’s varsity captains Emery Mitchem and Tyler Caldwell are Cate’s Director of Athletics, Aps Kinnan; Scott MacGregor, Captain of Thacher’s lacrosse team in 1967; and this year’s Cate captains, Kai Sata and Kyle Haskett. e The Ventura County Star sent news to the editors of The Thacher Notes, Katie Kuhl, Katie Telischak, and Graham Dunn, and their faculty advisor, Elizabeth Bowman, heralding awards garnered by three Thacher noteworthies in The Star’s Best of High School Journalism competi-

tion: Walker Cahall and Coulter Woolf in the Cartoon division and Lucy Herr in the Sports Feature category. e Two of this year’s most intriguing speakers visited this spring: Nationally noted in reproductive en-docrinology and infertility, Dr. Larry Werlin (father of Rachel CdeP 1997, and present

students Evan and Emma) spoke about the most recent research in this specialized nook of science, as well as on what’s on the horizon in fertility and other areas of genetic research. Dr. Janet Reineck, an-thropologist and international aid worker, showed slides and talked about her experiences in post-war Kosovo—“the perks, the promise and the failed promises, and the reconstitution of reality.” e In the “Errata” column, this: The artwork featuring a climber in the last Parents’ Post should have been credited to Calvin Lieu. My mistake. e The Shakta Bearstep Buckle, granted by the Director of the Horse Program and worn by each honoree as an appreciative token of that student’s deep interest in and help to the Horse De-partment, changed belts this spring: from Phoebe Barkan to Brian

Keane. e Our own Peppermint Tulips—Mary White, Lauren Fiske, and founding singers Jackie Fiske and Julia Erdman—took their a cappella war-bling on the road this spring, delighting (in

this photo) an appreciative audience at the Local Hero bookstore. e Newest tadpoles swimming in the pond: Isabella Jiyun Yoo, 8 lbs. 8 oz. and 21˝, born June 1 to Linda and Pierre Yoo; and, on June 9, Ellis Redfield DelVecchio, also 21˝ but weighing in at a slightly heftier 9 lbs. 5 oz., joining Sarah and Greg, and sibbies Alden and Caroline. Pictured here with the first of the 2003 faculty children, Declan Mahoney, is School Chair Charlie Munzig, announcing a School Holiday in honor of that nibblet’s arrival earlier this spring.

fiNDiNG the GraiN, releaSiNG the Beauty

Under the expert guidance of crafts-men Bo Manson and John Bueti (artisans responsible for the design and execution of the extraordinarily beautiful new oak podium men-tioned on page 1), students in Wood Design produced their first furniture show—the last of this year’s installa-tions in the Brody Art Gallery and a joint effort with Studio Art students who had recently completed oil portraits. Ten woodcraftsmen and -women—Tommy Kim, Hana Chang, Ian Whittinghill, Emery Mitchem,

Martin Sawyer, Graham Dunn, Carrie Blayney, Justin Torres, Ryan Church (pictured here with sister Lauren), and alum Ben Heil­veil—displayed their works in oak, cherry, walnut, maple, ash, and even birch plywood—chairs and benches, writing and coffee tables, even a CD rack.

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Year-End 2003  ::  �

What an extraordinary year it’s been for Thacher athletics! Seven varsity teams won Condor League championships, two teams got to the CIF quarterfinals, two made it to CIF championships, one team won a Southern California championship, and one won the CIF Southern Section championship. What’s more, many Thacher athletes earned individual honors: Thacher athletes secured fourteen spots on All-CIF teams this year and one individual proved to be the best in our division not only in the CIF Southern Section but also in the

entire state of California. And, as if that weren’t enough garlands, by vote of the teams from the ten schools in the Condor League, Thacher also won this year’s CIF Shake for Sportsmanship Award. This spring capped off the year in a final blaze of glory. Four teams won Condor League Championships: Baseball, Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse, Boys’ Varsity Tennis, and Boys’ Track; and two teams were voted this season’s Tony Dunn Sportsmanship Award: Boys’ and Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse. But beyond the accolades and championships were those ir-replaceable lessons and memories that invariably result from striving with teammates on field or court to achieve a common goal.

—Rich Mazzola, Director of Athletics

VarSity GirlS’ lacrOSSe

Coaches: Emily Etchells and Peter Robinson Captain: Annie WheatleyUndefeated in Condor League play and a Tony Dunn Sportsmanship Award winner, this team also won the first annual Southern California Girls Lacrosse Associat ion Championships, com-ing from behind in the

tourney’s final game to defeat Cate 10-6. They played all over the state, from Stanford to LA, the San Gabriel Valley to Or-ange County and many spots in between. “These girls seem to love playing the game with each other,” marvels Coach Etch. “This made for a great season full of fun.” Seniors Annie Wheatley, Bessie Hatch, Melissa Vickery, and Carrie Blayney inspired and led their younger cohorts from the ju-nior and sophomore classes.

“What was most impressive about these seniors,” Mr. Robinson reports, “was their example of unselfish team play. When injuries limited our options on defense, for example, Captain Wheatley switched from offense to take over in the back. When goalkeeper Carrie was injured, she nonetheless offered support and advice to Rena Karefa­Johnson, and was instrumental in making her an outstanding sub. Bessie played wherever she was needed, and Melissa made significant contributions with her hustle and tough-ness.” Annie and Bessie both earned spots on the SCGLAC All-Star team. Powerhouse goal-scorer Virginia Dawson won the vote of her teammates for Most Valuable Player; Dana Gal earned Most Improved. Four Thacher lax-women tried out for the California Under-19 team, which competes in the East. From the teams in that Tourney is chosen the National Lacrosse team: Sabrina Lee, MacKenna Chase, Jennie Tucker, and Virginia Dawson all made the first cut (125 players down to 36); in the end, Jennie and Virg earned berths on the team.

JV GirlS’ lacrOSSe

Coaches: Kara Hooper and Phoebe Larson Captains: Jessica Cornwell, Belle Bueti and Rachel MunzigSo what if two-thirds of the JV’s had never held a lacrosse stick in their hands before stepping into the Rose Bowl (yes, the one in Pasadena) for their first game? Initial inexperience never did get in the way of this potent team, populated by all but three of the

freshman girls: they redeemed their only two losses (to Cate and OVS) by excellent and decisive victories later in the season, wind-ing up with an impressive season record of 9-2. Another feather in their ponytails: they were the only Condor League team to beat Midland—part of their final week in which they also rousted OVS and Cate. Hat-trickster Belle Bueti, high scorer in goals, assists and groundballs, was voted Most Inspirational by her teammates, while super-goalie Rena Karefa­Johnson won Most Valuable Player—no wonder, what with her 66% save percentage. Most Improved—by literal leaps and bounds—were Julia Oh and Kaggie Orrick.

VarSity BOyS’ lacrOSSe

Coaches: Bill Rexford and Bo Manson Captains: Tyler Caldwell and Emery MitchemFacing tougher competition than Thacher ever has, this was “the little team that could,” according to Coach Rexford. He went on to write, “Although it may not have shown up in the win-loss distri-bution, this season was as rewarding as any I’ve had, in terms of the growth I witnessed in the players.” One especially satisfying moment for the team came in their victory over Coach Rexford’s former players from Rye Country Day School in New York. Oth-ers: Cameron Goodman’s scoring the winning goal in overtime against Novato on their trip to the Bay Area, and, time after time, Alex Herr’s drawing the competition’s best defensemen, even when he was outweighed by many pounds. As for the season coming up:

Spring     Sports

“One of the season’s nicest moments was the afternoon that the girls’ spent working with 7th and 8th grade players from Laguna Blanca, showing them some fine points of the game, then playing in a mixed scrimmage.”

—Peter Robinson, Varsity Girls’ Lacrosse coach

“We will miss our senior athletes dearly, but they have left a powerful, lasting legacy. Combine their spirit with a great group of returners, and we can hardly wait

for our next sports seasons.”—Rich Mazzola, 

Director of Athletics

�  ::  Parents’ Post

“I think that we may have, in Jaime Luna, the best goalie in the state!” says Coach Rex. Year-end team honors went to seniors: Tyler Caldwell, Most Valuable (and selected to both the all-tournament team at the Carmel Tourney and the LA Regional All-Star Team to complete in the national tournament in

Vail this summer); Jimmy Madigan, Most Improved; and Emery Mitchem, Most Inspirational (also all-tournament at Carmel, as well as selected as one of only two Californians to play for the West team in the National East-West Senior High School All-Star Game in New York—“a huge honor,” in the words of his coach). Junior and captain-elect Ward Sorrick was also selected to play on the LA All-Star team. Bespeaking the team’s sportsmanship was their winning the Condor League’s Tony Dunn Award.

JV BOyS’ lacrOSSe

Coaches: Spencer Stevens, Tyler Manson CdeP 2001 Captains: Chance Phelps, Matt Stenovec, Evan WerlinA home-field win over Cate, an overtime defeat of OVS, and a one-goal victory over Laguna Blanca—these were among this year’s memorable moments for this spirited and cohe-sive team. “It was all about good, fundamental lacrosse,” said their coach—and about spreading the wealth: eleven different players scored goals during the season, demon-strating that as individuals, they were good at scouting open players and, as team members, unselfish in dish-ing out passes. It was a spring of very close games, only two of which all season were decided by more than a two-goal spread. The JV’s finished with a season record of 5-3. Voted Most Improved Player was Max Anderson, while Most Inspirational was Even Werlin. In his first-ever goalie experience, Chance “The Wall” Phelps—the team’s only senior—earned Most Valuable Player.

freShmaN BOyS’ lacrOSSe

Coaches: Cam Spaulding CdeP 1992 and Michael MulliganIt was, says Coach Spaulding, “a short season, but rich in learning opportuni-ties and good humor as this band of neophytes joined together to amass a 2-3 record.” Even with humbling defeats to Cate, OVS, and Conejo Valley, the 12-man team had rallying moments—and through it all, gained a wealth of experi-ence in the ABC’s of lacrosse, from legal checking to picking up ground balls.

The squad’s finest moments came in the first half of the OVS game, where, despite their inexperience, the Smutty-Toads dominated the early game and reached half time with a 4-1 lead. Victory eluded them ulti-mately, but boys on all parts of the field played with newfound confidence and skill—and enough hints of finesse to make us confident that these lads will rise to the JV level next year like cream to the top of the milk bottle.

track aND fielD

Coaches: Derick Perry, Kurt Meyer, Theana Hancock, Pierre Yoo Captains: Bianca Kissell and Ian StrachanBecause of the many switches of sports seasons for several athletic teams this year, Track and Field found itself in transition. Beginning the spring with just six boys and thirteen girls, the team’s members needed to dig deep—and dig they did, uncomplainingly dedicating

themselves individually and col-lectively to each practice and meet. “Every person contributed to the season’s success,” said Coach Perry. “Attitudes were consistently positive; these kids were so willing!” Winners at the Condor League Champion-ships included Steffi Rauner in the discus, Katie Frykman in the 400M, Bianca Kissel in the 300M hurdles, Annie O’Donnell in the 3200M, Michael Quintana in the 110M High Hurdles, Ian Strachan in the

400M, and Stephen Rooke in the 300M Hurdles. Thacher’s boys’ 4×400M relay team of Ian Strachan, Bel Lepe, Andrew Fair, and Ryan Smith also brought home the gold. In the end, the boys were Condor League champs (for the first time since the coach himself ran for the Toads as a student here), and the girls came in second. At the end of the season, Katie Frykman strode into the Most Valuable Player spotlight, while new-to-the-sport Steffi Rauner and Kaitlin Walter shared the David S. Lavender Improvement Trophy.

VarSity BOyS’ teNNiS

Coach: Torek Helsen Captain: Troy PolletAlthough the Condor League was loaded with strong talent this year, yielding some exciting and equitable competition on the courts, Thacher—quite simply—ruled. The senior-heavy team ended its season unde-feated in the League, with Captain Pollet ably aided by classmates Will Chamberlain (Most Improved), Alex Huth, Zak Kitnick, and Eddy Tavernetti, as well as juniors Ali Arastu and Martin Sawyer, sophomore Aus­tin Pollet, and freshman Ryan Smith. “The most memorable match,” asserted Director

Year-End 2003  ::  �

of Athletics Rich Mazzola, “was undoubtedly the good old-fash-ioned barn burner against Cate. The Toads and the Rams collected nine sets each, but when the games were tallied, the Toads emerged on top, 80-71.” The momentum of the victory propelled the boys

into their concluding matches of the season, in which they sent both Dunn and Laguna Blanca home in the agony of defeat. Although our rac-queteers went on to CIF play and beat Magnolia handily 16-2 in the first round, they lost in the second to Milken Community in a close 10-8 match. Troy Pollet, Most Valuable Player, won 21 of 24 sets in League play and was undefeated in the two CIF playoff matches. The doubles team of Eddy Tavernetti and Austin Pollet were

dominating in regular season play, while the duo of Chamberlain and Huth provided steadfast consistency and reliability.

JV BOyS’ teNNiS

Coach: David JohnstonOn this team, everyone shared the privilege and responsibilities of captaincy—as well as MVP and MIP honors. Reports Dr. J, “In fact, you might call us more of a communal than an individual, com-petitive enterprise.” Still, everyone played gamely, and with documented attentiveness to the exigen-cies of good sportsmanship. (To the boys across the net, “Nice point!”; to each other, “Good point! Well done!”) Seniors Walker Cahall and Graham Dunn, joined by juniors Jim Sligh, Gilbert Acosta, David Moore, and Ned Lincoln, estab-lished themselves as positive role mod-els for younger players Parker Lohman, Calvin Kim, Zach Behar, and Ben Cas­tanon, whether in on-court political discussions or in actual play. A good time was, most assuredly, had by all.

BaSeBall

Coaches: Rich Mazzola and Robert Torres Captains: Charlie Munzig and Brenton Sullivan

The kind of game that was this team’s season opener sets a cer-tain standard—and tone—that is generally difficult to maintain. Yet hold steady they did, as Head Coach Mazz reports: “After their opening day no-hitter, 11-run win, the Toads traveled to Dunn for their first [of eight, it turned out] Condor League victory in which Graham Douds and Rich­ard Smith each blasted two-run

homers in the fourth inning, and Owili Eison’s grand slam led a twelve-run sixth inning. And that was just the beginning.” Unde-feated in League play and therefore Condor League champs for the third consecutive year, this team eventually racked up a 13-1 sea-

son record. No secret weapons, really, just great players and, in particular, an excep-tional pitching staff led by Graham and Charlie and supported by Owili, Cameron Robertson, and Cal Jensen. Meanwhile, catcher Brenton Sullivan seemed never to miss a pitch-call. Together the team man-aged three no-hitters and held opposing teams to a paltry 1.4 runs, on average, per game. The offensive line-up was equally i m p r e s s i v e , with three hit-ters—Charlie, Graham, and

Dillon Valadez—at or above the awe-some .400 batting average. In post-season

CIF play, the team barreled t h rou g h to the quarter-finals, where they suffered a disappointing defeat. “I take my hat off to the seniors on this team: they pursued excellence in the best way pos-sible: with hard work, playful laughter, a powerful sense of shared endeavor, and exemplary sportsmanship.” All-CIF honors went to Graham (1st Team) and Charlie and Brenton (both 2nd Team).

NeiGh? yay!

Director of the Horse Program, Cam Schryver, recognized several students whose work in one aspect or more of the Horse Program had earned them

special praise: Megan Boswell and Matt O’Meara won the Advanced Riding Award for their work in the Yearling Project.

Becky Swan, newly elected president of the Pack and Spur Club, achieved the esteemed rank of Horseman for her work in the Year-ling Project and for starting one of the two-year old colts from the Rhoads Ranch. Achieving the highest echelon, Top Horseman, “for the body of their work, culminating in their Senior Exhibitions, and in recognition of the fact that they have sufficient experience and judgment to be considered Horse Faculty” were Phoebe Barkan, Katherine Bechtel, and Michael Dachs. In other horse-and-rider news, Thacher’s Gymkhana Team, under the coaching of Chuck War­ren, won the Fourth Annual Tri-Gymkhana, competing against teams from Fountain Valley School (CO) and Orme School (AZ). Katherine Bechtel, Michael Dachs, Phoebe Bar­kan, Hugh Gordon, Annie Lathrop, Yoon Kim, Marc Fuller, Lauren Chase, and Robert Cerda, pictured here at Assembly announcing the victory.

“Perhaps the biggest joy of all for me was meeting the coaches [of these Ojai Valley schools]. As personalities, they’re a diverse group, but they all have one thing in common. They want the best from their kids. As a rookie reporter, I found their willingness to help and their eagerness to teach refreshing—not at all like the diva-coddlers professional

coaches have turned into.”

—Jesse Phelps, sportswriter for the 

Ojai Valley News

�  ::  Parents’ Post

tOp teN riDerS(in order)Katherine BechtelAnnie LathropHugh GordonLauren ChaseDeirdre HerbertPhoebe BarkanMarc FullerAlyssa TennantRobert CerdaSara Schneider

tOp teN freShmeN(in order)Annie LathropLauren ChaseDeirdre HerbertMarc FullerAlyssa TennantAndrew FairAlex MarlantesYoon KimBilly IrwinNick Wiltsie

Silver Dollar Pick­Up Winners:James Allison, Andrew Fair, Ruth Sawyer

Perpetual Silver Bridle for on­going achievement in the Horse Program:Becky Swan and Armando Leon

Top English Rider: Katherine Bechtel

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BigFAMILY WEEKEND

GymkhanaIt may have been a tad soggy during this spring’s Big Gymkhana Family Weekend, but the drizzle seemed only to add to the pervasive and insistent spirit of frolic and fun. From Friday night’s art

gallery opening to the stunning cabaret that featured song, dance and drama, through the Grand Entry horse-’n’-rider pin-wheel and a handful of gymkhana races on Saturday, all went essentially as planned, despite the rain. Unscheduled shenani-gans out at the “field” included a spontaneous Washington Poles foot-race and a no-holds barred mud-pig-pile. A classic tri-tip barbecue, the over-the-top parents’ auction that netted over $80,000, and Open House followed as the skies began to clear. A Sunday morning non-denominational service in the Out-door Chapel, parent-student tennis matches, and trapshooting for all comers—these under Ojai’s spring sunshine—rounded out the weekend’s activities. All of it proved out the best of the Thacher spirit of resilience, generosity, and rollicking good fun, on horseback or in the slop.

GymkhaNa team ScOreS

Green: 4271 Captained by Katherine Bechtel, Robert Cerda, and Michael Dachs Orange: 3376 Captained by Montana Caset and Hanna Uscinski

Blue: 3278 Captained by Lizzy Brewer, Hugh Gordon, and Ian Whittinghill

Year-End 2003  ::  �

WWinners in the doubles tennis tourna-ment were John and David Babbott, the elder of whom has won this event five consecutive times—three with son David and once each with Ben and John. (Quoth he, “I know how to pick partners.”) In the trap-shooting competition, Ian Whittinghill and his dad, George, took top honors.

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10  ::  Parents’ Post

teacherS at heartLocate a thesis question, root around in research for several months, find where the topic really lives for you, refine the question, practice what you want most to say about it, then stand in front of a podium for thirty minutes or so, speaking to students, faculty, and family: this is how you transform from student to teacher as a Thacher senior. It’s called Senior Exhibition, and this year’s topics—from A (Ancient Roman Spectacles) to V (Superluminar Velocities)—were especially stimulating and rich, proof positive of the diversity of interests in the Class of 2003 .

artS & letterS

Laurel Back Photography and the HomelessPhoebe Barkan Ancient, Classical, and Contemporary Horsemanship:

The Evolution of Training Systems in the Western WorldKatherine Bechtel Training Horses with TrustCarrie Blayney The Cultural Significance Celebratory Cakes around the WorldLizzy Brewer Ernest HemingwayWalker Cahall Special Effects in Film: A HistoryWill Chamberlain The Films of Akira KurosawaMichael Dachs Ranch Horse Starting: A Contemporary Case StudyOwili Eison Michael Jackson: Pop Mogul or Pop Tart?Julia Erdman Modern Art and its Influence on FashionJackie Fiske Bob Fosse: Choreographer, Director, Revolutionary of the TheatreBessie Hatch Tap DanceJessie Liu Virginity: A Cross-Cultural PerspectiveJimmy Madigan LasersEmery Mitchem Three American Craftsmen: Gustav Stickley, Sam Maloof,

and George NakashimaCameron Ridgeway The Anthropology of Make-UpAnnie Wheatley Television Comedies

the humaNitieS

Nikke Alex Diabetes: Threatening the Future of Native AmericansJackie Au The Silver-Screen Dream: Hollywood and Female IconsJohn Babbott The Aboriginal Problem: Australia’s Silent GenocideAlison Barbieri Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche:

A Revolutionary Figure in Tibetan BuddhismTyler Caldwell Leaders of the North African Campaigns of World War IIDawn Cleveland Hawaii: A Political HistoryShayla Cooke AIM-The American Indian MovementArielle Flam Rebuilding the WTC Site: Conflicting Goals, Innovative SolutionsAlex Gidwitz Viva Las Vegas: The American Gaming IndustryPhoebe Halsey California Water: Past, Present, and FutureViviana Hernandez Hispanic Gangs and Gang MembershipWill Johnson Dragons in Western and Eastern Mythologies

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Ellery Khazanovich Ford Motor Company: Multinationalism in the Car IndustryKatie Kuhl The Fundamentals of Addiction; Alcoholism as a DiseaseMary Leighton Underground Cities in CappadociaCharmiane Lieu Marriage Rituals: A Study of Chinese and Hindu CulturesKylie Manson HinduismMelanie Morris Creole Stew: A Cultural Study of Creoles in New Orleans

Pre- and Post-AmericanizationCharlie Munzig Ancient Roman SpectaclesTroy Pollet Investing in the US Stock MarketJacey Roche Biological Warfare and TerrorismSarah Shaikh Secularism in IndiaRichard Smith Sports Scandals: Who’s to Blame?Sarah Tapscott Rumspringa: An Amish PracticeKatie Telischak The Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918Mike Tyson Communism in MongoliaAmy Vanderloop China’s Falun GongMelissaVickery Spain’s Flamenco CultureMary White Prep School Coeducation: Three Case StudiesVivan Wu Chinese Propaganda Posters

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Chris Cahill The Sierra Nevada: A Geological SurveyRobert Cerda Horse WhisperingHana Chang Binding Busted Bones: Orthopedic BiomaterialsVincent Chen Bipolar DisorderKyle Dumont The Yellowstone HotspotGrahamDunn Mazes and LabyrinthsDrew Fleck HydroponicsAlison Flynn Superluminar VelocitiesHugh Gordon The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on the Human MindRussell Grether Channel Islands ManagementLucy Hodgman Obsessive-Compulsive DisorderAlex Huth Artificial IntelligenceBrian Keane High-speed PhotographyZak Kitnick Tourette SyndromeLuke Myers Wireless CommunicationsEmily Nathan The Linguistics WarsMatthew O’Meara Axiomatic Set TheoryNathan Parker The Physics behind Snowboard DesignChance Phelps Transfatty Acids: Shelf-life or Human Life?Whitney Snyder Creativity in EducationBrenton Sullivan NoctoambulationEddy Tavernetti ChernobylIan Whittinghill The Effect of Feedback Systems and Control Theory on

Modern Aeronautics and Astronautics

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eNGliSh 

Lucy Herr*Lauren ChurchKaja JohnsonElise PostDrew Smith

Chandler Pease*Ellen AdamsMax AndersonSarah ChamberlainJosephine ChowDana GalBel LepeKaitlin Walter

Jessica Cornwell*Julia Robinson* Cara BonewitzElla CarneyLauren FiskeKelly PercivalJamie Siegel

Owili Eison*(The Jack Boyd English Prize)

Katie Kuhl* (The Jack Boyd English Prize)

Hana ChangJackie FiskeMary LeightonJessie LiuKylie MansonEmily NathanKatie TelischakAmy Vanderloop

The Nash Robbins Short Story Prize, for excellence in writing, presented each year to the author of the best short story of the year: Emily Nathan

The William Bishop Nixon Poetry Prize, awarded to the student who has written the best poem at any time in the year: Phoebe Barkan and Julia Robinson

mathematicS 

Dallas Swift*James AllisonJulia OhDrew SmithAriel WangNick Wiltsie

Ned Lederer*Josephine Chow Chandler PeaseJustine RobinettRichard SmithWilly Wilder

Leland Franklin*Kelly PercivalMartin SawyerJamie SiegelWard SorrickEvan Werlin

The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Award, for excellence in Science and Mathematics:Martin Sawyer

Matt O’Meara* (The Morgan Ward Prize)

Jackie AuKatherine BechtelHana ChangHugh GordonAlex Huth

 laNGuaGe 

Level IJosephine Chow*Jackie AuLauren Chase Kaja Johnson Arthur Kaneko Elise Post Kelly Singco Drew Smith

Level II Lucy Herr*Drew Smith*Lauren Bangasser Sarah ChamberlainRyan Church Sarah Jackler Bel Lepe Chandler Pease Catherine Robinson Kaitlin Walter

Level IIIMax Anderson *Jessica Cornwell Ho Jung Kim Mary Leighton Ward Sorrick Alissa Wallace

Level IV and APJulia Robinson* Lizzy Brewer Jenna ReasorJamie Siegel Michael Yun

The Foreign Language Award: Katie Kuhl

ScieNceS

Drew Smith*Lucy HerrJulia OhElise PostJordan ReiffRyan SmithAriel WangCoulter WoolfNick Wiltsie

Zach BeharEdward CahillJosephine ChowTommy KimNed LedererJustine RobinettEleni TownsWilly Wilder

Cara BonewitzLauren FiskeLeland FranklinHo Jung KimBianca KisselPeter OberndorfStephen RookeJamie SiegelEvan Werlin

Jackie AuPhoebe HalseyMary LeightonCharmiane LieuKylie MansonMelissa Vickery

Each year, The Science Award is given to the student who has done the best work in Physics, Chemistry, and Life Science. This year, awards went to Chandler Pease (Physics), Martin Sawyer (Chemistry), and Chris Cahill and Katie Telischak (Life Science)

hiStOry 

Drew Smith*Lucy HerrYoon KimNick Wiltsie

Barrett Brown* Max AndersonSarah ChamberlainJosephine ChowArthur KanekoCalvin KimMarguerite KisselBel LepeChandler Pease

Virginia Dawson*Whitney Livermore*Cara BonewitzJessica CornwellLauren FiskeHo Jung KimBianca KisselKelly PercivalJulia RobinsonJamie Siegel

A

photo by Annie Strachen

At the end of each school year, the community gathers one final time to hold a banquet. At its conclusion, under the overhanging branches of the Pergola’s pepper trees (this year, dripping with drizzle), faculty members in each department announced the names of those students who have been voted Academic Commendations by virtue of their consistently superior work. These names are listed below, an asterisk indicating the student or students who have done the finest work in the given subject area.

Academic Commendations

photo by Annie O’Donnell

photo by Annie Strachen

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The Harry Llewellyn Bixby Dramatic Cup, awarded in recognition of a student’s contribution to the Thacher Drama program: John Babbott

The Darrah Corbet, Jr. Studio Prize: Zak Kitnick

The Marcus Hele Dall Award, to the best photographer in the School: Lindsay Hunt

The Rhode Island School of Design Art in acknowledgment of achievement in the Visual Arts: Jessie Liu

The Agnes M. Lord Music Award: Julia Erdman

The Eric Bechtel Dachs Prize for Technical Theatre, awarded by the Drama Director to the student who, in his or her career at Thacher, has shown the greatest dedication, imagination and expertise in technical theater: Hana Chang and Hugh Gordon

The Class of 2000 Dance Award: Ali Barbieri

The Munro-Palmer Public Speaking and Debating Prize: Troy Pollet

The Jesse Kahle Horsecamper Award, to the student who, in the opinion of the Camping Committee, has demonstrated horsecamping skills of the highest quality and greatest range by planning and carrying out a variety of worthwhile trips during a Thacher career: Phoebe Barkan

The George Beckwith Gymkhana Trophy, presented to the captains of the winning gymkhana team: Katherine Bechtel, Robert Cerda, and Michael Dachs

The Bissell Gymkhana Trophy, presented each year to the high-point rider: Katherine Bechtel

The Vaquero Cup, awarded to the best all-around student in riding, shooting, and gymkhana: Katherine Bechtel

The Charles Pratt Trapshoot Plate, awarded to that student with the highest score:Michael Dachs (47/50)

Jacey Roche* Ali BarbieriPhoebe BarkanShayla Cooke

the artS 

Lucy Herr (Art/3D)JuliaOh (Art/2D)Ariel Wang (Art/2D

and Music)Coulter Woolf (Art/3D)Aubrey Wynn (Drama)

T.J. Bermant (Music)Maddie Ignon (Ceramics)Ned Lederer (Drama)Juliana Ma (Studio Art)Annie Strachan

(Photography)

Jessica Cornwell (Studio Art)

Elly Harder (Studio Art)Whitney Livermore

(Music)Annie O’Donnell

(Photography)

Chris Cahill (Drama)Hana Chang (Wood Design)Julia Erdman (Art History)Jackie Fiske (Music)Phoebe Halsey (Studio Art)Whitney Snyder

(Photography)Sarah Tapscott (Studio Art)

Cum Laude SocietyThe Cum Laude Society is a national organization that recognizes superior academic achievement and excellence in select high schools across the country. Founded in 1906, it is modeled on Phi Beta Kappa, the college-level honor society. Election to Cum Laude commends those students who, while undertaking a rigorous course load, have maintained the very highest level of academic achievement and integrity throughout each and every one of their Thacher years. Additionally, these scholars have proven themselves to hold dear the qualities of “excellence, justice and honor” named in the Society’s motto: “Arete, Dike, Time.”

Jackie AuChris CahillHana ChangMary LeightonCharmiane LieuKylie MansonEmily NathanJacey RocheKatie TelischakAmy VanderloopMary WhiteVivian Wu

The Best Camper Award, to the student who, in the opinion of the Camping Committee, has demonstrated camping skills of the highest quality and greatest range by planning and carrying out a variety of worthwhile trips during a Thacher career: Phoebe Barkan and Matt O’Meara

Highest Riding Mileage: Hugh Gordon

The Edward R. Spaulding Tennis Cup, presented each year to the School Tennis Champion: Troy Pollet

The Marvin Shagam Award was established in Mr. Shagam’s name to honor that student who has made a difference in The Thacher Community through force of character, goodness, courage, vision, and love for all God’s creation, rather than for leadership in academics and athletics: Cara Bonewitz

and School Awards 2002-2003

photo by Whitney Snyder

photo by Gilbert Acosta

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ONe Of a kiNDSeveral years ago, as a parodic and far more sensible answer to the exorbitant hoopla of the more typical high school prom, Phyllis Johnston, English De-partment Chair (pictured below with her steady beau, Dr. J), invented The UnProm. This extravaganza is put on in alternate years by the faculty for the students, whose get-ups center on whatever topical theme the faculty de-termines—this year, t’was The Foot-Ball.

And here’s the kicker: students may wear only thrift store duds or outfits heretofore mothballed in closets. “Dates” are assigned; this year, juniors and seniors fetched frosh and sophomores, respectively. It’s all a great way to honor the prom tradition while playing down most of its expense and playing off much of what makes it, for most high school kids, a unique combo of

fun and terror. We think it’s safe to say that the only scary thing about Thacher UnProm is how much pink shows up!

eNDiNGThere are, of course, as many ways to wrap up a school year as there are schools. At Thacher, “the end” takes just about a week, and it be-gins, more or less officially, with a gathering of students and faculty at the entrance to the Outdoor Chapel on the Sunday evening after our last formal dinner. There, under the Memorial Pergola, the Head of School reads aloud the names of the Thacher boys who gave their lives in the two World Wars, in Korea, and in Vietnam. It is a somber litany—one to which we are more attuned now than perhaps at any time in recent history—and it inevitably establishes a tone of solemnity for the Senior Vespers service that follows. This year, though, the message—delivered by a faculty member chosen by the gradu-ating class—was laced with great humor and

the particular kind of wisdom that’s best dispersed by someone who has lived a rich and varied life outside of Thacher, as well as inside it—this year, Cam Schryver, Director of the Horse Program. Cam’s address, weaving one instructive story into the next, took us to Jim Shoulder’s Bull Riding School, the Trinity Alps, construction work sites in Oklahoma and Lake Tahoe, a lumber mill in Hoopa Valley, California—and, ultimately, back here to Thacher, “an idyllic environment [where you get] a solid education, enough experience to handle practical situations, and a model for how things can work and how people can relate to each other.” From the reflection and quiet of Vespers, i t w a s d ow n t h e rocky trail to books and review sheets and study notes—preparation for the f i na l e x ams t hat took place through Thursday morning, in between which bags and boxes get packed and shipped and stored, dorms hold banquets, and yearbooks are signed. By late Thursday af-ternoon, the Pergola was crowded with ta-bles dressed in linen and flowers, ready for the All-School Ban-quet—the final for-mal gathering of stu-dents and faculty and faculty families. Pepper tree leaves at first glistened in the gathering mist, then flat-out dripped on the assembled crowd; as one trooper noted, “it was a little like camping, but with chairs and lipstick.” Academic awards, traditional School prizes, the announcement

of Cum Laude, and goodbyes to faculty preceded two cul-minating speeches—one by out goi ng School Chair Charlie Munzig, the other by Head of School Michael Mulligan, who concluded, “To quote a conversation overheard between two freshmen bush-whacking up in the hills last fall, excited by one of their first independent forays aboard their trusty

“In the year ahead, Lamb Auditorium may disappear, but the magic of the performances we saw there will remain. Sports fields may change, but how we changed playing on them won’t… This school will always remain a place where we struggled and sometimes prevailed, a place were we made great friendships—with other students, with faculty and staff, with horses and dogs, and with the best bunch of little kids in the world. What will never change about this school, even if the campus and the Ojai Valley do, is its commitment that we should leave here prepared to carry its ideals to the world.”

Charlie Munzig, School Chair, at the All-School Banquet

“I completely believe we have the model right here. You have worked it. You have lived it. As battle-hardened seniors, you would probably argue that this place is far from perfect. I would agree—but would counter that Thacher is the best place I have ever lived and worked, and is the most perfect attempt at a community to live up to its mission statement and ideals. The reasons Jess Kahle [Director of the Horse Program Emeritus] worked here are now the reasons I work here. It is a way to use the skills I have to work in a community that, although small, has a disproportionate and positive effect on the world. This effect is your heritage. I hope you extend it.”

—Cam Schryver, Director of the Horse Program, in his Senior Vespers address

Year-End 2003  ::  1�

steeds—‘Hey, dude, I’m off-roadin’!’ In fact, we have all been off-roading together. That’s what a good deal of the Thacher experi-ence is about: We are not just riding the same old trails as everyone else. And because of this, our vistas are grand and our friendships are enduring.”

Next morning, t h e u n d e r -classmen were off for their su m me rs of work and play, heading out the gate almost s i m u l t a n e -

ously with family and friends of seniors driving in. Where the se-niors began as younguns on Opening Day three or four Septembers ago—the sloping lawn behind the Head’s Home, edged by Pepper Tree Lane—was where they returned—a whole lot more grown up, but, again, with their folks—for a reception that served as an hors d’oeuvre for Baccalaureate, held in the Outdoor Chapel. The cere-mony’s featured speaker was Yasmin Tong CdeP 1984, Thacher’s first female School Chair, for several years a senior account executive for Fannie Mae and presently a freelance journalist. Ms. Tong argued for going through life’s stages boldly, “questioning the expectations you have for yourself and that others may have for you.”

At the Senior Banquet that followed, Riley Bechtel CdeP 1970 (father of Brendan CdeP 1999, Darren CdeP 2000, and Katherine CdeP 2003) delineated, via tales of his own children’s learning, the almost infinite variety inherent in a Thacher education. In the gloaming, it was on to formally recognizing the contributions of Kathy and Brian Back, Heads of the Parents Association, and of Marshall Milligan CdeP 1969, whose service to the School has been as continuous as it has been peerless. Then, the awarding of School’s major prizes:

The Thacher Letter-man Club Perpetual Sportsmanship Award, given to the boy or boys who, by vote of the Athletic Council, has demonstrated those qualit ies of sportsmanship, par-ticipation, achieve-ment and leadership c h a r a c t e r i s t i c o f the highest ideals of interscholast ic athletics: John Bab­bott, Tyler Caldwell, Charlie Munzig, and Brenton Sullivan

The Elizabeth Helms Ad am s Pe r p e tu a l Spor t swoman ship Award, given to the girl or girls who, by vote of the Athletic

Council, has demonstrated those qualities of sportsmanship, par-ticipation, achievement and leadership characteristic of the highest ideals of interscholastic athletics: Annie Wheatley and Bessie Hatch

The Newton K. Chase Community Ser-vice Award, given to that student who, through volunteer work in the commu-nity, has demonstrated an unselfish in-terest in and concern for others: Laurel Back and Katie Telischak

The Charles Warren Alpinist Award, given to the student or students who, in the eyes of the Camping Direc-tor and climbing instructors, dem-onstrates the highest level of safety, responsibility, and dedication to the Climbing Program: Russell Grether and Kylie Manson

The School Chair Award: given in recognition of the contributions of the School Chair throughout the academic year: Charlie Munzig

The Charles L. Tutt Silver Bowl for Integrity and Responsibility, given by the faculty in recognition of those qualities of character not al-ways recognized in the traditional school-type awards—not primar-ily leadership, but integrity and responsibility, fortitude in the face of adversity, and consideration for others: Troy Pollet

“Usually when alumni are invited to return to speak at an event such as this, everyone expects them to provide some exquisite wisdom about how to achieve excellence and success in the future. I wish I could do that for each and every one

of you, but I can’t. I can’t because it’s really up to each of us to discover our own unique formula for living a rich and fulfilling life. Each of us has something that differentiates us from everyone else. Discovering and expressing our individuality is the real work and real joy of living.”

—Yasmin Tong CdeP 1984 in her Baccalaureate Address 

“In grand style, you have overcome the toughest challenges Thacher could throw at you. You have truly distinguished yourselves as a great class, not only because you are the largest ever to graduate, but, far more importantly, because you have demonstrated bedrock values. You have honed, glazed, and fired them. This close-knit community, your close friendships, and your accomplishments as well as your mistakes (which, after all, are investments if you reap the learning return from them) have greatly contributed to this hardening of your values.”

—Riley Bechtel CdeP 1970 in his Senior Banquet address

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The Thacher Cup, presented to the senior who, in the judgment of the faculty, best demonstrates those qualities the School holds as central: academic excellence, extracurricular achievement, moral leadership, and concern for others: Kylie Manson

The Banquet concluded with a few final words from the Head of School: Last evening at the All-School Banquet, I shared with students and faculty my sense of this year’s having been, by so many objective and subjective measures, a fulfill-ment of the toast we make every September: May this be the best year yet! Hyperbole, I realize, gets old—but I cannot let you all leave tonight without saying again how richly satisfying it is, how infinitely rewarding, to be part of an educational endeavor in which everyone invests so completely, in which everyone believes so fervently. We aim high together, and even when the results aren’t stunning or necessarily exceptional, we can take great pride in the honesty of the effort—then aim high again.But this year has, indeed, been a fine one, and as I said last night, it’s thanks in huge portion to you seniors. The adjectives you will hear tomorrow morning about yourselves—kind, conscientious, diligent, trustworthy, honorable, striving, fair, keen-sighted, generous, to name but a very few—have defined you as individuals. But as indi-viduals, you have joined together in the worthy experiment that every year at Thacher represents. Collectively, you have made your own unique Thacher, the one that will remain not an elusive, shimmering memory but rather one as bold, as vibrant and clearly outlined as one of Walker’s cartoons. It defies reason to think that you became all this solely during your time here. Truth is, each of you arrived as wonder-ful raw material—not merely potential incarnate. So here and now, I would like you seniors to join me in thanking the people who provided and nurtured that goodness in you before letting you take wing from the nest: your parents and families and long-time friends who sac-rificed in countless ways that you might join this community and become more fully the person you were meant to be.Tomorrow is just a few hours away, the inevitable goodbyes spinning towards us just as surely as the earth rotates on its axis. But now, I say goodnight with a special sense of poignancy, because you all are those to whom I said one open-ing day—just yesterday it seems—“Let’s all  link  arms.  Together,  we  will  make Thacher the best it can be.” I thank you for replying, through so many gestures and words, “Yes, let’s.”

fareWell But Ne’er GOODByeLeaving Thacher, too, and honored at the All-School banquet for their inestimable contributions, are four members, each of whom has, to paraphrase author Wallace Stegner, brought at least one criti-cal stone to the pyramid that is Thacher’s culture.

e Melissa Johnson (Assistant Director of Admission, champi-onship basketball coach), to New York City where she’ll be a Coro Foundation Fellow in a highly selective graduate program that focuses on public policy.

e David Harris (Science Department Chair, Physics teacher, 3rd Team Soccer coach nonpareil) to the Hackley School in Tarrytown, NY, where he’ll serve as Chair of the Science Department.

e Monique DeVane (Assistant Head for External Affairs, Direc-tor of Admission & Financial Aid) to Cambridge, MA, where she will join her husband, Brian Driscoll, who left his post as Campaign & Major Gifts Director at Thacher in February to become Vice President of Resource Development at Babson College. From her new Director of Development digs at Shady Hill School, Monique will be able to keep an eye on sons Liam and Owen, who will be students there.

And off to a well-earned sabbatical at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, goes Gallia Vickery (Mathemat-ics, Dance), with husband Bill and daughter Sasha. (Melissa will stay in the west, beginning her college architectural program in September.) Gallia has been appointed Adjunct Professor in W & M’s Department of Theatre and Dance, where she’ll be teaching a course, interning with a lighting designer, taking a couple of courses and “dancing for pure pleasure.”

photo by Becky Swan

Year-End 2003  ::  1�

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July,2003

DearParents,

OuryearasPresidentsoftheParents’Associationisnowatanend.Ithasbeenaninformative

yearforusinthatservingasyourrepresentativesontheBoardofTrusteeshasprovideduswith

newinsightintothemanycomplexissuesinvolvedinrunningatopnotchboardingschool

wherethefocusisnotjustonfirstrateacademicsbutalsoonthehighestlevelsofsocialand

moraldevelopment.Wearesureallofyouarewellawareoftheexcellenceandcommitmentof

thefaculty,staff,andadministratorsatThacher,butyoumaynotknowhowluckyweallareto

haveanextremelyaccomplishedandcommittedgroupofindividualsonourBoardofTrustees.

Weareextremelythankfultoallofthemforvolunteeringtheirtime,deepthoughtfulness,and

resourcestoguideandsupportThacher.

ThevariouseventsandservicessponsoredandcoordinatedbytheParents’Associationthis

yearweresuccessfulandbeneficialtotheschoolcommunityinavarietyofwaysduetothe

effortsanddedicationofsomanyparentvolunteers.Wethankallofyouwhohelpedinlarge

andsmallwaystomakethisthebanneryearitwas.Whilewecannotnameeveryoneinthis

letterwhohasearnedourappreciation,wewouldliketospecificallythankallthosewho

steppedforwardascommitteechairsandexecutedtheirdutieswithsuchenthusiasm,energy

andcreativity.ThankyoutoBetsy Smith(FacultyandStaffAppreciation),Sandy O’Meara,

Barb andSteve Medina, TerrieandRobert Torres,andDebbie Tennant (ThacherGear

Sales),Barb andSteve MedinaandDennis Mitchem(FamilyWeekendBarbecues),Elizabeth

White(LibraryServices),Nina Toumanoff(ExamProctors),Ayesha andMohammed Shaikh

(Parents’AnnualFund),Elaine Elliott(Grandparents’Day),andHelen Keane(Graduation

PartyfortheClassof2003).AndboundlessthankstoSusie BechtelforherHerculeanjobon

theGymkhanaAuctionwhichraisedintheneighborhoodof$85,000tobeusedforscholarship

assistanceandoperatingcosts.

Thepastyear(ourtenthatThacher!)hasflownbyforus.Ithasbeenparticularlyfunand

enrichinginthat,asPresidentsoftheParents’Association,wehavehadthegoodfortuneofbe-

comingacquaintedwithmoreofyou,thewonderfullydiverseandtalentedparentpopulation.

WeclosebythankinginadvanceDrs. CarolandNed CahillwhowillserveasPresidentsofthe

Parents’Associationfor2003-2004.Wearesuretheywillenjoythesamegreatsupportfromyou

astheygoabouttheirdutiesaswedid.

Wishingyouawonderfulsummerwithyourchildren!

Warmestregards,

KathyandBrianBack

THE THACHER SCHOOL

Parents’ association

5025 Thacher Road • Ojai, California 93023-9001 • (805) 646-4377 • Fax (805) 640-1033

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uNBrOkeN circle: SeNiOrS NOW freShmeNOff to all corners of the world of higher learning are the members of the Class of 2003. We send them on their way with a hearty, “Godspeed!”—and a reiteration of something Cam Schryver said in his Senior Vespers speech: “Remember: good stories are impor-tant. They are the building blocks of legends, and through them, the events and people in them attain a kind of immortality. So, Class of 2003, my hope for you is that your lives are heroic enough, humor-ous enough, honest enough, fair enough, kind enough, and truthful enough that you inhabit the good stories of others and attain that immortality. For me, of course, you already have.” We might add: for all of us.

Graduating Senior DestinationNikke Alex University of ArizonaJackie Au Georgetown UniversityJohn Babbott Amherst CollegeLaurel Back UCLAAlison Barbieri Northeastern UniversityPhoebe Barkan St. Andrew’s University (Scotland)Katherine Bechtel Stanford UniversityCarrie Blayney Wellesley CollegeLizzy Brewer Scripps CollegeWalker Cahall California Institute of the ArtsChris Cahill Dartmouth CollegeTyler Caldwell Vanderbilt UniversityRobert Cerda Colorado State UniversityWill Chamberlain The George Washington UniversityHana Chang Johns Hopkins University

Vincent Chen Emory UniversityDawn Cleveland Scripps CollegeShayla Cooke Amherst CollegeMichael Dachs Colorado State UniversityKyle Dumont Cornell UniversityGraham Dunn Trinity UniversityOwili Eison University of Southern CaliforniaJulia Erdman New York UniversityJackie Fiske University of Southern California Arielle Flam Barnard CollegeDrew Fleck University of Southern CaliforniaAlison Flynn Bucknell UniversityAlex Gidwitz University of Notre DameHugh Gordon Columbia UniversityRussell Grether Pepperdine UniversityPhoebe Halsey McGill UniversityBessie Hatch Tulane UniversityVivi Hernandez University of MichiganLucy Hodgman Carleton CollegeAlex Huth California Institute of TechnologyWill Johnson University of PennsylvaniaBrian Keane UC Santa BarbaraEllery Khazanovich UC Santa CruzZak Kitnick Bard CollegeKatie Kuhl The George Washington UniversityMary Leighton University of British ColumbiaCharmiane Lieu Brown UniversityJessie Liu UCLA—Arts & ArchitectureJimmy Madigan Lewis & Clark CollegeKylie Manson Colorado CollegeEmery Mitchem Claremont McKenna CollegeMelanie Morris Art Institute of CaliforniaCharlie Munzig Wesleyan UniversityLuke Myers University of Southern CaliforniaEmily Nathan UC BerkeleyMatt O’Meara University of ChicagoNate Parker Johns Hopkins UniversityChance Phelps Maine Maritime AcademyTroy Pollett University of Southern CaliforniaCameron Ridgeway Colorado CollegeJacey Roche Cornell UniversitySarah Shaikh Middlebury CollegeRichard Smith University of Southern CaliforniaWhitney Snyder Pepperdine UniversityBrenton Sullivan University of Southern CaliforniaSarah Tapscott Villanova UniversityEddy Tavernetti UC Santa BarbaraKatie Telischak Vanderbilt UniversityMike Tyson Franklin College—SwitzerlandAmy Vanderloop UC BerkeleyMelissa Vickery California Polytechnic State UniversityMary White UCLAVivian Wu Northwestern University

Year-End 2003  ::  1�

photo by Annie O’Donnell

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II end this final Parents’ Post of the 2002-03 academic year with a rec-ollection of History teacher Bill Rexford’s TOAD talk this spring: After paying tribute to his whirling dervish, mega-accomplished mom and pondering a bit on the busyness of Thacher life, he gently admon-ished, Remember to do nothing once in awhile. He then read two poems; the first, by James Galvin, inspired the other, which he himself wrote. With Bill’s permission, I include it here, a reminder in the middle of summer of what these weeks can give to us, if only we let them.

We hope you are all in the middle of a happy and restful vacation. And if not restful, we hope you’re making as much wild fun as these inventive Thacher laddies.

Cheers to all!

production credits

editorJoy Sawyer-Mulligan

Design and productionTim Ditch

photographyLauren Bangasser, Emily Etchells, Tami Haggard, Theana Hancock, Elizabeth Mahoney CdeP 1980, Julie Manson, Joy Sawyer-Mulligan, Bill Prather, Chuck Warren, Abby Wilder

By the Lake by Bill Rexford

I stand waist deepand I follow a yellow aspen leaf downto meet itself in the sky water lake.In the surface there are rose pink cloudsand a bird flying,Beneath, my toes vanishtaking solace in the sleeping ooze.I want more.

I want to look up,out from this clear irisand see the world.I sink, and a rippledistorts all.Entry is pointless.It is there in the lakebut not for me.

I wait for the waters to calm and look to youmellow and mild you siton the granite rockleaning backon straight arms locked.Your eyes too, mirror the world.I move to be nearer and this ingress sends a shiver through youand you look away.I wait for the waters to calm,and do nothing.