Bulletin Winter 2010

ST. GEORGE’Swinter Bulletin2010

St. George’s SchoolP.O. Box 1910Newport, RI 02840-0190

Non-ProfitOrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDSt. George’s School

In this issue:

COVER STORY:

RememberingHeadmaster Emeritus Charles A. Hamblet (1941-2010)BY SUZANNE L. MCGRADY

Tenth headmaster of St. George’s,Charles A. Hamblet, dies at 68BY SUZANNE L. MCGRADY

Becoming Mary BY SUZANNE L. MCGRADY

Generous in many ways: Lewis N. Madeira ’39

Former Science Department ChairGilbert Burnett Jr. to be memorialized

Chapel talks:Life lessons from Pops BY POLLY MURRAY ’10

A place to call home BY SABRA WILSON ’10

Community Service: Spotlight on Camp Ramleh

Reunion Weekend 2010

Class Notes

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Upcoming Events

April 2010Reception in Seoul, KoreaContact Events coordinator Ann Weston [email protected] or 401.842.6731 for details

Thurs., April 15Princeton, N.J.At the home ofEdward and Marie Matthews P’87Tues., April 27Fairfield, Conn.At the home ofVirginia and Jim Dean ’72, P’11Tues., May 4Gladstone, N.J.At the home of Betsy Michel P’85, ’89

You’re invited:Regional Receptions

St. George’s School admits male and

female students of any religion, race, color,

sexual orientation, and national or ethnic

origin to all the programs and activities gener-

ally accorded or made available to students at

the school. It does not discriminate on the

basis of religion, gender, race, color, sexual

orientation, or national or ethnic origin in the

administration of its educational policies,

scholarship and loan programs, or athletic and

other school-administered programs. In addi-

tion, the school welcomes visits from disabled

applicants.

SStt.. GGeeoorrggee’’ss PPoolliiccyy oonnNNoonn--DDiissccrriimmiinnaattiioonn

In 1896, the Rev. John Byron Diman,

founder of St. George’s School, wrote in his

“Purposes of the School” that “the specific

objectives of St. George’s are to give its stu-

dents the opportunity of developing to the

fullest extent possible the particular gifts that

are theirs and to encourage in them the desire

to do so. Their immediate job after leaving

school is to handle successfully the demands

of college; later it is hoped that their lives will

be ones of constructive service to the world

and to God.”

In the 21st century, we continue to teach

young women and men the value of learning

and achievement, service to others, and respect

for the individual. We believe that these goals

can best be accomplished by exposing students

to a wide range of ideas and choices in the

context of a rigorous curriculum and a sup-

portive residential community.

Therefore, we welcome students and teach-

ers of various talents and backgrounds, and we

encourage their dedication to a multiplicity

of pursuits —intellectual, spiritual, and physi-

cal—that will enable them to succeed in and

contribute to a complex, changing world.

SStt.. GGeeoorrggee’’ss SScchhoooollMMiissssiioonn SSttaatteemmeenntt

Fri., April 23St. George’s Day Celebration for Friends of the ChapelFri., May 14 - Sun., May 16Reunion WeekendSat., May 29Spring Dance ConcertMon., May 31Prize DayTues., Sept. 7, 5:30 p.m.Day Student Family PicnicMon., Sept. 13, 8 a.m.Convocation chapel and classes beginFri., Oct. 22 - Sat., Oct. 23Parents Weekend

ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 10 WINTER BULLET IN 1

From the editor’s desk ........................................................................................................................................2

Tenth headmaster of St. George’s, Charles A. Hamblet, dies at 68 BY SUZANNE L. MCGRADY ..............3

Becoming Mary BY SUZANNE L. MCGRADY..........................................................................................................12

Remembering former trustee Lewis N. Madeira ’39 ................................................................................22

Former Science Department Chair Gilbert Burnett Jr. to be memorialized ........................................24

Chapel talks:

Life lessons from Pops BY POLLY MURRAY ’10 ..........................................................................................26

A place to call home BY SABRA WILSON ’10 ............................................................................................29

Faculty/staff notes............................................................................................................................................31

SG Zone - Athletics ............................................................................................................................................33

Highlights: Student achievements ................................................................................................................38

Global outreach ..................................................................................................................................................43

On the web ..........................................................................................................................................................45

Arts ........................................................................................................................................................................48

Classrooms ..........................................................................................................................................................52

Community service: Spotlight on Camp Ramleh ......................................................................................56

Traditions ..............................................................................................................................................................61

Geronimo ..............................................................................................................................................................64

In brief ..................................................................................................................................................................66

Campus happenings ..........................................................................................................................................67

Post Hilltop ..........................................................................................................................................................71

Giving back: News from the Alumni/ae office ..........................................................................................73

Around campus ..................................................................................................................................................74

Reunion Weekend 2010....................................................................................................................................77

Class Notes ..........................................................................................................................................................79

Students gather in the front hall of Old

School prior to the winter formal.

PHOTO BY RAY WOISHEK ’89

On the cover:

The Headmaster’s Office in Old School.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY RAY WOISHEK ’89

On the back cover:

Patrick McGinnis ’11, who broke the

school record in the 50-yard freestyle,

is among a number of impressive

athletes on the SG swim team.

PHOTO BY ANDREA HANSEN

ST. GEORGE’S SCHOOL

P.O. BOX 1910

NEWPORT, RI 02840-0190

Office of the Bulletin Editor

tel: (401) 842-6792

fax: (401) 842-6745

e-mail: [email protected]

Suzanne McGrady, editor

Dianne Reed, communications associate

Toni Ciany, editorial assistant

Contributing photographers:Ray Woishek ’89Andrea Hansen

Kathryn Whitney Lucey

The St. George’s Bulletin is published bi-annually.

St. George’sB u l l e t i n

C o n t e n t s

The Alumni/ae Magazine ofSt. George’s School

Newport, R.I.

This magazine is printed on paper that is certifiedby SmartWood to meet the Forest StewardshipCouncil standards. FSC sets high standards thatensure forestry is practiced in an environmentallyresponsible, socially beneficial, and economicallyviable way.

XXXXXX

ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 10 WINTER BULLET IN2

This edition is dedicated to the memory of our

former headmaster, Chuck Hamblet, who died

Jan. 13, 2010.

I’ve been told that at the end of his life, Chuck

knew he would be remembered for the way the St.

George’s campus was transformed under his leader-

ship. New dormitories, upgraded athletic facilities, a

new arts center and campus center all were constructed

under his reign.He could often be seen

holding a groundbreaking shovel, stand-

ing at a podium delivering a welcome to

the crowd.

That, however, is the Chuck for the

next installment of the St. George’s

School history.“The 1990s: Hamblet era

marked by campus infrastructure

improvements.”Chuck on paper.

I will remember Chuck for the

man he was: friendly, fair, considerate,

honorable.

I can’t claim to have known him well.

I worked for him, sat in the chair next to

him every week at Administrative Com-

mittee meetings. I helped him out with a

few speeches.

When someone dies, you remember

how he or she made you feel. Chuck was

the opposite of a snob. Sure, he had high standards. He

wanted us to be our best, and the way he went about it

was by being approachable, kind and supportive.

When he caught my eye before a special event, he

would give me one of his trademark smiles and a wink

just to say,“OK, here we go. This is our show. This is

going to be good.”

Carol, we hope it brings you some comfort to see

all the wonderful ways in which he’s remembered here.

Chuck loved kids, and so I like to think he would

appreciate the main feature of this edition: a story

about adoption. Chuck’s grandson Nathan is adopted,

and along with his granddaughter, Nicole, and grand-

son, Alexander, gave him somuch joy.

The feature here, “BecomingMary” (p. 12), came

about after Mary Behan ’10 delivered a chapel talk in

January about her search for her own identity as a girl

born in China—and raised in an Irish Catholic family

in Rhode Island. Afterward, I couldn’t help thinking:

What is her mother’s story? Thank you sincerely to

Tish Behan P’10, who was so warm and accepting of

my story idea, and who opened up her heart in my

reporting of it.

Two chapel talks in this edition also speak to issues

of family and home.Home schooled as a youngster,

SabraWilson ’10 (p. 29) says she’s learned to appreciate

now the many places she feels comfortable and sup-

ported outside her native town of Lake Clear, N.Y.

And “Life lessons from Pops” (p. 26) is senior

Polly Murray’s essay on what she’s learned from her

87-year-old grandfather. There are lessons in there

for all of us about confronting change: “First, be

stubborn and refuse to let go of what’s familiar.

Then, consider the positive aspects of the change.

And finally, agree to change and notice only the new-

found benefits.” I like that.

Speaking of change, this winter also marks the

public announcement that one of our veteran admin-

istrators, Joe Gould, will leave his post as the school’s

director of development and spend his last years at St.

George’s as director of global programs, a subject

close to his heart. Joe, a close associate and friend of

Chuck Hamblet’s who began his career alongside

Chuck at Phillips Exeter Academy, has been traveling

to Asia both for the school and as a more personal

passion for more than a decade. Stepping back from

his fund-raising role will allow Joe to step into the

classroom for the first time in his decades-long inde-

pendent school career.

Like Pops, we predict he’ll “consider the positive

aspects of the change… and agree to notice only the

newfound benefits.”

Good luck, Joe.

St. George’sF r o m t h e e d i t o r ’ s d e s k

Connor and I take in the view on thedocks in Watch Hill, R.I.

Suzanne McGrady

Bulletin Editor


Charles A. HambletHeadmaster Emeritus

1941-2010

Headmaster Emeritus Charles A.Hamblet, the

gentlemanly leader with a broad smile who

led St. George’s through an unprecedented

era of growth and prosperity from 1989-2004, died Jan.

9 at his home in St.Marys, Georgia. Chuck had battled

a brain tumor courageously for nearly two years. He

was 68.With him was his family, including his wife,

Carol, who served the school as our coordinator of

student services and who also was by Chuck’s side—

collegially and devotedly—for all the major events in

the life of the school during their tenure.

The 10th headmaster of the school, and the second-

longest serving in our history, Chuck presided over a

period in which St. George’s established itself firmly as


“Chuck was … a true gentleman and consummate educator.

He will be sorely missed, but his legacy lives on in the schools

he served so well.”

—Deirdre Ling, former Head of Middlesex School

Tenth headmaster of St. George’s,‘a warm and wise presence,’ dies at 68

a national leader among coeducational boarding

schools, one in which boys and girls learned, lived, and

competed together in state-of-the-art facilities. He was

an unfailing advocate for teachers, determined to sup-

port them in their efforts with our students in many

ways, not the least of which was through competitive

compensation rivaling the best of our peer schools.

The Centennial Celebration in 1996 and the $36.6

million Centennial Campaign were hallmarks of

Chuck’s tenure.While students and teachers were

always his priorities, his legacy is also marked by the

dramatic expansion of campus facilities. Construction

began in 1992 with Buell and Wheeler dormitories and

continued nearly nonstop until 2004 with the dedica-

tion of the Charles A. and Carol J. Hamblet Campus

Center, appropriately named in the Hamblets’ honor

after their retirement. In addition, during the Hamblet

era the school added the Hoopes Squash Center, the

newVan Beuren Gymnasium, the Hersey Track, the

Ford Fitness Center, the new Geronimo, the

Drury/Grosvenor Center for the Arts, the Cabot/Har-

man Ice Center, the Taverner Archives, East and Zane

dormitories, and the Hoyt Pool.

Beyond physical facilities, under Chuck’s leader-

ship a host of academic and other school programs also

were expanded: in diversity, administrative and aca-

demic technology,Asian culture and Chinese language,

and financial aid. Chuck and Carol believed in a holis-

tic approach to student wellness and academic success.

Together, they established a team of school health

professionals and administrators, The Health Group,

which continues to meet each week to discuss student

issues, and to support the health and emotional well-

being of the students.

Beyond St. George’s, Chuck served on numerous

boards and education committees. Until recently he

was a trustee at Bridgton Academy, near the Hamblets’

summer home in Casco,Maine.He was also an influ-

ential board member and leader with the International

Scholar-Athlete Hall of Fame and A Better Chance.

Most recently, Chuck was inducted into the New

England Basketball Hall of Fame.

Chuck was born April 21, 1941, and grew up in

Lawrence,Mass. He graduated from Baldwin-Wallace

College in Berea, Ohio, just outside of Cleveland, close

to where his grandparents lived.He earned a master’s

degree in education from Rutgers University in New

Brunswick, N.J., and taught in a public school nearby,

where he met Carol, who also was a teacher. Chuck

earned another master’s degree, in mathematics, at

Brown University and entered prep school teaching at

Governor Dummer Academy (now the Governor’s

Academy) in Byfield,Massachusetts.

Chuck came to St. George’s in 1989 from Phillips

Exeter Academy where, following his tenure at Gover-

nor Dummer, he had established himself for 19 years as

a talented teacher, coach and leader, director of the

summer school, chairman of the math department,

dormitory parent, and coach of the varsity boys

basketball team. Chuck became known at Exeter as a

well-rounded educator who always kept students at the

heart of his priorities. A program he developed to bring

Native American students to independent schools was

nationally recognized.

Chuck was a friendly presence to students at St.

George’s, where he was a devoted fan of all the sports

teams, traveling from sideline to sideline cheering on

the athletes. His office open door policy frequently

found him at his desk helping students with math

problems or chatting with them about their day-to-

day lives.

Chuck and Carol moved to Florida after their

retirement from St. George’s, but after two years, Chuck

was called out of retirement and was asked to serve for

a year as interim headmaster at Westchester Country

Day School, a private K-12 day school, in High Point,

N.C. It would turn into a more long-term relationship:

he became a beloved figure on campus, was asked to

stay on as headmaster, and only stepped aside, due to

his illness, last spring.

In addition to Carol, Chuck is survived by his son

Rick, his daughter-in-law Lesley, and their children,

Nathan and Nicole, as well as by his son Todd, his

daughter-in-law Lauren, and their son Alexander.

A memorial service was held on Jan. 16 in the St.

George’s Chapel.



Mr.Hamblet provided me with the

first of many lessons I would learn

on the Hilltop during a simple

game of “Horse.”

I was 12 years old and decided to tag

along to SG with my father (Sylvester ’69)

who happened to be giving the keynote

speech on Prize Day. At some point during

my stay, Mr. Hamblet invited me down to the

Dorrance fieldhouse to shoot some hoops. I

was pretty excited about the opportunity to

show off the skills I’d been honing for the last

couple of years. And what better way to do so

against what most boys from the south side of

Chicago would refer to as “an old white man.”

Granted, we ended up only playing a game of

“Horse,” but I was still both excited and confi-

dent. Needless to say, what would transpire

next I did not see coming. Mr. Hamblet DID

NOT MISS ONE SHOT. Jason Monroe DID

NOT HIT ONE SHOT. Need I say more?

There I was: a disappointed 12-year-old, still

in a state of shock and confusion over what

just happened.All I could think of was how I

would tell my friends back in Chicago and Los

Angeles that “an old white man”beat me in a

game of “Horse.”And that was an understate-

ment. Mr. Hamblet wasn’t the type to rub it in

either. He didn’t need to. His actions on the

court did his talking. For him, it was really a

moment to teach and provide feedback on

what I could do differently, what I could do to

be better. The respect was instant. I knew what

I had to do from that point on.

Fast forward a year or so. I am the starting

point guard on the Hilltop and, like Mr.Ham-

blet, I let my“game”do the talking for the next

four years.Not to mention, I graduated as the

senior prefect.

That game of “Horse”meant a lot to me.

The lessons learned from the game mean even

more and transcend well beyond the context of

a“game.”Words like“persistence,”“work ethic,”

“sportsmanship,”“leadership,”“open-minded,”

“receptive,”“competitive,” and“humble”come

to mind as takeaways from what was otherwise

a sound defeat.Over the course of my four

years on the Hilltop, I became a better athlete. I

no longer focused on just basketball. I became

a better student. I became a leader. I considered

myself to be well rounded at last.…

It’s amazing what a simple game of

“Horse” can do.

Thanks,Mr.Hamblet!

‘Horse’ withHamblet

BY JASON MONROE ’95

Editor’s note: Upon the death of Headmaster Emeritus

Chuck Hamblet, who ran the school from 1989-2004,

we contacted several former senior prefects during his

tenure to get their recollections of his spirit and influence.

Following are some of their memories.


I remember well an overall sense I developed from

my many interactions with [Mr.Hamblet] while I was

Senior Prefect, namely that he cared deeply about the

students at the school and was a very good listener. I re-

member in particular the prefect lunches we would have

in his office. These usually consisted of the five of us talk-

ing to Mr.Hamblet about the various things that were

going on at the school, including giving voice to any

complaints or grievances students may have had about

one thing or another.And I remember always feeling that

he was listening to what we said. Even when he would

deny a request or explain why something could not be

done, he invariably did it in a way that was not at all dis-

missive and instead showed that he understood the stu-

dents’ perspective.As a result, he and I had a very good

relationship and, I believe, he did as well with the other

prefects.

—Charles Barzun ’93

For over a decade, Charles Hamblet was the friendly

face of St George’s that greeted eager new students em-

barking on the first step of their young lives.He was a

firm presence for three of my four wonderful years on

the Hilltop.When I think of him, I see him standing tall

with a warm smile in the front hall or at the front of

assembly asking us all to quiet down so we can hear the

day’s announcements.He worked tirelessly for the cause

of St. George’s. Everywhere there is evidence of his hard

work—new dorms and new facilities.When I was one of

the senior prefects I remember being included in the de-

sign meetings for the new dorm.Mr.Hamblet always

wanted to hear what we thought.He also felt it was im-

portant to reach out far and wide to increase the student

base.My small class of 80 came from the east, west,

north, south, Europe and even the Middle East.He be-

lieved in an education that extended outside the class-

room—a place where we could meet people from every

walk of life so that we could all learn from each other.

He left the Hilltop a better place than he found it. It

is something that we all strive for—and, in his case, he

succeeded.Charles Hamblet affected generations of

Dragons who can say that he made a difference in their

lives. It is an impressive legacy. I thank him for all the

time he gave for our benefit—time he was seen on the

sidelines at games, time he spent working with students

in the classroom, time he took to meet people in his of-

fice or off-campus. Thank you to his family for sharing

him with so many.Our thoughts are with you now as

you suffer through this loss. Take comfort in the fact that

he lives on in a million ways—in all the accomplishments

of the lives he touched that go on all over the world.

—Sara Ely Hulse ’92

I remember Mr.Hamblet was always approachable

and smiling, knowing students’ names when they didn’t

think he did. I had the opportunity to work closely with

him as senior prefect and I always felt comfortable run-

ning issues by him and respected his opinion.On a little

side note,my sister also went to St.George’s and she and

her friends won a sleepover at the Hamblets’ house. She

told me it was really fun and they made cookies for them

and rented movies! They made St.George’s feel like

home and Mr.Hamblet will truly be missed.

—Liv (Wilson) Thompson ’99

When he became headmaster in our sixth-form year,

Mr.Hamblet mentioned that he missed his role as a

teacher; he missed having direct interaction with stu-

dents. Perhaps this was why he was entirely open to dis-

cussing any issue with any student at even the most

‘‘

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Continued on page 8


inconvenient hour. In dealing with thorny issues he also

had a deft ability to be simultaneously frank and gra-

cious. Mr.Hamblet may have forfeited being a teacher,

but he took on the demanding role of a mentor, and in

doing so he was a powerful educator.He possessed the

exact qualities that the school needed to lead the 350 stu-

dents and staff who had endured the uncertainty of three

headmasters in as many years.

—Josh Gillespie ’90

In the beginning of my sophomore year, I remember

receiving my class list and discovering that I had been as-

signed Mr.Hamblet as myAlgebra 2 instructor.Now, at

that time, you might as well have told me that I had been

given a semester-long pass to proctored study hall. I

thought to myself: I have the headmaster of the school as

my teacher?! This can’t be good.Of course, it was one of

the best classes I ever had and it had everything to do

with Mr.Hamblet. I looked forward to class.He inspired

me to believe in my potential and myself.

Charles was a great mentor and teacher, and I will

forever be indebted to him for his constant encourage-

ment and guidance during my time on the Hilltop.He

will be greatly missed.

—Jacob Jeffries-Steele ’97

I remember him fondly as a father to all students.

My time as senior prefect led me to understand what a

tough role he had to play with respect to being headmas-

ter/head of discipline. Like a father, he was put in the po-

sition of both desiring us all to be able to freely make our

own mistakes because he knew this would be how we

would learn our lifelong lessons, but yet he also sincerely

wished he could convince us all that minding the rules

would lead us to success without having to bear the con-

sequences.We grew up into young adults under his guid-

ance whether we recognized it or not; I know he thought

of us all as his children.

I will never forget his advice and guidance during

our lunch meetings each week.

—Anika Leerssen ’96

Mr. Hamblet was a remarkable leader and men-

tor. As senior prefect, I was inspired by his dedication

to the SG family. He helped me grasp the importance

of service leadership, as he established bonds with

everyone that he served (students, faculty and staff).

He learned our names, attended games, assisted with

math assignments, participated in form meetings, and

always offered guidance and words of encouragement.

As our leader, he understood that each class and stu-

dent was unique and respected our differences.

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Continued from page 7


Though we will miss Mr. Hamblet, we’ll continue to

celebrate the memories we shared with him.

—Tiffani Thomas ’00

As senior prefect (’94) I had many interactions

with Mr. Hamblet, both in my duties as prefect and

through his frequent visits to the basketball court to

cheer us on (and, on occasion, to remind the team of

his timeless three-point shot). As a prefect, I recall

very specifically the amount of respect he showed me.

So much so that I often felt as though I was his peer.

For example, each day when he would transition the

school assembly to me to lead the student announce-

ments. His confidence in me was critical during an

important stage of my life and I will always remem-

ber his contributions to my development into adult-

hood. As a team, Mr. and Mrs. Hamblet defined what

it meant to be a Dragon: unwavering school pride

and constant support of one another. I am very grate-

ful for having had the opportunity to be a student at

SG during the Hamblets’ tenure and I offer my deep-

est sympathies to their family.

—FredHouse ’94

‘‘

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Hundreds journeyed to St. George’s on a cold, sunny Saturday,

Jan. 16, 2010, for a memorial service for Headmaster Emeri-

tus Chuck Hamblet in the St. George’s Chapel to recall

the 10th headmaster of the school as a man of integrity, unfailingly

committed to his family and to his schools.

Among the three eulogists at the service were former chair of the

Board of Trustees Betsy Michel, Chuck’s son Todd, and Chris Harlow, a

45-year friend of Chuck’s who called him“the best kind of friend a

person could hope to have.”

Harlow and Chuck had known each other since they attended

graduate school in New Jersey in the 1960s, and shared time with their

respective families each summer in Maine.

“The usual agenda of the night was laughter,”Harlow said of those

summer evenings,“… but besides the great times we had together, the

one thing I saw was integrity, a deep commitment to core values: gen-

erosity, compassion, commitment.”

“He was a lifelong learner, a master teacher.When he talked about

the students at his school, he always talked about their countless oppor-

tunities.”

Michel met Chuck in May 1988, when she was the chair of the

search committee to hire a new headmaster. She recalled getting the

names of more than two dozen of Hamblet’s colleagues as references.

“I called them all,”Michel said.“And 30 pages of notes made clear

that if we were lucky to get him, Chuck was our guy.”

Michel said the school wanted“an insider who would enlighten

the school, who would understand the potential and strengths of a

small school.”

“I knew almost right away that we were in good hands,” she said.

When Todd Hamblet ascended to the lectern, he first thanked those

in attendance for “an incredible outpouring of support,” and then

turned to his mother, Carol Hamblet, who served St. George’s as direc-

tor of student services. Carol and Chuck were married for 42 years.

Memorial service forHamblet recalls a‘compassionate leader’

Hundreds return to St. George’s toremember our former headmaster


“Mom, you worked tirelessly to support Dad throughout his

career,” he said.“Thank you.”

Todd recalled his father as a sage advisor, a consummate teacher

who taught his children—Todd and his older brother Rick—to be

proud of their accomplishments “but never to gloat,” and to seek fair-

ness in all situations. He also taught them a series of life lessons—11 of

which he wanted to reveal at the memorial service.“And Dad would’ve

been quick to point out that’s a prime number,”he said of Hamblet,

who spent his career before and during his headmasterships as a math

teacher.

The list was a mixture of the humorous and the poignant.

“Dad said you can never get to the airport early enough to catch

your flight,” he said.

On the golf course, his father “never met a mulligan he didn’t like.”

He was also a man who lived his life believing that if you“take care

of the little things, the big things will take care of themselves—and dad

took care of the little things,” he said. On Sundays the gentlemanly

Hamblet could often be seen walking the St. George’s campus with

Carol and his dog Opal, picking up pieces of litter left on the playing

fields from the games the day before.

He was a basketball player, Todd said, who knew“a drop shot from

the baseline was demoralizing to your opponent,” and that if he was

watching TV, someone soon“would be more than happy to get up and

get a bowl of ice cream” for him.

Throughout their lives, Todd said, his father taught him and his

brother—and all his students—to be their best.

And he always, always put family first.

At the end of his illness—an inoperable brain tumor—he“refused

to stop traveling to see his grandchildren.”

Todd looked up.“Dad,”he said.“We miss you, we love you—and

we’ll take care of Mom for you.”


Adopted by an Irish-Catholicfamily, a girl born in Chinareconnects with her past

BY SUZANNE MCGRADYSt. George’s Bulletin Editor

MaryMary, at age 2, chases rabbits at the fosterhome where she lived in Fuzhou, China.Her foster mother, Mei Ling, looks on.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARY BEHAN ’10.

Becoming

1992, Jiangxi Province, Southeast China—

She was a mother looking for

another mother to care for her

baby girl—and so she crept

through the growing darkness and

left her baby, warmly swaddled, in

plain sight, on the steps of a public

building in Fuzhou. Someone will

find her, she thought. Someone will

give her a good life…

The story of how Mary Katherine Behan came

to the United States is not unlike that of many

others. From 1985-2008, Americans adopted

67,842 children from China, according to the U.S.

Department of State. Still, adoption, especially

from a country as culturally unique and distant as

China, has all the emotional intensity as most

other life-altering events. And unless you’ve been

on the inside, you may not really know the chal-

lenges and joys these families have experienced.

Here’s one mother’s story:

Tish Curtis Behan always wanted a big family. She

is one of four children in her family, an Irish Catholic

brood that settled in Newport and Portsmouth.Her

husband,Mike, is one of 12.However somemedical

challenges were getting in the way.After nine pregnan-

cies and the death of an infant daughter, the Behans

were blessed with two boys: Michael and Garrett. Still,

Tish andMike couldn’t let go of their dream.“It came

to us very easily that we wanted to adopt,”Tish recalls.

In 1994, the couple decided to initiate the adoption

process. At the time, their sons were 4-years old and 10


BY MARY BEHAN ’10Following is a chapel talk delivered on Dec. 1, 2009.

Four Irish-Americans and a Chinese girl walked into a restaurant.…

If you are waiting for a punchline, that wasn’t a joke: It’s just my

family whenever we go out to dinner.

For those of you who don’t knowme,my

name is Mary and I was adopted from China

when I was two and a half.

I’ve always wondered what people think

whenmy family and I are out together. Do they

see what I see—two parents and their three

children? Or do they see two Americans, their

two sons, andmentally check me off as my

older or younger brother’s girlfriend? Do they even think about what

they see, or am I just obsessing over the minor details?

For a long time, I hoped I was just obsessing, because it was those

sorts of questions that mademe feel insecure about my place in my

family. Those questions made me doubt myself, and, as cliché as it

seems, they mademe wonder about my identity.

It began with exasperated sarcasm.

“Wait, so, are you Japanese or Chinese?”

“Neither,” I would say,“I’m Irish.”

There would be a pause.

And then,“Wait, really?”

My general answer to The Question was, “No, not really,” but

if I was feeling particularly irritated, I would say, “What—you

couldn’t tell?”

Eventually the sardonic remark, accompanied by a roll of the eyes

and perfected deadpan, becamemy way of ignoring a question that, for

some reason, bothered me.

It botheredme because even though I was a Chinese girl adopted by

an Irish-Catholic family, I did not want to be categorized as“Asian” by

other people when, for the better part of my life, I did not even catego-

rizemyself as Asian. Friends’ lighthearted comments aboutmy“Asian-

ness”were actually funny, but when someone, in all seriousness, asked

me aboutmy nationality, I always felt offended on some level—I did not

care what I was, so what gave other people the right to question?

In the summer of 2007, after my freshman year, I traveled to

Beijing to study with a Choate Rosemary Hall program. There, while

all of my white American friends called me Fu Ping,my

C H A P E L T A L K SDifferent Takes

Continued on page 15Continued on page 14

months. The agency they were working with connected

American families with children from Romania,

Uzbekistan or Belarus. The Behans wanted a toddler,

aged 2 or 3, between the two boys.

Meanwhile in China, a One Child Policy, imple-

mented by the Chinese Government in 1979, was

having devastating effects on the social and economic

structure of the country. Hundreds of thousands of

baby girls, most just days old, were being abandoned in

public places— busy streets, railway stations, and in

front of public buildings—so that they would quickly

be found. Baby boys were prized because they would

carry on the ancestral name—and take care of their

parents in their old age.And so the abandoned baby

girls were being shuttled off to orphanages, now burst-

ing at the seams. In places like Fuzhou, where many

families lived a hardscrabble life in one- and two-room

rowhouses without indoor plumbing, the orphanages

employed foster mothers in the neighborhood to help

take care of the children.

Some of the children were being adopted interna-

tionally, however the road was still relatively untrod-

den when the agency the Behans were working with

called Tish in January 1995 to say they’d just been

cleared to arrange adoptions from China.Would they

be interested?

Tish andMike had to think about it.

“Now when the five of us walked down the street

it would be pretty obvious we had an adopted child,”

she said.

Tish was aware the dynamic would likely bring

some challenges.“But it didn’t take us 24 hours to

decide,” she says.

It took four weeks to redo the paperwork to apply

for a Chinese adoption.On Feb 28, 1995, the govern-

ment had the Behans’ application.

At the time, Tish was a guidance counselor at the

Forest Ave. Elementary School; Mike was growing his

construction business, Behan Bros. Inc. on Aquidneck

Ave., in Middletown.

Tish says she was on the phone almost daily with

the adoption agency.

Then came Tuesday,March 28, 1995.

Above:In 2009, Tish Behanand her daughterMary traveled toChina, where Marymet her foster familyfor the first time.

Opposite page:The Wang familynever forgot Mary,whom they calledJing Dan.



Tish was inMike’s office when the fax came

through. The woman at the adoption agency said it was

coming…

A tiny round face engulfed in quilted clothing.

Sparkly dark eyes. A baby halfway around the world in

Jiangxi Province, China (population: 40 million).

As she headed to work at the local orphanage,Mei

Ling’s husbandYin Fa picked up Jing Dan,meaning

“smart crystal,” from the yard where she was playing

with the rabbits, and headed out into the fields with her

in a sling across his back. The baby, who’d come into

the orphanage just a day old, as most, loved to chase the

rabbits around the yard. Still, she was eager to join Yin

Fa in the fields, where she would help him place the

harvested vegetables into baskets, or sit and play among

the plants.

Jing Dan was the first baby from the local orphan-

age theWangs had taken care of. She had been called Fu

Ping by the orphanage workers, but the foster family

immediately made her their own, renaming her, and

soon she and her personality—her desires and

demands—became a part of their everyday lives. Still,

they weren’t prepared for howmuch they would love

her as their own, how seamless their affections would

become. The family’s own children—son Qiang, 10,

and daughter JunMing, 8—had quickly become

attached to the girl. Little Jing Dan was a bright spirit in

the tiny house, with one main room and two tiny bed-

rooms—no kitchen, no bathroom,where they could

hear the neighbors on both sides of the row house

through thin walls. As she grew into a toddler, Jing Dan

would climb up next to the children and pretend to

help them with their homework.At night Mei Ling and

Yin Fa would let Jing Dan climb into bed with them.

Jing Dan was always itchy andYin Fa would put her to

sleep by scratching her back. Unlike another infant girl

whom they took care of for a short while until she was

adopted, Jing Dan would always be theirs, they thought.

She was 2 now, no longer a baby—a little girl. No one

in America would be asking after her now…

C H A P E L T A L K S

Chinese host family insisted on calling meMary. It was their

attempt to make me seemmore American despite my obvious

Chinese appearance, because having an American in the home

was “exotic.” I had grown up in a Roman-Catholic middle

school, where, to my classmates, everything about me

screamed“Asian!;” this was the first time I had ever met anyone

who considered me just plain American. It was a strange con-

cept andmore than a little odd, but I liked it.

When I came home from China that summer, I experi-

enced another “first” in regards to my race. It was my cousin’s wedding,

and someone I had never seen before, but who knewmy large adopted

family, decided to go down the line of cousins with whom I was sitting

and play guess-the-parents. Tomy cousins, she said,“You’re Bridget’s,

right? You are, too.And you’re Susan and Chris’s,”while my younger

brother received a,“You’re Tish andMike’s.”

She stopped at me.Her blank stare and hesitation lasted only a

moment, but it was a moment too long.

“Tish andMike’s,” I supplied hastily.

“Oh.”

She couldn’t tell… But then, I tried to tell myself,why should she be

able to? I mean, it’s not like I was ever going to hear,“You have your

father’s eyes,”or “You look just like yourmother” from anyone. Despite

knowing all this intellectually, I still felt hurt, rather than annoyed or

uncomfortable. That one incident kept replaying inmymind; I was

incapable of just letting it go as I didmost other comments aboutmy race.

It made me think.

What am I?

I came closer to answering that question the summer after my

sophomore year, when I learned through awkward conversation and

Continued on page 17


May 1995, Fuzhou, China—The day they never

imagined has come.With tears in their eyes,Mei Ling

and JunMing pack Jing Dan into the car and the

orphanage director drives the three down the rambling

dirt road from Fuzhou to Nanchang where they will

turn over Jing Dan to her new family. It takes seven

hours to get to the hotel.

After leaving the States April 26, Tish andMike

take four flights,meet a translator fromOhio in Hong

Kong, then take another short flight into Nanchang.

The hotel where the Behans arrive is bustling and

noisy. All the signs are inMandarin. Settling into their

room, Tish lays out some toys on the bed and hears a

knock on the door.

Three adults—Mei Ling and JunMing and the

orphanage director—enter with Jing Dan, who imme-

diately goes to the bed. She has the biggest dimples Tish

has ever seen. Jing Dan offers her new acquaintances

raisins out of a box. Everyone heads down to the hotel

lobby where they find a place for lunch.

Lunch is pleasant, Tish recalls, and she gets to play

with Jing Dan on her lap.

Later, the six head back to the hotel elevator, where

they ascend to their respective floors. Tish is carrying

Jing Dan, whom the couple has already decided to

nameMary, in her arms. The foster mother and sister

are also staying the night in the hotel, on another floor.

When the Behans reach their floor, the orphanage

director pushes Mike and Tish into the hallway. She

pushes Mei Ling back as the woman screams hysteri-

cally. JunMing and Jing Dan begin to cry…

Above:The Wang familytook care of Mary(middle) until shewas 2 and a half.

Opposite page: Marylooks at old picturesafter meeting herfoster mother, MeiLing (right), andfoster sister, JunMing (with herdaughter, left) forthe first time inChina last summer.


Back in the hotel room, Tish wants to give her new

baby a bath. The water is terrifying. Jing Dan has never

been submerged in water before, but Tish doesn’t know

it, and the baby is crying at the top of her lungs.Mean-

while JunMing is wandering the halls trying to find

Jing Dan. She hears her crying and knocks on the

Behans’ hotel room door. Tish allows her to come in

and help give the toddler a sponge bath.

It’ll be like this for years.“She definitely experienced

post-traumatic stress syndrome. She screamed and

screamed at doors for a long time,” Tish says of the first

year Mary was in the United States. “That’s how she

would go to sleep. Just screaming and crying at a door.”

The night terrors were incessant: five nights a week, for

more than 10 years. No one could really help. The family

got used to hearing Mary scream in the night.

August 2008, Middletown, R.I.— After being

hired by Tish, Bruce Yu, a private investigator in

Nanchang, reports back that he’s found Mary’s

foster family in Fuzhou.

With the help of St. George’s student Huanmin Hu

’10, a one-year student from Beijing who can serve as a

translator, the families start to correspond.Mary wants

to know:“What was I like?What did I eat?What did I

like to play?”

The letters Tish andMary get back, however, are

not the usual pen-pal fare.“Why do they love you?” the

foster mother asks Mary in one correspondence.“Why

do they want you?”

“They had an eerie quality,”Tish says.“We didn’t

have any idea the trauma they went through after

Mary left.”

Something aches in Tish, as well, when she thinks

about the family’s suffering. She remembers her own

andMike’s dreams: that they got what they wanted—

they got to be whole, they got to loveMary, and get love

back, because they got to takeMary home.

Bruce Yu tells Tish the foster mother didn’t eat

properly for months after Mary left. The whole vil-



random speculation that my roommate at theMiddlebury

Monterey Language Academy was from the same orphanage as

I was. Later, when I returned home from camp,mymom and I

set out to see if we could find other girls frommy orphanage—

ormaybe even from the foster family that took care of me after

my brief stint as a newborn in the orphanage. Our investiga-

tion, including the exchange of part-English, part-Chinese,

and part-Babelfish Online Translator emails, ended with a trip

to China at the beginning of last summer, and a foray into the

first two-and-a-half years of my life there.We planned to visit the rela-

tively small city of Fuzhou, in Jiangxi Province.

While there, I foundmemories of a toddler who chased rabbits,

pretended to do schoolwork with her elder siblings and practiced mak-

ing sad faces. I heard tales of a girl who knew she was leaving and told

her daddy she was going to America to make a lot of money to buy him

a drink, and stories of a newly adopted child who sat at the hotel door

and screamed until she cried herself to sleep.

I came face-to-face with the forgotten—with the physical remnants

of my past. I found an old, one-story cement house riddled with over-

grown weeds and traditional good-luck signs pasted on the sides of the

door in faded red. I saw a broken crib kept long after its occupant

departed for America, and a garden through which a toddler used to

traipse under the illusion she was helping to grow things.

And, finally, I met a family so full of love, that even after they

endured the pain of watching me leave, they cared for 13 more infants,

ending with a girl they found on their doorstep. I met a mother, a

father, and two older siblings who despite 14 years and a language

barrier still called me their daughter and sister. I met a family that made

me feel unbearably guilty: I wanted to be able to tell them I loved them

and remembered them, because they so obviously loved and remem-



lage was in mourning. The foster grandmother died

six months later; the family claims it was from a

“broken heart.”

June 2009, en route to Fuzhou, China—Mary is

ready to go back. NowMary and Tish, along with

Huanmin, are on a journey back toMary’s birthplace.

June 2009, Fuzhou, China—Mei Ling begins the

journey to see her beloved Jing Dan. She hasn’t seen the

baby she cared for since that day in the Nanchang hotel

when the orphanage director held her back in the eleva-

tor, the doors closed on a whole chapter of her life, and the

crushing pain set in. Now she knows she’s out there, so

close. She must see her as soon as she’s within reach. It

doesn’t matter that the ride from Fuzhou to Beijing will

take 30 hours, and that she can only afford the car with a

wooden bench for a seat.

June 2009, Beijing, China—Huanmin and her

mother,Wendy, acting as liaisons, reserve a room at a

local Beijing restaurant for the reunion to take place. A

highly respected Chinese family with means, education,

and enormous hearts, the Hus are just the right people

to help the Behans navigate the complicated cultural

territory between New England and rural China.

JunMing, nowmarried with a 2-year-old of her

own, will come with her baby. She’s been living in

Beijing, where she studied English specifically so that

she could try one day to find Jing Dan.

Mei Ling will have her adopted daughter, a 6-

year-old the family has taken in—another baby girl,

who was left out in the middle of the street when

she was born.

She’ll be carsick the entire journey from Fuzhou.

The restaurant table is set with starched white

linens and the Behans and Hus have arrived first. Then,

travel-weary, but eager,Mei Ling appears in the door.

Tish realizes she hasn’t really changed in 15 years, since

Above:Mary takes her firstChinese languageclass at St. George’s.

Opposite page:Mary and her fostermother, Mei Ling,visited the GreatWall last summer. Itwas the first timeMei Ling had beenthere.


she too last saw her at the hotel elevator, crying.

Mary is shy, but gets up to greet the woman who

still loves her, the child she once was.

Mei Ling surroundsMary with a hug, but Mary’s

body stiffens against the affection.

The day is filled with sightseeing: Mei Ling, though

now in her 60s, has never seen the GreatWall. They say

goodbye the next day.Mei Ling will travel the 30 hours

back home with her daughter, but the reunion is not

over. The day after tomorrow, Tish,Mary and Huan-

min are scheduled to spend three days in Fuzhou.

June 2009, Downtown Fuzhou, China—Travel in

China has improved immensely since Tish was last

in the country 14 years ago. In fact, the road from

Nanchang to Fuzhou is now a highway, and Tish,

Mary and Huanmin can easily take a plane from

Beijing to Fuzhou.

Qiang, the foster brotherMary lived with until she

was 2, picks up the three from a hotel in the inner city. It

doesn’t take long to get back to the place whereMary

once chased the rabbits around the yard.Qiang is mar-

ried now and has a baby of his own.He owns the fam-

ily’s first car and has a home with a bathroom inside.

The car arrives in the driveway of the son’s new

house, just down the street from where the family once

lived withMary in the red apartment, now

abandoned—thoughMary’s crib, 16 years later, still

rests in the corner. It doesn’t take long for a small crowd

to gather. JunMing has made the journey from Beijing.

Then, from out of nowhere, fireworks explode

along the ground and everybody is screaming

because they don’t know what it is. In China, fire-

works are usually saved for the arrival of important

political figures—so everyone’s emotional, with tears.

Mary’s overwhelmed by the attention. Her shyness

creeps back in and she stands behind Tish, who’s

hugging everyone. “I’m not even aware of what’s

going on, but she keeps staying farther and farther

behind me,” Tish remembers.



beredme. I wanted them to be more than strangers to me so

badly that I cried when I knew no one was watching.

And yet…

There was something missing.As selfish as it makes me

seem, there was a whisper of disappointment that only I was

able to sense, a feeling that some integral part of what I was

looking for just wasn’t there.

When I went to visit my foster family, I was told many

things about myself—but I was not told who I was. I realized,

after the trip, that I should not have expected to find the answer to my

question of self-identity with my foster family. They could not tell me if

I was Chinese, or American, or perhaps even half-Chinese and half-

Leprechaun; that was something only I could figure out.

But I did not know where to begin.

Strangely enough, the beginning of enlightenment came later in

the summer, as the start of school drew close and I finally picked upmy

copy of “Confucius Lives Next Door.”

It was ultimately a conversation with mymother about the sum-

mer reading book and the campus speaker Cathy Bao Bean that really

settled things for me. The conversation went something like this:

“So, I heard there was a speaker,”mymom said casually while I was

impatiently trying to hang up the phone on her.

“Yeah,” I said unenthusiastically.“Cathy Bao Bean.”

“Well, what did she talk about?”

“I don’t know. Being Chinese and American?”

“Well,Mary,”mymom said in that reproachful tone of hers,“don’t

you think that’s kind of pertinent to you?”

I thought about it. Cathy Bao Bean is Chinese. I’m Chinese. Cathy

Bao Bean is an American citizen. So am I. Therefore, two plus two



“We approach the apartment and they have water-

melon and vegetables, and they’re so happy to see us—

andMary’s withdrawing at every moment, getting

deeper and deeper.”

As Tish andMary walk four blocks, back into the

poorer section, to the red building with the crib,Mei

Ling andYin Fa shout out to neighbors,“Jing Dan is

back! Jing Dan is back!” Seventy- and 80-year-old

people rush out to get a glimpse of Mary; they all

remember her. Tish,Mary and Huanmin stop at many

of the open houses which look like open-door garages

and sit down on primitive stools. Strangers offer them

cucumbers, raw eggplants. They just want to touch

Mary and take pictures with her.

“She’s not white!”

“Why isn’t she taller? they ask each other.

“Why hasn’t she become American?”

Tish, Mary and Huanmin spend three days

traveling back and forth between the hotel in the

inner city, sightseeing with the foster family and

sharing some meals. One night there’s a big dinner

for Mary at the new house in Fuzhou. The grandfa-

ther, 90 years old and nearly blind, climbs four

flights of stairs to see Mary. Everyone wants to know

if Mary is OK. Does she go to school? What kind of a

house does she live in? Does her family have a car?

Mary happily shows them photos of St. George’s, of

the family home, the car. They seem comforted

now—if not in awe.

Back in the hotel room that night,Mary begins to

cry. She says she feels no connection.“I was so moved

by howmuch they really, really loved her, so it was

painful,”Tish recalls.

Mary just wanted to go home.

Above:The Behan familyChristmas 2009:Michael, Tish, Mary,Garrett and Mike.

Opposite page:Huanmin Hu ’10(right) from Beijingwho studied at St.George’s in the2008-09 school year,accompanied Maryand Tish on theirtrip back to Chinain 2009. Hu’smother, Wen,arranged the lunchin Beijing whereMary met her fostermother and sisterfor the first time inmany years.


“I knew she was going to face some sort of identity

crisis.” says Tish.“Most children do with adoption—

wanting to know, ‘Who am I?What am I?’”

ForMary to come to terms with her history now is

a blessing, Tish says.

“Even though it’s been very painful, and I’ve been

sad a lot with it, I also feel really fortunate that there is

some resolution. I feel she’s more at peace than what

she was.

“She feels good about who she is right now.”

Middletown, R.I., August 2009—Mary Katherine Behan is in

her bedroom: the teenage sanctuaryof a bookish 17-year-old, withnovels of every era packing theshelves, and notes tacked to abulletin board on her closet.The computer is shut off.Her college essay is done—approximately 1,200 wordsabout the American life she’sliving and the Chinese life shedoesn’t much remember.

The night terrors have subsided.

She falls peacefully asleep.



must equal—

“No,” I told mymom frankly.“Not really. She’s actually

Chinese.”

What I meant was, Cathy Bao Bean grew up in a Chinese

household, and she learned those Confucian values that Reid

writes about in “Confucius Lives Next Door.”

AHA! mymind all but screamed at me. So this is the answer,

it continued.This is who you are.

Perhaps it seems narrow-minded, but I don’t identify with

the Chinese, socially or culturally. Like many Americans, I don’t even

fully understand their society or their culture—I just look like them.

So I would like to thank the author of “Confucius Lives Next Door,”

Cathy Bao Bean, andmymom for guiding me to that elusive identity of

mine: I amMary Katherine Behan, which is about as Irish a name as

you can get. I stand at an intimidating height of four-feet-eleven-

inches—and, just like the rest of my family, I amAmerican.

Embodied inmy idea of being an American is that I have the

capacity to be whoever Iwant to be, regardless of what I look like. The

world can assume I speak fluent Chinese, or Japanese, or Korean, or

am good at math, simply for the fact that I am of Asian descent. I don’t

mind anymore—because I know who I am.

A few weeks ago, Garrett (Sider ’10) posed the question “What are

wemade of?”Now, I hope what I have had to say has gotten you to

think “Who are we?”Your answer might not come to you dramatically,

and once you stumble upon it, it might change.

Who knows?Maybe next year’s summer reading assignment will

tell you who you are.

MMaarryy BBeehhaann ’10 is a day student from Middletown, R.I. She can be

reached at [email protected].


Ifirst met Lew Madeira in the late 80s – shortly

after I joined the St. George’s Board of Trustees.

I got to know him after I became Chair of the

Board in 1989. That was when I truly became a

“member of the club.” Though like some others, he

may at first have felt it odd that a woman would

chair the board of his old boys’ school, he, like so

many of you who preceded me, welcomed me,

looked after me, supported me and became my

lifelong friend.

Lew joined the Board of Trustees in 1965. He

served as chair of the building and grounds commit-

tee, as treasurer and as president. He served as an

honorary trustee from 1980 until his death last Sep-

tember. In his case, however, “honorary” certainly

didn’t mean out to pasture. In all the years that I knew

him, he was a towering presence at this school both

literally and figuratively.

Lew was, as we all know, wonderfully generous to

St. George’s – much more than anyone knew. I’m quite

sure he had the thickest file of all in the Development

Office – most of a whole file drawer all to himself. I’ve

seen it. It’s full of copies of thank you notes, though he

never sought public acclaim or even recognition for all

that he did for the school.

Many of Lew’s gifts were relatively small, timely,

crucial – not at all glamorous. He chaired the Building

and Grounds Committee and was justifiably proud of

his very practical knowledge of things like plumbing

and heating – knowledge gleaned from his experiences

with Amtrol, the company he led until his retirement in

1991. In fact, he may have been most at home toiling in

Former Chair of theBoard of TrusteesBetsy Michel, thelate HeadmasterEmeritus ChuckHamblet and LewisMadeira ’39 atthe CentennialCelebration in 1996.

Longtime friend and colleague Betsy

Michel P’85, ’89, former chair of the

St. George’s Board of Trustees, delivered

the following eulogy at a memorial

service for Lew Madeira on Saturday,

Dec. 12, in the St. George’s Chapel.

“Lew was, as we all know,wonderfully generous to St.

George’s – much more than anyoneknew ... though he never sought

public acclaim or even recognitionfor all that he did for the school.”

Lewis N.Madeira ’39Trustee

1920-2009

PHO

TOBY

WIL

LIA

MM

ERC

ER


the boiler room with Ray Ottiano, his good friend who

was for many years the school’s director of mainte-

nance. I’m not even sure what the phrase means, but

I’m told that Lew bragged he could “sweat a mean

joint”with the best of them.

Other gifts were big gifts – just as timely, just as

crucial. In 1988, as we were starting a search for a new

head of school, the board determined it was necessary

to build a separate Head’s residence.We didn’t have the

money. I think the entire endowment back then was

only $9 million or thereabouts.We just knew we

needed the house – and needed to make the decision

public. It was Lew who – completely unsolicited –

stepped up with the gift that enabled us to build Mer-

rick House right away.And it was Lew who in 1992

created a remainder trust that will one day endow the

salaries of the Head of School and the Chaplain. It was

the first big gift, the launch really, of the Centennial

Campaign, and we hadn’t even asked him for anything.

Early in the game, he walked into Chuck’s office, told

Chuck to sit down, told him what he planned to do –

then changed the subject and they went for a walk.

Lew was direct – he always got right to the point.

He didn’t want a lot of fuss – maybe it embarrassed

him a little. He had a nose for seeing what needed to be

done and then doing it – that was satisfaction enough. I

know he was pleased, but I know too that it took a bit

of arm twisting to get him to agree to have the theater

in the Arts Center named in his honor.

Lew, as well, was wonderfully generous to people. I

used to call on Marge Wheeler – she and her husband

George had spent a lifetime at the school.Marge could-

n’t get around on her own – she required a wheel-chair.

On one occasion, she told me that Lew had come in

earlier in the afternoon – right after a board meeting –

and she was still in shock.“Marge, what you need to get

around better is a van and I’m getting you one.”No

discussion, he didn’t stay long.He knew what was

needed and that’s what he did.

Lew was generous too in his support of me and of

Chuck and the school – even when he didn’t always

agree with a course of action. That’s often not easy –

certainly not a given. You always knew where he stood.

I know, for example, that he didn’t like the design of

the then proposed new dormitories to the north along

the athletic fields. He said they reminded him of a

stable – a fancy stable, but a stable nonetheless. He

went out and hired his own architect with a different,

more traditional, scheme to present to the board

meeting at which a final vote on the dorms was sched-

uled. We considered his plans and voted for the stable

– and Lew supported us. No small thing. I always

appreciated and never took that support for granted –

nor did Chuck.

Especially, Lew was fun. He

was irreverent at times, utterly

unpretentious, with what one

friend has characterized as “an

earthy view of social customs.” I

remember his telling me when

the Reed family was trying to

sell the “public” property on

Jupiter Island that they were

asking much too much money.

“The only thing worth any-

thing down here is the ambi-

ence – and that’s us.” I enjoyed

the visits to Florida – we played golf or just hung

out. Sometimes a quiet dinner – sometimes he and

Joanie would host a St. George’s gathering. She had

married into St. George’s but took us on gracefully

and warmly. There was something about Lew that lit

up the room when he was happy. I loved his smile

and his twinkle – the private wink when someone

did or said something funny. He was a good man

with a great big heart.

Chuck and Carol can’t be here today. I visited with

them earlier this fall. Remembering Lew, we have been

sad together, and we have talked about this memorial

service – about what I might say for all of us.We

agreed, and I don’t think it is an exaggeration to state

that St. George’s would not be the school it is today

were it not for Lew Madeira. That’s the fact and we will

be ever grateful. As I was driving to Newport yesterday

I couldn’t help but think how very appropriate to say

goodbye in this Chapel that he loved – at this school

that he loved. In this place on the Hilltop where so

many loved him right back.

Thank you, Lewie – thanks for it all.


Gilbert Burnett, Jr., Vincent Astor ’10 Chair inScience and Head of the Science Department

(1958-1960, 1966-1990), Emeritus1921-2009

Our esteemed former faculty member and

dedicated member of the St. George’s

community, Gilbert Burnett, Jr., died in

his beloved home across the street from campus on

Sunday, Sept. 13. He was 88.

Mr. Burnett, Vincent Astor ’10 Chair in Science

and Head of the Science Department emeritus,

served the school loyally for nearly 30 years, from

1958-1960 and from 1966-1990. But he was so much

more than an esteemed former faculty member.

Always the idealist, a true patriot to the core,

Mr. Burnett was an ardent environmentalist who

loved his country and our school with a full heart.

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Aug. 5, 1921, he

graduated from Princeton University in 1943. A

valiant member of what journalist Tom Brokaw

dubbed “the Greatest Generation,” he served as an

intelligence officer in the Office of Strategic Services

and worked behind Japanese lines in China and

Indochina. He later joined the CIA, where he was

“He demanded intellectualcuriosity and excellencefrom his students.”

Remembering Mr. Burnett

“My first introduction to Mr. Burnett

was a note in my mailbox. It was on one of

the small strips of yellow paper he used to

write on with a blue felt-tip marker. He was

applauding my performance in the school

musical. Each morning during the play, there

was another small piece of fan mail in my

box! Thus began a life-long friendship of

notes and letters written in his nearly illegible

scrawl. As a teacher, he demanded intellectual

curiosity and excellence from his students.

He insisted I take his psychology course and

that I do well in it, so I did. I spent many

evenings in the Burnetts’ living room enjoy-

ing great conversation and drinking Hu Kwa

tea. He wrote to me at college with lists of

what courses I MUST take! Later on when I

was up to my ears in childrearing, he sent me

recommendations of what “I must absolutely

read if I wanted to be “in-the-know” at all.”

For many years I took my kids to Newport

and we would all go to the beach together. He

was the teacher that changed my life forever.

He was a loving, generous, brilliant, wonder-

ful friend and I will really, really miss him.”

—Edie Woodland Lodi ’76


engaged in scientific intelligence operations world-

wide. He frequently held court among his

colleagues, pronouncing his ideas about the state of

the nation, world affairs and environmental respon-

sibility. He was a teacher at several independent

schools, including Punahou School, Hawaii

Preparatory School, and Phillips Andover Academy,

before he came to St. George’s.

Many, especially those who shared his passions,

looked to him for guidance, and respected him for

his experience.

To his students, Mr. Burnett was a serious and

revered figure, whose exacting nature and high

standards often inspired peak performance.

Upon his retirement in 1990, several of his former

students honored him with the establishment of a fund

to support a series of annual talks on the environment,

the Burnett Lecture Series, which continues to educate

students about threats to the health of the planet and

strategies for preserving the balance of nature.

The lectures were a continuing source of pride

and interest to Gil, who faithfully attended each one

up until and including last year’s talk by U.S. Sen.

Sheldon Whitehouse P’12 on global warming.

He himself served as head of SG’s “Arts and

Lectures” series, bringing a number of notable

speakers, including the Russian dissident poet

Alexander Ginsburg and Carter Brown of the

National Gallery, to campus. On the night before

Prize Day each year, he presided over the induction

of new members of the St. George’s Chapter of the

Cum Laude Society.

To those on the St. George’s campus in recent

years, Mr. Burnett in his retirement was a beloved

figure who visited campus frequently for special

events and who walked across the fields and past

our stately buildings with a nostalgic grace.

Mr. Burnett is survived by two sons, Jefferson

Burnett ’75 and Mike Burnett; and a daughter, Hildy

Potts. He was predeceased by his wife Daphne

Burnett, who died in 2004.

A memorial service for Mr. Burnett will take

place in the St. George’s Chapel on Saturday, May

15, 2010, during Reunion Weekend.

BY POLLY MURRAY ’10

Following is a chapel talk delivered on Jan. 12, 2010.

Heraclitus once said,“The only constant is

change.”This dumbfounded me, and I

refused to let the opposite of consistency be

the only constant in my life.

I have realized over time however, that whether it’s

a new year, a new class, or a switch from white bread to

wheat bread, whether we’re getting our license at 16, or

having it taken away at 87, change is always there for us

if we’re willing to take advantage of it.

I call my grandfather Pops. Not like,“Yo, Pops!”—

just Pops. I’m not sure exactly why, but I always have. I

guess it fits nicely with my name for my grandmother.

To everyone except my older brother and me, she is

Polly, but we call her “VooVoo.”Those of you who

speak Portuguese may be wondering why I call her

“grandfather.”Again, it’s hard to say why, but I suspect

she thought it would be hilarious. Pops used to call my

brother and me“chief.” I don’t recall ever hearing him

mutter the name Polly, but somehow I always know

when he’s trying to talk to me.He leans in and says,

“Now when I was in the Navy…”—and I’m captured

from there.

Pops is 87. From his shuffle of a walk and his brand

new pacemaker, his years are apparent, but if you were

to simply hold a conversation with him, you wouldn’t

be so sure. Over Christmas, I got to hear numerous

stories of his days in the Navy, and while I tend to

forget the details, there is one thing about his stories

that strikes me each time.He remembers everything—

absolutely every detail of every breakfast in the Battle of

Polly Murray ’10and her grandfather,Davis C. Howes.


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’10


Life lessons from Pops

Normandy. I can only remember what I had for break-

fast because I usually have the same thing. So while to

nearly every person who encounters Pops he seems to

be the stereotypical “senior citizen,”he has been able to

take advantage of the pieces of his life that are still in

prime condition, and that is something I think we

could all benefit from. The great thing about St.

George’s is that it gives us the chance to do so many

different things. I would have picked a more exciting

word than“things,” but it’s the only word that fits with

everything we do here.Where else can you sing in a

choir of 100 right after a hockey practice and a calculus

class? While such a busy schedule is daunting to some, I

find it exhilarating, albeit stressful.We spend so little

time here, in the big picture, that it would be a waste to

let it pass us by. So go out and in the words of Nike,

“Just do it.”

The best rating Pops is willing to give a meal is “not

bad.”But he firmly believes that all dessert is junk. That

is, until it gets to the table. He has his elbows out, spoon

in hand, ready to stealthily take more than his share of

the communal dessert.We don’t mind though.Weigh-

ing in at too skinny and over six feet tall he can use any

extra food he can get his hands on. Of all the things I

remember about him, this one trait stands out the

most. It’s not greed or hunger or embarrassment. He’s

not lying to us or ashamed of how much he secretly

loves chocolate. He’s simply being himself. He’s being

Pops. He does what he likes, and that is an extremely

admirable quality.Why spend your time in a class you

don’t enjoy, or playing a sport that makes you miser-

able? It’s OK to change what you want. I know I have.

When I first enrolled here, I had a plan. I would

become an athlete: a field hockey, ice hockey and

lacrosse star. Academics would be my next priority, but

I would never be in another play, and I would never,

EVER join choir.Well, I’m not quite the athlete I hoped

to be, but I am playing two sports I love competitively,

though only hockey overlaps with my freshman-year

plan. I have no problem spending part of Saturday

night studying, but only part. I’ll even admit that I

enjoyed being “Mrs.Yang” [in “The Good Person of

Szechuan”] this fall. And I think everyone knows I look

forward to choir. So, in the words of the Life is Good

Co.,“Do what you like. Like what you do.”

As we drive home from Padanaram, the small

village my grandparents call home, in the armpit of

Massachusetts, we recount our day. Usually, we all have

a story about Pops to share. His stories have been

repeated for years, a trait that passed right down to me,

and it’s always great entertainment to compare the

conversations he has with each of us. Listening to his

stories about the Battle of Normandy or how he used to

illegally drive a quarter of a block down the street as a

wild 13-year-old made me realize something. I think

Dr. Seuss put it quite well when he said,“Today you are

You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is

Youer thanYou.”There has never been and never will

be someone who is the same as you. From our path

through life, to our relationships with other people,

and right down to our DNA (Right Mr. Evans?), we

each have our own story. This is how I think about it.

The Earth does not revolve around you, but your world

does. Everything you know is centered on one person

alone. Others can have a similar pattern, but no two

will ever be the same. So take time to listen to the paths

of your family and friends, you might just learn some-

thing about yourself. After all, they are the planets

revolving around your world.

My final lesson of the day,my last nugget of wis-

dom, if you will, is about change. I don’t have a story

about my family for this one, because change isn’t just a

single story. I can’t point out the first time I knew what

death was or the first time I discovered who I was or


“There has never been and

never will be someone who is

the same as you.”Polly Murray ’10

where I belonged. For me, it’s been a gradual process.

I’m a Murray, but I’m also a Howes. Pops is my grand-

father, and as I’ve grown older, he’s taught me valuable

life lessons, some of which I didn’t realize until now.

But right now Pops is going through some serious

changes. I’m not sure what the next year will hold for

him, and I’m not sure what the next year will hold for

me. But so far, he’s taken each change with this atti-

tude: First, be stubborn and refuse to let go of what’s

familiar. Then, consider the positive aspects of the

change. And finally, agree to change and notice only

the newfound benefits.

It’s 2010. This is a big year for those of us sitting up

front.My other grandfather, we call him Grandpa, calls

this the “transition year”—I think: His handwriting is a

little hard to read.We’re at the edge of the comfy St.

George’s nest we’ve called home for two, three or four

years. Change is coming at us, and I hope that we can

all go out and make the best of it. If winter’s not your

thing, just remember that it’ll soon be spring, and the

warmth is so much better after the cold. If Mondays

stress you out, consider how often we get Monday

classes cancelled because of a holiday. I can guarantee

that every situation you’ll find yourself in has a silver

lining. Find the best parts of everything that comes

your way, no matter how terrible it may seem, and I

think you’ll find that if you take advantage of what’s

around you, and do what makes you happy, you can

handle any change that’s thrown your way.

PPoollllyy MMuurrrraayy ’10 is from Cohasset, Mass. She can

be reached at [email protected].

Polly as Mrs. Yang[in “The Good Person of Szechuan”]this fall.

ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 1 0 WINTER BULLET IN28

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ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 1 0 WINTER BULLET IN 29

BY SABRA WILSON ’10Following is a chapel talk delivered on Dec. 15, 2009.

Iam an extraordinarily average person. Most people

can get up here and pinpoint one specific event or

even a series of events that changed their lives. I

mean, it’s not like I can’t point out a few things that

have changed my life: there was the day I got accepted

to SG, for one. Many seniors, I’ve noticed, talk about a

disease or injury that has taught them something. I’ve

had an operation in which I lost a significant amount

of hearing in my right ear, but I can’t say that the oper-

ation changed my life drastically. There have been

periods in my life that have been difficult, and there

have been great times, too. I’m sure my parents would

prefer if I did not go into details about the years when I

was homeschooled, because my opinion of home-

schooling is not a positive one. My years here at SG, on

the other hand, have been the best of my life. So many

seniors have spoken about the one thing they’ve

learned here. I can sum it up in five words: Be yourself

and be positive. It’s a variation of what almost every

senior has said while standing in this chapel giving

their speech. It is probably going to come up in my

speech. So, you might be asking yourself (and you can

be sure that I was when I was writing this), what is she

going to talk about? My answer? I want to tell you

about my various homes.

Unlike an increasing number of my classmates, I

have been extremely blessed in that my parents are still

A place to call homeIt may not be a traditional “home” at all

PHO

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together. Until I reached the age of 14, I considered my

home the one that I had grown up in. From the day

that my mother brought me home from the hospital

until the day I went off to my first-ever boarding school

experience in the summer of 2006, the longest time I

had ever spent away from home was a week at sleep-

away camp. And even then, I was surrounded by

friends—and even my sister in later years. I considered

“home” to be the house where my life was based. When

people asked where I was from, I proudly stated my

street address in a remote part of upstate New York. I

knew where home was.

As soon as I arrived on the St. George’s campus at

the very impressionable age of 14, I knew I had another

home. The thing that I did not realize at the time was

that it was possible to have more than one home. After

spending a month here doing what I love best—call me

a nerd, but it’s learning—I had a hard time readjusting

to my first home, with my parents. I had tasted inde-

pendence and I really resented my parents’ attempts to

keep me safe and part of the family. My parents wanted

me to participate in family activities. I wanted to sit in

my room for hours on end and mope because I wasn’t

with my friends from the summer session, whom I had

begun to look upon as my “real” family. It took a very

long time for me to come to an agreement with my

parents, but I finally settled into a routine at yet

another home: my local public school.

Our town’s public high school was not one of the

awful ones that I had always heard about. Granted,

since it took everyone in my age group, there were

some completely uninspired students, but then again,

there were some brilliant ones as well. I was able to put

my love of learning to good use, but at the same time, I

was able to pass classes and get good grades (with the

exception of Phys Ed) without much effort. I am still

grateful for the fact that there was no effort mark sys-

tem at that school. The high school setting also offered

me some independence, although nothing close to

what I had experienced in the boarding school setting. I

did not make friends quickly that year, maybe because I

was the newcomer—everyone else had known each

other from preschool—and maybe because I was hop-

ing to move on. I found some friends among the

upperclassmen, whom I still maintain contact with

today. But for the most part, I stuck to my studying and

books. Everyone knew to look for me in the library.

That library became another home for me, as did the

choir room and various favorite classrooms. I think I

realized during that time that I was going through a

rebellious period; nearly the only prerequisite for a

“home” during that period was that my parents and

other family members were not there. I must have

caused some grief for my parents—I really don’t know.

I do know that I was mourning the loss of my SG

home. I also know that I was elated when I got the

acceptance from St. George’s because I finally felt that I

would be going home.

What I’ve learned here, that I want to share more

than anything else, is that it’s good to feel at home in

many diverse places. Don’t feel like you have to define

any one place as home. It’s possible and completely fine

to have multiple homes, multiple places where you feel

comfortable. This is not to say that home is in your

comfort zone. At SG, for example, I have been chal-

lenged, many times, to step out of my comfort zone

and do something useful. I still feel that SG is my home,

however. It’s good to have a home wherever you go, or

if you don’t have one, it’s good to feel comfortable

creating one. Don’t be afraid or ashamed of where

you’re from. One thing I have learned is that the vast

majority of people will not judge you by your child-

hood home. Revel in what you have learned from your

origins, but don’t let them define or limit who you

want to become.

Although today I still feel like I have many

homes—almost any library, the home I grew up in,

various high schools, and even some colleges that have

now made my list—I look on this as a good thing, not

something that tears apart my life. I can’t deny that SG

is one of my favorite places to be, but I am not

ashamed of where I’m from, or my background. My

home is St. George’s School, a boarding school in

Middletown, Rhode Island. My home is also Lake

Clear, a little neighborhood in the Adirondack Park

in upstate New York. Maybe if you ask me in a year,

I’ll tell you a third one.

SSaabbrraa WWiillssoonn ’10 can be reached at her Internet

home at [email protected].



Faculty/Staff Notes

GGlloobbaall cchhaannggeess::Gould takes over Global Programs

Tony and Lucia Jaccaci head to Shanghai

Goldstein will teach Global Seminar

Three longtime faculty members are making major transitions in their lives—with big impact on the St. George’s community

After overseeing the fundraising

operation of the school for 19 years,

Assistant Head of

School for Exter-

nal Affairs Joe

Gould will be

stepping aside

from his role in

development and

heading into the

classroom—and

beyond.

Gould will become the new Director

of Global Programs, a role now held by

Tony Jaccaci, who leaves the school at the

end of June to serve as head of a school

in China.

Gould, who for many years has been a

devoted liaison for Korean families who

are part of the school community, is a

fitting choice as Jaccaci’s successor, Head

of School Eric Peterson said.

“Given his longstanding interest in

world affairs and his championing of our

commitment to global engagement, Joe is

a natural fit for the role,” Peterson

announced to the community.

Gould also will be playing an impor-

tant “of counsel” role to the development

office and to his successor, according to

Peterson, as the school moves ever closer

to a new capital campaign.

A national search is now under way

for Gould’s

successor.

Gould will

teach several

sections of classes,

and assist in after-

noon and evening

activities. He also

will be heading up

a feasibility study

to determine

whether the

school should

consider the

opportunity to

open up a satellite

campus on Jeju

Island in Korea. In

July 2008, the

Korean government announced plans to

“establish an English education complex

on the island of Jeju,” according to ESL

Daily, an English language newspaper in

Korea. The complex will cost an

estimated $1.4 billion dollars, and the

plan is to build four elementary schools,

five middle schools and three high

schools, which can host 9,000 students, all

studying in English. The Jeju Develop-

ment Center is now in talks with several

U.S. and British schools, including St.

George’s, to see

which ones may

want to join them

in the project.

Meanwhile, Jaccaci

and his wife, his-

tory teacher Lucia

Jaccaci, will move

to Shanghai this

summer with their

sons, Nick, Sam and Ben. Jaccaci has

accepted the position of executive princi-

pal of the YK Pao Secondary School, a

bilingual (Chinese/English) school in

Shanghai, China. The school, which had

been serving students aged 5-11, is

expanding to offer middle and high

school curriculums.

Complementing Joe in his new role

as Director of Global Programs will be

Jeremy Goldstein, who will teach the

Global Studies Seminar, a course

designed by Jaccaci that features an

extended visit to a foreign country for

research in March. “An experienced

teacher and anthropologist who has trav-

eled and lived all around the world, Gold-

stein is eminently well prepared for this

new teaching challenge,” Peterson said.

Joe Gould Tony Jaccaci

Lucia Jaccaci

Jeremy Goldstein


Assistant Head of School for External

Affairs JJooee GGoouulldd was a featured speaker at

the C.A.S.E. (Council for the Advancement

and Support of Education) Conference in

New York Jan. 24-26. Gould, along with Ed

Hu, chief advancement officer at Harvard-

Westlake School in Los Angeles, discussed

different approaches to continuous

fundraising programs in a talk entitled

“Major Gifts and Insiders.”

After six years of directing our own

end-of-the-school-year yard sale,

Alumni/ae Office assistants TToonniiCCiiaannyy and GGaallee BBoooonnee have lots

of advice to pass on. And so the

two were popular speakers at

the fifth annual Bioneers by the Bay: Con-

necting for Change Conference held in New

Bedford, Mass., in October. The talk, titled,

“Graceful Exit: How to Leave Your Campus

Lean and Green When the School Year

Ends” focused on the June sale in the SG ice

rink that offers for sale dorm furniture,

household items, sports equipment and

clothes that students no longer want. The

Bioneers conference attracted more than

2,000 students, teachers, business leaders,

scientists and community leaders who

discussed “the environment, sustainability

efforts, and other innovative approaches to

greening the economy.” All SG Yard Sale

proceeds go to Camp Ramleh, the SG-spon-

sored summer camp for underprivileged

Newport County children. Over $24,000

has been raised over the six years the yard

sale has been held. This year’s sale will be

held on Saturday, June 12.

Dr. KKiimm BBuulllloocckkwas the recipient of

the 2009 Educational

Award Nov. 7 when

the Newport County

Branch of the

National Association

for the Advancement

of Colored People

(NAACP) held its 90th annual

Awards Celebration Dinner. The

award is presented each year to a

local teacher dedicated to the profession and

support of diversity. Bullock, SG’s director of

diversity, is also a science teacher and faculty

advisor to the student diversity club, Insight.

After 18 years of service to the school,

housekeeper DDeelloorreess BBuuddlloonngg spent her last

day on the Hilltop on Aug. 28. For years, she

served the girls in Blue and Zane dormito-

ries and made the daily coffees and teas and

placed the cookies in the faculty lounge.

Beyond that, Delores was a friendly and

compassionate presence to students and a

dear companion to many on the staff.

Director of Housekeeping Luis A. Car-

rion remarked, “I have often told some of my

departing employees that one of the most

difficult things that I have to do is to move

their personnel documents from the ‘active’ to

‘inactive’ file. This is one such case where the

mere physical act of moving the files from

one cabinet to another will be hard on me.

She was a wonderful and dedicated employee

and she is an equally great person.”

Dr. Kim Bullock

Members of the housekeeping staff Ana Costa,Delores Budlong, Maria Demello and AngelaVargas on Budlong’s last day at SG.

Dean of Faculty BBoobb WWeessttoonn, alongwith the late Headmaster EmeritusCChhuucckk HHaammbblleett, were among 151coaches, administrators and officialsinducted into the New EnglandBasketball Hall of Fame Oct. 9 atMohegan Sun. Both Weston andHamblet were inducted in theScholar-Athlete category: Weston forhis play at Amherst, and Hamblet for his play at Baldwin-Wallace.

PPEETTEERRSSOONN EELLEECCTTEEDD TTOO HHEEAADDMMAASSTTEERRSS’’ AASSSSOOCCIIAATTIIOONN

According to its charter, written more than 100 years ago,

the Headmasters’ Association brings together “the distinguished

leaders of the nation’s distinguished schools.” And so it was a

great honor when our own Head of School EErriicc FF.. PPeetteerrssoonn was

elected to the organization this month.

This election “acknowledges the many talents your colleagues

have seen in you,” the head of the association wrote in a letter to Peterson.

Peterson accepted the honor during The Headmasters’ Association’s annual meeting

at the ACE conference center in Lafayette Center, Pa., Feb. 3-5.

Throughout its long existence, the Headmasters’ Association has represented a

wide variety of schools—urban, suburban and rural; public, private and parochial;

boarding and day—and tackled a broad range of educational issues, including institu-

tional leadership, teaching techniques, gender and racial equality, standardized testing,

technology and school safety.

Faculty/Staff Notes


PHOTO

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Coaches Julie Butler (top left) and Katie Titus (top right) and members of the Girls’ Varsity Basketball team—(back row) Annetta O’Leru’12, Caroline O’Connor ’10, Jordan Watson ’10, D.J. Wilson ’12, Oona Pritchard ’13, Kelly Miller ’11, Mary O’Connor ’11 and LaurenHilton ’10; and (front row) Laura Lowry ’10, Anna Carr ’11, Joy Bullock ’12, Jessie Hom ’13 and Theresa Salud ’13.

Rahil Fazelbhoy ’13,U.S. No. 1 squashplayer Julian Illing-worth and MaxRichards ’10.

The top-ranked American male squash profes-

sional in the world, Julian Illingworth, hit the Hoopes

Squash Center courts Nov. 20-22 when SG hosted this

year’s Rhode Island Open.No surprise: Illingworth

won the tournament, even though many other highly

ranked international pros were also here.

The Open is a one-star Professional Squash Asso-

cation tournament, with 16 world-class squash players,

and this year awarded a $10,000 purse. Amateurs—

including members of the varsity boys squash team

MMaaxx RRiicchhaarrddss ’10, whose father TTiimm RRiicchhaarrddss coaches

the team, and our newest player from India, RRaahhiillFFaazzeellbbhhooyy ’13—took part in the tournament as well.

Illingworth had a very successful collegiate career

at Yale University. As a professional, Julian has had

success on the national and international levels. Last

March, he won his fifth consecutive SL Green National

Championship and has been participating on the PSA

tour for three years.

Former St. George’s football standout MMiikkee TTaayylloorr’06, who recently completed a season as undefeated

Amherst College’s senior inside linebacker, earned a

spot on the All-District First Team for District 1 by the

College Sports Information Directors of America

(CoSIDA).


A T H L E T I C D E P A R T M E N T N E W SSG Zone


Boys varsity soccer’s Ian Tigh ’10 made the NEPSSASenior All-Star team.

Varsity footballplayers, No. 58 BenLewis ’10 and No. 7Emil Henry ’11.

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Girls varsity soccer players Mary O'Connor ’11, Anna Carr ’11 and Joy Bullock ’12.

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An economics major with a cumulative GPA of

3.60, Taylor was selected for his academic success, the

directors said, along with “his athletic achievements

from the 2009 season and his career highlights on the

football field.”

Of the 25 student-athletes named to the District 1

First Team, Taylor was one of only 11 defensive players.

During the 2009 season Taylor, of Evanston, Ill.,

was twice named the NESCAC Football Defensive Co-

Player of the Week—once for his performance during

the team’s Oct. 31 13-3 win over Tufts University and

for a second time after recording 16 total tackles during

an Nov. 3 win over Bowdoin.

Coverage of the Lord Jeff ’s season-ending game

against rival Williams was prolific in Western Massa-

chusetts. In front of a crowd of nearly 8,000, the Jeffs

beat the Ephs 26-21 Nov. 14 on the road in

Williamstown for the first time since 1985.

Words Unlimited, Rhode Island’s media organiza-

tion of sports writers, sportscasters and sports publi-

cists, named MMaaddddiiee CCaarrrreellllaass ’09 as Rhode Island’s

Schoolgirl Athlete of the Year. She was scheduled to be

honored at the group’s 64th annual dinner, Feb. 21, at

the Radisson Hotel in Warwick.

Carrellas, a freshman at the College of the Holy

Cross, in Worcester, Mass., was a three-varsity-sport

(field hockey, ice hockey and lacrosse) standout at St.

George’s. A midfielder, she earned All-America honors

last spring.

We should have photos back soon from the

alumni/ae hockey game, which took place on Feb. 13,

with our own Associate Director of Admission and

former Washington Capitals’ right wing RRyyaann MMuullhheerrnn’91 organizing. Among the approximately 20 former

team members expected to attend were BBiillllBBaattcchheellddeerr ’61, WWiillll SSeeiiffeerrtt ’99, BBrreetttt SSaanniiddaass ’84,TTiimm LLiinneeaawweeaavveerr ’75, SStteevviiee CCoonnnneetttt ’86, DDaannWWooiisshheekk ’91, JJaayy KKeennddrriicckk ’04, CCaamm DDyymmeenntt ’04, RRaayy WWooiisshheekk ’89, JJeerrrryy KKiirrbbyy ’74, DDaavviidd MMiittcchheellll ’00,GGeeoorrggee SSaarrggeenntt ’00, GGrreegg FFeerrgguussoonn ’85, RRiicchh DDeemmsseeyy ’92, and RRyyaann MMuullhheerrnn ’91. Perhaps next year

Clarkson University grad and New York Islanders draft

pick SShheeaa GGuutthhrriiee ’05 will make an appearance?


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DDAAVV II SS ’’ 00 66 EE AA RRNN SS CCOO VV EE TT EE DD HHOO OO PP SSHHOO NNOO RR SS AA TT EE MMMMAANNUU EE LL CCOO LL LL EE GG EE

IImmaann DDaavviiss ’06 became the Emmanuel College women’s basketball

program’s all-time leading scorer Feb. 3 in an 88-82 win over Wesleyan

University. Davis entered the game with

1,611 career points, just 15 points shy of

the Emmanuel program’s career scoring

record. In just 21 minutes of action, the

senior guard poured in 21 points and in

doing so became the program’s new all-

time leading scorer.

Davis surpassed the mark of 1,626

points set by All-American Lesa Dennis,

who played for the Saints from 1984-1988.

Davis is “one of the best players ever to suit

up as a Saint,” the sports office at

Emmanuel reports. At presstime, Davis

also held triple-figure career totals in three

other categories, including: rebounds

(693), assists (378) and steals (372).

In fact, Davis is one of Emmanuel’s all-

time most decorated student-athletes. She

was named the Great Northeast Athletic

Conference’s Player of the Year both as a

sophomore and a junior. Along with her

player-of-the-year honors, Davis has also

been named to ECAC and D3hoops.com All-New England region teams.

Davis was chosen a pre-season All-American this year and has helped lead

the Saints to their current NCAA ranking of fourth in New England.

Mike Taylor ’06 was a top defensive player in theN.E. Small College Athletic Conference this year.



A T H L E T I C D E P A R T M E N T N E W S


BOYS CROSS COUNTRYGalvin Cross Country Award .................................................. EEvvaann RReeaaddCross Country Coaches’ Cup .......................................... DDaavviidd VVaassqquueezzCross Country Most Improved .................................. HHyytthheemm AAll--MMuullllaaAll-County .............. HHyytthheemm AAll--MMuullllaa,, HHeennddrriikk KKiittss vvaann HHeeyynniinnggeenn,,.............................................. CChhaadd LLaarrccoomm,, EEvvaann RReeaadd,, DDaavviidd VVaassqquueezzCaptain-elect ........................................................................ CChhaadd LLaarrccoomm

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRYGalvin Cross Country Award .......................................... SSuuzzyy RReeyynnoollddssCross Country Coaches’ Cup .................................... SSoopphhiiee DDoommaannsskkiiCross Country Most Improved.................................................. JJuulliiaa OOaakkAll-County ........................................ CCaaiittlliinn CCoonnnneerrnneeyy,, KKeeeellyy CCoonnwwaayy,,.............................. LLooggaann HHeennddrriixx,, EEvveellyynn MMaallddoonnaaddoo,, MMaaddddiiee PPaarrkkeerrCaptains-elect........................................ AAnniiaassee KKaanniimmbbaa,, HHiillllaarryy WWeeiinn

FIELD HOCKEYWalsh Field Hockey Bowl .............................................. CCoouurrttnneeyy JJoonneessField Hockey Coaches’ Cup ...................................... CChhaarrlloottttee DDeeaavveerrssField Hockey Most Improved Player ...................... MMaarryy KKlliimmaasseewwiisskkiiAll-ISL, first team ........................................................ CChhaarrlloottttee DDeeaavveerrssAll-ISL, honorable mention.............................................. VVeerroonniiccaa SSccoottttCaptains-elect .......................................... TTaayylloorr RRiisslleeyy,, VVeerroonniiccaa SSccootttt

FOOTBALLThayer Football Cup .............................................................. TTeeddddyy SSwwiiffttClaggett Football Award.......................................................... BBeenn LLeewwiissFootball Most Improved Player........................................ MMiikkee AAllmmbbeerrggAll-ISL, first team.................................................................... TTeeddddyy SSwwiiffttAll-ISL, honorable mention.... DDrreeww BBooyydd,, BBeenn LLeewwiiss,, BBrreetttt PPaasssseemmaattooCaptain-elect .................................................................. BBrreetttt PPaasssseemmaattoo

BOYS SOCCERSoccer Most Valuable Player Award............................ GGrraahhaamm KKnniisslleeyySoccer Coaches’ Cup............................................................ GGaarrrreetttt SSiiddeerrMcIlhinny Most Improved Award .............................. GGuunnnnaarr BBjjoorrnnssoonnAll-America candidate .................................................. GGrraahhaamm KKnniisslleeyyBoston Globe All-Scholastic MVP ................................ GGrraahhaamm KKnniisslleeyyAll-New England ............................................................ GGrraahhaamm KKnniisslleeyyNEPSSA Senior All-Star Game .................... GGrraahhaamm KKnniisslleeyy,, IIaann TTiigghhAll-ISL, first team................................ MMiicchhaaeell CCaasseeyy,, GGrraahhaamm KKnniisslleeyyAll-ISL, honorable mention .................. VVaallddaaiirr LLooppeess,, JJaakkee SShhiimmmmeell,,................................................................................................ MMiikkee VViioolleetttteeCaptain-elect ...................................................................... MMiicchhaaeell CCaasseeyy

GIRLS SOCCERSoccer Most Valuable Player Award ............................ LLiinnddsseeyy BBrrooookkssSoccer Coaches’ Cup.......................................................... JJeessssee PPaacchheeccooSoccer Most Improved Player ................................................ JJooyy BBuulllloocckkAll-ISL, honorable mention ........................ LLiinnddsseeyy BBrrooookkss,, AAnnnnaa CCaarrrrCaptains-elect .................. JJuulliiaa CCaarrrreellllaass,, MMaarryy OO’’CCoonnnnoorr,, AAnnnnaa CCaarrrr

FF AA LL LL AA TT HH LL EE TT EE SS MM AA KK EE TT HH EE II RR MM AA RR KK22 00 00 99 SS TT .. GG EE OO RR GG EE ’’ SS FF AA LL LL AA TT HH LL EE TT II CC AAWWAA RR DD SS

Varsity field hockey player VeronicaScott ’12 received All-ISL, honorablemention honors last season.

Graham Knisley ’10 was Varsity Boys’ Soccer’sMost Valuable Player.

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Cross-country’s Sam Livingston ’10takes the lead from St. Paul’s at thestart of the race.


The Providence Journal awarded All-Star status to

several of our fall athletes: boys varsity soccer team

co-captain GGrraahhaamm KKnniisslleeyy ’10 and fellow teammates

MMiikkee CCaasseeyy ’11 and VVaallddaaiirr LLooppeess ’12; field hockey

player CChhaarrlloottttee DDeeaavveerrss ’10; Varsity Girls Soccer

team co-captain LLiinnddsseeyy BBrrooookkss ’10 and football team

captain TTeeddddyy SSwwiifftt ’10.

Academic and athletic standout PPhhiill RRooyyeerr ’09 ranan 8:30.5 3,000-meter to finish third at the Dartmouth

Relays on Jan. 10. He was the top college finisher, with

two professional runners taking first and second.

Royer is now a member of the the Big Green men’s

track and field team, which hosted the 41st annual relays

at the Leverone Field House. The three-day meet con-

sisted of high school, masters, open and college events.

Men’s head coach Barry Harwick told his school’s

newspaper he was pleased with his team’s performance.

“I was very proud of how hard our team worked at

the meet,” he told The Dartmouth. “Putting on a huge

three-day event like this would be impossible without

the help of all 100 members of the squad and they

really came through for us.” Of course, we already knew

Royer was a team player.


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Pearson Potts ’12 races his Laser Radial during the ISSA High SchoolSingle-Handed Championship in Corpus Christi, Texas, in October.

SG Sailing standout PPeeaarrssoonn PPoottttss ’12 showed his off-season dedicationto the sport when he got the chance to participate in the National Single-Handed Championships held in Corpus Christi, Texas, at the end ofOctober. Potts impressed attendees with an 11th place finish in LaserRadial competition. To get to the Nationals, Potts had placed third in theNew England Single-Handed Championships in September. Potts is awell-traveled sailor. Among his journeys: In July 2008, he traveled toCesme, Turkey, to sail in Ilica Bay. In 2007, he finished 50th among 252sailors at the world championship in Cagliari on the island of Sardinia,Italy; and in 2006, he finished 65th out of 239 at the world championshipin Montevideo, Uruguay.

A parent caught this terrific photo at the girls varsitycross-country N.E. Championships at Groton inNovember. Getting drenched are Dragons SuzyReynolds ’10, Evelyn Maldonado ’11, Keely Conway’13 and Joanna Xu ’13.


A T H L E T I C D E P A R T M E N T N E W S


Afeature story in the Korea Herald last fall

featured the work of a group of 27 Korean

high school students, including our own

LLaanneeyy YYaanngg ’10, who are volunteering in their home

country to help underprivileged young people and

promote human rights.

The group, officially named Step Forward, volun-

teers its time to teach English to children from low-

income families and stage street campaigns to raise

awareness of child abuse in Korea. The group was

formed in May 2009.

Last summer, group members hosted an English

camp at a social welfare center in Seongnam, Gyeonggi

Province. They developed special programs to offer free

English lessons to elementary school students whose

parents were both working.

Group members, 16 of whom are studying in the

United States, have known one another since their

kindergarten days and say they organized the group “to

pursue something meaningful for society.”

Members say they believe prompt action needs to

be taken to address child abuse cases that are largely

neglected in Korea.

To get a better understanding, they visited Good

Neighbors, a nongovernmental charity organization,

and a child protection center in Gyeonggi Province

in July.

“Since Korean society has a relatively lenient

viewpoint on child abuse than other advanced coun-

tries, many children are suffering from it,” Yang told

the newspaper.

To raise public awareness group members staged

street campaigns in August, encouraging passers-by to

sign up in support of the Child Protection Law, which

would require teachers and doctors to report child

abuse cases to authorities.

Members have also written letters to lawmakers

and government officials urging them to support

the amendment.

During school vacations, the group plans to regu-

larly organize free English classes and to continue their

volunteer work.

“Save me. Help me,”reads a poster held byLaney Yang ’10 during a campaign to raiseawareness of child abuse in Korea.

S T U D E N T A C H I E V E M E N T SHighlights

Yang takes part in Koreanvolunteer group thatreaches out to needy


Highlights...CCaarroolliinnee AAlleexxaannddeerr ’12 was presented with an

Areté Award—which recognizes student work of truly

exceptional creative or intel-

lectual merit—for a first-rate

project on Japanese literature

she completed in November.

English teacher Patricia

Lothrop awarded the Areté to

Alexander “for her initiative,

creativity, and analysis in her

computer animation, original poems, and explication

responding to the Japanese classic, “Genji monogatari.”

The St. George’s Chapter of the National Chinese

Honor Society inducted eight new members into its

ranks this fall. Seniors SStteepphhaanniiee JJoohhnnssoonn, MMaarryyBBeehhaann, TToonnyy KKiimm, CChhrriissttyy LLeeee, JJuulliiaa OOaakk, JJeesssseePPaacchheeccoo, TTaaoo JJaattuussrriippiittaakk and KKaatthheerriinnee SShheekk all

earned a grade of A- or higher in Chinese at the end of

each of the past two years.

EEssii OOzzeemmeebbhhooyyaa ’11, AAnnnneettttaa OO’’LLeerruu ’12, VVaall--ddaaiirr LLooppeess ’12 and DD..JJ.. WWiillssoonn ’12 attended the Stu-

dent Diversity Leadership Conference with Director of

Diversity KKiimm BBuulllloocckk in Denver, Colo., in December.

Part of the National Association of Independent

Schools’ People of Color Conference, the student

gathering focused on the theme, “Mine, Yours, and

Ours: The Responsibility to Navigate the Rapids of

Change.” Keynote speakers for the group conference,

which attracted close to 2,500 teachers, students and

administrators, included: John Quiñones, co-anchor

of ABC TV’s “Primetime” and correspondent for

“20/20”; Jehane Noujaim, photographer and film-

maker; Kenji Yoshino, Yale Law School professor; and

Marcia Gillespie, former editor-in-chief of Essence

and Ms. magazines.

One of several talented artists at SG, JJeesssseePPaacchheeccoo ’10 designed the 2009 annual Christmas

card—an inventive scene of the chapel inside a tradi-

tional “snow globe.” The card, a hot seller on campus,

also scored Pacheco $100, the annual prize for the

student chosen to create the card.

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Caroline Alexander’12 received an Areté Award for her Japanese poetry project, which included acomputer animationcomponent. A

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S T U D E N T A C H I E V E M E N T S


GGrraaccee AAllzzaaiibbaakk ’12 and EEssii OOzzhheemmeebbhhooyyaa ’11

emerged victorious in the final round of the annual all-

school debate that took place on Nov. 20 in Madeira

Hall. The topic? The same issue the nation has been

focused on: health care, or more exactly: “Resolved:

that the federal government should guarantee compre-

hensive national health insurance to all United States

citizens.” Debate challengers put on a strong perform-

ance as well. Alzaibak debated SSeebbaassttiiaann FFrruuggoonnee ’12

in the final round, while Ozhemebhoya edged out

TTiimmoonn WWaattkkiinnss ’11.

Jesse Pacheco ’10Julia Oak ’10

This T-shirt, designed by Julia Oak ’10and Jesse Pacheco ’10, helped kick off the 2010 Green Cup Challenge, a multi-school competition aimed at raisingawareness of energy conservation.

Grace Alzaibak ’12,Esi Ozemebhoya ’11and Timon Watkins’11 were finalists in this year’s All-School Debate.

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III FormRyan James AndradeWyatt Belin BramhallJosephine Rose CannellJohn Garvoille CoatyRichard Ryan ConlogueRebecca Warren CutlerNico Cyril DeLuca-VerleySophia Elisabeth DenUylKelly Frances DugganRahil Karim Aliff FazelbhoyWilliam Russell FlemingMarianne Casey Foss-SkiftesvikBethany Lynn FowlerMichael Stephen HoffmanDavid Larimer KehoePeter KohlerEfstathios KyriakidesNicholas King LarsonHannah McCormackAlana Claire McMahonChanjoon (C.J.) ParkMadeleine Emelia ParkerDaniel Perry, IIIOona Carolena PritchardCallie Victoria ReisTheresa Anne SaludJae Young ShinDaniel Edmond TobinSienna Warriner TurecamoHan (Joanna) Xu

IV FormKatherine Pond AdamsCaroline Elizabeth AlexanderGrace George AlzaibakAlexandra Elena BallatoAubrey Joan BaumbachBrice James BergClaire Emily ChalifourWoo Sung (Justin) ChunRobert Joseph Citrino, IVEliza Duncan CoverHarriet Peabody DavisonCasey Elizabeth DeLucaEmily DerecktorKatherine Mitchell DesrosiersDavid Alexander ElronAnna Spencer EricksonMegan Hope EverettEmma Dane Garfield

Honor Roll Matthew Field GilbertEllen Abigail GranoffAmanda Marie HanselJamison Campbell HarringtonTucker Bailey HarringtonErin Sumi HendrixLogan Yoshi HendrixHalsey Clay HuthTrisha-Joy JacksonJustin JaikissoonJonathan Kearney JanuszewskiErin Elizabeth KilleavyMichael J. KimSoojin KimSophie Barksdale LaytonStephanie Jimin LeeErin Kelly LeistEmily Jeanne LewisValdair Corsino LopesCharles Webb MacaulayJoseph Matrone MackElizabeth Todd ManningAlana Marie McCarthySadie Ruth McQuilkinCornelius A. MillaneAlexandra Rose PaindirisPearson Bahan Potts, Jr.Evan Parker ReadVeronica Gabrielle ScottJohn Ingalls Snow, IVRachel Charlene SungCharlotte Anne von MeisterAnna Pierce Williams

V FormEmily Thayer AdamsVirginia Merrill AdamsGraham Thomas AndersonMatthew Eric ArcherRachel Grosvenor AsbelSebastian Alexander Bierman-LytleSarah Collum BurdickJulia Stanton CarrellasMichael Patrick CaseyGraham Dean CochraneHaley Anne CongdonBrittany Noelle CorsoVanessa Keane de HorseyNiall James DevaneyIsabelle Ross DoveSophie Carol FlynnOlivia Isabella Beatriz GebeleinPolina Victorivna GodzCaroline Lauren Gummo

Katherine Brooks HarrisDaniel Alan JohnsonAnaise Umubyeyi KanimbaMacLean Robert KirkwoodAnh Viet LaL’Oreal McKenna LampleyCharles Bayard LarcomVictoria Kathryne LeonardMadeline White LucasHeydi MalavéEvelyn Dawn MaldonadoPhoebe Saran ManningJohn J. McCabeKatherine Hume McCormackAvery Lynn McDonaldGeorge Grove MencoffKelly McPhillips MillerAbigail MoatzMaia Maude MonellEverett Richard Gray MuzzyLilias Juanita NoesenMary Elizabeth O’ConnorJeremy Thomas PhillipsKyle Joseph PowersKatharine Rose PutnamVirginia Randolph ReynoldsManon Cameron RichardsTaylor Anne RisleySharnell Chory RobinsonE. William RosenRachel Elizabeth SellstoneSeton Stabler TaltyCarolyn Cooper UhleinDavid J. VasquezMartin VentosoHillary Louise WeinKatherine Steel WilkinsonTaylor Marion WilliamsHuck Joon (Scott) Yang

VI FormChristopher Mathew BarronAlexandra Gifford BarrowsRamona Frates BassPhilip Dylan BausElizabeth Forbes BayneMary Katherine BehanMilan BosciaLindsey Cadien BrooksLoretta BuAndrew Joseph ColacchioShealagh Anne CoughlinCharlotte Mary DeaversSophie Martha Domanski

Charlotte Kathryn EdsonChristopher Ryan EllisKathleen Rose FitzGeraldMaria Cristina Arguimbau GebeleinEliza Roberts GhriskeySeymour Parker Gilbert, IIICasey Christine HanselAlexander Charlton HareKinyette HendersonNapon (Tao) JatusripitakEric Galloway JerniganTanapong (Nont) JiarathanakulStephanie Pamela JohnsonCourtney Bolling JonesJohn Scott KarolKyungmin KimTae Kyung (Tony) KimHendrik Keating Kits van HeyningenGraham Stedman KnisleyClaire Noelle KudenholdtYoo Jeong (Christy) LeeBenjamin Douglas LewisSamuel Dunbar LivingstonLaura Elizabeth LowryTaylor Bell McElhinnyLara Ailis McLeodBarbara Benson MurrayHenry Ainsworth MyersOksana NagornukaCarl William NightingaleKatherine Branin O’BrienCaroline Elizabeth O’ConnorLauren Angela O’HalloranJulia Elizabeth Pinkham OakWilliam Fraser OslerGrace Alexandra Owens-StivelyJessenia PachecoHenry Charles PetersonPavinee PraneeprachachonSuzanne Louise ReynoldsMaxwell Kiely RichardsWilliam Oscar Riiska, Jr.Peter William RugoKatherine Leigh ShekJacob Clark ShimmelCampbell E. ShufordGarrett Maxwell SiderIan S.N. TighMichael James VioletteJordan Alyssa WatsonSabra Adele WilsonAshley-Anne Hamilton WinslowLela Alexandra WulsinEsme Louise Yozell

Head of School Commendation for Academic ExcellenceThe Head of School Commendation for Academic Excellence is St. George’s highest bi-annual honor.

These students received no grade below an A- during the 2009-10 first semester:

Matthew Eric Archer ’11Mary Katherine Behan ’10Sebastian Alexander Bierman-Lytle ’11Loretta Bu ’10

Bethany Lynn Fowler ’13Polina Victorivna Godz ’11Tae Kyung (Tony) Kim ’10Hendrik Keating Kits van Heyningen ’10

Sophie Barksdale Layton ’12Yoo Jeong (Christy) Lee ’10Joseph Matrone Mack ’12Grace Alexandra Owens-Stively ’10

S T U D E N T A C H I E V E M E N T SAcademic Honors for First Semester 2009-10


College Acceptances (as of Feb. 17)

81 of the 89 members of the Class of 2010 have an acceptance in hand.The remaining students are waiting for decisions in the regular round in March and April


ED/ EA Acceptances

43 students have decided to attend:

Barnard College

Carnegie Mellon University

Colby College

College of New Jersey

College of Wooster

Colorado College

Connecticut College (2)

Cornell University (2)

Duke University (2)

Embry-RiddleAeronautical University

Emory University

George Washington University (2)

Gettysburg College (2)

Hamilton College – NY (3)

Haverford College

Middlebury College (2)

New York University

St. Lawrence University

Trinity College (3)

Tufts University (2)

University of Pennsylvania (3)

University of St. Andrews (Scotland) (2)

University of Vermont

Vanderbilt University (2)

Wake Forest University

Washington & Lee University

Wesleyan University

Yale University

Additional AcceptancesOther students are choosing among:

American University of Paris

Babson College (3)

Bard College (2)

Bentley University

Boston College

Catholic University of America

Chapman University (2)

College of Charleston (3)

Colorado College (7)

Dickinson College

Drexel University

Elon University

Emory University (Scholars Program)

Fairfield University

Fordham University

Gordon College

Hampton University

Hobart & William Smith Colleges

Howard University

Indiana University at Bloomington

James Madison University

Lawrence University

Miami University, Oxford

Northeastern University (2)

Pennsylvania State University

Pratt Institute

Quinnipiac University (3)

Rhode Island School of Design

Rhodes College

Roanoke College (3)

Roger Williams University (4)

Saint Joseph’s University

Salve Regina University (2)

Sewanee: The University of the South

Southern Methodist University (5)

Stonehill College

Syracuse University

Tulane University

University of Colorado at Boulder

University of Denver (2)

University of Edinburgh (2)

University of Glasgow

University of Maryland, College Park (2)

University of Miami (2)

University of Michigan (4)

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

University of Rhode Island (2)

University of Scranton

University of South Carolina

University of Vermont (7)

Washington and Jefferson College

Wentworth Institute of Technology

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

43ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 1 0 WINTER BULLET IN

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C O M M U N I T Y M E M B E R S G E T A W O R L D V I E WGlobal outreach

When Konberg Ngai, a veteran Chinese language

teacher from Chinese International School in Hong

Kong visited St. George’s in October, he

appeared to be a happy-go-lucky older

man. Here as part of the ongoing fac-

ulty exchange between the two schools,

Ngai had a sunny outlook, a ready smile.

While here, Mr. Ngai did the usual: He attended

chapel and sat in on assembly, shared meals with

faculty members and students, visited classes, did a

bit of Newport sightseeing, even taught a Chinese

class. He told many about his 23-year-long career at

CIS, a 1,400-student day school in the heart of an

international city.

However, relatively few people probably heard

where Mr. Ngai had really come from: Ngai had a

Visiting Chinese teacher had a ‘backstory’Exchange programs bring those with diverse experiences to the Hilltop

44 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 1 0 WINTER BULLET IN

bigger story to tell.

Born and raised until the age of 16 in Java, Indone-

sia, Ngai and his family experienced much discrimina-

tion in his early years.

Ngai had relatives whose homes were set on fire

because they were Chinese. “There were lots of kidnap-

pings and robberies in the big cities. Lots of awful

things happened,” he said.“There was a large anti-

Chinese movement in Indonesia.”

Ngai’s Chinese parents owned a chocolate candy

company, which they were later forced to close because

of the danger. His parents, he said, sold the piano he’d

learned to play because they feared that criminals

would find out they had it and assume the family was

wealthy—a prime target for robbery.

His family wanted to give Ngai a better life, and so

he was sent back to China alone at 16 to attend board-

ing school. It was an irreversible decision. The move

would cost him his Indonesian citizenship, so he could

never return home.

Feeling homesick was useless. “For me it was

hopeless to think about this, because it was impossible

for me to go home to Indonesia,” he said.

By himself in Xiamen, China—a coastal city in

Southeast China—Ngai’s only goal was to study. Wake-

up time was early. “The day started with exercise in a

grass field, all the students, with music,” he said. Every

day: Same music, same exercise. Then class.

“We knew we needed to work hard. We needed to

get into a university. Otherwise we would not get a

job,” he said.

At the time, he lived a sparce life, with few

luxuries—and yet he still feels indebted to his

ancestral home.

“My parents didn’t support me very regularly. The

Chinese government supported me every month,” he

said. “It’s still in my heart.”

After high school, Ngai, became a teacher—but

not before spending a mandatory year in military

service—a depraved year living in harsh conditions.

After a brutal train ride, Ngai and his fellow

draftees were transferred to an Army truck. “We spent

about four or five hours reaching a small village and

there was a very simple camp for us and then we spent

one year there,” he said. “It was tough, real tough.”

Luckily for him, he had a talent that after about six

months, spared him from some of the more grueling

assignments: Though he had lost his childhood piano,

Ngai later studied and became proficient at the accor-

dion. He and about 30 of his fellow soldiers were picked

to take part in an orchestra, instead of taking part in

military training exercises in the remote wilderness.

After his year of service, Ngai went on to receive his

bachelor’s degree at Huaqiao University, in Quanzhou,

China, near Xiamen. He taught in elementary schools,

and got married.

After the Cultural Revolution in 1978, Ngai and his

wife decided to apply for the necessary travel permits to

go to Hong Kong.

“Our lives were extremely poor at the time in

Xiamen,” he said.

Hong Kong gave him a new life.

Ngai joined the faculty at CIS in 1987, just four

years after its founding. He’s been there ever since.

Today, he says his profession allows him a good life,

and he gets to travel often, and thoroughly enjoyed his

visit to St. George’s. “Everyone greeted me with smiles,”

he remarked.

Indeed, Ngai finds pleasure in the simple things.

Asked what his favorite place is to visit when he

comes to the United States, he replied easily:

“Niagara Falls.”

Why?

“The sound,” he said. “That’s God’s music.”

Global outreach

Java, Indonesia,circa. 1960

C O M M U N I T Y M E M B E R S G E T A W O R L D V I E W


A D D I T I O N A L C O N T E N T O N T H E I N T E R N E TOn the web

update

CHAPEL RESTORATION UPDATE

�

Check out the Capital Projects page of the St. George’s web site for photos

of the ongoing restoration of the St. George’s Chapel.

As work continues, all major renovation projects—including the replacement

of the towering signature window above the altar—will be documented.

Get to the photos by selecting the “Support SG” tab at

www.stgeorges.edu, and then the “Capital Projects” tab from the pull-down menu.


Molly Boyd ’10 visitswith local school-children in SouthAfrica during anexchange last summer.

C O M M U N I T Y M E M B E R S G E T A W O R L D V I E WGlobal outreach

Molly Boyd ’10 and Jake Riiska ’10 visited South

Africa last summer as part of a new student exchange

with two Capetown schools—the all-boys

Bishops school and the all-girls St.

Cyprian’s. The two attended classes in

tradition uniforms, visited dramatic parts

of the countryside (see the beach shot opposite page,

right) and historic sites. They even got to meet with

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, thanks to the Rt. Rev. Dr.

Hays Rockwell, our trustee and former bishop of

Missouri. In the 1970s, Rockwell was the rector of St.

James Church in Manhattan and befriended Tutu on

his many early visits to the United States.

This past fall, the exhange continued with a

visit from two South African students to our

campus in October.

Campbell Frost ’12 and Chisomo Mwanamvekha

’12 spent a few weeks on campus experiencing the

American boarding school life, taking classes and

doing some local sightseeing.

More from South Africa


C O M M U N I T Y M E M B E R S G E T A W O R L D V I E W

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Jane Goldstone Sarouhan ’89 (left)stopped by St. George’s in the fallto meet with students and lan-guage faculty members about thestudent travel program she directscalled Global Routes. GlobalRoutes offers teen summer com-munity service programs for highschool students finishing the ninththrough 12th grades and gap-yearand semester teaching internshipsfor students 17 years of age andolder in Belize, Cambodia, CostaRica, the Dominican Republic,Ecuador, Ghana, India, Nepal,Peru, Tanzania, and Thailand.Meeting with Sarouhan here areChinese teacher Zhoulin Wang,Director of Global Programs TonyJaccaci, French and Religionteacher Jeremy Goldstein, andHead of the French DepartmentAlison de Horsey.

Clockwise from top left: Illegal settlements in thetownships; Molly Boyd ’10, South African BishopDesmond Tutu and Jake Riiska ’10, South AfricaExchange Students Campbell Frost ’12 and ChisomoMwanamvekha ’12; and Jake Riiska ’10 horsebackriding on a South African beach.


C R E A T I V I T Y O N T H E H I L L T O PArts

Don’t expect to see CCaasseeyy HHaannsseell’10 sitting around reading Vogue

magazine: She’s not a fashion follower. She

is, however, a fashion creator.

Hansel scored the local art student version of a

Golden Globe this winter when she was awarded an

American Vision Award for her fashion entry, “Pur-

ple Prom Dress” during Rhode Island Scholastic Art

Award judging in January.

The “Vision” awards were given to just five

students in the state, from thousands of entries.

Hansel’s dress, made of trash bags woven

through aluminum can tabs, scored points for cre-

ativity, as well as execution. But it wasn’t a first

attempt. Hansel said she’s been exploring making

apparel from unexpected materials for some time. “I

started collecting plastic bags, plastic bottles, and

aluminum pull tabs a few years ago because I was

hoping that I would make something out of them,”

she said.

She tried a few different methods of connecting

them and finally landed on knitting, already a skill

of hers.

During the 2009 spring extracurricular/athletic

season, Hansel completed a special project in which

she produced a coat made entirely from plastic bags

and a dress made from

crocheted plastic bags on the bottom and aluminum

pull tabs on the top.

That was a turning point. “To me, the most

interesting part of the dress that I made was the top

with the aluminum pull tabs,” she said. “That gave

me the idea to make a dress entirely out of plastic

bags woven through aluminum pull tabs.”

Last summer she ordered a roll of purple plastic

trash can bags and began experimenting. “I finally

found a method that I liked and started creating the

dress,” she said.

She wasn’t trying to emulate Dolce&Gabbana

or Kate Spade.

“I haven’t really based my designs off of any-

thing other than my own imagination,” she said.

Fitting was by trial and error. Hansel admitted:

“The most difficult part was fitting it to myself while

I was wearing it.”

Turned out fine: Hansel wore the dress to the

annual Christmas Formal in Newport in December.

Dressed to impress … the recyclersSixth former turns found objects into fashion

This award-winning dress,made by Casey Hansel ’10, is constructed with knittedplastic bags and aluminumpull tabs.


The “Spooky Halloween Show”was performed bytheater students

in Wheeler Courtyard Oct. 29.

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Arts news...Along with CCaasseeyy HHaannsseell ’10, winner of an

American Visions Award at the Rhode Island Scholas-

tic Art competition this winter, nine other SG stu-

dents received gold key awards in the competition.

Seven won top prizes for drawing—LLaauurreenn HHiillttoonn ’10,AAmmaannddaa HHaannsseell ’12, HHeennrryy YYoouunngg ’12, MMaarriiaaGGeebbeelleeiinn ’10 , KKyyuunnggmmiinn KKiimm ’10, CChhrriissttyy LLeeee ’10 andLLaauurreenn OO’’HHaalllloorraann ’10—and two for sculpture JJoohhnnKKaarrooll ’10 and MMoorriittzz PPeettrree ’10.

Four students won silver keys: CCllaaiirree CChhaalliiffoouurr’12, TThheerreessaa SSaalluudd ’13 and JJeesssseenniiaa PPaacchheeccoo ’10 fordrawing; and AAlleexx HHaarree ’10 for sculpture.

The opening ceremony for all Rhode Island

Scholastic Art Award winners took place Sunday, Jan.

24, at Salve Regina University in Newport. The show

ran through Feb. 12.

For their first semester final on Jan. 15, students

in BBeettssyy DDuurrnniinngg’s Voice in Speech & Acting Classpresented scenes from David Auburn’s Pulitzer Prize-

winning play, “Proof.”

Participating actors were: VViiccttoorriiaa LLeeoonnaarrdd ’11,

JJooee GGrriimmeehh ’13, BBrriiccee BBeerrgg ’12, LLoorreettttaa BBuu ’10,DDoommiinniiqquuee SSaammuueell ’13, NNiikkkkii YYoouunngg ’13, RRaammoonnaaBBaassss ’10, JJooaannnnaa XXuu ’13, VVaallddaaiirr LLooppeess ’12, SSoopphhiieeDDeennUUyyll ’13, CCaarroolliinnee AAlleexxaannddeerr ’12, BBeetthhaannyy FFoowwlleerr’13, TToorrii CCuunnnniinngghhaamm ’13, KKyyllee PPeeaarrssoonn ’12, LLaanneeyyYYaanngg ’10, DD..JJ.. WWiillssoonn ’12, AAnnhh LLaa ’11, MMoollllyy BBooyydd ’10and EErriinn LLeeiisstt ’12.

At presstime, the theater department was gearing

up for performances of the Winter Musical, “Urine-

town,” the hit Broadway production that won Tony

Awards for best director and best musical score in 2002.

Hard at work on their lead roles were Senior Prefect

SStteepphhaanniiee JJoohhnnssoonn ’10 (Little Sally), KKeellttyy OO’’BBrriieenn ’10(Barrel), SSeebbaassttiiaann BBiieerrmmaann--LLyyttllee ’11 (Cladwell) LL’’OOrreeaallLLaammpplleeyy ’11 (McQueen), GGrraahhaamm AAnnddeerrssoonn ’11 (Sena-tor Fipp), AAlllliiee BBaarrrroowwss ’10 (Hope), CChhrriiss CChheeww ’11(Bobby), LLaarraa MMccLLeeoodd ’10 (Penny), GGrraaccee OOwweennss--SSttiivveellyy ’10 (Little Becky), BBrriiccee BBeerrgg ’12 (Hot B Harry),MMiirriiaamm EEllhhaajjii ’13 (Josephine), and VVaallddaaiirr LLooppeess ’12(Old Man Strong).

Along with a large ensemble cast, the performers

are set to stage shows for the public on Feb. 27 and 28.


C R E A T I V I T Y O N T H E H I L L T O P


Above: Cast membersgather on the set of arestaurant during theperformance of the fall play.

Left: Lara McLeod ’10 (in the window), TimonWatkins ’11 (below), alongwith L’Oreal Lampley ’11,D.J. Wilson ’12 andAnnetta O’Leru ’12.

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TThhee GGooooddPPeerrssoonn ooff SSeettzzuuaann

C R E A T I V I T Y O N T H E H I L L T O PArts

FALL PLAY:


Caroline Alexander ’12, Everett Muzzy ’11, Sam Peterson ’11, Lara McLeod ’10 and Polly Murray ’10 perform in the fall play.

Hunter Gallery h i g h l i g h t s

Top: Henry Peterson ’10 performs outside the Hunter Galleryon the opening night of Joe McHendry’s exhibit in November.Bottom: Karen O’Roarke talks with students Liza Scholle ’13,Marianne Foss-Skiftesvik ’13 and Brooke Burrowes ’11 abouther painting exhibit in September.

PHOTOS BY RAY WOISHEK ’89

If you haven’t been to the Hunter Gallery for an opening night

reception, you may want to mark your calendar. Along with viewing

the terrific art, you also get a chance to talk to the artist, and take in

some student music performances. Gallery director and art teacher

LLiissaa HHaannsseell organizes the openings, which are a vibrant support of the arts.

This year’s events included shows by Karen Roarke (“Bubbles”),

Joe McKendry (“Beneath the Streets of Boston”), Robert Booth

(“Explorations and Annotations: Marker Marks and Memories”)

and a faculty show, featuring art by Lisa and her husband, sculptor

MMiikkee HHaannsseell ’76, photographer KKaatthhrryynn LLeemmaayy, and designer RRaayyWWooiisshheekk ’89, the school’s web manager who teaches Visual Founda-tions and video.

Future events will include an opening reception for artist

Susan Lyman on April 1, alumnus photographer DDaann MMeeaadd ’65(May 3 – May 16) and the SSeenniioorr AArrtt SShhoowwMay 17.

Saxophonist HHeennrryy PPeetteerrssoonn ’10, pianist HHeennddrriikk KKiittss vvaannHHeeyynniinnggeenn ’10 and violinist LLaanneeyy YYaanngg ’10 have been among featured performers at the receptions.


C R E A T I V I T Y O N T H E H I L L T O P


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L E A R N I N G O N — A N D O F F — T H E H I L L T O P

Above: Art studentswork on drawings inthe Visual Foundationsclass.

Right: Math teacherLinda Evans reviewsassignments with LizHaskell ’12 and C.J.Park ’13.

L E A R N I N G O N — A N D O F F — T H E H I L L T O PClassrooms


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Above: Polina Godz’11, a new student

from Kharkiv,Ukraine, takes abreak in Dragon

Quad before headingto class.

Left: Liza Scholle’13, Andrew Harris

’13 and JustinJaikissoon ’12 workon their laptops ingeometry class.


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Seventy-nine English and drama students got to

take in some local theater—and advance their under-

standing of Shakespeare—when they went on a field

trip in September.

The group got to see

“Much Ado About Noth-

ing” performed at the

critically acclaimed San-

dra Feinstein-Gamm

Theatre in Pawtucket, R.I.

(The Gamm) was

founded in 1984 as Alias

Stage by seven members of the graduating class of

Trinity Rep Conservatory Theatre in Providence.The

trip was organized by English and drama teacher BBeettssyyDDuurrnniinngg. Several English classes were also scheduled tosee a performance of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” at

Trinity Rep. on Feb. 19.

II TT ’’ SS OO NN EE TT HH II NNGG TT OO RR EE AADD II TT ;; II TT ’’ SS AANNOO TT HH EE RR TT OO SS EE EE II TT ..

L E A R N I N G O N — A N D O F F — T H E H I L L T O PClassrooms


Opposite page (top): Graham Knisley ’10 looks on as Hannah Coffin ’10, Molly Boyd ’10

and Campbell Shuford ’10 launch a potato in a physics class.

Opposite page (bottom): Carine Kanimba ’12.

Above: New student and fourth former Alex Elron ’12 reviews his schedule

on the first day of school.

A newly created Writing Lab offering free writinghelp for all students is a big success, offering 90conferences since its inception in September.Under the leadership of English teacher AAlleexxMMyyeerrss and staffed by members of the EnglishDepartment, the lab saw 14 third formers, 13fourth formers, 29 fifth formers and 34 sixth formersin its first two months of operation—and contin-ues to offer dozens of appointments each month.College application essays have been a hot topic.


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BY LISA CONWAY

Camp Ramleh provides a summercamping experience for underprivileged

children from Newport County

and the surrounding area, and

has done so for more than 80

years. The campers, ages 6-12,

are referred by schools, past and current

campers’ parents, and social service agen-

cies including the Martin Luther King Jr.

Center and the Florence Gray Center. The

camp serves approximately 50 children

each summer in three 5-day sessions: two

for girls and one for boys. Some children

are second- and even third-generation

campers, and many return year after year.

The program for each child includes a

week of overnight camping in tents at the

Aquapaug Reservation in South Kings -

town, R.I., a site owned and operated by

the Narragansett Council of the Boy Scouts

of America. The campers, counselors and

directors sleep in platform tents at the

bottom of the hill (each tent holds up to

six campers, plus one or two counselors).

Food is prepared at the top of the hill—

about a half mile walk—in a kitchen trailer

owned by Camp Ramleh. The top of the

hill also has a large playing field, three

shelters with picnic tables, a new bathroom

facility with electricity and running water

(absolute luxury compared to Ramleh’s

earlier days), and a small cabin.

At camp, children learn how to live

outdoors and how to respect and work

closely with their peers. For many, Camp

Ramleh provides their first extended stay

away from their homes and families, and

their first experience with “roughing it,”

living in tents and bathing in a pond. While

at camp, the children are expected to con-

tribute to the camp community by helping

with meal set-up and clean-up, keeping

their tents and personal bunks tidy, and

Celebrating more than 80 years of enriching the lives of urban youth

PHOTO

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CONWAY

R E A C H I N G O U T T O O T H E R S

RRaammlleehh!!

R E A C H I N G O U T T O O T H E R SCommunity Service

Spotlight on

C a m pRamleh


HH II SS TT OORR YYThe 1927 Lance first reported the inau-

gural season of Camp Ramleh. “The summerof 1926 marked the opening of a new schoolactivity, the operation of a summer camp forcity boys otherwise unable to enjoy an out-ing in the country,” the report began.

William A. Buell ’14 volunteered hisservices as director and Dr. William P.Buffum ’06, donated the use of land onLake Yawgoo, three miles west ofKingston, R.I.

According to Mr. Buell’s son, WilliamBuell ’42, Buell would become a dedi-

cated, compassionate presence at the camp for the next 25 years.

He became known to the campers as“Gramps,” Buell wrote. “When the elderlycook, Ed King, was struck down by diabetesin the 1940s, “Gramps” took over thoseduties (in a tiny, sweltering kitchen), draft-ing St. George’s graduates, including histhree sons, to take on the camp directorship.”

Others who served in that capacitywere Tim King ’35, Harry Dixon ’36, JimmyCongdon ’41, and Ivan Obolensky ’43,according to Buell.

On site was an old cabin—and alumni,

parents, and members of the faculty donatedmoney to construct an addition, and to buythe necessary equipment, which ranged fromtents to boats.

“At the same time, the boys con -tributed readily to a second fund for oper-ating the camp, individual gifts beingsupplemented by the proceeds of the Paintand Powder club and the sale of ice creamat the baseball games and school picnics,”the Lance reported.

Fifteen boys from Providence, the firstcampers, arrived in Kingston on July 12,marking the official opening of the camp.


participating in all camp activities. In

addition, the campers are offered lessons in

swimming, arts and crafts, and sports, and

the older campers are encouraged to take

on leadership roles with their peers. We

hope and expect that these skills and values

will be carried back with the campers to

their families and communities.

Camp activities include swimming at

our waterfront on Worden Pond, canoeing,

kayaking, fishing, hiking, arts and crafts,

sports (basketball, baseball, soccer, kick-

ball, spud), dancing, campfires, and talent

shows. Scavenger hunts, all-camp activities,

picnic lunches, and evenings at the local

park are frequently planned. There is one

special outing each session (bowling and

roller skating are popular choices), plus

weekly trips to Burlingame State Park and

a barbecue on the last night of camp.

Camp traditions include stories of “Krazy

Kate” (a fictitious, frightening recluse who

lives on an island across the lake and gets

angry if campers are noisy at bedtime),

frog hunting in the BB field, roasting

marshmallows and telling stories around

the campfire, and the Levey Awards, named

for a former director and given to each

camper on the last day of camp to recog-

nize such talents and accomplishments as

“best hip-hop dancer,” “most improved

swimmer,” “best frog-catcher,” “bravest

camper,” and “coolest hairdo.”

The Camp Ramleh experience affects

everyone involved, and St. George’s stu-

dents who choose to participate have an

enormous impact on the program. Each

summer, 10-12 counselors are hired to

share their enthusiasm, talents, and leader-

ship skills with the group. Counselors work

tirelessly to design and implement the

camp program, to be role models for the

campers, and to insure that camp activities

are safe and fun.

LLiissaa CCoonnwwaayy is the executive director of

Camp Ramleh. She can be reached at

[email protected].

“I can’t remember anyone ever feeling sorry he’d been involved with Camp Ramleh.”

William Buell ’42, former counselor and director, and son of Camp Ramleh’s founder

CCaann yyoouu hheellpp??CCaammpp RRaammlleehh is supported at St. George’s by

the Used Bookstore, Chapel donations, dramaticproduction proceeds, vending machine sales, various student fundraisers, and by the annual year-endrummage sale. Our program is also largely funded byprivate donations and by local and national grants.

For more information on the Camp Ramlehprogram, to contribute your own stories to the nextCamp Ramleh newsletter, or to inquire about staffpositions for future Camp Ramleh seasons, pleasecontact Lisa Conway, Executive Director, [email protected] or (401) 842-6746.


At Camp Ramleh, my favorite activities are roller skating and swimming and playing with

my friends at the lake. My favorite counselor is Leigh, because every night that she sleeps in the

tent she keeps the flashlight on all night because I am scared. She also reads lots of books. My

favorite meal is BLT sandwiches. Krazy Kate lives across the lake in a red house on a little island

and is scary. Mad Max is a nice person who protects little kids and brings us marshmallows and

s’mores. Last year on a mystery hunt we went to Mad Max’s house, but didn’t go upstairs. I drew

a picture of his house in my nature book. Camp Ramleh has taught me to be nice to friends and

to respect each other.

—Selena Colon, age 10, current camper

For me, attending Ramleh as a camper was life-changing. Several of the counselors took

me under their wing and were like big brothers. They also encouraged me to apply to St.

George’s, which frankly was not a realistic option for someone from my background. My

biggest supporter during the first summer was Martin Slusser. He dared me to dream big and

he had so much faith in me that I eventually started to believe in myself. Marty would actu-

ally make me study vocabulary words after lunch to prepare for my SSATs and made me run

with him in the morning to get in shape and build character. More importantly, he taught me

how to set goals and strive for a better life. The torch was passed the next summer to John

Zane and Peter Massey who took it upon themselves to drive to Maine and convince then

Headmaster Tony Zane to give me a chance. According to Massey, he told Mr. Zane “Kettelle

might not be that bright, but he’ll work hard and has a lot of heart.” Evidently, they were good

salesmen and I did get in. A lot of the good things that have happened to me wouldn’t have

come to fruition if it weren’t for a group of counselors that took an interest. To me, that is

what Camp Ramleh is all about.

—Joe Kettelle ’78, former camper and counselor

‘Striving for a better life’

‘Making a difference’Counselors at Camp Ramleh help create memories of a lifetime

Throughout my first summer working at

Ramleh, I knew that my hard work was mak-

ing a difference in the lives of the campers.

However, it wasn’t until that last day that I

realized how much my efforts had a lasting

impression on their lives. We were driving the

vans back to school after successfully finish-

ing camp. All of the counselors were

exhausted and just the mere thought of show-

ers ahead kept us going. We crossed the New-

port Bridge and were driving on the highway

by Walmart when I saw three young girls

walking along the side of the busy street. I

thought they looked like campers from two

sessions before, but I was not sure. As we

drove closer, Diane, Stephanie, and Victoria

immediately saw the familiar SG vans driving

on the highway. They stopped walking and

waved excitedly and blew kisses to us. They

started jumping up and down and reaching

out for air hugs to our bus. I watched them

from the back window until they were out of

my vision. I wanted to jump out of the car

and make sure they were safe walking along a

road that I would never think of walking on.

But, the driver pressed on and I gradually lost

their image.

Campers find a comforting, hopeful place at Ramleh


Spotlight on

C a m pRamleh


This was a profound experience for me

and it really helped me understand how my

work as a counselor enabled the children to

have an experience that they might not other-

wise have been granted in their home experi-

ences. I was a bit shocked to see such young

girls walking along a highly traveled street

and I finally was able to realize that their

experience at camp was more than just a

chance to get away from the difficult home

environments; it was a chance to experience

hope and joy in life.

—Courtney Jones ’10, current counselor

Although the first glimpse I had of

“scenic” Camp Ramleh wasn’t exactly appeal-

ing, I soon learned to love the disintegrating

cabins, the monotonous menu, the pungent

smelling outhouses, two skits a day and, yes ...

even mud. I did have my doubts about

whether or not I could actually live on “beau-

tiful” Indian Lake for an entire month, but

after the first group of kids arrived on a cold,

rainy day, my whole perception changed.

None of the kids seemed to mind too much

that they couldn’t take showers or that they

had to sleep on “funky” mattresses, and when

they didn’t care, I didn’t mind either. Despite

the fact that they hit each other, swore (con-

stantly)… and never went to sleep, they all

made my summer a truly unforgettable one.

Sweet dreams ...

—Lyerly Spongberg ’85, contribution

written in 1983 for a Ramleh scrapbook

I have many great memories of Camp

Ramleh. My twin sister, Sandra Whitehouse,

Beth Johnson (Nixon) and I were trailblazers

as the first group of female counselors at the

camp. It was the summer of 1976 when we

made our way down the bumpy unpaved

road to Ramleh. We were given the “luxuri-

ous” bunk house to live in, which was a log

cabin equipped with old metal bunk beds.

The loo was an outhouse in the woods—not

too easy to navi-

gate in the dark.

We greeted our

first set of

campers on the

second day. Some returning campers viewed

the new “girl counselors” with skepticism but

we soon became friends or big sisters to the

boys. Our weeks at Ramleh were filled with

art projects, swims in the lake, softball games

and campfires. It was very difficult to say

goodbye to the campers at the end of the

sessions and to take them home to places that

just did not seem safe or welcoming. Even

years later my time spent at Ramleh remains

in my memory as an important part of my St.

George’s experience.

—Elena Kissel ’77, former counselor

In 1950, I was a counselor at Camp Ram-

leh and was shocked at all the cameras, radios

and equipment the boys (no girls then) had.

Weren’t they poor? But, then, perhaps in

other ways. I remember buying a pair of

shrink-to-fit jeans, and then volunteering to

help on the sailing program so I could get

them good and wet during the day so they

would dry at night. I was in charge of capsiz-

ing the sailboat and showing the kids how to

survive. We got soaked every day but wow

did those jeans fit well by the end of the

two-week session.

After graduating in 1952, I went back to

Ramleh for a month as the camp cook. Imag-

ine me as a cook. But, Headmaster Bill Buell

got a hold of me in the early spring and

floated the idea. I thought about it for maybe

one minute and said: “Dr. Buell, I haven’t the

slightest idea how to cook and besides the

stove in camp runs off of kerosene.” Dr. Buell

responded in typical fashion: “You’ll do well.

I’ll show you how.” (My eyes well up with

tears even now when I remember that saintly

man.) “Well! OK!” And he was there opening

day and spent that day and the next getting

me going. Then, he came back on Sunday and

we cooked a turkey in the oven of that

kerosene stove. It was delicious!

Dr. Buell’s son, Bill, was the head coun-

selor then and my job was to get up ahead of

everyone and make coffee with definite

instructions to bring a cup to Bill first and

after placing it by his head, to grab his foot

and shake it to wake him up. We all were up

early and to bed late so that coffee helped

carry us. My experiences there were wonder-

ful and I encourage SGers today to devote a

portion of their summer to working there.

—George Peterson ’52, former counselor

I was in the class of 1949 at St. George’s,

the one that just had its 60th reunion. I was a

counselor at Camp Ramleh in the summer of

1948, between my fifth- and sixth-form years

and I was both young for my class, 16, and

small for my age. So that is the setting.

It turns out that one of the campers, a

black kid who was bigger than I and I don’t

know his age, for some reason wanted to box

with me—bare-handed, of course. I suspect

he just wanted to beat the hell out of a coun-

selor and thought he could. I certainly

couldn’t back down, but I somewhat shared

his thoughts. What he didn’t know was that

my father had taught me how to box at a

young age, and I leveled him to the astonish-

ment of the entire Camp, which had gath-

ered at ringside. That kid and I got along

famously after that—a good growing-up

experience for both of us.

The entire Camp Ramleh experience is

one that I have treasured to this day. I am so

glad it continues to enrich the lives of all

involved.

—Tom McLane ’49, former counselor



Community Service news...

Dress Down Days continue to be a major

source of support to local, national and inter-

national charities close to the hearts of com-

munity members. Among the entities

benefiting from the outpouring of generosity

from the sale of $3 DDD bracelets have been:

the family of Victoria Powell, a Middletown

10-year-old with a brain tumor and massive

medical expenses; Doctors Without Borders,

“an international independent medical

humanitarian organization that delivers emer-

gency aid to people affected by armed conflict,

epidemics, malnutrition, natural disasters, or

exclusion from health care in nearly 60 coun-

tries;” Partners in Health, which operated

health care clinics for the poor, including

Haiti; Child & Family Services of Newport

County; and TownshipHelp, formed in 2004

to help children in the townships in South

Africa have a chance for a better and secure

future. Dress Down Days are organized by the

Community Service Council, headed by

students CCaarrll NNiigghhttiinnggaallee ’10, RRaacchheell SSeellll--ssttoonnee ’11 and HHiillllaarryy WWeeiinn ’11, and facultymember LLuuccyy GGoollddsstteeiinn.

And that’s not all for the Community

Service Council. The council this year has

been busy on several fronts, including orches-

trating a change in our annual day of service,

which used to take place on Martin Luther

King Jr. Day in January. Now students will

spend St. George’s Day, April 23, working on

service projects, which, because of exams in

January, faculty advisor LLuuccyy GGoollddsstteeiinn saysis “more advantageous for student schedules,

as well as agencies we want to help.” The CSC

has also added two “Camp Ramleh Days” to

the schedule, during which we invite all the

Camp Ramleh campers to campus for a

Sunday of lunch, fun, and games with SG

students. They’ve partnered with the New-

port Education Foundation to publicize SG’s

free tutoring program for Newport and Mid-

dletown elementary kids.

Also with the help of the Community

Service Council, who coordinated the trip,

students and faculty will participate in the

fourth annual Habitat for Humanity trip

during Spring Break in March. Once again,

the group will travel to Mobile, Ala., to work

with Habitat for a week building houses and

exploring the area. The trip has been “a great

opportunity to help people, learn how to

build a house, and really connect with your

classmates and teachers outside of school,”

according to science teacher DDeevvoonn DDuucchhaarrmmee.Ducharme and Director of Operations

GGeeoorrggee SSttaapplleesswill lead this year’s trip.

A special “head of school’s Dress Down

Day,” called by Head of School EErriicc PPeetteerrssoonn,took place in October after it was learned

that St. George’s Church in Baghdad was

damaged in a bomb attack on Oct. 25. After

a 2008 visit to St. George’s from the church’s

leader, The Reverend Canon Andrew White,

St. George’s Baghdad holds a special place in

our hearts.

White reported that his church’s com-

pound, health clinic, bookshop, the school

rooms and other buildings sustained heavy

damage in the attack.

Outside the church, at least 132 people

were killed and more than 600 injured.

“Today was a terrible day for us. But

even in the blood and trauma and turmoil,

there are things for which we can, and

indeed must, praise our God,” White wrote

in a letter to friends and community mem-

bers. “The carnage was terrible, but it could

have been even worse. At 10:30 a.m. this

morning, when the bombs exploded, there

was no one in the church. If the bomb had

been just a few hours later, the glass from

the windows would have ripped through

the congregation causing terrible human

damage.”

The nearly $2,000 raised by the SG

community helped the church immensely,

White reported back.

Julia Carrellas ’11 and Katie McCormack ’11 with two local

school children at the annual Star KidsLearn-to-Skate program in the

Cabot/Harman Ice Center.



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Clockwise from top left:Dominique Samuel ’13 plays the Jester in the 2009 Christmas Festival;Evelyn Maldonado ’11, Polly Murray ’10 and Grace Owens-Stively ’10are angels; McKenzie Nagle ’13, a page, delivers notes in King Hall;Chris Chew ’11, Timon Watkins ’11 and Scott Yang ’11 play the rolesof the Three Kings in the Chapel.

C H R I S T M A S F E S T I V A L 2 0 0 9Traditions

Fifth-Form SkiWeekendJan. 23-25, 2010

LoonMountain, Lincoln, NH

Fifth-Form SkiWeekendJan. 23-25, 2010

LoonMountain, Lincoln, NH

Fifth formersMagdalena Franze-Soeln, KatherineWilkinson andHaley Congdonget ready to hitthe slopes.

Today’s juniors might not know it, but the

tradition of Fifth Form Ski Weekend dates

back to 1978. FFrreedd TTaayylloorr ’79 decided hewanted to do something for his class “that would

promote class unity and be fun.”

“Since I was from Colorado, naturally I chose a

ski trip to New Hampshire,” he says, “and made the

necessary calls and contacts to make it happen.”

Not that it was just that easy.

“The biggest obstacle was to convince ZZaannee,HHoolllliinnss and SScchheenncckk that it was a great idea,” he says.

The tradition continues, and Taylor, now the

principal of Northstar Investment Advisors in Den-

ver, says he’s thrilled.

“At the time I had no clue that we had started a

tradition, let alone one that would be going strong

32 years later!”


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Traditions


Top: Race organizer Doug Lewis prepares runners forthe start of the Annual Pie Race.Above: Freshman Robbie Citrino get a piggybackfrom No. 66 Mack Feldman ’11.

51st annual

Pie Race

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Red & White Editor-in-Chief HHeennddrriikk KKiittss vvaann HHeeyynniinnggeenn ’10 doesn’tconsider writing headlines one of his favorite tasks, but

when he came up with this one, he practically got a

round of applause from his editorial staff: “Moore

needed more to chase Hatch at race finish.” OK, I

guess you had to be there. But it was right after the

annual Pie Race and CChhaassee HHaattcchh ’12 of Hingham,Mass. had just out-sprinted TTuucckkeerr MMoooorree ’10 of Bermuda

to claim victory. And all in all the results lent themselves well

to some wit from the community.

“Hatch, who completed the 1.1 mile course with a time of 6:34, led the

race from start to finish while being pushed by Moore, Emil Henry ’11

(third place) of Katonah, N.Y., and Kyle Pearson ’12 (fourth place) of Gar-

den City, N.Y.,” wrote Math Department Chair and race organizer Doug

Lewis. “Exchange student Campbell Frost ’12 of Capetown, South Africa,

finished fifth in a time of 7:04—and won the prize for being the fastest

finisher born south of the equator.”

And so goes the flurry of creativity among the more “math types” on

campus.

Hats off to legendary physics teacher and track coach Ted Hersey, who

devised the race back in 1959 as a way of bolstering school spirit. It’s not

every day we get such literary entertainment from the numbers brigade.

Wrapping up his end of race report, Lewis noted: “A total of 89 students,

teachers, staff members, faculty children, dogs, and ninjas finished this

year’s race.”

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64 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 1 0 WINTER BULLET IN

Joe Mack ’12 takespart in one of thekey marine lifestudies of the Geronimo program:tagging sea turtlesfor biologicalresearch.

BY JOSEPH MACK ’12Note: The fall crew of Geronimo left Newport on Oct.

1 and returned from the Bahamas on Nov. 19. On the

boat with Captain Mike Dawson were Katie

Desrosiers ’12, Emma Garfield ’12, Olivia Gebelein

’11, Erin Hendrix ’12, Halsey Huth ’12, Joe Mack ’12,

Elizabeth Manning ’12 and Sadie McQuilkin ’12.

Having sailed on Geronimo for five weeks, we

were all pretty used to the experience of

being a Junior Watch Officer. When Captain

Mike Dawson first explained the concept to us we were

unfazed. Why couldn’t we operate the ship we had been

living on for more than a month? Captain Dawson was

always there to offer guidance: “What do you think

about that boat over there?” or “Is that a squall up

ahead?” But ultimately, we called the shots and took

responsibility for all the mistakes we made.

By the time we sailed into Warderick Wells we had

all been the JWO at least once and knew it to be a

stressful job. I still remember Captain Dawson’s advice:

“Be three, four, five steps ahead; Got a plan? Scrap it;

Make a new one; What happens if…” There were

always more questions than I had answers.

N E W S F R O M G E R O N I M O

HeartfeltvictoryNavigating through a narrow channel, the crew unites

N E W S F R O M G E R O N I M OOn board

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65ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 1 0 WINTER BULLET IN

To get to our mooring we had to navigate through

a narrow channel edged by an island on our right and a

sandbar on our left. The wind was directly on our nose

along with a steadily growing current. Erin was the

JWO and I was on the jib sheet.

The command from Captain Dawson: “Erin, I

want to be able to throw a penny on the island before

we tack.” We crept closer and closer; Halsey and I were

on the jib winches and Olivia pulled the sheets in by

hand. With each inch our anxiety grew. Unable to

challenge our superior watch officer, yet concerned

with our ability to complete the tack fast enough, I kept

my mouth shut while my mind screamed in objection.

Finally, Erin gave the order:

“Ready about!” The instantaneous reply: “Ready!”

“Helm’s a-lee!”

My winch, which was ready to tack 100 meters ago,

buzzed. I could feel the blood pumping in my neck. My

hands became independent of my body, a tool with

which I could tame the billowing jib. I latched my hands

to the sheet and jerked my body backwards. Each jerk-

ing effort was contained by the force of the sail, causing

the line to slide through my numb hands. I added a final

wrap and started to crank on the winch.My hands

returned to my body, round and round they went as my

arms and shoulders burned. Faster and faster and then

relief finally came with Erin’s command:

“That’s well.”

Adrenaline had taken over. The command was no

longer questioned and the pain was cloaked by

excitement. Instead of worrying about when to tack,

I was consumed with the idea of executing a perfect

one. I shouted encouragement over the helm to

Halsey, my mirror on the port winch. He recipro-

cated with his own roars. The current was so strong

that, despite our increasingly efficient tacks, we were

moving backwards and were forced to finish the last

50 yards under diesel power. Hands blistered beyond

the belief of anyone without sailing experience and

muscles aching, it was a victory of heart. The accom-

plishment was in the bonding of crewmembers under

the absolute authority of the JWO.

JJoosseepphh MMaacckk ’12 is from Bristol, R.I. He can bereached at [email protected].

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Above: WarderickWells, Exumas,

Bahamas.Below: Joe Mack’ 12takes the helm while Erin Hendrix ’12takes a photo, and Elizabeth Manning

’12 and EmmaGarfield ’12 chartGeronimo’s course.

N E W S F R O M G E R O N I M O


With the founding of two Ocean

State schools on his resume, the

Rev. John Byron Diman was a

shoe-in for a recent posthumous honor:

induction into the Rhode Island Heritage

Hall of Fame.

Founded in March 1965 “to honor the

contributions of those whose efforts, in any

line of endeavor, have added significantly to

the heritage of the State of Rhode Island,” the

Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame doled

out the honor on Sunday, Nov. 15, noting

Diman’s educational achievements.

Head of School Eric Peterson attended

the ceremony to accept the citation.

Diman was the only child of J. Lewis

and Emily G. (Stimson) Diman, according

to “New England families, genealogical and

memorial” edited by William Richard Cut-

ter. “He graduated with a bachelor of arts

degree from Brown University in 1885 and

received an honorary master’s degree in

1903. He entered Cambridge Episcopal

Theological School, from which he gradu-

ated in 1888 with a bachelor of divinity

degree. He was ordained a deacon of the

Episcopal church at Providence in 1888 and

officiated as minister in charge of St.

Columba’s Chapel in Middletown in 1892.”

He received a master’s degree from Harvard

in 1896, the same year he founded St.

George’s School for Boys in Newport, later

moving to our current location.

Diman was a member of a prominent

Rhode Island family whose milestones were

often reported in the media. A Dec. 28, 1917,

New York Times news brief noted Diman’s

conversion to Catholicism. Byron, whose

headmastership at St. George’s ended in 1916,

was “on duty with the naval force of the Sec-

ond Naval District” at the time of the report.

Diman “has become a convert to the Catholic

religion and joined St. Joseph’s church,” the

news report noted.

He founded Portsmouth Priory, now

Portsmouth Abbey, in Portsmouth, R.I., in

1926. (He also founded Diman Regional, a

vocational technical high school in Fall

River, Mass.).

Portraits of inductees to the Heritage

Hall of Fame currently hang in the halls of

the Rhode Island Historical Society Museum

of Rhode Island History at Aldrich House,

110 Benevolent St., in Providence.

The Rev. John Byron Dimaninducted into R.I. hall of fame

E V E N T S A N D M I L E S T O N E SIn Brief


Physics teacher BBoobb WWeeiinn, biologyteachers TToomm EEvvaannss and HHeeaatthh CCaappeelllloo, and

alums JJoonnaatthhaann IIsshhaamm,, JJrr.. ’78and KKeellllyy BBllyynnnn ’03 were thefeatured presenters for a newly-

established series of “Brown Bag

Lunches” organized this school year by

Science Department Chair HHoollllyy WWiilllliiaammss. Williams says she plans to offer a peri-

odic opportunity for members of the school

community to gather and discuss science

topics with guests offering expertise in

different areas of the field. So far the lunches

have included talks on engineering, AIDS

and the environment.

Wein reported on a summer program in

which he participated with 11 other Rhode

Island high-school science teachers to learn

about modern systems engineering. The

group, which spent several weeks at Para-

mount Solutions in Middletown, was tasked

with devising a scheme to make the control

center of a nuclear submarine operate more

efficiently. Evans reported on his work with

AIDS experts in helping to redesign the

curriculum for A.P. Biology. And Capello

gave a report on “Photosynthesis in the

Muddy Mississippi.”

Isham and Blynn teamed up to report

on the December Climate Conference in

Copenhagen. Isham, a Middlebury College

professor who was heading to the talks,

arranged a video conference with Blynn,

co-founder of the environment group

350.org and a former student of Isham’s, who

was in Denmark when the talk took place.

Science Department gatherings spark talk of contemporary issues

“Brown Bag Lunch” topicsincluded engineering, AIDS and the environment

Biology teacher Tom Evans discusses AIDS. Physics teacher Bob Wein describes anuclear submarine engineering project.

Biology teacher Heath Capello outines hisresearch of photosynthesis on the bayou.

Science Department Chair Holly Williams welcomes the crowd beforeTrustee Jonathan Isham, Jr. ’78 leads a discussion on the 2009 Climate Conference. Kelly Blynn ’03, in Copenhagen, appears via Skype.

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Campus happenings


TToodddd CCrraaiigg, who graduated from St. George’s in1993 and continues to pursue his dreams as an author,

teacher and deejay—all while working toward a

Ph.D.—was the guest speaker in chapel for the annual

Martin Luther King Day service on Jan. 18.

Craig, whose 2008 novel “tor’cha” (Swank Publish-

ers, 2008) was accompanied by music tracks, said his

love of music inspired him to write, and his desire to

give back to his home community has inspired him

to teach.

Craig, a recipient of the scholarship program,

A Better Chance, grew up in the Ravenswood and

Queensbridge Housing projects in the New ork City

borough of Queens. He currently teaches English

Composition at Queensborough Community College.

“Without Queens, I simply would not be,” he once

wrote, “and there’s not a minute of it, good or bad, that

I would trade, switch or swap.”

“Tor’cha” tells the story of three city youths “as

they’re faced with the perils and hardships that run

rampant throughout the ghetto.”

Craig knows the turf: Coming to St. George’s was

an opportunity for Craig to escape the perils of his own

home neighborhood.

However, it wasn’t until he contracted a potentially

deadly infection, he said, that he realized he was truly

blessed.

Craig, who was diagnosed with a nearly fatal case

of meningitis as a fifth former at SG, said he would

never forget how the illness—“I remember the spinal

tap”—plucked him from his daily routine. “Now, I am

living the dream—the dream of life,” he said.

His mission since his brush with death has been to

pursue his love of the arts, while keeping “the barrel of

Queens close to his heart.”

“I escaped death, so shouldn’t I consider that the

dream?” he asked.

He urged students to remember the hopes of

Martin Luther King, Jr. in their own way. For him, he

said, it was partly to remember that without King,

“There would be no collective, no black and white

together.” But he also urged students to remember that

King’s dreams haven’t fully been realized.

“There’s still much work to do ... We can never be

satisfied,” he said.

He recalled that once, during his time at St.

George’s, he participated in a game of one-on-one

basketball with the late Headmaster Emeritus Chuck

Hamblet. “He told me, ‘Change is a slow-moving

ship,’” Craig said. “I said, ‘Let’s make it a fast-mov-

ing speedboat!’”

Craig hasn’t stopped working to see his own

dreams fulfilled either. In 1997, he received a bachelor’s

degree from Williams College in Williamstown, Mass.,

and was awarded a Rockefeller Brothers Fellowship to

attend Harvard University where he later received a

master’s degree in education.

He has traveled throughout the country to writing

residencies at the Ucross Foundation, Writers Colony at

Dairy Hollow and Jentel Foundation, and he was an

Associate Artist at Atlantic Center for the Arts with

Anne Waldman.

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Author/deejay/teacher Craig ’93 delivers MLK Day chapel talk“I am living the dream …”

Campus happenings


As a writer, Craig works in many genres including

fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and screenplay

writing. He is pursuing a Ph.D. in English at St. John’s

University in New York. His dissertation will examine

hip-hop pedagogy and the function of the hip-hop DJ

in the English Composition classroom.

St. George’s, he said, offers the perfect foundation

for hope and fulfilling King’s dreams.

“I have faith that you are all equipped” to go out

into the world and keep alive those dreams, he said.

The MLK chapel service, organized by Director of

Diversity Kim Bullock and the members of the student

clubs Insight and the Multicultural Group, also fea-

tured several student music performances.

The performances also included the student a

cappella groups, the Snapdragons and the Hilltoppers.

A duet of “I Sing Because I’m Free,” by LL’’OOrreeaall LLaammpplleeyy’11 and LLaarraa MMccLLeeoodd ’10, to end the service prompted astanding ovation. Audio files of the service and musical

performances can be downloaded from the SG web site

log-in page at www.stgeorges.edu/podium.

CCHHAA PP EE LL DDOONNOO RR SS TT RR EE AATT EEDD TT OO SS PP EE CC II AA LL CCHH RR II SS TTMMAA SS PP RROO GGRR AAMM

Donors in the Friends of the Chapel program

were treated to a special Service of Nine Lessons

and Carols for Christmas, which took place Friday,

Dec. 11, between performances for the school

and the community.

A special thanks for the special event went out to

members of the SG Choir and the Handbell Choir,

headed by faculty members CCllaarree GGeessuuaallddoo, SG choirmaster, and WWeennddyy DDrryyssddaallee, director of thehandbell choir.

“At the reception following the program,

every Friend I spoke with expressed absolute

delight with the music,” reported Assistant Head

of School for External Affairs JJooee GGoouulldd. “Oneformer parent, who had returned for the occasion,

said that she hoped never to miss Lessons and

Carols ever again.”

One particularly interested audience member was

chapel friend Nicholas Brown, the son of the donor of

the chapel, the late John Nicholas Brown ’18.

“Mr. Brown said how much he enjoyed seeing the

chapel filled with music and the spirit of Christmas,”

Gould said.

VV II SS II TT II NNGG SS TT RR II NNGG EE NN SS EEMM BB LL EE PP EE RR FF OO RRMMSS FF OO RR TT HH EE SS GG CC OOMMMMUUNN II TT YY

With coordination from Head of the Music

Department CCllaarree GGeessuuaallddoo, the String Ensemblefrom the Dwight-Englewood School, an independ-

ent day school for pre-school to grade 12 in Engle-

wood, N.J., stopped at St. George’s on Thursday,

Jan. 28 for a performance during chapel. The group,

wowing those in attendance, was on a tour of the

Northeast. They performed two musical

selections—one Vivaldi, one Shubert—amid the

Lessons and the Offertory.

L’Oreal Lampley’11 andLara McLeod ’10 perform at the

Martin Luther King Day Chapel Service.


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John Adams ’73with his family,which include current studentsKatherine ’12 andVirginia ’11, attendsParents Weekend inOctober.

Students participate in a candlelight vigil to raiseawareness of global warming.

Left: Dr. Chris Thurber ofPhillips Exeter Academypresents a workshop to thefaculty entitled “CrackingKids’ Secret Code,” aboutways to communicate with students effectively.

Right: Author Cathy BaoBean discusses her book,“The Chopsticks-ForkPrinciple: A Memoir andManual,” about beingChinese in America.

Campus happenings


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The cast of the winter musical got an extra-special visit from a seasoned actor. BBiillll BBuueellll ’70, son of HonoraryTrustee WWiilllliiaamm AA.. BBuueellll ’42 and father of CChhaarrlliiee BBuueellll ’06, stopped by Madeira Hall in January. Bill Buell’s long list of stage and screen credits includes a role in the 2002 Tony Award-winning production of “Urinetown, the Musical,” which the St. George’s students are scheduled to perform for the public Feb. 27 and 28. Buell gave advice to the cast—along with a pep talk.

What TTuucckkeerr CCaarrllssoonn ’87 described back in May2009 as a “Right-Leaning Huffington Post” is now

the recently-launched online

news site “The Daily Caller.”

Carlson (whom we

personally adore for his

support of freedom of the

press in the world—and in

the Red & White) first made

public his new venture

after being hired by Fox-TV last spring.

His site (www.dailycaller.com), which went live

Jan. 11, features news, analysis and commentary

commissioned from hired writers and culled from

news sources across the U.S.

A recent check of headlines included stories

such as “Keith Olbermann is a serious journalist:

We watch, because we’re paid to” by the Call’s own

Ruth Graham, and “Former John Edwards aide

buries ex-boss in tell-all book” published by New

York magazine.

AAlllliiee SSiimmoonnss ’05 will be running in the 2010Boston Marathon in honor of classmate John

“Quatro” Kiley ’05, who drowned in waters off

Osterville, Mass., Aug. 23. Simons, who is running

for the Melanoma Team, can be reached at

[email protected].

At the time of his death, Kiley was a senior at

St. Edward’s University studying bioinformatics.

Services were held Aug. 28, with a gathering including

many of Quatro’s SG mates, at the Wianno Yacht Club

in Osterville. A procession of boats left the club and

headed toward Nantucket Sound to spread his ashes.


A L U M N I / A E I N T H E N E W SPost Hilltop


This photo, courtesyof ConservationFocus, a publicationof the NationalResources Conserva-tion Service, shows a farm in northernNew Mexico ownedby Sandy Milliken’65 after overgrowthwas cleared.

A L U M N I / A E I N T H E N E W SPost Hilltop

Forward-thinking conservation practices at

a farm in northern New Mexico owned by SSaannddyyMMiilllliikkeenn ’65 were featured this fall in ConservationFocus, a publication of the National Resources

Conservation Service.

Milliken’s farm, which puts a premium on earth-

friendly “watershed conservation, forest management,

cooperative conservation, and inclusion of the histori-

cally underserved” is a prime example of the good

things going on in the Tierra y Montes Soil & Water

Conservation District, land use experts said.

“When Milliken purchased the meandering

ranch near Las Vegas, N.M. four years ago, much

of its forest was clogged with overgrowth, and the

spread had just two wells that only pumped one

gallon per minute,” the newsletter reports. “After the

ranch was purchased, ranch manager Kenny Alderete

turned to an eager cadre of local, state, and federal

agencies, as well as relying on the ranch’s own

resources, and began the task of putting the best

conservation on the ground for the ranch.”

The agencies helped the farm initiate a forest stand

improvement thinning and aid as “water sources were

developed, pipeline laid and cross fencing installed.”

They also prescribed grazing management practices to

adopt, as the farm also raises cattle.

Now Milliken’s farm is not only “green,” but friendly,

as well: The ranch even makes firewood available to area

residents – “when energy prices are of concern.”

PPaattrriicckk EEhhaarrtt ’06 was in the lead photo in theBoston Globe Sept. 19, 2009, accompanying a story

about a class he’s taking at Babson College called “The

Ultimate Entrepreneurial Challenge” with Len Green,

adjunct professor of entrepreneurship. Ehart, a former

Red & White editor who started a bottled water busi-

ness on Cape Cod while at St. George’s, seemed des-

tined to continue on in his studies of business. The

class is modeled on Donald Trump’s reality TV show

“The Apprentice.” No word yet on whether Ehart has

heard Green utter, “You’re fired,” but we don’t think

it’s likely.

A new book by CCoorriinnnn CCoolluummppaarr ’88 called“Unsettling Sights: The Fourth World on Film” (South-

ern Illinois University Press) is due

out in March. Columpar, who

received her bachelor’s degree in

mathematical economics at Yale

University in 1992 and her Ph.D. in

women’s studies at Emory Univer-

sity in 2002, is now an associate

professor of cinema studies and

English at the University of Toronto. An anthology co-

edited by Columpar called “There She Goes: Feminist

Filmmaking and Beyond” was published in October.

The books are available at www.amazon.com.

BBaaiilleeyy SSeeyybboolltt ’04 has been appointed managingeditor of The Word, a glossy magazine based in Hanoi,

Vietnam. Found on the web at www.wordhcmc.com,

the magazine markets itself as “a guide to what’s going

on in Vietnam.”

“I’ve been writing for the Saigon-based magazine

for the last six months,” Seybolt reported in August,

“but I will be working for the new Hanoi-based maga-

zine we’re launching sometime this fall.”

Recent articles of Seybolt’s include a feature on a

new Hanoi restaurant called Don’s, operated by the

former Ritz-Carlton head chef, Donald Berger.



It wasn’t your average year in fundraising—and

so when it came time on Oct. 2 to naming the

recipient of the Philip Murray ReynoldsAnnual

GivingVolunteer of theYearAward for 2009, the Devel-

opment Office decided to go alternative.Normally given

to“an individual whose leadership and enthusiasm has

had a profound effect on the year’s Annual Fund cam-

paign,” the award this year was given to all of the chal-

lengers who donated in the highly successful“Flat is the

New Up!”campaign,which helped St.George’s meet its

more than $2.2 millionAnnual Fund goal.

“This past year posed an extraordinary challenge to

fundraising and yet ourAnnual Fund still met its goal—a

goal established in February 2008, long before we under-

stood the depth of the economic crisis,”wroteAssistant

Head of School ExternalAffairs JJooee GGoouulldd. “While all

our individual volunteers made valiant efforts, our heroes

were those who stepped forward in early May when the

situation was most dire—the 25 parents and alumni/ae

who posed the “Flat is the New Up!” Challenge. Together,

they provided the wherewithal, commitment and enthu-

siasm to catapult our Annual Fund to success.”

Gould put the accomplishment into perspective:

“On April 24, the Annual Fund was short of its

$2,225,000 goal by $550,000 and gifts had slowed to a

trickle,” he noted. “The challenge idea was conceived

during the following week. By Thursday, May 14, our

FITNU Challengers had committed collectively

$250,000 and had offered a one-to-one challenge to our

entire St. George’s constituency. The “Flat is the New

Up!” Challenge was off and running and the FITNU

Challengers were our biggest cheerleaders, with their

e-mails, letters and telephone calls. By June 24, we had

maximized the Challenge with 651 gifts totaling

$250,000. By July 3, we had received 813 gifts bringing

our Annual Fund total (in cash) to $2,233,339.”

As a result of the “Flat is the New Up!” Challenge,

the School received gifts totaling almost $560,000,

exceeding its goal by $8,339, and only fell short of its

record-setting 2007-08 year by 1.4 percent. The 813

gifts received were an incredible 40 percent of the total

number of gifts for the entire year.

Among the challengers who were able to attend the

awards ceremony in October were SG Board of

Trustees Chair SSkkiipp BBrraanniinn ’65, board members BBoobbDDuuccoommmmuunn ’69, CChhrriiss EElliiaa ’92, LLeesslliiee HHeeaanneeyy ’92, JJooeeHHooooppeess ’62, WWeennddyy KKaauuffmmaann P’09, PPhhooeebbee MMuuzzzzyyP’06, ’09, ’11 and CChhaarrlliiee WWaattssoonn ’50, along with

Honorary Trustee AAll MMeerrcckk ’39, and parents LLiinnddaaSSttaabblleerr--TTaallttyy P’11 and PPeetteerr TTaallttyy P’11.

The Philip Murray Reynolds Annual Giving Volun-

teer of the Year Award was established in 1981, in

memory of PPhhiill RReeyynnoollddss ’42, the school’s director of

development and alumni/ae affairs from 1974 to 1979.

Chair of the SG Boardof Trustees Skip Branin’65 and Head of School

Eric Peterson accept the Reynolds Award on behalf of the 25

“Flat is the New Up!”campaign challengers.

PHOTO

BYNATALIATAVARES

Twenty-five “Flat is the New Up” campaignchallengers receive 2009 volunteer award

N E W S F R O M T H E A L U M N I / A E O F F I C EGiving back


PHOTO

BYCHERYLJENKINS

PHOTO

BYRAYWOISHEK’89

PHOTO

BYRAYWOISHEK’89

Above: Move-in Day on the Hilltop featured some heavy lifting byseniors Stephanie Johnson, Kinyette Henderson, Shealagh Coughlin,Charlotte Deavers, Ramona Bass and Maria Gebelein.

Right: “No parking” signs come down in September on Diman Quad.

Below: Julia Carrellas ’11 runs the ball for the fifth formers during a popular “Powder Puff ” football game in November.

S E E N O N T H E H I L L T O PS E E N O N T H E H I L L T O PAround Campus


John Karol ’10, Brice Berg ’12,

Michael Alberg ’11,and Tao Jatusripitak’10 perform in the

Rock Guild on Jan. 10, 2010. PH

OTO

BYRAYWOISHEK’89

PHOTO

BYKATHRYNWHITNEYLU

CEY

Leiter Colburn ’11, Maia Monell ’11 and Micah Kittel ’11 take a break on Diman Quad during the first day of school.

S E E N O N T H E H I L L T O P


Stone carving in the chapelUsing a mallet and chisel, Paul Russo carves

the lettering on the memorial stone in the St.

George’s Chapel dedicated to the memory of

former trustee HHeennrryy PPaattttoonn ’31. Russo is a

stone carver for the Brooke Roberts Studio of

Newport, which has designed all of our modern

memorial stones. Three memorial stones were

installed in January: for Patton, for parent and

trustee HHeennrryy HHaarrddeerr P’79, ’83, and for longtime

English teacher and swim coach NNoorrrriiee HHooyytt.The first stone carving in the chapel began

with the stone for founder John Byron Diman

and the coat-of-arms above the Bishop’s Door,

crafted by the famed stone carver John Howard

Benson, who purchased the John Stevens Shop

(founded in 1705 and located at 29 Thames

Street in Newport) in 1927.

PHOTO

BYSU

ZANNEMCGRADY

PHOTO

BYSU

ZANNEMCGRADY

Our new Dining Service Director,LLeenn JJaacckkssoonn, and his staff fromSage Dining Services have gottenthe community to rethink ourfood choices after the companytook over the contract to runKing Hall this year. Sage, whichhas more than 150 clients, mostlyindependent schools, revolvesmenu choices around regionalspecialties and available freshproduce. Already carnivores, aswell as vegetarians—and evenvegans—are singing their praises.Braised kale, anyone?

R E C O N N E C T I N G O N T H E H I L L T O PS E E N O N T H E H I L L T O PAround Campus


St. George’s School Reunion Weekend 2010

Home Athletic ContestsSaturday, May 15, 2010

J.V. Baseball vs. St. Paul’s2 p.m. (Elliott Field)

Boys Varsity & J.V. Lacrosse vs. St. Paul’s3:30 p.m. (North Field/Cliff Field)

Varsity Softball vs. St. Paul’s3:30 p.m. (The Softball Field, above North Field)

Girls Varsity & J.V. Tennis vs. St. Paul’s3:30 p.m. (Upper & Lower Tennis Courts)

PHOTO

BYANDREAHANSEN

Mark your calendars for another great Reunion

Weekend in May, says Reunion Weekend coordinator

Ann Weston.

Scheduled events begin Friday, May 14, and are of

special note to reunion classes. As usual, the weekend

kicks off on Friday evening with the presentation of the

St. George’s distinguished alumnus/a award, the Diman

Award, which this year will be given to journalist KKaatteeZZeerrnniikkee ’86. A welcome reception as well as a variety of

evening events for individual reunion classes will

follow the Diman Award presentation.

Saturday’s activities include a memorial service

for former faculty member Gilbert Burnett Jr., Vin-

cent Astor ’10 Chair in Science and Head of the Sci-

ence Department emeritus, who died Sept. 13. Also on

tap are Chapel tours, class visits, student and faculty

panel discussions, a picnic lunch on the front lawn,

assorted home athletic contests, and a formal dinner

at the Stephen P. Cabot and Archer Harman Ice Cen-

ter. This festive dinner celebration is in honor of all

the reunion classes.

A special alumni/ae chapel service takes place on

Sunday morning, May 16.

Reunion class members will receive an invitation to

Reunion Weekend. Please visit our web site at

www.stgeorges.edu for Reunion Weekend registration,

hotel information, a weekend schedule and a list of

alumni/ae who have already registered.

Alumni/ae invitedback May 14-16

1935 • 75th

1940 • 70th

1945 • 65th

1950 • 60th

1955 • 55th

1960 • 50th

1965 • 45th

1970 • 40th

1975 • 35th

1980 • 30th

1985 • 25th

1990 • 20th

1995 • 15th

2000 • 10th

2005 • 5th

REUNION CL ASSES

R E C O N N E C T I N G O N T H E H I L L T O PReunion Weekend ’10

S E E N O N T H E H I L L T O P

Upcoming Events

April 2010Reception in Seoul, KoreaContact Events coordinator Ann Weston [email protected] or 401.842.6731 for details

Thurs., April 15Princeton, N.J.At the home ofEdward and Marie Matthews P’87Tues., April 27Fairfield, Conn.At the home ofVirginia and Jim Dean ’72, P’11Tues., May 4Gladstone, N.J.At the home of Betsy Michel P’85, ’89

You’re invited:Regional Receptions

St. George’s School admits male and

female students of any religion, race, color,

sexual orientation, and national or ethnic

origin to all the programs and activities gener-

ally accorded or made available to students at

the school. It does not discriminate on the

basis of religion, gender, race, color, sexual

orientation, or national or ethnic origin in the

administration of its educational policies,

scholarship and loan programs, or athletic and

other school-administered programs. In addi-

tion, the school welcomes visits from disabled

applicants.

SStt.. GGeeoorrggee’’ss PPoolliiccyy oonnNNoonn--DDiissccrriimmiinnaattiioonn

In 1896, the Rev. John Byron Diman,

founder of St. George’s School, wrote in his

“Purposes of the School” that “the specific

objectives of St. George’s are to give its stu-

dents the opportunity of developing to the

fullest extent possible the particular gifts that

are theirs and to encourage in them the desire

to do so. Their immediate job after leaving

school is to handle successfully the demands

of college; later it is hoped that their lives will

be ones of constructive service to the world

and to God.”

In the 21st century, we continue to teach

young women and men the value of learning

and achievement, service to others, and respect

for the individual. We believe that these goals

can best be accomplished by exposing students

to a wide range of ideas and choices in the

context of a rigorous curriculum and a sup-

portive residential community.

Therefore, we welcome students and teach-

ers of various talents and backgrounds, and we

encourage their dedication to a multiplicity

of pursuits —intellectual, spiritual, and physi-

cal—that will enable them to succeed in and

contribute to a complex, changing world.

SStt.. GGeeoorrggee’’ss SScchhoooollMMiissssiioonn SSttaatteemmeenntt

Fri., April 23St. George’s Day Celebration for Friends of the ChapelFri., May 14 - Sun., May 16Reunion WeekendSat., May 29Spring Dance ConcertMon., May 31Prize DayTues., Sept. 7, 5:30 p.m.Day Student Family PicnicMon., Sept. 13, 8 a.m.Convocation chapel and classes beginFri., Oct. 22 - Sat., Oct. 23Parents Weekend

ST. GEORGE’Swinter Bulletin2010

St. George’s SchoolP.O. Box 1910Newport, RI 02840-0190

Non-ProfitOrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDSt. George’s School

In this issue:

COVER STORY:

RememberingHeadmaster Emeritus Charles A. Hamblet (1941-2010)BY SUZANNE L. MCGRADY

Tenth headmaster of St. George’s,Charles A. Hamblet, dies at 68BY SUZANNE L. MCGRADY

Becoming Mary BY SUZANNE L. MCGRADY

Generous in many ways: Lewis N. Madeira ’39

Former Science Department ChairGilbert Burnett Jr. to be memorialized

Chapel talks:Life lessons from Pops BY POLLY MURRAY ’10

A place to call home BY SABRA WILSON ’10

Community Service: Spotlight on Camp Ramleh

Reunion Weekend 2010

Class Notes

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Bulletin Winter 2010