1Inspiring Minds & Inspiring Lives

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the lowell whiteman

Journal of the Lowell Whiteman School

New Dorm Austria Residency Program

Annual Giving ReportAlumni Section

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3Inspiring Minds & Inspiring Lives

By Chris Taylor

What a wonderful time to be the new Head of School at LWS! As

Ginger and I arrived on campus this summer, the finishing touches were being put on the new dormitory, and we started school with 14 boys in the dormitory. It has been a busy fall. I hope everyone is enjoying our new, weekly newsletter. Except for the unex-pected rain during Desert Week, the fall trips were spectacular. With 75 inches of snow already on Mt. Werner, winter activities will be in full swing by December. I want again to thank the parents for entrusting us with your 76 students. It was wonderful to see so many of you at Parent’s Weekend — we had 62 families represented!

This publication seems to be an appro-priate time for me to reflect on change at LWS in light of my short time as Head of School. I think most people are anx-ious about change. Perhaps because my college reading was in philosophy, I find myself thinking of the old problem posed by the Greek philosopher Heracli-tes. He asked whether, when someone steps into a river at different times, the person has stepped into the same river, given that the water is different each time? Plato later took up Heraclites’ challenge and explained it was the same river, since there are universal ideals, and the ideal of the river persists separately from the flow of the water. Change has stumped and sometimes frightened us for centuries, even though we know it is an inevitable and creative process

necessary for the development of indi-viduals and institutions. If we are Idealists like Plato, then we will identify the ideals that ensure that LWS is the same each fall when we start a new school year, like stepping into the river at different times. While times are different and people, courses, and programs may change, the mission and values of LWS should be familiar to current and former students.

The core of the Whiteman experi-ence is a strong academic program with exceptional outdoor and travel experiences for boarding and day students. For competitive skiers and snow boarders, there is no better overall program in the nation. Further-more, we expect Whiteman students to participate in a wide range of activities such as community service, visual and performing arts, and chores. Lastly, communication and collaboration

Chris Taylor Head of School

A Message from the Head of School

What Makes The Lowell Whiteman School Great?

between family and school is essen-tial for providing a good education at Whiteman.

This summer, as I mentioned in my letter in early fall to parents, we focused on safety, health, and community as we prepared for the opening of school. Our communication was rushed and, combined with misinformation, there was a fear the school was no longer the same school. Through different parent and student meetings, including a

recent all-school Town Meeting, we have dis-cussed as a community the reasons and purposes for change. In the meet-ings, we also asked ourselves what values are important to the LWS community. Start-ing with the Student/Parent Handbook as a basis for discussion, we agreed that being coop-erative, considerate, and respectful are important for creating a safe, healthy, and comfortable community. We will continue to find ways to better communicate and dialogue about what will make the Whiteman experience even stronger.

The strength of any school is its faculty. As I think you already

know, The Lowell Whiteman School’s greatest asset is its faculty. As I have gotten to know the faculty this fall, I’d like to tell you what the characteristics of Whiteman teachers are that make them so effective. Teachers come in many forms and certainly in a vast array of personalities. There is no perfect mold for an effective teacher. Our teachers find ways for students to participate in their own education and maintain hope, even when feeling most

challenged and vulnerable. Teachers have high expectations for all their students and know what students need. Our teachers are able to commu-nicate in ways that result in their students recognizing what strengths are necessary to be successful. Aca-demic excellence is an important part of the mission of LWS, and students need to develop excellent critical thinking skills, learn how to ask questions that probe for understanding of a topic, and strive to understand the inter-connectedness of all the knowledge they acquire.

I’ve watched teachers this fall help students in so many ways, encouraging them up the mountain, convincing them they can make it, and meeting at breakfast in their homes to go over and review material. I want to thank the parents last year who completed a survey asking questions about the school. Your comments about the faculty confirmed what I have witnessed about our faculty: “ability to individualize, small classrooms, and dedicated faculty,” “I think the teachers are excellent and really help to keep the kids on track,” and “I appreciate the strong relationships between students and teachers in and out of the classrooms.”

In August before students arrived, the staff discussed Tony Wagner’s book The Global Achievement Gap. In his book, he explains why we need to rethink what skills our students will need to have to land successful careers and to be good citizens. Here are the seven skills Wagner asserts are critical for students to gain in preparation for their future work and citizenship:

CRITICAL THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING

In a society where adaptability to new situations is valued and where

there is a need to continually upgrade products, processes, and services,

Wagner found that business executives believe the ability to ask the right

questions lies at the heart of critical thinking and problem solving.

COLLABORATION AND LEADERSHIP

Knowing how to influence change through collaboration and the use

leadership skills will be critical.

AGILITY AND ADAPTABILITY

Many businesses today expect their employees to think, be flexible, be

ready to change, and use a variety of skills and tools to solve unexpected

problems.

INITIATIVE AND ENTREPRENEURALISM Self-directed people who have an

achievement focus and a drive for results are being sought out in

business. Taking initiative and leading teams of peers to solutions that bring about successful change is a highly

sought after skill set.

EFFECTIVE ORAL AND WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

Clear communication of one’s thoughts in a concise way that brings focus, energy, and passion will allow students to be more successful in the

workplace and to make a contribution to the world.

ACCESSING AND ANALYZING INFORMATION

Businesses need employees who are able to process, analyze, and evaluate

information.

CURIOSITY AND IMAGINATION Highly valued employees must

know how to come up with creative solutions and design products and

services that are noticeably better than the competition’s.

During our discussions this summer about Wagner’s book, we clearly agreed

that LWS students need to have their ideas tested and have the confidence to challenge those of others. Our teachers are adults who talk about what matters, and they create a safe and caring environment where each student is encouraged to take risks, to be curious, and to think.

For LWS to compete with other schools, we need to continue to find ways to create an environment where students love to learn and are engaged in their own educa-tion. Somehow in this mix of ideals, there are also the realities of budget constraints as we try to provide all the educational services and retain a diverse socio-economic community of students. The School will have to be creative in finding ways to keep up with employee salaries and benefits as these costs are also increasing significantly every year. Again, we point out to prospective families that they will only pay a portion of the actual costs of educating their children at LWS. This is why we have an annual giving program.

We count on the commitment and generosity of so many families, alumni, and friends to assure we will be in a solid financial position and will weather these tough economic times. Parents need to know that Whiteman teachers will be provided opportunities for professional growth. While there is a budget to support teacher development, it is not enough. You have received a letter and a phone call asking for your help with this fund drive. I trust that your passion for the school will result in generous giving.

I want to thank Vicki and Alan Rudolph who have chaired our Parent Campaign this fall. Beth Banning, Michael DeGrandis, Anne Baronous, Nora Parker, and Holly Ehrlich have been working hard to raise the funds needed to keep LWS an inspirational place for young people where their lives really are changed.

I look forward to supporting the con-tinued successes and accomplishments of our students during the year.

54 Inspiring Minds & Inspiring LivesThe Lowell Whiteman Experience

The Sunny Side of Life: By Cameron McVey

Compared to Kakela Hall, where I lived for 12 years, The New Boys’

Dorm is the sunny side of life. Situated on the north edge of campus diagonally up the hill from the Bunkhouse (may she rest in peace) and down the ridge from Whittum House, the New Boys’ Dorm has unobstructed views into Strawberry Park and on to Mt. Werner. Along with the views come the strong rays of the Colorado sun, and since all the rooms are on the south side of the dorm, everyone benefits from the natural solar warmth. At night and in the early morning the dorm is heated by a radiant floor heating system. I must confess it took us a while to figure the system out. Eventually, Steve Losack, the dorm assistant, downloaded a 24-page manual in order to program the different heating zones so that one part of the dorm wasn’t freezing while

another was roasting. But that’s all been straightened out, and now all the resi-dential students—male seniors and juniors are the New Boys’ Dorm’s inhabitants—are cozy and warm in their new dorm.

When you enter the dorm, you are greeted by multiple pairs of shoes all lined up (more or less) along the sides of the entryway. Concrete floors on the first floor and gravel and snow-packed pathways leading up to the dorm make it necessary for all to doff their shoes as they enter in order to keep the place reasonably clean. One of the more dreaded of the weekly dorm chores is the sweeping and mopping of the downstairs hallway, as it is long and tends to get the dirtiest, even with the removing of shoes. The boys don’t com-plain (that much) and swab away at the weekly build-up of dirt and grime in

The “No Shoes” policy makes for an interesting hallway. A view of the New Boys’ Dorm from the center of campus.Iker Lastra `11 plays a song in the common area. Tom Vrba `11 enjoying his first floor room.

order to make it shiny and new again.The white walls of the hallways and

the stairwells beg for some color and coverage. I have asked Lainey Heartz, our art teacher, to collect pieces from her students this year to be displayed on the walls of the dorm. Faculty member Margi Missling-Root has volunteered to let me have some of the gifts from past foreign trips to help add an eclectic touch to the decorations. A dorm can have only so many ski and snowboard posters. One parent commented at the beginning of the year, having just dropped off another, older son at college, that our dorm had far better accommodations than the college one had. That was certainly nice to hear as there was a great deal of planning put into the fundraising and actual planning out of the rooms of the dorm. The furniture in each room is all new,

The New Boys’ Dorm

and has a rustic, wooden flavor, adding to the coziness of the rooms. We’ve decided that the New Boys’ Dorm offers the right balance between modern and old-fashioned, comfy mountain living.

I live with my wife, LJ, on the west end of the dorm along with my three cats. Steve lives on the east end, directly above the common room/ kitchenette area. He has to occasionally remind the boys to keep the volume down on the television so he can concentrate on grading his classes’ Spanish homework. Every two weeks or so, my wife and I have all the boys over to our apartment for combination birthday celebrations and snack night. As you can imagine, these events are attended religiously and the boys mum-ble their thanks around mouthfuls of bacon nachos or chocolate cake.

Each floor has a washer and dryer. So far, the boys have been diligent about cleaning their clothes on a regular basis (I’m shocked, too!). While some boys keep their rooms very neat, there are a few who need some regular reminders that clean clothes should be put in

drawers or hung up and not be dumped in a mound on the floor, desk, or bed. “It’s my system,” they say. To which I reply, “It’s a bad system. Fix it.”

I am not sure how many pairs of skis and snowboards this year’s crop of boys will bring into the dorm, but we

should have space for them all as each floor has at least one storage closet. There is also a larger storage area that can be accessed from the outside for seasonal gear like bicycles and kay-aks. In addition, I finally have a util-ity sink to work with! You cannot

imagine how much of a help that is come Sunday clean-up time. No more filling mop buckets from the bathroom sinks or shower heads.

All the dorm is missing at this point are the memories of the goofy things its resi-

dents will inevitably do. Elizabeth and Kakela Halls hold those memories in abundance, and I am sure New Boys’ Dorm, whatever it ends up being named, will have its fair share of memories as well in just a few short years.

“I appreciate the friendship that you obtain with all the guys in the dorm, it’s like you’re all brothers.“

— Chris Lehmann `12, Sweden

76 Inspiring Minds & Inspiring LivesThe Lowell Whiteman Experience

Skiers Spend a Month in the Glow of the Alps Monday Afternoons Offer Art Outlets

Camping Trips Test Students (and Gear!)

By Gina Wither

What a spectacle we made moving through the airport. People stared

as thirteen kids, their backpacks laden with books, laptops, and ski boots, brought in cart after cart of equipment. Duct taped bundles of gates, tuning benches, boxes of timing equipment, skis, skis, and more skis. The ticket agent wondered at everything we were checking. Was it easy? No. Was it what would lead to best possible experience we could have in Austria? Yes.

In its second year, the Austria Residen-cy Program offers dedicated Alpinists the chance to spend the month of Octo-ber in Patsch, a small town in western Austria. It is a collaborative effort be-tween the dedicated coaches and staff at the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club and the hardworking, devoted teachers and staff of the Lowell White-man School. Everyone pitches in to make a project like this work. Teachers work overtime to prepare packets of handouts and syllabi. They spend time with kids preparing them before the trip and helping them catch up when they re-turn. They film their classes with the new high-tech, high-definition cameras and screens that were donated by the LifeSize Corporation (www.lifesize.com). The kids work hard to stay caught up in

school. They scan textbooks, take tests that have been scanned and emailed, write papers, and even do some photog-raphy. They go from 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. They train, analyze video, work out, tune skis, recycle (quite the process in Austria), and keep their rooms and kitchens clean (for the most part). Our fearless coaches—Rob Worrell, Eric Cates and Scott Wither—set challenging courses, impart effective tips, and help all to improve. I attempt to run perfectly studious study halls, keep everyone on track academically, and keep us well-fed.

We made a remarkable team. Of the thirteen student-athletes, five are Lowell Whiteman student-athletes: Maria Hill-enbrand `11, Alex Barounos `13, Annie Ochs `13, Zak Kjos `14, and Olivia Rudolph `14. Breakthroughs were made and I don’t just mean on the hill. This month away, juggling school and training, is quite the experiential teacher. The kids have to be driven, organized and focused to succeed.

The Austrian Residency Program epitomizes one of the things I most appreciate about the Lowell Whiteman School. We forego the easiest path in exchange for the path that will lead to richest, most pedagogically sound, and meaningful experience our kids can have.

So, to copy the Visa commercials, here’s what makes for a great trip to Austria:

13 kids3 coaches1 teacher/cook/grocery guru27 days in country20 days of skiing (Stubai, Hintertux, Pitz-tal Glaciers)114 hours of study hall21 sessions of dryland (not counting a.m. warm-up runs)407 cans of red bull300 lbs of chocolate1 castle (Neuschwanstein Castle, Hohen-schwangau, Germany)1 evening of bowlingCountless boxes of Apfel Saft (our favorite Austrian apple juice)30 big jars of Nutella 75 hours of LifeSize videoed classes438 hours of ski tuning1 World Cup in Solden (13 patriotically painted faces)15 Bode Miller and Ted Ligety sightings 1 meter of pulver schnee (powder snow)40 trips to the grocery store1 trip to the doctor1 unleaded instead of diesel mishap35 signatures of World Cup athletes 1 male overall Austria Cup Champion (our own Zak Kjos ’14!)13 happy, safe, healthy, and capable kid

Left, strength training at the apartments (the same used by the U.S. Ski Team). Center, happy student-athletes on the Hintertux Glacier. Right, students take some time off to enjoy the sites (“Only a few minutes!” reminded Worrell).

Lainey Heartz works with Charlie Lakin `12 in Visual Arts

Stuck—but happy!—on the Canyoneering Trip.Below, hiking through the burned but beautiful Zirkels on the way to Mica Lake.

Visual Arts—Taught by Lainey HeartzWe are focusing on collaboration for

various upcoming projects. I hope to put together a design competition for a wall mural in the dining hall. Cam McVey has also “commissioned” us to create some artwork to jazz up the walls of the New Boys’ Dorm. We will be working in pairs to complete some large paintings to ensure that our names and talent will live on long after graduation!

Music Class—Taught by Andy PrattThis is an opportunity for students to

try every instrument we have to offer including, piano, guitar, drum set, banjo, and various percussions. The intention is to make them comfortable enough to experiment, learn some basics, and perhaps find an instrument that they may want to study more seriously. DVD concerts, music documentaries and

discussion round out the curriculum. The LWS String Quartet will begin weekly rehearsals after Thanksgiving break. This will be a group comprised of accomplished student string players and will perform recitals in February and March. The LWS Choir is in a planning stage and will begin rehearsals in January.

Drama—Taught by Steve LosackThe greatest gift I have received

working with the theatre students this fall has been watching their true selves shine through the interaction with Shakespearean texts. During theatre class, we really work together as an en-semble to break down inhibitions and self-judgments, allowing for wonderful-ly honest moments to unfold. Currently, we are working on a modernized pre-sentation of Scene II of The Tempest.

Since 1957, camping and outdoor adventure have been central parts of the Lowell Whiteman Experience. With three trips each fall, including the famed “Desert Week,” LWS students have the enviable opportunity to camp in and explore some of the most beautiful and remote areas of the American West. The first two of this year’s trips went off without any hitches; the weather was perfect, the kids were enthusiastic, and the faculty members seemed perfectly suited to their trips. Desert Week, however, of-fered a wrinkle that no one could prepare for—unruly weather that altered just about every Plan A, and some-times even Plan B. Rain, ferocious winds, and tenacious mud made for a memorable week.

Even with all of the atmospheric turbulence, faculty and students alike came back smiling, proud of what they accomplished in the face of real adversity.

By Derek Svennungsen

98 Inspiring Minds & Inspiring LivesThe Lowell Whiteman Experience

ANNUALUNRESTRICTEDJennings Anderson ‘08Jean Crosser Applegate ‘70 and Vick ApplegateKeith Baker ‘74The Banning FamilyThe Barounos FamilyMark and Angela BeckerJill Mustard Benbow ‘99Annie Bendon ‘00Susan and James BendonPeggy B. BerglundSara BishopJames BleshmanTim and Janet BordenKami BrockwayRodney and Nancy BuchnerMary CainJeffrey Carrier ‘69 and Marie CarrierJulie CasperRichard and Susan CausleyCorinne CilliEmily Colin ‘03

Warren and Shelly CollinsPatrick and Susan CorserMichael and Sara Craig-ScheckmanBarry and Robin CrossanLin Andrews Cowan ‘63Walt Daub and Jayne AustinErin DavisBarbara (former Trustee) and Robert DayMichael and Chris DeGrandisPolly DonaldNicholette DurkanRoss and Sally DyerScott and Holly EhrlichBetty FaulknerFidelity Charitable Gift FundAaron and Catherine FinchLee FindellThe Findell Matthews FamilyJohn and Karen FitzgeraldMr. and Mrs. John T. FortTeri FostvedtKarsten FostvedtJoseph GallinaAndrew Girdler ‘97

Mitch and Stella GlobeMichael Goldscheitter and Anne WiperGates Gooding ‘01Robert and Juliette GorhamDavid Greeley ‘03Liana Gregory ‘05Eric GrossbaumPeter HallSteve and Diane HalversonAmy Harris and Chip CoeLainey and Cody HeartzRyan Heckman ‘93 and Katie Borden Heckman ‘93Tom and Susan HilbHilb Family FoundationDavid and Amy Hill Paul and Cindie HillJohn and Amy HillenbrandSarah HoffmanThe Horner FamilySandy Jordan ‘60Ted KahnEvelyn Kraus Kanders ‘81 and Bernd Kanders

Arthur Kelton, Jr. Dennis and Pamela KinderGlenn and Penny KleinKerry KwiatkowskiJoanne “Doc” LaskoMark LeaFred and Kerrie LeonardMichael and Meg Leonard Sophie Leonard ‘08Jonathan LevinJim LinvilleChristopher and Susan LockwoodSunny Owens Lodwick ‘95 and Todd LodwickDavid Lowe ‘59Jeff and Denise LupearThe Malone FamilyPeter and Roberta MarshallParky May ‘62Erika & Charlie MayfieldPeter Mayfield ‘03Dr. Mark McCaulley and Marilyn McCaulleyChristina and Donald McLeanDavid Meyer ‘77

Patrick MeyerEdward and Susan MontgomeryMeg and John MorseWilliam and Mary NealIrene NelsonMatt and Lynn NewmanHeidi NunnikhovenDonald and Jennifer OchsThe Oliver Family FoundationRobert and Mary OuttrimJulia OxenhandlerJan Eric and Loren ParsonsDiane and Charles PetersenJohn and Ellen PfarrJohn Pfarr ‘87John and Charlotte Phillips Ralph and Darcy PhillipsNarda PitkethlyVivianne PommierRobert and Sarah PruettJoe Pyle and Cassi EckerJulia Roberts ‘90Dylan Roberts ‘07Bridger Root ‘07Nick Rose Elizabeth and Christopher RoserNalda and Desider RotheDonald and Janet RowleyAlan and Vicki RudolphErik Schulze ‘92Sally Smith Shwartz ‘78 and Ted ShwartzAndy Simpson ‘69 and Wendy Eder ‘72Erik Skinner ‘92 and Heather Corkadel Skinner ‘94Brian Smith and Alli Williams Smith ‘99Soda Creek Ditch CompanyAdrienne and Steven SouthworthEllie Southworth ‘08Jim and Nancy SpillaneNatalie and Allen StorieTamarack FoundationTCD Inc.Bill Tharp ‘00 and Leighann PlummerDana and Lindsey ThomasNoel and Tina ThompsonElizabeth Tobler Mareo and Mayliss ToritoSharon Valentine-Hatchett ‘77Kevin and Nancy VentrudoChip and Carla Von ThadenEd Walker ‘74Katherine Walker

Janet WardSuzanne WilsonRegina and Scott WitherAnne WolfeCher and Jeffrey ZavikSuzanne Zunzer

ANNUAL RESTRICTED GIFTSForeign TravelNatalie BryantEd Walker ‘74Horse ProgramBruce Burrow ‘70Financial AidNoneArtsJoanne “Doc” LaskoFaculty Salaries and BenefitsTim and Janet BordenKatie Spillane ‘01Kaye Larson “A Friend to All” AwardEdward and LaDonna MorrowJim and Nancy SpillaneMisc Restricted GiftsWalt Daub and Jayne AustinJoanne “Doc” LaskoChristopher (Trustee Emeritus) and Susan LockwoodSunny Owens Lodwick ‘95 and Todd LodwickJohn and Meg MorseJim and Nancy SpillaneKevin and Nancy VentrudoEd Walker ‘74

JOE ROBERTS SCHOLARSHIP FUNDMartha AbernathyGordon and Natalie AllanJennifer and Justin AndersonJean and Vick ApplegateLeslie and Michael BarrettLori E. Bates and Mark TempkinWilliam and Kristine BenslerGale and Jane BensussenKari and William BurmanLinda CarltonLissa ClaussenChip CooperElisa and Kevin CrippsRenee N. Dupre and Eric L. BakerBeth B. FindellStuart and Susan FishmanZach Franzgen

Andrew GirdlerJordan GrayJulie GreenStuart and Jane HarelikGrace Horton-OlmosDr. Dennis Kinder and Dr. Pamela KinderRebecca Bergman LeaChristopher and Susan LockwoodMeg and John MorseDiane and R Charles PetersenRalph and Darcy PhillipsJim and Pat PrendergastTony Prendergast and Sally KaneKenny ReismanJulia P. RobertsNalda and Desider RotheAndy Simpson and Wendy EderDeb and Barry SmithArianthe and Paul StettnerAllen and Natalie StorieSol and Jeanne UpbinKevin and Nancy VentrudoScott VentrudoLauren VentrudoKatherine M. WalkerEd Walker ‘74Mike and Janice WhitacreNina and Theodore WrightTeresa WrightSuzanne Zunzer

LUCY CAUSLEY SCHOLARSHIP FUNDLomax Family FoundationIndependence Village of PetoskyJ.P. Morgan Chase & Co.Cantwell, Cummins & CompanyFesterling’s Marathon Service, L.L.C.James AdamsGordon and Natalie AllanSteven L. ArbaughLaurie AustinBeth BanningCarolyn BeacomCatherine and David BeacomDick and Sharon BeacomBlain and Becky BecktoldWayne and Cheryl BlombergRobert and Julia BoomerAnn and Erik BorgenKim and R.A. BuntinCorinna BurkmanBruce Byl

Kaye CandlerWilliam and Suzanne CantwellJoseph M. CaserioRichard and Susan CausleyRobert CausleyJennifer and Bill ChopeDennis J. CullitonJames CumminsWalt Daub and Jayne AustinMaurice and Anna Marie DayLynn DinningKaren J. DonnellyJerry and Arlene FesterlingWilliam and Constance FisherKiersten GokeeJoseph P. GriffinCynthia B. GullicksonEllen and David HofackerCarol J. JarviNed and Catherine KeglerMichael and Marilyn KellyJanice KopenitzJoanne “Doc” LaskoAustin and Rachael LomaxTrisha O. LudwigLane and Michael MaloneDonald and Robin McCartyWilliam and Jaya McElroyMargaret D. McIntireRichard and Marlin MilneMargi Missling-RootPatrick and Deborah MoranJoseph and Delia MurphyJudith OrtEvan ParrGary PiersonRandall and Sherry ReedMaureen G. RonquistKatherine RowleyGregory and Pamela SmithFred and Eleanor SomesMichael and Susan SternRobert and Genevieve TheisenMr. and Mrs. Jerry TheisenLawrence and Lois TheisenRoger and Gail TolzdorfPatricia and Robert UtterAnne VoslerEd Walker ‘74James and Laurissa WendlandMargery W. WilleyJames and Ann WilliamsMark and Cheryl WojtasTeresa WrightPaul and Joann Zambas

I would like to thank all the parents who contributed to the success of last year’s 2009/10 Annual Fund

Campaign. Over the past 6 years, as a member of the Annual Fund Committee, I have spoken to hundreds of parents about the importance of annual fund giving. A vast majority have shown their commitment to LWS with their monetary support, but even more telling of the connection that those families feel with our school are the many common stories that we shared—a particularly inspiring teacher who motivated our daughter, a magical canyon dash through Escalante, or an exhilarating kayak through Hell’s Gate, or one of countless new experiences on Foreign Trip. These are the moments that make us feel lucky to have found this wonderful educational opportunity for our children.

But as many of you know, tuition does not cover the operating costs of an independent school such as ours. This makes the Annual Fund vitally important to the yearly financial health of LWS. Your contribution directly affects the students who go to Lowell Whiteman today. The level of support is flexible and based on each family’s situation, but I believe participation is a responsibility that is shared by all in the LWS community. Last year a majority of LWS families chose to participate in the Annual Fund Campaign; please join me and my family to help us achieve our goal of 100% participation this year.

Annual Giving

The bronze of school founder Lowell Whiteman sits on the patio between the Borden Center and the Andersen Gym. Sculpted by former faculty member Sandy Graves, Lowell keeps a watchful eye on the growth and development of his school.

An Invitation from Steven Southworth, LWS Parent `08, `10

1110 Inspiring Minds & Inspiring LivesThe Lowell Whiteman Experience

Freshman Perspectives, East and West:

Two Recent Grads Tell their New Stories

I expected college to be different than high school, but I was not prepared for

the extent to which my life has changed in the first few months of being at Harvard. The student body and the academics—at least in this first semester—are a stark contrast to the people and the classes at Whiteman.

I have found wonderful people here—

My fall quarter at DU has been full of new experiences. One of the

things I enjoy most is being in a more culturally diverse setting. In one of my classes, I am the only “white” girl, which is a very different experience for me. It is really the first time in my life that I have had a very open opportuni-

my group of friends formed almost instantly. I know that I will miss them when I come back to Steamboat this Winter Break and over the summer. Almost everyone here has his or her own incredible talent of which one is some-times not even aware. My friends take really great care of me and I appreciate that they have been here in a time of adjustment. I wish I could say that I was fully prepared for the amount of work that I have here, but I was not. Now that almost all of my midterms are over, though, I feel a little bit more optimistic.

There are so many opportunities here that I cannot possibly take advantage of all of them! I write for The Harvard Inde-pendent, a weekly student newspaper with a creative focus. I have written about curling, Buzkashi (the national sport of Afghanistan), LGBTQ rights, things to do in November, and the movie Eraserhead. I love to have something to do that isn’t so brutally academic.

ty to become friends with people who are very, very different than me. I have become really close with my room-mates and my suitemate, who come from Maryland, California and Denver. The three of us have different interests, religious views, family backgrounds, skin color, but we can have so much fun together! There is such a joy in listening and learning about how dissimilar people are from you, and being able to look past that and just be friends.

I am really enjoying my classes and am taking 17 credits: Psychology 1001, Gandhi’s India (1885-1947), Literary Applications of Hip-Hop Culture, and Communications: Pop Culture & Media. Each of my classes is a lot of reading and paper writing, but that is exactly what I like to do. My classes also overlap on many similar ideas and topics, yet from varying perspec-tives, which has been really interesting.

Because I have so much work, I am getting to know the study spaces on campus pretty well. There are some truly beautiful places on campus (and some that look straight out of the late 50’s). Our two main libraries are very well stocked, though they can be a bit claustrophobic. I have tried to get off campus more and study in coffee shops. Studying in a café is nice because I always feel as though some-one is staring at me hostilely and waiting for me to leave, so I get my work finished more efficiently.

I miss my friends back in Steamboat, and I miss being able to drive out into the woods in 15 minutes, but I was ready to leave. When I was in high school, Steam-boat could feel very small, and after living there for almost my entire life, I love having the opportunity to be somewhere intellectually and physically busy. I don’t mind getting a little lost in the crowd, something that never happened at LWS. — Christine Wolfe

College is definitely a lot of work, but coming from Whiteman, I do feel very prepared. I also feel I have much more time to do my work now, as I am not ski racing at the same time like I did in high school. I hardly feel stressed or overloaded with work, as long as I am efficient with my time, a trait all LWS students learn.

After this quarter, I am “stomping out” (as DU calls it), or taking off the winter quarter to go back to Steamboat and continue to compete in ski racing as a PG (post-grad). I am really happy that I went to school this fall, but now I am ready to come homwe and focus entirely on skiing. My goal is to have a good ski season and be able to ski for the DU ski team by next fall so I can go to school and ski at the same time. I have been training really hard and I’m ready to get on snow and have a really good season. — Shane McLean

Christine Wolfe (far right in red) with her floormates in front of her dorm at Harvard University.

Shane McLean (right) with roommate Brianna Hooks from Maryland at-tend a DU hockey game together.

A Note from the Director of Alumni Relations

Alumni News

Dear Fellow Alumni,

This fall I had the pleasure of spending a month in Steamboat for the first time in many years. Visiting LWS is an important part of any journey home for me. Along with Katherine Green (Roberts) `99, Bridger Root `07, and a handful of others, my “Whiteman Experi-ence” began only a few days after I was born.

As I drove up County Road 36 this fall, I was eager to meet the new Head of School, Chris Taylor. I expected to hear about his new plans for the school, his first impressions of Steamboat and his list of projects for the year. I did not expect him to offer me the opportunity of renew-ing my Whiteman Experience by working for the school. But when Chris asked me whether I would be interested in taking on the role of Director of Alumni Relations, it was easy to say yes. It was especially easy once I learned I would be working closely with Doc Lasko to build and maintain the relationships LWS Alumni have with the school.

It never ceases to amaze me how tight-knit the LWS community can be—how LWS people come out of the woodwork when you least expect it. Halfway through a summer internship in L.A., I discovered that my boss’ brother, Tim Haley `63, had been among the earliest students to graduate from LWS. Last spring I found myself eating

dinner with Kathy Hochberg `89, who had found a rambunctious kid (me) who would jump in her lap between classes… on Facebook! Just a few weeks ago I took advantage of shared LWS history to reach out to Alex Horner `06, who, like me, has capitalized on his foreign travel experiences by establishing himself as a freelance translator. Given the unique nature of the Whiteman Experience, I guess it shouldn’t be surprising that The Experience follows us well beyond our years in Steamboat Springs.

As Director of Alumni Relations, I look forward to picking up the torch so diligently carried by Joe Roberts over the years. I will be working closely with Doc, Derek (the new Director of Admissions), Chris and others at the school to keep The Experience coming your way. I am excited to see more of you reconnect to share your memories and stories of how your Whiteman Experience has continued – let’s keep in touch!

Warmly,

Katie Spillane

Class Reunions

This year’s upcoming Reunions are for the Classes of 1961, 1971, 1981, 1991 and 2001. All alumni are invited to attend Graduation Commencement ceremonies, followed by reunion activities. As al-ways, you’re welcome to attend even if your year isn’t listed above. Please keep an eye on our website for details as we get nearer to June 3, 2011, and email Katie Spillane `01 at katie@lws.edu with any questions.

Alumni UpdatesKeep the school informed with your updates, new address , phone number, and emails, and any other information your fellow alums would like to know by emailing katie@lws.edu. Follow our Facebook page (search “The Lowell Whiteman School”), and stay tuned for an Alumni Facebook page, a LWS LinkedIn page, and a monthly LWS Alumni eNewsletter, which will go out at the end of January.

1960sJohn Payne `62 stopped by the campus this summer with about 20 family members. Toye Moses `67 and Art Hilsop `65 attended a small alumni gather-ing in San Francisco.

Bob Carlsen `68 (Univ of Colorado PhD) visited former LWS Head of School John Whittum in Steamboat and recalled many interest-ing episodes of the school in the mid-sixties. He is about to publish a second edition of his book The War for the Heart and Soul of a Highland Maya Town (Santiago Atitlan), recounting the disturbing story of the ascendant evangelical movement in central Guatemala over the last decade. rcarlsen@comcast.net

1970s

Rob Dubin `71 writes: “My wife Dee and I are 3/4 of the way thor-ough our 35,000 mile circumnavigation of the world by sailboat. We are spending the winter in Barcelona, Spain and this is the first time I have been back to Spain since being here in 1971 as a Lowell Whiteman student. The Spanish I learned from Senor Egues comes in handy every single day. In a few months we plan to travel from Barcelona to Estepona where we stayed as students.” Ventana007@aol.com and www.ventanasvoyage.com

1312 Inspiring Minds & Inspiring LivesThe Lowell Whiteman Experience

Alumni News continued

Caitlin Pierce `99 married Ronan Cranley, an Irish Com-puter Programmer, in Port-land, Oregon on August 14th. Whiteman alums present at the wedding included W. Chris Jenkins `97, as well as Walker Pruett `01 and his wife Madeline Pruett.

Katherine Roberts (Green) `98 just received her “Demon-stration Classroom Teacher” certificate. This means she is one of only a few third grade

teachers in the Greeley School District whose classroom is open to vis-its from other teachers in the district who wish to observe how she runs her literacy program, maintains discipline, keeps the kids on task, etc. Katherine has been teaching third grade for six years. She is married to Erik and has a one year old daughter, Siri.

What a year it’s been for John-ny Spillane `99. Following his silver medal three-peat at the Vancouver Winter Olympics — becoming the first Ameri-can to ever win a Nordic Com-bined medal at the Olympics when he took second place in the small hill individual event — Johnny was named Nordic Combined Athlete of the Year at the annual USSA Chairman’s Awards dinner in May. Then to cap that Olympic performance, August 15, 2010 he was named Daddy. Johnny and his wife Hil-ary welcomed their first child, a daughter, Hadley Ann, 5 lbs. 9 oz., 17 in., to their home.

Alli Smith (Williams) `99 received her certification in Medical Mas-sage in Costa Rica. She is also lead therapist and manager at Rocky Mountain Wellness and Integrated Health. alli@steamboatmassage.com

2000sBrooke Schjellerud (Rygg ) `00 married Tor Erik on North Carolina’s Outer Banks on September 4, 2009 and both are presently living and working in their native Norway. Brooke and Tor met while training and competing on a Nordic Ski Team in Norway and both went on to compete as members of the University of Colorado, Boulder Nordic Team. Brooke graduated in 2005 from CU with a BA in International Affairs and a minor in Scandinavian Studies.

Adam Smith `00 completed his Masters Degree in International Edu-cational Development at Columbia University Teacher’s College in December 2009.

Tyler Strauss ̀ 00 stopped by the school this fall to say hello. He didn’t graduate from LWS, but has great memories of his experience. He is the president and co-founder of The Riders Project: www.TheRider-sProject.org.

Jessica Webber `00 graduated in 2006 from Kansas Wesleyan Univer-sity with a degree in psychology. She works as a counselor for youth offenders in Salem, Oregon and was married in June.

Gates Gooding ̀ 01 is in his last year of a Masters program at the Mas-sachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he is studying Ur-ban and Environmental Planning. He spent the winter in Steamboat completing work on his graduate thesis, striving to create a scientific and quantifiable study of possible impacts of future development on Steamboat Springs, and conversely, what the impacts of no develop-ment would be.

Ryan St. Onge `01 competed in the Freestyle Aerials in the 2010 Van-couver Winter Olympics in February. In medal range after placing second in the qualifying round, Ryan’s took fourth place in the finals. Ryan earned a gold medal in the 2009 FIS Freestyle World Champion-ships in Inawashiro, Japan and competed in the 2006 Torino Games.

Michelle Gorgone `01 made her way to the final round of the Wom-en’s Parallel Giant Slalom snowboarding competition at the 2010 Van-couver Winter Olympics, finishing 13th in the finals. Michelle also represented Team USA in Torino, Italy at the 2006 Winter Games.

Sky Rubin `01 has a new job as Senior Sales Representative for eMap International, a small Geospatial Company that sells satellite imagery to clients. Sky works with academic clients, helping them purchase the highest resolution satellite imagery in the world.

Ross Travis `01 is an actor and playwright who lives in San Francisco. He is currently per-forming on Alcatraz Island with the We Players Theater Com-pany in a panoramic rendition of Hamlet. He plays both Mar-celus and Guildenstern. Ross is the man on the left, playing Guildenstern. www.weplayers.org/weplayers.swf

Veronica Campanella `02 was in Steamboat last winter skiing and visiting cousin Ian Noble ’09 and his family. She’s a 2006 graduate of Colorado College and since graduation Veronica sums up her post-collegiate experience as such: “I’ve worked as a human crash dummy/administrative as-

Sarah Bowen (Holloway) ‘74 reports that all is well in Northern Virginia. Highlights of this year so far have been traveling to Steamboat for Joe Roberts’s retirement reunion in June and her son’s wedding in September. hollowaysb@aol.com

Robert Bradford ̀ 74 lives with his wife Virginia and daughter Stel-la live on their farm in Barboursville VA where they have a beef cow/calf operation.

Tres Taylor `75 continues to paint and sell his art. www.trestaylor.com

Roshan Houshmand `78 sent us an evite to her Opening Re-ception Oct. 7th, Confluences of Culture V, in New York City where her abstract paintings were on display. Roshan has been exhibiting her paintings for over two decades in Europe and the USA, and her work has been featured recently in Sym-metry, Cosmos Magazine, and Studio Visit Magazine. She

teaches at the State University of New York in Delhi, NY. www.roshan-houshmand.com

1980sDr. Christina Gayer (Campbell) ̀ 84 and her family recently relocated to Iowa, after a nine-year stint teaching at Montana State University. She is now an associate professor in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Iowa State University. Christina is married to Andy and they have three children, Sam, Luke, and Lola. Chris-tina’s new address is: 2363 212th St., Ames, IA 50014.

Dawn Fowler `86 reports that her husband retired from the USMC after 23 years of service and they have since moved to Houston, TX. Dawn works at Shell in the Creative Services department where she manages the Package Design group. dawn.fowler@shell.com

Matt Touchette`87 sent us a link to the New York Times business fea-ture that profiled the company he works for as a rope specialist, Rope Partner of Santa Cruz, CA. Notes Matt: “I’m putting my knowledge of rock climbing, which I first learned at Whiteman, to work.” www.nytimes.com/2009/12/25/business/

Joshua Hyman `89 has been appointed Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery at New York Presbyterian Hospital of Cornell University, a huge honor for a surgeon. He is planning a medical mission to Ethio-pia in the Spring. Joshua and his wife have two kids, Benjamin 5 and Emily 3, and just moved to Scarsdale, NY.

Dave Jarrett `89, the USSA Nordic Combined head coach, was named USSA Coach of the Year and the International Nordic Combined

Coach of the Year. Dave coached the 2010 U.S. Men’s Nordic Com-bined team in Vancouver to Olympic medal victory and history, mark-ing the first time an American team has medaled in the history of Nor-dic Combined Olympic competition.

1990sAndi Burnite `90 brought Gage Goodnough into the world on May 26, 2010. Andi had planned to make her 20-year reunion but Gage’s arrival changed her plans. Andi, Gage and father are all doing well. Congratulations to all.

Corby Fisher `93 was only here one year, but “has so much to say about LWS!” Corby coached Johnny Spillane `99, and in 2006 became the young-est head coach in US Olympic history. He founded and runs Caliber Sports Enterprises in Park City/LA. He and his wife Emily have two kids, Keely 3 and Zane 2. His parents were both LWS teachers, and he is embarrassingly sure his life, ahem, started here on campus. www.calibersportsenterprises.com

Natalie Beal Williams `95, her husband, Brandon, and son Miles 3, dropped by the school last spring. Natalie is working in the Depart-ment of Human Services in Jefferson County, Colorado and owns and operates NLB Consulting,a company that concentrates on Program Development, Program Evaluation, and Streamlining Welfare and Community Service systems through strategic planning and organi-zational development. Brandon is a lawyer for Qwest Communication.

Art Howland `97 will be completing his MBA at George Mason Uni-versity this year with a focus on Entrepreneurship. Art currently works in the Washington, DC Navy Yard as a Business Financial Man-ager for a group specializing in coordinating efforts of government furnished equipment in aircraft carriers.

W. Chris Jenkins `97 has accepted a new job as Assistant General Counsel for PacificSource Health Plans, a non-profit health insurance provider covering Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana. The Jenkins family will relocate to Eugene, Oregon, and they are expect-ing their first child by the end of December, 2010.

Buddy Bush Hoover `98, her husband, Shane, and their son, Calyx, welcomed Kalle into their home on November 28, 2009. Congratulations to the whole family.

Christopher Cade `99 is in the 2nd year of the PhD program at the University of Indiana.

Tres Taylor painting

Corby Fisher with Nancy & Jim Spillane

Johnny Spillane with wife Hilary and daughter Hadley

Ross Travis

Caitlin Pierce

1514 Inspiring Minds & Inspiring LivesThe Lowell Whiteman Experience

sistant at an automotive research company and as an administrative assistant at a bank. I’m still involved in music and have recorded a couple of tracks and am taking a Protools class. I’ve kept the foreign travel spirit, including trips to Bali, Jamaica and Brazil.” Veronica’s ad-dress: 321 E. Pedregosa St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101.

Britt McLauglin `02 has been working with the Gunnison School District nurse for about two years to get AEDs into the school dis-tricts. “I found out recently we have all of the money so all we have to do is order them and they’ll be in the schools early Janu-ary. Then, we (EMS) will be donating our time to teach all of the teachers CPR so they don’t have to pay for that expense on top of everything else. The Reserve Program (the way we train our new hires and potential new hires) is being adopted by a few other agen-cies across Colorado, which is cool because it’s been my project for the last 4 years, I’ve designed it from what it was to everything it now is.”

Kyra Zona (Marovish) `02, and her husband Mark had a baby boy on August 14, 2010: Gavin Michael, weighing 6.9 pounds and 19 inches. Kyra reports that he is as sweet as can be. Just before maternity leave, Kyra was promoted to manager of a Goodwill pro-gram called Employment WORKS, which provides services to individuals who are seriously and persistently mentally ill or have co-occur-ing drug or alcohol abuse dis-orders. marovishk@yahoo.com

Eliza Outtrim `03 earned her first career podium finish in Sierra Nevada last March, wining a gold medal in moguls. When not competing, Eliza continues her studies at Colorado College, where she is just a few courses away from completing an Economics ma-jor.

Chris Puhl `03 has settled in England, home to his British wife Sarah, whom he wed in 2007. Chris met Sarah while traveling Asia and India. He plans to soon stop working and attend the University of Sussex.

Cali Sparing (Frankovic) ̀ 03, was married on September 5, 2009, to Kurt Sparing, from Helena, Montana. Cali graduated from Mon-tana State University in 2008 with a degree in Photography and a degree in Graphic Design. She owns a photography business in Bozeman, MT since ‘08, called Cali Sparing Photography: calispar-ingphotography.com or calisparingphotography.com/blog.

Amanda Timeoni `03 completed a BA in Philosophy at West-ern Washington University in March 2009. She the completed a solo thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail. starting on the Mexi-can/ California border on April 28th and finishing the trail in

Manning Park, British Columbia on October 9th. She wants to eventually complete hiking’s “Triple Crown,” where one successfully thru-hikes all three, long distance, national scenic trails.

Travis Walker `04 received his BA in Psychology and Philoso-phy from Ft. Lewis College in Durango, CO in December 2009. Four days after graduating he headed for the Art of Living ash-ram in Bangalore, India, where he spent four weeks meditating and doing yoga. He’s back now and living in Denver.

Marian Brown `05 stopped by campus with her friend and fel-low LWS alum, Susanne Kurz `06, from Germany, to give us an update. Marian graduated from Colorado College in May 2009 with a degree in Studio Art and spent last winter as a ski instructor and coach in Breckenridge. Susanne is a student at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland, where she is study-ing Psychology.

Dillon Dennis `05 is a heli-copter pilot, currently living in Hawaii. He just recently hit 1,000 hours of flight time and is now seeking to ex-pand his professional reper-toire into flying turbine he-licopters, hopefully in either Alaska or Abu Dhabi.

Stephanie Woody `05 is at-tending Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff and studying Business Manage-ment and Accounting.

Kevan Beall `09 is attend-ing Humboldt State University and majoring in Outdoor Youth Adventure Education. Through school, he has been able to take camping trips in the Shasta area, building snow shelters, prac-ticing avalanche safety and testing, and working on safe winter travel skills.

It was a big year for LWS alumni graduating from Colorado College. On May 17, 2010, Alex Horner `06 and Scott Ven-trudo `06 both completed their BA’s in Romance Languages and International Affairs, respectively. Elizabeth Findell `06 received her BA in Political Science with a minor in Journalism. Elizabeth has recently accepted a position at a newspaper in McAllen, Texas.

Caroline Wilson `06 is finishing her sophomore year at George Washington University in Washington DC, where she is ma-joring in International Affairs and Global Public Health. This summer Caroline interned at the White House in the office of Health Reform. She spent 2007 and 2008 working for the Obama presidential campaign.

Jennings Anderson `08 is working with Engineers Without Borders (EWB: www.ewb-usa.org) as their Treasur-er. He wants to thank Margi and his LWS Foreign Trips for helping prepare him for this life. “We’re working in a small town 45 minutes north of Mazetanango, Guatemala called Santo Tomas La Union. The main project aims to de-liver clean water to a school of about 400 students. Currently there is a 2.2 mile pipeline that carries water from a spring up in the mountains. The spring source is being contaminated

by surface water whenever it rains. The aim of our project is to con-struct a more robust spring that is impenetrable to surface water and reinforce the pipeline where necessary; as well as install a low-main-tenance filtration system.” jennings.anderson@gmail.com

Joe Roberts’ Farewell Party in June drew dozens of al-ums, all coming to toast the man with more LWS ex-

perience than anyone. To say Joe is revered is an under-statement. He touched so many students and faculty over his four-plus decades as a teacher, fellow traveler, camper, mentor, and friend.

“There are lots of great things about graduating from Whiteman, but the best is that we get to stop calling you Mr. Roberts and start calling you Joe and count you as a friend forever.”

—Rob Dubin `71

“Joe, you are one of great teachers that come along very rarely…. I’m sure all has changed since I’ve haven’t been to Steamboat (at least 30 years) but I’ve always kept up with Whiteman. I can say without a doubt White-man will never be the same without you there. Thank you for teaching about life. Great teachers don’t teach a subject but the teach people how to solve problems. En-joy your retirement. You will always be a teacher, just not in the classroom.”

—Roger Naylor `73 Joe with camera in hand in the early 70s.

Joe Roberts Bids Adieu after 42 (!) Years

Bri Bremond `08 married Andrew Ballinger on October 21, 2008 in Ft. Collins.

Lauren Ventrudo `08 is a junior at Pomona College where she is a Spanish Literature major.

Courtney Cox `08 is a Psychology major in her junior year at Colorado College.

Lauren Ladley `08 is attending the University of Colorado, Boulder and is a Spanish/Business/International Affairs major.

Molly Leonard `08 is a junior at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon and is a Biology/Pre-Med major.

Lucy Causley `09 passed away in January, 2010.

Gavin Parsons `09 is a sophomore at the University of Denver pursuing a Business (Economics) major.

Jennings Anderson

Dillon Dennis

Kyra Marovish

Alumni News continued

The Lowell Whiteman Experience

The Lowell Whiteman School 42605 County Rd 36 Steamboat Springs, CO 80487 (970) 879-1350 www.lws.edu

Remember to send us your email address for future updates on The Lowell Whiteman School Experience! In order to stay connected to LWS, send any updated contact information, photos, stories, and news to Katie Spillane `01, Director of Alumni Relations, at katie@lws.edu.

Help us spread the word about LWS. Refer friends and families to our website at www.lws.edu, and let them begin to discover for themselves the opportunities The Lowell Whiteman School offers.

Creative direction provided by Hilary Spillane at Spillane Creative.

A last look at LWS’s Class of 2010: Back, l to r: Brant Crossan, Gereon Kanders, Taylor Miller, Matt Festvedt, Konrad Becker, Phillip Bishop, Robert Hendry, Chris Hill. Middle, l to r: Hunter Thompson, Victoria Gorham, Hannah Fishman, Anissa Corser, Besty Neall, Clare Southworth, Shane McLean, Molly Newman, Kenzie Marshall. Front, l to r: Chloe Banning, Willow Fitzgerald, Christine Wolfe, Haley Buchner, Sarah Allan, Dylan Thomas, Anna Marno. 16 of the 24 graduates were four-year seniors, and as a group they earned $1.8 million in collegiate scholarships.