the exeter bulletin, summer 2012

SUMMER 2012The E

xeter Bulletin

Sum

mer 2012

Commencement 2012

The Exeter Annual Giving FundTThank you.

Dreams come true...

...thanks to you.

Your support of the 2011-12 Annual Giving Fund had a direct impact on the experience of students from every quarter.

Annual gifts enable the Academy to sustain the hallmarks of an Exeter education, including small class sizes, an outstanding faculty, and facilities and programs that allow students to achieve at a high level.

Once again, you helped keep Exeter extraordinary.

10:04 AM

1SUMMER 2012 The Exeter Bulletin

Around the Table

FeaturesPrincipalThomasE.Hassan ’56, ’66, ’70,’06(Hon.);P’11

Director of CommunicationsJulie Quinn

EditorKaren Ingraham

Staff WritersMike Catano, Alice Gray, Nicole Pellaton, Famebridge Witherspoon

Class Notes EditorJanice M. Reiter

Editorial AssistantSusan Goraczkowski

Creative Director/DesignDavid Nelson, Nelson Design

Contributing EditorsEdouard L. Desrochers ’45, ’62 (Hon.)Jennifer Murray

CommunicationsAdvisory CommitteeDaniel G. Brown ’82, Robert C. Burtman ’74, Dorinda Elliott ’76, Alison Freeland ’72, Keith Johnson ’52,Yvonne M. Lopez ’93

TRUSTEESPresidentG. Thompson Hutton ’73

Vice PresidentEunice Johnson Panetta ’84

David O. Beim ’58, Flobelle Burden Davis ’87, Marc C. de La Bruyè�re ’77, Walter C. Donovan ’81, John A. Downer ’75, Jonathan W. Galassi ’67, Thomas E. Hassan ’56, ’66, ’70, ’06 (Hon.); P’11, Jen Holleran ’86, David R. Horn ’85, Alan R. Jones ’72, Sally Jutabha Michaels ’82, William K. Rawson ’71, Dr. Nina D. Russell ’82, Robert S. Silberman ’76, J. Douglas Smith ’83, Remy White Trafelet ’88, Morrison DeSoto Webb ’65

The Exeter Bulletin (ISSN No. 0195-0207)is published four times each year: fall, winter, spring, and summer, by Phillips Exeter Academy, 20 Main Street, Exeter NH 03833-2460, 603-772-4311. Periodicals postage paid at Exeter, NH, and at additional mailing offices. Printed in the USA by Cummings Printing.The Exeter Bulletin is printed on recycledpaper and sent free of charge to alumni/ae, parents, grandparents, friends, and educational institutions by Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, NH. Communications may be addressed to the editor; email [email protected].

Copyright 2012 by the Trustees of Phillips Exeter Academy. ISSN-0195-0207

Postmasters: Send address changes to:Phillips Exeter Academy, Records Office, 20 Main Street, Exeter, NH 03833-2460.

Contents

22 | PREPARING FOR TOMORROW

2012 Commencement address By Principal Thomas E. Hassan

32 | EMERGENCY RESPONDERSExonians meet disasters head-on By Leah Williams

4 Around the Table: New faculty appointments, campus life at a glance,honoring early educators, and more.

10 Table Talk with Peter Corbett ’99, entrepreneur, innovativemarketer and social technology expert

17 Exoniana: Dialing up the past in an Exeter phonebooth

18 Exonians in Review: Left-handed: Poems by JonathanGalassi ’67. Reviewed by Ralph Sneeden

38 Sports: On the Road Again: Spring sports teams rack upthe mileage compiled by Mike Catano. Plus, spring sportsroundup.

42 Connections: News and Notes from the Alumni/aeCommunity

44 Profiles: Bud Konheim ’53, Dr. Martha Nance ’76 andDaniel Moynihan ’00

112 Finis Origine Pendet: A Year in BangladeshBy Emma Hiza ’05

32

V O L U M E C V I I , N O. 4 S U M M E R 2 0 1 2

Departments

THE EXETER BULLETIN IS PRINTED ON PAPER WITH 10%POST-CONSUMER CONTENT, USING SOY-BASED INKS.

COVER PHOTO BY BRIAN CROWLEY

10

Visit Exeter on the web at www.exeter.edu.Email us at [email protected].

22

Frisbee on the QuadA true sign of spring—the recreational PEA Frisbee team plays infront of the Academy Building after classes on a sunny afternoon.

—Photo by Cheryl Senter

The Exeter Bulletin SUMMER 20122

SUMMER 2012 The Exeter Bulletin

The View from Here

3

4 The Exeter Bulletin SUMMER 2012

The 2012–13 academic year began on July 1 andushered in changes in leadership within theDean of Students Office and beyond, as fac-

ulty members began new tenures in rotating adminis-trative roles.

Melissa D. Mischke, a chemistry instructor since1994 and associate dean of students from 2006–11, isExeter’s new dean of students. She replaces Dan Mor-rissey, who has completed his five-year appointment.

As associate dean, Mischke says she was “routinelychallenged and learned how to encounter and handledifficult and delicate situations”—experience that shebelieves will aid her in transitioning to the new post. Building on the groundwork laid by Morrissey,

Mischke will continue to foster open dialogue andaccessibility between the Academy and PEA parents,while also working toward a paperless office. Shedescribes her prior work with the Academy’s deans as“a team approach in problem-solving and action-planning, which has been invaluable to each of us inour own work areas.”

Mischke plans to work closely with Dean of Facul-ty Ron Kim to ensure students have access to a sup-portive and effective advising system and residential lifeexperience. She also intends to focus on other impor-tant issues, such as pace of life and student health andwellness.“I have spent these last six years observing andembracing the many ways in which the Dean’s Officeforges that all-important connection between Exeter, itsstudents, their parents and the faculty,” she says. Mischke, who has taught at every grade level at PEA,

served as a dormitory head in Amen and Langdell hallsand Moulton House. She also worked with PhysicalEducation Instructor Jean Chase Farnum P’02 andPhysical Education Emeritus Instructor Edward M.Frey ’83 (Hon.) coaching boys varsity tennis.Mischke earned a B.S. and an M.Ed. from the Uni-

versity of New Hampshire. Before Exeter, sheinterned and taught at several New Hampshire Sea-coast-area schools, including Nashua Senior High,Pennichuck Junior High and Timberland RegionalHigh School.Math Instructor Karen L. Geary P’16 joins Mis-

chke in the Dean of Students Office as the new deanof academic affairs. Geary, who has taught at PEA for16 years, replaces English Instructor Jane Cadwell, whoalso has completed her five-year appointment. Geary’sresponsibilities include student programming andscheduling, working with both students and parents.She will also chair the Academic Advising Committeeand collaborate with students’ advisers. In addition toteaching math, she coached girls field hockey and helddorm positions in Amen, Dunbar and Hoyt halls.Geary earned a B.A. from Amherst College and anM.S.T. from the University of New Hampshire.The Academy’s Steyer Distinguished Professor and

Religion Instructor Jamie L. Hamilton P’08, P’11 isthe new associate dean of students, replacing Mischke.In her new position, Hamilton acts as the liaison withHealth Services for students, implementing medicalleave policy and serving as chair of the AttendanceCommittee. A member of the Religion Departmentsince 1995, Hamilton served as department chair from

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New Appointments

Around the TableWhat’s new and notable at the Academy


2000–05 and was the Academy’s acting school minister from2002–03. She has also served as a priest at Emmanuel Church inDublin, NH. Hamilton earned her B.A. from Central WashingtonUniversity and an M.Div. from Union Theological Seminary.

English Instructor Eimer C. Page is the Academy’s first direc-tor of global initiatives. In this newly created position, Page saysshe will “form a stronger vision of Exeter’s place in the globallandscape and offer faculty, staff and students opportunities thatwill expose them to areas of significant international interest.”

Page will administer and expand existing programs, includingopportunities for faculty from multiple departments to traveljointly to places such as Ghana, Morocco and China. She willalso assess the academic and financial viability of student and fac-ulty outreach efforts, including off-campus programs and on-campus conferences, as well as review the safety and health risksassociated with each program.

Originally from Ireland, she currently oversees the Exeter-Ballytobin/Callan Program, an opportunity for qualified seniorsto spend the winter term in Callan, Ireland, living and workingwith people who have special needs.

A member of Exeter’s English Department since 2004, Pagereceived her B.A. from Trinity College in Dublin; an M.A. fromQueen’s University in Belfast; a Ph.D. from Trinity College; andshe attended Harvard University as a visiting Fulbright Fellow.Currently, she serves as dorm head of Dunbar Hall.

Modern Languages Instructor Elena Gosálvez-Blanco is theAcademy’s new associate director of Summer School, which is athree-year position. In this role, she will oversee the SummerSchool’s admissions process, working directly with the Acade-my’s Admissions Office, as well as provide management supportto Director of Summer School Ethan Shapiro. Gosálvez-Blancowill also continue to teach Spanish part time during the regularschool year. An instructor since 2007, she has served as dormhead of Merrill and Hoyt halls. She received her B.A. from Uni-versidad Complutense (Spain), an M.A. from Emerson Collegeand an M.A. from Arizona State University. Kenney M. Chan P’13, P’16, a computer science instructor

since 2006, replaces Math Instructor Patricia Babecki P’06 as theAcademy’s academic scheduler. His experience in designing,developing and maintaining large software systems will be uti-lized in this new position. Chan earned his B.S. from CornellUniversity and an M.Ed. from Harvard University.

Brown Family FacultyAwards Karen GearyMathematics

Ahmed JebariModern Languages

Peter SchultzMusic

Jeff WardScience

George S. Heyer Jr. ’48Teacher Awards Joyce KempMathematics

James SamiljanModern Languages

Rupert Radford ’15 AwardsGretchen BergillCollege Counseling

Jane CadwellDean of Students, English

Linda LucaTheater and Dance, PhysicalEducation

Dan MorrisseyDean of Students

Connie MorseLamont Health and WellnessCenter

Karen Burgess SmithLamont Gallery

Peter VorkinkReligion

Charles E. Ryberg ’63Fund Awards Fran Johnson ’82Science

Brian SeaComputer Science

Giorgio SecondiHistory

Masami StahrMathematics

Andrea SweetInterscholastic Athletics

Dr. Daniel E. Koshland Jr. ’37Awards Patricia BabeckiMathematics

Jim DiCarloScience

Dormitory Adviser AwardsJohnny GriffithEnglish

Melissa PacificPhysical Education

Michelle SoucyHealth Education

The Class of 1964 FundAwardsShelley BronkClass of 1945 Library

Tim LangFacilities Management

Nancy MeansAdmissions

Pam MiltonInformation TechnologyServices

Tammy Preble Dining Services

Blair Brown ’58 and Borden Brown ’56 Staff Excellence AwardsBob BrownGrill

Christine FellInstitutional Advancement

Bobbie JamesonDining Services

Dawn PattenFacilities Management

Maureen RobinsonExeter Social Service Organization

Faculty and Staff Awards and PrizesThis spring, the following Exeter faculty and staff memberswere recognized for the quality of their work and their con-tributions to the life of the school.


Around the Table

March 30: Dr. Warren FarrellAuthor of The Myth of Male Power

Dr. Warren Farrell, author of seven books, including Why MenAre the Way They Are, borrowed a phrase from The Atlantic to

describe what he perceives as the currentcrisis in the emotional development ofboys as “the end of men.”During his assembly address, Farrell

said boys have fallen behind girls in devel-opment because of fatherlessness, chang-ing views on masculinity and addiction tovideo games, among other things. These

factors and others, Farrell argued, will expand a vacuum in lead-ership within American family life, commerce and politics thatcould threaten the country’s future.“When young men have a sense of purpose, they can be one

of society’s most constructive forces,” Farrell said. “When theydon’t have a sense of purpose, they become one of society’s mostdestructive forces.” Farrell’s assembly remarks engendered a campuswide dialogue

among Exonians and resulted in a forum on gender roles, wherean insightful and robust discussion ensued.

April 6: Dr. David T. KungAssociate professor of mathematics, St. Mary’s College of Maryland

Using a violin, jump rope and plastic tube as his instruments, Dr.David T. Kung explored with Exonians the connection—anddisconnection—between mathematical and musical approachesto scales. “When you pluck a string, when you do anything with a

stringed instrument, you’re hearing not just a single note but asymphony of different vibra-tions,” Kung explained as helaunched into the mathematics ofvibrating strings and partial differ-ential equations. During the 50-minute assem-

bly, which he called “talk for bothsides of your brain,” Kung not

only covered a lot of math, physics and music theory but alsoplayed on his violin a bit of Mendelssohn and the chaconne fromViolin Partita No. 2 in D minor by Bach. He also proved that no piano can truly be in tune. “You can

have your fifths in tune or you can have your octaves in tune, butnot both,” he said.

Not your everyday math lesson. After assembly, Kung met with four math classes, including an

advanced class in Selected Topics: Game Theory and Advanced Inte-grated Mathematics.

April 10: Jenny OakleyDigital artist and teacher “The iPad opened up a whole world of possibilities for me,”Scottish artist Jenny Oakley told assembly. “I still do all of the tra-ditional forms of art but I can get nice textures and effects withthe iPad using different apps.” Oakley is the art teacher at the Cedars School of Excellence

in Greenock, Scotland, where each of the 120 students andteachers has an iPad. During her presentation, she showed slides

of artwork by her students, who rangein age from 5 to 18. “The iPad is a safe place for the

[students] to experiment and a realconfidence builder,” Oakley said. “Itprovides a blank canvas and opens up[their] creativity.”She added that the Delete button is

a great tool when working on a digital canvas: “Undo, undo,undo—try something new—undo until you’re happy with it.”Oakley believes the iPad is perfect for encouraging the contin-ued exploration of creativity and ideas.

April 13: Anis MojganiSlam poet and musician “I lift bridges with poems,” said poet Anis Mojgani to Exoniansat assembly. The author, whose poems have been compared to

“fiercely hopeful word arias,” clearlystruck a chord with students during histwo-day visit. “When I found out he was coming to

Exeter, I screamed,” said Lily George ’14of Mojgani, who is a two-time championof the National Poetry Slam and winnerof the International World Cup Poetry

Slam. “It is so amazing,” she continued. “This is one of thosemoments where I feel infinitely lucky to be at Exeter.” Mojgani performed twice at Exeter, giving an evening con-

cert as well as an assembly. He is the author of two poetry collections, The Feather Room

and Over the Anvil We Stretch, and has appeared on HBO’s “DefPoetry Jam,” on NPR, and in the documentary Slam Planet: Warof the Words. His poems have been published in Rattle, Bestiary andThe Legendary.

April 20: Tom Burack ’78 and Ken Kimmell ’78Department of Environmental Services commissioners forNew Hampshire and Massachusetts

Former classmates Tom Burack and Ken Kimmell are now bothcommissioners of their neighboring states’ environmental servic-es departments and frequently collaborate on issues of mutual

In the Assembly HallA SAMPLING OF SPEAKERS WHO CAME TO CAMPUS

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Around the Table

concern. The commissionersspoke to students about top-ics such as wastewater treat-ment management, mercuryemissions reduction and cli-mate change.

The men agreed that aclean environment and eco-

nomic development are closely connected. “Many thought thatbig business was the problem,” Burack said. “It caused us tothink that the economy was the enemy of the environment—infact, the opposite is true.”

Kimmell cited projections of more than $1 billion in savingson energy bills in the Northeast over 10 years because of region-al, mandatory, market-based efforts to reduce greenhouse gasemissions. “The projected economic benefit to New Englandand the mid-Atlantic states is a true success story,” Kimmell said.

Burack told students that his Exeter education gave him thegift of knowing it’s OK to be passionate about something, andKimmell said his experience taught him to listen better and tohave some humility.

April 27: Gayle Tzemach LemmonJournalist, editor, and author of The Dressmaker of Khair Khana

The New York Times best-selling author Gayle Tzemach Lemmonspoke to students about The Dressmaker of Khair Khana, her book

about an Afghan woman entrepreneur.A former political journalist who cov-

ered presidential politics and public affairsas a producer with ABC News and “ThisWeek with George Stephanopoulos,”Lemmon is currently deputy director ofthe Council on Foreign Relations’Women and Foreign Policy program. Herbook is told mainly through the voice of

Kamila, a real-life teenage girl who began a dressmaking businessin her living room during Taliban rule and later expanded it byteaching other women how to sew.

The story grew out of a trip Lemmon took to Afghanistan tocover female entrepreneurs for the Financial Times. Lemmon toldstudents she found “breadwinners in burqas”—women likeKamila who supported their families and got an educationagainst the edicts of their country’s rulers.

“It’s a story about what you do in the world when your backis against the wall,” she told her audience.

May 4: Pierre S. du Pont IV ’52Former governor of DelawareAt the start of a campus visit to mark his 60th Exeter classreunion, the Honorable Pierre S. “Pete” du Pont IV ’52 delivered

an assembly address on what he described as the expanding sizeand cost of government.

Asserting that the United States increasingly resembles manyEuropean nations in the scope of its regulations, health care andsocial programs, he invited students, faculty, staff and several of hisown Exeter classmates to consider whether this is leading to “a

different kind of America.”The views du Pont expressed were

consistent with the policies he pursuedduring his two terms as Delaware’s gover-nor from 1977–85. While in office he lim-ited government spending and signed twoincome tax-reduction measures.

Today du Pont serves as chairman ofthe board for the Dallas-based National

Center for Policy Analysis. He also writes the monthly “Outsidethe Box” column for The Wall Street Journal.

Du Pont concluded his talk by asking the students, “AreAmericans near the tipping point in the nature of their govern-ment? Your job, as someone coming out of the best educationalplace I know of, is to look at it and come to a conclusion.”

May 8: Dr. Peter Onyisi ’99Physicist and postdoctoral scholarThe students in assembly were fascinated by Dr. Peter Onyisi’swork on the ATLAS particle physics experiment in Switzerlandand the search for evidence of the hypothetical particle called theHiggs boson, which would determine the structure of the funda-mental forces of the universe.

Onyisi described the work being doneat the Large Hadron Collider, a massivemachine at the European Organizationfor Nuclear Research Laboratory inSwitzerland. It accelerates protons inopposite directions and crashes themtogether in the center of the ATLASdetector, where the particles produceminute fireballs of primitive energy. This

acceleration creates similar conditions to those at the birth of theuniverse, which have not occurred since the universe cooled 14billion years ago.

“The Higgs boson was first theorized in the 1960s … . Butwe don’t know if it’s fact,” Onyisi told the students. “Scientistshave been researching [it] for decades and this is the last piece.”

Onyisi is part of an effort that includes institutions andnational laboratories from every continent except Antarctica. Ifthe Higgs boson particle is discovered, he said, science textbookswill be rewritten as new processes and particles change theunderstanding of energy and matter.

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Around the Table

The Trustees of the Academymet on campus Wednesday,May 16, through Friday, May 18. On Wednesday, severaltrustees met with members of the Principal’s Staff and

the academic department heads as part of an annual evaluation ofthe principal. Later that evening, trustees gathered for dinner andconversation.The Trustees began their official meetings Thursday morningwith a report from Principal Tom Hassan who provided an updateon conversations and suggestions being made by faculty, staff, stu-dents and alumni/ae in response to the Immediate Priorities that heoutlined earlier this year. He also talked about technology on cam-pus and mentioned other news of the Academy.The Trustees heard reports from members of the InstitutionalAdvancement staff, including Director of the Annual Fund WayneLoosigian, who—with his staff and volunteers—was striving toraise a target $7.9 million for the Annual Fund by the June 30 dead-line. The Trustees also reviewed the manner in which three trusteesare appointed to the group from Exeter’s General Alumni/ae Asso-ciation (GAA) and feted two GAA trustee members, Sally JutabhaMichaels ’82 and Toby Webb ’65, who are now completing theirterms of service. The meeting then turned to discussion of facilities. Director ofFacilities Management Roger Wakeman updated the Trustees onvarious projects being planned or under construction, includingthe steam distribution system upgrade nearing completion. Thefocus of this summer’s work is a section of steam and condensatelines between Phelps Academy Center and Phillips Hall. Work ona geothermal well field under the Academy lawn will beginimmediately following graduation, as will the removal of furni-ture and belongings in Phillips Hall as we enter into the finalstages of that renovation. As part of the normal cycle of the May meeting, the proposedcapital budget for the next fiscal year was presented and approved.The budget outlines several projects, including a renovation to thedish room of Elm Street Dining Hall, a renovation of Model Housefor improved faculty apartments, and the renovation of 15 ElliotStreet (a faculty home recently purchased through a fundraising giftthat includes renovation costs). Wakeman also provided briefupdates on the planning for next summer’s renovation of the Lam-ont Health and Wellness Center and planning for a second synthet-ic turf field, which is contingent on funding being secured. He alsoreported on the work of the joint trustee and on-campus planningcommittee for the Performing Arts Center. Finally, Wakeman andthe Trustees discussed the need to keep in mind master planning forour athletic facilities and noted the possibility of upgrading a fitnesscenter as an interim improvement.Most of Thursday afternoon was devoted to reports from facul-ty and administrators as part of the Education and AppointmentsCommittee sessions. Trustees were presented reports concerning

admissions, college counseling and faculty hiring. In hearing aboutfaculty hiring from Associate Dean of Faculty Rosanna Salcedo,the Trustees were pleased to learn of some progress being made inhiring diverse new faculty members, and they pledged their strongsupport as we move ahead in the Academy’s work on diversity andequity. Dan Morrissey reflected on his five years as dean of students, and the Trustees thanked him for his dedication andaccomplishments. Trustees also talked with Director of Summer School EthanShapiro and Hassan about the history and future of the SummerSchool and were informed about several new outreach efforts toassist teachers and students. Schools as close by as Raymond andNewmarket, NH, as well as one in Chicago are involved. Shapiroalso discussed the continued emphasis on Summer School as anincubator for new programs, courses and ideas.Thursday evening was devoted to a retirement dinner for threeTrustees: David Beim ’58, Michaels and Webb.Several trustees began Friday morning by meeting with seniorswho are currently doing senior projects. They were pleased to learnof the great variety of topics being addressed and explored, and tosee the degree of devotion these students—and their advisers—have to their studies. The Trustees interrupted their meetings toattend the special Founder’s Day Award assembly that honoredChuck Harris ’69, a past president of the Trustees.Chief Financial Officer Chris Wejchert then reviewed both thisyear’s and next year’s Academy budgets; an operating budget of$88,450,000 was approved for the 2012–13 academic year.Wejchert informed the Trustees that Exeter’s tuition of $44,470 forthe next school year remains the lowest of our peer boardingschools. Trustees also heard from Director of Technology ServicesDiane Fandrich on the progress she and her staff have been makingtoward improved communication, as well as her department’s com-mitment to delivery of services. Trustees elected two new term trustees to join them this sum-mer: Mark Edwards ’78; P’12, P’14 and Morgan Sze ’83. In addi-tion, Director of Studies Laura Marshall was elected to continue asclerk of the Trustees.The remainder of Friday was devoted to a dialogue among cur-rent trustees and former trustees who had been invited to return tocampus. Among the topics discussed were the Academy’s invest-ments, tuition and affordability, and the concept of Global Explo-ration, as articulated in the principal’s “Exeter’s ImmediatePriorities” letter. Former and current trustees then dined withmembers of the Principal’s Staff.Trustees appreciated the warm welcome they received from staff,faculty and students, and look forward to returning to campus inOctober for their next meeting.

Trustee Roundup


Around the Table

Exeter Welcomes School Headsfrom Around the World The Academy and Principal Thomas Hassan hosted more than 40members of the international G20 Schools Conference for part oftheir annual meeting in April. This informal association of secondaryschool heads originated in 2006, focusing on significant issues facingeducation and the world. The heads of 19 institutions participated inthe conference, which PEA co-hosted with Buckingham Browne &Nichols in Cambridge, MA, where the group spent the rest of the week.

G20 teachers Lim Lai Cheng from the Raffles Institution in Singa-pore (left) and Yuvadee Nakapadungrat from the Mahidol Wittayanu-sorn School in Thailand observe PEA Science Instructor TatianaWaterman’s (kneeling) An Introduction to Physics class, during an elec-tric circuit demonstration.

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Former Trustee President HonoredCHUCK HARRIS ’ 6 9 RECEIVES 2 0 1 2 FOUNDER’S DAY AWARD

In May, Charles T. “Chuck” Harris III ’69, formerpresident of the Trustees of Phillips Exeter Acade-my and chair of The Exeter Initiatives campaign

(2004–09), received the 2012 Founder’s Day Award inrecognition of his exceptional service to the Academy. In presenting the award, General Alumni/ae Associa-

tion President Sally Jutabha Michaels ’82; P’12, P’14praised Harris as an “inspirational ambassador” forExeter who combined grace and diplomacy withstrategic acumen, a strong work ethic and “a determi-nation to understand the essential issues facing theAcademy.”In addition to filling various roles for his class, Harris

served as an Academy trustee for 10 years (1999–2009),including three as president of the board. He was instru-mental in Exeter’s 2007 decision to make the schooltuition-free for qualified students whose families earn$75,000 a year or less. He also chaired The Exeter Ini-tiatives, which raised more than $352 million for keyschool priorities and stands as the most successfulfundraising campaign ever conducted by a secondaryschool.Addressing a special assembly, Harris thanked family

members and friends who supported his volunteerefforts and expressed gratitude for his experience at theAcademy as a student and alumnus. “I will be forever grateful for the shift in life trajecto-

ry and outlook that began for me here and has beennurtured by the ongoing opportunity to serve thisschool,” he told the audience, which included currentand former Academy trustees, faculty and staff mem-

bers, the entire student body, and several hundred alum-ni/ae who watched the event live and online.Harris arrived at Exeter as a prep in 1965, the bene-

ficiary of an endowed scholarship fund established byfellow North Carolinian Romeo H. Guest ’25. “Though I never met Mr. Guest, the notion that a

stranger felt strongly enough to make such an opportu-nity a perpetual reality on this campus—that notionstuck with me,” Harris said.Harris, in turn, has given generously of his own

time, energy and resources in order to make sim-ilar opportunities available to young people atExeter and throughout the country.A graduate of Harvard University and MIT’s

Sloan School of Management, Harris spent 23years at Goldman Sachs before retiring in 2002to pursue his philanthropic interests. He current-ly serves as portfolio manager and director ofcapital aggregation for the Edna McConnellClark Foundation, which advances opportunities forlow-income youths in the United States. In accepting the award, Harris emphasized the need

to support education for all students, regardless of socialor economic background.“I now realize that for all young people . . . there are

exciting opportunities that lurk just beyond one’s grasp,often just beyond one’s imagination,” Harris said.“Helping to provide such opportunities at whateverscale and in whatever setting—as parents, teachers,coaches, employers, philanthropists—is the mostrewarding work possible.”

View the Founder’sDay Assembly andread Chuck Harris’full remarks atwww.exeter.edu/bulletinextras.

British business magnate Richard Branson recently toldan audience of young entrepreneurs, “You’re all in your20s and 30s and you probably think this is it, right? Well,

you probably have three or four more businesses in you.”Peter Corbett ’99, CEO of iStrategyLabs in Washington, D.C.,

was in the audience and said hisincredulous response was, “Whoa,really?” Branson probably is rightabout Corbett. During the worsteconomic downturn in decades,Corbett started iStrategyLabs afew years ago in his apartmentwith three months of livingexpenses in the bank. The 31-year-old entrepreneur,innovative marketer andsocial technology expertturned his passion for creatingnew ways to communicatewith people into a multimil-lion-dollar business.iStrategyLabs is an

interactive marketing andbranding agency thatbuilds online and offlinecreative marketing campaignsto increase brand awareness andraise the visibility of a company’sproduct or services. Experimentaluses of social media and civic inno-vation programs (such as the Gov2.0 movement to help deliver bettergovernment services to citizens) are hallmarks of theagency’s talents, which range from developing brand strategies, tobuzz and social media monitoring, social data visualization, appdevelopment, influencer outreach and much more.Corbett and his 20-person team are retained by major global

brands such as General Electric, Hilton, the U.S. Army, and For-tune 100 and Fortune 500 companies. He says he and his col-leagues like to work with people who say, “We need you—justtell us what to do and we’ll do it.” As successful as iStrategyLabs is, Corbett says it’s “not about

the money—the objective isn’t to build up the bank accountwith cash. That is a byproduct of us doing great work and havinga mission that the [staff] can rally behind.” Exeter’s non sibi philosophy is part of his company’s mission

and every employee is involved in “civic innovation through

community building.” He adds that while iStrategyLabs providesa terrific culture with great opportunities for the employees, theyhave to work incredibly hard and put their entire effort into whatthey do. According to Corbett, “there is no ‘eh, just kinda doingit’—that doesn’t fly here [and it] never will.“Our brand and community is much bigger than ourselves,” he

says. “I spend only half my time working on the business; I put atremendous amount of work in the tech, creative and entrepre-

neurial community in D.C. It’s important to me tomake sure that other social innovators[and] entrepreneurs have [the help]they need to accomplish their goals.”A huge volume of information is

fed into Corbett’s brain on a dailybasis, which he says is essential forgreat ideas and innovative strategies.He says he reads in the range of 100blog posts; hundreds of tweets; arti-cles and Facebook updates; andwatches “ridiculous amounts” ofvideos every day. The digestion andstorage of this flood of informationis what provides the fodder for hisideas.So how does Corbett clear his fast-

moving brain to allow this massiveamount of disparate information tocoalesce into an idea? “I’ll go on along bike ride for 20 or 30 miles toclear my mind and let the first thing Ithink about be what I focus on. That’s

my whole brain for the rest of the ride. That’swhere I’ve had most of my best ideas and solved

the hardest problems,” he says.Part of Corbett’s penchant for fresh, creative ideas is his love

of disruption. He doesn’t embrace the status quo and prefers tobuck the traditional. He says he would never be seen in a blacksuit. Corbett believes people lose creativity if they conform tothe norm. And true to his belief, he is a big fan of colorful sneak-ers—he owns 30 pairs—and wears them every day. He says thatthey’re “a great addition to any business meeting.” One of three children of a single mother, Corbett says he

entered a new world when he came to Exeter. He had never metpeople whose fathers were CEOs and for the most part, he’d alwaysbeen the smartest kid in the class—until he got to the Academy. He says he arrived at Exeter with a strong work ethic but that

the Academy strengthened the demand for even greater work


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Redefining the Interactive ExperienceTABLE TALK WITH PETER CORBETT ’ 9 9 By Jennifer Murray


and excellence. “Starting a new companywas sort of like upper year all over againonly with more risk. In business, you canface bankruptcy, poverty and a ditch. Iused my understanding of how to gethuge volumes of work done when I start-ed the company.”

It took Corbett a while to adjust toPEA and his fellow Exonians and, in theprocess, he learned something very valu-able. “I showed up with long hair and Ididn’t want to play the game. Upper year,I came back and played the part, [whichwas] a calculated decision.”

The 16-year-old’s decision involvedcutting his hair, wearing the right clothesand generally making an effort to fit in.Accustomed to popularity, Corbett real-ized that if he didn’t have many friendsafter his lower year, then clearly the “mar-ket” wasn’t responding to his approach. Sohe decided to “play the part.” After hedid, Corbett says, “It worked out.”

Whatever is next for Corbett willinvolve an element of risk. He and his teamare developing new products—in theirspare time, fully “bootstrapped” and withno outside investors—which he says is thehard, but good, way to do it. The new prod-ucts bring social media to a new level ofinteractivity because Corbett and his teamthink that social media by itself is “boring.”

Grandstand is one product that visualiz-es social data in real time, showing tweets,check-ins and Facebook “likes” in an ani-mated way. According to its creator, you canalso turn Grandstand into a game. “I couldgo to a baseball game; I’m tweeting, [and] allof a sudden I see my face on the Jumbotronand I’ve just won a VIP seat upgrade or abag of peanuts,” Corbett explains.

He references the GE Social Fridge, anexample of his newly created service areacalled Social Machines. According to Cor-bett, “Social Machines takes all the stuffon the web and lets people control thereal world with it.”

Corbett continues to think out loud,“What if it took a million tweets beforeLady Gaga popped out of a box at a SuperBowl halftime show—that’s what thistechnology does.”

Corbett thinks it’s up to creative peo-ple to save the world. If they’re anythinglike him, he’s probably right.

Faculty Wire

John Blackwell continues with NASA programScience Department Chair and Grainger Observatory Director John Blackwell waspicked for a third year to participate in the NASA/IPAC Teacher Archive Research

Program, or NITARP. The yearlong program brings small groups of educatorstogether in authentic astronomical research under the guidance of a professionalastronomer.

For 2012, Blackwell is serving as his team’s mentor teacher, assisting three mid-dle and high school educators from around the country in interpreting NASA’s dataand incorporating their experiences into their classrooms. He is also bringing histeam’s work into his own classrooms at PEA, involving students in as much of theresearch as possible.

Blackwell’s team is studying quasars: star-like celestial bodies of extremely highluminosity that are often the nuclei of galaxies. He calls his team’s focus “pureastronomy.”

“We are seeking to understand the relationships between the temperature ofquasar accretion disks and quasar overall luminosity,” Blackwell explains. “The hopeis that we find a correlation, or that we can show that there is no correlation at all. Ithas been a question left unanswered for a long time and with new data available, wehope to have a better understanding of the relationship.”

Blackwell’s team is partnering with Dr. Varoujan Gorjian, a NASA researchastronomer with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Tech-nology. Gorjian’s work includes determining the luminosity and fueling mechanismof active galactic nuclei.

In his Observational Astronomy class, Blackwell introduces his students to galacticevolution and the relationships between galaxy luminosity and temperature. “Theresearch to do this involves similarly huge data sets, which get the students really work-ing in the field of modern astronomy,” he says.

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“This is going to be anX-rated poem,” shesaid. “You guys better

cover your teachers’ ears.”With this introduction, poet,

author, translator and professorMarilyn Chin, a widely publishedand celebrated writer best knownfor her provocative and directstyle in dealing with issues of race,culture and gender, began herreading. She was playful, a littlecheeky, funny and dramatic onthe Assembly Hall stage. Chin wasthe spring 2012 poet in the Classof 1945 Library’s Lamont PoetrySeries.

Chin, in her r ich and lowvoice, began her recitation with her most frequently antholo-gized poem, “How I Got That Name: An Essay on Assimilation.”This poem is a personal anthem about being Asian-American,with strong cultural and political undertones. Her vivid deliveryof the poem fluctuated between a near-whisper and an almost-yell while she gestured wildly—all while speaking from memory. “It’s important to memorize some poems,” she said, “because

it reminds us that poetry at the beginning was an oral tradition.”Chin combines poetic traditions from numerous times and

places, including ancient Chinese works, Shakespeare’s sonnetsand Afro-American rhythm and blues. Born in Hong Kong, sheimmigrated with her family to Portland, OR, and was laterinvolved in the 1970s feminist movement in San Francisco. Manyof her poems address the Asian-American female gender and cul-ture assimilation she experienced growing up. Chin said during a

Q-and-A session with students theday after her reading that she con-siders her art and politics to beinherently entwined. She definesherself as an activist poet, and herconfrontational and politicallycharged voice is clearly heard inher poetry.It was easy to tell how com-

fortable Chin was with the stu-dents. She peppered the timebetween reading poems with talesof her father’s bigamy, herboyfriends, her religion, and SanFrancisco in the ’70s. When shewas asked about her unconven-tional and serious treatment ofsubjects such as love in her poet-

ry, Chin said it “just happened.”She explained she would start a poem about a new boyfriend,

and it would begin as a love poem and end as a lament about hergrandmother’s oppression at the hands of her ancestors. A stu-dent asked how many drafts it would take before she was satisfied.“Oh, it depends,” Chin replied. “Sometimes more than 50.”

Chin currently co-directs the Master of Fine Arts program at the San Diego

State University and also teaches in the English and Comparative Literature

Departments. She is the author of three distinguished collections of poetry, in-

cluding Dwarf Bamboo (1987); The Phoenix Gone, The Terrace Empty

(1994); and Rhapsody in Plain Yellow (2002), and her work is included in

a number of anthologies.

2012 Lamont Younger Poets Four Exonians—one lower and three preps—were awarded the Lamont YoungerPoets Prize for poems of exceptional promise this spring. The winners were:Sarah W. Chisholm ’14, of Exeter, NH; Andrew C. Turner ’15, of Ligonier, PA;Grace Q. Yin ’15, of Cambridge, MA; and Mirella C. Gruesser-Smith ’15, ofExeter, NH.

The Lamont Younger Poets Prize is awarded to preps and lowers and recog-nizes their exceptional promise and achievement as poets early in their writingcareers. The award is presented in the spring in conjunction with the LamontPoetry Series. The prize commemorates the dedication of PEA English Instruc-tor Rex McGuinn to student poetry at Exeter and has been awarded since 2004.A chapbook is published annually with the text of the winners’ poems.

Academy Hosts 2012 Lamont Poet POET MARILYN CHIN SPEAKS ABOUT CULTURAL ASS IMILATIONBy Sophie Haigney ’12, former Lamont Younger Poet

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Dominique Cameron-Rouge and Daniel Hughes were among the seniors who performed in The ManWho Came to Dinner on the Fisher Theater main stage in late May. A classic comedy that first debuted in1939, the play was a production of the 2012 Senior Acting Ensemble, under the direction of Theater and

Dance Instructor Rob Richards P’14.For many of the actors, who began working and performing in Fisher Theater during their prep or lower years,

the final curtain was bittersweet. In an interview for The Exonian newspaper, Cameron-Rouge said, “I will missmost what an accepting place the theater is. There is an almost tangible wave of comfort when you walk into thebuilding: You’re always greeted, there is always animated conversation, and you’re never really left alone until youleave the place.”

Seniors Bring Comedy to the StageACTING ENSEMBLE PRESENTS T H E M A N W H O C A M E TO D I N N E R

Shi-Fan S. Chen ’13, from Taipei, Taiwan, was one of only 20 high

school students in the nation named to this year’s U.S. Physics

Team, a group sponsored by the American Association of Physics

Teachers and the American Institute of Physics.

Chen’s journey toward this honor began in January, when he

and nine other Exonians were among 3,600 students nation-

wide who completed rigorous exams in the first phase of the

selection process. In March, the American Association of Physics

Teachers announced 394 students had qualified as semifinalists.

All 10 Exonians made the cut and completed a second phase of

examinations.

Chen’s final score earned him a place on the U.S. Physics

Team. In June, he attended an intensive, nine-day team training

camp at the University of Maryland-College Park. Ultimately,

five of Chen’s teammates were chosen to represent the U.S.

team at the 43rd International Physics Olympiad in Tallinn/Tartu,

Estonia, held earlier this month.

In math competition news, four Exonians were among the 12

U.S. high school students honored in June at a ceremony in

Washington, D.C., as winners of this year’s USA Mathematical

Olympiad (USAMO), an invitational math competition in which

273 high school students qualified from an initial pool of more

than 10,000.

The Exonians awarded medals include Ravi Jagadeesan ’14,

from Naperville, IL, winner of the 2011 USAMO; Zhuo Qun Song

’15, from Waterloo, Ontario, Canada; Dai Yang ’12, from Irvine,

CA; and David H. Yang ’13, from Exeter, NH, who was a gold

medal winner at the 2011 International Mathematical Olympiad

(IMO) and earned a perfect score at the 2011 USAMO.

David Yang and Jagadeesan were also named to the six-mem-

ber 2012 U.S. IMO team, which competed earlier this month in

Mar del Plata, Argentina, against teams from more than 100

nations.

Exeter’s dominant presence this year at the USAMO and

IMO builds on more than a decade of pinnacle performances by

Exonians in national and international math competitions.

Exonians Shine in Global Math, Physics Competitions

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This spring five Exonians honored former teachers and coaches whoseinfluence and support changed the course of their lives. These men-tors were recognized during Phillips Exeter Academy’s sixth annual

“Honoring Earlier Educators” weekend.As a seventh-grader in Centerville, MA, Abigayle Young ’12— Yale Uni-

versity’s No. 1 women’s rowing recruit—met Guy Monseair, a coach for thelocal rowing club. After observing Young’s passion and talent for the sport,Monseair suggested she might make the U.S. Junior National Team. “Fromthen on, he was my coach,” Young says, “and we worked together almostevery day.”

Monseair describes Young as a “tenacious competitor with a no frills/noexcuses/let’s just get it done attitude. Abbie is remarkably humble for onewho has reached the pinnacle of the sport. I will always remember her will-ingness to push past pain to accomplish whatever goals were set before her.”

Monseair encouraged Young to apply to Exeter and later train for theWorld Rowing Junior Championships, where she earned bronze as a mem-ber of the U.S. JW8 boat last summer.

“I know that Exeter, the World Championships and Yale wouldn’t havebeen a strong possibility if he hadn’t dedicated the countless hours and dol-lars coaching me,” Young says of Monseair. “I thank him for his help inchanging my life by opening up the world to me.”

For Paige Harouse ’15, from Pittsburgh, PA, it was eighth-grade U.S. his-tory teacher and technology club adviser Michelle King’s modern classroomand curriculum that inspired her study of history. King encouraged Harouseto create a website on the U.S. Constitution for a class project, which helpedearn Harouse the Daughters of the American Revolution Award, an honorKing nominated her for.

“Early in the year, I talked to students about embracing failure,” Kingsays. “Paige continued to challenge herself to take intellectual risks in and outof the classroom. Her choice to go to a competitive, private boarding school,away from the safe path of the mainstream, is representative of her characterand tenacity.”

Harouse, in turn, credits King. “I’m not sure if I would be at Exeter if Ihadn’t met [her],” she explains. “She really helped me pursue my dreams andshowed me how far I could push myself when I was passionate about some-thing, and how I shouldn’t be afraid to show my true potential to others. Shemonumentally impacted my life.”

After arriving at PEA, Emma Lamarche ’13, from Berwick, ME, realizedhow much her eighth-grade social studies teacher, Vito Dugan, embodied theAcademy’s founding credo.

“Mr. Dugan incorporated Exeter’s two governing principles: goodnessand knowledge,” she says. “From the moment I met [him], I was touched byhis wisdom, passion and verve. He taught me that you can’t truly achievesomething you didn’t put effort into, a mentality that has lent itself incrediblywell to my career at Exeter.”

Dugan describes Lamarche as having a “top-notch” work ethic and a healthycompetitive spirit. “I was …so proud of her when she was accepted into PhillipsExeter,” he says. “Her success still inspires me and makes me proud.”

Guy Monseair and Abigayle Young ’12

Michelle King and Paige Harouse ’15

Emma Lamarche ’13 and Vito Dugan

First MentorsEXONIANS PAY TRIBUTE TO FORMER TEACHERS

PHOTOS BY NICOLE PELLATON

Entering fourth grade at Falmouth Elementary School in Falmouth, ME,Maxwell Payson ’12 bonded with his teacher, Jennifer Merrifield. “She hadan uncanny ability to make school fun, engaging and a great learning envi-ronment,” he says.

Merrifield sparked an interest in learning that reminds Payson of theengagement at Exeter. “We felt as equals, just like sitting around the Harknesstable with a teacher,” he explains. “The respect for Mrs. Merrifield and herclass created a strong sense of community, bonding us as tight friends.”

Merrifield describes Payson as a “hardworking and curious learner, whowasn’t afraid to ask questions and share his opinion in front of his peers.”She remembers him competing as a travel agent to sell the most trips to alocal national park for a school fair. “He took his job very seriously,” shesays. “There was no doubt in my mind that Maxwell had a bright futureahead of him.”

Dr. Michael Barton, former principal at West Prep Academy in Las Vegas,NV, also recognized potential in Lazaro Cesar ’15. “When I met Lazaro, hewas a confident orator in the sixth grade,” Barton explains. “He performedin school competitions, reciting everything from Shakespeare to hip-hop. Iwatched him grow and become more mature, and soon we were talking.”He learned Cesar lived with his mother and younger brother in a toughneighborhood.

“Regardless of his environment, he continued to make learning and educa-tion a top priority,” Barton says. “I admire him immensely for this resiliency.”Describing Cesar as an “old soul,” Barton says the boy’s West Prep orations“stirred hundreds … remind[ing] me greatly of our current president.”

Cesar, in turn, describes Barton as “a life coach,” someone who tookan interest in him and helped shape who he has become. “In eighth grade,our relationship took a huge leap,” Cesar says, “when he worked hard forme to have opportunities [like] an internship with former Senator JohnEnsign … and applying to be the first student from West Prep to be accept-ed into Exeter.”


Around the Table

Jennifer Merrifield and Maxwell Payson ’12

Lazaro Cesar ’15 and Dr. Michael Barton

Hassan Honored by AlumnusRaymond Braun ’08 named Princi-pal Tom Hassan as the secondaryschool teacher who exerted thegreatest influence over his academ-ic career at Exeter. In April, thegraduating college senior receivedthe J.E. Wallace Sterling Award forScholastic Achievement at StanfordUniversity at an awards luncheon,which Hassan attended as Braun’sguest in recognition of the supportand guidance Hassan had given him.

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Campus Life at a Glance Snapshots from spring term(A) Students prepared authentic Asian cui-sine for the ever-popular Asian Night Mar-ket, held in late April. (B) Not afraid to getdirty, these Exonians helped clean up cam-

pus on Community Action Day, an annual event in Aprilwhen the entire student body and faculty volunteer fordozens of non sibi projects. (C) Principal Tom Hassan hostedpizza nights for seniors at Saltonstall House in April. (D) Students celebrated Principal’s Day with an Exonian-themed LEGO tournament on the evening before the sur-prise day off from classes. (E)Awash in color, these Exoniansjoined in the celebration of Holi, aHindu holiday where people throwcolored water and powder at eachother to mark the arrival of spring.(F) PEA employees enjoyed yogademonstrations, free massages andopportunities to meet with localvendors at the biennial PEA Em-ployees Health and Wellness Fair.(G) Students read contempo-rary poetry from the Middleand Far East as part of PoetryStage, a new course offered bythe Department of Theaterand Dance that examines issuesof diversity within literature.(H) Seniors and their datesput on a dazzling display of fin-ery on the Academy Librarylawn before departing for the

prom. (I) A lot can change in fouryears, as seniors discovered during aceremony in June when they openedthe time capsules they created dur-ing prep year.

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Two Exonians responded to the challenge ofthe crossword puzzle, and both are winners of thecontest and received Exeter pens!

Our two winners are:David A. “Dave” Nimick ’42, Sewickley, PA

Lt. Col. David A. McBlain ’58,(U.S. Army, retired)La Vista, NE “My copy of the dictionary (1958)defines ‘fiend’ as ‘. . . point of immoderation,’not ‘. . . point of excess.’ Also, ‘Garbo’ is notdefined; ‘Garbo Raz’ is. And ‘flunk’ includes nomention of pinball.“Obviously, the dictionary definitions changed

over time. I did three from memory; the rest I hadto check in the copy of the dictionary wereceived at one of the reunions.”

Across2. An advocate to the point of excess

4. To have so squandered your time and

efforts that you only managed to escape from

failing by your dental epidermis

6. An English muffin in the Grill

7. A spasmodic muscular contraction associat-

ed with uncoordinated individuals who fall

downstairs and drop dinner trays

8. The result of too much pinball, not enough

sleep and a dollop of apathy

Down1. A little slip of paper that admits begrudgingly

that you have finally paid your debt to society

and are free to leave Exeter without out-of-

towns, provided you don’t do anything ungentle-

manly within 48 hours after receiving it*

3. The opposite of a poso; a cynic

5. A punishment at Exeter for deeds which at

most schools would merit expulsion; a period

in which the individual is being tested for his

ability to stay out of trouble while he’s on pro*

*Definition predates admission of girls to PEA

Exoniana DO YOU REMEMBER?

Exonians, do you remember dialing from this phonebooth…or was it a push button? When did it arriveat PEA and where was it located? When was itretired from service and where is it located now?Would you like to share other memories of callinghome while you were on campus?Email us at [email protected]. Or, send your

responses to Exoniana, c/o The Exeter Bulletin,Phillips Exeter Academy, Communications Office,20 Main Street, Exeter, NH 03833-2460. Entries maybe edited for length and clarity.

Letters to the EditorAberration or not?I was alternately amused and disconcertedby Mr. Greer’s review of Amglish in, Like,Ten Easy Lessons: A Celebration of the NewWorld Lingo [winter 2011]. I had thoughtthe mangled short essays I receive from mybiology undergraduates on their examswere an aberration to the norm of modernhigher education. Unfortunately thatseems not to be the case.

Dr. Roy J. “Jono” Cobb ’75 Maplewood, NJ

Treasured memoriesJust got the winter 2012 Bulletin and justwanted to say, I really appreciate the sec-tion that mentions the assembly speakersthat have come to campus. Assemblies aremy most treasured memory of the place,and I’m very glad to read about it.

Vincent “Vince” Pallaver ’96Sunnyvale, CA

CourageousIn reference to the winter 2012 Bulletin“Exoniana”:My cousin James M. “Jim” Mathes Jr.

’35 applied for a Navy commission imme-diately after Pearl Harbor. He was in aflight-training program until a medicalexam revealed that he had only one kidney.Undeterred, he decided the next-bestthing to planes must be PT boats. He askedif I (age 14) would like to go with him tothe Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons Train-ing Center in Melville, RI. Of course! Jimdisappeared into the Quonset hut head-quarters and came out an hour later withorders. After training he was shipped toEngland. Their boat patrolled the EnglishChannel, softening up German defensesprior to D-Day. They were ordered toattack a German cruiser moored in St.Helier on the Island of Jersey (ChannelIslands). Before they could launch a torpe-do, the German ship opened fire and thedisabled PT boat drifted alongside thehuge cruiser. They were raked with small-arms fire from above. One crewman sur-vived. Jim’s body was never recovered.

John W. “Jack” Morton II ’46Jávea, Alicante, Spain

Submit your letter to [email protected].

Answers to the spring 2012 issue

ALL DEFINITIONS ARE TAKEN FROM EITHER THE NEW DICTIONARY OF THE EXETER LANGUAGE (1977) OR THE DICTIONARY OF THEEXETER LANGUAGE (1954).

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Exonians in Review

In his translation of Eugenio Mon-tale’s poem “Seacoasts,” from CollectedPoems 1920–1954 (1998), poet

Jonathan Galassi seemed to be preparingthe ground for his own new collection:

“Sad spirit of the pastand you, new will that calls me, perhaps it’s time to unite youin a calm harbor of wisdom. And one day, we’ll hear the call againof golden voices, bold enticements,no more divided soul. Think:to make the elegy a hymn; to be

reborn;to want no more.”

Left-handed (2012) might not be thecalmest of harbors for any reader (thankgoodness), but the expansive voice thatarticulates its wisdom does reach acrossthe borders of hymn while embracing andstruggling against elegy with every page,whether in ruminations on the contoursof hills, the changing of the seasons orhuman relationships. A deeply personalbut universal book of poetry, Galassi’sthird and latest collection is divided into

sections—“A Clean Slate,” “The Cross-ing” and “I Can Sleep Later”—a triptychthat transforms the pitfalls of colloquialtidiness into the phases of an epic journey.The language of decision and aftermathpermeates the ar rangement, whosepoems, ultimately, draw more from thecarpe diem tradition than the confessional,especially in the jazz-inflected “Once”:

“…And time is short;you have to live it.”

Familiar maxims and phrases mightstoke some of the poems’ momentum, butcharged with Galassi’s raw sensibilityabout cause and effect, mutability andirrevocability, these sometimes ironicallyplayful impulses surpass any flirtation withcliché in that same poem’s other riffs:

“…the train has left thestation you can’t take it.Once the promise has beenbroke you can’t break it.

If the letter’s been sentyou can’t rewrite it.If the cigarette’s been smokedyou can’t not light it.”

And especially a few stanzas later, wherehe boosts the acuity of image:

“The Scotch tape end is lost you can’t unwind it.The earring’s in the lake;you’ll never find it.”

Some of the poems are addressed to a“you,” who is not the poet’s other self;rather, he’s “Jude,” an epistolary targetwhose persona fluctuates among lover,ally, Thomas Hardy’s tragic figure, fellowsufferer, and agent of rebirth:

Dispatches from the New LifeL E F T- H A N D E D : P O E M S, BY JONATHAN GALASS I ’ 6 7A review by Ralph Sneeden

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“…Theselines are voicing hopefor you, my brother, foryour fierce life andfor my struggling own” (“Water” from the sequence “Black-

berry Poems”)

At times, the speaker himself is unsureof the relationship. Even though he singsin one paean:

“Jude, the new lifestarts today; timeto put your jacketon. Time to putthe past away andventure out ofhurt and stressinto courage…”(“The New Life”)

he is quick to follow with,

“…It’s hard to guess whatwe share now, something ten-uous and undefined, maybe a glint, an SOS—but nothing’sclear in this sodden half-light where time flattenswhat we feel…”(“Night Letter”)

Love is ultimately the core that fuelsthis dense and beautiful collection, but themusic of self-argument—either measuredor hesitant in its reaching for identity—isthe principal current that sweeps a readeralong. Groomed or syntactically frag-mented, Galassi’s lines provide us with theexperience of looking over the shoulderof an experienced pilot who is taking risksnot only with craft but also with foraysinto the waters—gulfs—of new subjects.And who wants dialogue:

“I want theworld to an-swer back theway the songwants—sharedjoy and sharedgrief shared

adoration spilling intothe unrepentantvoid.”(“August”)

These are poems of exuberant andtroubled longing. Whether he is describ-ing a young maple tree or the tearing outof the roots of invasive plants, recollectingbeing washed down a river or narrating aWhitmanesque stroll down a Manhattanstreet, our guide reminds us that he is anindividual negotiating passage, whoseevocations of his everyday surroundings,though they have their own profundity,also peer into the unfathomable:

“…into something, anabyss or a garden, andnow in the aftermath he’smore alone than before…”(“Middle-aged”)

And, make no mistake,this is a book with all thecumulative heft of a sweep-ing emotional explorationacross time; a story thatinvestigates a life lived, thedecisive embarkation to thenew, true one, and all theregret, wonder ing andresolve that abide it. In thisway, Galassi’s new work—though the sparks of its shorterlyrical interests throb with self-sufficien-cy—coheres into a fluent, humanly turbu-lent whole in which the poet’s mostcompelling conversation is with himself:

“Other apparition, avatarI still see you, we have come this far. I still know you, you still don’t know

me.”(“A Clean Slate”)

One of the many pleasures of Left-hand-ed is listening to its poems communicateacross that panorama, enhancing oneanother. A simple, compressed narrativeabout cleaning up the mess left by a blown-out storm window quivers with tragedy

when considered in the packaging of sur-rounding poems. The quotidian action of“trying to rake up/ the wreckage” blistersfrom the heat of events and turmoil in thebook’s other neighborhoods:

“But it’s hard tobelieve that heredown on all fourworking to prylittle numberlesspieces out ofthe crevices feel-ing my crablikeway on theobdurate stones.”(“Glass”)

The book’s opening epigraph, “And Ilet the fish go,” is the last line from Eliza-beth Bishop’s poem “The Fish.” Readerswho are familiar with that oft-antholo-

gized work (almost as battered and endur-ing as the fish itself) but who don’t knowmuch about Bishop herself will find thatthe easiest approach to understanding thepoet’s famous release of that ancient crea-ture is to keep his or her thinking right inthe boat with the speaker, on a convenient“sporting” level. Even so, in its placementas the front door to Left-handed, Bishop’s“decision” is radioactive with moral rele-vance, personal survival, and might evenbring us back to her poem with renewed,potent understanding. In the book thatfollows, Galassi provides the experientialcontext and braveness of thought neces-sary for the reader to sound the depthsbeing trolled.

Love is ultimately thecore that fuels thisdense and beautifulcollection... .

This is not a book of indirection orcoyness. In the final section, the titlepoem’s central metaphor of “left-handedlove” is a wry and powerful expression ofbeing gay; the speaker accepting that hecan’t change who he is, though he ishaunted by what his life might have beenlike if, in his youth, circumstances hadn’t“barred the gate to the castle”:

“Could my story have been otherwise?If the drawbridge had been downcould a bright nighthave led me on a different crusade?”

Explaining that his parents “didn’tmake [him] write against the grain,”Galassi helps us understand that the substi-tution of loving for writing is not as neat aswap as we might imagine. The poet sug-gests that though his parents were accept-ing of his being left-handed, and never

tried to change him, loving “against thegrain”—in his own experience—was adifferent challenge. At this point, a shortheartbreaker from the first section swoopsback into the reader’s memory, providinga striking complement:

“I tried and each attempt was a fiasco.I yearned, but every love of mine was

wrong.I needed, and the shame was over-

whelming.I failed, and so I hated being young.”(“Young”)

The poet brings us right along on hispainful and sometimes exhilarating questto understand the magnitude and necessi-ty of confronting or letting some thingsgo, whether a past life, a way of thinking,or a former self. In “Seacoasts,” Montaledescribed his own longing for that unionof “the divided soul”; but in Galassi’s

world it’s closer to a reconciliationbetween the two, where there’s still plen-ty of work to be done, where life is “aclean slate” or “spanking new,” whereforging ahead has its price, its compromis-es and ruins, but also where,

“…we ownourselves yes true we own our-selves we own ourselves we ownourselves we own ourselveswe’re alone and we ownourselves”

(“Seventh Avenue”)

One of the book’s most affectingpoems, “Ours” is a torrent of domestichistory delivered with the syntax to matchthe intensity of its searching honesty.Galassi’s sensory alertness—his faith indetails and images—evokes persuasively(and quickly) the grit, material and expe-

riential flashes of a theoreticallyshared life:

“…the youngshad and the lilacs and oursquare bed and the birch roomand the teahouse sunset applesmoke the flame azaleas thatdidn’t take the peonies the si-lences and evening unravelingthe immense white pine and fueloil smell were ours”

The thread (and threat) that rescues itfrom nostalgia, however, and makes thepoem so powerful, is not only the strandof words and insights hinting at tension—like the paradoxical echoes of the word“silence” and its forms—but the tangle ofambiguity between the pronouns andtenses that battle it out, rendered evenmore poignant by Galassi removing theshackles of punctuation:

“the life I left the lostlife all of it was ourswas ours is ours was”

The closing stanza of “The SolitaryThrush,” a gem in Galassi’s most recenttranslation milestone, Giacomo Leopardi’sCanti (2010), asks some of the same ques-tions that propel Left-handed:

“Lonely bird, when you come to theevening

of the life the stars will set for you,surely you won’t regret the way you

lived,for every wish of yoursis nature’s doing.But I, if I cannot avoidcrossing the hatefulthreshold of old age,when these eyes say nothing to anoth-

er’s heart,and the world is blank to them, and

the day to come,duller and darker than the one at hand,what will I think then of this wish of

mine?And of my life? And my own self?Ah, I’ll repent, and oftenlook back, unconsoled.”

Galassi’s implicit answers in this con-versation across the centuries are not onlyconsoling but essentially—persuasively—unrepentant. We don’t suspect that thedays ahead will be “duller and darker.”Given denial’s absence from Left-handed,fulfillment seems possible; the energy ofthe poet’s declarations and revelations isbarely contained by his cadences—thesafe, orderly rhythms or pulses of rhyme—especially in “Radical Hope”:

“So much for direction,for learning and knowing,for seeking and heeding,for staying or going.These were the waysof the life we’ve knownand all of this timeI’ve been going alone

and I can’t anymore.”

One of Galassi’s achievements, then, ishis enlisting us to join him in the riptidesof that Montalean “harbor of wisdom,”where enjambment and fragments lurch,and even the most stately lines seem totwitch not only with the possibility of dis-covery, but with the prospect of our com-pany as well. And, as readers, we can bethankful for that.

Ralph G. Sneeden ’98 (Hon.); P’07, P’09, P’13

is PEA’s Bennett Fellowship coordinator and

instructor in English.


...the energy of the poet’sdeclarations and revelations

is barely contained by his cadences... .


Exonians in Review

Alumni/ae are urged to advise the Exonians in Review editor of their own publications, recordings, films, etc., in anyfield, and those of classmates. Whenever possible, authors and composers are encouraged to send one copy of theirbooks and original copies of articles to Edouard Desrochers ’45, ’62 (Hon.), the editor of Exonians in Review,Phillips Exeter Academy, 20 Main Street, Exeter, NH 03833.

ALUMNI/AE

1944—Karl R. Lindquist.Youth Interrupted: A Nantuck-et Boy at War in Europe.(Amazon Digital Services,2012)

1947—Jeffrey O’Connelland Thomas E. O’Connell.Five 20th-Century CollegePresidents: From Butler to Bok(Plus Summers). (CarolinaAcademic Press, 2012)

1950—Mord Bogie. Vote 99Percent: Start Fixing Congress,Start Changing the World.(Amazon Digital Services,2012)

1950—Thomas A.Halsted, editor. The TavernClub at One Hundred andTwenty-Five, 1984–2009,Quasquicentennial History.(Tavern Club, 2009)

1950—George Woodman.Metaphysics is to Metaphoras Cartography is to Depar-ture. (Galleria AlessandroBagnai, 2011)

1956—C. Miller Biddle.William and Sarah Biddle1633–1711: Planting a Seedof Democracy in America.(self-published, 2012)

1957—David P. Simmons.No End of Guilty Creatures.(iUniverse, 2011)

1962—Brian B. Kelly. Smar-tass! An Awakening. (ipicture-books, 2011)

—Tropic of Paradise: a Tahit-ian Love Story [A Novel].(ipicturebooks, 2011)

1967—David Spurr. Archi-tecture & Modern Literature.(University of MichiganPress, 2012)

1971—Richard W. All-mendinger, co-author, andothers. Structural GeologyAlgorithms: Vectors and Ten-sors. (Cambridge UniversityPress, 2012)

1971—Kip Hawley andNathan Means. PermanentEmergency: Inside the TSAand the Fight for the Future ofAmerican Security. (PalgraveMacmillan, 2012)

1972—Martha Lufkin. TheLady in the Hat: MarthaLufkin on Kids with Crumpetsand Other Humorous Tales.(self-published, 2011)

1973—Sam Watters andFrances Benjamin Johnston,photographer. Gardens for aBeautiful America, 1895–1935.(Acanthus Press, 2012)

1974—James P. Steyer.Talking Back to Facebook: The Common Sense Guide toRaising Kids in the Digital Age(Scribner, 2012)

1975—John B. Mont-gomery. Great From The Start:How Conscious CorporationsAttract Success [with fore-word by Ken Wilcox]. (Mor-gan James Publishing, 2012)

1975—Walter Stahr. Seward:Lincoln’s Indispensable Man.(Simon & Schuster, 2012)

1976—Jane E. Pollock.Feedback: The Hinge ThatJoins Teaching & Learning.(Corwin Press, 2011)

—Minding the AchievementGap One Classroom at a Time[co-authored by MargaretM. Black, Sharon M. Fordand Pollock]. (ASCD, 2012)

1976—Norb Vonnegut. The Trust. (Minotaur Books,2012)

1980—Diana C.K. Unter-meyer and Henry Dallal,photographer. Qatar: Sand,Sea and Sky. (Bright SkyPress, 2012)

1981—Maria FranziskaFahey. Metaphor and Shake-spearean Drama: UnchasteSignification. (PalgraveMacmillan, 2011)

1988—Eric Lewis. GarbageFlowers: Green & GroovyCrafts. (Downtown Book-works, 2012)

1991—Seth G. Jones. Hunt-ing in the Shadows: The Pur-suit of [al-Qaida] since 9/11.(W.W. Norton, 2012)

1994—Drew Magary. ThePostmortal. (Penguin, 2011)

1998—Intisar Khanani.Thorn. (CreateSpace, 2012)

BRIEFLY NOTED

1950—Adair Dyer. “TheContribution of the HagueChildren’s Conventions tothe Protection of HumanRights.” IN InternationalFamily Law. (issue 1, March2012, special tribute issue)

1956—Phil Harvey. “Nico-laus and Anna.” [shortstory] IN The Dos PassosReview. (v. 8, no. 2)

1977—Kathleen C. Engeland Thomas James Fitz-patrick IV. “A Frameworkfor Consumer Protection inHome Mortgage Lending.”[book chapter] IN TheAmerican Mortgage System:Crisis and Reform. (February2011)

1989—Elizabeth Good-man. “Preaching the EasterTexts.” IN Journal for Preach-ers. (v. 35, no. 3, Easter 2012)

1994—Lauren Waterman.“Nobody Moves, NobodyGets Hurt.” [short story]IN Fourteen Hills: The SFSUReview. (v. 18, no. 2, spring2012)

FACULTY AND FORMERFACULTY/FORMER BENNETT FELLOW

Gina Apostol. Gun Dealers’Daughter: A Novel. (W.W.Norton, 2012)

Thomas Hassan. “Throughthe Same Door: UniversalAccess and School Climate.”[article] IN The InclusiveSchool: A Selection of Writingon Diversity Issues in Independ-ent Schools. (NAIS, 2012)

Richard Schubart, co-author,and others. Hero or Coward:The Story of General Fitz JohnPorter. (Blue Tree, 2011)

Lysley Tenorio. Monstress:Stories. (Ecco, 2012)


Commencement address by Principal Thomas E. Hassan ’56, ’66, ’70, ’06 (Hon.); P’11

Photography by Brian Crowley

22

Clockwise from bottom left:

Grads applaud fellow classmates;

one of 308 diplomas for 2012;

Charles Gaillard ’12 chats with

Principal Tom Hassan; seniors

Kathleen Larkin, Christine

McEvoy and Phillip Oung

graduate with classical diplomas.

23SUMMER 2012 The Exeter Bulletin Find more graduation photos at www.exeter.edu/bulletinextras

Good morning, Exeter, and welcome to this very spe-cial occasion marking the Commencement of the 308 members of Phillips Exeter Academy’s classof 2012. As we celebrate the achievements of this graduating class, we should take a moment toacknowledge those whose inspiration and sacrifices have supported and nurtured these students ontheir path to today’s joyful celebration. Seniors, please stand and join me in thanking your bene-factors—your parents, family members and friends in this audience—with a round of applause asan expression of your appreciation and affection.

Preparing forTomorrow


Seniors, you may not know that the diploma I will soon behanding to each of you was individually signed by Mr. Tom Hut-ton, class of 1973 and president of the Trustees, and by me. Youcan imagine that signing 308 diplomas gives a person plenty oftime to think, and when reflecting on your class I appreciated ourunique bond. In the fall of 2008, as new preps you celebratedwith me on my appointment as the 14th principal of PhillipsExeter Academy. I heard your cheers and felt your good wishesemanating from the balcony level of the Assembly Hall thatOctober day. Over time, your Assembly Hall seating has migrat-ed from the balcony to the first rows of the lower hall. And today,you sit here beside me on the Academy Lawn, just momentsbefore you officially graduate. I am very sorry to see you leave.

Along your way at the Academy, you have accomplishedmuch and achieved numerous milestones:

• Your class has never suffered the “agony of defeat” at thehands of Andover on the varsity football field. You witnessed ourvarsity team win against Andover for four consecutive years. Andyou have participated in countless athletic contests yourselvesrepresenting Exeter. Go, Big Red!

• Members of the class of 2012 starred in and supported anumber of superb theater productions, including this winter’sBeauty and the Beast, a production that involved a record numberof Exonian cast and crew members. Your class’ extraordinary the-atrical talent was also showcased in this spring’s Senior ActingEnsemble, The Man Who Came to Dinner.

• Our Math Club team, led by members of this class, is thefirst in at least 12 years to sweep all three rounds of the Harvard-

Clockwise from bottom: Senior

Class President Adam Grounds

welcomes families; Trustee Sally

Jutabha Michaels ’82 (right) with

husband David, son Aaron ’12,

daughters Jessica ’14 and Sara, and

son Sam; Ogemdi Ude ’12 beams

as a classmate takes the stage.


MIT Math Tournament at Harvard, with a perfect 1,600 score.• Thanks to the senior leadership of the Student Council, the

faculty approved a proposal that will allow students access to theInternet 24/7. It is important to note that this was a true exercisein non sibi for your class, since the changeover will not take placeuntil after you graduate.

• And this is New England, after all, so I must comment on theweather. Your prep winter—a long, harsh, snowy one even byNew Hampshire standards—began with an early ice stormwhich forced many of you to take your first Exeter term examsin classrooms without heat or electricity. In contrast, your senioryear marked one of the warmest winters on record and sunniestof springs in a long, long time.

Let me end these short reminiscences with a contrast exerciseof “then and now,” like the one I asked my Junior Studies stu-dents to complete in the fall of 2008.

I want you to consider how your lives and your classroomshave been shaped by the evolution of technology and socialmedia during the last four years.

When you came to Exeter, Apple had not used the phrase“There’s an App for That” until a January 2009 commercial. Andnow, there is an app for almost everything, and many are beingbuilt by Exeter students.

When you came to Exeter, clouds were made up of smalldroplets of water or bits of ice. And now, the Cloud is where youstore and share information.

When you first came to Exeter, Twitter was a little over a yearold, and you were sending 140-character messages to yourfriends and classmates. And now, TED—a website hosting freeonline lectures—has inspired your classmates to spread their ideasvia lectures on the new “Exeter Talks” YouTube channel.

All of these elements, as well as the more routine things youhave done day after day at Exeter, have helped to shape you andprepare you for life’s next steps. Helping you with that prepara-tion is indeed the Academy’s mission, and the calling of all of uswho work and live here. Exeter is often referred to as a “prepschool,” but what does that really mean? What has it meant overthe years, from our founding in 1781 to today?

A history of the Academy published in the book After theHarkness Gift describes earlier perceptions of what it meant to be“prepared.” Prior to 1781, a boy from the town of Exeter whowanted schooling beyond age 14 or who wanted to prepare forcollege had few options aside from private tutoring. He mighthave arranged to stay on at the local school; or he might haveenrolled at a secondary school elsewhere, such as Boston Latin orone of the two private schools between Exeter and Boston—theDummer School (founded 1763) and Phillips Academy inAndover (founded 1778).

During its first 90 years, Phillips Exeter Academy was open allyear and, although no diplomas were issued, students expected tostay at the school for several years until they were “prepared” tomove on. Many of these young men were heading for college,bound for careers in the ministry, medicine, law or teaching, sothey concentrated on Latin, Greek and mathematics. Some of theirclassmates, whose formal education would end at the Academy,opted for “practical” subjects such as English, logic and geometry.

Clockwise from bottom left: Sen-

iors Daniel Henderson and Ji

Hyuk Kim strike a pose; Principal

Hassan says he shares a “unique

bond” with the class of 2012; a

cheering family member;

Williams Cup winnner Rebecca

Millstein ’12 is all smiles.

28

In the next period, from 1870 to about 1930, the perceptionof “preparation” was altered. Social and economic changes andcompetition from public education created new demands fromcolleges and universities to turn out students with broader, more-diverse skill sets. The Academy shifted its focus from a “public”school that served students from Exeter and nearby communitiesto a more specialized boarding school that drew students fromacross the United States and specifically prepared them to enterthe best colleges and universities in the nation, especially thoseon the East Coast.

In the third period, which began in 1930 with the Harknessgift, the Academy became the institution that most of us wouldrecognize, with smaller classes and large oval tables. It adapted tothe changing cultural landscape and became more inclusive withthe advent of coeducation and, in recent decades, a student bodyand faculty of increasingly diverse origins and backgrounds.Graduates also began to attend a wider range of colleges and uni-versities. In fact, you will see in today’s graduation issue of TheExonian a list of more than 97 colleges and universities to whichmembers of this class will matriculate in the coming months.

An email sent to me recently by Religion Instructor JamieHamilton P’08, P’11 reminded me that in some areas—such astechnology and the expansion of our horizons—the Academy’sperception of “preparing” has been evolving. She wrote, “We areno longer that prep school, cloistered away in the pristine cornercoastline of New Hampshire, to which families send their chil-dren in order to be ‘made into men (and women).’ Even in 1995(my first year), the faculty had long conversations about whetheror not students should have phones in their rooms (shocking to


Top to bottom: Fady Gad ’12

shares his enthusiasm with the

crowd; Class Marshal Emery

Real Bird ’12 receives a little

help from his mom.

G R A D U A T I O N P R I Z E SThe Yale Cup, awarded each year by the Aurelian Honor Societyof Yale University to that member of the senior class who bestcombines the highest standards of character and leadership with excellence in his studies and in athletics:Isaiah Pugh Brown, Ipswich, MA

The Ruth and Paul Sadler ’23 Cup, awarded each year to thatmember of the senior class who best combines the highest stan-dards of character and leadership with excellence in her studies andin athletics: Lisa Camille Scott, Brooklyn, NY

The Perry Cup, established by the class of 1945 in honor of Dr.Lewis Perry ’20, eighth principal of the Academy, and given annu-ally to a senior who has shown outstanding qualities of leadershipand school spirit: Adam Wesley Grounds, Paradise Valley, AZ

The Williams Cup, established in memory of George LyndeRichardson Jr. ’37, and given annually to a student who, havingbeen in the Academy four years, has, by personal qualities, broughtdistinction to Phillips Exeter:Rebecca Rose Millstein, Stratham, NH

The Eskie Clark Award, given annually to that scholarship stu-dent in the graduating class who, through hard work and persever-ance, has excelled in both athletics and scholarship in a mannerexemplified by Eskie Clark of the class of 1919:Mihail Eric, Van Nuys, CA

The Thomas H. Cornell Award, decided by the senior class andgiven annually to that member of the graduating class who exem-plifies the Exeter Spirit typified by Thomas Hilary Cornell of theclass of 1911:Evan Marc Gastman, New York, NY

The Cox Medals, given by Oscar S. Cox Esq., in memory of hisfather, Jacob Cox, are awarded each year to the five members of thegraduating class who, having been two or more years in the Acad-emy, have attained the highest scholastic rank:Caitlin Elizabeth Andrews, West Newbury, MANathaniel Werthan Haslett, Lincoln, MARivka Brod Hyland, Philadelphia, PAYong Wook Kwon, Seoul, Republic of KoreaDai Yang, Irvine, CA

The Faculty Prize for Academic Excellence, given to thatmember of the graduating class who, having been two or moreyears in the Academy, is recognized on the basis of scholarship asholding the first rank:Yong Wook Kwon, Seoul, Republic of Korea

me as a new member of the faculty) because we had an obliga-tion to protect children from the ‘outside’ world and make theminto Exonians.”So what has it meant to “prepare” the class of 2012? Seeking

to prepare students for an uncertain and unknowable future isnot a new concept. The anthropologist Margaret Mead, whodied in 1978, long before the challenges of the Digital Age wererealized, said, “We are now at a point where we must educate ourchildren in what no one knew yesterday, and prepare our schoolsfor what no one knows yet.” Today, educators on the secondary, undergraduate and gradu-

ate level are arguing that the optimum way to accomplish thispreparation “for what no one knows yet” is through “interactivelearning,” a pedagogical method championed by Harvard Pro-fessor of Physics Eric Mazur where students are the teachers—offering ideas and defending positions—rather than passivenote-takers. That has a familiar ring. Professor Mazur’s approach shouldn’t

sound new to you. Apparently Exeter has been doing what heand others see as the “prep of the future” for more than 80 years.At Exeter, students are at the heart of the discussions and thelearning that takes place in our classrooms. Just as we preparedyou around a Harkness table, so will we prepare the Academy’sfuture students. Our commitment to Harkness learning remainssteadfast. This dedication to our signature way of teaching, how-ever, doesn’t mean that during your years here, Exeter hasn’tbeen open to new ideas and new ways to augment the discus-sions around the table.Last fall, iPads arrived on campus in large numbers—one for

each faculty member—and you began to see the results in yourclassrooms this year: • History Department Chair Meg Foley’s new course on the

history of India gained vitality and immediacy with film clipsthat she easily screened in class via her iPad. • Computer Science Instructor Kenney Chan incorporated

programming for the iPad into his classes. • Music Department Chair Peter Schultz has been using an

app that transforms his iPad into a “recording studio,” allowinghim to record students’ compositions performed in class and inturn allowing them to immediately listen to their pieces. • Collaborative learning in Karen Geary’s math class was

extended through an app called SyncSpace, which enabled stu-dents to work on problems together without physically being inthe same space. • Art Instructor Rebecca Longley found that the VoiceThread

app facilitated collaborative critiques, making it an effective dig-ital extension to the Harkness method.

During your time here, Exeter also began to greatly expand itsreach into the world beyond our campus. Members of your classtraveled on Academy-sponsored trips in unprecedented numbers.Just last summer, three members attended the second annual Stu-dent Global Leadership Institute at the Punahou School in Hon-olulu, HI; others participated in service trips to South Dakota,Costa Rica and Ballytobin, Ireland. And of course, many of youtook advantage of our study-abroad programs in Europe andAsia. Exeter faculty, too, have been off campus, as close as Ray-mond, NH, working with local middle school students, to more

Lisa Scott ’12

accepts the Ruth

and Paul Sadler

’23 Cup from

Principal Hassan.

Top to Bottom: Retiring faculty

members include Math Instruc-

tor Joyce Kemp, Modern Lan-

guages Instructor James

Samiljan and Theater and

Dance Instructor Linda Luca;

recording memories in a PEAN

yearbook; a happy Jabari Johnson

’12 with diploma in hand.


far-flung locations, including professional-development oppor-tunities in Africa, India and China.

In January, I announced my Immediate Priorities for Exeter,which include Global Exploration. The programs that I have justdescribed were the earliest manifestations of my commitment togiving our students and our faculty opportunities to reachbeyond our campus; to not only teach others, but also learn fromthem. I return again to a quote from Margaret Mead to explainpart of my thinking: “As the traveler who has once been fromhome is wiser than he who has never left his own doorstep, so aknowledge of one other culture should sharpen our ability toscrutinize more steadily, to appreciate more lovingly, our own.”

Your class has been equipped to go further than simply trav-eling beyond our campus. I believe Exeter has prepared you toface a world that demands a global flexibility . . . the preparationto deal with a dynamic in which there are clashing truths, cul-tural complexities and ancient animosity. The combination ofyour Harkness training and your worldview has set you on theright road.

It is a direction that I hope will take you soaring aloft in aworld of challenges and opportunities. But remember the advice[English Instructor Matt] Miller gave you at your Senior Dinneron Friday evening: Fly as high, as high, as you can, but don’t gettoo close to the sun.

Now comes the time that I must say farewell to the membersof the class of 2012, and, in doing so, I offer you my customarycharge. I hope it is as helpful for you to hear it as it is for me toread it:

First, you have been given the gift of a Harkness education.Use the voices you have developed around our oval tables tospeak up, to speak your own mind and to draw out others aroundyou. But more importantly, help those who cannot speak up forthemselves.

In the words of Proverbs 31:8, “Speak up for those who can-not speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor.”

Second, you have learned well the lesson of uniting knowl-edge and goodness. Go forth and give of yourself to your com-munities and to this world, and in the process, do so for othersand not for yourself alone.

Remember the words of Mahatma Gandhi: “I shall passthrough this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do orany kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do itnow. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this wayagain.” And I add the words of someone with whom you aremost familiar, Dr. Seuss [from The Lorax]:

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing isgoing to get better. It’s not.”

And, finally, remain connected with each other and to ourschool. Take the connections and special friendships you haveformed at Exeter with you, and nurture them in years to come. Toreinforce that thought, I leave you with the words of the Greekphilosopher, mathematician and religious scholar Pythagoras:“Friends are as companions on a journey, who ought to aid eachother to persevere in the road to a happier life.”

Goodbye, class of 2012. Godspeed, class of 2012. God blessyou, class of 2012.


Katherine Aanensen ’12

leads off the processional of

seniors receiving English

diplomas.

Emergencies often evoke dramaticimages and a sense of excitement in thoseof us far from the action. But for Exonianson the ground fighting wildfires, mending

earthquake victims or helping carry injured touriststo safety, it’s about teamwork and good planning.That, and the knack for finding chaos a source ofenergy rather than paralysis, and non sibi a way of life.As Frank L. Pinney III ’59, former fire chief and dis-aster response leader, puts it, “I was a frog that landedin the right pond.”

Diving InDaniel W. “Dan” Walker ’45began his work as an EMT on afriend’s recommendation andsoon added to his skills bybecoming a paramedic—at theage of 68. He found the amountof memorization difficult butwas undaunted, saying, “Every-

thing I’ve done was in one wayor another uncomfortable.

“One needs to be open tonew ideas and opportunity,” hecontinues. “You need to applythe teachings of Exeter: indus-try, clear thinking, enthusiasm.”

Now 85 and still a para-medic, Walker declares, “I’m

the oldest in Florida.” Walker joined one of 50 regionally based Disaster

Medical Assistance Teams (DMAT) deployed by thefederal government. “We can take an empty field andin three hours or less, it will be a hospital ER,” hesays of his team.

They worked in New Orleans and in Kiln, MS,during Hurricane Katrina recoveries. “The place wewent to in Mississippi . . . you can hardly find on themap,” says Walker. “That was right on the coast. Thehouses that had been immediately along the waterfront. . . simply weren’t there.

“I can’t remember seeing anyone there who didn’t


EmergencyExonians meet disasters head-on By Leah Williams

DAN WALKER

“We can take an empty fieldand in three hours or less, itwill be a hospital ER.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FEATURED ALUMNI/AE

need help of some kind,” he adds. Yet, the residents ofthis rural community were “very independent andself-sufficient,” with only those in dire need of med-ical attention willing to ask for it.

While in Kiln, Walker recalls driving around witha small team to see if his group had missed any of theinjured. “We went to this one place and the smell offood was so good,” he says of a house they visited.“We’d been eating rations.” After describing the mealof egg-in-the-hole and country ham the hostessserved them, he says of Kiln residents, “They didmore for us than we did for them.”

Walker’s desire to give back after his retirementfrom a successful career as a commercial diver andpublisher has been fueled by his experiences withDMAT. He teaches CPR and is training for his com-mercial driving license now that his emergencyresponse team has a trailer. “I thought for a whileabout Doctors Without Borders,” he says. “I reckonwhat I’m doing now is fulfilling that need.”

His current passion is a twice-yearly trip to Hon-duras through International Health Service, an organ-ization whose age requirements for paramedics he

can still meet. Through them, he is able to treat aremote population that rarely receives medical aid.

In describing what his paramedic work has meantto him, Walker says, “I’ve traveled all my life. I don’tneed travel or adventure. It’s so gratifying to deal withthese patients.” He pinpoints a day when he and hisfellow volunteers landed in Honduras. Water coveredthe field they needed to cross to get to the boat forthe next leg of their journey. “This child came up andreached across and took my hand and led me acrossthat field,” he says. “Eleven years old. She led me bythe hand and didn’t let go of me until I got out of theboat [at the end of the journey]. This October she’sgoing to be 16. Every year she’s waiting for me.”

Leading the ResponseIn the summer of 2008, when Frank Pinney wasplanning to retire from his position as Big Sur Volun-teer Fire Brigade’s chief, California experienced oneof the most extensive and costliest series of wildfiresin its history. “My swan song,” Pinney calls it. “Firewas all around us.”

Pinney says 2,000 fires, all from lightning, hit on


RespondersE

FRANK PINNEY

“My swan song.Fire was allaround us.”

June 21, creating theBasin Complex Fire nearhis home on California’scentral coast. The fireprovoked a massive stateand federal effort thatlasted weeks and putthousands of firefightersto work. More than160,000 acres ultimatelyburned.

As dur ing any fire,Pinney says he was

“always competing with time.” But wildfires can beincredibly threatening—he describes “250-foot-tall[flames] roaring up through the canyons.”

Although he downplays his part in the BasinComplex Fire effort, Pinney’s role in providing guid-ance for the national team was pivotal enough to earnhim praise from Congress and a television appearancewith then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Not bad for the chief of a small volunteer force

that began with one beat-up engine. Big Sur’syear-round residents, who number in the hun-dreds, realized in the mid-1970s that the Mon-terey and Carmel stations were too distant tosave lives and buildings. Before long, thebrigade, with its proximity to state parks andHighway 1 along the coastline, added wildfiresand vehicle rescues to its list.

After becoming chief , Pinney led theresponse not only to fires but also to other nat-ural disasters. When the 1983 El Niño stormsled to dangerous landslides that closed the high-way at both ends, “The brigade took over basicservices,” Pinney says.

“Emergencies belong to someone,” heexplains. Though a disaster’s nature determineswhich local, state or federal agency initiallytakes charge, in the end, one group—the Inci-dent Command—is formed to call the shots.

When another set of El Niño storms hit BigSur many years later, Pinney became the incidentcommander and directed the agencies evacuat-ing hundreds of tourists and moving fuel andsupplies in with National Guard helicopters.

“My hair in 1998 was a nice, comfortablebrown,” he says of this experience. But after16-hour days and the stress that accompaniedthem, “it was salt and pepper in three months.”

Pinney moved to Big Sur in 1972 to pursuehands-on work and still operates his family con-struction company. Among his early ambitionswas to become a firefighter, and, as with hisbrigade, his obligations kept expanding. “Every-where I got involved, a need arose,” he says. Thechief emeritus references the non sibi philosophythat shaped his time at Exeter and in the Marines

afterward to help explain his commitment.“Leadership qualities are recognized by those

who need to get things done,” he adds. The brigade’sfirst chief saw Pinney’s potential. “He grabbed me bythe scruff of the neck and said, ‘You’re going to be avolunteer,’ ” Pinney recalls.

Though he’s now retired from firefighting, Pinneystill perks up at the sound of an engine and keeps hisradio on to track his brigade’s movements. Of hisaccomplishments, he simply says, “My pride was tobe able to be part of it.”

Answering the Call Dr. Peter S. Boone ’76 was shocked by conditions hefaced in Hinche, Haiti, after the 2010 earthquake. Aspart of a nine-member team for the nonprofit Part-ners In Health, Boone described facilities in the wakeof the tragedy—wards with a single lightbulb, potsunder beds serving as toilets, rodents everywhere andpatients’ families working in place of nurses.

Boone, who credits his Exeter science classes forlaying the foundation for his career as an orthopedic


DR. PETER S. BOONE

“I feel I’ve had thegood fortune to havelearned a skill set thatcan be applied in timesof need.”

specialist, was at a meeting in Hawaiiwhen Haiti’s earthquake struck. “Itbecame more and more apparentthat many of their buildings had col-lapsed. Hundreds if not thousands[of people] had broken bones,” hesays.

After he had returned to Con-necticut, an orthopedic organizationhe was affiliated with broadcast anemail asking for helpers, and Boonerealized just how much he coulddo. “There was a great need,” hesays. “That’s when it really gelledI needed to volunteer.”

Boone is careful not to claimto be a first responder. “We werepart of the surge,” he explains,saying his group came in on Day15.

“I’d not done volunteerwork,” he says. “You see . . . howdesperate it can be. . . . Childrenin just a T-shirt [are] walking inthe dust. . . . The people have noneed for modesty. They don’t haveanything.”

The dire conditions requiredBoone to be inventive when treat-ing fractures. “Even with the bestsupplies,” he says, “you have to becreative in your approach. In Haiti,we had to do it the old-fashionedway, with plates and screws.”

With a shortage of supplies andintermittent electricity, only a frac-tion of those who needed opera-tions could get them right away,Boone says, and water was so scarcedoctors couldn’t wash their hands.“Just about everyone got infecteddown there,” he adds.

Boone relied on translators todeliver sometimes difficult news,including that an amputation wasneeded. “I wasn’t sure that what Iwas saying was being communicat-ed in the best way,” Boone explains.“You have to take a leap of faith.”

Boone could stay only a weekdue to policy restr ictions. Heremembers a woman he had to leavein traction before departing Hinche.“I hope the next team got to takecare of her,” he says. “She always hada big smile on her face.

“I feel I’ve had the good fortuneto have learned a skill set that can be


Students develop app for disaster assistanceThe right technology can play a critical role in mitigating disasters and speeding recovery

efforts. Just ask Alexandre X. “Alex” Zhang ’10 and Christina M. “Tina” Lipson ’10.

In 2011, they helped develop an application for Android phones using the Portable Open

Source Information Tool (POSIT) to facilitate the delivery of food and supplies to expectant

mothers and children still suffering from the effects of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

Pregnant women and young children used to travel hours by foot to obtain food distrib-

uted monthly by the nonprofit Agricultural Cooperative Development International and Vol-

unteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance organization (ACDI/VOCA), only to find that

they weren’t registered in the organization’s database.

ACDI/VOCA had previously

arranged everything by hand, which

made fixing mistakes in, or making

changes to, more than 10,000 recip-

ients’ registration information

time-consuming. With the nonprof-

it’s main office miles from their

homes and travel in such a moun-

tainous country burdensome, recip-

ients were sometimes reluctant to

take a possibly fruitless journey for

needed supplies. “Now, with the

application,” says Zhang, “it’s

all via text messages.”

Trinity College students

Zhang and Lipson helped design

the application as part of the Humanitarian FOSS Project, a tri-college effort to build free

and open source software led in part by Ralph Morelli, their computer science professor at

Trinity. They worked with four other students on the project. Thanks to the POSIT app, ensur-

ing that recipients are registered properly can be done in hours instead of weeks.

Lipson and Zhang field-tested their app in Haiti from June 29 to July 8 of last year using

grant funds from the U.S. Agency for International Development. In two groups—composed

of translators, students and ACDI/VOCA members—they explained their creation to the

nurses inputting the information for program beneficiaries.

“A lot of them were having trouble with the keyboard,” says Zhang, describing their lack

of familiarity with touch screens. “We spent a good day teaching them.”

Among the challenges on-site was an incompatible modem. “No matter how much you

test in your home environment,” says Zhang, “it’s going to be different.”

But experience with the Harkness method made the students’ communication and plan-

ning in Haiti manageable, according to Zhang, since they had practice resolving issues

through discussion in class. “Even without supervision,” he says, “we were able to . . . figure

things out on our own.”

Zhang, who described his trip as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” keeps abreast of

improvements to the POSIT app and the progress of those he remembers from his trip,

whose openness toward and appreciation of the app struck him. “They seem to be a lot more

proficient at it,” he says.

Alex Zhang ’10 (above) and

Tina Lipson ’10 (right) provide

onsite training to the Haitian

nurses who use the application

the Exonians helped build.

applied in times of need,” Booneadds. Two months after the earth-quake, he returned to Haiti butfound it wasn’t enough to satisfyhis need to help those whorequire so much care. “I’ve beeninterested in going back,” he says.

Joining the TeamPeter Stalker III ’76; P’06

believes visitors to Grand TetonNational Park aren’t aware of how much theirknowledge of their hometown environments safe-guards them, even in their daily commutes.

“That’s an environment you know like breathing,”he explains. “You can sense that car that’s going to cutyou off. In the park, there are grizzlies, moose, andbeautiful but potentially dangerous mountains. Theclues you’re looking for that ground you in the dangersin your world are not necessarily so obvious here.”

A volunteer who specializes in diving and back-country (i.e., wilderness) rescues for the park, Stalkermoved to Wyoming after retiring in his late 30s froma successful financial career in New York. The park hasgiven Stalker, an EMT and scuba instructor, a chanceto “turn my avocations into a vocation.” “I have beenso lucky and so blessed,” he says. “Here, [my wife andI] were able to retire early. I feel a strong responsibili-ty to give back.”

In Grand Teton’s backcountry, Stalker aids in any-thing from avalanche recoveries to helping those withtwisted ankles. “I enjoy the hands-on [rescue work],”

he says. “We had a girl fall on a climb. It was going tobe a complicated carryout. My role varied from mak-ing sure the path was clear of rocks and hazards . . . tocarrying the litter. That’s the kind of stuff I love to do.

“I have no expertise,” he adds. “I have a lot oftraining.” Training has given Stalker a broad view ofdisaster situations, but sometimes what’s needed dur-ing a rescue is to focus on one particular task. Duringan avalanche recovery, for example, one team may besearching for a missing group, and another team for adifferent group nearby. Using a collapsible pole, theteams will search through the snow for those whomight be below. “When you go into the field, yourtask might be to take this pole with no idea of what’shappening 300 yards away,” Stalker explains. “You’rea piece of the whole puzzle. You’re going from a verybroad brush to a very narrow slice of possibility.”

While it can’t completely replicate hands-on field-work, training has enabled Stalker to work with pro-fessional rangers he calls “truly heroic.” That heroismwas on display two summers ago, when 16 climberssuffering from lightning strikes were rescued from thepeak of Grand Teton, an experience Stalker describesas “terrifying.”

The rangers landed on the mountain via ropesdangling from helicopters, and they used the samemethod to take victims to safety. As a volunteer, Stalk-er didn’t assist from the sky, but he helped managefrom the ground by addressing crowd control, clear-ing pathways for the ambulance and directing theright personnel to the right places.

“It was a big operation,” he says. “The events are


PETER STALKER III“I feel a strongresponsibility togive back.”

unfolding in front of you. We knew how many wereup there, [but] we didn’t know the extent of peo-ple’s injuries.”It’s hard not to worry, about the victims as well as

those sent in to rescue them. “In the back of yourmind, you know the people you’re training with arein a very hazardous situation,” Stalker adds. “I pinch myself that they put up with me,” he says

of his teammates. “This is a very full existence for me.If I [died] tomorrow, I’d be very satisfied.”

Planning AheadSent to California’s 1994 Northridge earthquake as aFederal Emergency Management Agency employee,Stasha M. Wyskiel ’85 landed in a field office whereshe coordinated funding and resources allocated forvictims, many of whom had left their homes for tem-porary tent cities.

“I’m a little bit of an adrenaline junkie and aninformation geek,” Wyskiel says. Figuring out whichinformation to trust and how to compile and imple-ment it was “more of an art than a science,” she says.“It fit me like a glove.” She’s been involved in help-ing others prepare for similar emergencies ever since. Now part of a team responsible for global plan-

ning and emergency response for Gap Inc., Wyskielanticipates every disaster the retail corporation and itsbrands could face—tsunamis, mudslides, hurricanes,tornadoes. “We try to keep our finger on the pulse ofwhat’s happening globally,” she says.When disaster strikes where one of her company’s

facilities or stores is located, a virtual command center isdeveloped, with essential questions covered first: “Areour employees OK? Are our customers OK? Do wehave facility damage? What is our presence in the area?”“It took four days to know all [of our people] were

OK in Japan,” Wyskiel says, referring to the 2011earthquake and tsunami. “That was challenging on anongoing emotional level.” That’s also why preparation can help. “If San Fran-

cisco can’t talk to Japan, we need to [make sure we’vealready] trained everyone there,” she explains.Wyskiel’s first priority is always the same: “If you

don’t take care of your people,” she says, “you don’trecover at all.”

Wyskiel donates her time talking to book clubsand other organizations, many at the request of GapInc. employees. “It goes to non sibi,” she says. “I do alot of training in my community to help families bemore prepared.” She donates kits containing emer-gency supplies to public school auctions and offersthe promise of a personal visit to the winners’ house-holds to assess their readiness for a disaster. “It’s easyto look into someone’s world,” she adds, “and say,‘Here are the two things you can do.’ ”

Luckily, according to Wyskiel, planning for aneveryday situation can improve a family’s chancesduring a catastrophic one: “What happens when thepower goes out because of the storm . . . [or] when Eliruns away from you at the ballpark? What happens ifI have a flat tire? Do I have stuff in my car? It’s not[just] the big stuff.”Seeking more personal involvement with emer-

gency responses, Wyskiel also joined a Disaster Med-ical Assistance Team (DMAT). “It’s fantastic,” she says.“These are the people who do ride in on the whitehorses. . . .” The site hospitals her team forms remind herof watching the TV show “M*A*S*H” in PEA’sLangdell Hall. As part of this DMAT team, Wyskiel helped with

Hurricane Katrina recovery. Exeter must have beenon her mind as she packed—she distinctly rememberswearing a non sibiT-shirt in New Orleans.


STASHA M. WYSKIEL

“We try to keep our fingeron the pulse of what’s happening globally.”

Gill, MA, was the farthest destination

for varsity softball players Alexandra

Betrus ’14 and Chloe Dubocq ’14.


Sports

Sabrina Thulander ’12 looks at the 23 hoursshe spent on a bus this spring in a positivelight. The co-captain of the girls varsity water

polo team says the time spent driving to and fromcompetitions was an opportunity to “mentally pre-pare for the game, reflect on my day, or just sleep.”She also views it as a form of “team bonding,” even if itwas just watching a movie together.

Thulander’s team was one of 13 to travel off campusthis spring for competitive play. It is the largest num-ber of junior varsity and varsity athletic teams to com-pete in a single academic term. (Seven teams playduring the fall term, and eight play in the winter.) Thecumulative stats for spring travel are, therefore, impres-sive and underscore not only the commitment of theathletes and coaches but also the logistical coordinationexecuted by the athletics program staff.

On the Road AgainSPRING SPORTS TEAMS RACK UP THE MILEAGE Compiled by Mike Catano

“It makes you proud when you are outthere and see the teams, knowing thatwe have built this schedule… . It’s agood feeling when it all works!”

“I find that the bus is a good time forme to relax, just put in my headphonesand have some time to myself.”

“I always bring work with me onthe bus. Whether or not I actuallydo it is another question.”

Girls varsity water polo

player Catherine Willett ’12

catches up on her sleep.

Boys varsity lacrosse

teammates Stefan

Soucy ’13, Adam

Grounds ’12 and Trevor

Marrero ’12 had 11

away games this spring.

(Left) Boys lacrosse

Assistant Coach Bill

Glennon aboard the

Red Dragon. (Below)

Marianne Barbin, assis-

tant to the chair and

director of athletics,

with her “Bible”—the

travel spreadsheets for

each team.

“Bus rides are the perfect placeto hold meetings since time is soprecious at the Academy.”

“I love bus travel because itgives kids a time to sleep,study and bond.”

EXETER


Exeter

teams traveled

15,311miles this spri

ng.

Teams traveled to Andover 12times, for 888 total miles.

Boys

lacrosse logged

1,810miles for the

season.

The Top Five Spring Destinations:

Andover, MAGill, MA

Worcester, MAByfield, MAConcord, NH

Girls tennis traveled 400miles in a single day.

Teams spent a total of 293hours in buses.

On averag

e,

1,178miles w

ere driven

per team

.

In spring, 13athletic teams took to the road.

Find the latestathletic news andteam schedules atwww.exeter.edu/athletics.

—ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS REED


Sports

A

B

E

C

SpringSports

G

H

F

D

I


J

M

(A) BaseballRecord: 11-9New England Prep SchoolQuarterfinalistHead Coach: Bill DennehyAssistant Coach: Dana BarbinCaptain: Hunter Carey ’13MVP: Charles Gould ’12

(B) Boys CrewRecord: 6-62nd in NEIRA Point Total Head Coach: Albert LegérAssistant Coach: Greg SpanierCaptain: Isaiah Brown ’12MVPs: Avery Reavill ’12, Brooks Reavill ’12

(C) Girls CrewRecord: 9-3NEIRA Point Trophy WinnerHead Coach: Sally MorrisAssistant Coach: Becky MooreCaptains: Catherine Closmore ’12,Mary Reichenbach ’12MVP: Cassian Corey ’12

(D) Boys and Girls CyclingRecord: 1-0 in dual races2nd in NERCL Series ChampionshipHead Coach: Don MillsAssistant Coaches: Vicki Baggia,Steve WilsonCaptains: Alena Lovi-Borgmann ’12,Fletcher Williams ’12MVP: Kaitlin Kimberling ’12

(E) Boys and Girls GolfRecord: 5-8-1Head Coach: Bob BaileyAssistant Coach: Joanna RoCaptain: Ryan Baker ’12MVP: Ryan Baker

(F) Boys LacrosseRecord: 20-2Head Coach: Eric BergofskyAssistant Coach: Bill GlennonCaptains: Luke Brugger ’12, MaxEberhart ’12, Charles Gill ’12MVP: Charles Gill

(G) Girls LacrosseRecord: 6-10Head Coach: Mercy CarbonellAssistant Coach: Christina BreenCaptains: Martha Griffin ’12,Campbell Probert ’12MVPs: Martha Griffin, Campbell Probert

(H) SoftballRecord: 8-11Head Coach: Nancy ThompsonAssistant Coach: Rick ParrisCaptains: Naomi Richardson ’12,Shaitalya Vellanki ’12MVP: Ashley Metcalf ’13

(I) Boys A TennisRecord: 11-42nd at New England PrepSchool Tournament; 1st at New England PrepSchool Individual TournamentHead Coach: Tony GreeneCaptain: Kelvin Lee ’13MVP: Kenneth Tao ’15

(J) Girls A TennisRecord: 2-5Head Coach: Jean Chase FarnumCaptains: Kathleen Larkin ’12,Lauren Lee ’12MVP: Nicole Yoon ’13

(K) Boys TrackRecord: 9-1-1Head Coach: Hilary CoderAssistant Coaches: Toyin Augustus-Ikwuakor, Tyren Bynum, KellyCoder ’04, Gwyn Coogan ’83,Mark Hiza, AK Ikwuakor, Brandon Newbould, Francis Ronan,Bruce ShangCaptains: Jabari Johnson ’12,Maxwell Payson ’12MVP: Jabari Johnson

(L) Girls TrackRecord: 9-1Head Coach: Hilary CoderAssistant Coaches: Toyin Augustus-Ikwuakor, Tyren Bynum, KellyCoder, Gwyn Coogan, Mark Hiza,AK Ikwuakor, Brandon Newbould,Francis Ronan, Bruce ShangCaptains: Sylvia Okafor ’12, LisaScott ’12, Grace Weatherall ’12MVP: Lisa Scott

(M) Girls Water PoloRecord: 8-7Liquid Four New England PrepSchool QuarterfinalistHead Coach: Melissa PacificAssistant Coach: Erika CooperCaptains: Sabrina Thulander ’12,Renee Wang ’12MVPs: Emma Nuzzo ’12, Renee Wang

PHOTOS BY MIKE CATANO EXCEPT FOR (D) IHNA MANGUNDAYAO ’13; (E) ROBERT BAILEY; AND (I), (J) STEFAN KOHLI ’14.

K

L


Lenox, MA, native Max Dakin ’12 inherited Martin’s

former room in Soule Hall, which today is often

festooned with the flags of students’ home countries.

Soule MatesDuring his 70th Exeter class reunion in May, Spencer Martin ’42 paid a visit

to Soule Hall and to the room he had once called home. He and the room’s

most recent occupant, Max Dakin ’12, exchanged stories about their expe-

riences in the dorm and agreed that the stair-climb to the fourth-floor

helped keep them in shape.

In 1939, Spencer Martin ’42 left his

home in Louisville, KY, to take up

residence on the top floor.

PHOTOS: ACADEMY ARCHIVES, PEAN, DAN COURTER

SUMMER 2012 The Exeter Bulletin

Ihave just come to the end of 10 years’ service as an Exeter trustee. It has beenan honor and privilege to serve the school that gave me so much a half-cen-tury ago. I was a kid from the Midwest who got magically transported to four

of the most transformative years of my life.For much of the past decade, I have worried about affordability. Why did our

costs and tuitions keep rising so much faster than inflation? Were we becomingtoo much a school for the elite? Recalling a phrase from the ’60s, I thought, “Ifwe’re not part of the solution, then we’re part of the problem.” Our mandatefrom John Phillips was clear: to serve youth from every quarter, not just those whocan afford the price.

In fact, most schools and universities grew their tuitions during the very lush economicconditions of 1982–2007 because they competed to offer additional services to students andfamilies. They could get away with increased tuitions because investment returns were rela-tively high and many families were not sensitive to the higher prices.But times and thinking have changed. Today we consider our costsfirst, very conservatively, and let tuitions be set to balance the budget.As a result, the Academy’s tuitions have remained the lowest in ourpeer group. This, in turn, enables our endowment for financial aid toserve the largest possible number of students. Today about half of allExeter students benefit from substantial financial aid.

During the downturn of 2008–10, we were staring at decliningendowment draws (in fact, a temporarily declined endowment bal-ance), and we embarked on a difficult but thoughtful reduction inexpenses, the first in living memory. The endowment has now stabi-lized, but our caution continues. I leave with the confidence thatExeter is on a strong financial course that will serve us well in thedecades to come.

David O. Beim spent 25 years in investment banking before entering academia. He currently serves as a professor

of professional practice in Columbia Business School’s Finance and Economics Division.

ConnectionsA Decade ofChange—and StabilityADVANCING OUR MISS ION WITH SUREFINANCIAL FOOTINGBy David O. Beim ’58

News & Notes from the Alumni/ae Community

43

Connections

…Exeter is on a strongfinancial course that willserve us well in the decadesto come.

DA

N C

OU

RTER


Connections

Bud Konheim ’53, co-founder and CEO of Nicole Miller, one of the great Ameri-can fashion brands, says that in his 57 years in the industry he has “never had adull day at work. Every day has presented a brain twister, and that unpredictability

has encouraged invention, innovation and most of all, free thought.”Unencumbered thought, independence and creative problem solving are the foun-

dation of Konheim’s success in the volatile apparel business and have promptedWomen’s Wear Daily to nickname him “The Sage of Seventh Avenue.” While chuckling

at the moniker, he says he suspects that it may refer to the intellectualapproach he takes to the business. “I really think about issues and I neveraccept the knee-jerk, the sound bite or the generally accepted wisdom.”

Konheim credits his experience at the Harkness table for his independ-ence of thought. “There is no ‘me, too’ around the Harkness table. There, Ilearned to stake out my point of view and then to be able to back it up anddefend it.”

This approach has led him to make some nontraditional decisions in theclothing industry. A member of a family that has spent four generations in theapparel business, Konheim learned valuable lessons early on, often from din-ner table conversations, and he relies on that experience and not the whimsof the industry to inform his decisions.

For example, he tells the story of his Uncle Louis, who ran a successful hatbusiness during the Depression: “He got rich because, for women, hats werea feel-good thing. So they went out and bought a $2 hat, at a time when $8 aweek was a decent wage. He was making something that made them happyfor a price they could afford.”

Konheim says that feel-good aspect of clothes shopping has been compro-mised by the traditional business model of the department store and theensuing mall experience. “We are in a downward spiral in that world of bricksand mortar. You drive half an hour to the mall, you spend 15 minutes lookingfor a parking space, you search for the store, and you deal with salespeoplewho may be disinterested in you as a customer and in the product. You do notfeel good.”

This led Konheim to explore and embrace the digital shopping experiencefor the Nicole Miller brand. “You go online, you have fun looking at different sites, youclick on something and it arrives the next day,” he says. “If it doesn’t fit, there is a sim-ple return slip. No hassle, no pain; you feel good.”

This kind of thinking has positioned Nicole Miller as a front-runner in the digitalspace, with hundreds of thousands of Twitter followers and an exciting new web showthat illustrates the inner working of the company.

Konheim observes that, “The biggest companies in our industry are marginal. Youhave to be alert and flexible because you can lose what you have in a very short time.”With this in mind, and well ahead of his competitors, he has hired tech-savvy personneland opened a technical conference center in his New York City headquarters.

He says it is all about thinking competitively, and that, above all, is what he learnednot only at the Harkness table, but also in many long butt room conversations. “I didn’t smoke but I loved those exchanges,” he says. “There, conversation was a com-petition of views. You always walked away feeling that one point of view was better thanthe others. You were forced to focus on your ideas and uphold them. It was an intensemental exercise and that is what is necessary in making any business decision.”

—Julie Quinn

EXONIAN PROFILE

BUD KONHEIM ’ 5 3

‘The Sage of Seventh Avenue’Looks Ahead


Connections

EXONIAN PROFILE

DR. MARTHA NANCE ’ 7 6

In Search of a CureDr. Martha Nance ’76 has a high tolerance for

problems that are not fixable. She specializes inHuntington’s and Parkinson’s diseases, which

are currently incurable neurological disorders. Ratherthan dwell on what cannot be done, she focuses herself,her patients, and their families on what can be done toimprove their lives.

“Neurology has a reputation [as a discipline] whereyou make brilliant diagnoses but then there is ‘nothing youcan do.’ But I had a sense even [when I started in the early1980s] that we were on the brink of an era that wouldchange neurology, and that has been true,” Nance says.

Nance has witnessed medical advancements in neu-rology, including progression from the pneumoen-cephalogram, which she describes as a “medieval”method of injecting air into the spinal column andmanipulating the patient’s body to watch the movementof an air bubble in the brain, to CAT scans and MRIs. Shealso witnessed the advent of genetic testing for Hunting-ton’s disease with the identification of the causative genein 1993.

Since 1991, Nance has been the director of the Hunt-ington’s Disease Clinic at the Hennepin County MedicalCenter in Minneapolis. Since 1997, she also has been aneurologist at the Park Nicollet Clinic in Golden Valley,MN, where she has been the director of the StruthersParkinson’s Center since 2000. In addition to seeingpatients, doing clinical research and running two centers,Nance teaches, lectures and serves on committees. Sheis an internationally recognized thought leader on Hunt-ington’s disease and an advocate of a team-based, educa-tion-focused approach to care.

Nance credits her success in part to her “bilingual”training in both genetics and neurology. Her father, Wal-ter Nance ’50, a geneticist, helped her find summer workin genetics labs in high school and college, and inspiredher interest in genetic disorders. At the same time, herstudy of Latin, Greek and French at Exeter spawned herinitial curiosity about how the human brain works—whyand how humans can use language. Her board certifica-tion in neurology and genetics extends her credibilityamong professionals, and her dual fluency gives her theunique ability to approach Huntington’s disease, a genet-ic disease, from both perspectives.

Unlike most other neurologists, Nance is involvedwith patients even before they have symptoms of Hunt-ington’s disease, when they consider having a predictivegene test, and also cares for them throughout the courseof their disease. “I have strong feelings about how to carefor people with these diseases,” Nance says. Whenpatients enter nursing homes and are no longer able tocome to her, she goes to them. She has treated genera-tions within families and developed relationships that

have prompted individual and community victories with-in the Huntington’s and Parkinson’s communities.

Nance actively seeks balance. She enjoys mentoringhigh school, college and medical students. “If you con-nect with kids at the right moment in their lives—letthem know they can do this and that we don’t alreadyhave all the answers—then they are hooked forever.”

She and her husband, John Trusheim, a neurologistspecializing in brain tumors, also managed to find timeto raise two sons, Matthew and Stephen, who are now ingraduate school and college, respectively. In theirabsence, Nance tends to her 60-by-60-foot garden. “Allthree of my offices have veggies and flowers inflictedupon them throughout the summer. ‘Martha’s MondayMarket’ is feared by all, I think,” Nance says with a laugh.

Nance graduated from the Academy at age 16; grad-uated from Yale at age 20; finished medical school andher residency at 24 and 28, respectively; and completedher two fellowships at 31. What distinguishes her fromother doctors, however, is not her intelligence but hercompassion.

“I dream of being the person who finds the cure, butin the meantime, each individual patient is a humanbeing,” she says. “One of my mantras is that there isalways something you can do for someone with Hunting-ton’s disease, and the same is true for Parkinson’s disease.Sometimes all you can do is give them a hug, but that’sbetter than nothing.”

—Taline Manassian ’92

AD

AM

BET

TC

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Connections

Dan Moynihan’s work for California-based Loral Space & Communications isn’t rocket science—it’s satellite science. He helps design the electrical systems on those mammoth vehicles quietlyhumming above the planet to make sure you don’t miss a single minute of your favorite TV show.

But as part of his work on a satellite that left Earth last November in Kazakh-stan, Moynihan ’00 called on more than just the engineering

he’d studied at the U.S. Naval Academy and the Naval NuclearPower Training Command. The years he’d spent learning Russianat Exeter’s Harkness table and in college came in handy when itwas time to launch the satellite in Kazakhstan. “I was able to usemy Russian for the first time to interact with Russian engineers forthe launch,” he says.

After five years in the Navy, Moynihan moved to the San Francis-co Bay Area in 2010 to work for Loral and became the lead electricalengineer on the telecommunications satellite AsiaSat 7. Completedin 2011, the 4-ton satellite needed a ride into its specified orbit overthe Asia-Pacific region. AsiaSat 7 boarded a large cargo plane boundfor the world’s first and largest operational space launch facility.

“We went to the Baikonur Cosmodrome [in Kazakhstan], which isstill under the control of the Russian Federal Space Agency,” Moynihanrecalls. “It’s a huge facility in a big desert landscape, a very desolateplace. But anyone who is familiar with the space industry knows that thefacility has a very storied history. The Sputnik 1—the first man-madesatellite—was launched from there in 1957, and U.S. astronauts and cos-

monauts take off from that location.”Moynihan spent a month on the steppe, ensuring that the $100 million satellite

was ready for launch. “The Russians built a rocket, and then we joined the satellitewith the rocket,” he says. “That required a lot of meetings with the Russians, andsometimes lots of drinking with the Russians.”

Of course, meetings depend on good communication, which can be a challengeeven when everyone in the room is speaking the same language. For this project,Moynihan frequently found himself the linguistic link between the two teams. “Iwas actually using my Russian daily,” he says. “I am not by any means fluent, but Iwas the person at my company who was [the] most proficient, so I served as anunofficial translator. If there was an event [where] the translators weren’t there,they would ask me—and I would fail completely—to translate what we were sup-posed to do.”

The launch of the satellite was, obviously, the culmination of Moynihan andhis team’s work, and it’s a lot more complicated than just pushing the launchbutton. “The day is very long,” he explains. “We started preparing the satelliteelectrically around 11 a.m., and we didn’t launch until midnight. There are somany checks, rechecks [and] checks again. It’s the last time you have thechance to say, ‘Stop, something needs to change.’ ”

According to Moynihan, watching the satellite lift off was an incrediblefinale to the project. “It’s an amazing feeling,” he says. “The team that had been

building it had stuck together the whole time. You’ve put in a lot of unconventional work hours to get to thispoint, testing the satellite during holiday weekends or late into the evening. There is that level of sacrifice.”

Moynihan notes that it’s a privilege to build something that you can see: “As engineers, sometimes weonly think of reducing risk; we have to be 100 percent sure that this thing is going to operate the way wedesigned it. You take it for granted, and the awe is lost in the process. Then, you’re actually there launchingit, and you think, ‘Wow, we just did that.’ It’s something I never thought I’d be a part of.”

—Susannah Clark ’84

EXONIAN PROFILE

DANIEL MOYNIHAN ’ 0 0

Engineering for Outer Space

Dan Moynihan ’00 with

the AsiaSat 7 satellite

and in front of a Russian

Orthodox church.


Connections

VOLUNTEER PROFILE

MIRIAM BLOCK ’ 7 7

Creating a Reunion with Personality

Miriam Block ’77 and her female classmates made up one of the first groups of women to attend Exeter.During their time at the Harkness table, they became skilled at building on others’ ideas while grow-ing in confidence in themselves and their capabilities. “If I have this kooky idea of becoming an arti-

san cheese maker after 25 years of high tech, well, of course I can do that,” Block says. “Why wouldn’t I beable to do it? That’s definitely Exeter—you learn how to make what you need to happen in your life, happen.”

That same combination of teamwork and a can-do spiritcharacterized planning for the class of ’77’s 35th reunion, heldMay 4-6. As program chair, Block worked with a range of peo-ple—including Class President Liz Mullard, Assistant Directorof Alumni/ae and Parent Relations Benita O’Connell, and TimKuo and other classmates—to develop a dynamic schedule ofevents that helped draw 66 attendees back to campus, just oneattendee shy of the record for a 35th. “Because of everyone’sefforts, we were successful in bringing a lot of people back forreunion who hadn’t been before or hadn’t attended in a num-ber of years,” Block says.

In planning the weekend program, Block and her reunionteam members took a personal approach, writing notes, mak-ing phone calls and connecting on the class Facebook group.“Miriam and her crew would stir the pot on the Facebookpage, make suggestions for different events, and get re-sponses,” O’Connell says. “Even after the reunion, classmatescontinued their conversations for weeks on Facebook, talkingabout their weekend together on campus.”

Block and Mullard focused on ways to actively involve theirclassmates in reunion events. One idea was to invite them togive short talks on individual interests or pursuits, using an ap-proach Block had seen in her town of Sebastopol, CA. The so-called Ignite presentations were five minutes and 20 slides long,and could be about anything. The idea took off; seven class-mates gave Ignite presentations on topics including organtransplantation and the Kentucky Derby.

Another innovation was the 77Marketplace, where classmates could share their wares at reunion. Again, itarose out of Block and Mullard’s attempt to engage as many participants as possible and reflected Block’s ownexperiences at farmers’ markets. “It was called the Bizarre Bazaar at first because we couldn’t figure out quitewhat it was—a place for sampling, selling and sharing things you were excited about,” says Block. She sold ca-jeta, a goat’s milk caramel, at 77Marketplace, and offered samples of cheeses produced by Bohemian Cream-ery, a company she co-founded. Other classmates shared barbecue seasonings, food items, books, blankets,artwork, ceramics and paintings. “It was a nice environment for people to connect on yet another level aboutwhat they had done in their lives, what they were producing, and what they were proud of.”

“What really makes a successful reunion weekend is when the reunion chairs add the class personality toit,” O’Connell says. “Miriam and Liz took into consideration what that personality was, what people might beinterested in, and who in the class would be willing to share their experiences.”

Block was delighted with the level of engagement shown by her classmates throughout the weekend. “TheHarkness classes, discussions and forums—including one on how coeducation has changed over 35 years—were so lively, with an intellectual curiosity that maybe we don’t get all the time when we’re at home in ourdaily routines,” she says. “And there’s something so incredibly special about that connection and reconnectionthroughout the reunion.”

Now the reunion lives in the memories of the participants. Block, who recently sold her cheese-makingbusiness, is also on to new projects. Whatever she sets her sights on next, of course she can do it. She learnedhow to make things happen. That’s Exeter. —Sherri Miles

Miriam Block participatedin a classroom discussionduring the class of ’77’s35th reunion in May. “The Harkness classes,discussions and forums…were so lively, with an intellectual curiosity thatmaybe we don’t get all the time when we’re athome in our daily routines,”she says.

DA

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OU

RTER


questions or to generate ideas of her own.The concept of critical thinking does noteven exist in her vocabulary, let alone inher academic skill set.

AUW is a newly formed institution,built with the goal of gather ing thebrightest female minds of the region andproviding them with an education thatwill enable them to “change the world,”just as Safia plans to. Most of the students,like Safia and Ahn, start their time herewith a year in the Access Academy, wherewe work to prepare them for the Westernliberal arts curriculum of AUW’s under-graduate program. This is necessarybecause during the 12 or more years ofschool leading up to their admission, themajority of the students simply receive aneducation. The one-sidedness of this verbis intentional. Prior to AUW, most of thestudents experience learning in a purelydepositional way. The students who excelare the ones who are able to open them-selves to the information their teachersoffer, and then regurgitate that same infor-mation verbatim.

As a result, the students arrive with twomajor inhibitors to success in this envi-ronment. First, they are asked to learn in acomplicated and cumbersome languagethat is not their native tongue; and second,they are required to demonstrate skills andways of thinking they previously did notknow existed. The capabilities that I slow-ly and unconsciously developed throughthe careful cultivations of my parents, myteachers and the environment surround-ing me at Exeter, my AUW students areworking to master in just one year—andin English.

But they are rising to this challengebrilliantly. They read constantly, theysearch for additional resources to helpthem understand unfamiliar concepts andthey eagerly absorb every word I say. Theyall have dreams of making their families,communities and countr ies proud ofthem. They each represent an embodi-ment of AUW’s mission to “educate Asianwomen to become highly motivated andeffective professionals, leaders and service-oriented citizens of the region and there-by promote the development of andintercultural understanding among thepeoples of Asia.”

As a teacher, one is always aware of theenormous burden of empowering andmolding the next generation of a society.Here, that pressure is even more intense. Mystudents’ countries need them desperately.Their homelands range across Asia, stretch-ing all the way from Palestine to Vietnam,and each student carries a unique story.

Given their personal investments intheir countries’ problems, my students arebetter poised to make change than anyWestern nonprofit. Each of them believes,like Safia, that she can “change the worldin a day.” Idealistic? Perhaps. But this isthe attitude that will allow them to over-come their educational barriers. The solu-tions to the troubles of their countries arenot written in textbooks, and there isnowhere to copy the answers. I worryabout their nebulous and lofty dreams.

But as their teacher it is not my job torestructure their romantic dreams intosomething I see as feasible. I don’t know theanswers. It is my job to provide them withenough curiosity to truly see the worldaround them, enough humility to recognizewhat they don’t know, and enough confi-dence and skill to figure out how to turnthose nebulous dreams into reality.

Throughout this year, I have becomepainfully aware of how lucky I am. BeforeI could even read, my parents started ask-ing me questions to make me think aboutthe world surrounding me. At Exeter, Iwas carefully molded into an independentlearner. I sat around Harkness tables askingquestions and having my ideas questionedby my peers and teachers. By the time Iarrived at my university, this was secondnature. My students, on the other hand,have to first unlearn the practice of recit-ing standardized answers and then learn toask the questions themselves.

It feels unfair, all my unmerited oppor-tunity. How did I get so lucky when acrossfrom me at my desk sits a young womanwho has lived in Afghanistan, Pakistan andIran in order to escape war, but still main-tained her education? How did I earn thechance to grow at those oval oak tables?

Prior to teaching in Bangladesh, Itaught science in inner-city Philadelphiafor two years. Through all this I’ve learnedthat disparities exist across the globe, evenin our own backyard. And after three yearsand two different contexts involving theuncomfortable confrontation and ques-tioning of my privilege, I still don’t have

answers or solutions. Only an appreciationfor my time at Exeter and the ways inwhich I learned to think. And more ques-tions. But perhaps that is the point.

My students finished their year in theAccess Academy with independentresearch essays. Each of them came upwith a question that they wantedanswered and then conducted research—not with the hope of finding the answerspelled out in a text somewhere, but withthe understanding that from the informa-tion they gathered they would answer thequestion themselves.

This was difficult for them. It took usmore than a month, and while many ofthe students wrote wonderful essays, noneof them is at the level expected of a fresh-man entering a respected Western liberalarts college. But they are making progress,and by learning to write, they are alsolearning to learn and learning to think.

I believe that as they stretch themselvesand develop these skills during theirundergraduate education, they will beable to change their worlds. Maybe not ina day, as Safia imagines, but as I look at theopen hearts my students arrive with andthe open minds they discover, it’s hard tosee anything but hope.

Shared HorizonsThis summer, two of my Access Academystudents will have a chance to brieflyexperience the remarkable education Ireceived. In late June, they will leaveSoutheast Asia for the first time and spendfive weeks studying at Exeter beforereturning to AUW to start their under-graduate studies. The goal of this studentexchange is to help both Exeter and AUWfurther pursue their shared mission ofdeveloping students into globally mindedcitizens by educating and empoweringthem to become future agents of change.

By the time this is published, my stu-dents will be well into their summer expe-rience at Exeter. They will be postingupdates on what they see and what theylearn on their blog http://frombangladesh-toexeter.wordpress.com. I hope you willtake a moment to read through their reflec-tions on their experiences at our almamater as they help Exeter continue to fulfillits commitment to non sibi and to being aglobal community.

Finis(continued from page 112)


Finis Origine Pendet

A Year in Bangladesh By Emma Hiza ’05

FRED

CA

RLSO

N

Editor’s Note: Following her graduation from Exeter in 2005, Emma Hiza attended JohnsHopkins University, graduating in 2009. After teaching for two years in Philadelphia, she trav-eled to Bangladesh as a volunteer teacher at the Asian University for Women. Emma returns toJohns Hopkins in July to pursue a master’s degree in public health. Please note that the stu-dents’ names in this piece have been changed.

It is October and Anh is sitting across from me at my desk, frowning down at thearticle in front of her. The 18-year-old’s thick, black bangs hang over her eyes, butI know she is wearing an expression of frustration mixed with self-defeat. I have

asked her to write an analysis of the author’s argument in the article she is holding.“Assumption …” she murmurs to herself, desperately scanning through the pages.Nearly exasperated, she turns back to the beginning of the article in order to rereadeach line again, searching for the answer to my question.

I moved to Chittagong, Bangladesh, in August 2011 to spend a year volunteeringas a writing teacher at the Asian University for Women (AUW). We have been work-ing on these analysis skills for a few weeks, but Anh is still struggling. I can tell that shespent the night before carefully reading each line, waiting for the answer to jump outat her. All of her previous experience with education has taught her to approachlearning in this way—finding the right answer in a text and copying it down. She isgood at this and therefore was a good student in Vietnam. Now, she doesn’t under-stand why she is failing. I gently take the article out of her hands. The sentence she is

looking for is not in the text.Also 18, Safia waits for the other students to leave at the

end of class before coming to me, holding the draft of heressay. She points to my comment in the margin: More analy-sis, less summary—I want to read your ideas, not the author’s. “Idon’t understand,” she says, clearly frustrated. Safia has anintensity about her that must have been what pushed herout of her village in India and propelled her to Bangladesh.She recalls the reactions she would get from her communi-ty when she would talk about her dreams for the future:“They would tell me, ‘Be practical. You cannot change theworld in one day.’ But when I learned about this university,I learned that there were others who thought like me and I

knew I had to come here.”Presently, Safia’s intensity is focused on what she fears might result in a poor grade

on her final draft of this essay. “I know we have been talking about this in class,” sheacknowledges, “but it is still very difficult for me. I thought I was a good student, nowI am not so sure. In my old school I used to read what I was told to read and memo-rize it and then write it back for my teacher on essays and exams. But that doesn’twork here.” She has finished the equivalent of 12th grade in her country withoutever having been asked to analyze something, to ask (continued on page 111)

The solutions to the troubles oftheir countries are not writtenin textbooks ... . I worry about

their nebulous and lofty dreams.

You’ve brought yourstyle up to date. Why not your will?Recent tax-law revisions—or changes in your residence or family

status—may have made your will decidedly passé.

Many have found that supporting Exeter through a bequest is a simple and rewarding legacy to leave.

Here’s a tool to help you organize your thoughts before you head to your attorney for a tuneup:

www.exeter.edu/willwizard

If you have any questions about including the Academy in your new estate plan, please contact Phil Perham, director of planned giving, 603-777-3594, [email protected].

A program of events and travel information will beavailable closer to the date at www.exeter.edu/parents.

EXETER FAMILY WEEKEND 2012

Save the Date!OCTOBER 19-22 , 2012

All family members of current studentsare warmly invited to spend an autumnweekend on campus and experience therichness and variety of life at Exeter.

� Visit Harkness classes

� Meet faculty members and talk with your student’s adviser

� Engage in a discussion with Principal Tom Hassan

� Attend sports team practices and music ensemble rehearsals

� Learn about the college application process and financing higher education

� Tour the campus

� Get to know other Exeter families from around the world

Watch your email for more information.

Phillips Exeter Academy20 Main StreetExeter, New Hampshire 03833-2460

Parents of Alumni/ae:If this magazine is addressed to a son or daughter who no longer maintains apermanent address at your home, pleaseemail us ([email protected]) with hisor her new address. Thank you!

the exeter bulletin, summer 2012

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