From Backcountry Gourmet to Zen & the Art of Backpacking, Spring OLE trips were as diverse in landscape as they were in structure. How the Theater program explores improvisation, characterization and the elements of a scene, as explained by Sam Brown, Instructor. Finding Alternatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Kathy Bryan Alumnae/i Assistant [email protected] Spring/Summer 2005
WMS Awarded Grant for Trail Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Not just for trail improvement, but another way to integrate wilderness and sustainability into ourclassrooms, sports, community service and more.
Where do we go from here? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10WMS helps students find colleges that are “good fits.”
Oh What A Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Hosted by our international students, the 3rd Annual International Night explored beautiful andcomplex cultures of the world.
118th Commencement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Introducing our newest alumni of White Mountain School and recipients of this year’sCommencement Awards and Scholarships.
Spring OLE’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14From Backcountry Gourmet to Zen & the Art of Backpacking, Spring OLE trips were as diverse inlandscape as they were in structure.
Exploring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15How the Theater program explores improvisation, characterization and the elements of a scene, asexplained by Sam Brown, Instructor.
Above: Formal dinner remains a tradition enjoyed at White Mountain School.
On the Cover: Photo of a sunflower in the School’s community garden by Sam Brown, Theater Instructor.
were donated to the localcommunities in a one-day marathon of service. On May 13th,faculty, staff and students were at twelve locations gardening,stocking salmon, splitting wood, and lending a hand whereneeded. Work sites included The Rocks Estate, AHEAD inLittleton and Lisbon, the Daughters of Charity retirementhome, the Twin Mountain ballfield, the Pemi-Valley Habitatfor Humanity, Live and Let Live Farm, as well as trail workfor the U.S. Forest Service and clean up along some of theNorth Country’s rivers.
11,,000000 wwoorrkk hhoouurrss
SMALL SCHOOL. B IG OUTDOORS.page 4
uring a recent morning meeting, I recounted this true story from my first year at WMS
(1981) which represents, for me, the epitome of a WMS student and one reason I have
returned after a 12-year hiatus. That first year I was hired to teach Spanish, French and a
sophomore English course.
Since college I had been intrigued by Latin American literature, so I was elated to have
the opportunity of exercising the professional freedom of selecting a novel in translation
by Mexican diplomat and author, Carlos Fuentes entitled “The Death of Artemio Cruz”
for the English course.
When we had finished reading the challenging, non-chronological novel, I outlined the
requirements for the culminating paper on the work. A student, Nathan Smith ‘84, asked
if he “had” to do the paper. Off-handedly I replied, “No, you don’t “Have” to do the
paper. You can call up the author and interview him, then just write that up.”
Not long after class, Nate ran up to me at dinner and said, “Cathy, you have to be in your
apartment at seven tonight.” My surprise was tinged with incredulity when he explained
that Carlos Fuentes would be calling my home for the interview. “Do you have questions
ready?” I queried. “Not yet,” he replied, “but I will.” At home, as Jonathan and I won-
dered if there would really be a call, Nate showed up just before seven. As planned,
Carlos Fuentes called my house! I was taken aback and spoke to the renowned man in
Spanish and English. He allowed that he was impressed that we had read the novel in a
high school sophomore English course and that one of our students had the initiative to
find him at Princeton. I then turned the phone over to Nate who proceeded with his
interview. When he concluded, he was beaming!
D
Finding Alternatives...and learning more than the original assignment.
SMALL SCHOOL. B IG OUTDOORS.page 5
The day the paper was due, Nate turned in his interview
and I asked him to present it to his peers. He was still smil-
ing from the coup and proudly shared what he learned
from the author himself.
When asked, as part of a professional development day at
another school, to reflect on an important event in our
teaching careers, I remembered this incident and decided
to write about it for Independent School, the NAIS (National Association of Independent
Schools) magazine in 1994. Today this incident still astounds me, especially when I think
that back then most students (and I) didn’t even own a computer and the “Google
search” was not yet ubiquitous. How did Nate track down the author so quickly? His
motivation to avoid paper writing actually led him to learn even more by finding an alter-
native.
This story, along with others, such as the time I offered the idea of studying African litera-
ture in my French IV class (those students opted for that, and I learned so much myself!),
remind me that being a teacher sometimes means coming up with options that might not
seem doable, logical or usual. The beauty of WMS is that we have community members
(students, faculty, staff, parents, trustees) who are open to seeing from different perspec-
tives, an important talent in our changing world.
We were pleased to have Cathy and Jonathan Meisel rejoin our campus community this year. Jonathan is Chair of the Humanities Department and Cathy is Chair of WorldLanguages. Their son Ben is a member of the class of 2006.
by Cathy Meisel-ValdezChair, World Languages
SMALL SCHOOL. B IG OUTDOORS.page 6
NHS Adds New MembersThis May, the WMS chapter of the National Honor Society welcomed new inductees.
Front Row (L to R): Becky Beno (NHS advisor), *Lizzy Gibson ‘05, *Ziggy Martin ‘06, *ElsaCamuamba ‘06, Angela Mazimba ‘05, *Bupe Mazimba ‘06, *Brienne Black ‘06, Michelle Isner‘05 and Jane Zanger (NHS advisor).
Back Row (L to R): *Avery Croft ‘05, *Chloe Watlington ‘05, *Alex Foss ‘06, *Yannick Steffan ‘08,Laurah John ‘05, *Daniel Lee ‘07, Rachel Wallace ‘05 and Mel LaBelle ‘06. Missing in picture is*Natalie Nielson ‘06.
*indicates 2005 inductee.
Ten Terrific Ways toSupport Your WhiteMountain School:
1. Promote all of the great thingshappening at WMS by sharingEchoes or Campus Notes (AlanPopp’s e-newsletter) with friendsand family.
2. Recommend WMS to prospec-tive students and parents, and letour Admission Office know!Encourage them to visit WMSonline at www.whitemountain.org.
3. Proudly identify yourself as aWMS alum, student, parent, orfriend when meeting new people,submitting a resume, or making anewspaper announcement.
4. Attend WMS events and bringalong friends or alumnae/i withyou.
5. Offer to host a gathering forAdmissions or fellow alumnae/i inyour area.
6. Volunteer to serve your class asa reunion chair or class scribe.
7. Give a gift annually to WMS.
8. Ask someone to join you in giving to WMS and/or identifyyour company as a matching gift company.
9. Include WMS in your will orestate planning.
10. Make a gift to our CapitalCampaign to help build a newscience center, residence hall, andarts center.
Announcing...32nd Cultural Events Series
WWhhoolleeSSaallee KKlleezzmmeerr BBaanndd (September 22)Performing in Yiddish and Ashkenazic Hebrew, this band specializes in making its music accessibleto the English-speaking world with translations, stories, explanations, visual aids and the universallanguage that speaks to your feet and makes them want to dance. The band’s music expressesJewish values of justice and peace.
NNaattaarraajj - PPeerrffoorrmmiinngg AArrttss ooff IInnddiiaa (November 10)Elaborate costumes, devotional music, thrilling percussive rhythms and tinkling ankle bells trans-port the audience through time and space, imparting an understanding of the culture and religionof India.
JJeehhKKuulluu - WWeesstt AAffrriiccaann DDrruumm && DDaannccee (January 26)Jeh Kulu means “community” in the Banbara language of Mali. Founded in 1993, the groupoffers traditional rhythms and dances from Guinea and Senegal, West Africa. Through their per-formance, they demonstrate the complex polyrhythms played on traditional drums, the djembeand doun doun, which are accompanied by spectacular dancers who delight with synchronizedmovements and exciting choreography.
GGrraannddmmaasstteerr TTssuujjii XXII aanndd SSaammuurraaii TTaaiikkoo DDrruummmmeerrss (April 13)Exciting, high energy, mesmerizing samurai style drumming which merges soulful musical talents,extraordinary martial arts skills and deep knowledge of drumming carried through generations ofGrandmaster Tsuji’s family for 500 years. Songs and choreography are based on historical events,spirituality, nature and overall Japanese culture.
SMALL SCHOOL. B IG OUTDOORS.page 7
Small is Beautiful.
Remember that book?E.F. Schumaker’s classic, subtitledEconomics As If People Mattered, hasbecome a must read for sustainabledevelopment advocates and a corner-stone of modern management theoryfrom the dot.com corporations ofSilicon Valley to the micro-banks ofBangladesh. And, it’s what we’vebeen up to as well. Small is Beautiful:Education As If People Mattered.
We don’t teach stuff at WMS; weteach people. And our size is whatpermits us to do this. Small classespermit our faculty to reach the wholerange of learning styles and abilities.In the same class, we can spend timehelping one student sharpen studyskills while another is challenged tohone her critical thinking, or teach-ing communication to one projectteam while another works on collabo-rative techniques. Small is beautiful;it lets you get to every student everyday and lets each of them begin toassume responsibility for the direc-tion of his or her own learning. Smallpermits the kind of coaching, push-ing, cajoling, nurturing and prod-ding that ultimately supplies studentswith the confidence and competencythat prepares them for rigorous col-lege studies.
Small let’s teaching and learningmove beyond traditional academicsas well.
Because we know our students well,we are able to move them to greaterlevels of self-awareness and under-standing. (My students always knowthe answer to the question, “What’sthis story about?” “Us,” they say.)Knowing where students live, so tospeak, makes it possible to help themexamine their own neighborhoods. IfI know about a boy’s passion for soc-cer or a girl’s for rock climbing, I canrelate those to a poem, or a scripturestory, or an essay, and can show themthat each is a piece of the mirror thatcan show them who they are andhow they relate to the world.
And that, finally, is what secondaryeducation is all about. I’m 47 nowand I can remember almost none ofthe content of my small high school’sclasses. But I do remember severalextraordinary teachers who knew mewell enough to show me how tolearn, and one or two others whohelped me see who I was and whatmy place in the world might be. Imattered to them. I’ve never forgot-ten that lesson. People matter.
Small is beautiful.
- Ed Farrell, Academic Dean and Chaplain
We wish Ed Farrell, Academic Dean and Chaplain, a fond farewell as he
embarks on a new path. Ed contributed the following writing in Echoes
in 1999. We gladly reprint it with quotes from alumnae/i as a tribute to
how he has mattered to us all during his time at White Mountain School.
Small is Beautiful
“Ed made philosophy and religion cool to us withoutdumbing it down. He had a great sense of humorand was sincere. This gave him more credibility withthe students than teachers 20 years younger thanhim.” - Jud Reid ‘92
“Receiving Ed's praise for my writing helps me to thisday to find my moral voice. Ed used the respect andadmiration I held for him to lift me up and for that Iam grateful.” - Sol Diamond ‘93
“He believed in me academically, he challenged meto challenge myself (academically and in all areas oflife), he supported me through emotionally toughtimes, he counseled me on relationships, and heeven kept me out of trouble before I got into it. Edcared more than he had to, and he pushed just theright amount.” - Jessica Brookes-Parkhill ‘96
“...when I think of WMS I think of Ed. He is one per-son that all students have encountered...and whetherthe encounter was a good or bad one, somethingwas always gained at the end.” - LaToya Isaac ‘03
SMALL SCHOOL. B IG OUTDOORS.page 8
Mischief- Jennie Lee ‘06
Amazed by craziness, daring enoughfor great, horrific ideals,just kindling laughter.Many nights often play quite ritually,something thoroughly unpleasant,verifying wonder.
Name- Owen Curvelo ‘05
A name is an identification,A means for some gratification.This world adores these small honors,To become saints, typical, or goners,Just for an amount of gloryAnd a chance for, in their name, a story.
The Creative Writing class at White Mountain School has been designed to give students an outlet for written, creative expression and an audience for the uniqueness of their own voices. Concentrating on, among others, suchelements of Poem and Story Craft as plot, point of view, and the purposeful use of language, the class has exam-ined conventional and unconventional approaches to writing poems and stories. Throughout the course, studentshave created original works within prescribed forms of poetry and fiction, developing ideas into completed worksthrough the implementation of the writing process and peer consultations. Each student has become an authorityin regard to her or his own work as well as the strategies and techniques employed by writers in their craft. The Spring 2005 Creative Writing class is proud to present the following examples of their work.
Unique Voices
Artwork above by (from L to R): Lane Huntington ‘05, pinhole gram self-portrait; Lee Chaubane ‘06, pinhole doubleexposure self-portrait; Jeff Deming ‘05, Morgan Golden ‘05 in the rain; Andrew McKean ‘06, photo collage.
SMALL SCHOOL. B IG OUTDOORS.page 9
The boy in the mirror is he.He has no name.He is a reflection of self to all others,Present in all who look,Cold to touch.Smudges change his appearanceAnd blur his message:Be yourself.
Mirror- Ryland Young ‘05
Brilliance is exhausting.With every good idea, the hunger for a better one becomes stronger - Until you are scraping the bedrock of your mind, until you have been completely
Depleted, there are no excuses.I want more. I want to astound the masses again and again.And when brilliance becomes the norm and people are so used to being astounded that they have become bored with brilliance, I can take a rest.
A Thinking MAN- Avery Croft ‘05
Kris Wright, Creative WritingInstructor, with Grace Ochieng ‘08.
SMALL SCHOOL. B IG OUTDOORS.page 10
Get ready to get dirty! This May, WMS was awarded a grant through the New
Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development, Divison of
Parks and Recreations, Bureau of Trails to make improvements to a washed
out portion of the trail leading to Echo Crag Trail in Franconia Notch. The
project provides an excellent opportunity for WMS to integrate wilderness and
sustainability into classrooms, afternoon sports, activities, community service
and Outdoor Learning Expeditions. These interdisciplinary options will truely
make this a school-wide project. Grant money may be used for experts, equip-
ment and supplies. Once the project specifications receive final approval, WMS
must complete the work by September 2007. Special thanks to Torrey
McMillan, Chair of Sustainability Studies, and Mark Vermeal, Director of
Wilderness Skills, for their successful grant writing. Read more about Bureau
of Trails at www.nhtrails.org.
Agnes Scott College*American UniversityBishop's University*Boston UniversityBridgewater CollegeCarnegie Mellon UniversityColby-Sawyer College*Colorado Mountain College *Colorado School of MinesCornell University*Eckerd CollegeEugene Lang College/New School University*Full Sail*Green Mountain College Hampshire CollegeHartwick College Hobart & William Smith CollegesIthaca College
Lafayette CollegeLaGrange CollegeLewis & Clark College Loyola University New Orleans Lyndon State CollegeLynn UniversityMarlboro CollegeMassachusetts College of Liberal Arts*Montana State University *Mount Holyoke College Northern Arizona University*Plymouth State CollegePratt InstitutePrescott College *Quinnipiac UniversityRoger Williams University Saint Joseph's College (ME)*Saint Michael's College
Saint Olaf College School of the Museum of Fine Arts/Tufts University*Temple University*University of British Columbia*University of Colorado - Boulder *University of New Hampshire University of Pittsburgh*University of Puget Sound - Honors ProgramUniversity of Rhode Island*University of Saint Andrew'sUniversity of San FranciscoUniversity of Tampa*University of Vermont University of West of EnglandWarren Wilson College *Washington CollegeWestern New England College*Western State College of Colorado
* indicates Class of 2005.
2003-2005 College MatriculationWhere do we go from here?
WMS Awarded Grant for Trail Work
SMALL SCHOOL. B IG OUTDOORS.page 11
Oh What A Night!April 21-WMS celebrated the beautifuland complex cultures of the world with its3rd Annual International Night. Interactiveinfo-tables were created by our internation-al students showcasing pictures, flags,music, sculptures, clothing and homemadeappetizers from their countries. Languagestudents prepared info-tables about Frenchand Spanish-speaking countries. Thekitchen cooked up a feast of internationaldelicacies, and afterwards, internationalstudents held a quiz game with questionsabout their countries. Grace Ochieng ‘08,who is from Kenya, held a hilarious racebetween teacher Jen Granducci and BradyMott ‘05 to see who could carry a basket ofbananas on their head the fastest. Thenight ended with a traditional African danceperformed by Bupe Mazimba ‘07, LaurahJohn ‘05 and Elsa Camuamba ‘06.
“The evening was an upliftingreminder that diversity is a strengthand a resource for every community.”
- Becky Beno, International Advisor
Top L: Grace Ochieng ‘08 prepares Brady Mott ‘05 for the basket carrying contest.
Top R: Lauren Reber,Humanities & Religion
Instructor, and Laurah John ‘06.
Middle L: Dan Lee ‘07 prepares sushi for
Rachel Koepke ‘05.
Middle R: Jill Fineis, ScienceInstructor, and Jaime Pollitte,
Upper Burroughs Dorm Head,make the rounds.
Bottom: The entire WMS community enjoyed the
night’s performances.
SMALL SCHOOL. B IG OUTDOORS.page 12
118 th
The Class of 2005 in the formal garden
SSeeaatteedd LL ttoo RR:: Jennifer Pearson (Charlottesville, VA), Chloe Watlington (Manchester, MA), Rachel Wallace (Stone Mountain,GA), Angela Mazimba (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia), Cassie Immelt (Brooklandville, MD), Laurah John (Castries, St. Lucia), EmilyNoblet (Raleigh, NC), Caitlyn Parkhurst (Vineyard Haven, MA), Rachel Koepke (Boston, MA), Elizabeth Gibson (West Glover,VT), Elizabeth Parrish (Stowe, VT), Megan Graf (Chicago, IL), Ashley Smith (West Hartford, CT), Michelle Isner (Granville, MA).
SSttaannddiinngg LL ttoo RR:: James Weiner (Bryn Mawr, PA), Zachary Engel (Trent Woods, NC), Morgan Golden (Boston, MA), Jeff Deming(Exeter, NH), Frank Brown (Nicosia, Cyprus), Kyle Dunfey-Ball (Intervale, NH), Lane Huntington (Lyman, NH), Owen Curvelo(Sarasota, FL), Sam Haverstock (Acton, MA), Parker "Avery" Croft III (Burlington, VT), Eli Hutchison (Ridgefield, CT), Paul"Ryland" Young, Jr. (Atlanta, GA), Brady Mott (Malta, NY).
Jane A. Difley, President and Forester of the Society for the Protection of NewHampshire Forests delivered this year’scommencement speech. She said WhiteMountain School students are difference-makers based upon their tenacity, thought-fulness and unique experiences. Studentsneed to embrace the concept of “sustainabil-ity,” which she defined as “having the toolsand the will to meet a future that is largelyunknown.”
“If you can climb walls, if you can survive10 degrees below temperature, if you cansurvive mud season and outlive the blackflies, then you have the ability to make a difference.”
Dorothy Ellingwood McLane Scholar Zekeria Martin ‘06
SMALL SCHOOL. B IG OUTDOORS.page 13
Congratulations, Graduates!
SPRING OLE’s:
I have walked this trail six times this spring,
and every time the world seems remade –
snow recedes farther upslope, streams “too
lofty and original to rage” wend their way
alongside the trail, their courses changed as
snow melts back. Today, the tight dark
green spears of new growth unfurled them-
selves to declare themselves in the rising
chorus of spring’s arrival.
New blossoms in afternoonpendulous yellow flowerseach day a new season.
- Pavel Cenkl, Humanities Instructor and co-leaderof the “Finding the Middle Way” climbing OLE.
Backcountry Gourmet = Getting Strong & Dirty: Trail Building = Coastal Maine Perspectives: Biking = Finding the Middle Way: Climbing = Habitat for HumanityHistory of Skiing on Mt. Washington = Zen & the Art of Backpacking = Wilderness First Responder = Proctor Leadership = Solitude & the Experience of Wilderness
SMALL SCHOOL. B IG OUTDOORS.page 14
Exploring:
SMALL SCHOOL. B IG OUTDOORS.page 15
As darkness fell, I took a deep breath. With an excited nervousness I
waited for the music to begin, lights to rise, and Father Drobney to
enter from the stage left doorway. For the last 9 weeks I had been wait-
ing for this moment to arrive as I worked with my spring Performance
Theater class on “Don’t Drink the Water,” a two-act comedy by Woody
Allen.
After exploring improvisation, characterization and the elements of a
scene, we worked on the process of creating a full length performance.
In class we discussed and experienced all of the elements that create a
play: lights, sound, set, costumes, makeup, lines, rehearsals, drama in
rehearsals, laughter, tears, and sweat. The class evolved from a group
of students to a group of artists working collaboratively to create, hope-
fully, a stunning final result. The final result was stunning! A Sultan, a
bumbling ambassador’s son, an eccentric cook, a magical priest, and a
myriad of other characters graced the audience with their presence.
These characters wove together a hilarious, masterful story for the
audience. My students not only had fun, they did a great job through-
out the entire journey.
In the fall semester, the Introduction to Theater class performed five
One Acts by playwright’s David Ives, Rich Orloff, Craig Pospisil, and
our very own aspiring writer, Ben Meisel ‘06. The short plays shared a
couple of common themes. They all touched upon the diversity of
human relationships, explored how we mesh and don’t mesh with oth-
ers, and gave a glimpse of how we relate to the changing world around
us. In the School’s theater we created a pond swarming with Horace
and May, two May-flies, a NYC subway car with four friends as passen-
gers, and a rooftop, where a teacher experienced the unexpected.
Theater is about working together, telling a story about life, and taking
the audience on a journey. As a theater teacher, I want my students to
gain an understanding of how theater relates to their own lives and
how they can begin to tell their own stories on stage. In your own the-
atrical experiences remember to break a leg, be magnificent and light
up the sky.
improvisation, characterization and the elements of a scene.by Sam Brown, Theater Instructor
Top: Ziggy Martin ‘06 and Ben Meisel ‘06.
Middle: Owen Curvelo ‘05 and Natalie Nielson ‘06
Bottom: Sam Haverstock ‘05, Kendra Lowe ‘06, JamesWeiner ‘05, and Natalie Nielson ‘06.
SMALL SCHOOL. B IG OUTDOORS.page 16
SPRINGSSPPOORRTTSS
SMALL SCHOOL. B IG OUTDOORS.page 17
Class NotesShare your news! Reconnect with classmates and friends...connections you began here atSt. Mary’s and The White Mountain School.
Compiled and edited by Kathy Bryan, Alumnae/i Relations Assistant.
Stay Connected! We love to hear your news and celebrate your milestones! Please keep in touch by -
SSPPEECCIIAALL NNOOTTEE::Due to the length of this section,“Class Notes” is available as a separate download.
SMALL SCHOOL. B IG OUTDOORS.page 30
“The students, teachers andparents have been telling mesince [your performance] what awonderful show it was. As alibrarian, I was very impressedby your students’ performances.They truly got into their roles.”
“...the storytelling was a great addition to TV-TurnoffWeek. We enjoyed the storiesand the actors so much!”
“The childrenhad great funand talkedabout it andstill do! It iswonderfulwhen youngpeople makethe effort to dosomething forsomeone else.”
Tellin
g Ta
les
“Thank you so muchfor bringing your stu-dents to our school toperform. The story-tellers did a fabulousjob and we thorough-ly enjoyed the pro-duction. In addition tothe performance, Iwant to thank youand your students forthe donation of thebooks. What a won-derful example ofcommunity service.”
*Artwork on this page created by school children as “thank yous” for the WMS sto-
rytellers’ performances.
And the winner is? Light Blue! Congratulations to the Light Blue Teamfor winning this year’s competition. Could 2006 bethe year for Dark Blue? Stay tuned!
Parents of Alumni/ae:If Echoes is addressed to your son or daughterwho no longer maintains a permanent addressat your home, kindly email us with his or hernew address. Thank you.
Alumnae/i Art Exhibit:A special showcase of art by alumnae from the mid-1950’s decorated Great Hall duringreunion weekend in June. Clockwise from top left are pieces by Lili Weld Tetzeli ‘55,Diane Damrell Shumway ‘54, Birdie Waterston Britton ‘55, Lukie Chapman Reilly ‘53, and
