RED & GOLD THE COMMUNITY MAGAZINE of CATHEDRAL SCHOOL FOR BOYS
INSIDE: WHY CARING MATTERS TO TODD BLAND ’82 Page 16 GRADUATING TO THE RIGHT HIGH SCHOOL Page 20 A FIELD TRIP TO CHINA Page 30
THE HERO IN ME SEES THE HERO IN YOU
Little Brother, Kaden and Big Brother, Uday
MESSAGE from the Headmaster
Loading a school bus with bags of essentials headed to Bayview Mission.
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for CSB’s new and improved Lost and Found
I WAS RECENTLY INVOLVED in a conversation with adults from a variety of professional backgrounds. At one point, the facilitator asked the group to consider those people who played the most influential role in our lives. In my estimation, well over half of the group responded by mentioning a teacher. I expect that if CSB alumni took this same poll, the response rate would be even higher. In hindsight, the popularity of this response shouldn’t have surprised me. In fact, when you consider the amount of time we spend in school, and when you reflect upon the ultimate purposes of education, especially at a school like CSB, this recognition makes perfect sense. It is the role of teachers, I feel, to positively influence the lives of students. Hopefully, each of us, at some point, has benefited from their influence. I also responded by mentioning teachers. One was a hard- driving high school history teacher and soccer coach, who somehow managed to get more out of me than I ever knew possible. The other was a college English professor, who helped me appreciate the brilliance of Wordsworth and Keats during heated battles on the squash court. Both took a personal interest in me and my development, and their influence in my life persists to this day.
Over the course of last year, the CSB staff and students have considered the role of heroes in our lives. Many of the heroes that we have identified are the ones you might expect—parents, athletes, Samaritans. However, I have been impressed by the frequency with which our students have identified CSB teachers as their heroes. This recognition constitutes such a fitting tribute to the dedication that our teachers have to each and every boy at this school. Although their heroism is often unassuming, their influence, at least in my estimation, is immeasurable. In my opinion, and hopefully in the opinion of our boys, Superman may fly, but never as high as a CSB teacher.
MY BROTHER, MY HERO
The Big Brothers, Little Brothers program develops bonds between students of the Upper School and Lower School, and provides a connection that the boys might not
otherwise gain during their busy school lives. FOR THE UPPER SCHOOLERS, having a “little brother” at school provides them with an opportunity to be leaders and role models. They learn what it means to be accountable to someone with needs different from their own. They all have the experience of being looked up to, and appreciated for being who they are. “Kaden is my hero because he’s awesome, funny, tiny, and cute.” – UDAY
FOR THE LOWER SCHOOLERS, having a “big brother” gives them a tangible role model, and someone they can look to for guidance and encouragement. While brothers change from year to year, some of these bonds last beyond CSB.
All the Best,
Burns Jones Headmaster
“Uday is my hero because he takes care of me and plays with me.”
–KADEN
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RED & GOLD THE COMMUNITY MAGAZINE of CATHEDRAL SCHOOL FOR BOYS
Editor’s Note
WITH THIS FALL ISSUE, we’re unveiling a new look and feel for the Red&Gold . We hope you like what you see and read. You might first notice the magazine’s new design. We aimed to strike a balance between two aesthetics: classic and contemporary. We believe this balance also represents our school in many ways. The magazine’s content is also different. It is more about features than lists, and those features go beyond showcasing what has happened or is happening on campus and in our community. In fact, many of the Red&Gold stories profile CSB’s good work in a broader sense, like John Taylor’s piece on playing basketball at San Quentin and Sean Breen’s piece on his son, Jon Breen ’96, and his work with the Peace Corp in Eastern Europe. The teachers and staff writers have worked tirelessly to develop stories that are both relatable and readable. I hope you will find their stories just as inspiring as I have. The idea of inspiration points me to this issue’s theme: Heroes. The magazine’s tagline is, “The hero in me sees the hero in you.” The tagline is a bit of word play on a well-known Sanskrit prayer that reads, “My soul recognizes your soul, I honor the light, love, beauty, truth, and kindness within you because it is also within me, in sharing these things there is no distance and no difference between us, we are the same, we are one. Namaste.” I believe that when we do something heroic–big or small–not only does it inspire others to do the same, but it also helps us recognize the real or the potential heroism within others. We often talk about sports stars, soldiers, or firefighters as being heroes. But heroism does not always involve physical strength. In fact, qualities such as compassion, honesty, selflessness, humility, patience, caring, and conviction also characterize a hero. The Red&Gold stories you are about to read are made up of such people: heroes. The people who wrote these stories; they are heroes. The people who are in the stories; they are heroes, too. It turns out that heroes are all around us, every day, and when we discover the hero inside ourselves, we begin to recognize the hero inside everyone else.
CSB Brothers
OUR MISSION
1 Message from the Headmaster 3 Editor’s Note 16 Why Caring Matters to Todd Bland ’82 20 Graduating to the Right High School 23 Graduation 30 A Field Trip to China 34 School Events 36 My Hero, Jon Breen ’96 IN THIS ISSUE
RED&GOLD TEAM EDITOR Katie Rice Jones COPY EDITORS Megan Brown PHOTOGRAPHY Katie Rice Jones John Stuart Riddle
38 Pay it Forward 39 Alumni News 41 In Memoriam 42 Alumni Events 44 Ball is Life 46 Moving In, Up, and On
To provide an excellent education for boys at the elementary level. To attract a diverse student body of strong academic potential.
54 Good Reads 55 Faculty News 56 David Forbes
To provide a school committed to intellectual inquiry and rigor, centered in the Episcopal tradition, respectful of and welcoming to people of all religious traditions and beliefs. To develop social responsibility through exemplary programs of outreach and service. To create a community bonded by open-heartedness, hope, compassion, and concern.
Sasha Soheili Frank Torrano Nano Visser
Happy reading,
Cathedral School for Boys, a department of Grace Cathedral, is accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools, and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools and the National Association of Episcopal Schools. As an institution with 501(c)(3) non-profit status, it relies on the generosity of individual and community support and an active Parents Association to fund its annual operating and capital needs. If you’d like to make a gift to the School or would like more information on how you can make a difference in the lives of the School and our boys, please contact James Schmidt, Director of Development at schmidt@cathedralschool.net. All gifts to the School are fully tax-deductible as allowed by law. CATHEDRAL SCHOOL FOR BOYS 1275 Sacramento Street, San Francisco, CA 94108 (415) 771-6600 www.cathedralschool.net
COVER PHOTO John Stuart Riddle ON THE COVER: LEFT to RIGHT:
Katie Rice Jones Red&Gold Editor
Little Brother, Asher ’24 with his Big Brothers, Lukas ’16 and Prem ’20 pose on CSB’s Upper School terrace overlooking Grace Cathedral and the city of San Francisco.
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HEROES OBSERVE Lower School science teacher, Chloe Banks, works with second-grade boys to record observations from a recent experiment.
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HEROES CREATE Eighth graders paint a mural on the stairwell wall inspired by artist Sol LeWitt.
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HEROES ORCHESTRATE CSB’s faculty band plays Irish music while the boys dance in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.
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HEROES VOLUNTEER Father Abidari looks for hymn suggestions from the boys during Friday Hymn Sing.
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HEROES EXPLORE Seventh-grade boys explore icons of San Francisco, including the Sutro Tower, during their Infrastructure intersession class.
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HEROES TEACH Mr. Williams inspires the boys’ mathematical minds.
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WHY CARING MATTERS TO TODD BLAND ’82
Last spring, Todd Bland, CSB Alumnus, and Milton Academy Head of School, graciously sat down to be interviewed via Skype by CSB’s Deb Rockwood, Alumni Program Coordinator, and Tara Boland, High School Counselor. During the conversation, Todd discussed his fondest memories of CSB; his career path in education; his work on the landmark paper, “Turning the Tide: Inspiring Concern for Others and the Common Good through College Admissions” for Harvard’s Making Caring Common Project; and his advice on selecting a high school.
CATHEDRAL SCHOOL FOR BOYS: What do you remember most about your time at Cathedral School for Boys? Todd Bland: I love Cathedral and the impact it had on my life. I came from a very traditional public school in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and I did not think I was going to like CSB at all. Recess on a roof? Grey flannel pants? Black shoes? I was used to running down the street to get to school and wide, open recess spaces. I arrived at Cathedral halfway through my sixth-grade year and remained for two and a half years. Those years were as formative to who I am as any others in my life. It must have been that combination of great teachers, a productive environment, and good friends. Some of the friends I have made at Cathedral are some of my very best friends today: Jad Dunning, Trevor Traina, Erik Fogelberg, and Paco Keville. At Cathedral, I learned a lot from my teachers and classmates about the value of good behavior and being committed to things beyond oneself. The school culture incentivized caring for others. The wholesomeness of that experience has stayed with me. CSB: Your stepfather, Dick Downes, was the Headmaster at CSB from 1979–1983. Did he influence your decision to go into education? TB: Absolutely. My father, mother, and stepfather were all in education, and each influenced me positively. They sent me down the path. I wanted to give back in similar ways that they did—by being committed to education and to the healthy development of young people. I have so many fond memories of my teachers at Cathedral. As a young teacher, I tried to model myself after Mr. Korn: I thought he was such an inspirational teacher. Mr. Tacke taught me how to write well and to appreciate Shakespeare. Mark Hollingsworth, the school’s chaplain, who is now the Bishop of Ohio, was the coolest religious person I’d ever met. He was young, he was a priest, but he was also my baseball coach. As a CSB student, I remember feeling that one day I would like to have a similar impact on kids as these men did on me. Beyond my stepfather, Cathedral gave me many examples of people I wanted to emulate. Each of their legacies allowed me to contemplate what it
means to live a good life. I’m sad to say that I had to swim upstream to become a teacher and stay in the profession for my career, in part because financial success is so valued in our world. When I graduated from college and was looking for a job in education, I remember feeling like I was getting into the family business. Sure, I could have gone in a different direction professionally, but seeing first-hand the positive impact that one can have within a school community was hard to resist. I always had excellent educators who I could look at and think: “How could I possibly do better than that?” CSB: In addition to your seven years as Head of School at Milton Academy, you have been part of the coalition that wrote the groundbreaking report, “Turning the Tide,” released by the Making Caring Common Project. Can you tell us more about this? TB: My role in this was being part of the discussions that led to the creation of Turning the Tide . The Making Caring Common Project is extensive, and the title is a good descriptor of what the project is. Their focus is on education and ways in which we can focus on issues of caring and giving to one’s community. One of their central projects was releasing Turning the Tide . This work—to better value community engagement, caring and social justice—is an area of growth and development in education. The potential trickle down, from colleges and universities to K–12 schools, is exciting. Schools have the opportunity to focus on the real work of why we are in education, which is not just to get students into the most selective colleges. Obviously, we want our students to have great options, but we’re not in the business of education for that prize. Much of this work will allow us to incentivize the skills and experiences that are in the best interest of students’ development. MAKING CARING COMMON PROJECT (MCC) is a project of the Harvard Graduate School of Education that helps educators, parents, and communities raise children who are caring, responsible to their communities, and committed to justice. MakingCaringCommon.org
Todd Bland, Head of School at Milton Academy since 2009
Continued on page 18
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Continued from page 17
My CSB experience informed my position and beliefs in this realm. The work on this topic is exciting, and I believe that, over time, the impact of this work—how it plays out across the country—is going to be quite significant. CSB: You’re one of the few representatives from high schools to work on Turning the Tide. How did you get involved with the group and what role did you play? TB: I am the Board Chair of National Network of Schools (NNSP) in Partnership. Our mission is to promote public and private school partnerships across the country. We have about 150 member schools from independent, public, and parochial schools. Much of the work of the partnership relates to community engagement: schools getting together and acknowledging that there is more we can do to enhance the educational opportunities and programming in our regions. The thought is that if all of us can work together to combine our resources, great things can happen for all our students. Richard (Rick) Weissbourd, one of the directors of the Making Caring Common Project and lecturer at Harvard Graduate School of Education, heard me speak on the behalf of NNSP. He felt our organizations had much in common. Both groups believed in the importance of incentivizing students to choose
Turning the Tide: Inspiring Concern for Others and the Common Good through College Admissions . The report marks the first time a broad coalition of college admissions offices joined forces to collectively encourage high school students to focus on meaningful, ethical, and intellectual engagement. It includes concrete recommendations for reshaping the college admissions process, promoting greater ethical engagement among aspiring students, reducing excessive achievement pressure, and leveling the playing field for economically disadvantaged students. The Turning the Tide initiative grew out of a study that Rick conducted through Making Caring Common. Surveying more than 10,000 students, Rick asked which priority students felt their parents valued most: “personal achievement” or “caring for others.” An overwhelming majority said that their parents valued achievement most. Asked a similar question, the parents of these same students said that they emphasized caring over achievement in raising their children. These results were so disturbing, the disconnect between student and parent was so stark, that Rick felt he had to take action. Turning the Tide is the first step—the beginning of an important conversation. Since the publication of Turning the Tide in January 2016, that conversation has been taking place at conferences and association meetings around the country. Rod Skinner and I have been honored and excited to be a part of those discussions. We have been asking both high school and college colleagues to examine the ways in which the practices and cultural pressures of their respective institutions may be indirectly steering students away from choosing authentic community engagement. This is not about creating more work or more expectations— it’s about refining and clarifying what good and authentic community engagement looks like. You can do tremendous good around the world, but the truth is that real and authentic commitment to others can happen within your own family. For those young people who spend hours “caring for others” such as a grandparent, a younger sibling, or their neighbors, TURNING THE TIDE: Inspiring Concern for Others and the Common Good through College Admissions This report marks the first time in history that a broad coalition of college admissions offices have joined forces to collectively encourage high school students to focus on meaningful ethical and intellectual engagement. The report includes concrete recommendations to reshape the college admissions process and promote greater ethical engagement among aspiring students, reduce excessive achievement pressure, and level the playing field for economically disadvantaged students. It is the first step in a two-year campaign that seeks to substantially reshape the existing college admissions process. MCC.GSE.Harvard.edu/CollegeAdmissions
NATIONAL NETWORK OF SCHOOLS IN PARTNERSHIP (NNSP)
authentic community engagement. We want to encourage students to actually do the work of developing their character and giving to others, as opposed to doing activities that are perceived to be impressive on a college application. Rick and I agree that the reframing of the college admissions process could provide a real opportunity for growth and character development in students. Soon after our first meeting, Rick formed a group of peers, largely from the college ranks—administration and admissions— and invited Rod Skinner, Milton Academy’s Director of College Counseling, and me to join. Rod and I felt privileged to be sitting at the table. Together, our group published was created to meet the growing demand for models of best practice that can scale innovation more quickly. NNSP offers a single place where educators and community leaders can turn for support in the design, implementation, and improvement of high-impact partnerships. SchoolsinPartnership.org
Todd Bland in conversation with Rod Skinner, Milton Academy’s Director of College Counseling
their good work ought to be recognized. Colleges ought to consider rewarding these students for what they already do, supporting the welfare of their family and their local community. Perhaps this kind of work isn’t exotic or thrilling, but it is tremendously important. CSB: As a Head of School and a former CSB student, what is the best piece of advice you could provide a CSB eighth grader applying to high school? TB: Things have a way of working out. The path is not always linear: you’ll move, you’ll shift, but things tend to work out. What a student does with where he goes is much more important than where he goes. What matters most, of course, is that the school he chooses is a good fit for him. Sure, it’s hard not to be distracted by school ratings and where other students have gone, but don’t let those details get you off track. The central experience of students and families who are happiest in this process is that the parents have listened to their children and their own instincts as they explore. Many different good schools exist, and at least one of those schools will be the perfect fit for you. Visit and explore all kinds of schools. Exploration is healthy and good—even if it simply affirms that your original thought was the right one. CSB: And advice for his parents? TB: My wife and I just went through the college search process with our children. We were so grateful they allowed us to take that journey with them. We had an incredible time getting to know them each a little better, while we were all thinking about what was next and what they wanted. That was a gift. My advice to parents would be to remain involved. Listen to your children, and help guide them in a way that reflects good listening. Ask them what they’re looking for and what they think. (I also tell kids to listen to their parents: Parents have a lot more to offer than students think they do!) Enjoy the ride. Parents can become so stressed out by the process—they just want it to be over. The stress is real, but there is also a lot of joy in the discovery. It will all work out: Begin with that and end with that.
Todd Bland with Milton students
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The very words “high school” can elicit a certain level of anxiety from parents about their child’s future, regardless of how far off high school may be. Parents have already invested in their son’s future by sending him to Cathedral. They want assurances that their child’s future will not just be “okay,” but spectacular. As High School Counselor, my job is to guide and counsel each family through the high school admission process. Together, we draw up a list of high schools and begin the journey to find the high schools that will offer their boy the best “fit.” WHEN APPROACHED WELL, this journey can be exciting. Families have the of schools. At worst, investigating a school not on a family’s radar confirms their assumptions; at best, a family GRADUATING TO THE RIGHT HIGH SCHOOL BY TARA BOLAND, High School Counselor
To continue the counseling support, I meet with boys once every six-day rotation for a High School Counseling class. The class format is part Q&A (questions about the process are addressed), and part designed curriculum (interviewing skills, personal essay writing, and basic decision-making skills). Each week, I send parents a counseling update, which highlights important dates and tasks that need to be completed by the boys and parents, and addresses more philosophical aspects of navigating the application process. Throughout, parents and I communicate via phone and e-mails, and meet in person, depending on each family’s needs. In January, high school applications are due. I encourage boys to apply to four to six schools. I also advise that boys’ lists reflect a broad range of schools. Our goal is not for families to have a wide range of options to decide upon in March, but rather to find a match with the school that offers the best fit for their son. The most enigmatic parts of the high school process center around the idea of “best fit.” However, the best fit is not always tantamount to the most
opportunity to tour many different kinds of high schools and consider a variety of possibilities for their son. Throughout the process, families are pushed to communicate honestly about who their son is and how he best learns. So what does this “process” look like? The high school application process begins in the spring of a student’s seventh-grade year. At that time, I welcome seventh-grade families to an introductory meeting. In June, after school concludes, I meet with each family individually. Before the meeting, I ask the boys and their parents to complete separate questionnaires regarding basic high school preferences. Questions range from preferences about big or small, religious or secular, urban or suburban, day or boarding, public or private, and progressive or more traditional schools. The questionnaire offers direction for our continued dialogue. We discuss each boy’s academic needs, extracurricular interests, and the environment in which he best learns. This allows me to introduce families to a broad range
discovers a new school that could inspire their son in unexpected ways. All this is done so that by early summer, each family has a list of schools to research over summer break. When school reconvenes in the fall, high school admission events are offered at local high schools ranging from school fairs, shadow visits, interviews, coffees for parents, open houses, and lunch presentations. These events allow boys and families to meet admission teams and collect information on schools, but most importantly, these events provide families with a “feel” for each school. In addition to these “marketed” events, I also encourage families to attend non-admission office activities like school plays, sporting events, and musical performances. After all, these are the events that make up a real high school experience. Throughout the fall, in addition to attending a myriad of high schools events, the boys take the SSAT, narrow down school choices, and write essays for high school applications.
Class of 2016; Our boys, their schools
prestigious or the highest-ranked schools. The best fit will be with the school that helps the student find the best version of himself. There, he will be supported and known, engaged, challenged to think deeply, and pushed to produce his best work. The school will allow him to stumble, reflect, redirect his energy, and learn. After all, high school is not a destination, but simply one stop on a student’s academic and developmental journey. In the moment, it is possible to lose sight of the fact that each boy has a lot of living, learning, and growing
to do after high school. If those four years simply deplete him of his zest for learning, high school won’t provide him the springboard needed for the next step of his journey. To quote Milton Academy Head of School Todd Bland ’82, “There is no one right school for all boys, but there is a right school for each boy.” Meanwhile, high schools are seeking to compose classes comprising students of diverse interests, backgrounds, talents, geographic locations, and experiences as possible. Fortunately, Cathedral School has earned an excellent reputation locally
and nationally. CSB boys are known for their solid character, academic prowess, and community-building skills. These traits are very attractive to schools. Cathedral boys’ acceptances at local and boarding schools over the years have been very strong. In the last two years, 95% of CSB boys have been accepted at their first or second choice high school. Each year, the list of schools (see page 27) shifts, reflecting the interests, talents, and learning styles of the boys. In my view, the strength of the program is not the “wow” factor of those particular Continued on page 22 FALL 2016 • RED & GOLD | 21
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GRADUATION
“There is no one right school for all boys, but there is a right school for each boy.” – TODD BLAND ’82
Continued from page 21
schools into which the boys are accepted, but the story behind the match and the opportunity for growth that each school represents for each boy. So, in a magazine devoted to heroes, who are the heroes in the high school application process? Of course, our eighth-grade boys are heroes. The process is not an easy one. Boys must attend countless events and write a number of introspective essays, all while attending a demanding school and participating in a number of extracurricular activities. The application
process places many demands upon parents as well. Their parents are also heroes. CSB parents recognize their boys for who they are and support them wholeheartedly in their quest to achieve their dreams. The teachers who have touched boys’ lives over the course of their education are heroes, too. They, along with families, shape the well- prepared, thoughtful, caring, curious, passionate, funny, hardworking, and ever-changing boys. It has been my privilege to work with all these dedicated communities.
While the high school application process is far from perfect, my hope is that from it, boys gain a robust sense of self and purpose, and build even stronger bonds with their parents. I also hope that each CSB boy gains an appreciation of the wonderful gift that Cathedral School has been for him. Regardless of how magical each high school is, nothing will replace the special years ensconced in the CSB community while dressed in a light blue button-down shirts and gray pants. These formative years are the ones that shape every Cathedral boy.
CLASS of 2016
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COMMENCEMENT: JUNE 9, 2016 As the graduating class looks toward the future, here are a few last words of wisdom ...
with classmates, friends, romantic issues, and, of course, our parents. (Holding up a basketball) If any of you are feeling sad, lonely, depressed, or just want to bring back good memories, remember this ball, remember this class, this school, and I promise that your spirits will be lifted. For the last month or so, we eighth graders have been diagnosed with the terrible disease of “senioritis.” We slump around the halls and classrooms moaning about how we want to get out, how we want to move on to high school. However, looking around this cathedral today, I am starting to miss you already. To the sextons and Grace Cathedral: Thank you for giving us the chance to experience such an amazing, righteous place. Chapel every morning would not have been the same without you. To Mr. Jones and his administration: Thanks administrators for administering the school, keeping CSB’s engines running, and providing all of us with
wondrous things that we could never have imagined. Thank you, Mr. Jones, for taking us out to lunch, teaching us how to be men, and most importantly, thank you for playing soccer with us at the end of each day. To all the teachers: Thank you for granting us students the ability, need, and aspiration to want to learn more. It is because of you that we have the yearning to learn. To our families and parents: Thank you for always being there, thank you for giving us the amazing opportunity to attend CSB, thank you for putting up with all of our vexing shenanigans, and thank you for your sacrifice to make us have good lives. To Mr. and Mrs. Jackson, Mrs. Huber, Mrs. Chow, and Mr. Apostoli: Thank you for reading to us, thanks for teaching us to write an essay, thanks for protecting us, and thanks for all the feedback, knowledge, and positivity
that you brought to CSB. You will be missed, and will always be part of the CSB community. To the Class of 2016 : Thank you guys for being the coolest, weirdest, nicest, rowdiest, and smartest group of humans that I know. Words can seriously not describe our relationship. Our moments of glorious, raw fun will never be forgotten. I am going to miss you guys very much, and I know that we will always be friends. But when we walk out of those doors and enter through a new set, our friendships and bonds will be changed. They will be even stronger; because although we won’t see each other every day, we will always have the ability to reconnect mentally and physically. (Holding up a basketball) I wish for all of you to create your own paths, learn as much as you can along the way, never forget CSB, and always remain part of this community.
an eternity, this basketball turned my sadness to gratefulness. When I was presented with this basketball, I suddenly became grateful. Grateful that I was part of a community that sincerely cared about my well-being. During the time between leaving after second grade and returning in seventh, our class had grown immensely. When I came back, there were new teachers, new students, new rules, and even an entirely new building—all these things that have made our school better. Even though I was not at CSB from grade three to grade six, I would still regularly get questions such as “Alex, remember that time in fourth grade?” or “Hey Uchi, remember sixth-grade Outdoor Ed?” Obviously, I do not remember any of these seemingly spectacular times, because I was in Ohio. But, what I took away from these questions was that I was not forgotten, I was still part of an important community, and that I would remain part of it for the rest of my life. No matter where life takes me, I will always have tons of CSB memories. From cubbies to lockers, shorts to pants, “If You Give a Moose a Muffin” to “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Popsicle stick counting to graphing parabolas, Adam and Eve to Aristotle’s philosophy, and kickball on the roof to soccer on the turf, these years have been amazing. (Turning to eighth graders) Guys, when we all go our separate ways and embark on a new expedition called high school, we will still be part of our same, tight community. None of us will be forgotten. We can still Snapchat, text, DM, or just call up a CSB classmate when we are in need of a good talk. We will also always be available for help with social media inconveniences, sports stuff, troubles
AARON MULLEN, Director of Community and Inclusion
(Holding up a basketball) Does anyone know what this is? Well, this is actually many things. Yes, it is a basketball, and if you look close, you will see it is covered with signatures, student signatures, plus those of Ms. Graham and Ms. Banks. Some of these signatures are kind of smudged, and some very smudged. However, all of these signatures were written with love, empathy, and a Sharpie. For those who don’t know why I have this, this ball was given to me at the end of my second-grade year here at CSB, the year right before I moved from San Francisco to a foreign place called Ohio. Aside from being a basketball, it also represents something that CSB is exceedingly good at—community. This Spalding, NBA, indoor/outdoor, tack-soft ball is community. To a small second-grader, in tears because I would soon be leaving my companions for what seemed like
ALEX UCHIMURA, Class of 2016
GRADUATES, ALUMNI, FELLOW FACULTY, FRIENDS, AND FAMILIES OF THE GRADUATES: I am extremely honored to be here today, and to celebrate this special group of young men of the Cathedral School for Boys, Class of 2016. Let’s relax for a second and rewind to Fall 2007, your earliest Hawk days. Kindergarten, Mrs. Rhyne was your teacher, it was nine years ago, you were about 42 inches tall and weighed about 50 pounds, a gallon of gas was $3.38, Barry Bonds broke baseball’s home run record, there was the mortgage crisis, the movie “Transformers” was released (the first one), Soulja Boy came out with that awful song “Crank That,” and Steve Jobs released an ultimate game changer, Apple’s first generation iPhone. Wow, what a year. As an Upper School teacher, I had limited interactions with you guys early on, but I do remember Mr. Neary telling me, “You’re going to win a few championships with Nick, Zeke, and Fin. And be ready for a group that asks a lot of questions.” I didn’t fully understand Mr. Neary’s words back then, but I have a solid understanding of them now. Whether it was PE
HELLO. Dean Young, Headmaster Jones, Chairperson Nooney, faculty and staff, friends and family, students, and fellow members of the class of 2016—thank you for your attendance. My name is Alex Uchimura and, to start off this speech, I would like to congratulate all eighth graders of the 2016 Class. We have made it. We are graduating CSB! We started at the bottom as kindergartners; now the whole team is here. And to think that there are so many dangers in this world such as ISIS, Ebola, global warming, pollution, walking through Mr. Mundy’s classroom while he is teaching—all things quite fatal—but we still managed to graduate. So let’s give this class a big round of applause.
class, athletic practice, Perspectives Group with Mr. V, PBL with Ms. Jiménez, or advisory, I have no idea how many times you guys have asked the question “What are we going to do today?” Right, Gavin and Sam? Rather than give you a typical “Coach Mullen” response such as “You’ll find out,” or “Really,” or give some form of dramatic side-eye, today I’ll beat you to it and will communicate the purpose of your last exhaustive Coach Mullen talk. Continued on page 26
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knows? Is it the popular kids who will resort to “almost anything” to maintain their social status of feeling more powerful over others? Or maybe another group; the ones who are at the edges of the popular group, who troll the higher status group and wait for an opportunity to feel appreciated by the group that has always excluded them. As an 80’s kid, this all seems twisted. It seems as if the image of your profile pictures and timeline are what is most important. The visual imagery of what you do or who you are tagged with somehow takes precedence over how you feel and what you believe in. My boys, discover that inner dog in you, and try your best to find yourself in order to be your best self. Create your own version of happiness based on trust, respect, and affection—and avoid doing it at the expense of others. LESSON 2: FORGIVE “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” MAHATMA GANDHI As a teen, this can be very difficult to comprehend and, most importantly, to apply. At times, adults in your existence might not model or teach the act of forgiveness, which is defined as a conscious decision to release feelings of resentment toward a person or group who have harmed you. A quick reminder, forgiveness does not mean forgetting, nor does it mean excusing others’ offenses. Instead, it brings you peace of mind and frees you from built-up anger. In this way, it empowers you to recognize the pain you have suffered without letting that pain define you, allowing you to heal and to move on. Imagine if you released all of your built-up anger that originated from peers, adults, academics, or athletics. How would that affect your personal relationships? Would you be happier? Would you be more open? Continuing with the theme of social media, if you released all of your built-up anger that originated from outside forces, what would your digital footprint look like? Would your Instagram, Twitter, or Snapchat posts have a different tone? Would they be as aggressive or offensive? Think about it. LESSON 3: TAKE ACTION “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. I can only imagine what some of you are thinking. “How can I do something if I don’t know where I’m going or what the process looks like? That’s too scary. I might fail or make a mistake.” Just remember, if you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask for the answer, it will always
“Create your own version of happiness based on trust, respect, and affection—and avoid doing it at the expense of others.” – AARON MULLEN
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I last stood at this podium when you were in third grade and gave the faculty speech to the Class of 2011. I issued three life lessons: Know when to stand up, speak up, and shut up. This morning, I will continue that tradition and also leave you with three other life lessons, supported by a quote. Today’s lessons are a little more personal as they shaped me during my first year of teaching while at The Urban School, and helped
be no. If you don’t step forward, you’ll always be in the same place. For those who might find this challenging, stay in the moment and don’t overthink things. Refine your inner thoughts with “How I’m going to get things done” versus “If I get things done.” I can recall this year’s CYO Red Team championship basketball game where, entering the game, consensus of thought was apathy and anxiety. Somehow, miraculously, in pregame warm-ups, those thoughts transformed into “I have this” and “I’m prepared.” In that game, those seven boys took convincing strides to control their destiny and kick some St. Brendan’s butt. As your coach, I never doubted if we were going to win that game. I was most consumed with the “how.” That game illustrated how a group of individuals taking positive action can yield positive results. Your class is a true representative of diversity and enduring experiences. Using Mr. Bertrand’s windows and mirrors analogy, while looking in the mirror your class is made up of 16 different zip codes, single-parent homes, and single-gendered family structures; some of you have experienced physically altering surgeries, death, tragedy, or parental divorce; you have a celebrity/television chef and an international-level soccer player as classmates; as well as students who have spent time in other states and countries. However, more indicative of the
uniqueness of your class is that one of your best athletes refers to being a “triple threat student” as one who excels at the violin, sax, and flute rather than basketball, baseball, and soccer. I can go on and on about how varied your personal backgrounds are. And what is so admirable is that those differences did not define you or prevent you from making genuine friendships during your time at CSB. Have there been challenges along the way? Yes. Some that required punishment and some that required a conversation. But there are times when it all comes together and makes sense, like on our kayaking trip on the Monterey Bay. Two stories stand out. The first is when Charlie Weltchek and Ares Williams, two of our smallest boys in the class, defied all odds when they decided they wanted to partner up and challenge themselves on the 90-minute trek back to shore. Even though they had to put in more than twice as much effort than all of the other pairs, their collective desire pushed them beyond their comfort zone at a time when they could only rely on themselves. The moment they made it to shore, the smiles on their faces and sense of accomplishment were priceless. Another example is the friendship of Earl and Whitner. When picking partners, the staff decided to pair Earl, who is a non-swimmer, with Whitner, who is a solid swimmer and who also has a strong sense of responsibility. While out
me grow into the man I am today. LESSON 1: BE YOURSELF
“Be yourself —not your idea of what you think somebody else’s idea of yourself should be.” HENRY DAVID THOREAU
As you advance through adolescence, you—as a young man— have to know what are your basic core values. What you stand for, who you stand for, what you really like to do, and why you really like to do it. Act as if you are a private school or tech start-up and you are held accountable for living out your personal mission statement. Why do I say this? Most of you are fully engaged in a subculture that is unregulated, highly sophisticated, and very unforgiving—social media. When emojis represent feelings and the amount of Instagram likes on your post or the number of online friends solidify social hierarchy, who is set up to be successful? What are the stepping stones to creating healthy friendships that foster intimacy and closeness when you are managing 1,000 friends or followers? Who
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CLASS OF 2016 HIGH SCHOOL CHOICES
For you guys, you have experienced the tension in middle school. And as a reminder, there is no version of “SparkNotes” that will provide a blueprint of how to navigate your next four years of high school. That’s the beauty, that’s the teenage journey: growth and learning from your mistakes and not repeating them again. Your Cathedral School experiences—shaped by your parents, teachers, Mr. Bertrand, Mr. Hunt, Mr. Ferreboeuf, Ms. Roggero, and Mr. Jones—have created a foundation for you. As you advance through high school remind yourself that “minds, hearts, hands, and voices,” is your reference point. As you advance through college, remind yourself; minds, hearts, hands, and voices is your reference point. As you advance through adulthood; remind yourself that minds, hearts, hands, and voices is your reference point. Cathedral School will always be your reference point: a place of reflection, connectedness, and home. I say this because there are alumni in the audience who feel the same way. Your formative years on this campus are over, but you’ll forever be a Cathedral Hawk. In closing, continue to open yourselves to a world that can change you, or where you can change the world. You guys rock and continue to live by my favorite motto: “Don’t be that guy.”
“What lies behind us, and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.”
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— RALPH WALDO EMERSON
GRADUATION AWARDS 2016 on the water, of the 20 kayaks, guess which kayak was the only one to tip over? Yes, the one with Earl and Whitner. Even though both had on their life jackets, Whitner immediately took the responsibility to ensure Earl’s safety. He calmly swam to Earl, flipped the kayak on its correct side and then made sure Earl got back into his correct seated position in the kayak. Amazing and true. The story could end there and it would be heroic. But it doesn’t. The true story was when we got back to shore, I asked Earl if he was okay. In so many words he said, “I was scared, really scared. But I had Whitner with me and he made it easy for me to overcome one of my fears.” OMG. Please understand these are two recent examples that stand out to me, and do not take away or diminish other stories or experiences of glory or pain. They just remind me of the special situations that happen organically without dictating adults.
The class of 2016 is attending the following high schools: Bay (6), Branson (2), Drew, International, Lick-Wilmerding (2), Marin Academy, Riordan, Stevenson, San Domenico (2), Sacred Heart Cathedral (2), St. Ignatius, Sterne, Stuart Hall (2), International School of Stuttgart, University (7), and Urban (4).
CSB boys celebrating graduation with with song, smiles, and hugs.
RED AND GOLD TROPHY Calum Wallace MacDermid (Red Team) The Red and Gold Trophy is awarded at graduation to the captain of the team that has scored the greatest number of points during the Field Day competitions. MERIT SCHOLAR The Owen Jameson Merit Scholar is that seventh grader who has earned the highest overall grade point average in his class. For his diligence and hard work, this boy is awarded a full tuition scholarship. (This year, two boys tied for this honor, splitting the tuition prize.) Ryan Tabibian and Matthew Tsakalakis
CHAPLAIN’S AWARD Lukas H. Bacho
HEADMASTER’S AWARD Marc Eliot Montgomery
BISHOP’S AWARD Gavin Rock Pola The Bishop’s Award is given to that boy whose academic ability, leadership qualifications, and extracurricular involvements show him to be an outstanding graduate of this school. GRADUATION PLAQUE Hayden Whitcomb The Graduation Plaque is accepted each year by the Student Council President and on the behalf of his class.
The Chaplain’s Award is given to that boy who most exemplifies a spirit of selflessness and generosity: a willingness to help and serve others, without thought for himself. ART AWARD Calum Wallace MacDermid The Art Award is given to that eighth grader who has demonstrated a commitment to excellence in the visual or performing arts during their time as a Cathedral student. ALUMNI AWARD Milo J. Wetherall The Alumni Award is given to that eighth grader who most exemplifies commitment and service to the school community coupled with high individual achievement and excellence.
The Headmaster’s Award is given, upon the recommendation of the faculty, to that boy who has shown outstanding improvement in academics over the course of the school year, and whose personal growth and development have been exemplary. FACULTY AWARD Whitner Reichman The Faculty Award is given to the boy whose character and commitment during the current school year has been exemplary of the excellence towards which Cathedral School aspires. DEAN’S AWARD Brendon Milán-Howells The Dean’s Award is given to that eighth grader whose grade point average is the highest in the graduating class.
NOTE: With the exception of the Merit Scholarship, which is credited to the boy’s school tuition account, the prizes are books purchased by, or in conjunction with, the school librarian.
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APRIL 8 & 9: SAN FRANCISCO TO BEIJING (VIA HONG KONG) We leave on a red-eye and arrive in Hong Kong more than 13 hours later, crossing the International Date Line and losing a full day in transit. Because our plane lands eight minutes before our connecting flight to Beijing, Cathay Pacific Airlines makes sure we (and our luggage) all get on the next flight to Beijing. Jetlagged and hungry (are adolescents ever full?), we go directly to our first restaurant where boys experience an abundance of new foods, eating with chopsticks and learning the rituals that define eating “family style.”
APRIL 11: BEIJING After another excellent and extensive breakfast buffet, we board the bus. We drive through morning traffic in Beijing, passing the Olympic Village, while boys sings hymns with gusto. In under an hour we have arrived at the significantly cooler Summer Palace. The highlight for many of the boys is the ride on the Dragon Boat on the lake surrounding the palace. At lunch, I notice that nobody is stabbing at their food with chopsticks. After a satisfying lunch, we go to the silk factory. We learn about the life cycle of the silkworm, see silk being spun from cocoons on a giant whirring machine, stretch silk fibers into layers for the strong yet fluffy silk quilts, and shop for silk items. Overheard: “Can you imagine this silk underwear touching parts?” From the silk factory we head to The Temple of Heaven. Outside there is a playground/exercise area (thank goodness!) where boys work off a little of the energy built up over the course of this busy day. Our dim sum dumpling dinner offers a wide variety of dumpling and non-dumpling courses. Chopsticks are in action and this dinner is a resounding favorite. Finally, we are back at the hotel where the boys are asked to write a thoughtful response to two questions for tomorrow’s blog post: What have you noticed about being in China? What have you learned about yourself so far? (Boys’ responses can be found at csbchinatrip2016.blogspot.com .)
A boy has to eat...
APRIL 10: BEIJING In Tiananmen Square, we go through a number of body and backpack scanning devices before we enter the largest city center square in the world. Crowds pour in around us while vendors attempt to sell knock-offs. A government-authorized photographer takes our picture. Charlie, our tour guide, talks to us about the history of the plaza, and Chairman Mao’s role in the revolution. Beyond this is the Forbidden City, reserved for the emperor, his family, and their servants. After lunch, we’re off to the Beijing Shichahai Sports School, famous for a number of Olympic athletes, as well as actor and Wushu champion, Jet Li. The Kung Fu master leads the boys through a number of exercises that showcase grace, agility, and endurance which are followed by a short Kung Fu show. Next to The Hutong, an old section of Beijing which is nearby the school, we get in rickshaws and drive through the old winding streets. The rickshaws drop us at a typical Chinese style home built in 1621. The home’s courtyard had a pergola covered with dried gourds from the last season and was surrounded by four sides of a complex. We explore and then we are back in the rickshaws, cruising the city’s streets at breakneck speed and curving around people and cars. Later, we board a bus to the acrobatic show where we see amazing feats of balance, strength, flexibility, and endurance. At dinner that evening, Sam gets a surprise cake for his 13th birthday, and a round of “Happy Birthday” is sung in both English and Mandarin.
Rickshaw driver peddling CSB boys to The Hutong (old section of Beijing)
A FIELD TRIP TO CHINA BY HELEN HUBER, Former Librarian
APRIL 12: MUTIANYU The bus ride to the Great Wall gives us two hours to sing more hymns, turn Rubik’s cubes, enjoy the changing landscape, read, sleep, or write the next blog post. We take the chairlift to the top of the Great Wall and marvel at the height and length of one of the Seven Wonders of the World. We wander and explore, taking group pictures (What is the likelihood that everybody’s eyes can all be open at the same time? Well, it’s lower than one might think.) as well as individual pictures of each traveler. At the top, we take a short ride to a restaurant where we enjoy noodles, toppings, and fresh fruit on a sunny patio. Boys anticipate the toboggan ride down to the bottom and, once there, we find ourselves in the small living room of the local village doctor who describes life during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, a firsthand account of cultural upheaval and great societal change.
FEW SCHOOL ACTIVITIES BRING THE PERSONAL GROWTH, anxious trepidation, and life-changing potential as a foreign language trip. Our trip involved over 15,000 miles of air travel; cultural immersion in food, customs, and history; plus a homestay. On April 8, 2016, four chaperones and 23 CSB boys began this journey. The next eight days would keep us engaged, amazed, and full. Beyond the ancient tourist destinations and the dozens of courses at each meal, the trip offered us the chance to be responsible for ourselves and our things; and provided us with new ways of thinking about the world along with realizations about the life we so often take for granted. The best trips, including this one, bring us back better than when we left: transformed, enhanced, and facile with chopsticks.
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