Alumni Horae ST. PAUL’S SCHOOL WINTER 2016 Young alumni embrace tech industry Catching up with George Carlisle Milkey ’74 reflects on landmark case SCHOOLHOUSE READING ROOM / PHOTO: PERRY SMITH 1 RECTOR Adapting for the Future As we began our It turns out my fears about the impact of such budgeting process a primitive technology as landline telephones PETER FINGER earlier this winter, were overblown, at least temporarily. Students our IT director sug- and teachers still communicated face-to-face, gested we discontinue still smiled at one another in person – they still technical support for do. But thinking back to those earlier concerns, it hard-wired phones seems FAT’s notion about the risks of technology in all student rooms. may not have been completely out of place. These He explained that our risks were recently summarized in the title of MIT students no longer sociologist Sherry Turkle’s book Alone Together: use landline phones. Why We Expect More from Technology and Less I was assured that discontinuing this service from Each Other. would not compromise the safety of our students, The complex issue of how technology is chang- who would still have landline access, if they ever ing relationships is very much on our minds at needed it, in their house common rooms. So, the School. In June, Dr. Turkle and other scholars landline phones died quietly in a budget meeting. and school leaders from around the country will I remember the introduction of phones in stu- join us for a St. Paul’s School symposium entitled dent rooms 20 years ago. In the opening faculty “Empathy, Intimacy, and Technology in a Boarding meeting of the 1995-96 school year it was an- School Environment.” Our purpose is ambitious: nounced, somewhat matter of factly, that the To explore the dynamic nature of adolescent capital project to wire every student’s room for relationships in this century. You will hear more phone service had been completed over the sum- about this exciting event as it approaches. mer and that plans were being made on how to I began this letter with an anecdote about how provide each student with a telephone. As a new budget considerations can involve issues of faculty member who admittedly was not involved enormous consequence. The “because we can” in any conversation related to the project, I was attitude that once informed many of our spending taken aback by the announcement that students ideas has evolved into one of “because we should.” would soon have phones in their rooms. Hadn’t This disciplined approach, which over the last anyone thought through the impact those phones decade has motivated strategic planning and would have on our community? I imagined that budget decisions, is due in large part to the lead- students would no longer stop by to see each other, ership of Bill Matthews ’61 during a recession. to say hello or suggest walking together to Chapel Strategic plans, established in careful, community- or the Upper. Students would be imprisoned by the wide discussions, now drive the direction and inertia of easy telephone conversation. The unravel- growth of our program. ing of the SPS community was surely underway. I look forward to beginning the next strategic Feeling the School needed to be saved, I announced planning process during the 2016-17 school year. the formation of Faculty Against Telephones, better Without preempting that process, the next plan known as FAT among its two or three loyal members. must include specific initiatives directing the FAT was a proud, but ineffective, force against evaluation of our current program against our the introduction of student telephones. The group’s mission, to thoughtfully test curricula and daily only small triumph was asking the administration life against our aspiration to build community good questions: How will this technology advance and serve the greater good. I also anticipate our mission? How will it build community? The an ambitious plan that, although it may seem only answer I remember hearing about the motive counterintuitive, will likely have us doing less but behind the project was something akin to “because doing it better, and in ways that will strengthen we can.” and sustain our School. 2 Alumni Horae Vol. 96, No. 2 Winter 2016 Features Alumni Horae 14 From Concord to Kyiv EDITOR Jana F. Brown by James Brooke ’73 DESIGNER The author writes about the rewards of life as a foreign Cindy L. Foote correspondent. RECTOR Michael G. Hirschfeld ’85 EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Leeann Doherty 18 Climate Control Sarah Earle by Lucia Davis ’04 Meg Heckman Attorney-turned-judge Jim Milkey ’74 played a pivotal role Lisa Laughy Hannah MacBride in a landmark Supreme Court decision on climate change. Michael Matros Clay Wirestone 24 A New Age by Matt de la Peña ’04 with Peter Harrison ’07 Alumni Association ADVISORY BOARD With technology the norm of their generation, young Chair alumni are taking traditional education and applying T. Brittain Stone ’87 it to non-traditional careers at tech companies. Members Sarah R. Aldag David B. Atkinson ’59 Brett A. Forrest ’91 Mary F. Karwowski ’04 WIlliam L. Kissick, Jr. Departments Lockhart Steele ’92 2 Rector 30 Reviews Nancy E. Weltchek ’78 Hotels of North America 4 Action by Rick Moody ’79 Published by Max Baron ’17 is running a profitable The Brandywine: An Intimate Portrait business – from his SPS dorm room by W. Barksdale Maynard ’84 The Alumni Association The Pentagon’s Brain of St. Paul’s School 7 Perspective by Annie Jacobsen ’85 603-229-4770 Still appreciating Ninth Rector [email protected] Kelly Clark 32 Community Trustees of St. Paul’s School 8 Memories 33 Formnotes The City of Concord recently acquired an original SPS horse-drawn carriage 53 Deceased 10 Athletics 66 Spotlight Pittsburgh Penguins Associate GM Budding filmmaker Pippa Bianco ’07 is Jason Botterill ’94 has a bright future getting attention from the industry in the NHL ON THE COVER: Freelance journalist 68 Facetime Marian Bull ’06 is part of a new age of Catching up with Faculty Emeritus George Carlisle young professionals. Photo: Mark Weinberg 3 ACTION COURTESY MAX BARON ’17 COURTESY DORM ENTREPRENEUR | Max Baron ’17 In December, Ad Age featured the entre- members of the community, we put the in which we will be able to generate the preneurship of SPS student Max Baron ’17, product right in front of the consumer.” most influence for our client through the of New York City. Less than a year ago, Baron told Ad Age that he conceived use of campus reps.” The company follows Baron, now 17, founded PrepReps, a com- PrepReps from an already solvent industry up by monitoring the success of each and pany that connects high school and college of youth brand representatives, combined every representative. students with brands seeking the customer with his idea of becoming the third party Since signing on with its first client, loyalty of the next generation. PrepReps has made more than $40,000 in After spending more than a year work- revenue from its dozen customers and a ing on the idea, PrepReps took shape over “Campuses, including database of 2,500 students from 500 dif- the summer between his Fourth and Fifth St. Paul’s, are incredibly ferent campuses around the country. “In Form years. The company assesses its its most simple form, we take the difficulty student reps based on their social net- connected communities, out of finding brand ambassadors for our working potential (followers) through an and that quality makes clients,” Baron explains. The reps, adds application process, and connects them Baron, pay nothing to be associated with with companies looking for brand repre- them extremely lucrative PrepReps, while the clients pay for data- sentation and modernized on-campus for brands. By putting base management plus the rep recruitment marketing solutions. The idea is to pro- and application review processes. vide advertising for companies and their clothing and apparel on The biggest success so far for Baron products in an organic way, offering an influential members came in the initial four months with his alternative to what Baron calls “more anti- company’s biggest client, as PrepReps quated forms of marketing,” including of the community, we put was able to generate more than 1,000 sidebar ads on social media. Brands provide the product right in front Instagram posts for the brand through student representatives with products to nearly 130 reps. wear around campus and post about on of the consumer.” “Collectively,” wrote Ad Age, citing social media. In short, the reps are provid- Baron “[PrepReps has] a combined social ing a live, home-grown advertising solution – Max Baron ’17, PrepReps following of just under one million people.” based on their individual social networks. The Fifth Former, who runs PrepReps “Campuses, including St. Paul’s,” says out of his Drury dorm room, has always Baron, “are incredibly connected com- to vet the students applying for those possessed an entrepreneurial spirit. One munities, and that quality makes them openings. PrepReps, according to its web- summer, while still in middle school, he extremely lucrative for brands. By put- site, evaluates each brand and targets sold weekly cookie subscriptions through ting clothing and apparel on influential “the age group and geographic region an online site, reaching $5,000 in sales. 4 CORRECTION: From the Alumni office An error was made in the 2014-15 Annual Report of St. Paul’s School. Baron, who skis, plays tennis, and is a the upper level of the Freeman Center The chart on page 47 correctly rec- member of the SPS Debate Team, aspires was renovated into three temporary ognizes that the 50th and 55th reun- to work with as many big brands as fine arts classrooms.