SPRING 2011 Flintridge Preparatory School preptalk.flintridgeprep.org INSIDE page 3 Historic win: Garrett Ohara ’84 leads Boys’ Varsity basketball to CIF page 10 History unfolds at Prep page 16: Jonathan Shin ’11 interprets the history of Room 25. page 25 Alumni profile: Dr. Vas Sarma ’89 page 26 Alumni news and events “Surely our job as teachers is to puzzle, confuse, and amaze. – Caroline WALKER BYNUM AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION 1 CALENDAR May JuNe WEDNESDAY, MAY 25 FRIDAY, JUNE 3 Spring Sports Awards and Last Day of School Cookout SATURDAY, JUNE 4 THURSDAY, MAY 26 Baccalaureate and Senior Short Day Schedule: Dinner, Norris Auditorium and End of Fourth Quarter Ahmanson Plaza Upper School Awards Assembly, Norris Auditorium SUNDAY, JUNE 5 Commencement Ceremony, FRIDAY, MAY 27 THROUGH Pasadena Civic Auditorium FRIDAY, JUNE 3 Final Semester Exams TUESDAY, JUNE 7 Eighth Grade Promotion and MONDAY, MAY 30 Middle School Awards, Memorial Day Holiday Norris Auditorium TUESDAY, MAY 31 THROUGH MONDAY, JUNE 20 FRIDAY, JUNE 3 First Day of Summer School Senior Class Trip On May 2, 2011, Glenn Leisure ’72 shot a hole-in-one at the Flintridge Prep Campus Beautification Club installation, Arts Week Golf Tournament, winning a brand spanking new CONTENTS Audi A6 from Rusnak Audi. Congratulations 2 From the Headmaster to Glenn! You’re among our most DEDICATED alumni, 3 On/Off Campus Harvard snags basketball phenom Kenyatta Smith ’11 and and it was a pleasure to see you claim this amazing prize. UNC nets soccer smash Brooke Elby ’11; Bollywood goes big; Science Fair, Dr. Tom Gillespie ’86 and Caltech-JPL Day (See full story in the next PrepTalk.) inspire; Students from Nicaragua visit Prep, and Prep stu- dents visit LA. Front Cover: Guest Artist Libby Gerber (center) is surrounded 10 FeatuRE STORY: History unfolds at Prep by (clockwise from left) William Penn ’15, Ari Baranian ’15, Passionate faculty members have brought history alive at and Reilly Dalleska ’15 as they construct “Anthroarchitectural” Prep since the beginning, weaving stories and scholarship In the background, Neiki Rokni ’15. See story, “Mud and into a scaffold for understanding. Glory” on page 21. 20 Spotlight Back Cover: The 2010–2011 CIF Division 5AA Southern Dance concert; The King and I; Arts Week; The Seagull Section Boys’ Varsity Basketball champs celebrate their historic win. See pages 3 and 22. 22 Replay Spring Sports Roundup: Girls’ Soccer Wins League! 25 Alumni News PARENT/STUDENT DIRECTORY Class Notes and Alumni Events ALUMNI PROFILE: Vas Sarma ’89 now online IN HIS OWN WORDS: Spencer Murray ’44 FacultY NOTES: John Ita Visit parents.flintridgeprep.org to set up your account! Web features at preptalk.flintridgeprep.org 2 1 From the Headmaster On/Off Campus History in action History happens here It has been said that in order to receive expert status in any discipline, from singing opera to performing in the sports arena, When I first walked onto the Flintridge Prep campus in December 1979 for a job one must dedicate 10,000 hours. Garrett interview, the school had been coed for exactly 90 days. Kathy Bathke (now the Ohara ’84 likely reached his 10,000 hours parent of 2009 graduate Ashley Kimmery) was the only girl in the senior class. some time ago, having played basketball In all the other grades there were only a few brave female souls. History department since he was a little kid. His first coach, Chairman John Hamilton, puffing on his pipe during our talk, told me he still had at age nine, was Alex Rivera. Coach Rivera his doubts. Could the girls measure up? By the time of his retirement seven years encouraged Garrett to come to Flintridge, later, he acknowledged that they could. where he played varsity basketball for four years. Prep basketball coach Garrett Ohara ’84, Kenyatta Smith ’11, Harvard basketball coach Tommy Amaker. My biggest assignment during my first year on the job was to teach the class in Fast forward a few years, and now the player is the coach. Ohara had the Ancient History: Western, white, and elite. I was given a box of chalk, shown the sitting near him and look up and he’s won 20 national championships to date. right balance of talents and personalities mimeograph machine, and cautioned against getting too much blue ink on my doing something that just seems funny. “Funny, energetic and competitive,” on the team. He had the right set of hand from the copier. When we leave for college, what I’ll miss according to her teammates, Brooke plays skills to lead his squad to its first-ever most about him is the bonding. Just both offense and defense, dribbling, CIF Southern Section victory. The Over my thirty-one years as a member of the history department, much has changed. the time that we all spend together (with cutting, chasing, and striking. She scored Rebels went on to the second round of Jordan Whaley ’11 and Sam Honch ’11) is 28 goals last season. Studies have expanded to include the world and all its men and women. Many the championships. Coach Ohara was something I think we will all miss.” UNC, the alma mater of Mia Hamm more races, cultures, and classes have populated our courses and our imaginations. named the All-CIF Southern Section Kenyatta, Forward Jordan Whaley, and other famed women soccer players, Blackboards became whiteboards, then Smartboards. More than ever, the girls Coach of the Year, although you wouldn’t and Ohara were even featured in a recent is also attractive to Brooke for its academ- “measure up.” know it if you asked him about it. “The news segment with Mario Solis of NBC 4 ics. She plans to study chemistry and do team did well, and that’s why I got the Los Angeles ([email protected]). graduate work in forensics. Learning to As the history department has evolved, so has the school, as we continue to add new recognition,” he says. All the press did not go to the players’ divide her time among high-level club play chapters to our story. This year’s edition is particularly rich: our first Boys’ Basketball Those members of the team doing and coaches’ heads; they stay “regular (Arsenal FC, in the Inland Empire), Prep well include several athletes on their way C.I.F. Championship; Caltech Day, which brought distinguished scientists to our guys” around campus. Fellow teacher and soccer and track, and demanding school- to those 10,000 hours of mastery. Kory campus; LA Day, which sent all students beyond our gates; a two-part exchange with award-winning cross country coach Ingrid work has given Brooke skills which she Hamane ’12 and Jared Norsworthy ’11 a school in Nicaragua; a successful, heartfelt Bollywood benefit. Herskind says receiving an award like brings to the playing field and the class- received All-CIF honors, and Kenyatta Coach of the Year is “a validation that you room. “Both science and soccer demand Smith ’11 walked away with the award for Since 1933, we’ve counted on the history department to document our story, to can bring out the best in student athletes, attention to detail,” according to Brooke. All-CIF Southern Section Player of the Year. who have a lot of other things going on “In soccer you have to know all the details analyze, interpret and make sense of it. How else can we prepare for the future? Kenyatta, who will play basketball at Har- in their lives. You give them passion and on the field in order to analyze the game; vard next fall, also won the John Wooden focus at the same time. That’s what Garrett in science, you have to know all the little Award for high school basketball, the first did with Kenyatta, and the whole team.” pieces of information, and how they mesh Peter Bachmann time a Prep player has been so honored. Passion and focus, according to Prep together. I’m out-of-my-mind excited Headmaster “Going to Harvard means everything! I’ve womens’ soccer coach Esteban Chavez, about attending UNC next fall!” spent my whole life to achieve this goal. I are also what make Brooke Elby ’11 an feel like it’s an absolute blessing that my outstanding player. hard work has paid off,” says Kenyatta. “Brooke is two steps ahead of every- The 6-ft. 8-in. senior emulates Coach body on game awareness,” he explains. Ohara when it comes to the accolades “She sees something developing, and that have piled up, preferring instead to knows she’ll be part of that play. I’ve share credit with his teammates, coaches, coached club, collegiate and high school and mom. “It starts with the team,” Yatta teams for 15 years, and I’ve never met any- says of his success. “Coach Ohara is a big body who’s been recruited for University believer in team unity. My mom taught me of North Carolina (UNC), a powerhouse of from day one to work hard to be faithful to womens’ soccer. It’s a tribute to her as a my morals, and to be a good person.” true competitor. She wants to win.” Forward Jared Norsworthy appreci- Recruited to play on their top-ranked, ates his best friend’s leadership on the Division I girls’ soccer team, the Prep court as much as he loves his goofiness League co-MVP and 1st team, All-CIF when they’re just hanging out between honoree will leave in mid-July to begin classes. Says Jared, “You can just be training with the Tar Heels, who have Brooke Elby ’11 2 3 1 A Bollywood blast More than language dent studies to fundraising efforts for the hospital, establishing a 501(c)(3) charitable Raising money, raising spirits Inspiring exchange organization, creating a cookbook (Erin) and multi-club walkathon (Naomi), which From the inspiration of alumni parents Committing resources to global under- raised over $3,500.