LabLifethe magazine for alumni, parents, and friends of the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools Spring 2017 SPRING 2017 in this issue FEATURES DEPARTMENTS 22 U-High’s New Wave 04 The Bookshelf Beth A. Harris Journalism 05 In the Halls 28 Humans of Lab 09 Sports Highlights 32 Lab was (or would 16 In the World to remain as LabLife have been) Nirvana 19 Behind the Scenes for These Honorees 20 Dewey Dance 34 Taking Action 38 Throwback interim director 40 Alumni Notes 46 Alumni in Action FROM INTERIM DIRECTOR BETH HARRIS This year has reminded me why I, Exploration like so many of you, am passionate and celebration about Lab. Dear friends, Students are creating and young scientists presented We are celebrating. performing as never before. the results of experiments in > People packed Kovler Gym I am honored to have the > In the new Sherry Lansing controlled trials that each had and fan buses to cheer the opportunity to remain in my Theater, the U-High dreamt up. boys basketball team as they role as interim director as the drama program has had the advanced to Regionals for search process for the next opportunity to dive deeper We are exploring the diversity the fifth time in the past head of Lab continues. Since of ideas that both grounds— starting in this role last July, with programming in student seven years. directing as well as musical and and amplifies—critical thinking. In February, University of vice president and general I have grown to better know > Students, faculty, staff, technical theatre. Likewise, Chicago Executive Vice counsel for 13 of her 30 our people, and in the course > In March, Lab hosted 29 and alumni all turned out to Middle Schoolers are delving young Teach for America President David Fithian years at UChicago. During of doing so I have deepened celebrate security guard Mike and Lab Board Chair David a portion of that time, she my appreciation for how much into musicals—most recently: educators and welcomed Cephus upon his retirement. Kistenbroker announced was the individual at the this community cares about the The Sound of Music. And new the group from Hiroshima Schools and the education of space has spurred student University that hosted three > And nearly 400 parents, that Lab would extend the University with oversight our children. interest. Now three different of our faculty members last faculty, and staff had a ball at search process for the next of Lab. Ms. Harris served Ours is a community of clubs—Improv, Glee, and summer. the first ever Dewey Dance director of the Schools, on the Laboratory Schools which we are justifiably proud. Theatre—are making use of … many in 80s costumes and and that Beth A. Harris Board from 2002 through the MS Drama Studio. > Nationally-known interfaith many doing Thriller dance would continue as interim 2015 and all three of her We continue to spark and leader Eboo Patel spent the day cultivate a love of ideas in our moves! director until the next children are Lab graduates. > Primary students are at Lab speaking to adults and director takes office. Says Ms. Harris, “I look students and to encourage operating full-size sewing This year has reminded me a desire to learn about, and working with students. As Messrs. Fithian and forward to continuing to machines in their Creation why I, like so many of you, Kistenbroker wrote in an work with our families, respect, one another. These Station makerspace. One class > And Lab music teachers am passionate about Lab. I values are deeply embedded email to the Lab community, faculty, staff, and students sewed “breathing buddies”— continue a collaboration look forward to another year in our fabric and they with two British filmmakers; “we now find ourselves so that when the next underpin the very rich tapestry small bean bags that that of exploration and celebration on a more typical timeline director is welcomed into kids use when practicing they are helping to develop with everyone in our that shapes our students’ the educational tools to for searches of this type our halls, she or he will educational experience. mindfulness with breathing community. and may therefore attract arrive at a school that is exercises such as “belly support a PBS documentary, By remaining focused on Thank you for all of your candidates for whom a July focused on its mission, breathing.” America Epic, about record those things that unite us as a companies and recordings support and effort on behalf 2017 start was not possible. united by shared values, community, we are better able > And fifth graders shared their that democratized music in of Lab. While it is difficult to predict vibrant, and ready to to build on our strengths and research at the annual Fifth the 1920s. the cadence of the search continue Lab’s distinguished to celebrate the remarkable Grade Science Conference, an going forward, it may be tradition of remarkable accomplishments that unfold all-grade poster session at which possible to identify, select, teaching and learning.” in this very special place. Beth A. Harris and announce the next director in early fall for a LabLife, published three Editor Heather Preston Photography University of Chicago Volume 10, Number 3 July 2018 start.” times a year, is written for Catherine Braendel, ’81 Maureen Searcy Chris Kirzeder Laboratory Schools © 2017 by the University of Ms. Harris, took over as the University of Chicago Anne Ryan 1362 E. 59th Street Contributors Lindsay Simon Chicago Laboratory Schools Laboratory Schools’ Keith Ulrich John Zich Chicago, IL 60637 interim director in July 2016. community of alumni, parents, Jeanie Chung www.ucls.uchicago.edu Reproduction in whole or faculty, and staff. Megan E. Doherty, AM’05, Design Lab Notes Correspondents part, without permission of She served as University PhD’10 Janice Clark Please send comments or Interim Director Dozens of diligent alumni updated contact information to the publisher, is prohibited. Beth A. Harris Lorraine Murray agents [email protected], or call 773-702-0578. 02 LabLife Spring 2017 LabLife Spring 2017 03 THE BOOKSHELF InIn the the Halls Halls Recommended xxxWhat is a human being? reading English teacher Darlene McCampbell recommends Einstein’s Dreams, by Alan Lightman Parent MDs help kids tackle complex anatomy and grossly, entertainingly, simulate complex bodily functions professor of haunting images of combat violence through I’ve just read a physics and unutterable beauty. It’s a literacy to Chicago.) creative writing tantalizing little book with Reading aloud to little chapter to a class at MIT, Alan big ideas. kids is natural. They’re at Cook County Lightman I’ve read chapters aloud to sprawled on the carpet of the authored Einstein’s Dreams. “Stars and Dust,” my High library, comfortably entering Jail that led to This is a short novel, really School story-writing class, other worlds. But big kids, a most moving a collection of stories, with that captivate both the science including adults, hunger for different chapters envisioning kids and the literary kids. I’ve such moments as well. It’s conversation about different theories of time. just read a chapter to a class at not only that there’s a bit of why we would—or Time goes backwards, time Cook County Jail that led to respite from busy lives, but stands still, time moves in a a most moving conversation a reminder of why we read, wouldn’t—wish for circle. There are interludes about why we would—or why we study great literature our most precious of Einstein in Switzerland wouldn’t—wish for our most in the first place. There’s the working in the patent office, precious moments in life sheer joy of entering another moments in life to dreaming these different to last forever. (The class in world and the challenge to last forever. visions of time. It’s sheer the jail is part of a program what we already believe. poetry, developed by Debra Gittler, There’s the invitation to simple ’98. Her organization, reflect on our own lives. language ConTextos, is a nonprofit This book is about time and about the life that for us with teacher- is inevitably fleeting.Einstein’s training Dreams will enchant you and and literacy puzzle you. Time will seem The children and included a photograph that program in suspended while reading this they had taken with their iPads. El Salvador. She has lovely little book. built three-foot The pièce de résistance brought their efforts to tall digestive came courtesy of Dr. Wyers’ husband, Dr. Stephen Wyers, tracts using, and yet a third physician/parent, among other Kapuluru Reddy, who gave the FROM THE SYLLABI young anatomists a tour of the Across Lab students are things, plastic digestive system, explaining why talking about standing up bags (mouth humans burp, fart, pee, and for their beliefs. Librarian poop. Then, working in small Check your pulse with a and stomach), groups, the children built three- Lee McClain pulled together a marshmallow. plastic tubing foot tall digestive tracts using, collection at the Lim Family Martin & Mahalia: Memorize the parts of a cell among other things, plastic bags His Words, Her Song (esophagus), Library that celebrates people The Case for We March Brave Girl: Clara and by singing a rap song. (mouth and stomach), plastic Loving: The Fight for Shane W. Evans the Shirtwaist Makers’ Andrea Davis Pinkney who’ve taken a stand. She Interracial Marriage Strike of 1909 Build a model of a cell with and panty hose tubing (esophagus), and panty included some fiction titles Selina Alko Michelle Markel Jell-O™ (cytoplasm), dried (small and large hose (small and large intestines).