SUMMER 2009 MODUS VIVENDI A Way of Life COmmENCEMENT 2009 FACULTY PROFILE RENEE MATSON THE CLAssICAL BRAIN FAMILIES ON A MISSION THE BEAR CREEK SCHOOL MAGAZINE Modus Vivendi Summer 2009 Modus Vivendi is translated as a way of life or a manner of living. The Bear Creek School seeks to develop individuals for whom the classical ideals of excellence in all things, love of learning, spiritual commitment, and self-discipline have become a way of life. Editor, Sue Sanford Art Director, Marla Zylstra Associate Editor, Sini Fernandez Contributors and Proofreaders Vicki Kaiser, Marky Olson, Shannon DuBois, Dr. Nancy Price, Kevin Davison, Jeff Gephart, Karen Blankenbeckler, Natalie Higashiyama, Peggy Hatem, Coralie Weston, Jenai Sheffels, Linda Sheppard, Liz Holtzman, Alicia Williams, Lori Lee, Allison Fletcher, Emily Knuth, and Michele Herold. Editorial Board Whitney Engel ‘08, Dani Pohlman ‘05, Susan Diamond, Natalie Higashiyama, James Prekeges, Patrick Carruth, Jeff Gephart, Justin Coleman, Marla Zylstra, Blake DeYoung, Janet Jacobson, Rob Sorensen, Chad Pohlman, Karen Blankenbeckler, and Sue Sanford. Editorial Submissions Articles, photographs, and ideas are welcome and may be sent to [email protected]. We reserve the right to edit submissions for length, clarity, and style. Modus Vivendi is published twice yearly by The Bear Creek School. If you are interested in writing for the Modus Vivendi, or have comments or Table of Contents questions regarding the publication, please contact Sue Sanford at [email protected] or 425-898-1720 ext. 328. Head of School, Patrick Carruth Around Campus Features Class Notes Vice President for Advancement, Justin Coleman Director of Admissions, Christie Hazeltine Director of Marketing & Communications, This page Sue Sanford The thirty-three members of the class of 2009 2 Message from the Head of School 24 Faculty Profile: Renee Matson 36 Alumni Notes and Features Director of Development Affairs, celebrate after their commencement ceremony Linda Sheppard on June 6, 2009. Commencement 2009 Families on a Mission 3 26 Board of Trustees On the cover Kurt Maass, President Benjamin Lee, grade 6. Over mid-winter break 8 City Dive 2009 28 Say Yes to No Ted Robinson, Vice President Benjamin and his family led a mission trip to David Smith, Treasurer Chile with members of their church. 10 Producing The Music Man 30 The Classical Brain John Rial, Secretary See story on page 26. Andrea Lairson, Past President Photo by Terri Coleman Marc Mueller 13 Bear Creek Highlights 32 For The Children’s Sake Curtis Kraft Stephen Meyer 20 Accreditation Renewal 34 A Time of Change Susan Diamond Patrick Carruth Art Gallery Fileno Alleva 22 Thomas Miller Jamie Eppenauer The mission of The Bear Creek School is to provide a high-quality, Christian liberal arts education in a nurturing environment that will enable each student to become the individual God intends. 2 MODUS VIVENDI Summer 2009 Summer 2009 MODUS VIVENDI 1 Message from the Head of School COMMENCEMENT 2009 Graduates of the Class of 2009 personal financial success. Instead, it has The Graduating Class of 2009 celebrated their accomplishments with been about forming what you know and family, faculty, and friends during Bear transforming who you are becoming and Michael Chase Castle** Timothy Conor Hughes*** Creek’s ninth Commencement exercises on about developing in you a way of living. University of Washington Northwestern University June 6. Thirty-three Bear Creek graduates I know that as a class you have received diplomas and were challenged by developed an affinity for the movie 300 Hyun Sun Cho** Sung Jin Ihn** Patrick Carruth, Head of School, in his and for the ancient Greek polis of Sparta, University of Southern California Cornell University farewell address, which is printed in its because, like the city, you are a small Paige Elizabeth Connell*** Molly Beth Kernan entirety below. but mighty class. Perhaps you also know University of Southern California Gonzaga University today marks the 65th anniversary of Graduates, so here we are. Tassels have the D-Day invasion, and that heroism Sydney Anne Conway** Courtney Noel Kesinger* been turned. Diplomas awarded. And you demonstrated on the beaches of Whitman College Gonzaga University now anxiously stand at the doorstep of the Normandy was also demonstrated by the Lois Michelle Ramsay rest of your lives. Spartans at the Battle of Thermopylae, in Danielle Marie DuBois*** Justin Bennett Maurer ‡ Western Washington University As I told another graduating class which the Spartan ‘300’ successfully held Whitworth University Western Washington University recently, your timing isn’t very good. off a much larger Persian force for three Erik Donald Richardson* ‡ You guys picked 2009 to graduate, in days. Appropriately, both of these battles David Allan Ersek*** University of Washington possibly the worst economic recession symbolize for us, today, lives well lived Harvey Mudd College this country has seen in 80 years. Colleges as so many individuals sacrificed for the Elisha Hamilton Sanger* Brianna Nicole Firminger** University of Pittsburgh are cutting staff, reducing financial aid good of others. Baylor University awards, and ratcheting up admissions Graduates, you too have individually Hye Yoon Song*** criteria. Unemployment is near 10% and and collectively shown the seeds of similar Lauren Nicole Forbes ‡ Emory University companies are laying off workers weekly, bravery, tenacity, courage, and selflessness, Western Washington University creating a market dynamic where often as you have walked the halls of The Bear Madison Taylor Stump **‡ good employees are turned down because Creek School. These seeds have been John Randolph Freatman, Jr.* Western Washington University they are ‘overqualified’. This new market watered and nurtured by the faculty, and University of Southern California dynamic may still exist when you graduate it is now time for you to begin to grow Anton Pieter van der Stroom** from college. For those of you entering the on your own. It is now time for you to John Killian Geiger** The University of Edinburgh workforce soon, jobs will be hard to find. continue the curriculum of life without Central Washington University So, this reality raises a rather interesting us by your side. It is now time for you to Brittanie Renee Vander Weide* question for the graduating Class of 2009, step forward into tomorrow and leave a Elizabeth Mae Graham*** University of Washington Washington State University a question which you and perhaps even distinct legacy for others with your own Courtney Carney Wallis your parents may have asked many times life. A life well lived. A life centered on Rebekah Rae Hamilton William Noble McCahill Biola University before. Why did we do this? What was the Christ. And so, Class of 2009, as you Westminster Choir College Gonzaga University point? Why have we gone through this depart from us, I challenge you in good Ryley Scott Watson* exercise of getting this education anyway if classical Christian fashion to exchange, Matthew Timothy McLaughlin Chapman University it isn’t going to make us financially secure? “We are Sparta,” with the simple yet Wake Forest University Well, many of you have already difficult words of Micah the prophet, “Do Kathryn Marie Wolfram* discovered the answer to this question in justice, love mercy, walk humbly with Alexis Rey Miller** St. Olaf College a strange discussion we had in one of our your God.” Gonzaga University capstone sessions together. If I remember, My sincerest congratulations on a job *** Summa Cum Laude (3.9 – 4.0 GPA) Molly Anne Miller*** it was captured in a simple grocery-store- well done! ** Magna Cum Laude (3.75 – 3.89 GPA) The University of Chicago checkout-line question, “paper or plastic,” * Cum Laude (3.5 – 3.749 GPA) ‡ Legacy Honors (Bear Creek student because it was in that question that we Seung Min Oh** from grade K through 12) confronted ourselves, our assumptions, New York University our beliefs, our worldviews, our ideas, and our hopes. And that is really the Christopher Connor Pattillo* Lower left: Johnie Freatman Center: Molly Miller with Emily Kadeg , junior point. Your education is about more than Patrick B. Carruth California Polytechnic State University, Upper right: Courtney Wallis and Ryley Watson making you into mere economic engines of Head of School San Luis Obispo Commencement photos by Nation Photography 2 MODUS VIVENDI Summer 2009 Summer 2009 MODUS VIVENDI 3 COMMENCEMENT 2009 National Merit Scholarship a distinguished author (Compassionate our friends, teachers, family, siblings, of prestige rewards entirely. Serve these vests chose (d). The entire Bear Creek curiosity, the search for not just answers Finalists Conservatism), speaker, and proponent community. As John Donne so aptly gods of self if you choose, but realize their experience depends on our teachers. They but rather a holistic understanding, and of Christian worldview. Dr. Olasky phrased it, “No man is an island.” Do not ultimate emptiness. challenged us until we reached our limits, how with this understanding we have David Ersek, Timothy Hughes challenged the class to meet adversity with make the mistake of mindset in which you Serve God and the following promise, and then pushed us just a little farther. been charged to influence Creation in a desire to seek God. see other people as a means to an end or a an example of paradox, will—not may—will Each of my teachers made life miserable at the most positive way. I have learned the National Merit Scholarship hurdle to leap over in the pursuit of your hold true: “Whosoever loses his life, shall one point or another but I will grudgingly Commended Students Faculty Speaker Kenny Norris dreams. Work with and for other people’s find it.” Take your dreams in all of their admit that it made me a better student. I pursuits. Remember isocolon by way of this quirkiness and entrust them to God. He has know I will miss them all.