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Achievement • Spring 2015 1
AchievementSpring 2015
Asheville School Alumni Magazine
Swim Teams Have Best Finish in 19 Years
AchievementSpring 2015
An Education For An Inspired Life
Published for Alumni & Friends of Asheville School
by the Advancement Department Asheville School
360 Asheville School RoadAsheville, North Carolina 28806
828.254.6345www.ashevilleschool.org
EditorBob Williams
Director of DevelopmentDan Seiden
WritersBob Williams
Sheila SteelmanTom Marberger 1969
Travis PriceTish Anderson
Proof ReadersTish AndersonBob WilliamsTravis Price
PrintingLane Press
PhotographersBlake Madden
Sheila SteelmanBob Williams
A special thanks to the 1923 Memorial Archives for providing many of the archival photographs
in this edition.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Ms. E. Parce Ainsworth 1983
Mr. Harris M. Baker 1974
Mr. Marshall T. Bassett 1972
Mr. Gregory R. Close 2003 (Associate)
Mr. Peter J. Covington 1971
Mr. Walter G. Cox, Jr. 1972 P ‘06
Co-Vice Chair
Ms. Ann Craver P ‘11
Mr. D. Tadley DeBerry 1981
Ms. Ayla Ficken P ‘09
Mr. Jim Fisher 1964
Mr. Robert T. Gamble 1971
Mr. Peter L. Hellebush 1964
Co-Vice Chair
Ms. Mandy K. Helton 2000 (Associate)
Ms. Charla A. Hughes 2004 (Associate)
Ms. Jean Graham Keller 1995
Mr. Richard J. Kelly 1968
Ms. Marilyn Higi Kincaid 1991
Mr. Lee McGriff III 1970
Mr. Nishant Mehta 1998
Dr. Gregory K. Morris 1972
Mr. Alexander G. Paderewski 1968 P ‘06 ‘08
Mr. Laurance D. Pless 1971 P ‘09 ‘13
Chairman
Mr. Oliver G. Prince, Jr. 1971 P ‘00
Mr. James A. Rice II 1972
Ms. Mary A. Robinson 2002
Ex officio Alumni Association
Mr. Arthur Rogers III 1988
Mr. Walter A. Ruch III P ‘08
Mr. Michael H. Stoll 1968
Dr. Frederick Wherry 1990
Mr. Jonathan Winebrenner P ‘15, ‘16
Ex-officio Parents’ Association
Mrs. Rebecca Winebrenner P ‘15, ‘16
Ex-officio Parents’ Association
P - Parents of Alumni
Asheville School Mission: To prepare our students for college and for life
and to provide an atmosphere in which all members of a diverse,engaged, and purposefully small
school community appreciate andstrive for excellence – an atmospherethat nurtures character and fosters
the development of mind, body,and spirit.
Asheville School does notdiscriminate on the basis of race,
creed, sex, or ethnic background in itsadmission policies, scholarship and loan programs, educational policies,
and athletic and other schooladministered programs.
Achievement • Spring 2015 3
Spring 2015
Table of ContentsFeatures06 Clay Smith 1990 Enjoys New Role at Kirkus Reviews
08 New April Books Reviewed by Kirkus Reviews
10 The Royal Thai Scholarship and Asheville School
22 Anderson Hall Project Underway This Summer
26 The Good Old Days at Asheville School
36 Swimming Has Best Season in 19 Years
Departments01 From the Head of School
25 Drama And Dance Performances in 2014-2015
51 Board Welcomes Three New Trustees
Class Notes40 1959-1993
42 1994-2009
44 2010-2014
In Memoriam54 Craig Hunt 1970
55 Henry N. Pharr II 1957
56 In Memoriam
Profiles17 MacPhail ‘04 Describes His Work for the NBA’s Spurs
18 Faculty Profile: Hannah Bonner 2006
20 Student Profile: Charlie Levy 2015
38 12 Bones Cookbook Arrives for Bryan King 1993
Campus News48 Tsinghua Summer Program
49 Summer Camps at Asheville School
49 Senior Wins Morehead-Cain Scholarship
50 Civil Rights Day at Asheville School
52 Blues Robotics Team Prints New Possibilities
53 AS Students Win Scholastic Art Awards
4 Achievement • Spring 2015
Make Your Name Part of Anderson ForeverPreserving our Past; Preparing for Our Future
Alumni Weekend 2015April 23 - 26
Register online at ashevilleschool.org/alumniweekend
• April 23 -
• April 24 -
• April 25 -
Founders’ Day Convocation - 7:15 p.m.
Amity Shales, New York Times bestselling author
Golf at Asheville Country Club - $150 green fee (9:00, 9:10, 9:20, 9:30)
Beer/wine and hors d’oeuvres for all followed by class dinners - 6:00 p.m.
Cocktails/dinner at the Fall House for Old Guard classes 1930 - 1965 - 6:30 p.m.
Don’t miss your class pictures from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. on the Mitchell porch.
All-alumni dinner and dancing in Sharp Hall begins at 6:30.
By making a $120 gift to the Anderson Walk Fund, you can have your name on a brick in the entryway in perpetuity.
Tom Marberger 1969 at marbergert@ashevilleschool.org or call 828.254.6345 ext. 4081.
Intersted? Contact:
Add your name or honor a classmate, a child, or an Asheville School teacher. Thank you for supporting this project and making the Ander-son Walk become a special campus landmark.
Achievement • Spring 2015 5
Spring 2015From theHead of School
Dear Friends of Asheville School:
Our five-year strategic plan is in its second year. So far, we have the new Vandergrift Science Center in a refreshed Mitchell Hall, two new Bermuda grass playing fields, a new air handling system in Kehaya (under construction), new roofs on almost every building on campus, and a host of smaller deferred maintenance items resolved.
This summer our oldest building, Anderson Hall, will be refreshed. The common rooms, bathrooms, hallways, faculty apartments (northwest side), and Mitchell-side porch will all be redone. The building has new electric, and all the plumbing will be new. No more flushing the toilet to scald the guy in the shower! That’s a generations old tradition that will not be missed. Following Anderson, over the summer of 2016, the Lawrence Hall/Clarke House bathroom stack will receive a complete renovation. Then over the summers of 2017 and 2018, the rooms of Anderson and Lawrence will be renewed. It is an exciting series of unfolding improvements, which aim to leave Asheville School free of deferred maintenance.
In the meantime, a thorough Campus Master Planning project is in process, which will chart our course past 2018 and into the future. Every aspect of the campus is being reviewed - from Ragsdale Creek, to campus drainage, to traffic flow and parking, and facility needs.
All of this salutary momentum was not hurt by Asheville School’s inclusion in Business Insider Magazine’s list of 50 Elite Boarding Schools. Our alumni have greeted the news with typically low-key humility, saying things like, “I knew we were a good school, but I didn’t know everybody else knew it too!” It is always nice to be recognized, even when we don’t put much stock in external rating agencies.
Internally we are having a wonderful year. After our volleyball team earned a 22-3 record to the delight of enthusiastic crowds, our swimming team performed exceedingly well at the state championships with 13 school records and the boys placing third overall and the girls sixth out of 20 teams. This was Asheville School’s best finish in 19 years at this meet. Joey Kriegler 2015 was state champion in the 500-yard freestyle. Our wrestlers too have had a successful season with a 5th place in the state championships and two boys - Sean Wrinkle 2015 and Conor Fenn 2016 - qualifying for the national championships in Lehigh, Pennsylvania. The robotics team also had a successful run at the states, and the musical this winter, Fiddler on the Roof, was little short of spectacular.
While the 2014-2015 academic year continues to be a resounding success, this year is also a springboard for future success. With continued good fortune, Asheville School thrives today and will thrive tomorrow.
Sincerely,
Archibald Montgomery IV Head of School
Founders’ Day Convocation - 7:15 p.m.
Amity Shales, New York Times bestselling author
Golf at Asheville Country Club - $150 green fee (9:00, 9:10, 9:20, 9:30)
Beer/wine and hors d’oeuvres for all followed by class dinners - 6:00 p.m.
Cocktails/dinner at the Fall House for Old Guard classes 1930 - 1965 - 6:30 p.m.
Don’t miss your class pictures from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. on the Mitchell porch.
All-alumni dinner and dancing in Sharp Hall begins at 6:30.
6 Achievement • Spring 2015
Clay Smith '90 Helps Publishers Discover The Best Books Fit To Print
By Bob Williams
Editor
As the editor in chief of Kirkus Reviews, one might think Clay Smith 1990 was born an avid reader, but as he remembers it, his grandmother often begged him to pick up a book.
“My grandmother would pay me 25 cents if I would stop talking and start reading,” Smith says during a phone interview from his Austin, Texas, office. “The English classes at Asheville School really changed all that for me. We had to read One Hun-dred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez, and that book taught me how crucial it is to follow your imagination.”
While at Asheville School, Smith says his teachers and classmates encouraged him to embrace his intellectual side. “I’m from Amarillo, Texas, and I felt that Asheville School was the first place where I could be smart but also be cool,” he recalls. “I didn’t have to pick just one.”
Some highlights of Smith’s Asheville ex-perience were English classes with Martha Parker, witnessing Doc Embler’s passion for teaching science, and studying Latin with Marjorie Hinson. “I took to Latin like a duck takes to water and I ended up as the only student in Latin 4,” he says.
Martha Parker “had a great way of talking about how literature affects your life,” he recalls. “I learned from her that books re-ally mean something.”
The love of literature that Asheville School instilled in Smith helped shape his journal-ism career. Shortly after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, Smith joined The Austin Chronicle, where he later served as senior editor. Smith received his master’s degree from the Cultural Report-ing and Criticism graduate program at New York University, where in 2004 he
won the Edwin Diamond Award, presented each year to NYU’s best graduate journal-ism student.
After graduating from NYU, Smith served as the literary director of the Texas Book Festival. During his 7-year tenure at the festival, Smith increased the number of featured writers from 106 to more than 250. He also secured appearances by such notable writers as President Obama, Presi-dent Clinton, Salman Rushdie, Sandra Cis-neros, Gore Vidal, Amy Sedaris, and Paula Deen, among others. Over the years, his articles have appeared in Publishers Weekly, indiewire.com, The Daily Beast, Elle Décor, and Newsday.
In November 2012, Smith joined Kirkus Media as a features editor before he was named editor in chief in November 2013. His work today at Kirkus Reviews provides industry professionals with a glimpse of the most notable books in the publishing world.
“We review 8,000 to 10,000 books a year and star only 9 percent of those,” Smith says. “We review the book before it is out and we are offering publicists the first indication of the book’s success.”
It’s easy to assume the majority of Smith’s workdays are spent reading and reviewing books, but Smith says he spends more of his time working with publicists.
“People think that I read all day, but that is not what I do,” he says. “Actually, any read-ing that I do is done at home.”
Today, Smith says his position as editor in chief challenges him to take on a much broader purview. “I interact with publish-ers even more today,” he says. “I’m usually concerned more about those big-picture ideas that I’m dealing with every day. How is our message perceived and what are we saying in our journalism and criticism? Are we fair and are we honest?”
photo by Michael Thad Carter
Clay Smith 1990 is the Editor and Chief at Kirkus Reviews.
Achievement • Spring 2015 7
At times, Smith says his role is simply to listen to publishers who may not be pleased with a review.
“I will usually hear about it if the publisher is upset,” he says. “Diplomacy is something I use a lot now, which is a skill I developed while at Asheville School. The closeness of the community taught me that you had better know how to get along with everyone. I don’t know if Asheville School meant to teach me that, but it did.”
While his weeks consist of editing print inter-views, meet-ing with publicists and assisting editors, Smith says he spends at least part of each week interviewing authors.
“I usually have about 3 inter-views a week — whether that’s a video interview where we inter-view writers on Google Hangout or an interview for print,” he says. “We run about 25 print interviews a month, and I edit those and make sure they are reading well and are fair and thoughtful.”
Although he’s a fan of lots of different types of writing, Smith says fiction is by far his favorite. “As a jour-nalist, there are so many questions to ask a fiction writer,” he says. As an authoritative voice in book discovery for 82 years since it was founded in 1933,
Kirkus Reviews continues to play a crucial role in the publishing industry, Smith says. “It is a daily joy to be on the forefront of what’s happening in the publishing indus-try. We are here to give publishers insight into books they know nothing about.
“We live in a culture that has this abun-dance. There are so many books out there and
we help people nar-row that number down and really connect to a great writer or book, and that is an important service.”
With over 1 million visitors to its website each month, Kirkus Reviews is a major influence on the primary media outlets reviewing books today.
“We influence other media: The Washing-ton Post and The New York Times all sub-scribe to us, and that is very important to us. We are like the canary in the coalmine,” he says. “We are often the first to read the book and the first to write a review.”
As a board member for the National Book Critics Circle, Smith says he helps decide the NBCC Award winners each year. “The board of directors reads a lot,” he says. “The NBCC award is a very prestigious award.”
For students considering a career in journalism, Smith says there are many new opportunities. “It’s an ideal time for such a pursuit. All you need is a place to start in journalism,” Smith says. “For the most part, an alt weekly or college newspa-per provides a solid begin-ning. For me, that was a great education.
“Students graduating to-day have so much access to self publishing that I didn’t have when I was their age,” he says. “You can start a blog for nothing and it doesn’t matter if you have a ton of readers. It mat-ters only that you are writing. Journalism is not dying at all — the way in which we con-sume those stories is changing quickly.”
And in his own journalism, Smith says his writing benefits from the authors he’s lucky
enough to interview.
“The best authors want to make you a better journalist,” he says.
KIRKUSREVIEWS
Featuring XXX Industry-First Reviews of Fiction, Nonfiction and Children's & Teen
VOL. LXXXIII, NO. 5 | 1 maRch 2015
The Life of
Saul Bellow
by Zachary Leader
Will now stand as
the definitive
Bellow biographyp. 58
NONFICTION
People in show biz
have the best stories,
and David Black is no
exception.
p. 126
INDIELittle Kunoichi,
the Ninja Girlby Sanae Ishida
Where do ninja girls come from? This
beautifully designed and illustrated
picture book gives readers a peek.p. 94
CHILDREN'S & TEEN
A God in Ruins
by Kate Atknson
Time takes another spin
in this return to the
world of Life After Life.
p. 7
FICTION
on the cover
Hanya Yanagihara’s bold, unforgettable
A Little Life is the first
must-read literary novel
of the year. p. 14
8 Achievement • Spring 2015
New Spring, New BooksThis April, a crop of great new books is being published by some of the major houses. Actually, every month I find books that I’m dying to share with readers who may not be aware that there’s a new story, fiction or nonfiction, they might fall in love with; the hard part of my job is winnowing down that list to a manageable size. There are more worthy books out this month than appear on this list, but here are five that have the potential to speak to you.
— Clay Smith
The Light of the World: A MemoirBy Elizabeth AlexanderApril 21 | $26.00
Alexander wrote “Praise Song for the Day,” the poem she spoke at President Obama’s first inauguration. The Light of the World is her prose account of her marriage and the sudden death of her husband at the age of 50. “I am the wife. I am the wife of 15 years,” Alexander writes in the book. “I am the plumpish wife, the pretty wife, the loving wife, the smart wife, the American wife. I am eternally his wife.”
The Water Museum: StoriesBy Luis Alberto UrreaApril 7 | $26.00
Urrea is the rare writer who is as respected for his fiction as his nonfiction; The Devil’s Highway is still one of the most insightful and human books about immigration from Mexico into the United States, even though it was published more than 10 years ago. This new story collection straddles the Mexican-Amer-ican border, both literally and figuratively. “Urrea’s com-mand of language is matched only by his empathy for his characters,” Kirkus’ reviewer wrote in a rare starred review.
By Walter Kempowski, translated by Shaun WhitesideApril 13 | $35.00
Before German novelist Kem-powski died in 2007, he col-lected first-person accounts by both ordinary citizens and public officials who lived through World War II. Swan-song 1945 is a collage-like se-ries of short entries by Hitler, Churchill and lesser-known people about the details of life during war. This book is riveting, moving, weird, and sublime.
Swansong 1945: A Collective Diary of the Last Days of the Third Reich
photo by Rachel Eliza Griffiths
photo by Joe Mazza
photo by Frauke Reinke-Wöhl
Achievement • Spring 2015 9
The Children’s CrusadeBy Ann PackerApril 7 | $26.99
Packer is a California writer through and through: not only are her short stories and novels set there but the idea of California—the expanse of it and the hope we invest in it—suffuses her work.
This new novel is about a young doctor who buys land in what will later be known as Silicon Valley, and it houses and causes problems for his family in the ensu-ing decades. We also starred this book at Kirkus Reviews. “A marvelously absorbing novel,” we called it.
God Help the ChildBy Toni MorrisonApril 21 | $24.95
Fans of the Nobel winner’s Song of Solomon or Beloved will find something more spare in her new one, though it’s not surpris-ing that God Help the Child is about race, specifically a child who is born with skin so black her mother refuses to touch her. To win her mother’s approval, she tells a lie that tragically affects an innocent teacher.
Swansong 1945: A Collective Diary of the Last Days of the Third Reich
photo by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders
photo by Elena Seibert
10 Achievement • Spring 2015
A King’s Vision, the Royal Thai Scholarship, and Asheville School
A collaboration by Tish Anderson and
Tanapon Janpen ‘05
For 24 years, Asheville School has been en-
riched by the contributions of highly gifted
and talented Thai Scholars, recipients of
the Royal Thai Scholarship. In the fall of
1990, Asheville School welcomed its first
Thai Scholar, Tachai Luangvaranunt. Since
that time, the school has hosted a total of
19 of the most outstanding young Thais of
their generation. These students en route
to graduate programs in the US return to
their homeland to lead the next genera-
tion to excellence as university professors,
economists, or research scientists, and all
become leaders in their fields and within
their sponsoring organizations.
In 1897 King Rama V of Thailand for-
mally and systematically created the King’s
Scholarship program to gather western
skills and knowledge appropriate for the
development of his nation. This and
other initiatives stimulated the country’s
modernization so that Thailand alone in
Southeast Asia retained its independence
from the imperial domination of the 19th
and 20th centuries. Aware that the nation’s
development required the new knowledge
of science and technology, King Rama V
selected young people to attend western
universities to bring back their learning to
Thailand.
Thai Scholars are supported for a year
of post-graduate high school education
to acclimate them to their host country’s
culture and through the completion of the
graduate degree. For each year of educa-
tion, the students are expected to serve
a sponsoring Thai organization for two
years.
Approximately 40-50 Scholars come into
the program in the US each year. Preceding
the beginning of the school year, scholars
attend a two-month orientation program
at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire,
where they focus on writing and college
guidance.
Tachai (Jack) Luangvaranunt 1991
Asheville School’s first Thai Scholar,
Tachai, chose Jack as his nickname because
he liked it; after all, Headmaster John L.
Tyrer went by Jack. Tachai was not only the
first AS Thai scholar, but one of the first to
attend a Southern US boarding school.
In 1990, the number of students in the
Royal Thai Scholarships program had
exploded, and American liaisons were
seeking host schools outside the Northeast.
Asheville School was interested, and Jack
arrived on campus in time for Opening
Day.
In his application letter, he had written,
“Every day I always wake up early… the
earlier I wake up, the more I can do that
day. I am an optimist and do not like
aggression and radicalism. Good charac-
teristics are optimism, broadmindedness,
and amity.
“I like sports which challenge my physical
endurance; running gives me spirit and
fitness. My goals for my year at Asheville
School are to be a good runner, to have
American friends, and to enter a good
American college.”
Anticipating a career dedicated to improv-
ing Thailand’s metallurgical industry, Jack
attended Colorado School of Mines, where
he earned a BS in Metallurgical Engineer-
ing. He earned an MS in Materials Science
from New Jersey’s Stevens Institute of
Technology in 1998 and his PhD from the
University of Tokyo. His doctoral disserta-
tion was on Powder Metallurgy.
As an associate professor at Chulalongkorn
University in Bangkok, Jack is involved in
a research project on Grinding Technology
Tachai (Jack) Luangvaranunt 1991 with his son, Napat (1), and daughter, Nicha (3)
Achievement • Spring 2015 11
Technology Ladkrabang in Bangkok, Pam
is married to 1997 Thai Scholar Phiphat
Phruksarojanakun and has one son, Pakin,
born July 2014. She received her BS in
Electrical Engineering from Northwestern
in 2002 and her PhD in Electrical Engi-
neering from the University of Wisconsin
– Madison in 2008. Her dissertation was
titled “Spatio-Temporal Framework for
MEG/EEG Signal Estimation and Source
Localization.”
As an early Thai Scholar at Asheville
School, Pam remembers, “Neither the
school nor the students themselves were
familiar with our program. At the time,
most Thai scholars were in New England.
So while other TS students were meeting
up in the North, I spent weekends explor-
ing the school grounds and staying at the
homes of students and faculty members
who kindly invited me to visit during
longer breaks. Only a few computers were
available in the library, students shared
a pay phone in the dorm’s hallway, and a
five-minute phone call to Thailand cost
$20. I quickly learned to be independent.
Being the only Thai student in the school
helped me improve my English skills at an
amazing rate.
“Compared to boarding schools other Thai
scholars attended, AS was one of the small-
with Western Digital of Thailand. He has
published numerous articles about powder
metallurgy, mechanical alloying, and
tribology of ceramics. He and his wife, Pa-
tama Visuttipitukul, also an associate pro-
fessor at Chulalongkorn, are the parents of
daughter Nicha (3) and son Napat (1).
At Asheville School, Jack studied Physics
C AP, a class where Karen Cianciulli says,
“His work was nearly flawless. Jack’s lab
reports were always carefully done and
very thorough, as he addressed all aspects
of an experiment.” Jack won the Physics
Book Prize at graduation and was inducted
into the Cum Laude Society.
In his senior chapel talk, Jack, a Buddhist,
spoke to the need for each individual to
live his own religion. “It doesn’t matter
what religion we believe, because all reli-
gions teach us to live together peacefully.
Let’s follow our religion, respect it, enjoy it,
and love it. Our world will be a better one.”
Continuing this theme of respect and
peace, Jack chose words from Emerson for
his yearbook quotation: Though we travel
the world over to find the beautiful, we
must carry it with us or we find it not.
Jack says, “I enjoyed the experience at
Asheville School, especially P.E., which
put me in better physical shape. I thank all
faculty members, especially those on 2nd
Anderson, for taking very good care of
me.” Hall parents Burt Gordon and Pam
Reid remember Jack’s dedicated study
habits late into the night, even when his
hallmates were relaxing over ice cream in
a faculty apartment. “At first we practically
had to drag him down to join us. As the
year wore on, we remember him enjoying
movies on dorm on the weekends,” they
smile. “His favorites were Pretty Woman
and The Princess Bride.”
Tulaya (Pam) Limpiti 1998
Currently an assistant professor in the
Department of Telecommunications
Engineering at King Mongkut’s Institute of
est and the strictest. I remember forcing
myself to breakfast (we could skip only 2 a
semester!), having daily sit-down lunches
and dinners, and attending chapel. Uncon-
sciously, those habits have shaped me into
a very disciplined person.
“Asheville School has always had a very
strong academic program. I took Calculus
BC AP and Physics C AP, but I also enjoyed
my experience in US History, American
Lit, and music. All faculty members were
dedicated teachers and taught me tre-
mendously, not only in their subjects, but
also in living a good life. Sadly, a few have
passed away.
“I was impressed by the work required for
graduation, particularly the Senior Demo,
and the chapel/ convocation talk. But the
school balances the tough work schedule
with co-curricular activities so that stu-
dents are well rounded. I believe I lost ten
pounds playing varsity volleyball!”
Pam’s high academic standards earned her
book prizes in Calculus BC and Physics C.
Her easy smile, soft voice and laugh; her
focused demeanor, reserved but friendly;
and her gentle yet witty manner left a
strong impression on the school com-
munity as she shared her many talents –
music, art, and cooking skills – and proved
to be a leader by example.
Legendary math teacher Earl Mitchelle
considered Pam “one of the best students
in one of the most talented classes I have
had in my 26 years of teaching AP calculus.
Pam is a most conscientious student…
highly motivated with definite goals and
integrity above question.”
English teacher Jim Gardner made notes
about the bit of “Thai talk” he learned
from Pam; he particularly recalls “mud on
a pig tail” as a term for “lazy.” He adds,
“Tulaya was definitely not mud on a pig
tail. She worked quietly and diligently as
Tulaya (Pam) Limpiti 1998 and Phiphat Phruksa-rojanakun are pictured with their son, Pakin, born July 2014.
12 Achievement • Spring 2015
we made our way through Hawthorne,
Poe, Twain and Fitzgerald. She shared
poetry with the class and participated in
class debates.
“One day she told the class, ‘Music, for
me, is the artistic way to speak.’ I happily
remember Tulaya’s good-humored, intel-
ligent perseverance through that course.”
Pam recalls “memorable activities - the
big bonfire and Christ School weekend
(freezing cold on the football field) and
the overnight camping trip. I thought it
strange that a camping trip was a gradua-
tion requirement, but that adventure was
extremely fun.
“Three days are most vivid in my memory
(it has been 17 years ago!). First, when
there was heavy snow on the ground, Mr.
Peebles called a holiday. That was my first
snow ever. I looked down at the fields and
thought how gorgeous AS was. Second,
when I gave my chapel talk, I stood shakily
in front of the entire student body and
read a poem I had written about being a
Thai scholar and being away from home.
That was my first public speaking ever!
Lastly, I cherish graduation day - girls
in white dresses, guys in crisp suits. The
ceremony was sweet and brought me great
joy and pride.”
Her advisor, Sharon Campbell, remembers
“a day with Tulaya and another student
hiking on the parkway; I wanted her to
see more of the mountains before she left
NC. Then we shopped for ingredients for a
Thai feast that Tulaya later prepared. Her
mother had taught her to cook. I also re-
member many hours at the mall shopping
for her graduation dress. I admired her
maturity and commitment.”
Applying to Asheville School, Pam wrote
that she wanted a prep school with moun-
tains, forests, waterfalls, nature… a small
school with friendly students. Asheville
School proved to be a good match, and
Pam was surely a memorable match for
Asheville School.
Salinporn (Lin) Kittiwatanakul 2004
“My favorite activity was equestrian. I
had a wonderful time with Ms. Wilson
and many friends,” remembers Lin. The
other riders created a game, Pass the Thai.
Because I am small and lightweight, they
picked me up and passed me around in
a circle, like a sack of potatoes. I had as
much fun as they did as I bounced from
one person to the next.”
Lin now participates in races and works
as a research associate at the University
of Virginia. She completed her BS degree
at Cornell and earned her PhD in Phys-
ics from the University of Virginia in
2014. Her dissertation was titled “Study
of Metal-Insulator Transition in Strongly
Correlated Vanadium Dioxide Thin Films.”
Lin has noted, “I had a great time with
many friends and faculty such as Ms.
Cianciulli, Mr. Gordon, Mr. Prickett, Mr.
Crawford, Guillermo Gonzales, Hye Young
Cheong, Peter Noh, my roommate Panita
Prapasuchart, Kathryn Glenn, Charla
Hughes, and many more. Being at AS was
a great, new, and interesting experience. I
enjoyed all the classes - easy or hard. My
favorites were Calculus BC AP and Physics
C AP.”
Karen Cianciulli remembers Lin’s “su-
perior work and kindness to her fellow
students. She demonstrated a thorough
knowledge of physics, superior problem-
solving skills, and a positive attitude. Lin
was a fully engaged member of the class,
with a great ability to work independently
and self-design experiments in the lab.”
While Lin was anticipating her later stud-
ies in the sciences, she excelled in humani-
ties as well. Jerry Prickett has said that for
a major paper assignment on The Scarlet
Letter, “Lin worked diligently to come to
an understanding of Hawthorne’s nine-
teenth century vocabulary and the text
and worked hard to present her argument,
giving special attention to word choices,
verb tenses, and exploration of nuances in
the language.”
For one special event, Lin recalls, “Panita
and I made somtum carrot (Thai spicy
salad) for the first time; I had never cooked
before, and I cut myself shredding the
carrots. Everyone liked the salad and even
asked for the recipe. Now somtum has
become my famous dish.
“Cheering for our football team vs. Christ
School was fun, although I had no idea
about football then. Thank you, Ashe-
ville School, for many new experiences.
I tried many activities that I had never
even thought about, and some became my
favorites. The experiences that you can’t
buy, you have to feel it, be in it, embrace it
at Asheville School. Go Blues!”
Lin easily blended her playful personality
with serious intellectual pursuits. At grad-
uation she earned book prizes in Physics C
AP and Calculus BC AP and was inducted
into Cum Laude Society. Her advisor,
Sharon Campbell, has described her as “a
determined and high-achieving student,
outstanding in all aspects of school life.
Salinporn (Lin) Kittiwatanakul 2004 works as a research associate at the University of Virginia.
Achievement • Spring 2015 13
Each teacher appreciated her dedication,
talent, intellect, and kindness. During her
year at Asheville, Lin became a true and
precious friend. ”
Tanapon (Top) Janpen 2005
At commencement, Top won book prizes
in Physics C AP and in Combinatorics, was
inducted into Cum Laude Society, and was
one of four seniors receiving a special Fac-
ulty Prize, commended for his “intellectual
curiosity, scholarly accomplishments, and
dedication to excellence; astonishingly
quick mastery of English; cheerful gener-
osity of spirit in embracing new experienc-
es and all the members of the community;
and creativity and originality.”
During his year at Asheville School, Top
became a significant leader, fulfilling his
belief that “while attaining intellectual
capacity is the goal of education, con-
tributing to society in return is no less
important.”
After earning his BA and PhD in Econom-
ics from Washington University in St. Lou-
is, Top joined the Thai Ministry of Finance
as an economist in the Investment Policy
Division of the Fiscal Policy Office in 2013.
His dissertation was titled “Essays in Entre-
preneurship and Innovation.” He describes
his position as “providing assistance in
forming investment policies. Currently, I
am working on an investment project that
aims to foster innovation among small and
medium-sized enterprises.”
Reflecting on his AS experience, Top
has stated, “My academic experience at
Asheville School was challenging yet truly
rewarding. At the beginning of the year, I
fell behind in English and US History and
was desperate to improve my academic
performance. Thanks to the generous help
of Mr. Battle and Ms. Ruane, I was able
to up my performance tremendously and
continued to receive excellent grades in
reading/writing and discussion courses in
college, all thanks to the skills I developed
and my experiences at AS.”
Top’s teachers re-
member him with
great appreciation.
“Top’s spirit set the
standards for other
students,” Brooker
Battle has written,
praising his “excite-
ment and generosity,
attentive engagement
in class discussion,
humility, incredible
courtesy and absolute
determination to take
full advantage of every
opportunity.” Kelly
Ruane considers Top
“truly one of the most
thoughtful, invested,
creative, and caring
students both in and
out of the classroom.”
Mary Lou Gillum
states that “he wrote
a perfect exam in Calculus AB AP,” while
Karen Cianciulli admits, “I ran out of
superlatives to describe Top. He had a
superior understanding of the material
we studied, his problem solutions were a
delight to read, and his fun-loving attitude
brightened my classroom every day.”
Top recalls his year at Asheville in vivid de-
tail. “I arrived at AS hoping to gain some
new experiences, and left the school with
my memory full of moments that I will
treasure for the rest of my life.
“Erik Cunningham helped correct my
English pronunciation; Nathan Doane
advised me about school rules and expec-
tations; Hye Young Cheong became my
geek buddy in Physics C; Ford Willis made
the evacuation following a water outage
a fun vacation; Richard Volsky filmed a
parodic music video, ‘Pieces of Me,’ with
me appearing with writing all over my
face; Andrew Stuckey joined me when I
Top Janpen , 2004-05 Royal Thai Scholar (far right), visited with physics teacher Karen Cianciulli and Thai
Scholar Steve Tubnonghee 2014 while in Asheville in 2013.
14 Achievement • Spring 2015
craved sushi; Ki Wong Park shopped for
groceries with me across the street; Justin
Ange advised me how to dress impressively
for classes and the prom; Jessica Scriv-
ner made my prom night full of joy and
laughter.
“My favorite school activity was the over-
night camping trip, when I was introduced
to S’mores, and was fascinated by the wild
woods of the South.”
In a critical position to observe and define
the growth of the Thai economy, Top states
optimistically, “The political situation is
stabilizing, and I expect to see the over-
all economy picking up strength—albeit
gradually—over the year of 2015.”
Pichet (Team) Adstamongkonkul 2007
“In my home country, it is an honor to be
awarded a scholarship to study abroad, to
broaden our perspective of the world, to
study or do cutting-edge research in the
field of interest, and come back to improve
Thailand,” Team states.
Now in his fourth year of Harvard’s School
of Engineering and Applied Sciences PhD
program, Team spent a year at Asheville
School before enrolling in the Whitaker
School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins,
where he earned his BS in Biomedical
Engineering.
“The AP classes were taught by exceptional
teachers, including Ms. Cianciulli and Mr.
Kriegler,” Team remembers. “Although we
learned the materials in Thailand, these
classes reinforced the principles, and the
teaching here is different and fun. Physics
C made me understand the concepts and
love to derive relevant physical equations;
Biology AP let me share my enthusiasm in
the subject with others. Through Calcu-
lus BC, I came to love calculus. The AP
courses well prepared students for the AP
exams and for college in science and engi-
neering majors.
He further comments, “The faculty plays
an important role in student life at AS.
Having faculty members as residential
heads lessens the gap between students
and faculty members, who become second
parents. This relationship is unique for the
Thai scholars here. The school community
is very supportive both personally and
academically.
“My favorite activity was mountaineer-
ing! Not many schools anywhere can
train students to become rock-climbers
or to experience fly-fishing first-hand.
The school’s location is perfect for these
activities. Mountaineering not only taught
me how to climb a rock, but how to train
and use my body efficiently, and to find the
balance. I really miss the activities and the
group.”
Team’s teachers recall his scholarly stan-
dards and personal excellence: He earned a
commendation for his Senior Demonstra-
tion project on Charles Darwin, demon-
strating “his passion for the topic through-
out,” Frank Kriegler remarks. In Biology
AP, Team “always provided excellent
answers to the most complex questions,
and in lab he demonstrated superb skills.”
Karen Cianciulli has praised not only his
“top-notch problem-solving skills” but his
superior courtesy as well: “he never left my
classroom without thanking me.”
In his program at Harvard, Team assists
on research projects developing strate-
gies to improve drug-delivery efficacy in
metastasis. In addition, he is involved in
a study of how forces exerted by cells and
their extracellular matrix may contribute
to solid stress in solid tumors. Team has
published articles regarding drug delivery
and cancer therapy.
Taweewat (Champ) Somboonpanyakul
2011
Champ chose Stephen Hawking’s words
for his senior page in the 2011 Blue and
White: “One, remember to look up at the
sky and not down at your feet. Two, never
give up work. Work gives you meaning
and purpose and life is empty without
it. Three, if you are lucky enough to find
love, remember it is rare and don’t throw
it away.” With this philosophy, Champ has
shared his talents and pursued his dreams
of a life devoted to astrophysics.
Champ will receive his BS in Physics from
the University of Chicago in May 2015. His
senior thesis is on Circumgalactic Medium
and Neighboring Galaxies. He is currently
applying for a physics/astrophysics PhD
program in the US, noting, “I am visiting
schools to pick the right one. I should be
able to confirm my decision by April 15.”
Champ remembers his year at Asheville
School as a challenge and a joy. “Because
of my background as a science student,
Taweewat (Champ) Somboonpanyakul 2011 will receive his BS in Physics from the University of Chicago in May 2015.
Pichet (Team) Adstamongkonkul 2007 is in his fourth year of Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences PhD program.
Achievement • Spring 2015 15
it was my first time studying history and
English. They were difficult, but I learned
a lot, maybe even more than in my science
classes, which I had previously studied.”
Humanities teacher Helen Plaehn remem-
bers him with great fondness, stating, “It
is rare that a student who has been here
only one year can have such an impact on
our community, but Champ’s exceptional
warmth, commitment, and scholarship
have indeed inspired all around him. His
Senior Demonstration was exceptional.
His compelling arguments about the pos-
sibilities and the limitations of science in
understanding our world showed deep and
careful insight. Yet what has led to Champ’s
impact on our community relates more to
his warmth and compassion. On the final
day of class he offered individual notes and
gifts to each student in his classes.”
Champ recalls, “I had a great time in Phys-
ics C AP with Ms.Cianciulli, who always
challenged me apart from what I could do
in homework; I learned how to conduct
my own experiment by myself.” Karen
Cianciulli noted at the time, “Champ’s
final experiment was a voyage into un-
charted territory, and he handled that
uncertainty with surprising calm.”
Another class that brings Champ great
memories is Dr. Mike Hill’s [Statistics
AP] class. “I still use what I learned from
him even today in my college education,”
he says. Four years ago, Dr. Hill wrote
of Champ, “In my seven years of teach-
ing extremely talented and hard-working
students in Statistics AP, never have I had
a student maintain a perfect average for
the term. What a gifted and charming
student!”
Champ’s favorite afternoon activity was
mountaineering, where “I did almost ev-
erything for the first time: rock climbing,
ice climbing, skiing, cross-country skiing,
and fly fishing. These activities defined
my great experience and memories at the
school.”
Champ has added that he was fortunate to
learn US history at AS. “As an international
student, knowing US history helps me un-
derstand and appreciate a lot more about
other things going on around us.”
He also recalls the senior speaking require-
ment with gratitude. “It was my first time
doing anything like that, but it was a great
chance for me to practice public speaking,
which has led to more opportunities in
my college career. When I had a chance to
speak at the Technology-Society Confer-
ence at KAIST in Daejeon, South Korea,
I accepted because of my experience in
senior convocation.
“Lastly, I had great friendships with my
fellow students at Asheville School. Even
though I was there for only one year,
everyone was always nice to me. I met lots
of new friends whom I sometimes see even
today.”
Theerarun (Steve) Tubnonghee 2014
Steve was a reluctant Thai Scholar. Origi-
nally uninterested in an academic program
outside Thailand, he eventually applied for
the Thai Scholarship but was determined
not to attend school in the US, because
“I hate English,” he said. Yet the program
and the US and even Asheville School have
become an important part of his life.
A photo of Boyd Chapel by Theerarun (Steve) Tubnonghee 2014
16 Achievement • Spring 2015
Steve observes that the TS program gives
participating students an opportunity to
open their minds to Western ideas and
infuse those ideas into Thai education and
business culture. “It is important to learn
and to work with international thought,
methods, and techniques.”
Now attending the University of Colorado
- Boulder in computer science, Steve plans
to become a computer technology officer
in the Revenue Department of the Thai-
land Ministry of Finance. Steve reflects
that in Thailand, business and economics
offer more opportunity to launch creative
ideas than is possible in politics. Therefore,
young people hope to become involved in
international competition; there is little
incentive to break political tradition.
Steve appreciated friendly students at
Asheville School, particularly noting that
Dylan Zawila loaned him an electric fan
during the hot early days of September
and Alexander da Costa became a good
friend.
“I played football just for the experience,”
Steve said. “I enjoyed mountaineering,
especially mountain biking, and skiing in
the Wednesday night activity.”
Academically, Steve particularly enjoyed
calculus, physics, and programming. He
observes, “The programming class helped
build my own logic and experience before
college.” Joe Speier, Programming and
Logic II teacher, has remarked on Steve’s
“gift of a good sense of graphic design. His
multiplication animation project is a mas-
terpiece in the making… and can become
a great tool to introduce young students to
the concept and facts of multiplication.”
In addition to his Programming project,
Steve pursued an investigation of com-
puters and the effect of the internet on
individuals for his Senior Demonstration.
He explains, “Computer technology has
influenced everything in the world. The
computer works logically, like math and
like our own logic. It makes me want to
use my own knowledge to create some-
thing to help people use the computer in
more effective ways.”
On the morning of Steve’s interview for
this article (May 22, 2014), a military coup
of the Thai government was announced.
Under the coup, the military suspended
the constitution of 2009. While Steve
wondered at the time if the change would
affect the Scholars program for 2016,
Christine Brown, Coordinator and Co-
director of the Brewster Summer Programs
for Thai Scholars, says that the program is
even larger for the coming year. The future
of Thai Scholars seems to be secure.
Wasit (Kom) Wongtrakul 2015
When Kom arrived at AS last September,
“I strongly believed that American Studies
was too hard for me,” he told the student
body in his senior convo talk. Yet in these
humanities classes, Helen and Tim Plaehn
find him “one of our strongest students”
with “a
remark-
able work
ethic,” even
leading a
Harkness
discus-
sion on the
American
Revolution.
Kom
remembers the early weeks of class. “Our
first book was The Tempest, which I had
never heard of before. When I learned
that it was by Shakespeare, I murmured
to myself with excitement, “Wow! Shake-
speare!” But when I read the first act, I was
drowning in the Elizabethan language. “Is
this English?” I wondered.
“I am impressed by the dedication of all
teachers here,” Kom observes. “I don’t have
to struggle in mathematics and science
classes, but humanities were not my cup of
tea, and American Studies is very new to
me. With great support from the Plaehns,
I put most of my effort in American Stud-
ies.”
Lonely and homesick during the first
semester, Kom says, “My life has now be-
come much livelier and more fun. People
welcome me to this warm community.
Moreover, my very helpful and enthusias-
tic advisor, Ms. Cianciulli, helps me a lot
- from college essays to my convo talk. She
and our advisory group make my experi-
ence here complete.” In co-curricular pro-
grams, he says, “I have many opportunities
to try new activities, such as mountain bik-
ing, skiing, taking part in seated meals and
even speaking in public; I was really afraid
of public speaking, so I always avoided it,
if possible.”
Karen Cianciulli praises Kom’s readiness
to be an “effective collaborator, neither
dominating nor hanging back.”
Kom will pursue his undergraduate and
graduate degrees in petroleum engineer-
ing. As he enters college next fall, our
twentieth Thai Scholar will arrive at Ashe-
ville School.
The vision of a distant king more than a
century ago flourishes at Asheville School
today.
Tish Anderson retired from Asheville School
as Director of the College Office in 2006.
Tanapon Janpen ‘05 earned his PhD in
Economics from Washington University and
joined the Investment Policy Division of
Thailand’s Fiscal Policy Office as an econo-
mist in 2013.
Wasit (Kom) Wongtrakul 2015
Achievement • Spring 2015 17
MacPhail '04 Enjoys His Role With NBA Championship Organization
By Bob Williams
Editor
With a grandfather and great-grandfather
in the Baseball Hall of Fame and an uncle
who coached the Minnesota Twins to
a historic 1991 “worst to first” champi-
onship over the Atlanta Braves, Logan
MacPhail 2004 seemed destined for a
career in Major League Baseball.
MacPhail, who played baseball at Asheville
School and Dickinson College, initially
started along the familiar family career
path that produced the only father-son
combo in Cooperstown. After graduating
from Dickinson, he landed a job with Ma-
jor League Baseball as a salary arbitration
analyst and then spent two years with the
New York Mets as a baseball analyst.
But following a brief stint with Bloom-
berg Sports, MacPhail chose to go outside
the family comfort zone and focus on
an entirely different professional sport –
basketball.
“Yes…you might say I’m a bit of a black
sheep in the family now,” MacPhail says
with a chuckle. “My grandfather and great-
grandfather are in the Baseball Hall of
Fame; my uncle Andy was with the Cubs
and the General Manager of the Twins;
and my cousin Lee MacPhail scouts for the
(Seattle) Mariners. There’s nobody from
my family working in basketball but me.”
In 2014, MacPhail went to work for the
San Antonio Spurs, a team who in 2013
lost the NBA championship to the Miami
Heat.
But judging by the confetti that fell after
his first season as a basketball analyst for
the San Antonio Spurs, MacPhail says he
couldn’t have dreamed up a better transi-
tion from the world of batting averages
and home runs to analyzing free-throw
percentages, three-point attempts, and
double doubles.
“It was surreal,” MacPhail says, describing
the Spurs’ 2014 championship season. “As
the season went along, they won so often,
it just got to be the routine. When we were
in game 5, it was unbelievable being on
the court as the confetti rained down and
watching the commissioner hand Pop
(head coach Gregg Popovich) the trophy. I
was literally a row away from him.”
MacPhail, who watches every Spurs game
in person, described the 2014 team as one
of the most talented teams to play the
game. “They were like the old guys at the
YMCA who play the game so fundamen-
tally sound,” he says. “It was a beautiful
thing to watch.”
As the Director of Basketball Research for
the Spurs, MacPhail says he has opportu-
nity to work at all levels of the organiza-
tion. His main responsibilities include
answering any statistical/analytics-based
questions the coaching staff may have,
helping to maintain and monitor the cur-
rent information system that houses all
scouting, medical, contract, and statistical
information for the San Antonio Spurs,
and providing statistical and advanced
data modeling support for the Spurs’ front
office.
“We serve as a tool to help the coaches
make decisions,” MacPhail says. “I think
they are very appreciative of what we do
for them. Some teams maybe go too far
with analytics, and use it as the only tool
to make decisions. I wouldn’t advocate for
that at all. Our role is to give the coaches
an objective answer.”
In thinking back to his days at Asheville
School, MacPhail says the experience
certainly helped prepare him for his daily
work. “I received a very good mathemati-
cal background from Ms. Gillum and Ms.
Reid,” he says. “Asheville School helped
me a lot with growing up in general. Two
of the people who helped me grow up the
most were Dale Earnhardt and Professor
Lambert. I was at that impressionable teen
age and they set my perspective straight.”
Although he’s been back to campus a few
times since graduating, MacPhail says he
hopes to have the chance to show his wife
where he attended boarding school in the
near future. “I think that small community
feel was one thing that I didn’t appreciate
until I left. It definitely prepared me for the
real world.”
Logan MacPhail 2004, the Director of Basketball Research for the San Antonio Spurs, holds up the NBA Championship Trophy from 2014.
By Hannah Bonner 2006 Humanities Instructor
I learned how to dance while attend-
ing British theatre company Punchdrunk’s
experimental play Sleep No More. Sleep No
More, a staggering undertaking in set de-
sign and choreography, is loosely based on
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. At the risk
of ruining the atmosphere or narrative of
the production, I’ll just say this: the audi-
ence member creates his or her own expe-
rience as much as set and actors. There are
choices and responsibilities placed on the
audience members that eclipse the routine
passivity of the fourth wall in theatre.
There are physical walls in Sleep No More
(the play takes place, after all, in over one
hundred rooms), yet, at times, you pass
through them as swiftly (and effortlessly)
as a specter.
I attended Sleep No More while I was at
David Dunbar’s CityTerm conference
in New York, Teaching for Experience, a
conference whose pedagogy posits the phi-
losophy of learning as an all-encapsulating
enterprise: mind, body, and spirit. While
there was round-table discussion and
brainstorming, a majority of the five days
focused on collaboration, creativity, and
physicalizing the abstractions of academic
jargon, as when we paired various local
cheeses with wine, whiskey, chocolate,
chili honey, marmalade, or biscuits (as
much a worship of Aristeus who taught
men cheese-making, according to Greek
mythology, as it was a celebration of the
sun over the yardarm). While the snacks
provided sensory stimulation, Dunbar
pointed out that if our goal with our stu-
dents is to synthesize information in both
auditory and visual learning, what better
way to directly understand this synthesis
than through an array of tastes, textures,
and smells?
The following day we experienced not
just the synthesis of food, but of move-
ment, namely swing dance. As I watched
our perky, petite instructor Anita prance
around her partner, the dialogue between
these persons struck me, both verbally
and bodily. When the steps didn’t quite
jive in their improvisation (like pair-
ing an Ardrahan cheese with a salmon
spread), they physicalized the importance
of continuation and flow, no matter the
misstep. “Yes, this isn’t totally controlled,”
their dance seemed to say, “but neither is
control the point.” Yet throughout that
hour of instruction and practice, I could
not alleviate my own anxiety as I desper-
ately attempted to anticipate my partner’s
steps and rhythm. I held myself, and subse-
quently my leader, back by trying to con-
trol the movement. Instead of accepting
the leader’s invitation to follow whatever
movement he or she initiated, I refused to
let the physical synthesis occur, so set was
I on my own part in the dance, solo rather
than duo.
The night before the conference ended,
our group attended Sleep No More. As
we handed over our sweaters, handbags,
cameras, umbrellas, and whatnot to the
coat check in the dimly lit hallway, I felt
as if I were walking into David Lynch’s
Inland Empire (2006) -- the hallway’s lights
petered out to complete blackness and an
ominous instrumental soundtrack swelled
to a crescendo. Soon we were in a maze of
walls that eventually opened into an inti-
mate room flecked in candlelight; the Cab-
aret-esque atmosphere included a selection
of champagne cocktails and absinthe shots.
As we clutched the playing cards we’d been
handed and sipped our drinks, we were
called as groups (“six of clubs,” “eight of
diamonds”) one by one, and disappeared
through a side door in the back of the
room. We were played as if we were cards
dealt the experience of the draw. When
my turn came, I downed my cocktail and
joined my fellow theatergoers. We were
handed white masks reminiscent of the
masquerade party in Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes
Wide Shut (1999) and given two sets of
instructions: we were never to remove our
masks and we were never to speak upon
entering the elevator. Once released onto a
floor, my first scene, I was initially direc-
tionless. What was this setting, this maze
of trees lit by a lone lamp, evocative of
moonlight? What was my purpose or role
as an audience member and how could
I attain and sustain access to actors and
their narratives? In that initial half hour I
was still trying to anticipate the dance that
I was now engaged in, albeit it one with
an entire cast, rather than a single part-
ner. By trying to control my outcome and
experience, my first moments in Sleep No
More were isolated and idle. Yet, after the
repeated frustration of not understanding
a character’s arc or how long to follow a
particular actor, I finally stopped thinking
– no longer was I analyzing the movement
of the drama and my role in it. When a
person in front of me turned down a dark
hallway, I followed instinctively and was
suddenly swept through a door I had never
noticed into a swarm of people being
ushered into a dark and dingy room. As
music pulsated and strobe lights churned,
a drama unfolded of violence and sex that
was so intimate and animalistic that our
presence both informed and heightened
the tension, build up, and release of the
performers frantic dance. I stood, trans-
fixed, captivated by the actor’s abandon-
ment, but also by my own. Had I remained
in my fixed mindset, I never would have 18 Achievement • Spring 2015
Strutting and Fretting Our Hour Upon the Stage: Learning how to Dance
learned to dance and let the rhythm of
the other participants and actors carry me
where I was destined to go.
Interestingly enough, the concept of a
fixed mindset is a concept we touched on
frequently in the days prior to our at-
tendance at the play. When discussing the
type of feedback we give our students,
we repeatedly addressed the notion of
person-oriented feedback versus task-ori-
ented feedback. Person-oriented feedback
encompasses repeatedly telling a student
“you’re so smart,” so that his or her iden-
tity becomes enmeshed with their perfor-
mance as a student, leading the student
to develop fixed views of intelligence. A
student told she is “so smart” doesn’t know
how to cope when receiving a B on an as-
signment because her identity has been in-
herently tied to an “A,” and, thus, she falls
apart in the face of an apparent failure.
More importantly, she may lack the tools
to assess what she needs or must do to
improve this work for a subsequent assign-
ment. What students most benefit from is
task-oriented feedback, where the teacher
notes the steps a student took to do well
on an assignment or, even more beneficial,
gets the student to articulate the steps she
took to completing an assignment herself.
Inherently understanding one’s own pro-
cess ultimately allows the student to feel
as if she is the “author of her own learn-
ing”; no longer is the assignment about
her identity and value as a person, but
the product itself, whether it be a paper,
project, lab report, or dance. Instead of
controlling a fixed mindset (“I must get an
A” or “I must anticipate my dance partner’s
next move”), you concentrate on the steps
you need to follow in order to achieve the
synthesis Dunbar initially invited us to
experience over cheese, wine, and various
other accouterments. Yes, you may have
several mouthfuls of the briny Adrahan,
but it’s well worth it when you put blue
cheese, walnuts, and chutney together.
As teachers, we need to devise a way to
give up some control in the classroom so
that students do not always follow our
intended arc or narrative of the class, but
instead they are allowed to construct their
own. How to achieve this autonomy and
authorship for Third Form Ancient Stud-
ies scholars is something I’m still learning
the choreography to, but it’s a dance I
inevitably want to join. While this may not
happen in the classroom as succinctly as
it did in Sleep No More, I think there are
ways we may create that synthesis of ideas
through the feedback we give our students
so that they are not fixed to a set identity
or product. I hope to motivate my students
to be authors of the work they create and
in their own artistic lives, so that they are
consistently open to revision and reinter-
pretation and even, sometimes, to taking
the first step into a narrative whose story
they do not yet know.
Hannah Bonner is in her fifth year of
teaching Humanities at Asheville School.
She is a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill.
Achievement • Spring 2015 19
20 Achievement • Spring 2015
Air Jordans to Aristotle
“Today you are you! That is truer than true!
There is no one alive who is you-er than you!
Shout loud, “I am lucky to be what I am!
Thank goodness I’m not a clam or a ham or
a dusty old jar of sour gooseberry jam! I am
what I am! That’s a great thing to be!”
– Dr. Seuss
By Charlie Levy 2015
It wasn’t so long ago that the man
standing before you today was a naïve
eighth grader with his eyes set on the
league. That’s right, ladies and gentlemen,
Charlie Levy was going to be an eventual
first-round draft pick in the NBA. The
only obstacle that seemed to impede my
path was that I was a white, Jewish, upper-
middle-class kid, and not the most athletic,
I might add. I could have starred in White
Men Can’t Jump instead of Woody Harrel-
son. But that didn’t stop me from trying.
Every night I would go play basketball on
the hoop behind my house until it became
too dark for me to see the ball in my
hands. And every night I would pretend
to be a new player: Magic Johnson, Kobe
Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dwayne Wade,
and my personal favorite, Allen Iverson.
Another one of my brilliant schemes was
to watch as much YouTube footage of
these players as humanly possible. I figured
that if I watched enough of their playing
styles that it would somehow transfer over
into me, like a much slower version of the
Monstars in Space Jam.
The people around me realized that my
dream might have been a bit beyond my
reach before I did. One of my friends
even commented on it, saying, “It’s ok,
you’ll just make a really great sports agent
someday.” Similarly, my parents would
try to prepare me for the inevitable by
saying, “If you can’t play, it’s not the end
of the world; coaching is a great option
too.” And “You know what the great thing
is, Charlie? You’re a smart kid, you don’t
need basketball.” These not-so-subtle hints
fell on deaf ears for a long time. And then
one day, after failing time and time again
at dunking the ball, I realized my hoop
dreams were mere pipe dreams. Making
it to the NBA was not in the tea leaves for
me. Devastated, I fell into a depression that
lasted for weeks.
I was upset because I wasn’t going to be
able to become who I wanted to be. I
wasn’t the basketball prodigy that I had
watched in so many BallisLife videos. So
I tried to become someone other than
myself. The music I listened to, the clothes
I wore, and the way I talked all changed to
accommodate my “new self.” Waka Flocka
and T.I. replaced The Grateful Dead and
James Taylor on my iTunes, my unbroken
English turned into broken slang, and bag-
gy basketball shorts and Air Jordan sneak-
ers displaced collared shirts and boat shoes
in my closet. I thought that this “new” me
Achievement • Spring 2015 21
would fit in better with the crowd that I
was trying to impress. I wanted so badly to
fit in with the kids around me who were
great basketball players that I changed all
these traits and more because I thought
this would help me propel my game to the
next level. However, looking back on it
now, I must have looked pathetic perform-
ing this charade. Creating this new persona
did little to help my game. It definitely
didn’t make me more athletic. Rather, my
world became more complicated. A battle
waged on between my suppressed self and
my caricature self. I constantly struggled
not to step on anyone’s toes, or anger
anyone to the point that they wanted to
cause me bodily harm. There were times
when classmates whom I tried to imitate
confronted me about my change. And yet
their words simply washed over me with
no effect.
I kept this act up for three years, cover-
ing up what I thought people didn’t want
to see. If I was being too clever, I made a
conscious effort to tone it down; if I had
an insightful comment to add to a discus-
sion, I simply kept it to myself. I didn’t
want people to see the “real” me. I went
about this quite easily, and with little
thought, until I tore my ACL in the spring
of my sophomore year here at Asheville
School. Up until that point there was really
no need for me to reflect on what I had
become, who I wanted to be, and how I
portrayed myself. I was on cruise con-
trol. But sitting by myself for hours in the
weeks following my surgery forced me to
reflect on what I’d done over the past few
years. The walls of the infirmary seemed
more like prison walls than those of a place
for healing, and the pain I felt by being
separated from my friends and athletics
only aided in my ability to come to terms
with the game I’d been playing with myself
and the people around me. This painful
discovery both shocked and disgusted me.
The person I had turned into was a fraud,
a husk of a human being. Trying to “fit
in” had led me to let go of everything that
had made me…me. The person I had tried
to be was a one-dimensional portrayal of
a side of America that I had little to no
understanding of. I had supplanted my
real self with an image of what I thought
would be cool, made up of bits and pieces
of Hip Hop culture. But once I made this
intimate discovery, I knew I had to drop
this persona. Afterwards, I felt as if a huge
weight had been lifted from my shoulders.
Nothing changed with how I performed in
class, or my sense of right and wrong, but I
began to feel a deeper calm within myself.
My Air Jordans now sit on a shelf, collect-
ing dust. Waka Flocka no longer parades
through my music. And I can happily say
that Chubbies fit me way better than baggy
basketball shorts ever did.
From an early age, and at frequent incre-
ments, we are told to be ourselves. In his
book Happy Birthday to You, Dr. Seuss puts
a poetic spin on this life lesson, “Today
you are you! That is truer than true! There
is no one alive who is you-er than you!
Shout loud, “I am lucky to be what I am!
Thank goodness I’m not a clam or a ham
or a dusty old jar of sour gooseberry jam!
I am what I am! That’s a great thing to be!”
Too often we hide behind a cloak of fake
characteristics to impress people, or to try
and fool ourselves into thinking we are
something entirely different than what we
really are. It is all too easy to fall into a false
comfort by keeping all, or parts, of our
selves hidden. This cover-up is a natural
impulse of the adolescent brain; it seems as
though every high school student does this
and I would argue some adults do as well,
but it is an impulse we all, adults and teens
alike, must fight to subdue. All of us are
unique in our own right, each and every
one of us is a diamond in the rough, and
what a beautiful thing that is. What a dull
world it would be if we all were the same,
each mimicking one another, sharing the
same ideas and thoughts. We would be a
world of lemmings, living mindlessly in
monotony. Syndrome, the villain in The
Incredibles and once hopeful Superhero,
famously said, “And when everyone is
super, no one will be super.” Despite his
evil plot to ruin the world as he knows it,
Syndrome brings up a valuable point. For
there to be supers, not everyone can be
one. In a world of billions of people, not
everyone should strive towards the same
goal. Some of us may be great at math,
others great at magic. The point is not that
everyone can be super at the same stuff. All
of us have “super” traits and talents that
make us uniquely us, and we shouldn’t let
go of those, as I so foolishly did.
How do you find yourself, though? How
do you remain authentic? Aristotle be-
lieved that to be true to oneself was to de-
velop authenticity over time by cultivation
of traits such as honesty, discernment, and
sound reasoning; people like Sartre and
Kierkegaard believed that creativity and
freedom are the best routes to authenticity,
and Erich Fromm believed that authentic-
ity could be conforming to social norms,
as long as the individual chose to do so
from an enlightened and informed mo-
tivation. These are simply a few of many
theories on how to remain authentic. And
I couldn’t tell you which one is the right
philosophy to follow. It comes down to
your figuring out what you need, just as I
did. Perhaps you will find yourself through
an epiphany, or maybe it will be a gradual
process that over time shapes you into who
you are. Whatever the case, it is not easy to
figure out. As Benjamin Franklin once said,
“There are three things extremely hard:
steel, a diamond, and to know one’s self.”
The last point of this trio, knowing one’s
self, will always trump the former two. And
as human beings, cognoscente of the world
around us and of our thoughts and man-
nerisms, knowing oneself is a crucial ele-
ment of interacting with the world around
us. Know yourself, understand yourself,
and most importantly, be comfortable
with yourself.
Charlie Levy 2015 gave this Chapel Talk
in September of 2014 in Asheville School’s
Boyd Chapel. He will attend Dartmouth
College this fall.
22 Achievement • Spring 2015
By Bob Williams
Editor
This summer, Asheville School will embark
on its second major construction project
in two years. Renovations to Anderson
Hall, the school’s original structure, will
include significant enhancements to the
faculty apartments and bathrooms. Other
notable improvements include a revamped
common room for students, a new eleva-
tor, and a return to the building’s original
wrap-around porch.
“Now that the school’s new state-of-the-
art Vandergrift Science Center is complete,
this next project is about improving our
infrastructure,” says Head of School Arch
Montgomery. “The Anderson infra-
structure will be significantly upgraded.
Anderson will have brand-new housing for
the faculty. It is step one of the dormitory
refreshing and this is a critical phase in
improving this historic landmark.”
He adds, “The idea is to refresh this dormi-
tory without it becoming like a Four Sea-
sons luxury hotel. Our alumni and parents
really want to see this place maintained
properly. We’ve been able to complete
these projects due to the generosity of our
alumni and parents.”
Tom Bleick, the school’s Director of Facili-
ties, expects the Anderson construction
will begin immediately after Commence-
ment Day on May 30.
“If all goes as planned, we
will start to order materials
and get set up during the
month of May,” Bleick says.
“The day after graduation,
we plan to start the demoli-
tion work.”
While the bulk of the
project will happen over
the summer, there could be
a few items on the list that
might not reach completion
until early fall, Bleick says.
“We will completely
renovate the bathrooms, the
north end faculty apart-
ments, the dorm hallways
and portions of the stair
tower, the elevator, and the
common room,” he says.
“The bathrooms and the
corridors will need to be
ready for the opening of
school. The expansion of
the front porch might con-
tinue into the fall.”
Although projects of this scale are quite
demanding, Bleick says he is comfort-
able with the schedule. “The timeline is
achievable, but there’s little room for un-
anticipated complications,” he says. “The
challenge will be to have many different
phases of construction up and ready by
Opening Day.”
The school hired the same two Charlotte-
based firms that collaborated on the $2.8
million Vandergrift Science Center project
— contractor Barringer Construction and
Perkins+Will Architects. The $3.5 million
Anderson project is the largest construc-
tion project at Asheville School since the
completion of the Vandergrift Science
Center in 2013.
Anderson Hall Renovation Project Set To Begin This Summer
Achievement • Spring 2015 23
“Barringer Construction has been work-
ing with the architects for months already,”
Bleick says. “They understand the intent
and our expectations. They understand
how critical the schedule is and they
showed us from this past project that they
can perform to the schedule.”
Unfolding the blueprints from the project,
Bleick points to the stair tower structure
that he says will change slightly to allow
the elevator to access the attic space in
Anderson. “We will gut where the current
elevator sits and open up the back end to
have a bigger cab in there that will be ADA
compliant. We’ll take off the top of the
stair tower so we can extend the elevator to
the attic.”
Students will notice drastic improvements
to the common room of Anderson and
the front porch, Bleick says. “The common
area of Anderson will be refinished and
a lot more inviting. The front porch will
allow students to access both sides. You’ll
see that porch being used more like the
Lawrence porch is used today.”
The project includes a red-brick entryway
to Anderson called the Anderson Walk.
Coincidentally, the new brick walkway
calls for 1900 bricks, the same year An-
derson Hall was built. Alumni and friends
will have the chance to add a brick with
their name and class year or the name of
a teacher, classmate, or family member by
making a $120 gift to the Anderson Walk
Fund.
Other additions to Anderson include
new laundry facilities for students in the
transformed basement of Anderson, Bleick
says. “There will be a centralized laundry
room in the basement where we will be
purchasing more heavy-duty commercial
equipment.”
The school’s strategic plan is focused
on making it a priority for the school
to upgrade its historic dormitories, says
Montgomery.
“By the time we finish the strategic plan,
Asheville School should have accom-
plished the nagging deferred maintenance
issues that need to be addressed today,”
Montgomery says. “The Anderson project
is part of a larger whole. It is step three of
the strategic plan. We began with renovat-
ing the Vandergrift Science Center and
that was a big deal. We continued with
the Bermuda grass soccer fields and the
Bermuda on Arnold field hockey field, and
other improvements such as the new air
conditioning in Kehaya.”
Once phase one of the Anderson project is
complete, Montgomery expects the school
to move on to upgrading Lawrence Hall.
“We’ll soon move on to Lawrence dor-
mitory renovations and then return to
Anderson to refurbish all of the rooms,”
Montgomery says.
By renovating Anderson and Lawrence, the
school is committed to promoting sustain-
able living and increased energy efficiency
in these century-old residence halls, says
Dan Seiden, Asheville School’s Director of
Development.
“Anderson and Lawrence are such iconic
buildings; they deserve our care and atten-
tion with historically faithful restorations
and tasteful enhancements for students
and faculty members to enjoy,” Seiden says.
“With a cost of $3.5 million for this first
phase of Anderson, and Lawrence expected
to have a similar budget, we will be calling
upon members of the school family to
contribute towards these strategic projects.
We welcome the chance to share oppor-
tunities for support with alumni, parents,
and friends interested in making a differ-
ence for Asheville School.”
Having already talked to many alumni,
parents, and friends about the plans for
Anderson and Lawrence, Montgomery says
he’s thrilled to know he has the support of
the Asheville School community. “The en-
thusiasm for the school is unprecedented
in my tenure,” he says. “Our alumni were
not surprised by the school’s recent elite
ranking, but they did not know that other
people knew about Asheville School.”
With a master plan already underway for
the entire campus, Montgomery says the
school is already looking five years ahead.
“We’re deep into the master planning
process and we will have a long-range look
at how this campus might change in future
years,” Montgomery says. “We’re examin-
ing everything from new traffic and park-
ing patterns to a new arts center. We’ve got
to get through 2019 first, but the next stage
will then be about improving the campus
in significant ways.”
A rendering of the Anderson Hall common room
24 Achievement • Spring 2015
Wilbert Peck Society members – Allen Nivens '93 and familyTell us a little about your time at Asheville School.
My time at Asheville was a very positive and growing experience for me. Because I came from a small town in north Georgia, my horizons were quickly expanded in every direction. In fact, outside of anything family related, I consider my four years here to be the most important period of my life.
What are you up to now?
Meg and I have been married 15 years. We have two daughters, Sara (11) and Annie (8), who I hope will be AS Blues in a few years. We mostly spend our days trying to maximize our time with them while they still like us. I still play in a rock/country band (down to about one performance a month these days) and am increasingly thankful for that outlet.
Why do you give to Asheville School?
Giving to Asheville School is a cause I describe as one that is “where the rubber meets the road.” As we all divvy up our an-nual giving to charities, sponsorships, schools, etc., sometimes it is hard to know how much of each dollar truly gets put to work. Asheville is just a place in which I like to put as much emphasis as possible because I know how far they stretch every dollar and that makes each gift that much more significant.
When and why did you decide to join the Wilbert Peck Society?
When we were newly married with young kids, I just remember never being able to give as much to Asheville as I would have liked. I learned about the Wilbert Peck Society in The Achieve-ment and it intrigued me, primarily, because it was one more way I could give to the school and, secondarily, because it was one more way I could let the school know I care.
Why is giving back / philanthropy important to you and your family?
While hoping not to sound over the top, I know with absolute certainty that you get back whatever you give (and usually with compound interest). This is just a natural law of the universe and applies to anything, not just money. So we view regular steadfast support, even when in nominal amounts, to be the most important part of our family budget.
What advice would you give someone who is considering joining the Peck Society?
You can set the contribution from your estate to be a percentage, a fixed dollar amount, or a min/max combination thereof. Giving from your estate is just as important as it is to give while you are alive. The donation will show the gift recipient(s) how important they are to you as well as remind your heirs what was important to you, a great way to go out and a win-win-win every time.
For more information on joining the Wilbert Peck Society, please email Dan Seiden at seidend@ashevilleschool.org or call 828.254.6345 ext. 4028.
Allen Nivens 1993 with his wife, Meg, and daughters, Sara (11) and Annie (8).
Achievement • Spring 2015 25
Drama And Dance Performances in 2014-2015
Drama, dance and music students performed Fiddler on the Roof.
During the fall production of Play On, students performed a comedic piece about the mishaps that could happen while trying to put on a play.
26 Achievement • Spring 2015
accused of abusing a political expenses
fund, and Eisenhower was considering
removing him from the ticket. Nixon
went on national TV and radio to answer
the charges. In the process of fending off
those allegations, Nixon did admit to ac-
cepting one personal gift: a cocker spaniel
that his daughter had named “Check-
ers.” Somewhat defiantly, he said he was
keeping the dog. Over 60 million people
heard or watched the speech, the first
broadcast of its kind, which did much to
define Nixon’s public persona. It is unlikely
that any Asheville School student saw it
or listened to it – unless a few brave souls
took their crystal sets out of hiding. Nixon
remained on the ticket and would go on
to have a long career in politics that was
surely checkered in ways having nothing to
do with cocker spaniels.
The 1952-53 school year began, and the
faculty chose seniors Peter Harman, David
Kuhns, P. L. Hay, Mark Reed, Denny Cook,
Edward Somerville, Woody Woodard, and
Tommy Ivey to be prefects. It was an honor
to be selected as prefect, and it brought
with it some extra privileges and responsi-
bility. However, the “task on the dormitory
hall is often so heavy as to outweigh the
advantages …. the duties of managing a
dormitory hall require so much time that
much of [the prefect’s] otherwise free time
has to be spent in studying” (The Ashnoca
October 20, 1952, p. 1). The positive start
of the year must have been enhanced by
the football team’s season-opening 34-6
victory over Weaverville and by the Thurs-
day night refreshments at the Headmas-
ter’s house after study hall.
A different take on the positive start of the
year was offered by Sandy Martin ’55, who
recalls, “The first Sunday I was at Asheville
School I was dressed in a double-breasted
blue suit. Suits were required for Sunday
chapel and Sunday dinner. A sport coat
was okay during the week at chapel but
not on Sunday. There was always a ‘lull’
between chapel and when Sunday dinner
was served. I was waiting around on the
sidewalk outside Anderson Hall when a
group of three old boys came along. They
proceeded to ‘de-pants’ me and threw my
navy blue trousers high up into a fir tree.
Just at that time, Mr. and Mrs. Hutchins
The Good Old Days at Asheville SchoolBy Tom Marberger 1969
“I was 15, alone for my first train ride from
Penn Station in New York … to Asheville,
overnight and slightly awed by it all. When
I arrived at the Asheville station, I followed
instructions and I found the proper bus
that went out toward the campus…. I got
aboard and sat down. The bus didn’t go
anywhere. I thought the driver must be
waiting for other passengers. ‘Excuse me,
sir,’ the driver said, walking back toward
me, ‘but you can’t sit there….’ I looked up
at the driver, bewildered. And then it came
to me. The people near me in the bus were
black, and I wasn’t…. The hair on my neck
stood up. It was a moment in my life I’ll
never forget…. I scurried to another seat
… and counted the seconds until I could
get off the bus. It was 1952, though, wasn’t
it?” (Eric Hartell ’55 letter to Tom Mar-
berger).
Indeed it was, when, “on September 15,
1952, a large group of boys appeared on
the Asheville School campus, having given
up their final week of summer vacation
to prepare themselves for the upcom-
ing football season. Under Coach Hop
Arbogast’s stern tutelage, the boys quickly
– if painfully – rounded into shape” (The
Blue and White, 1953, p. 96). September
20 brought the remaining old students and
the new boys, Eric Hartell among them, to
Asheville School for another school year.
Greeting the students were the familiar
faces of faculty members such as Bates,
Brooks, and Peck as well as four new teach-
ers: Messrs. Crawford, Crone, Roberts, and
Sharp.
September 23 would have been the second
day of classes, and that evening, history
was made: vice-presidential candidate
Richard Nixon delivered his now-famous
“Checkers” speech. Nixon had been
Sunday night brings all of the seniors down to the Fall House for milk, cookies, and a chance to get together to talk about current events and watch TV!
Achievement • Spring 2015 27
came along the walk headed for the dining
hall and Sunday dinner. Mr. Hutchins
handled the situation with grace, usher-
ing Mrs. Hutchins past me. He then said
something stern to the boys involved. I
got my trousers back, and the boys, I later
learned, were ‘campused’ for a period of
time” (Sandy Martin letter to Tom Mar-
berger).
By the end of October, the football team’s
record stood at 2-2-1. The student body
had had two dances, one at St. Genevieve-
of-the-Pines, and another one on campus
– the Halloween dance, also known as
Fall’s Folly. The Astronomy Club, estab-
lished the previous fall, expanded and
completed the assembly of its new weather
station. The students welcomed the first
whole holiday of the year as the school
celebrated the accomplishments of three
alumni: Jim Woollcott and Sidney Cone
of 1948 and Norman Frith of 1952 (The
Ashnoca, November 3 and 21, 1952).
On November 1 in the Pacific, the United
States exploded the first hydrogen bomb.
A few days later, the American electorate
overwhelmingly chose Dwight Eisen-
hower to be president. Ike swamped his
Democratic challenger, Adlai Stevenson,
by 442-89 in the electoral college. Several
days later, “after a week of intense train-
ing, Coach Hop Arbogast’s varsity foot-
ball team was in excellent condition and
prepared to meet their rival, Christ School”
(The Blue and White, 1953, pp 102-03).
The Blues emerged with a 28-6 victory
over the Greenies.
Rounding out November, the 1952-53 edi-
tion of the Ashpits made its debut. High-
lights of the concert, performed by seniors
Mark Reed, John Giffen, Denny Cook,
Tommy Ivey, Steve Morse, David Kuhns,
Norman Asher, and Woody Woodard, in-
cluded a medley from Oklahoma arranged
by Mr. Bates, and the School’s Alma Mater,
which had been introduced by the Ashpits
the previous year. Students enjoyed the
Thanksgiving holiday (just Thursday in
those days) and a turkey dinner, which was
followed on Saturday by the Thanksgiving
Dance in Memorial Dining Hall (The Ash-
noca, December 4, 1952, p. 1). On Novem-
ber 29, President-elect Eisenhower went to
Korea to fulfill a campaign promise and to
try to end the conflict there.
With Thanksgiving behind them, there was
still plenty for the students to do before
the Christmas break. The varsity basket-
ball team played its first two games of the
season against Warren Wilson and won
them both. The soccer team also faced
Warren Wilson in its first two games, but
lost each time. The Mitchell Cabinet made
its holiday donation to three local families
who wouldn’t have had much of a Christ-
mas otherwise. On December 7, James
Cleland of Duke delivered the Sunday ser-
mon. His appearance was always welcome
because of his “amazing ability for gaining
and holding the attention of even the most
obstinate students, for his great teach-
ings are always delivered in an extremely
entertaining yet dignified manner” (The
Ashnoca, December 15, 1952, p. 1). How-
ever, Emil Cekada ’55 recalls Dr. Cleland’s
visit a bit differently. Cekada writes: “Dr.
Cleland was up for the whole week. At one
service he realized that most students were
not paying attention, so he said, ‘There is
a student here whose name has the same
pronunciation as an insect – cicada and
Cekada.’ That got everyone’s attention”
(Emil Cekada letter to Tom Marberger).
The last formal engagement of the term
was the Christmas Vesper Service that was
followed by the Christmas dinner. The fes-
tive night concluded with the Ashpits sing-
ing carols around campus at faculty houses
(The Ashnoca, December 15, 1952, p. 1).
The term came to a close and the students
headed home for the holidays.
Today’s students return from the Christ-
mas break and have a fresh start of sorts.
In January of 1953, students returned to
face semester exams. As an Ashnoca edito-
rial pointed out, “Exams are not things
to be passed by lightly, without a second
thought; they are proofs of what we have
learned, and how much we have applied
ourselves. Colleges and universities place
much emphasis upon exams, and rightly
so.” It is no wonder, then, that after the
exam period, “Probably not a single one
of us (masters included) is not glad that
the mid-term examinations are past. These
delightful tests of knowledge are gone for
four months” (The Ashnoca, February 27,
1953 p. 2).
On January 20, 1953, Dwight D. Eisenhow-
er was inaugurated as the 34th President of
the United States. It was in many ways the
typical speech, full of platitudes and hopes
and admonitions that are part and parcel
of inaugurations. One short passage from
Eisenhower’s inaugural is of particular
note: “Destiny has laid upon our country
the responsibility of the free world’s lead-
ership.” As an example of American liberal
exceptionalism, there was nothing unusual
about the broad strokes of that comment.
After all, John Winthrop had said some-
thing similar in his famous “city upon a
hill” sermon over three centuries earlier.
However, Eisenhower did not make this re-
mark in a vacuum. It was one thing for the
Democratic Truman to issue a call to ac-
tion against communist expansion in what
came to be known as the Truman Doctrine
in March of 1947, but this was a Repub-
Emil Cekada 1955
28 Achievement • Spring 2015
lican inaugural address, and Eisenhower
could repudiate Truman’s policy if he so
desired. As long ago as George Washing-
ton’s Farewell Address and as recently as
the 1930’s, the United States was staunchly
isolationist in its world outlook. Truman
changed that with his 1947 speech, and
now Eisenhower was giving that approach
his imprimatur. America was now the
world’s policeman. Although Eisenhower
didn’t necessarily use American force when
the opportunities presented themselves,
many of his successors would.
Happily for students on campus, the new
year included some pleasant activities in
addition to the drudgery of exams. The
students were able to attend a dance at St.
Genevieve-of-the-Pines, and Uncle Will’s
Wit ‘N’ Waffles held its first meeting of
1953. The choir met at the Bement House
for its annual banquet, and it was observed
that “never before had so much [creamed
chicken, waffles, and peas] been eaten by
so few.” After all had sated themselves, Mr.
McCleary and Mr. Bates led the group in
a songfest, and a few of the Ashpits sang
some of the songs they were working on
for their next concert (The Ashnoca, Febru-
ary 27, 1953 p. 1).
The end of exams and the new semester
brought with them a full-fledged athletic
schedule. The cagers absolutely trounced
Christ School and won a close game over
Hendersonville, but then lost the rematch.
The Blues lost to Sand Hill 60-54 and
bounced back with a 71-39 victory over
Brevard with Tom Hicks ‘56, Bob Walker
‘55, and Dave Grumhaus ‘53 leading the
way. Meanwhile, the soccer squad dropped
three tough matches in a row to Ben Lip-
pen, Christ School, and McCallie, despite
fine efforts from Wake Myers ‘54, Mark
Reed ’53, and Mike Simonhoff ‘55 (The
Ashnoca, February 27, 1953 p. 3, 4). The
basketball team won its last two games and
the Prep School Tourney to finish with a
13-3 record. The soccer team turned its
season around by winning 5 of the last 6 to
end with a very competitive 5-6 record.
While these two teams played full sched-
ules, the swimming team was less for-
tunate. They had but one competitive
meet, the Interscholastic Swimming Meet
in Chapel Hill. The Blues gave it their
best shot and had some good individual
performances by Dave Ivey ‘56 and P. L.
Hay. Perhaps the most exciting moment
of the meet was the freestyle relay. Peter
Harman, Don Bigby ‘54, Norm Asher, and
Sam Swint ’53 came within a fraction of
a second of winning the event (The Blue
and White, 1953, p. 112). Although valiant
efforts do count for something and do
matter to athletes and coaches, effort by
itself does not win games and matches.
While the swim team could be very proud
of their hard work, they placed fifth in
their only meet.
The students returned from spring break
and jumped into the final term with full
vigor. Games were won and lost, tests
passed and failed, and college acceptances
and rejections received. And then, before
anyone knew, “Exams are upon us….
The year is about to end. The drudgery
is over…. Exam week is a time of great
pressure … but the break has come…
day study halls are to be forgotten…. If
we have worked hard during the year, the
exams will not be so bad; if we haven’t,
well…. Spring has come and gone in a
flash; water guns were pretty scarce …The
bicycle craze was the big event … and the
golf enthusiasts were seen in ever increas-
ing numbers….” So wrote Bob Brooks ‘54
in his June 1 “Propagandabus” column for
the Ashnoca. And then commencement
arrived.
Members of the class of 1953, perhaps
especially those who had been at the
school for six years, could hardly believe
that they were now graduating and leav-
ing. On the other hand, the very youngest
students, such as soon-to-be-third-former
Jim Fowler, didn’t think that June of 1957
would ever arrive. Whatever one’s per-
spective about time, the class of 1953 did
graduate on June 6. Class president Peter
Harman delivered the salutatory address;
Steve Morse was the Ivy orator; Woody
Woodard used “truth” as his theme as he
delivered the valedictory, and Whitefoord
Cole was the class poet. Some six weeks
later, the Korean War ended.
During the dog days of August, in faraway
Iran, the democratically elected Prime
Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh was
ousted in a coup d’ etat that was orches-
trated, at least in part, by England and the
United States. The coup made it possible
Wit ‘N’ Waffles features fellowship, food, and forensics. Mark Reed serves Whitefoord Cole, Ernest Woodard, Mr. Lewis, Tommy Ivey, and Gary Campbell.
Achievement • Spring 2015 29
for the Shah of Iran to rule in an absolute
monarchy for the next 26 years. The fruits
of that coup would be fully reaped in 1979
in what became known in this country as
the Iran hostage crisis.
As the class of 1953 headed off to college
in the fall of 1953, the class of 1954 and
the rest of the student body returned to
our campus for the start of another year.
Among those who welcomed the students
that fall was Pop Hollandsworth, who was
returning to the faculty after a second stint
of active duty in the Army. In addition
to his teaching duties, Pop would be the
master in charge of Anderson Hall, where
the school’s underformers resided. In the
year’s first chapel service, Headmaster Fall
told the students that while much of the
specific information they learned dur-
ing the year would be quickly forgotten,
“invaluable knowledge in learning how to
think in a clear and logical manner would
be gained” (The Ashnoca, October 15,
1953, p. 2).
After getting through “that awkward
period at the opening of school during
which all of the old boys seem to stand off
… from the newcomers…,” the students
settled into their daily routine of classes,
sports, activities, meals, and study hall
(The Blue and White, 1954, p 107). The
football team opened on the road against
Tennessee Military Institute and emerged
victorious when Nick Palmer ‘55 returned
a fourth quarter interception for the go-
ahead score to secure a 13-6 victory for the
Blues. The team tied its next game and
then lost the third game of the season to
Canton, 13-12.
Despite the daily routine that can some-
times take on a life of its own, there were
plenty of diversions. “Nestled on the side
of a mountain, a few miles from both
Newfound Gap and Clingman’s Dome, is
a small cabin which has furnished pleasant
weekends for many a boy from Ashe-
ville School.” The cabin was generously
provided by Reuben Robertson, head of
Champion Paper. The boys would hop in
the school station wagon and ride all but
about the last half mile, which they then
hiked to arrive at Timbertop Lodge. The
boys enjoyed the hike, the natural beauty,
the good food, and the break from the
campus routine (The Ashnoca, November
2, 1953, p. 3).
On campus, the Common Rooms served
as a diversion from the schedule. In his
“Propagandabus” column, Eric Hartell
extolled the virtues of the senior common
room, calling it “an oasis of knowledge and
gossip…. It is really amazing how many
unrelated conversations you pick up at any
given time there…. [and] The common
room besides being a forum of sorts, serves
as our Little Opium Den and Dance Hall.
Yes, it is that little area where the select
few may puff-puff-puff their cares away.”
Hartell then admonished his schoolmates
to take care of the room. “It can be a neat,
trim, comfortable room, or a dirty, sloppy
headache…. Let’s take care of it” (The
Ashnoca, November 2, 1953, p. 3).
The dormitory was always a place for
diversions. Bob Brooks recalls that one of
the boys on his hall had a recording of “In
the Mood” and “played it over and over
and over until one day several of us went
into his room, seized the record, and sailed
it out the window” (Bob Brooks letter to
Tom Marberger).
Perhaps the best possible diversion was
the school’s first whole holiday of the year
on October 27, given in honor of Harold
Costello ’48. The night before the holiday,
the student body was entertained by “the
school’s outstanding (and only) jazz band,
The Five Pints and a Fifth.” Boys went to
town, some enjoyed the Smokies, and oth-
ers ate at the Nu-Wray Inn (The Ashnoca,
November 18, 1953, p. 1).
As the leaves fell and took with them the
colors of autumn, the Christ School game
came along and brightened the early gray
days of November. On November 14, the
football squad journeyed to Arden to take
on arch-rival Christ School. Because of
a scheduling mishap, the two teams had
already played once in the season (a 39-14
victory for the Blues), but it is doubt-
ful that players or students were any less
keyed up for the game than they would
have been otherwise. Rivalry games typi-
cally bring out the best in teams, and that
was certainly the case on that November
Saturday when scores by seniors John
Harris, Mike Tanner, and Smith Bradfield
propelled the Blues to a 40-0 thumping
of the Greenies. A week later, the squad
celebrated with a banquet in the school
dining hall and town permission for the
rest of the evening.
Recent graduates who have enjoyed as
much as a week off for Thanksgiving will
find it hard to believe that “disappoint-
ment” is a word that could possibly be
associated with the Thanksgiving holiday.
However, in the fall of 1953, rather than
having the holiday celebrated on Saturday,
thus giving the boys a chance for a long
weekend, the school decided to celebrate
the day on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day
itself. Beginning with a movie on Wednes-
day and concluding with a turkey-and-
all-the-trimmings dinner followed by the
Mr. Brooks fills in a little spare time polishing up the 1932 Ford.
30 Achievement • Spring 2015
Heaton Owsley ’32 wrote The Ashnoca to
share his memory of the first edition. He
wrote, “With the zeal of the uninitiated, we
decided that we not only wanted to edit a
paper, but that we should set the type and
print it as well. When the price lists for
presses arrived, our ideas of having a sec-
ond New York Times were quickly reduced
to a few pages of Reader’s Digest size” (The
Ashnoca, February 26, 1954, p. 3). While
the paper never reached New York Times
size, the “zeal of the uninitiated” has
remained a constant characteristic of the
editors and writers throughout the paper’s
long existence.
As spring break approached, teams
wrapped up their seasons and students
enjoyed the winter dance. The class of
1954 chose its officers for commencement.
Among those selected were Luis Yglesias,
valedictorian; Tom Pearsall, Ivy orator;
Bob Brooks, class poet. Although it may
not have been the most interesting bit of
news to students, by far the most impor-
tant news to emerge before spring break
was Mr. Fall’s financial report. The alumni
purchased Asheville School in 1930 by
borrowing $600,000. By the 1950’s, that
debt had been reduced to $240,000, but
servicing it was a burden, especially since
the school had no endowment. How-
ever, in the weeks leading up to spring
break, Mr. Fall was able to announce that
play The Dead Sister’s Secret, the students
thoroughly enjoyed the holiday. The fes-
tive spirit lingered into Saturday, when,
after classes and athletic contests, the stu-
dents were happy to have the Thanksgiving
dance to wrap up the holiday celebration
(The Ashnoca, December 5, 1953, p. 1).
The time between Thanksgiving and the
Christmas break passed quickly, and then
Christmas break itself seemed to pass even
more quickly, and students found them-
selves back on campus in January of 1954.
Early in the winter term, the boys learned
that the “Old Boiler-House” was destined
to be converted to a shop where they could
do some woodworking and
other hobbies. The remodel-
ing would be done by students
under the guidance of Mr.
Abbott, the school’s instructor
in manual training. To enhance
their weather-predicting abili-
ties, members of the Astronomy
Club were going to add a max-
imum-minimum thermometer
to their existing equipment.
And off campus, though very
much in everyone’s daily line
of vision, a controversy raged
over a proposal by WLOS-TV
to erect a tower on Mt. Pisgah
(The Ashnoca, February 8, 1954,
p. 1). As today’s students can
verify, WLOS won the argument and the
tower remains part of the campus vista. In
light of the WLOS proposal, it is interest-
ing to note that on December 30, 1953, the
first color televisions had gone on sale in
the country.
Everyone in today’s alumni body (1929-
2014), can remember The Ashnoca, but
it was not always part of school life. The
first issue was published on January 26,
1929, and in February of 1954, the paper
celebrated the 25th year of its publishing
history by printing an exchange of letters
between former editor Ralph Ellis ’32 and
the 1954 editor, Bob Brooks. In addition,
on April 1, the school’s debt would be
liquidated and an endowment of $240,000
would be established. For the first time in
its history, Asheville School would become
“a privately owned, debt-free, endowed
institution” (The Ashnoca, March 19, 1954,
pp. 1, 3).
The students returned from spring break
and fell into the daily routine of classes
and games, and the seniors anticipated
graduation. The weather warmed and the
campus bloomed. Words like Edenic, clois-
tered, or isolated might be used to describe
life at Asheville School in this era. As Mike
Tanner said, “The only TV on cam-
pus was at the headmaster’s house….
There was no daily newspaper that
anyone looked at….There was no
radio except for illicit crystal sets
that students ingeniously hid away
… Halcyon days to be sure… but as
for the pressing events of the day, I
could have cared less” (Mike Tanner
letter to Tom Marberger). Through
no real fault of their own, then, the
boys were relatively unaware of two
stories of national import that were
developing in the spring term. One
was the televised Senate hearings into
Joseph McCarthy’s allegations about
communist influence in the United
States Army. The other story had to
do with racial segregation in the public
schools. That issue was before the Supreme
Court in the form of Brown v Board of
Education.
McCarthy had burst onto the scene in 1950
with his allegations about known commu-
nists in the State Department. His cry of
“I have a list” should have been laughable,
but in the Cold War atmosphere of the
1950’s, his accusations were anything but
funny. Despite Margaret Chase Smith’s
early efforts to derail McCarthy, his cause
gained momentum that peaked with the
1954 hearings. One might argue that the
Brown case had been nearly 60 years in the
making because it challenged the separate
but equal principle established in Plessy v
The tower on Mt. Pisgah erected by WLOS-TV remains visible today.
Achievement • Spring 2015 31
Ferguson in 1896. More practically, though,
the Brown case arose in Kansas in 1951.
In the spring of 1954, Asheville School
boys may have danced their way to com-
mencement. On April 24, St. Genevieve-of-
the-Pines held a dance for Asheville School
and Christ School boys. St. Genevieve’s
would repeat the occasion on May 15 with
their junior-senior prom. Asheville School
would host its own year-end dance on
Friday, June 4, the night before commence-
ment (The Ashnoca, May 25, 1954, p. 1).
On May 12, the seniors learned of the deci-
sions of Ivy League colleges. The seniors
were five for five in the Ivies, with four
admitted to Harvard and one to Princeton.
The largest contingent of students would
be the seven going to Chapel Hill, includ-
ing Mike Tanner, a Morehead Scholar. Two
were going to Cornell and one to M.I.T.
The other three were “home state” men
and would attend NC State, Wisconsin,
and Washington and Lee (The Ashnoca,
May 25, 1954, p. 1).
In spring athletics, the track team beat
Christ School, lost to Davidson College
freshmen, and placed second in the West-
ern Carolina Relays at Asheville Memorial
Stadium. At the Relays, John Harris set a
record in the discus (122’ 6”) and shot put
(42’ 3 ½”), while Nick Palmer set a record
(5:03), winning the mile. The baseball
team dropped games to Christ School and
Canton, but balanced them with victories
over Bethel and Brevard as Tom Hicks and
Bobby Hicks ’58 picked up victories on
the mound for the Blues. The tennis team,
meanwhile, dropped two contests with
Christ School, with seniors Dave James
and Tom Asher winning their matches
each time in losing causes (The Ashnoca,
May 25, 1954, pp.3, 4).
On May 7, 1954, French forces surrendered
to General Giap’s Viet Minh troops at Dien
Bien Phu. On May 17, 1954, the Supreme
Court delivered its decision in the Brown
case. A unanimous court ruled that “sepa-
rate educational facilities are inherently
unequal” and ordered the states to end
segregation with “all deliberate speed.” It
is impossible to deny the significance of
that decision, but the states were deliberate
only in the speed with which they ignored
the court’s order.
The school held commencement exercises
on June 5, and the class of 1954 entered
the ranks of the alumni body. Class poet
Bob Brooks captured in a very few words
what most senior classes have felt over the
years when he said, “Memories are deeply
seeded, richly planted, strong to grow.”
And so it was that the class of ’54 took
their memories and left the campus for the
challenges of college. Four days later, Army
lawyer Joseph Welch uttered the words that
were to start Senator McCarthy’s fall from
power: “Have you no sense of decency?”
(from the Army-McCarthy hearings of June
9, 1954). In 1957, the once feared and pow-
erful Senator Joseph McCarthy died.
On September 8, 1954, about the time
varsity football players were getting ready
to return to campus for pre-season practice,
the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization
(SEATO) was formed in Manila. The fall
term opened in its usual fashion as the class
of ’55 began to put its unique stamp on
the year. There was at least one new twist
to the year. On Sunday, September 21, two
car loads of students and faculty members
drove to Mt. Pisgah, partly to have an out-
ing and get some fresh air, but also to see
the new 342-foot WLOS TV tower (The
Ashnoca, October 11, 1954, p. 1).
As campus life fell into a familiar pattern,
there were the occasional amusements such
as the annual St. Genevieve’s dance, Sunday
tours of the Biltmore Estate, and swimming
excursions to Sliding Rock, all culminat-
ing with a 14-7 football victory over Christ
School. Touchdowns by seniors Bob Walker
and Mike Simonhoff provided all the scor-
ing the Blues needed and made sure the
victory bell rang loud and clear.
It seemed as though the victory bell had
only just stopped ringing when the Thanks-
giving holiday began on Wednesday after
lunch. Many of the students went into town
and then spent the evening hours watch-
ing a movie in the auditorium. The next
morning, the boys were allowed to sleep
late as “prescribed breakfast was served at
8:30” (The Ashnoca, December 16, 1954, p.
1). That may or may not sound like sleep-
ing-in to today’s students, but the boys in
1954 were happy for the later breakfast and
then headed off to town. That evening, the
Bob Walker 1955 takes the pigskin for 14 yards in the Blues 14-7 victory over Christ School in 1954.
32 Achievement • Spring 2015
students attended the annual Thanksgiv-
ing chapel service which was followed by a
“turkey and fixings” dinner in the dining
hall. The only “bad” part about the holiday
is that it ended, and the boys headed off
to study hall somewhat sated and less than
eager to prepare for classes the next day.
With Christmas break on the horizon, the
soccer team got off to a good start with
two victories over Bethel and a tie with
Warren Wilson in their first three games.
Returning players Don Cobb ’55, Michael
Conley ’56, and Mike Simonhoff would
be joined by first-timers Charlie Cushing
‘55 and George Ivey ’55 to give the team
plenty of reason to be optimistic about
their prospects for the season (The Ash-
noca, December 16, 1954, p. 3). As winter
sports heated up, so did Uncle Will’s Wit
‘N Waffles group. Uncle Will had seen his
charges in classroom action long enough
to choose seniors Stephen North, Alex Gill,
Eric Hartell, Elijah White, and Joe Barkley
to come down to his house every other
Sunday for discussions (followed by a
good meal, of course) on everything from
“Plato to Pluto” (The Ashnoca, December
16, 1954, p. 1).
Soccer games and basketball games were
fun to play and watch, and dormitory
pranks and bull sessions were good ways to
pass the time. What students really want-
ed, though, was Christmas break. A dance
to the music of Glenn Miller on December
17 signaled that the end of the term was
near. To save money, records rather than
a live band were the source of the music.
Presumably, “In the Mood” was available
to students! The next day featured the
Candlelight service and the Christmas
banquet. The holiday had arrived and the
boys went home.
January is January, and coming back from
Christmas break is never much fun; it
is even less fun when exams are await-
ing you, as they were in 1955. However,
Mother Nature intervened to change the
mood of the campus. “After dinner on
January 18 …. Snow was falling…. When
study hall let out at 9:15, the inevitable
occurred. Enough of the white stuff had
accumulated for a snow fight.” The fight
took on a life of its own, engulfing any
and all around Anderson, Mitchell, and
Lawrence. Only bed-time brought an end
to the action. Activities continued on the
next day, and “after lunch the White War
took on more grandiose proportions as the
benches on the soccer field were turned
into forts.” Although flurries continued,
in a few days “the novelty had worn off
somewhat by the time mid-years arrived”
(The Ashnoca, February 4, 1955, p. 1).
Having survived the excitement of snow
and the rigors of exams, the students
welcomed the news of the “usual post-ex-
amination whole holiday…. The boys were
very excited over their rightful day of rest.”
It may or may not have been a day of rest
as boys hiked, camped, or simply trekked
into town and back. The Ashnoca also
reported that “several studious characters
studied their way through the holiday….”
(The Ashnoca, February 22, 1955, p. 1).
There was additional news concerning
holidays, or at least potential holidays.
Refining a statement he had made before
Christmas break, Headmaster Fall told the
students that if there were no “D” or “E”
classifications before spring break, then the
vacation would be extended one day for
each classification period. That possibility
had to make the dreary month of February
seem a little brighter. A later Ashnoca did
say that spring break would be extended
by a day, but implied that it was simply a
re-locating of the normal “second holiday”
of the term and not an extra day earned
through good classifications (The Ashnoca,
March 11, 1955, p. 1).
As the winter term drew to a close, the
seniors chose the rest of their officers for
commencement. The class picked Steve
North to be Secretary, Alex Gill as valedic-
torian, and Joe Barkley as the Ivy orator.
In addition, Elijah White would be class
poet, Bob Walker chair of the class day
committee, and Nick Palmer in charge
of the class gift committee (The Ashnoca,
March 18, 1955, p. 1). As part of the spate
of elections, The Ashnoca chose Jim Gibbs
‘56 to be the new Editor-in-Chief and Al
Woodcock ‘56 to be Managing Editor.
Meanwhile, the basketball team closed its
season with a 14-6 record, paced by Tom
Hicks’ 22.5 points per game. Led by Cap-
tain Don Cobb, the soccer team split the
last two games of the season against Christ
School and ended with a 3-3-1 record.
The students left for spring break, looking
forward to the additional day at home.
Spring terms tend to be packed full of
things to do and also seem to fly by. While
A snowball fight breaks out in 2015 just the same as they did in the 1950’s.
Achievement • Spring 2015 33
there might be a connection to the two,
all terms at Asheville School are busy
but seem to pass much more slowly than
spring. The spring of 1955 was no differ-
ent – there was plenty to do and it flew
by. Two square dances attracted attention
during the term, one at St. Genevieve’s
and one at Montreat. The chemistry and
physics classes took a field trip to visit the
Atomic Energy Museum at Oak Ridge and
the Alcoa plant in Maryville. No doubt the
boys learned a lot from the experience, but
the coverage in The Ashnoca focused much
more on the carload of girls on the high-
way, TV’s in the motel room, and a night
on the town than it did on the wonders of
science and technology (The Ashnoca, May
2, 1955, p. 1).
As always, sports played a prominent role
in school life. The baseball team dropped
its first three games before getting into
the win column with a 9-3 thumping of
Christ School. The track squad got off to
a terrific start by winning all the events
and scoring a lopsided 98-18 victory over
Canton. The teams would all finish their
seasons at about .500. Highlights included
Tom Hicks’ no-hitter against Bethel, Don
Cobb’s record-breaking (52.6) 440-run in
the conference meet, and the track team’s
season-ending victory over Lee Edwards
(now Asheville High).
Commencement week began with Bac-
calaureate on Sunday, May 29. James Cle-
land delivered the Baccalaureate sermon,
and told the seniors that they must grow
up (physical), out (intellectual), and down
(spiritual roots) (The Ashnoca, June 4,
1955, p. 1). The rest of the week included
class picnics, exams, the Final Dance,
and, at last, commencement Saturday. As
usual, the seniors would be heading off to
colleges far and wide. Five students would
attend Chapel Hill, and two each would
attend Davidson and Duke. Two were
headed to M.I.T., and two to Harvard. One
each would be going to Brown, Haverford,
and Cornell. The Mid-west would see
four Asheville School students attending
Cincinnati, DePauw, Ohio, and Iowa State.
Two would attend Washington and Lee;
one, William and Mary; and one would go
to Sewanee (The Ashnoca, June 4, 1955, pp.
1, 3).
Not too long after commencement, in
Anaheim, California, Walt Disney hosted
the official, though somewhat private,
opening of his theme park – Disneyland.
While on a post-graduation trip with
family, Emil Cekada visited the new park.
When purchasing their tickets, the Cekadas
said they were from North Carolina. For
many years thereafter, Emil had a certifi-
cate stating that he was the first teenager
from North Carolina to enter Disneyland
(Emil Cekada letter to Tom Marberger).
When the boys returned to campus in the
fall of 1955, one of the first orders of busi-
ness was the selection of prefects. Peter Lit-
ton, Talmage Rogers, Michael Conley, Tom
Hicks, Charlie Morse, Courtney Freeman,
Alex Lawton, Larry Fincannon, and Mack
Pearsall were chosen to help the faculty on
the dormitory halls. In the early days and
weeks, Pop Hollandsworth took boys on
trips to Clingman’s Dome, Mount Mingus,
and Linville Gorge. Mr. and Mrs. Bates
became proud parents of daughter Abby,
and the football team dropped its season-
opener to T.M.I. (The Ashnoca, October
27, 1955, pp. 1, 4).
The Ashnoca of Friday, November 11, fea-
tured the annual game with Christ School
that was to be played the next day. The
paper boldly proclaimed that the Blues
were favored to win. Based on history (the
Blues had won 23 of the 28 games played,
including the last six in a row), it seemed
that the Blues should be favored. After all,
in those 28 games, the Blues had outscored
the Greenies 719-160 (The Ashnoca, No-
vember 11, 1955, pp. 1). When it comes to
rivalry games, the oft-used phrase is “you
can throw out the record books for this
one.” For this game, both teams would
have gladly done so. The Blues were 0-5-1,
had been shut out 3 times, and managed
to score just 6 points in each of the other
games. The Greenies hadn’t fared much
better. They were 1-5 but had scored 27
in their lone victory and so appeared to
have a more potent offense (The Ashnoca,
November 11, 1955, pp. 2).
Still, it was THE game and confidence was
high. Alas, confidence, energizing pep ral-
lies, and history were not enough. Seven
in a row was not to be. In a close contest
on the Greenies’ turf, the Blues fell to
Christ School 14-7. Fortunately, though,
the Thanksgiving whole holiday with its
1955 - 56 Prefects — (l to r) Litton, Rogers, Conley, Hicks, Morse, Freeman, Lawton, Finacannon, Pearsall.
34 Achievement • Spring 2015
traditional turkey dinner and Saturday
night dance was less than two weeks away,
giving the boys something to look forward
to, despite the disappointing football game.
The holiday did not disappoint. The boys
enjoyed the town day, the vesper service, a
traditional Thanksgiving dinner, and the
fall play, My Three Angels.
Although it has stuck in his memory for
more than 60 years, Eric Hartell’s 1952
bus ride never made the history books.
On December 1, 1955, another passenger
took a ride that not only made the books,
but changed the course of history as well.
On that December day in Montgomery,
Alabama, an African-American seam-
stress named Rosa Parks refused to give
up her seat on a bus to a white man. That
dignified act of defiance prompted a bus
boycott, and coming as it did on the heels
of the Supreme Court’s Brown decision,
launched the civil rights movement. Four
days later, on December 5, America’s two
largest labor unions merged to form the
AFL-CIO. A little more than two weeks
later, Asheville School dismissed for
Christmas vacation.
The students returned in January and re-
sumed their usual routines. The Dramatic
Society announced that it would spon-
sor a dance on February 25 and perform
Gilbert & Sullivan’s Trial by Jury on March
4. Francis Breazeale ’58, Wilkes Black ’60,
Frank Estes ‘59, and David Nee ‘58 were
cast in the lead roles (The Ashnoca, January
28, 1956, p. 1). The varsity basketball team
turned in three winning performances,
beating Christ School 56-53 and Brevard
High 62-39. The third victory occurred
in a much-anticipated re-match with
Charlotte powerhouse, Myers Park. Before
Christmas, Myers Park had given the Blues
a 71-46 drubbing; the rematch was an en-
tirely different matter. “Expecting an easy
win, the cocky Mustangs were knocked off
their pins by a red-hot Asheville team, 72-
66” (The Ashnoca, January 28, 1956, p. 3).
The January 28, 1956 Ashnoca included
a front-page item of true national im-
port: an ad for the March of Dimes. The
reason behind the ad was the March of
Dimes’ significant contribution to the
development and distribution of the polio
vaccine. As the front page article went on
to say, “Polio vaccinations, a direct result
of March of Dimes research, have been
administered to many of the boys here
at Asheville School …. Of the Asheville
School boys, 108 have had two shots at
the infirmary; seven had them at home
over the holidays…. The first two shots
are given a week apart, with the third four
months later” (The Ashnoca, January 28,
1956, p. 1).
The boys plunged into the second semester
with varying degrees of enthusiasm and
diligence. The swim team split its first
two meets, the soccer team elected David
Ivey captain, and the basketball team had
its three-game winning streak halted by
Canton. During the height of the winter
sports season, the editors of The Ashnoca
wrote a bit of a blistering follow-up to an
earlier editorial and made a very concrete
plea to the faculty to find more coaches for
the school’s teams. The editors noted that
145 boys were divided into seven groups
and had but five coaches for the lot (The
Ashnoca, February 23, 1956, p. 2).
On March 4, the boys were treated to two
premiers of sorts. One was not all that
unusual. The Dramatic Society performed
Trial by Jury. The more unusual premier
of March 4 had a musical component as
well, as radio station VOAS (Voice of Ashe-
ville School) went live from the basement
of Anderson Hall. Largely the brainchild
of Francis Breazeale, Edward Davidian ’59,
Carlos Matiz ‘59, Kitchin McDowell ‘58,
and David Nee, the station would air mu-
sic, news, interviews, and items of humor.
While it is a well-known fact that there
were plenty of unauthorized radios hid-
den in shoes or behind walls in dormitory
rooms, The Ashnoca was quick to point
out to readers “that the humorous aspect
of this is that radios are strictly forbidden
on the campus” (The Ashnoca, March 16,
1956, p. 1).
March was a busy month. Although they
had begun working quietly for a month or
so, in March The Ashnoca staff launched
its Campaign for the Library. To present
its case effectively, The Ashnoca compared
various aspects of Asheville’s library with
the libraries of 12 leading prep schools
(that data was made available by the
Woodberry Forest library staff). Their
findings were stark. The other schools
averaged 57 volumes per boy to Asheville’s
1956 valedictorian Talmage Rogers
Achievement • Spring 2015 35
18; other schools had 12 ½ square feet of
library space per student to Asheville’s 6
¼; perhaps most shocking of all, the other
schools spent $20.00 per boy on library
needs (not counting salaries) to Asheville’s
$.50 per boy. Other schools had profes-
sional librarians who averaged 40 hours of
work per week; Asheville School had no
professional librarian (The Ashnoca, March
16, 1956, p. 2). Appalled as they were by
these circumstances, The Ashnoca editors
challenged the student body to raise $1500
in support of the school library and its
needs.
By mid-March, winter teams finished
their seasons, spring teams got some early
workouts, and the date for spring break
was finally set in stone. A combination of
circumstances that included the date of the
College Board exams, the date of Easter,
and the precise time of some convenient
flights to get the boys home, the date
of the break had been a bit of a moving
target. Originally planned for March 17, it
was then moved to March 24, and then to
March 23 at 1:00, until finally settling once
and for all on March 23 at 10:30 am (The
Ashnoca, March 16, 1956, p. 1). At that ap-
pointed hour, the boys did indeed head off
for their break.
In an Ashnoca article about free time in
1953, Tommy Asher ’54 had made the
interesting observation that “there’s actu-
ally plenty of free time, but it’s always
occupied.” With spring break being pushed
back as it was, the “free time” in April and
May must have seemed more occupied
than ever. The May 7, 1956 edition of The
Ashnoca would confirm this sense. By May
7 the class of 1957 chose Bill Buice and
Henry Pharr to be their president and vice
president. The Ashnoca chose Reuben
Robertson to be its editor for the following
year. The tennis and baseball teams each
won the first two contests of the season,
and it was announced that the prefects
would take charge of monitoring required
morning study halls, a move that Head-
master Fall described as “a step in the com-
plete self-government
of the school by the
boys” (The Ashnoca,
May 7, 1956, pp. 1-3).
Spring brought some
very good news about
the Campaign for the
Library. By mid-
April more than 80%
of the student body
had contributed over
$2000 to the library
campaign. That suc-
cess encouraged the
Trustees to endorse a
$10,000 Ashnoca goal.
Said board President
Phil Clarke, “I feel
confident alumni and
other friends of the
school will be per-
suaded to participate
when they learn that
the student portion
of the campaign has
exceeded its quota.”
In addition to the
encouraging financial
progress, the com-
plete perception of
the library’s status in the life of the school
was upgraded when the school announced
that effective July 1, Mrs. Doan Ogden
would become Asheville School’s librarian
(The Ashnoca, May 7, 1956, pp. 1).
Fast and hectic though the term was, the
seniors still had enough energy to enjoy
the busy culmination of their time at
Asheville School: Commencement Week.
The highlights of the week were the tradi-
tional Sunday Baccalaureate service featur-
ing Headmaster Fall’s sermon. There was
the matter of exams to be faced, but then
Friday night arrived with the buffet dinner
for seniors and guests, the Dramatic So-
ciety’s performance of Twelve Angry Men,
and all capped off with the Final Dance.
On Saturday, June 2, 1956, valedictorian
Talmage Rogers and salutatorian Court-
ney Freeman delivered their addresses
that tried to put feelings and memories
into perspective for the class of 1956. At a
time when I Love Lucy and The Ed Sullivan
Show were the two most popular TV shows
in the country; at a time when the avuncu-
lar Dwight Eisenhower was President; at a
time when nobody had heard of Sputnik
or Fidel Castro, the Class of 1956 could
feel safe, sound, secure, and perhaps even
a bit smug in believing what class poet
Mack Pearsall told everyone: “We leave this
school/ Where we have spent/ The best
years/ We’ll ever know/ Years of Sadness
and of joy/ Years that could not last/ Years
we cannot live again/ Years that now are
past…/ And only in memory/ Can we
relive the past.” At that moment, one could
easily believe that these were indeed the
good old days.
Headmaster David R. Fall
36 Achievement • Spring 2015
Swimming Has Best Season in 19 Years; Breaks 19 Records
By Sheila Steelman
Staff Writer
For nearly half a decade, the underwater
athletes at Asheville School have bested
every team in our conference. After an
undefeated 2014-2015 season, the Boys’
and Girls’ swim teams both came in first
place at the Carolinas Athletic Association
(CAA) swimming championships — for
the fourth consecutive year. The swimmers
also broke 19 school records this year.
Frank Kriegler has coached Asheville
School’s swim team for 19 years. There
is one student who has been coached by
Kriegler nearly that entire time — his son,
Joey Kriegler 2015, who holds records in
three relays, four individual events, and
brought home a state championship in
the 500 Free.
After winning the CAA Championships,
the teams competed at the NCISAA 3A
State Meet. The boys’ team finished third
and the girls’ team finished sixth.
“This is the highest placing the girls have
had since I’ve been here. The boys got
third last year, but in 18 years, that’s the
highest we’ve been able to achieve. We
easily had more medals at that meet than
we’ve ever had,” Kriegler says. “Joey won
the 500 Free, which is the first time in
17 years that we’ve had a student win an
individual at a 3A meet. It was a goal of his
from the start to win an event at that meet,
and he had to swim really well to do it.”
Joey Kriegler had a personal best, taking
11 seconds off his record at the 3A meet.
He broke the school’s 500 Free record as
a freshman and has shaved 30 seconds off
Swim coach Laura Lawrence joins others in cheering on a member of the Girls’ swim team during Asheville School’s record-setting CAA Championship meet. Both the girls and boys placed first in the CAA meet, which was hosted at Asheville School’s Ambler Pool.
Achievement • Spring 2015 37
the previous record holder’s time during
his high school career.
Besides breaking records and winning a
state championship, Joey also helped his
team finish second in the 200 Free Relay.
He was among the 85% of Blues swimmers
who celebrated personal records during
the state meet.
For the girls’ team, Alexa Phillips placed
third in the 50 Free, while on the boys’
team, Nathan Alleyne placed third in the
50 Free and Josh Wong placed third in the
100 Breast. Both the boys’ (Miller Albury,
Nathan Alleyne, Josh Wong, Ji-Hoon Jang)
and the girls’ 200 Medley relays (Alexa
Phillips, Rylynn Pierson, Kaylee Pierson,
and Bella Ostlund), and the boys’ 200 Free
relay (Tae-Hoon Jang, Josh Wong, Ji-Hoon
Jang, Joey Kriegler) placed second in the
state meet.
Coach Kriegler says the new talent in
recent years has raised the level of the team
as a whole.
“Senior leadership was strong and the kids
believed they could do well at that level.
They went into it with a higher energy
than I’ve seen before,” Kriegler says. “We
always work towards having our best meets
at the end of the season. When that comes
together, that’s the most rewarding part.
You see them put in the time and then do
really well, and that’s what it’s all about.”
He credits Coach Laura Lawrence for get-
ting the team where they are today. “She
made a huge difference in how we ap-
proach coaching and the team. She knows
the whole student and the whole swimmer,
and manages practices so that we help
them develop as an athlete and a student at
Asheville School.”
Lawrence began coaching Asheville
School’s swim team in 2007, and the duo
just finished their eighth season together.
She has noticed the higher levels of com-
mitment the swimmers have for their
sport. Once a year, the swimmers aim to
swim 100 100’s, and this year, they com-
pleted the most laps since Lawrence began
coaching.
“They work harder and are focused on
their goals. The new swimmers have a
good attitude about swimming and are ex-
cited about their improvement,” Lawrence
says.
She used iPads this season to live stream
home meets, with help from swim team
managers. Lawrence added, “The parents
have been very appreciative of the stream.
They are grateful for the service and the
opportunity to get to see their kid swim.”
The higher level of competition is evi-
denced by the 19 school records set this
past season, with swimmers sometimes
breaking records that were set earlier in the
same meet.
For the boys’ relays: Miller Albury, Joshua
Wong, Nathan Alleyne and Ji-Hoon Jang
set the 200 Medley Relay record; Tae-Hoon
Jang, Joshua Wong, Ji-Hoon Jang and Joey
Kriegler set the 200 Free Relay record; and
Miller Albury, Nathan Alleyne, Tae-Hoon
Jang and Joey Kriegler set the 400 Free
Relay record.
For individual events: Joey Kriegler set the
200 Free, 200 IM, 500 Free, 100 Butterfly
and 100 Breastroke records; and Miller
Albury set records in the 50 Freestyle, 100
Backstroke and 100 Butterfly.
For the girls’ relays: Alexa Phillips, Bella
Ostlund, Rylynn Pierson and Kaylee
Pierson set the 200 Medley Relay record;
Rylynn Pierson, Lucy Hatcher, Kaylee Pier-
son and Alexa Phillips set the 200 Freestyle
Relay record; and Alexa Phillips, Rylynn
Pierson, Bella Ostlund and Kaylee Pierson
set the 400 Freestyle Relay record.
For individual events, Bella Ostlund set the
200 IM and 100 Butterfly records; Alexa
Phillips set the 50 Freestyle, 100 Freestyle
and 100 Backstroke records; and Rylynn
Pierson set the 100 Butterfly record.
Coach Kriegler hopes the teams’ successes
will continue in the years to come. He
added, “I’ve told them that success builds
greater success. We can keep this ball roll-
ing for a long time if we realize that what
we’ve done has been great, but it’s some-
thing we can do every year.”
Swim coach Frank Kriegler shares a proud moment with his son, Joey 2015, during the state meet in Greensboro. Joey claimed a state championship and his personal best finish in the 500 Free during the state meet.
Joey Kriegler 2015 celebrates after his first place finish during the CAA championship meet.
38 Achievement • Spring 2015
Bryan King 1993 and his wife, Angela, are the owners of 12 Bones Smokehouse in Asheville, a restaurant President Obama visits or mentions whenever he’s in town. They are celebrating the launch of the restaurant’s new cookbook in April. Orders are available on Amazon.com.
By Bob Williams
Editor
Bryan King 1993 and his wife, Angela,
know how to make mouth-watering
barbecue. In fact, their barbecue recipes
inspired President Obama to mention
the name of their Asheville restaurant, 12
Bones Smokehouse, on national television.
While King didn’t have the chance to meet
the President in person in 2013, he says
the secret service stopped by the South
Asheville location in a U-Haul truck after
placing an order for Mr. Obama.
“I’ll take a mention in a speech over a visit
to the restaurant any day,” King says with
a grin.
King '93 Celebrates the Arrival of the 12 Bones Cookbook
This year, as the Kings celebrate the launch
of their new 12 Bones cookbook in April,
one of the first copies they plan to ship will
go directly to the White House.
“I wanted to send our sauce to the White
House, but you can’t do that,” King says. “I
would like to send the President two copies
of our new cookbook and see if he’ll sign
one and send it back.”
Published by Voyageur Press, the 224-page
cookbook titled 12 Bones Smokehouse: A
Mountain BBQ Cookbook was available on
Amazon.com for pre-order in March and
has been available since April 1 for $24.99.
The new cookbook features 60 of the
restaurant’s most famous recipes served at
the South Asheville and River locations.
The Kings also expect to see it for sale soon
at Barnes & Noble and Lowe’s stores across
the nation.
“To see it in its final form — it really is
amazing,” King says, pointing to his only
copy, which arrived in late February. “It’s
pretty cool to see it fully come to fruition.
It’s crazy to think that it’s finally here.”
For the past year, King says he and Angela
have been working at the restaurant by day
and on the new cookbook by night.
“We were trying to create this cookbook at
the same time as running the restaurants,”
he recalls. “We were basically working on it
in the evening. It was really hard work and
now in the back of my mind I’m working
on version two.”
The Kings co-authored the cookbook with
Shane Heavner, the restaurant’s head chef,
and Mackensy Lunsford, a food writer,
journalist, and former chef and restaurant
owner.
Achievement • Spring 2015 39
“We had to test the recipes in a home
environment,” Angela says. “It’s much
different from what we make here because
we’re making big batches in the restaurant.
We had to be sure the recipes were easy for
the average person to make at home.”
The Kings first started working at 12
Bones in 2011 and officially purchased
both restaurants in March 2013, from Tom
Montgomery and his wife, Sabra Kelley.
Prior to that, they were living and working
in San Francisco and climbing
the corporate ladder.
“If you had asked me four
years ago if I would ever be
back in Asheville or own a
restaurant business, I would
have said you are crazy,” King
says. “I was very, very happy
in San Francisco. All my
friends are out there, but it’s
funny how life works.”
While in San Francisco, King
worked at Apple Computer in
operations management. He
served as the supply manager
for North and South America
for Apple’s MacBook laptops.
“The hours were ridiculous,”
he recalls. “There were lots of
conference calls with China.
It felt like you were at the
epicenter of the technology
world. We would see Steve
Jobs in the cafeteria all the
time.”
King, who attended Asheville School as a
day student, credits his Asheville School
experience with helping him develop valu-
able life skills. “Some of the experiences I
had there have really carried me through
life,” he says. “I had Biology with Doc
Embler and I remember it being hard, but
it was one of my favorite classes.”
Today, King says he’s certainly glad to be
back in Asheville and close to his parents,
who recently celebrated their 41st wedding
anniversary.
“I was 37 when we moved back and Ashe-
ville has really blossomed,” he says. “We
love being back here. My father is an entre-
preneur and that interest in doing my own
thing has always been inside me. As I spent
more years trying to climb the corporate
ladder, it ignited that fire. We were young
enough that we had to think about giving
it a shot.”
While it’s taken a lot of hard work, the
Kings say they have enjoyed the adventure
of owning and managing Twelve Bones,
and hope eventually to franchise the res-
taurant.
“At a restaurant, you must have a consis-
tent quality product,” King says. “When
you have two different stores, they are
really the same recipes, but it doesn’t take
much for someone to tweak the recipe un-
intentionally. I want people to come here
to South Asheville and say it tastes exactly
the same as at the River location.”
He adds: “You’re only as good as the last
meal you serve. I want everyone to come
here and have a good experience. For me,
my favorite part is the camaraderie with
the employees. I’m a people person and it’s
awesome to have a lot of regulars. It’s fun
to see them every week.”
While there are challenges,
Angela agrees that owning a
restaurant has had many up-
sides. “We knew it was going to
be hard, but we came in and we
were bound and determined to
make it work,” she says. “For us,
it’s been important to come in
and show our staff that we are
willing to do anything they are
going to do.”
Among the 60 recipes available
in the 12 Bones cookbook, it’s
not difficult for the Kings to
guess which ones will be most
popular.
“I love the BLT and the turkey
sandwich,” Angela says. “But
the brown sugar ribs are pretty
good too.”
King says his chef ’s special
peanut butter and pretzel bar
is one of his personal favorites,
along with the pork cheeks
served with the craft beers from Asheville.
But there are other standard menu items
that King expects most customers will
enjoy learning to make from scratch.
“Definitely, the blueberry chipotle barbe-
cue sauce and the corn pudding will be the
most popular,” King says. “But whatever is
someone’s favorite from 12 Bones, they are
all in there.”
40 Achievement • Spring 2015
1959Thomas C. Watson Jr. Tom was awarded the Gaston Regional
Chamber’s Spirit of the Carolinas Award
at the 12th annual Salute to Business
and Manufacturing banquet held at the
Schiele Museum’s Matthews Belk Cannon
Environmental Studies Center in Gasto-
nia, NC, in October. Tom succeeded his
father at Watson Insurance in 1965 and
has seen many changes over his 50-year
career with the company. Under Tom’s
guidance, the insurance firm his father
began in the 1930’s has grown to a busi-
ness with 70 employees. Ann Hoscheit,
the chair-woman-elect of the Chamber’s
board of directors, said it is
Tom’s ability to create per-
sonal relationships with his
customers, his commitment
to employees, and his desire
to give back that has allowed
him to thrive over the past
five decades. Of the award,
Tom said it was a “special,
humbling honor.”
1966John W. Warren Sr.
John writes that he retired
in January 2014 after 40
years in the nonprofit fund-
raising world. He is currently the Prin-
cipal of John
W. Warren &
Associates, fun-
draising counsel
splitting time
between Tuc-
son, AZ, and
Winchester, VA,
and looking
forward to see-
ing classmates
at the 50th
reunion of the
class of 1966.
1971
William P. Garten
Bill Garten has published his fifth book
of poetry, Box of Pain, Box of Fear. Bill’s
other five books of poetry are Black Snow,
Red Rain, Eventually, and Symptoms. He is
the winner of the Emerson Prize for Po-
etry and The Margaret Ward Martin Prize
for Creative Writing. Bill has published
poetry in hundreds of literary magazines
and academic journals across the United
States and has been anthologized in Wild
Sweet Notes, And Now the Magpie, and
What the Mountains Yield. Bill contin-
ues to conduct his financial practice and
when he is not helping people with their
retirement plans, he conducts creative
writing workshops and gives poetry read-
ings across the country.
John Craver 2011 and Tad DeBerry 1981 were both in attendance at the Annual Durham Christmas Ball and Cotillion. Danny Lloyd 1971 was also in attendance, but is not pictured.
Tad Deberry ‘81 caught up with Joey Vendrell in Puerto Rico early in December.
Bill Francis 1964 and Bob Williams, Director of Communications, enjoy watching their SEC alma maters compete in football. Even though they played in Lexington, Kentucky, the Georgia Bulldogs won the ball game. However, the Kentucky Wildcats returned the favor in Athens, Georgia, during their undefeated basketball season.
Achievement • Spring 2015 41
1973
Steven D. Levin
For the 24th consecutive year, Steve gath-
ered for a long weekend with classmates
Bob Giduz, Mark McPherson and Richard
“Ted” Shaffner. As they have often done in
the past, they gathered in early November
at Lake Norman.
Charles W. Upchurch III
Charles writes: I loved my year at Ashe-
ville School, but it was all boys in 1969
and I decided to finish high school at the
co-ed Charlotte Country Day School. I
received a BA in Psychology and Religion
from Rhodes College in Memphis and
afterwards followed my life-long dream of
travelling the world.
I backpacked through Europe, Northern
Africa and the Middle East and eventu-
ally took employment in the offshore oil
exploration industry to help keep it going.
I worked in Brazil and lived in Scotland
and then worked in Canada and lived in
the Caribbean. After nine years in the oil
industry, I met my Swiss wife in the Ca-
ribbean and moved to Switzerland where
I worked for SGS, a locally based multi-
national company. I worked 16 years for
SGS in Geneva, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur
and New York and ended up as a Senior
Vice President.
In order to move my family back to Swit-
zerland, I left SGS and began a new career
of managing distressed technology start-
ups. We rebuilt the first one and achieved
a successful exit for the shareholders. I am
in the middle of the second one, which
has won a global contract with Shell, and
we are now starting to deploy our tech-
nology in the USA for the first time.
I have been married for 26 years; we have
three children and live outside of Geneva.
1981
Robert I. Blum
Robert, President and CEO of Cytokinet-
ics Incorporated (CYTK), received the
2014 Lou Gehrig Iron Horse Award from
ALS Therapy Development Institute
(ALS.net) at the Fourth Annual A White
Coat Affair Gala November 2014. The
award is the organization’s top honor.
1985C. Joseph Rainero Jr.
Joe and his four-man relay team (Travis
Deckert, Logan Ryan and Sean Casto)
took 1st place in the Swim Around
Charleston 12-mile open-water swim on
September 21, 2014. This is the second
time that Joe’s team has won the relay in
the four years of the annual event.
1986Graham M. Eubank, Jr.
Graham’s Ford agency, Palmetto Ford,
Charleston, SC, was recently the subject of
a full-length feature article in the Charles-
ton Post Courier. Graham is the owner and
CEO of Palmetto Ford.
1990
Linda Stratton
Linda is the director of communications
at St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School, an
independent, coed, JK-12 Episcopal day
school in the Washington, D.C., area. She
has been in this position for five years. As
an administrator at the school, Linda over-
sees all aspects of communications, both
internal and external, and supervises a staff
of three. Previously, Linda served as direc-
tor of internal and external relations at
Nevada Cancer Institute. Prior to that, she
was a television news anchor and reporter
in various markets for 11 years, including
Austin, Las Vegas, and Spokane.
1993James Plaster
James writes: I am now President of
Altamont Capital Management, LLC here
in Asheville. We are an investment advisor
firm that helps individuals, non-profits,
and company retirement plans with
investment management and financial
planning services. We have about $90
million in assets under management as
of December 2014. I am excited to have
made this move, as it will enable my
family and me to stay in Asheville long
term (our son, Walton, is 6 and daughter,
Anna Grace, is 4). I had previously been
with BB&T Wealth Management here in
Asheville since 2008.
Michael Shapira 1982 celebrates during his annual Labor Day birthday party with Kate and Eleanor De-Berry, daughters of Tad DeBerry 1981.
42 Achievement • Spring 2015
1995Tony Bryant
Tony writes: I have now worked at MWH
Global, an engineering firm headquartered
in Denver, Colorado, for nine years. In my
current role, I establish the conceptual and
stylistic direction for the brand’s visual
identity. Also, I direct the work of design
staff and vendors as well as self-execute
in order to deliver collateral that com-
municates our organization’s marketing
objectives, including our annual report.
Two responsibilities I distinctly enjoy are
visually facilitating planning sessions and
supporting top-tier sales presentations.
Both responsibilities afford me the op-
portunity to work face to face with internal
and external clients in many instances
internationally. 1996
Tucker J. Branham
Tucker is Executive Director of the Porter
Gaud School Foundation. Porter Gaud is
one of the leading independent schools in
the Charleston, SC, area. Tucker recently
visited with former assistant headmaster
Ray Cruitt, who is currently a fund-rais-
ing consultant operating out of Charles-
ton.
1998Laura Elizabeth Hood Poland
Laura writes: My husband and I own and
run Goodwater Vineyards, a 200-acre farm
with over 30 acres of vineyards and an
on-site winery, near Mosheim, TN. After
seven years of teaching ESL and Spanish, I
decided to take winemaking and culinary
courses. My husband studies enological
studies at UC-Davis. Every wine we make
comes initially from our vineyards.
1999Josh Anderson
Josh writes: I am currently finishing a
Ph.D. in Accounting at the MIT Sloan
School of Management and will soon
begin interviewing for positions as a
professor at a business school. I will be re-
sponsible for leading classes and teaching
students as well as conducting research on
the effect of managers’ accounting deci-
sions on investors’ actions.
2000Mark L. Newman
Mark is thrilled to have returned to his
alma mater, UNC-Chapel Hill, as As-
sociate Director of Development for the
College of Arts and Sciences Foundation.
Mark recently was employed at Asheville-
Buncombe Technical Community College
as Alumni Relations and Resource Devel-
opment Coordinator.
2002Gary Shields
Gary is a director at a national music
teachers’ association. He also teaches mu-
sic part-time and occasionally composes
on various industry projects.
Doug Nabors 1993 recently founded his own produc-tion company, Fun Train Media, in Los Angeles, CA. Visit his website at www.funtrainmedia.com.
Andrew Scott 1994 was elected mayor of Kentucky’s fastest growing city, Coal Run Village. Follow him on Twitter at @CommissionerKY.
Achievement • Spring 2015 43
2003Natalie Balck
Natalie is working in Kenya with a leading
regional Solar Energy and Power Control
distributor, Sollatek, on marketing and
special grants such as solar energy grant-
based initiatives. 2005Patrick Darab
Patrick writes: I moved from LA, where
I lived for almost 5 years, to NYC last
summer. After acting in an off-Broadway
show run of South Pacific, I am now the
lead singer of entertainment on Holland-
America Cruise Lines ms. Westerdam. I
love getting to sing, perform, and travel
the world. I’ll be on the ship until May,
when I’ll move back to NYC.
2008
Robby Archer
Robby was recently accepted into UNC
Asheville’s Mechatronics program, a joint
program with UNCA and the College of
Engineering at NC State University. He
will begin classes this fall.
2009Luke Stark
Recently, I accepted a tax-associate posi-
tion with McGladrey in Charlotte. I am
very excited about moving back to North
Carolina to start my career this fall. In the
meantime, I will be completing my M.S.
Accountancy degree at College of Charles-
ton and preparing to sit for the CPA exam.
2010
Hallie Boyd
Hallie graduated from Centre College
in Danville, KY, last May with a Dra-
matic Arts degree, and for five months
worked for Busch Gardens Tampa as an
Daniel Bradley 2010 is teaching English and Spanish in Daegu, South Korea, at the Beacon Language School. He teaches children and adults in small classes and individual tutoring sessions. Roller blading is a popular sport, so he is enjoying putting his skating talents to good use. He was able to spend time with Asheville graduate Min Ki Kim 2011, who recently completed his military service before returning to University of Pennsylvania.
Mandy Helton 2000 is pictured with =Devang and Gaurang Shah (both Class of 2000) who randomly found her in the lobby of a hotel in Orlando, FL. Mandy was checking in for a CASE conference and the Shah broth-ers were visiting from India for Grainger Industrial Supply. They had not seen each other in 10 years. She writes, “I may have screamed in delight.”
Amy (Shivers) Rowe 1995 is pictured with her baby boy, James Travers Rowe, Jr., born Sunday 9/21/14 (7 lbs 9.5 oz, 21” long).
44 Achievement • Spring 2015
Entertainment Technician. Now she has
returned to her home of Asheville and is
interning with local establishments like
Echo Mountain Recording and The Grey
Eagle in order to get her foot in the door
of the local entertainment industry.
Madeline Olsen
Mary Wall visited with Madeline Olsen on
her last day of her Disney college semes-
ter. Madeline has returned to Northeast-
ern and hopes to get a permanent job at
Disney when she graduates.
Rebecca K. McKee
Rebecca writes: I was flattered recently to
be a guest on the WFAE/NPR program,
Charlotte Talks. I will admit I was very
nervous, but I am sure the Senior Demo,
chapel talk, and oral presentations at AS
gave me the best foundation possible for
opportunities like this that I could never
have imagined in high school. Rebecca
graduated from Davidson in 2014.
2012Kate Fitzsimmons
Kate writes: I will be spending two weeks
in Iceland with College of Charleston
students and faculty learning more about
the tourism industry! I am so thankful and
excited for this opportunity the hospitality
department has been able to give me.
Anna Rogers 2014 participates in an international study experience with 14 other incoming freshmen from Elon’s Gap semester program.
Maggie Ruch 2008 and classmates met for dinner at The Bull and Beggar in Asheville over the holiday break. Left to right, Gabe Skwara, Tia Simpson, Emmanuel Chimezie, Maggie Ruch, Walker Szurek 2011, Breece Bryan, and Paul Szurek 2007.
Mary Wall and Madeline Olsen 2010.
John Volquez 2013 is a member of Yale University’s Black Men’s Union. He and other mem-bers struggled to find the words to say to the parents of Mike Brown, the 18-year-old young man who was killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri.
Achievement • Spring 2015 45
Tobi L. Shannon
Tobi writes: I am currently studying in
Rabat, Morocco, for the semester. I will be
taking classes that include gender studies
in North Africa, and Arabic for begin-
ners. I will also have a chance to intern at
an organization in Rabat. If you’d like to
follow my Moroccan adventure, check out
my blog: blackwomanwanderlust.tumblr.
com . Best wishes to everyone!!
2013John Volquez
John is featured in an Upworthy article
entitled “10 Pictures You May Need To
Show Your Kids. But I Really Hope You
Don’t Have To.” His quotation is: “To my
unborn son, the world and everything in
it is yours. You gotta go get it REGARD-
LESS.” From Upworthy: “The students
of Yale University’s Black Men’s Union
struggled to find the words to say to the
parents of Mike Brown... Instead, they
chose to ask themselves what they would
say to their unborn sons about living in
a world — and a country — that kills
black men with impunity. The quotations
are touching, somber, and somehow still
hopeful answers.”
2014Zan McPherson
During her winter break, Zan returned to
Asheville School in January 2015 to teach
a session on journalism during Jay Bon-
ner’s Honors Humanities Seminar class.
The daughter of Mark McPherson 1973,
Zan is a freshman at Whitman College in
Walla Walla, Washington.
Anna Rogers
Anna had an exciting first semester partic-
ipating with 14 other incoming freshmen
in Elon’s Gap semester program, which
focuses on leadership, service learning,
and international study. It included a
26-day NOLS backpack trip followed by
service learning experiences in several
locations across the United
States. She built bunk beds
for children on the Pine
Ridge Indian Reservation,
helped harvest an organic
urban farm in St. Louis,
and staffed a food bank
in Washington, DC, while
assisting the homeless and
providing for their basic
needs. The last stop in the
program was her stay in
Costa Rica, where she lived
with a host family in San
Jose, studying Spanish and
history. On the weekends,
she traveled around Costa
Rica enjoying the sights.
She found the program
was a great experience to
start her college career.
Zan McPherson 2014 teaches a session on journalism to Jay Bonner’s Honors Humanities Seminar class.
Director of Residential Life Burt Gordon 1986 visits Asheville School alumni at Bates College. Pictured from left to right: Patrick Wood 2013, Dylan Bilski 2014, Paul Jordan 2013, Yoly Rodriguez 2011, Burt Gordon 1986, and Will Patton 2011.
Greenville, SC Event
Chuck Carter (center) was honored on his own home court, Carter Court, during the NCISAA (North Caro-lina Independent School Athletic Association) state championship basketball tournament hosted by Asheville School. Carter, Asheville School’s longtime faculty member and former athletic director, is retiring this year as the Executive Director of the NCISAA. He is pictured with two former Asheville School faculty members Dale Earnhardt (left) and Doug Embler.
46 Achievement • Spring 2015
Gerry Shields (faculty 1963-69)
Gerry sends this note from his new home
in Michigan: Last summer I completed
another interim headship, my sixth, at
Sinarmas World Academy and Jakarta
World Academy in Indonesia. I will likely
do another after we settle into our new
inn venture. With my partner I bought
Saravilla Bed and Breakfast in Alma, MI,
and we became its owners and innkeep-
ers on October 1. There used to be a fair
contingent of AS alumni in Michigan and
I’d love to see any of them as they travel.
The website is www.saravilla.com. Alma
is a college town, the attraction for us,
about an hour’s drive, respectively, from
Lansing, Flint or Grand Rapids.
Asheville School’s Director of Development Dan Seiden, Associate Head of School Jay Bonner, Director of Residential Life Burt Gordon 1986, and Tom Marberger 1969 joined Asheville School alumni, parents and friends at an event in Greenville, SC.
ALUMNIMOBILEAPP
Reconnect and stay connected
by EverTrue
The AS Alumni App is a great way to:
Connect safely with alumninearby and around the world
Access a mobile version ofthe Asheville School alumni directory
Network with fellow Asheville School alumni through the built-inLinkedIn partnership
Search alumni by name,graduation year, or company
Search by location and viewresults on an interactive map
Here’s how:
Add the AS Alumni Community app to your iPhone or Android by searching for and downloading “EverTrue.”
Once you download the app and open it, you will be prompted to search for your community. Type in “Asheville School” and select the correct community.
The AS Alumni Community app requires a valid email address that matches the email on file with the Alumni Office at Asheville School. This address will serve as your log-in to the app. To update your email address, email alumni@ashevilleschool.org
Want to opt out? We hope you don’t, but if you wish to opt out of the app, please email Travis Price, director of advancement services, at pricet@ashevilleschool.org.Your information will be deleted from the AS Alumni Community.
123
Achievement • Spring 2015 47
Tsinghua Summer Program Prepares For Inaugural Year
48 Achievement • Spring 2015
By Bob Williams
Editor
For three weeks this summer, Asheville
School’s campus will transform into the
first international summer camp in the
school’s 115-year history.
Thanks to a partnership with Tsinghua
University High School in Beijing, China,
30 of the prestigious high school’s top
male and female students will travel to
Asheville to dive into Asheville School’s
nationally acclaimed Humanities curricu-
lum led by master teachers Tim Plaehn
and Hannah Bonner 2006.
“We have been working on the curricu-
lum and how to structure the classes,” says
Megan Grant, director of the Tsinghua
Summer Program in Asheville. “It will feel
very Humanities-focused and we’ll have
time for an elective like creative writing
or screenwriting. We’re going to hit them
with a lot of English.”
These Chinese students, most of whom
are rising sophomores, will arrive with
two chaperones from Beijing and will live
on campus in the newly air conditioned
Kehaya Dorm from July 12 to August 1,
Grant says.
“There will be 6 residential life counsel-
ors, most of whom are Asheville School
alumni, who will live with them in the
dorms and help out with afternoon activi-
ties,” Grant says, who is in her fifth year of
teaching mathematics at Asheville School.
“I’m really honored and I’m very excited
to be involved in this inaugural program.
Five years ago I thought I would be a camp
director, so starting with something from
the ground up is a neat opportunity to
make a mark.”
Aside from studying literature from
America’s Jazz Age, Grant says the students
will also explore American culture through
several field trips in and around Asheville.
“We’re going to the Biltmore and to the
Thomas Wolfe House, a tourist baseball
game, hiking, and hope to take them on a
few college trips,” Grant says. “We’re also
planning on a walking tour of downtown
Asheville to see the Art Deco architecture.”
Administrators at the Tsinghua University
High School are enthusiastic about having
their students study in Asheville — espe-
cially at one of the country’s highly ranked
boarding schools.
“This partnership will allow Asheville
School and Tsinghua to co-develop
programs that will educate the future
leaders of the world,” said Wang Dianjun,
Principal of Tsinghua High School. “From
Tsinghua, we really want to send our best
students to this campus to experience this
premier boarding school and open their
eyes to a new world where students will be
immersed in this cross-cultural communi-
ty with American students. We think it will
help to foster 21st century future leaders.”
Head of School Arch Montgomery says
he’s cautiously optimistic this program will
flourish for years to come.
“This first year will give a good indication
of how this relationship with Tsinghua
might grow in future years,” Montgom-
ery says. “The school leaders at Tsinghua
would like to expand the program, but
we’re taking it slow because we want to
make sure everything we do is something
we do well.”
Montgomery says the program definitely
has a lot of potential.
“The result may be that being associated
with Tsinghua University raises our profile
in China,” he says. “We get really strong
students from China now, but this part-
nership could guarantee that our students
from China are the best.”
If the program were to expand, Montgom-
ery says it’s possible Asheville School may
send students who are studying Chinese to
Tsinghua over the summer.
“It could be a wonderful thing for some of
our teachers and there could be summer
opportunities for our kids,” Montgomery
says.
For Grant, her hope is that these students
leave Asheville having had a positive
American experience.
“I want them to have a positive impres-
sion of American boarding schools and I
want them to be challenged and have fun,”
Grant says. “I will be working behind the
scenes to make sure every experience is
fruitful and meaningful for these 30 young
scholars.”
Megan Grant serves as director of the school’s first international camp, the Tsinghua Summer Program.
Achievement • Spring 2015 49
Summer Camps at Asheville School
By Sheila Steelman
Staff Writer
Asheville School senior Isabelle Smith has
been awarded the prestigious Morehead-
Cain scholarship for the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
According to the Morehead-Cain website,
“...the Morehead-Cain is among the most
highly selective of the elite undergraduate
merit scholarship programs in the U.S.”
Smith was notified in December that she
advanced as a semifinalist, and in January
she participated in regional interviews to
be considered for the finalist round. She
learned in March that she would receive
the highly coveted schol-
arship.
“It was interesting to meet
the students from other
schools who were apply-
ing,” Smith said. “Two
Morehead-Cain alumni
reviewed my application
and interviewed me.”
According to Smith, the 120 finalists are
invited to the Final Selection Weekend at
UNC-Chapel Hill, February 28 – March
3. Smith was one of 60 finalists of the
Morehead-Cain to receive the scholarship.
The Morehead-Cain Scholarship, estab-
lished in 1945, is a four-year undergradu-
ate scholarship to the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill, providing full
funding for life at Carolina and across the
world. It covers full tuition, student fees,
housing, meals, books, a laptop, outdoor
leadership, discovery funds for education
opportunities and much more. The More-
head-Cain Scholarship is awarded based
on four criteria: evidence of moral force of
character, scholarship, physical vigor, and
leadership (moreheadcain.org).
Isabelle is the daughter of Arthur and An-
nie Smith of Asheville, NC.
Asheville School Senior Wins Morehead-Cain Scholarship
App Development Summer Day CampAges 13-18 Minimum Age: Must turn 13 by 6-30-15.
iPad® & iPhone® App Development with Swift® & Xcode®Skill Level: Beginner - IntermediatePrerequisites: Some basic understanding of computer programming (Java, Java Script, Python, etc.) is encouraged.
Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. July 27 - July 31
Fee: $750 (lunch included)
Only 15 spots are available, so register early! Register online at ashevilleschool.org/appdevcamp.
Students will discover Swift®, Apple’s® new programming langugage and dive into the Apple® development environment with Xcode® and Interface Builder®, explore the iPhone® SDK, and run apps on the iPhone® simulator and actual iPad Air devices. Note: Students will work in an iMac® computer lab and will leave camp with an iOS 8 book ($30 Value) and sample code projects from the apps they have worked on.
Contact: Charles Long, Technology Director at Asheville School at longc@ashevilleschool.org
No. 1 Sports Soccer Camp (Day and Boarding)Dates: August 2 - 6, 2015
Register online at www.no1soccercamps.com
Ages: 7-18
Contact: Director Clark Brisson: 843-270-0596 or clarkbrisson@no1soccercamps.com
Camp Details: Director: Boys Basketball Head Coach,
Jake Engebretsen
Dates: August 3-7, 2015Ages: 8-15, Co-EdDay Camp Price (9AM-3PM): $285
Asheville SchoolAsheville, NC
Camp Highlights:• Experienced and enthusiastic coaching staff• Advanced skill-development drills• Fundamental instruction, lectures and games• Low camper to coach ratio• Official NIKE Camp T-Shirt and other great prizes!
Nike Basketball Day Camps Dates: August 3-7, 2015
Ages: 8-15, Co-Ed
Fee: (9AM-3PM): $285
Director: Asheville School Boys Basketball Head Coach Jake Engebretsen
To register or for more information: USSportsCamps.com/basketball or call 1-800-Nike Camp
Isabelle Smith
Asheville School Legacy Students
Hari Kondabolu Kicks Off Civil Rights Day
50 Achievement • Spring 2015
First row: Elizabeth Thomas, Karel Koon, Mimsey Milnor, Tomas Ritch; Second row: Campbell Davitt, Emma Kussrow, Lily Formato, Will Casse, Constance Ambler; Third row: Hudson Dickenson, Emma Van Wynen, Walker Garrish; Not pictured: Gracie Pearsall
Comedian Hari Kondabolu shares a moment with Asheville School students and faculty after his Civil Rights Day performance at Asheville School in Graham Theater. The Brooklyn-based comic has appeared on NPR’s Fresh Air, Jimmy Kimmel Live and Late Night with David Letterman. “Mr. Kondabolu talks about issues that surround his experience and ideas that are grounded in social justice,” says Varghese Alexander, Director of Academic Technology. “His words have furthered the national conversation by sparking retweets and poster quotes that have gone viral during the protests in Ferguson and NYC.”
From Staff Reports
Larry Pless 1971, Chairman of the Board
of Trustees, welcomed three new Board
members at the October meeting. Each of
these trustees was recruited for his or her
specific experience and ability to serve the
school in meeting certain needs. Asheville
School’s Board of Trustees meets three
times each year to manage the business
affairs and policies of the school.
James A. Fisher 1964
Jim returns to Asheville School as a trustee,
having served previously from 2004-2012.
After a 30-year career at Ball Corporation,
with experience
in all aspects
of the business
from managing
plants to hu-
man resources to
industry affairs,
Jim retired as
vice-president to
act as president
of a family-
owned business,
Fisher Properties
of Indiana, Inc.,
which comprises several operating entities
including orchards, beverage products,
bottling facilities, and furniture manufac-
turing. Having an uncle, two cousins and
two brothers as graduates, Jim has numer-
ous family ties to Asheville School. As a
student at Asheville School, Jim played
football, ran track, served as Sports Edi-
tor for The Ashnoca, and was President
of Mitchell Cabinet. Jim earned a B.A.
in English Composition from DePauw
University in 1968 and an M.B.A. from the
University of Colorado, Boulder in 1973.
From 1968-1972, Jim served as Captain in
the Air Force. In addition to his work as
trustee of Asheville School, Jim has served
as trustee of DePauw University, and as
chairman of the Ball Brothers Foundation,
Boulder (CO) Community Hospital, and
Indiana University Health Ball Memorial
Hospital in Muncie, IN. He and his wife,
Elizabeth, have four children and eight
grandchildren.
Nishant N. Mehta 1998
As a new trustee, Nishant brings his varied
experience at other private schools, includ-
ing work as a
teacher, admin-
istrator, director
of intercultural
affairs and social
justice, strategic
planner and
finally as As-
sistant Head of
School, Alex-
andria Country
Day School, a
K-8 private day
school in Alexan-
dria, VA. He is currently Head of School at
The Children’s School, a pre-K - 6th grade
private day school in midtown Atlanta, a
post he has held since May of 2013. Nis-
hant made the most of his Asheville School
years, participating in soccer, tennis, and
wrestling. He was a member of Hoste Soci-
ety, Mitchell Cabinet and the International
Club, was Editor-in-Chief of The Review
and Sports Editor of the Blue and White,
and had several leading performances in
drama productions. Nishant earned a B.A.
in Philosophy from Washington University
in St. Louis, an M.A. from the Klingen-
stein Center, Columbia University, and a
certificate for teaching English as a foreign
language from TEFL International, Barce-
lona, Spain. He has written articles for The
Dallas Morning News as well as for NAIS
conference presentations. His written work
and public speaking emphasize his com-
mitment to innovative learning, technol-
ogy, diversity and inclusivity. He lives with
his wife, Neeti, in Atlanta.
Arthur H. Rogers III 1988
Arthur is returning to the board this year,
having served previously from 2003-2011.
His younger siblings, Michael ’90 and
Mamie ’95, are also alumni, as is his cousin
Marshall ’89. Arthur entered Asheville
School as a fourth former and was active
on the cross-country, swim, track and
tennis teams. Other activities included
Mountaineering, The Ashnoca, Student
Council, International Club, Hoste Society,
Film and Fine Arts societies, and Mitchell
Cabinet. Arthur
graduated from
UNC-Chapel
Hill with a B.A.
in Industrial
Relations in 1992,
followed by an
M.A. in Textiles
from NC State in
1994. He is the
Principal at Eno
Ventures, LLC, a
Commercial Real
Estate Development and Management firm
in Durham, NC. A long-time resident of
Durham, NC, he is active in the Durham
Rotary Club, Duke University’s Nasher
Museum, the Caring House and Teach for
America of Eastern NC; he is also a board
member of Durham Academy. As lifetime
supporters of Asheville School, Arthur and
his wife, Caroline, have hosted admissions
and alumni gatherings at their home in
Durham. He and Caroline, also a graduate
of UNC-Chapel Hill, have two sons, Henry
and Edward.
Achievement • Spring 2015 51
Board Welcomes Three New Trustee Members
Jim Fisher 1964
Nishant Mehta 1998
Arthur Rogers 1988
52 Achievement • Spring 2015
Blues Robotics Team Prints New Possibilities
By Sheila Steelman Staff Writer
With new designs for the robot in mind,
Asheville School’s Robotics team could fire
up its new 3D printer to create the perfect
part for 5549 – the team’s robot that
placed 5th in the FIRST robotics competi-
tion, qualifying the group for states. They
placed 29th competing at the state level for
the second time in three years.
Selected as one of 1600 robotics teams na-
tionally to compete for the coveted prize,
Asheville School’s “BlueBots” are enjoying
their new EKOCYCLE Cube 3D printer.
Faculty advisor Charles Long applied by
submitting to 3D Systems, The Coca Cola
Company and will.i.am an explanation of
how his students would incorporate a 3D
printer into the Robotics program.
“I knew we would obviously like to build
our own parts for the robots,” Long says.
“Now we can design the part ourselves,
which gives students the opportunity to
learn CAD-like engineering and use their
creativity in terms of mechanical design.”
Even though students created a functional
robot for the FIRST competitions, they
encountered numerous mishaps that could
have ruined their chances of competing.
The team is very excited about the pos-
sibilities the new printer will provide for
future versions of their robot.
Pictured from left to right: Technology Director Charles Long, Jack Hamilton, Suki Affatato, Mark Broeffle, Miles Loftis, Judson Collins, Gobby Caggiano, and Controller Satchel Loftis. These team members participated in the North Carolina robotics competition in Greensboro.
Asheville School fifth-former Jack Hamilton, left, describes the FIRST robotics competition to James Cowan ‘63 (center) during a lunch in the Bement Alumni House with Technology Director Charles Long (right) and the robotics team.
Achievement • Spring 2015 53
“The 3D printer gives us the option to
create the perfect part on the fly instead of
searching for resources elsewhere,” Long
explains. Previously, the robot’s design was
contingent on what parts already existed
and could be found around town. Now
students can design their own parts using
Google SketchUp, Photoshop, Cubify, or
Shapeways.
“It’s amazing to watch our students brain-
storm ideas for the robot. It forces them
to think like engineers,” Long says. “3D
printing could democratize manufacturing
in the future. If you break a cup or damage
a part on your bike, you could just print
new ones.”
The filament the eco-friendly printer uses
is partially made from recycled plastic
bottles. Long hopes the Robotics Club
will join forces with SEA (Students for
Environmental Awareness) to collect
recyclables and send them to the company
to generate new materials. “I was inspired
by a couple of teachers in high school.
Without the experience they gave me in
programming, I wouldn’t be where I am
today,” Long says. “I hope to give back to
the students. When you give the students
opportunities, it can change the course of
a young person’s career path and change
his or her life.”
None of this would be possible without the
generosity and support of James Cowan
1963 and the Stonecutter Foundation.
They continue to be champions of tech-
nology at Asheville School.
Students Win 10 Scholastic Art Awards
By Sheila Steelman Staff Writer
Five Asheville School students received 10
awards in the 2015 Western North Caro-
lina Regional Scholastic Art Awards held at
the Asheville Art Museum.
Senior Ilona Stanback (Canton, NC) re-
ceived a Silver Key award for her Candles of
Intention photograph.
“The picture was of my friend Daniel
in a dilapidated cathedral in the South
of France. The texture of the wall, the
juxtaposition between light and shadow,
and the thoughtfulness of Daniel’s expres-
sion as he lights a prayer candle all come
together to create a peaceful and nostalgic
image,” Stanback said.
She also received honorable mentions for
three other photographs: More Than It
Seems, Castle In The Sky, and Window To
The World.
“I love photography and the ability it gives
me to evoke emotions and a story through
a single image. Although posing people for
pictures can be fun, I enjoy capturing can-
did moments,” Stanback said. “By docu-
menting natural emotions and actions, I
am able to give viewers the opportunity to
experience vicariously a similar moment
or a place they’ve never been.”
Senior Sophia Curtis (Asheville) received
honorable mentions for her photograph
and two drawings: Psycho, The Treacherous
Trio and Woman on Wood. Senior Perla
Haney-Jardine (Asheville) received an
honorable mention for her drawing,
Untitled. Fifth-former Jenny Lee (Seong-
nam, Korea) received an honorable men-
tion for her painting, Fried Egg. Senior
Robyn Newcomb (Leicester, NC) received
an honorable mention for her painting,
Self-Portrait.
These works were on display at the Ashe-
ville Art Museum from February until
March 8. Students were honored dur-
ing the Scholastic Art Awards ceremony
in February at Diana Wortham Theater.
There is an opportunity to visit the ex-
hibition following the ceremony for any
students, faculty or parents who would like
to attend future events.
The Western North Carolina Regional
Scholastic Art Awards is a juried competi-
tion, which showcases outstanding visual
arts created by middle and high school stu-
dents in grades 7-12 from Western North
Carolina.
This nonprofit organization’s legacy dates
back to 1923 with a noteworthy roster
of past winners including Andy Warhol,
Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, Richard
Avedon, Robert Redford and Joyce Carol
Oates.The school’s new 3D printer, which the school won by participating in the FIRST robotics competition
Pictured left to right: Robyn Newcomb, Perla Haney-Jardine, Sophia Curtis, Ilona Stanback, and Jenny Lee
Asheville School Wrestlers Travel To Nationals
(from left to right) Conor Fenn, coach Christopher Arbor, and Sean Wrinkle. During the state finals round, Sean Wrinkle 2015 won his
weight class and is a State Champion, and Conor Fenn 2016 and John Galusha 2015 were State Runners-Up. Wrinkle, Fenn and their
parents traveled to the Nationals competition at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.
54 Achievement • Spring 2015
In memoriam: G. Craig Hunt 1970October 7, 2014
Craig Hunt, a resident of San Jose,
CA, died tragically October 7, 2014 in an
airplane crash while fighting the Yosemite
Dog Rock fire.
Craig was a pilot
for DynCorp
International, a
contractor for
Cal Fire, and
was flying an air
tanker deliver-
ing chemical
retardant to the
fire at the time of
his death.
Born in Richmond, VA, Craig came to
Asheville School in the fall of 1965. He
was involved in a plethora of extra-curric-
ular activities. He played Varsity Football,
serving as the Captain and earning All-
conference honors in 1969, Varsity Base-
ball, and Varsity Basketball (also serving as
the Captain in 1970). Craig won Asheville
School’s Best Athlete award in 1969 and
1970, and in 1970 was also named Out-
standing in Buncombe County and the
best over-all high school athlete in Western
North Carolina. In addition to his athletic
achievements, Craig was also involved with
Student Council and The Ashnoca, and was
a Prefect and President of the Senior Class
in 1970.
After leaving Asheville School, Craig
received a B.A. from Wittenberg University
in 1974. He served in the Navy from 1975
to 1995 as a P-3 anti-submarine
patrol plane pilot, flying missions all over
the world including the Pacific, East Asia,
Aleutian Islands, and off the coasts sur-
rounding the Indian Ocean. Craig contin-
ued in the Naval Reserves for two decades
after leaving active duty, at the same time
earning his M.S. in Business from the Uni-
versity of Southern California in 1983 and
a Master’s degree in Biochemistry from
UC Santa Cruz.
After leaving active duty, Craig worked
for 16 years in the high tech industry in
the Bay Area. One day, he happened to see
fire-fighting aircraft in a mountain airport
in the Sierra and thought it would be great
work for him. “I pursued it and in 2001
dumped my coat and tie and got back in a
flight suit, “ he said. Because of the gener-
ally seasonal nature of the work in summer
and fall, he spent most summer days flying
while working as a course assistant at UC
Santa Cruz teaching Chemistry.
He leaves behind his wife of 40 years, Sally,
and two daughters, Nancy and Sarah.
Achievement • Spring 2015 55
Henry Pharr, of Charlotte, NC, passed
away on January 7, 2015. Best remembered
by his many friends for his sharp intellect
and humor, insightful wisdom, and hum-
ble demeanor,
Henry practiced
law with distinc-
tion for 49 years
in the fields of
commercial
real estate and
finance, as well
as governmental
relations. Already
an Eagle Scout
when he entered
Asheville School
in the Fourth Form, Henry was adven-
turous in both his academic and athletic
pursuits. He was popular not only with his
classmates, but with those younger than
he, whom he engaged and encouraged.
Henry was a natural and standout athlete;
he received the award for Best Athlete in
1956 and 1957, served as captain of the
football and tennis teams, and received
Valier Awards in football and track; he also
lettered in basketball. A loyal alumnus,
he was a very consistent contributor who
served for a time as President of the Ashe-
ville School Alumni Association and an
ex-officio member of the Board of Trustees.
His enthusiasm for sports continued in
college, where he added soccer to his rep-
ertoire and served as Field Captain for four
years. Later he participated in marathons,
triathlons, sailing, white-water canoe-
ing, and fly-fishing. Like his grandfather
and his father, he was a graduate of both
Davidson College (B.A., History, 1964) and
the UNC School of Law (J.D., 1964).
Henry was senior partner of the law firm
Horack, Talley, Pharr, and Lowndes P.A.,
and was well known for strong devotion
to his clients and his tireless work ethic, as
well as his deep appreciation and under-
standing of law. In 2008 he was honored
by Business North Carolina as part of the
“Legal Elite” for 2008, an honor accorded
to only three percent of the North Carolina
Bar Association membership. Henry also
served his community in many volun-
teer capacities. He is survived by his wife,
Carol; his sister, Jean, and her husband;
three sons, Henry, Charles and Stephen,
and their families, two step-children, and
thirteen grandchildren.
In memoriam: Henry N. Pharr II 1957January 7, 2015
“Henry inspired friendship, came to it naturally, with
his wit, his remarkable strength, both physical and
mental, his resilience, his incredible memory for detail
and his inexhaustible ability to carry on a busy law
practice and still have frequent telephone or email
conversations with dozens of us. None of us were ever
‘out of touch’ with Henry.”
– Bill Buice 1957, from his remarks at the Memorial Service
56 Achievement • Spring 2015
MemoriamIn
Charles S. Allyn 1937
Charles Allyn, of Dayton, OH, and Los
Angeles, CA, passed away July 12, 2014.
He entered Asheville School in the Third
Form from Oakwood High School in Day-
ton and was active in the Tech and Photo-
graphic Societies; he also lettered in Soccer
and Track. After Asheville School, he
earned a B.S. in Physics from Yale Univer-
sity in 1941. From 1941-1946 he served as
a Lt. Commander in the Navy in both the
Atlantic and Pacific. In 1943 he married
Priscilla Morse of Los Angeles, who passed
away in 2007. After the war, he worked
at NCR in the Research Department and
later as a supervisor. Upon his retirement
in the late 1970s, he and Priscilla made Los
Angeles their permanent home but contin-
ued to stay in Dayton during the summer
months. They greatly enjoyed travelling,
particularly long-distance cruises, during
which they circled the world several times.
Charles also served as President of the
Allyn Family Foundation, which his father
established and which generously sup-
ported Asheville School through the years.
Charles was a very consistent contributor
and a member of the Wilbert Peck Society
of those who have remembered Asheville
School in their estate planning. He is sur-
vived by five nieces.
William D. Pettit 1937
Bill Pettit passed away on February 9,
2015. He entered Asheville in 1931 in the
First Form. His father (Karl 1908) and
two uncles (Donald 1911 and Frank 1914)
also attended Asheville School, as did his
brothers Karl 1935 and Walter 1936. Bill
and his brothers loved the school and
excelled at a broad variety of sports. All
three went to Princeton after graduation,
as did Bill’s three sons. Bill was active in all
aspects of student life at Asheville School
and served as captain of the basketball
team in 1937. He stayed in touch with the
school throughout his life and credited his
time here with preparing him for the many
fascinating roles he played in later life.
Bill distinguished himself on the football
team at Princeton and followed the Tigers
throughout his life. During World War II,
he fought with distinction as a member of
the 28th Division of the 3rd Army, com-
manding an artillery battery through the
battles of Normandy, the Colmar pocket,
and the Battle of the Bulge. He won the
Bronze Star and numerous battle decora-
tions. After the war, he joined his father in
leading an investment firm and received
numerous awards for excellence on Wall
Street through his long career before
retiring at age 87. Bill had two long and
successful marriages, the first of which
resulted in five children, 16 grandchildren,
and 19 great-grandchildren.
Arthur D. Goodrich 1939
Bud Goodrich, a lifelong resident of
the Chicago/Winnetka, IL area, passed
away on November 28, 2014. He entered
Asheville School in the Fourth Form from
North Shore Country Day School in Win-
netka and left after his Fifth Form year,
having received enough credits to attend
Oberlin College. At Asheville School,
he was a standout athlete and was later
chosen by long-time baseball coach “Uncle
Will” Lewis as the starting first baseman
for his hypothetical All-Star team of great
players he coached here. Bud’s time at
Oberlin was cut short by the start of World
War II, during which Bud and his twin
brother and best friend Chuck served to-
gether for four years. They landed at Utah
Beach two weeks after D-Day and served
in General George Patton’s 3rd Army, 5th
Infantry, 50th Field Artillery until the war’s
end.
Bud spent most of his career in glass
manufacturing and sales in the Chicago
area. He was also an accomplished and
published haiku and senryu poet, with
most of his subjects being sports and fam-
ily. He was a regular attendee of alumni
receptions in the Chicago area and a very
consistent contributor to the school.
Never married, Bud is survived by his sis-
ter and five nieces and nephews and their
families.
J. Preston Burlingham 1943
Preston Burlingham, a resident of Sara-
toga, CA, died peacefully in his sleep
on February 10, 2013. Preston entered
Asheville School in the Sixth Form from
Winnetka, IL. After graduation, he served
for three years in the U.S. Army during
World War II, spending time in Europe
as an enlisted infantryman. After the war,
he entered Grinnell College and received
a B.A. in History in 1949. Shortly there-
after, he moved to California. Preston is
survived by his wife of 63 years, Margaret,
a daughter, two grandchildren, and three
great-grandchildren.
Taylor Hardwick 1943
Taylor Hardwick, a resident of Ponte Vedra
FL, died on September 27, 2014. Taylor
came to Asheville School in the fall of 1940
Achievement • Spring 2015 57
from Gwynedd Valley, PA. In the Sixth
Form, he served on student council, was
a senior prefect, editor-in-chief of The
Review, President of the Dramatic Soci-
ety and the Class Poet. During his three
years at school, he played varsity football,
basketball and track. At age 17, Taylor en-
listed in the US Navy’s Aviation Program,
and following graduation in May of 1943,
he entered the US Navy as a cadet in flight
training. In 1945, he received an honor-
able discharge from the Navy and entered
the University of Pennsylvania, where
he received a B.A. degree in Fine Arts in
1947 and a Bachelor of Architecture in
1949. Taylor moved to Jacksonville in 1949
and established his architectural practice
and ultimately the firm of Hardwick and
Lee, AIA, which designed many of the
prominent homes, buildings, and sites in
Jacksonville, most notably the Haydon
Burns Public Library and Friendship Park.
Hardwick and his partner, the late May-
berry Lee, put an indelible stamp on the
architecture of Jacksonville, also designing
the early buildings of St. Johns Country
Day School as well as J.E.B. Stuart Middle
School, Jefferson Davis Middle School,
Wolfson High and Nathan Bedford Forrest
High (now Westside High).
Taylor and his wife, Jo, recently published a
book, Taylor Hardwick: 60 Years of Design.
In addition to Jo, he is survived by his
daughter, his grand-nephew, several nieces,
and many friends.
David A. Fellows 1944
David Fellows, of Crystal River, FL, passed
away November 24, 2013. He attended
Asheville School for his Fourth Form year.
He was an avid outdoorsman, enjoy-
ing boating, fishing, hunting and RVing.
He was also an excellent handyman and
craftsman. David served in the US Coast
Guard with the Amphibious Forces during
WWII in the South Pacific. After the War,
he moved to Oscoda, MI, where he opened
and operated a marina for boats that plied
the Great Lakes, including both fishermen
and tourists. Having served the public for
roughly 35 years, he and his wife, Jane,
retired to Florida. In addition to Jane, he
is survived by two daughters, three step-
children, four grandchildren, three step-
grandchildren, six great-grandchildren,
and four great-step-grandchildren.
James S. Dean Jr. 1947
Jim Dean, of Palm Beach, FL, and Wilm-
ington, DE, passed away on March 7, 2014.
His mother, Paulina duPont Dean, was
the sister of the duPont family patriarch,
Irenee duPont, Jr., and his father, Junius
Simpson Dean, was former president of
the Nemours Corporation (commonly
referred to as DuPont) and director of the
Wilmington Trust Company. Jim came to
Asheville School from the Lawrenceville
School (NJ), and attended for his Fifth
Form year before enrolling in the Bab-
son Institute of Business Administration,
where he earned a B.S. in Business Admin-
istration in 1949.
Jim spent several years working at the
Wilmington Trust Company before having
a several-decade career at the Nemours
Corporation, ultimately serving as
President of Nemours Energy. He served
on boards such as the Brandywine River
Museum, Welfare Foundation, Methodist
Country House, Boys and Girls Clubs of
Delaware, and the Society of the Four Arts,
but his focus was on animals and their
safety and welfare. He was a supporter of
the Delaware SPCA, Faithful Friends, and
Partners for Life.
Jim was a very consistent supporter of
Asheville School and a member of our
Hollandsworth-Maggart Preservation
Society and Wilbert Peck Society. Survi-
vors include his wife, Margaret, two sisters,
three children, and nine grandchildren.
Alexander M. Gill 1955
Alex Gill passed away February 13, 2013.
He lived in Pompano Beach, FL. Alex
entered Asheville School in the Third
Form from Sarasota, FL. He participated
in a host of activities, most actively Drama
and Choir, and was Managing Editor of
the Blue and White. Alex was also Valedic-
torian of his class. After Asheville School,
he enrolled at Harvard College, where
he earned an A.B. in History in 1962. He
resided in Boston for many years before
moving to Florida.
David H. Brasted 1956
Dave Brasted, formerly of Wichita, KS,
passed away on Dec. 29, 2013, in Ajijic,
Mexico. His brother Skip is a member of
the class of 1960. Dave attended Ashe-
ville School for a post-graduate year after
graduating from Wichita East High School.
After Asheville School, Dave earned a B.S.
in Economics in 1960 from Beloit College,
WI. He retired in 1985 as Executive Vice
President of Mid-Kansas Federal Savings
and Loan Association, which his grandfa-
ther co-founded in 1934, and President of
Amarado Investment Company. Dave sub-
sequently became a principal in Gaudreau-
Brasted Properties, a Residence Inn hotel
franchisee that developed a dozen Resi-
dence Inn hotels throughout the Midwest
and Southeast. He also founded Morfacts
Mortgage Application Center, a residential
real estate mortgage brokerage service, the
Brasted Company, a commercial mortgage
brokerage firm, and Professional Products
of Kansas, a water sealant and graffiti-
removal products company. Throughout
his life, Dave was active in numerous civic,
political and philanthropic organizations.
He was the state Finance Chairman for
Senator Nancy Landon Kassebaum dur-
ing her 1978 campaign. He served on the
Board of Directors of the Wichita Associa-
tion of Homebuilders, Greater Downtown
Wichita, the Wichita Club, Family Consul-
tation Service, Historic Wichita, the Urban
League and the Wichita Council for Com-
munity Development. Additionally, he was
a Trustee for Plymouth Congregational
Church and was a long-time member of
the Wichita Board of Realtors, Rotary Club
and the Wichita Country Club. Survivors
include his two brothers, two daughters,
and three grandchildren.
58 Achievement • Spring 2015
Carlysle B. Scribner 1956
Carlysle Scribner, of Seattle, WA, passed
away July 5, 2013. He attended Asheville
School for his Second and Third Form
years before finishing at VMI and joining
the U.S. Navy. He served as a commanding
officer during the Vietnam War.
Stuart W. Butler 1957
Stuart Butler, of Virginia Beach, VA, passed
away on July 5, 2014. He entered Ashe-
ville School in 1953 from Pingry School
(Elizabeth, NJ) and attended for three
years, playing JV Football and Basketball
and Varsity Soccer. He studied at UNC
Chapel Hill for two years, making him a
lifelong Tarheel fan, before enlisting in the
U.S. Navy as a Hospital Corpsman. Stuart
retired from the Navy in 1979 as an E-7
after 21 years of service, including time in
Vietnam during the conflict there. Stuart
subsequently worked in the civil service as
a Pharmacy Technician at the Naval Hos-
pital in Portsmouth, VA. Survivors include
his loving wife, Carolyn, four children, a
grandchild, and two great-grandchildren.
Jennifer Arleen Colledge McHaley 1974
Jennifer McHaley, of Asheville, passed
away on September 3, 2014 after battling a
long illness. Born and raised in Asheville,
Jennifer entered Asheville School in the
Fourth Form from St. Genevieve-of-the
Pines School. Her teachers and classmates
recall her quiet personality and strong
work ethic. In addition to being an en-
thusiastic cheerleader during the fall and
winter terms, she participated in moun-
taineering, horseback riding and field
hockey. Jennifer attended the University
of Tennessee Knoxville, where she earned
a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design in
1978. After the birth of her children, she
returned to school at Mars Hill College,
where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in
Elementary Education. She went on to
earn her Masters of Education in Elemen-
tary Education from Western Carolina
University, eventually teaching second
grade at Ira B. Jones Elementary in Ashe-
ville. She is survived by her partner, Mitch
Quayle of Asheville, her mother, a sister,
two children, and three grandchildren.
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