Seven Hills Magazine - Spring 2011

SEVEN HILLSThe Seven Hills School Magazine spring 2011

finding what I loveSCHOOL

THE

Following a passionpage 5

ContentsEducating for purposeful lives 3 By Head of School Christopher Garten

Following a passion: A sample of our students 5By Editor Kathy Deubell

Melody Sawyer Richardson’s passion for art has wide-reaching impact 14By Director of Development Gary Monnier

“Locavore wonder chef ” Julie Francis ’81 15Working to ensure an excellent education for all of our nation’s children 16By Andy Sokatch ’88

Combining passion for medicine with desire to serve the less fortunate 17By Meera Kotagal, M.D. ’99

An education in leadership 18By P.G. Sittenfeld ’03

School News 19Alumni News 36

HILLSSCHOOL

SEVENTHE

Kathy Deubell Editor

Katie DawsonDesigner

Hillsdale campus5400 Red Bank RoadCincinnati, Ohio 45227

Doherty campus2726 Johnstone Place Cincinnati, Ohio 45206

www.7hills.org513.271.9027 E-mail: [email protected] Fax: 513.271.2471

Front cover: Junior Michael Young at the Polar Bears International Teen Leadership Camp in Manitoba, Canada. Joe Soonthornsawad

Gary Monnier Director of Development

Janet HillDirector of Admission

Nancy McCormick Bassett ’83 Director of Alumni Relations

Christopher GartenHead of School

Vol. XXXIV No. 3spring 2011

Seven Hills is a publication of The Seven Hills School. It is produced using the school’s digital publishing equipment.

Educating for purposeful lives by Head of School Christopher Garten

How do young people find their “calling,” the sense of purpose and direction that gives meaning to their lives? Why do some college students seem extraordinarily focused and self-directed while others drift aimlessly, dabbling and disengaged?

In a recent book, The Path to Purpose, William Damon, a Stanford professor and Director of the Stanford Center on Adolescence, addresses these critical questions. In his sobering opening chapter, “Young Lives Adrift,” Damon describes a generation of well educated young people for whom “the whole notion of a permanent line of work has come into question” and whose careers are “evolving into a succession of relatively short-term, disconnected jobs.” Damon asserts that large numbers of today’s young people are “hesitating to make commitments to any of the roles that define adult life, such as parent, worker, spouse, or citizen.” He worries about the fate of the “boomerang” generation, children and grandchildren of Baby Boomers, who “return to their home nests long after they were supposed to have flown away on their own wings.”

Damon notes the troubling phenomenon that many of today’s young people are immured in “an extended period of questioning and self-exploration [that] is delaying the transition to permanent work and a home of their own far beyond that of any prior generation.”

So, how do we explain this phenomenon? For Damon much of the answer is implicit in the none-too-subtle subtitle to one of his previous books, Greater Expectations: Overcoming the Culture of Indulgence in Our Homes and Schools. He lashes out with equal ardor at both parents and at schools, who have fostered what he calls “a culture of short horizons.” He inveighs against an educational establishment that elevates high stakes standardized testing so that “the main objective in the classroom becomes the imparting of a rapid familiarity with facts, names, places, and formulas” that “students have little interest or skill in applying to problems beyond the classroom.” He encourages schools to promote “deep learning,” which, he says, involves the acquisition of “active knowledge,” and he encourages teachers to place “questions of meaning and purpose” at the center of daily school life.

In his chapter called “Parenting for Purpose,” he encourages parents to move beyond short-term goals for their children—finishing a homework assignment, getting good grades, or making the team—to parenting behaviors which will nurture young people’s “sense of purpose, autonomy, self-direction, and problem solving.” He encourages parents to watch carefully for the spark of concern or idealism that will sometimes arise for their children’s experience and then to “fan the flames” of their interest in committing themselves to a larger purpose.

He encourages both parents and teachers to “convey [their] own sense of purpose and meaning that [they] derive from [their own] work.” He urges parents to expose their children to mentors and to encourage in them an “entrepreneurial attitude” and a “feeling of agency” so that they can work to acquire the skills they will need to address larger social problems.

www.7hills.org The Seven Hills School magazine page 3

At the core of Damon’s book are incredibly moving portraits of twelve extraordinary young people, who have, at very young ages, devoted their lives to improving the world around them. One young man discovered, in the course of a first grade research project, that many African villages lack adequate drinking water. He began working on modest fund-raising efforts in his own community, an effort that grew, by the time he was twelve, to the design of a website which has raised over $2 million to build wells in hundreds of villages. Another young woman, spurred by her compassionate interest in a family friend who had lost her voice box to an aggressive cancer, developed for the American Cancer Society, ACS Teen, a nationwide network of teens devoted to education and advocacy efforts.

What distinguishes young people like these, Damon says, is an “exceptional clarity of purpose” that generates in them a “prodigious amounts of extra positive energy.” For many, a firsthand exposure to the suffering of other people inspired in them a desire to help; thereafter, consumed by their desire to help and supported by the love and encouragement of adults in their lives, they developed over time a quality Damon calls “practical idealism,” a deep commitment to developing the skills they would need to make their vision a reality.

Our recent efforts in global education, our robust community service program, the rich history of an extended Personal Challenge project, the newly-developed summer internship program are all formal expressions of our desire to foster our students’ sense of purpose. But our commitment to this kind of education goes far beyond these formal efforts. It expresses itself, most of all, in the idealism and the entrepreneurial energy we foster and support in our students. It is woven into the culture of this school that the purpose of their education here is to prepare themselves to live meaningful and fulfilling lives.

Damon’s book expresses for me something that is at the very core of our mission here at Seven Hills. It is our hope, in active partnership with our families, to nurture in our young people a defining sense of purpose. We want to help them find out who they are and what they care about. We want to expose them to the realities of the larger world and to fan into flame the sparks of their idealism, optimism, and creativity. We want to help our students develop purpose-driven lives and nourish the entrepreneurial skills they will need to galvanize the energy of others to improve the world around them.

So much of what we do here is organized around this mission. Our students are exposed to a rich curriculum, organized around the exploration of deep and complex questions. They are exposed, when developmentally appropriate, to the suffering of other people, and they are encouraged to engage in developing creative solutions to persistent problems. They are given a host of opportunities to develop their own talents, and they are exposed, as often as possible, to inspiring role models, in many cases their own parents, teachers, and fellow alumni, who model for them fulfilling and purposeful lives.

page 4 The Seven Hills School magazine www.7hills.org

On the Upper School’s first community service spring break trip, a group of 16 students and three faculty volunteered March 20-25 with Phelps Area Habitat for Humanity in Pike County, Kentucky, an Appalachian community. Junior Jonathan Tiao is pictured in the foreground.

Following a passion At Seven Hills students learn and grow in an environment that encourages them to discover their passions, to reach and stretch, to become their best selves, confident that they will be supported and celebrated by their school family as the individuals they are.

We invited students to tell us about their passions, either in an interview or in a written article. The following represent a small sample of our students and the passions that ignite and drive them and inspire our entire community.

A sample of our students


Senior George Taliaferro’s face literally lights up when he talks about his music. He says that he started playing guitar in eighth grade when he broke his ankle in basketball and was “out for two weeks with nothing to do, but there was always a guitar around the house.” It’s difficult to believe that this amazing jazz guitarist got his start in such a serendipitous way, but there is nothing accidental about his growth as a musician since then. “The first time I heard the jazz band play freshman year, I was really adamant about wanting to learn more about it, and Mr. Rising was really supportive. I didn’t join the jazz band until sophomore year but I would always meet with him and he would give me music to work on and he’s really been, I think, the reason why I have such ease here with music.” George takes lessons in the prep department at CCM and he has already talked with the jazz professor and jazz guitar teacher at Hamilton College.

“I’ve got a long way to go before I’m anywhere near the people that I really look up to—great jazz guitarists like Pat Metheney, George Benson, Wes Montgomery. The goal for me would be to play as easily as I walk or speak.”

George especially admires musicians who can change musical directions and take risks. “It’s like when Miles Davis was playing with his group, his cool jazz stuff, and he transitioned into this really intense rock fusion stuff and everyone said, ‘How come you don’t play any of your old stuff anymore?’ And he would say, ‘That isn’t me.’ His philosophy was if you’re playing the same thing you’ve been playing for 10 or 15 years, then you’re not being true to yourself. I hope that one day I can be as fluent and as comfortable.”

From his first programming course in his freshman year, junior Deepak Kumar knew he wanted to be a computer engineer, and his talent matches his passion. He was one of the local high school programming wizards accepted into master classes, including Android and HTML/PHP programming, sponsored by INTERalliance of Greater Cincinnati, a nonprofit collaboration of local businesses and educators that is training talented students to meet the increasing demand for qualified programmers. “The Java/Computer Engineering Camps that I attended at the University of Cincinnati introduced me to higher level programming and showed me how computer science continues to be an up-and-coming field. This summer I will be working as an Application Analyst at Kao Brands company in downtown Cincinnati. I hope this will give me real world experience and prepare me for the future.”

George Taliaferro Deepak Kumar

The Seven Hills School magazine www.7hills.org

The TSHS Summer Internship Program, directed by Librarian Linda Behen, is an 80-hour real world experience during the summer that matches an Upper School student to a partner in a professional setting or workplace of his/her interest. It’s an outstanding opportunity for our students to explore their passions in a meaningful way.

Summer 2011 internships include the following: Alex Wilt, Photo Journalism Internship with Diana Mara Henry (Massachusetts); Courtney Linne, Medical Internship at Children’s Hospital and TAP MD, Greater Cincinnati Health Council; Peppar Cyr, Medical Internship at Children’s Hospital; Ian Grohsgal, Medical Internship at Children’s Hospital and TAP MD, GCHC; Suhel Singh, Internship in Chemical Industry at Bioformix.

Seven Hills Summer Internship Program: “Ready to shape your future and our world?”

“I have had a strong exposure to science for most of my life,” says junior Ian Grohsgal. “My mother is an NIH-funded researcher in cystic fibrosis and nutrition. I often accompanied her to conferences where I was able to see her and other researchers present their ideas. I even participated in my mother’s research by helping to train her postdoctoral fellows on how to implement the treatment protocols with children. All of these experiences led me to believe that scientific inquiry is part of daily life, and they shaped my interests around math and science at an early age.

“I’ve always known I liked math and science— I find it challenging, yet rewarding to solve a difficult problem. When I started to look at colleges, it became apparent that this was my passion. I am not yet sure where this passion will lead me and I am exploring options through the TAP MD program and through my internship this summer in a genomics research lab.

Ian describes another option. “Global warming is the largest scientific issue facing the world today. The scientists who are developing solutions to global warming are on the cutting edge of research and scientific discovery. This is the area of science that I could contribute to as a future scientist.”

Senior Emily Holloway nearly comes out of her seat with excitement as she describes her love of science. “I’m sure I have always had a natural intuition for science but it wasn’t until high school that I really understood that I could succeed at it. Starting sophomore year, when I got my first A in science—that really motivated me. I have the desire to fully understand it and I like to push myself in it. I decided to try AP Biology this year and I absolutely love it. Love it. Love it. I like to ask Mrs. Scarr every single question that I can.” Emily knows that she wants to pursue an interdisciplinary science at Kalamazoo College, and she is investigating neuroscience, combining biology, psychology, chemistry, computer science, math, and medicine. “I know that I want to do something in science that involves interacting with people.” Emily had the opportunity to combine her passion for science with her love for Children’s Hospital when she and classmate Sasha Lieberman were selected to participate in Children’s Hospital’s High School Science Student Symposium in March.

Emily Holloway

Ian Grohsgal


Sophomore Kyle Patel doesn’t rely on the media and politicians to inform him on current events. “I think it’s important for everyone to be aware of what’s actually going on in the world. I use a lot of nonbiased media and take just the facts from different sources and organizations.” His approach to investigating complex issues has served him well in both Model UN and Mock Trial. The latter is based on actual trials, but it gives participants the opportunity to create their own arguments as opposing counsel. The Mock Trial case in Ohio this year dealt with 14th Amendment rights. Kyle is particularly interested in Constitutional law. “You can take the case from so many different angles; there’s no certain way to do it. I’m very interested in the role of the judiciary—making law vs. interpreting the Constitution—and, more recently, the issue of whether the jury has the power to exercise jury nullification.”

Junior Isabel Arjmand stays abreast of global news in The Economist, and recent books she’s read include William Dunham’s Journey Through Genius: The Great Theorems of Mathematics. She has won many honors in math, and while she says, “I never felt passionate about math for the sake of math,” it was evident from an early age that Izzy had a gift for mathematics. “My parents tell me stories about how on car trips when I was about four, they would give me three numbers and teach me to average them.

“I want to find a career that combines math with something that I really feel passionate about.” For Izzy, those areas are healthcare economics and education—specifically, “the uneven distribution of wealth and opportunity in the U.S. and the world.” As her community service project, she tutors first through third graders at John Parker School, and she plans to continue long after her project is finished. “I’m trying to find a summer job where I can teach or tutor kids who are struggling, specifically those in underserved elementary or middle schools.”

She describes the genesis of her passion for economics: “When I was shopping for a needy family whom my family had ‘adopted,’ I started to think about how unfair it was for this family to have so little through no apparent fault of their own. It was an epiphany for me: this was a problem of economics. I had always believed economics—Wall Street and the stock market—was boring. Only recently did I discover that economics is how a society allocates its assets and resources, from jobs to education to healthcare. Suddenly it became incredibly compelling and important. I am interested in discovering how to make greater social and economic justice a reality. I see myself maybe working for either the government or a charitable organization.”

Kyle Patel at Mock Trial

Isabel Arjmand

Kyle Patel


Junior Sarah Austin has no spare time for “fun,” and she never gets to sleep in, but she wouldn’t trade her passion for anything. Sarah has been swimming competitively year-round since age four-and-a-half . In the varsity swim season for Seven Hills this year, she was named MVC Female Swimmer of the Year and S. Ohio Swim League Swimmer of the Year. This followed many months of not being able to swim due to a broken back, specifically a stress fracture of her L5 vertebrae!

It’s for the Mason Manta Rays that Sarah swims competitively year-round. The team swims from the first week of September until the middle of August, taking off one week in April. “During the school year, from November until the first week of February we have practices from 5:30 to 7 in the morning on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and in the afternoon every day from 3:45 to 7. Before November and after February, there are just the afternoon ones from 3:45 to 7. On winter and summer breaks, it’s 7:30 to 11 in the morning and then 3 to 5 in the afternoon every day except Wednesdays which are 10 to 1 and Saturdays which are 7 to 10. It gets up to some 37 hours a week, 22 during the school year.”

This schedule co-exists with a school schedule including four AP classes and one Honors class, in addition to participation in Model UN, Amnesty International, a summer engineering class on alternative energy at Brown University, and a national young leaders conference.

Sarah Austin

Sophomore Olivia Williams spent Tuesday, April 5, barefoot, and so did her professor parents. It was One Day Without Shoes, a nationwide event to spread awareness about millions of children in developing countries who don’t have footwear, and Olivia organized the event at Seven Hills. “I have to do things 100% or not at all,” she said. Olivia is an active member of Seven Hills’ JEDI ( Justice Equity Diversity Inclusivity) Club. “I’m really into making sure that I’m not going to sit around and complain about my politics or my views about the world. I’d rather get out and do [something about] it. In my senior year, I know I’m going to be canvassing for the Democratic candidate because I want to do as much as I can for my future.”

Olivia Williams

For as long as junior Sharon Liao can remember, she has cared deeply about human rights issues. “My parents instilled in me that it’s really important not to think just about yourself. There is a bigger picture. That’s why this year my friend Sarah Austin and I revived the Amnesty International Club at Seven Hills.” Club activities have included studying the genocide in Sri Lanka and spearheading fundraising for Charity: Water, a nonprofit bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. Sharon’s personal outreach includes running a program at her church that sends shoeboxes of toys and supplies to children in Third World countries. Asked about her plans to continue her efforts, she said, “Definitely. I told Mrs. Marrs that I want to go to a college where the students are as passionate as they are here about social justice issues.”

Sharon Liao

Sarah understates, “I’ve learned a lot of time management.” She also cites hard work ethic and competitive spirit (“It’s like chasing your dreams”) as practical things she’s gained from swimming. Describing the passion itself is more elusive. “I don’t know how to explain it, but in the water, I feel that it’s where I should be. Swimming is my thing.”


“I’m a very opinionated person,” junior Kaleb Brill says. “I feel very strongly, and on things I feel strongly about, I try to make my stance clear, very understandable.” Kaleb is clear about his long-standing passion for environmentalism and preserving nature. For his Planet and Me two-quarter project in Environmental Science class, he is “tackling agricultural sustainability in the U. S. and environmental ramifications and repercussions of the agricultural techniques that we use for mostly large scale farming—fertilizer used, the denitrification of soil, ground and surface water, eutrophication, soil quality depletion. In addition, talking about genetically-modified food, health benefits of organic as opposed to GM crops, etc.” Kaleb’s project includes consulting with his uncle, an entrepreneur who is working to diversify the produce available to consumers in China, and discussing agricultural practices with farmers at local farmers’ markets. Kaleb was selected to participate in the three-week world leadership course in Environmental Science at the University of California Berkeley this summer. Sponsored by AYUSA World Leaders, the prestigious program selects only 25 students from the U.S. and 25 from other countries.

“He showed a clip of the melting of the ice from 1979 to 2008, and it just shocked me. I didn’t think it was that drastic. I thought, ‘Wow, I really need to do something.’

Michael became active in the volunteer and leadership programs of the Zoo’s Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW), a world leader in polar bear research. CREW selected Michael to participate in the Polar Bears International Teen Leadership Camp last October in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, the polar bear capital of the world. Michael was able to observe polar bears in the wild and learn firsthand about climate change from renowned scientists.

That experience fueled his commitment, and he never looked back. He particularly remembers the effect on him of looking down only a few feet into the eyes of a polar bear. “It ignited the passion inside of me. There was a strange connection. It’s hard to explain.” It became Michael’s mission. Reflecting back on that moment, he said, “I’m happy I’ve done something but I want to do more. I hope this will be a permanent part of my life.” Looking into the eyes of a polar bear

Junior Michael Young doesn’t remember a time when he didn’t love bears, especially polar bears. This love led to his creation with classmates Jack Tyndall and Daniel McKinnon and his father Craig Young of the environmental action website MyActions.org, which recently was a finalist in a bi-national contest sponsored by Polar Bears International. MyActions.org was one of four finalists among 42 teams from the U.S. and Canada (see page 24).

Michael traces his transition from love of bears and the outdoors to activism for bears and the environment to a presentation at the Cincinnati Zoo by Andrew Fore of Polar Bears International.

Michael Young

Kaleb Brill


My passion for sewing By: Courtney LinneJunior Courtney Linne is a gifted artist and she also excels in science, but there is no doubt about where Courtney’s passion lies.

I discovered my passion for sewing in kindergarten after I complained to my grandmother that my Ariel Halloween costume was put together incorrectly: the tail was in the front, and it was two-dimensional. (I knew that tails were, in fact, three-dimensional and they were in the back—everyone knew that.) My grandmother explained to me that this problem could be fixed: we would simply create a three-dimensional tail and sew it to the back of the costume and I would look exactly like The Little

Mermaid. My grandmother showed me how to put the two-dimensional pieces together to make a three-dimensional tail. I was fascinated, and from then on, the Linne family made its own Halloween costumes. At first, only my mother and grandmother did any actual sewing, but then, in third grade, Santa brought me a wonderful surprise: a brand new Babylock sewing machine that needed no foot pedals! I was so excited. Finally I could sew on my own without the sewing machine running away with me and sewing the seams too quickly.

We still make our own Halloween costumes, but my passion for sewing has expanded. Now, many of my dresses and skirts (and a few tops) are made by hand, and my two biggest projects yet, reproductions of Queen Elizabeth I’s Coronation Gown and the Moy Gown, occupy a large portion of my room. My interest in sewing has introduced me to other crafts as well, like pattern drafting, dyeing, and soldering, and it has introduced me to sewing styles from other countries.

Sewing interests me because it is the solution to making something two-dimensional fit a three-dimensional person. I love mentally taking apart a garment and making an image of its “net” (the two-dimensional “blueprint” of a three dimensional shape; in sewing this is called a pattern) in my imagination. This is why the Japanese patterns were so interesting: although the garments had as many as ten individual seams, they were cut from one piece of fabric. After researching Queen Elizabeth I’s Coronation Gown, I have come to love “dating”

different parts of a garment—identifying what time in history they originated and appreciating how the style was reinvented. I now approach this process backwards: how can I reinvent this gown in the painting I’m viewing to create something that I would be comfortable wearing in public?

For me, sewing is a meditative process. No longer do I think about sewing a straight seam or lining up the fabric correctly, but instead, I think about things that happened that day or plan my newest project.

I think that sewing is a valuable skill. It teaches patience, ingenuity, and problem solving. Now, I have learned that when I have a problem: say, I cut out a pattern piece incorrectly by laying it wrong-side down, and now the pattern is on the back, I know that I can keep going and with a little tweaking, I can make a garment that looks, as Diane Kruer would say, “like I meant to do that.”

Although I do not know where my interest in sewing will lead me, I know that it will always be a part of my life.


At lunchtime, on her free bells, in her spare time—anytime she isn’t in class—senior Leah Ransohoff-Englert can be found in one of Upper’s art studios. “I’ve always been drawing.” While she likes other media—metal sculpture, pottery, photography—drawing is her passion, and her sketchbook is ever present to record her latest drawing or an interesting quote from class or a feeling. The sketchbook is densely filled, one sketch per page, and she goes through two each semester. “I feel like I can draw anything. It takes a while for me to be happy with it. It takes a couple of times. Once I get that, it’s really, really good. It’s enough to do it for myself.” About the college process, she said, “I knew I wanted to be an artist so I started looking at liberal arts colleges with really strong art programs, but then I realized that all I wanted to do there was art.” Leah will be attending the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Leah Ransohoff-EnglertJunior Linnea Head describes herself as “a passionate person,” and it would be difficult to disagree. She has big dreams and she is looking forward to realizing them with characteristic enthusiasm. “I don’t know if you can be passionate about learning but that’s what my biggest passion is. I love foreign language so much because I get to communicate with people and you learn so much about other cultures and different perspectives. This year I’m obsessed with American history. You learn so much about how humans are.” Linnea is taking French III and Spanish I this year, and she wants to learn Italian on her own. “I want to travel the whole world. I want to learn every language! My interest in traveling and foreign language and history and learning—it’s all about being around people. At Seven Hills we’re very privileged to have this conception that we are the future and we can improve each other. That’s what I love about our sense of community—we have the idea that it’s normal to want to help other people.”

Linnea HeadSeven Hills audiences wouldn’t be surprised to learn that senior Chris Clark, a member of the May Festival Youth Chorus, will pursue a career in singing, but until recently, that had not been Chris’ plan for his future. “I’ve been singing my whole life but I was planning to major in International Business and Spanish because I wanted to travel for my job. Then I went to see South Pacific at the Aronoff and after that, it hit me: I can do this.” He called Lynne Miller, who is now his voice teacher, about making an audition video, due at colleges a month later. “Lynne gave me my first song which was “Zueignung” by Richard Strauss. I sang it and just fell in love with it. I feel that classical singing is me. I feel more of a drive to master what I’m doing now. Each day I’m learning something different. This is more than singing just to be singing, which is what I was doing before.” His newfound passion has became a clear goal. “I’m hoping to get a Master’s, if not a Doctorate, in opera and hopefully go abroad again to live in Italy or France or Germany. I want to sing in opera houses, then come back, when I’m ready, and be a teacher.” Chris will attend the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music.

Chris Clark


“I started with chess in third grade. My teacher recommended me for a Super Saturday program,” says junior Alex Markovits. “My options were either pottery or chess. I liked games so I went with chess.” By fifth grade Alex was competing with adults in chess tournaments. For the past few years, he has joined Grandmaster Gregory Kaidanov and other grandmasters and masters at tournaments in putting on “simuls,” in which they each play up to 40 students at once, moving quickly from board to board. Last summer Alex achieved the title of National Master, held by less than one percent of tournament chess players.

Chess mastery involves a great deal of study. “You have to know your openings, memorize 20 new lines—like a ton of them—20 moves in a row and they all branch out [depending on your opponent’s moves]. You have to know your ideas

“Science and math play a large role in my life,” says junior Jonathan Tiao. “I enjoy science because it is both interesting and applicable to daily life. Studies like chemistry and biology will be useful to me in future professions where I can do something interesting and help improve lives. I’m not sure if I will go into medicine (right now I’m strongly considering engineering), but it is very plausible that I end up a doctor one day, in either research or practice.”

Jonathan got firsthand research experience as a student worker last summer in the Genome Research Institute under Dr. Patrick Tso. Jonathan was the only high school student in the lab. “Working with two technicians in the lab was an incredible experience. Among many things, I learned how to

behind why you play each move. You can study tactics, force lines, etc. I’m looking still to improve my game and I would like to make—maybe in college—International Master, which is the next step. That would be hard, but I feel like I can do it with a lot of study.”

Asked about a future career, Alex laughs, “Chess is definitely my forte, and it isn’t exactly a useful thing, but I feel that people waste time on much less useful things. Chess definitely promotes thinking and problem solving, and ‘studies have shown’ that it helps kids in grade school tremendously.” Alex has seen great results with the students he coaches in chess at Oyler Elementary and Terrace Park Elementary.

“Chess is really fun! It’s not nearly as hard as people make it out to be. You can pick it up quickly. If anyone wants to learn, I would be more than happy to help!”

Alex Markovits at a “simul”

conduct assays measuring levels of phospholipids, cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose. I also learned how to collect blood from mice and how they are used in research. I attended staff meetings at which various scientists would present their Ph.D. papers and latest research topics and discuss them with the head researchers, some of whom are at the top of their field worldwide.

“My summer job taught me how a research lab works and gave me further insight into the scientific method and how it is applied to everyday life. It was a great experience, and I plan to work there again this summer. I hope to be able to contribute more because I am older and more experienced.”

Jonathan Tiao

Alex Markovits


well and creating ideas; it’s about feeling what you’re playing, backing up each other, building on each other’s ideas. Part of that is understanding each other. I think once we learned how to think as a group, once we felt as if we had a common goal, we really connected to each other.

Joe’s description of the indescribable—his experience of playing jazz—seems to mirror jazz itself. “What matters are your ideas and the way you string them together. It’s hard to put into words. If you’re starting from scratch and haven’t prepared anything, sometimes you fiddle around and you let that idea take you places. Maybe I can turn simple notes into a mutation of an idea, play the same thing but change the key slightly, fiddle around with it. It’s sort of like a stream of consciousness. That simple idea might lead you to something else. It might be connected and it might not

A classical pianist since age seven, senior Joe Soonthornsawad described his path to jazz. “In ninth grade I thought that coming to the jazz band would be incredible but I felt sort of mute—I couldn’t get across the same ideas, play as well as I did in classical music. I remember just watching Aaron Tami play and wishing that one year I could be like that. In tenth grade, Gilbert Pasquale, out of nowhere, asked me, ‘I’m starting a little group. Do you want to join it?’ I said, ‘¥eah, it sounds like a great idea,’ and in the back of my head, I had like no confidence in it at all. I didn’t think I could play jazz and no one else was very able either. And, as it turned out, well, we weren’t very good. I remember we played some version of ‘Autumn Leaves,’ and it was so weak, very mechanical, but at the time we were very proud of it because we pulled it all together.

“The members of the jazz band didn’t really know each other well but through music—fighting for that common goal to understand jazz—we became closer as friends and better as musicians. Realizing it’s not even about playing

Joe Soonthornsawad

be. It’s about what you’re understanding at the moment. I think the best moments are when everyone locks around an idea. You can be repeating a line or idea and everyone else follows you down that same path. There’s a continuity of ideas, a single mindedness as a group. Those are the most special moments.”

Joe isn’t interested in pursuing music as a career, though he might do a double major at Carlton College. “I’m interested in the humanities—psychology, sociology, philosophy, international relations. I just want to figure out what’s going on in the world and get further understanding. We talk about human nature without really understanding it. Even music can help further that understanding. I’m interested in putting all those pieces together. I know it’s not possible to come up with an answer, but I’m going to try.”


Melody Sawyer Richardson’s passion for art has wide-reaching impact

When seeking out alumni who have followed their passions, one would be hard-pressed to find anyone more appropriate for that description than is Melody Sawyer Richardson C ’61.

Melody’s most recent achievement—being elected to serve as Board Chair of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra—is the current manifestation of a life devoted to the love and advancement of the arts.

“It really began in my home as a child. I was raised amid art and music and attended my first opera at the age of three,” she said. During her early school age years, Melody was exposed to the Symphony through school visits, and as an upper school student at CPS, she was a four-year member of musical groups Triple Trio and the Glee Club. As Melody tells it, “Melanie Maddox Hunt—a classmate— encouraged me to [join her and] take the History of Art course taught by Renate Farmer.” Other alumnae have extolled the virtues of both Ms. Farmer and this particular class as being “a life-altering…introduction to beauty,” “comprehensive course…that exposed us to the ‘magic of art.’” In Melody’s case, she describes it simply as “the pivotal turning point…that, once I really studied [the subject], solidified my love of art.” In a March 1999 profile in the Cincinnati Enquirer highlighting Melody among its annual Women of the Year came this quote: “Arts touch my soul, and I think it’s terribly important. So that’s my path.”

Melody’s love of art has now come full circle and is evident daily at Seven Hills in a way that helped launch our Upper School visual and performing arts program beyond any “dream” of those in the department. Melody was a key contributor to the School’s fundraising campaign that delivered the Donovan Arts Center to the Hillsdale campus. The Melody Sawyer Richardson Lobby is more than the focal point of welcome to the Center; it has evolved into a dynamic exhibit gallery, a primary social venue for alumni reunions, and is the epicenter for Seven Hills’ annual Coffee House arts extravaganza.

Beyond the bounds of Seven Hills, Melody has become synonymous with leadership in the community at large and especially in the arts community of Greater Cincinnati,

Melody Sawyer Richardson (center) with Claudia Gilmore Cummings H ’61 and Lynn Jarvis Carlisle H ’62 at The Seven Hills School Alumni Art Show in May, 2010.

as well as on the national stage. Among the many organizations to which she has generously contributed time, treasure and talent are the Cincinnati Symphony (current Chair of the Board), the Cincinnati Ballet (trustee emeritus and former Board Chair), the Cincinnati Opera (trustee and Chair of 90th Anniversary Cabinet last year), the Cincinnati Arts Festival (Board Chair), the Contemporary Arts Center Capital Campaign, the May Festival, the International Sculpture Center and the U.S. Department of State Fine Arts Committee of the Diplomatic Reception Rooms; Board Member Town Hall Advisory Committee, New York; and Board Member National Foundation for the Advancement in the Arts. Melody has just been asked to be a Shareholder of the Cincinnati Art Museum.

She will always be remembered for Chairing the Big Pig Gig in 2000 when 520 decorated fiberglass pigs were seen around town for a public art project that delighted all, and at the end of the day, contributed a lot of money to the arts and other charities when these creatures were auctioned off.

In Melody’s words, “I have thoroughly enjoyed my ‘immersion’ in the arts world, both locally and beyond, and I eagerly look forward to more. What’s clear to me is the fundamental part CPS (now Seven Hills) played in igniting this lifelong journey. I know their phenomenal arts program will continue to inspire today’s students to follow their passions.”

“Locavore wonder chef ” Julie Francis


If your menu choices include the following:

Hill Farm Chicken, Achiote rubbed, local sweet potato chipotle mash, New Mexico

red chile, red onion and orange salad and

Foster Farm Duck Breast, Du Puy lentils, local parsnips, ginger orange gastric,

and pear chutney,

you are enjoying the creative and authentic dining experience of Nectar restaurant, located on Mt. Lookout Square. The owner and, in the words of one reviewer, “locavore wonder chef of Nectar, one of Cincinnati’s top restaurants,” is Julie Francis ’81.

Nectar is renowned for contemporary seasonal cuisine using as many local and organic products as possible. The restaurant’s website states, “Our small changing menu and wine list reflect the best of the season prepared with a French Mediterranean flair. We are committed to supporting a healthy, sustainable approach to enjoying good food.” The menus include thanks to 12 local farms and producers.

Julie Francis’ career journey to Nectar includes 20 years of experience in such positions as line cook, butcher, saucier, sous chef, chef de cuisine, and executive chef. Highlights of her career include working at Mark Miller’s esteemed Coyote Cafe in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and as stagier at Montrachet in New York City, one of the county’s leading French restaurants.

In 1997, as chef of the Galileo Inn in Santa Fe, Julie was chosen as one of 25 national semifinalists in the Cervena

Plates Cuisine Competition, a contest to create and sell Cervena Venison on one’s menu. Her entry of Chimayo Chile Rubbed Venison with Roasted Baby Beets, Chive Corn Cakes, and Cactus Vinaigrette won her a trip to New York City, where she “met top chefs, dined at wonderful restaurants, and experienced NYC,” she said. It was a significant point in her career.

“The passion I have for being a chef and restaurant owner, I think, comes from the love of creating something that I enjoy (delicious food),” she said. “Sharing that with others is also part of the passion.

“The enjoyment of food with family was a starting point for this. My parents became appreciatative of food and wine when I was younger, through their travels. So, as a family, we always enjoyed this. My grandmother and aunt were raised in the country, and they cooked a lot using farm produce and making dishes that are traditional to this area.”

As significant experiences in her career, Julie cites “living in the Southwestern U.S. and being exposed to different styles of food (Mexican, ‘California cuisine’) and working in many small, chef-owned restaurants where the creativity for the menu came from the chef. Significant people would be all the chefs I worked for and learned from along the way, and working with Deborah Madison at the Santa Fe Farmers Market on a demo of spring pea soup.”

Julie’s joy in pursuing her passion is evident in the extraordinary cuisine she creates in her cozy, neighborhood restaurant. “The satisfaction of my work is meeting all the farmers and food artisans, who produce the wonderful raw materials for our dishes at the restaurant, and connecting with the guests on how they are enjoying the end results.

“My ongoing pursuit, or passion, is to be more involved with bringing real food, raised without chemicals and GMO’S into the mainstream.Educating people about how food is raised is important so people can reject the widespread use of these dangerous practices and chemicals.”

At the hands of “locavore wonder chef ” Julie Francis, it is a highly pleasurable education at Nectar.

Andy Sokatch ’88 is committed to ensuring an excellent education for all children in our country through his work for Teach for America. We submitted questions to Andy and he shared with us his journey to make this passion his life’s work.

I work as the Vice President for Research at a nonprofit educational organization called Teach For America. Our organization is dedicated to ensuring that one day all children in this nation will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education. In my job, I am trying to better understand what the best teachers do that differentiates them from their less effective peers so that we can help more teachers to make real differences in the lives of the children they teach.

When I graduated from college, I thought I wanted to be a professor of English Literature. I also wanted to spend a year living in a big city and working with children (I had spent three of my college summers working at the Lotspeich day camp).

To that end, I moved to New York City, got a job teaching second and third grade at an excellent independent school, and worked on graduate school applications. The next fall I began a Ph.D. in Literature.

Within 10 weeks, I knew I had made a mistake—I missed the big city, and I missed thinking about K-12 education. I quit grad school and moved back to NYC to teach seventh and eighth grade in a public school in the South Bronx through the then-very-new Teach For America program.

It was seeing firsthand the horrifying difference between what the wealthiest and poorest New Yorkers were getting in terms of schooling that set me on my path.

It’s now been about 17 years since that first day at I.S. 52, and I have never looked back. I knew, from the first moment, that I would be spending my career working to make sure more children in the Bronx, and neighborhoods like it across this country, had access to the kind of education that I had been lucky enough to receive at Seven Hills and privileged to provide as a teacher at the Brearley School in Manhattan.


That mission led me back to graduate school to earn a Ph.D. in Social Policy and Children’s Welfare and to serve for the past 10 years as the internal research person at educational nonprofits dedicated to eradicating the achievement gap between wealthy and poor communities across the country.

I am motivated by the belief that it was sheer luck of being born where and when I was born that ensured I got an excellent education and a sense that I therefore bear the responsibility to help others have access to the same sorts of opportunities that I had, regardless of the specific zip codes in which they were born. Becoming a father has only served to further my passion for this work—everyone has dreams for their kids and it is my honor and privilege to get to make my living trying to make sure that more children have a chance to see these dreams become a reality.

There is much work to do—we aren’t there yet—or even close—but there is no other work that feels more important to me or in which I would rather be engaged.

Working to ensure an excellent education for all of our nation’s children

Combining passion for medicine with desire to serve the less fortunate


Meera Kotagal is finishing her second year of surgical residency in general surgery at the University of Washington.

I always knew I wanted to be a doctor, even though I can’t remember a moment when I made that decision. As I went through high school and college, I tried to figure out how medicine would help me to address the social inequities I had become exposed to, both in the U.S. and abroad. As I spent time abroad, in India working with street children and in Chile studying abroad, I started to see providing medical care in these resource-limited settings as a way to link my passion for medicine with my desire to serve those less fortunate than I.

I have been incredibly fortunate in my personal and academic lives to have great mentors—people who could understand my passions, relate to my vision and encourage me along the way. Prior to starting medical school, I had the great fortune to meet Paul Farmer, who has become an invaluable mentor and advocate for me throughout my career to this point. [Editor note: Paul Farmer is the subject of the book, Mountains Beyond

Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure the World, by Tracy Kidder.] My friendship with Paul led me to become involved with Partners In Health (PIH), a non-profit based out of Boston that works in resource-limited settings in the United States and abroad to provide comprehensive medical care, while working in solidarity with communities to improve their circumstances.

During medical school, I took a year off to spend time working in Rwanda for Partners In Health. In many ways, this year was transformative to me. I showed myself that I could walk the walk—that I didn’t just think I wanted to work as a physician in resource-limited settings, but that I actually could do it and really love

By Meera Kotagal, M.D. ’99

the practice of it, not just the theory.

During that year, I worked at a rural health center, about three hours from Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, helping a staff of nurses serve a community of approximately 20,000 people. I lived at the boundaries of my personal and professional comfort zone, but I learned a tremendous amount, both about medicine in rural, tropical settings, but also about the resources and infrastructure desperately needed in settings such as rural Rwanda.

I absolutely love my work, and I think that matters more than anything. Surgical residency is challenging, and at times exhausting, but it is always worth it because I know exactly why I’m becoming a surgeon. More than anything, I think that you have to find what you love in life and make that your job.

I suspect I might be one of the few Seven Hills alums who when asked, “What was your favorite thing about high school?” would answer: Monday morning assembly!

My enjoyment stemmed not so much from the predictable announcements about club pizza sales, scheduling changes, and college acceptances, as from the fact that, along with Thursday morning assembly, these were the only times each week that the entire school was together in one place.

Even though most students were still rubbing the sleep from their eyes when the bell rang at 8:13AM, for me the prospect of a single room filled with the energy, humor, and brainpower of 300 students and teachers never failed to make my heart beat faster.

I remember, as a freshman, sitting in the front of the Upper School Commons watching the senior co-presidents, Charlie Black (’00) and Jonathan Kay (’00), conduct the morning assemblies.

Their role, I felt, was about so much more than just calling on people. It entailed feeling the mood of the room, helping set the right tone, creating a rhythm and flow.

As a starry-eyed freshman, I saw the position of senior class president as being like an orchestra conductor or an air traffic controller. Moods become contagious. A sense of purpose becomes collective. Actions reverberate.

I wanted to play that small role in helping get everyone’s school week started off right, and three years later, I was privileged to get to do so.

Fast-forward a decade and I am very excited to be a candidate for Cincinnati City Council.I have worked hard to be a dutiful student of the challenges facing our City, and I believe I have good ideas for moving Cincinnati forward.

While smart policies are, of course, pivotal in politics, my interest in public office is as much motivated by the same thing that got me excited as a freshman sitting in morning assemblies: the potential for genuine leadership.

Too often today, the media seems to suggest that our societal agenda-setters are the people who talk the most or talk the loudest.

I absorbed a different lesson in Mrs. Greenwald’s second grade classroom, in Mrs. Yancey’s eighth grade English classroom, and in Mr. Turansky’s tenth grade history classroom: We learn more by opening our ears than by opening our mouth.

In that spirit, I believe Seven Hills helped teach me the single skill most essential to leadership and yet most often missing: the ability to really and truly listen.

Indeed, senior class presidents actually talk very little during morning assembly. The key was knowing when and how and what to say. And that is only done by listening very closely and very carefully.

An education in leadership

After his 2003 graduation from Seven Hills, P.G. Sittenfeld attended Princeton University, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude, and earned a Marshall Scholarship for graduate school at Oxford University in England. P.G. now works as the Assistant Director of The Community Learning Center Institute, and he is an active volunteer with the United Way, Freestore Foodbank, Chamber of Commerce, and Faith-Community Alliance. He says, “My passion has always been to make a difference in my hometown — to help make Cincinnati the best city it can be.” P.G. is currently a candidate for Cincinnati City Council, his first run for public office. www.VotePG.com

By P.G. Sittenfeld ’03

School News

For many more honors and activities, see the online Seven Hills Buzz at www.7hills.org>Welcome>Seven Hills Publications.


All of Seven Hills’ 11 semifinalists in the 2011 National Merit Scholarship Program have qualified as finalists. These 11 represent 16% of the senior class. This continues a tradition for Seven Hills of having top percentages of semifinalists in the senior class among area schools.

Seven Hills’ National Merit finalists are Chase Atherton, Julianne Bain, Gabriel Blanco, Justine Cefalu, Peppar Cyr, Elisse Hill, Victoria Huang, Sasha Lieberman, Nathan Markiewitz, Haleigh Monaco, and Mia Perlman. In addition, Elisse Hill qualified as a National Achievement finalist.

All 11 National Merit semifinalists qualify as finalists

(Front) Peppar Cyr, Julianne Bain, Elisse Hill, Sasha Lieberman; Chase Atherton, Justine Cefalu, Mia Perlman, Haleigh Monaco, Victoria Huang, Nathan Markiewitz, Gabriel Blanco.

A team of five Seven Hills students took top honors in the state on the 2011 OCTM (Ohio Council of Teachers of Mathematics) competition. The Seven Hills team placed first in the state among schools the size of Seven Hills and 14th in the state among 98 schools of all sizes. Individually, freshman Brian Hu tied for eighth highest scorer in the state, and junior Isabel Arjmand tied for 20th highest scorer in the state. Other team members were juniors Ian Grohsgal, Alex Markovits, and Jonathan Tiao. These five students qualified for the Ohio High School Mathematics Invitational Olympiad at Capital University.

Four of those students traveled to Columbus over spring break for the OHMIO competition which consisted of two individual tests and a made-on-the-spot team competition. Ian Grohsgal was a member of the third place team, and Alex Markovits was a member of the fifth place team.

First in the state on Ohio Council of Teachers of Math competition

(Front) Ian Grohsgal, Brian Hu, Jonathan Tiao, Isabel Arjmand; Alex Markovits

School News


The Seven Hills School has awarded 2011 Frederick Hauck Scholarships in Math and Science to juniors Izzy Arjmand and Ian Grohsgal; freshman Benjamin Sorscher; eighth grader Jules Baretta; seventh graders Abigail Clark and Andrei Savu; sixth graders Samantha Eng and Daniel Grass.

World-renowned nuclear scientist and philanthropist Frederick A. Hauck established the Hauck Scholarships at Seven Hills in 1983

2011 Frederick Hauck Scholarships in Math and Science

(Front) Samantha Eng, Daniel Grass, Andrei Savu, Abigail Clark; Jules Barettta, Benjamin Sorscher, Ian Grohsgal, and Izzy Arjmand.

to recognize students who are demonstrating outstanding achievement and commitment in mathematics and/or science.

Winning students entering grades 9-12 receive a one-year scholarship of $1,000 to be applied to the 2011-2012 tuition at Seven Hills Upper School. Winning students entering grades 7-8 receive a grant of $250 to be applied to tuition in an approved summer enrichment program.

Seven Hills’ Junior State of America ( JSA) members met Speaker of the House John Boehner in his office on their trip to the JSA Winter Congress in Washington, DC. JSA members who participated in the Winter Congress were (seated) Anu Vora, Sara Hodgkins, Suhel Singh, Sasha Lieberman; (standing) Gabriel Blanco, Kate Harsh, Virgil Urbina Lazardi, Conrad Jacober, and advisor Jen Faber.

Junior State of America

School News

The Upper School honored its new inductees in the Seven Hills chapter of the Cum Laude Society, a national honor society which recognizes academic excellence, at the Cum Laude Dinner April 13. New members are juniors Izzy Arjmand, Emily Bedell, Alex Ferree, Sharon Liao, Alex Markovits, Ian Grohsgal; seniors Julianne Bain, Jeff Brown, Helen Head, Elisse Hill, Victoria Huang, Ari Kirsh, Nathan Markiewitz, George Taliaferro, and Virgil Urbina Lazardi. The event also honored the members who were inducted last year as juniors: Justine Cefalu, Peppar Cyr, Sydney Larkin, Sasha Lieberman, and George Taliaferro. Guest speaker was P.G. Sittenfeld ’03.

Head of School Chris Garten said, “Modeled after Phi Beta Kappa at the college level, the Cum Laude Society recognizes academic excellence in some of this country’s most prestigious high schools. Membership is strictly limited to schools with exemplary academic programs, and Seven Hills is one of just a handful in Ohio. Induction today means that these students are being recognized as among the best of the best in secondary education in the nation.”

It’s a tradition at the event for faculty members of the Cum Laude Committee to address each new member with remarks compiled from quotes from the student’s teachers. Those remarks are in the online Seven Hills Buzz.

Congratulations to new members of Cum Laude Society

(Front) Sharon Liao, Helen Head, Julianne Bain; Victoria Huang, Elisse Hill, Emily Bedell, Izzy Arjmand; Nathan Markiewitz, Ian Grohsgal, Alex Markovits, Virgil Urbina Lazardi, and Ari Kirsh. Not pictured are Jeff Brown, Alex Ferree, and George Taliaferro.

We received word from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation that 24 of the 60 members of the Class of 2012—or 40% of the class—will earn National Merit recognition in 2011-2012!

Congratulations to the following students, who qualified for recognition with their scores on the 2010 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test and who met the requirements of the program: Harrison Addy, Izzy Arjmand, Sarah Austin, Alex Baggott, Bennett Barr, Emily Bedell, Claire Duncan, Alex Ferree, Ryan Ferrell, Ian Grohsgal, Broti Gupta, Kate Harsh, Betsy Johnson, Ginger Johnson, Olivia Koster, George Lawson, Sharon Liao, Courtney Linne, Alex Markovits, Sam McHugh, Adair McWilliams, Allie Scheiber, Jonathan Tiao, and Ned Williamson.

40% of Class of 2012 to receive National Merit recognition!

Seniors Katie Cromer and Joe Soonthornsawad are among 650 students nationally who have been selected by the U.S. Department of State to study a foreign language abroad for six weeks this summer. The State Department’s National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) provides full scholarships to U.S. high school students and recent graduates interested in learning “less-commonly-studied foreign languages.” Katie was selected to study Chinese and live with a host family in Shanghai, and Joe was selected to study Turkish and live with a host family in Istanbul.

Two seniors selected by State Department to study in China

See the Seven Hills Buzz at www.7hills.org>Welcome>Seven Hills Publications for news of our students’ honors in chemistry, Latin, foreign languages, college scholarships, and more.


School News

Wynne Curry, Susan Marrs

Two members of Seven Hills’ college counseling team—Director of College Counseling Susan Marrs and College Counselor Wynne Curry (H’ 71)—have been invited to be featured experts for a new education column that will be syndicated nationwide, starting in March, across numerous high-profile media outlets, including Huffington Post, AOL, Yahoo!, Wall Street Journal on Campus, and McGraw-Hill Education. Geared toward answering the questions of college-bound high school students and parents, the weekly series is being produced by Unigo.com, the Web’s largest resource for student-generated college reviews,“providing accurate, up-to-date information about the world’s most popular and competitive colleges,” as well as expert information about the college admission process.

Unigo founder & CEO Jordan Goldman wrote to the counselors, “We are inviting you to become our featured experts because we admire your career and commitment to student success, and we would like to provide you with the opportunity to share your wisdom with a national audience.”

Seven Hills School college counselors serve as experts for nationally-syndicated column


Titcomb Fund 2011 grant recipients

Natalie Wildfong, Genny Serrano, Terry Betts, Karen Martin

The following faculty are recipients of 2011 grants from the Miriam Titcomb Fund.

Doherty school nurse Terry Betts received a grant to participate in a medical mission trip to Guatemala June 24—July 3. She will be serving alongside her daughter, Amy (’07), who will go as a Spanish interpreter. The mission trip is organized by Caring Partners International.

Lotspeich kindergarten teacher Karen Martin received a grant for her project, “Konnichiwa (Good Afternoon), Japan!” She will participate in a June 16—28 cultural tour of Japan led by Brennan Hill, Professor Emeritus from Xavier University. (Note: The trip was cancelled due to the conditions in Japan.)

Receptionist and Admission Assistant Genny Serrano received a grant for her project, “Bridging the Gap of Two Families and Cultures.” She and her young daughter will travel to El Salvador to visit her husband Luis and his family and to learn about the El Salvadoran culture for two weeks this summer.

Lotspeich science teacher Natalie Wildfong received a grant for her project, “Conservation Through Indigenous People.” She will travel to Guyana in South America for ten days this summer to work with indigenous people and to learn about the “traditional ecological knowledge of the Makushi and the potential of local wisdom to guide conservation initiatives.” She is earning her Master’s degree in global education with a focus in the biological sciences, and the trip is one of three she is taking through the Global Field Program of Miami University and the Cincinnati Zoo.


School News: Winter Sports

The gymnastics team met its season goals and placed sixth at the city meet. One gymnast captured First Place in the All-Around competition at the District Gymnastics Meet and competed at state where she placed 31st All-Around.

At the MVC Meet, the varsity boys swim team captured the MVC title, one swimmer was league champion in the 500-yard freestyle event, and the 400-yard freestyle relay team set a new school record. At the sectionals, one swimmer qualified for districts in both the 200 and 500 freestyle events, and the relay team competed in the district meet in both the 200 medley relay and the 200 free relay. The 200 free relay team broke a ten-year-old school record.

At the MVC Meet, the varsity girls swim team finished second, one swimmer placed first in both the 200 IM and the 500 yard freestyle, and she was named MVC Female Swimmer of the Year and SOSL Swimmer of the Year. The relay team finished first in the 200 medley relay and the 400 freestyle relay. At districts, the 200 medley relay team finished eighth. This team also placed 10th in the 400 freestyle relay. In individual events, results included one swimmer finishing second in the 500 freestyle and fourth in the 200 IM events, qualifying her to compete at the state meet, where she finished 11th in the 200 yard IM and fifth in the 500-yard freestyle event.

Seven Hills had an outstanding winter sports season with boys swimming winning the MVC (second time in school history), a female swimmer and a gymnast each competing at state, an All-League Player of the Year and District (Div. IV) Player and Coach of the Year in boys basketball, a Swimmer of the Year in the MVC and the Southern Ohio Swim League, and boys basketball playing in the district finals. City and state honors have not been announced by our presstime.

For detailed reports and individual honors in the winter sports season, see the March 7, 2011, issue of the Seven Hills Buzz at www.7hills.org>Welcome>Seven Hills Publications.

The boys varsity basketball team had a 10-10 regular season record. The Stingers were #2 seed in the sectional tournament where they won against Hillcrest (Coach Willie Hill’s 100th win!), then won 48-39 against CCDS to capture the sectional title! The Stingers lost in the district finals to Dayton Jefferson, the defending state champion.

The girls varsity basketball team had an 11-10 record, including two wins over CHCA, and the team placed third in the league. The team was #4 seed in the district tournament where they defeated Lockland 53-28 in the first round and lost to Southeastern 48-44 in the sectional semifinals.

The varsity cheerleading team did a great job of leading Stinger Spirit. Off-court activities included in a United Cheerleading Association private camp and doing volunteer work together at Bethany House.

The Middle School girls basketball team culminated its 2010-11 season winning the MVC A Division championship game versus CHCA 37-31. The seventh and eighth graders defeated both the number one and two seeded teams in their quest to become league champions. The team’s overall record was 14-3.

Max Davis Photo credit: Keith Neu

Alex Wilt Photo credit: Keith Neu

School News


Three juniors are responsible for an environmental action website whose results are reaching as far as the Arctic, and their efforts earned them a trip to San Diego for behind-the-scenes tours of the San Diego Zoo and Sea World as a finalist in a bi-national contest sponsored by Polar Bears International.

Michael Young, Jack Tyndall, and Daniel McKinnon created, with the assistance of adult advisor Craig Young, the environmental action website MyActions.org. The site encourages people worldwide to track the environmental impact of their actions and train themselves to develop environmentally sustainable habits. In the months since its launch, the group has made numerous presentations to organizations and individuals encouraging them to develop new habits with far-reaching environmental impact.

Michael, Jack, and Daniel were known as team Care Bears in the contest sponsored by Polar Bears International. Project Polar Bear challenged teens to create community projects that reduce carbon emissions to lessen global warming and, therefore, protect the polar bear’s Arctic habitat.

Juniors create environmental action website MyActions.org

The Care Bears with team advisor Craig Young.

Jack Tyndall, Michael Young, and Daniel McKinnon with Thane Maynard.

Thane Maynard, Director of the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens (a Polar Bears International Arctic Ambassador Center), came to Seven Hills on February 24 to honor the juniors as regional winners in the PBI contest. International finalists were announced on March 5, and the Care Bears team was one of only four finalists out of 42 teams in the U.S. and Canada who headed to San Diego on April 28.

The project including MyActions.org grew from Michael Young’s lifelong passion for polar bears and his participation in the Polar Bears International Teen Leadership Camp in October in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, the polar bear capital of the world. See page 9.

This is just the beginning, as the boys already have plans to work with the City of Cincinnati and others throughout the summer and beyond to continue encouraging people to reduce carbon emissions.

School News

Arctic scientist George Divoky, whose 40-year research on seabirds on a remote barrier island adjacent to the arctic pack ice has garnered international attention, spent January 26 at Seven Hills. His day included meetings with classes of seventh grade science, ninth grade biology, and Environmental Science, as well as the evening community presentation, “The Polar Bear at My Front Door: Realities of Climate Change in a Melting Arctic,” to a packed Founders Hall. The event was free to the public but donations to Friends of Cooper Island to support his work were invited.

Divoky has witnessed firsthand on Cooper Island how environmental change, brought about by warming temperatures and resulting decreases in snow and ice habitats, is threatening his study population of Black Guillemots, as well as other components of the arctic ecosystem. He predicted that the Lower 48 would also see the results of global warming. For example, future production of wheat may move to Alaska, as the Midwest becomes too warm for this cold-loving crop. His presentation, often very funny, delighted, as well as informed, his audience.

George Divoky’s visit to Seven Hills was part of his effort to make his data accessible to teachers and students and to connect classrooms in a more personal way to the unfolding story of change in the Arctic. His long-term goal is to open these opportunities to students across the U.S. and worldwide.

Divoky’s connection with Seven Hills began last summer, when he met Science Department Head Karen Glum, who traveled to Alaska on a Titcomb Fund grant with Drs. Dave and Jill Russell, the ornithologists who have been working with the Middle School bird program.

Noted arctic scientist George Divoky at Seven Hills

Left: The image captured by one of Divoky’s remote cameras on Cooper Island. That’s too up close and personal with the realities of climate change!

A colony of Black Guillemots seabirds and George Divoky, living in a tent, were alone on small Cooper Island, until the polar bears showed up. The tent (shown at left) was soon replaced by a small cabin.


For 25 years, Seven Hills’ Books for Lunch has brought major authors to Seven Hills and Cincinnati. These authors have included Barbara Kingsolver, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Tom Wolfe, Nicholas Gage, Russell Banks, David Halberstam, Sylvia Earle, Billy Collins, Richard Ford, and Anchee Min.

Sponsored by the Upper School Parent Association, the event is a wonderful opportunity for Seven Hills families in all divisions and members of the wider community to meet leading authors and gain insights into their process and work. Books for Lunch is an important fund-raising event for the Upper School PA. Most recently, the event has funded teacher “wish lists,” including projectors for classrooms, supplies to launch the new Chinese language program, and two teachers’ trips to Spain and France, as part of planning the arrangements for the new French and Spanish student exchanges, to name a few.

Books for Lunch 2011 marked its 25th anniversary by presenting Michael Cunningham, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Hours. The event included a Lecture Luncheon and Book Signing at Cintas Center on February 4, a Dinner with the Author at

the home of Freidoon and Shiva Ghazi, an assembly with Upper School students, and meetings in the Young Family Library with Upper and Middle students. We are grateful for the generosity of the event’s sponsors and for the hard work of the parent volunteer committee, led by Co-Chairs Sarah Johnson and Rica Ligeralde, which made Books for Lunch 2011 such a success.

It’s an understatement to say that Michael Cunningham delighted his audiences. Senior Justine Cefalu said, “He said everything with a witty, good-humored honesty. He sincerely wanted just to talk with us and he considered every question seriously. For me, it is always an inspiration to listen to an accomplished writer, especially one who can speak comfortably about himself, his process and his writing. His humility was engaging and his advice motivated me even more to continue writing. I am very excited to have the chance to take a class from him next year at Yale.”

The author described his introduction in his sophomore year of high school to the work of Virginia Woolf and the impact Woolf had on his life. He credits Woolf ’s Mrs. Dalloway (the inspiration for The Hours) with allowing

School News: Books for Lunch


him to entertain “the wild hope” of being a writer. “I realized through my introduction to Woolf that language is a living medium that could soar and swoop. This was such a transforming experience that it became part of my autobiography. Over time, my experience with Woolf and Mrs. Dalloway turned me into a reader and eventually a writer. I grew up with Mrs. Dalloway—it was an experience from which I’ve never fully recovered.”

Michael Cunningham met with students in the Young Family Library.

Books for Lunch 2011 presents Michael Cunningham


Cunningham shared valuable insights about his creative process with the students:

“Every writer draws nourishment from his surroundings—not just location, but the people who appreciate his writing, believe in his work.

“We should not count as virtues those things that come to us easily. Unquenchable determination is as important as talent. Write and rewrite and rewrite a sentence until it comes to life.

“Everything you need to know about human life is seen in every human life. Any Tom, Dick or Harry can be the hero of the book.

“Planning the novel means that you just arrive at where you planned to arrive. A writer needs to be surprised along the way.

“Start with character and what that person wants. Characters whose desires we don’t understand don’t tend to have stories.

“Language is as much about music as it is about meaning. Find a rhythm for that piece of writing that feels right and true.

“Publishers don’t want more of what they already have. They want something new, original, revolutionary. Go as crazy as you want.”

Committee Co-Chair Rica Ligeralde, Dinner hosts Freidoon and Shiva Ghazi, Michael Cunningham, Head of School Chris Garten, Committee Co-Chair Sarah Johnson, and Head of Upper School Nick Francis.

School News


The Seven Hills Network of African American Parents (SNAAP) hosted its second “Youth in Politics: Developing a Voice in Our Youth” forum on April 9.

Open to the community, the event engaged young people in political discussions and shared with them the importance of developing a voice in their communities. The event included a panel discussion, small group discussions, and activities for middle and upper school students.

Moderated by SNAAP President Felicia Bell, the panel included Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge Fanon Rucker; University of Cincinnati Professor of Law Verna Williams; former Washington lobbyist Dale Louda, Cincinnati Herald New Business Director Andrea Blackmon, and independent filmmaker Melissa Godoy. All related fascinating and inspiring stories of the events and passions that led them to careers of service and politics.

Youth in Politics: “Developing a Voice in Our Youth”

Seven Hills families came together March 11 to celebrate the rich cultural diversity of our school community at the Third Annual International Dinner and Family Night.

Children enjoyed a wide variety of “edu-tainment” activities from different countries and cultures. Performers included the Seven Hills Jazz Band, Seven Hills Mandarin Chinese Students, Indian Dancers, Martial Arts demonstration by seventh grader Andrea Johnston, Seven Hills Aikidio Class demonstration, Irish Dancing by fourth grader Sophia Mulica, Chinese Musical Instuments, Bi-Okoto Dance and Drum, and Pamana Dance Troupe.

Global Education Day activities took place at all divisions and included presentations on a wide range of cultural, international, and environmental topics by parents, alumni, faculty, and other experts from the community. More photos and news are in the online Seven Hills Buzz.

International Dinner & Family Night

Judge Fanon Rucker, Verna Williams, Dale Louda, Melissa Godoy, and Andrea Blackmon.

The Pamana Dance Troupe taught a dance move to young dancers.

SEVEN HILLS SUMMER make it an unforgettable summer

PROGRAM

THE

Director: Jill RomerillPhone: 513.272.5345Email: [email protected]

Flexible Scheduling

Dates: June 13—August 12

Weekly Program Options

Half Day / Full Day

Extended Hours

Ages 3—18

Online Registration Available

Website: www.7hills.org

Multiple Week Discount (4 weeks or more)

Credit Card Payment Option

Brochures Available

School News


Sixteen Upper School students and their chaperones had the opportunity to spend part of Spring Break 2011 making a difference in a community that is very different from their own. On the Upper School’s first community service spring break trip, a group of Seven Hills students and faculty volunteered March 20-25 with Phelps Area Habitat for Humanity in Pike County, Kentucky, an Appalachian community located about 4 ½ hours away.

Head of Upper School and chaperone Nick Francis said, “Our students were exposed to an environment and living conditions that are unfamiliar to them. This presented various challenges. They also challenged themselves by doing work that was new and demanding. Despite all of this, they threw themselves into the endeavor with full enthusiasm. It was impressive to see their positive attitudes and maturity. And they had a good time too!”

Students make a difference on “Alternative Spring Break”

In recent years, following a post-9/11 hiatus, Seven Hills has developed a host of foreign study opportunities, including the very successful Downey Seminar program, through which rising seniors explore China for three weeks in the summer, and, most recently, exchange programs with France (Spring Break 2011) and Spain (2011-2012 school year).

Nineteen Upper School students spent March 19—April 2 in France as part of Seven Hills’ French Exchange Program. Following a four-day stay in Paris, the students spent ten days in Marseille, where they lived with a French family and attended the Lycée Mélizan with their student exchange partner.

French Exchange Program is latest in foreign study opportunitiesNineteen students from Lycée Mélizan spent April 9—April 23 at Seven Hills, attending classes with their exchange partner, living with their host families, and enjoying Cincinnati and Seven Hills, including the Prom.

From Alaska to Australia: Titcomb Fund 2010 grants for faculty enrichment

Since 1978, the Miriam Titcomb Fund, an endowed faculty enrichment fund established by alumnae, has made it possible for over 100 Seven Hills faculty to have meaning ful travel and study experiences which, for some, fulfilled lifelong dreams. These adventures are personally and professionally enriching for our teachers, and their increased scholarship and enthusiasm enriches the entire school community.

The recipients of 2010 grants were Karen Glum, Malinda McReynolds, and Ginger Rubin.

“I traveled to Alaska with bird banders Drs. Jill and Dave Russell and my family in order to pursue a personal dream of visiting Alaska, but also to make contacts with other teachers, students and scientists. While connecting with teachers and students turned out to be quite difficult (many leave Alaska during the summer), we were able to meet with several scientists working in the Arctic at the Barrow Arctic Scienxxce Consortium. One of the scientists was George Divoky.”

As a result of this meeting, Divoky, an internationally-renowned arctic scientist, visited Seven Hills in January to talk to students and the wider community about his work in the Arctic. See the article on his visit on page 25.

Glum continued, “We visited many areas in Alaska—Anchorage, the Kenai Peninsula, Denali National Park, Fairbanks, and Barrow. Probably the part that impacted me the most was Barrow. Barrow, which sits on the coast of the Arctic Ocean, is the northernmost village in the U.S. and one of the northernmost villages in the world. The only way into Barrow is by plane. We were there during the summer solstice. During our three-day visit, the sun never set— its altitude in the sky changed just a little over the course of a day. Though it was always very cold, I loved Barrow because of the constant light and because its remoteness and barrenness gave it a stark beauty and peacefulness. I also loved birding out on the tundra where we would meet other birders from around the world who came to see rare and endangered species.”

Science Department Chair and Middle School science teacher Karen Glum and her family travelled to Alaska last June with Drs. Dave and Jill Russell, the ornithologists working with the sixth graders on their bird studies program.


From Alaska to Australia: Titcomb Fund 2010 grants for faculty enrichment


Lotspeich fourth grade teacher Malinda McReynolds received a grant for her project, “Backyard Adventures: Scenic Drives in North America.” She and her videographer husband Jeffrey explored the beauty and cultural diversity of America for two weeks last July.

“Keep close to Nature’s heart...and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean. “ John Muir

“My family and I washed our spirits clean on a trip up the California coast last August during a weeklong journey to Yosemite National Park. After landing in Los Angeles, we hopped into a four-wheel drive Chevy and sped away on Route 1, taking in backyard adventures along the way.

“First stop was Malibu, just to take in some of that West Coast sun. We rested for the night in San Luis Obispo driving to nearby places like Morro Bay, a rock quarry, and then we made a 200-mile trek to Big Sur, stopping along the way to tour the dream home of William Randolph Hearst. Hearst and his

architect Julia Morgan created an estate of 165 rooms and 127 acres of gardens, terraces, pools and walkways. It was certainly a sight to see! The excitement continued as we drove just about five miles away to observe elephant seals on the beach in their natural habitat.

“Although I had visited the Golden State before, this was my first backyard excursion to experience some of America’s secret treasures. Traveling along zigzagged roads to witness Mother Nature’s majestic mountains, valleys and giant sequoias was the dream of a lifetime! By midweek, we stayed in Mariposa Grove on our way to Yosemite Valley. Our final destination along our scenic route was Kings Sequoia National Park.

“What inspired me most to pursue this trip was one of my former fourth grader’s Living Biography research on the life of John Muir. Even teachers can find the joy in learning at Seven Hills!”

Doherty prekindergarten teacher Ginger Rubin (C ’72) traveled to Australia over spring break, 2010, to explore the beauty and culture of Australia with her daughter, Beth (’07), who was spending a college semester abroad in Sydney.

“My Titcomb adventure was a ten-day trip with my husband to Sydney, Australia. My plan was to do research for this year’s cultural focus at Doherty, which happens to be Australia, and to visit my daughter, Beth (’07), who was in Sydney for a work/study semester abroad. Mission accomplished!

“The city of Sydney, Australia, was a wonderful surprise. I found it to be a cosmopolitan city in an unusually beautiful setting. There are unbelievably amazing harbors within walking distance of each other and many beaches only a short ferry or bus ride from downtown. I have never seen a large city with so many clean and sparkling harbors.

“The Royal Botanic Gardens on Sydney Harbour contain many unusual and exotic plants and wildlife. There are huge fig trees that sprout roots from branches, as well as huge and horrifying flying foxes, a gargantuan cousin of our brown bats, and more reminiscent of the flying monkeys of Oz than the Cincinnati species. Their five-foot wingspans and daytime activity are at the same time scary and beautiful.

“We took a day trip to a nature preserve and walked among Australia’s unusual wildlife including kangaroo, wallaby, koalas and dingoes. The Hunter Valley, a famous wine growing region, is a short day trip from Sydney.

“An important part of the trip was to see and experience Sydney through Beth’s eyes, meeting her friends and learning about her internship. She worked in a first grade classroom at The International Grammar School. What a great way to learn about another culture and its similarities and differences to ours, but through young children. I spent a wonderful day at the school with her, splitting my time between her first grade class and a preschool classroom. The teachers and I had lots of questions for each other. Beth’s students were so excited to get to meet Beth’s mum.

“Throughout the trip I took many pictures with our students in mind, focusing on food, wildlife, playgrounds, school life and transportation. I brought back a didgeridoo, loads of books and activities and plenty of information and pictures to make this year’s study of Australia come alive for our children.

“What a great experience it was, and I am so grateful that the Titcomb award made it a possibility for me.”


Planned Giving


Twenty-eight years ago, when Sandy and Allen Elliott purchased their “country home” in New Richmond, they shared the dream of spending leisurely weekends admiring glorious Ohio River vistas from their patio. Today, this dream has been transformed to an endowment for Seven Hills School—one that will provide permanent support for faculty salaries.

E. Allen Elliott is perhaps best known at Seven Hills as a past Board President at CPS from 1966 to 1974, and along with the late John Warrington, past Board Chair at Hillsdale, was a central figure in the merger that gave birth to The Seven Hills Schools in 1974. Allen became the first President of the newly-merged school. He and wife Sandy (Hauck C ’49) are the parents of daughters/alumnae Cindy (C ’73) and Cami (’75). Sandy’s father Frederick was a physicist and philanthropist for whom our Hauck Awards in math and science are named.

Couple’s dream becomes reality for Seven Hills

“Which gift annuity is right for YOU?”

If you’ve been reading this magazine in the past, visiting our website or are a recipient of our planned giving mailings, you probably know about the Seven Hills School’s gift annuity program. You donate a sum to Seven Hills in return for which you receive a lifetime income paid in periodic fashion at payout rate determined by your (or other annuitant’s) age. Donors like this arrangement because it guarantees them a specific income stream each year, paid at the same times, and the amount never changes. There is also an immediate income tax charitable deduction for donors who itemize their tax returns.

What many donors don’t know is that gift annuities come in various forms. For example, there are “deferred” gift annuities. You can establish one now and defer payments for 10 years or however long you wish. The longer you delay payments, the greater the payments will be. This is because the money you give is invested prudently and compounds tax-free until payments commence.

Another type of gift annuity is called “flexible” because you can establish the annuity now and determine later when you want payments to begin. For example, a 55-year old donor could contribute $25,000 and wait until a future date to begin payments. This flexibility is especially helpful when a person is unsure of her/her retirement date.

We can provide you with personalized examples to show how the various gift annuities work in your situation. If you wish to know more, or talk with someone about the various options, please contact Gary Monnier, Director of Development, at 513-272-5355 or [email protected]

In the past year, the Elliotts agreed, because of other commitments and a desire to downsize, to offer this gift. More significantly, the property posed a potential estate burden to their heirs, all of whom live at great distance from Cincinnati. Prompted by a recent mailing from the school that outlined the importance of gifts of real estate, Sandy and Allen decided to act.

“We always wanted to do something special for the school,” said Allen, “and this seemed to be not only convenient for us (in our estate planning), but potentially valuable to Seven Hills.” Sandy added, “It was especially emotional for me because I loved that 1813 vintage house— and the VIEW! We enjoyed many happy times there. But knowing that we could help the school at the same time was the key.”

Now they will enjoy the ongoing satisfaction of seeing their dream embodied in a faculty made ever-stronger by their thoughtful generosity.

THE SEVEN HILLS FUNDDONORS

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2010/2011

We would like to include your name in our annual report. Time is running out! Please make your gift to

The Seven Hills Fund by June 30, 2011. Go to www.7hills.org and click on Giving.

Questions? Contact Meridith Oberklein Spille ’95, Director of Annual Giving, 513-527-1306

or [email protected].


Washington DC Alumni Gathering

The Washington DC alumni gathered for dinner on February 23 at Nage. It is always great to see this lively group in person. Some of the alums headed to the Georgetown vs. UC game later that evening. They brought the Bearcats good luck and a long-deserved victory on the road. The power of the Stinger!

Tom Wallace, Margaret Stewart ’83, Daryl Price ’85

Julia Jones Zawatsky H ’71, Head of School Chris Garten

Melanie McGraw ’03, Sarah McHugh ’03

Richard VanOrnum ’01, Caroline Decker ’02Nicole Stein ’04, Amy Sherman ’06


Director of Development Gary Monnier, Benjamin van der Horst ’05, Frederick Hall ’05, Leah Robertson ’06

Hannah Bloch ’80, Director of Alumni Relations Nancy McCormick Bassett ’83, Margaret Stewart ’83

Kait Metz ’04, Stewart PhillipsHeidi Black ’98, Tiernan Sittenfeld ’92

Judy Frieder Starrels L ’54, Hannah Bloch ’80, Peggy Collier Peters C ’60

Alumni Reception Featuring the Photography of Michael Wilson


Cincinnati alumni enjoyed a cocktail reception at the University Club on February 10. The photography of Michael Wilson was an added bonus for the evening. Cole Carothers (L ’61) is the artist in residence at the University Club. He has organized a rotation of featured artists to have their work on display at the Club. We were honored to have Michael in attendance to discuss his work.

Head of School Chris Garten, photographer Michael Wilson, Board Chair Jane Garvey.

Alumni News


Reunion 2011


Friday, October 14 12:00pm-2:00pm Luncheon for 50+ year reunion classes Cincinnati Country Club

1:00pm Presentation of the Goodall Distinguished Alumna Award to Susanne “Sudie” Ernst Geier L ’35, H ’41

5:30-6:00pm Tours of the Upper School Andress Art Gallery, Hillsdale Campus

5:30-8:30pm Cocktail Reception Hillsdale Campus

Saturday, October 15 Evening — Individual Class Events

The Seven Hills School Reunion 2011 October 14 & 15

CPS & Hillsdale Classes of ’31, ’36, ’41, ’46, ’51, ’56, ’61, ’66, ’71Lotspeich Classes of ’35, ’40, ’45, ’50, ’55, ’60, ’65, ’70Seven Hills Classes ’76, ’81, ’86, ’91, ’96

Congratulations, Class of 1961, on celebrating your 50th Reunion!

CPS 1961 Silver Tea


CPS 1951 Joan Fankhauser Ireton (513) 321-7898 [email protected]

CPS 1961 Les Bennett McNeill [email protected]

CPS 1966Anne Ratliff Naberhaus [email protected]

CPS 1971 Sharon Twachtman McGraw [email protected]

HLS 1951Gay Seybolt Bain [email protected] Siddall Castleberry (513) 518-3740

HLS 1961 & LOT 1955Margot Deupree Taylor [email protected] Hamill Sommer [email protected] Webb Rockel [email protected]

Seven Hills 1986Jamie Gleich Bryant [email protected] Foster Gneuhs [email protected]

The Classes of 2001 & 2006 will celebrate their reunions on Saturday, November 27.

Class of 2001 reunion reps are needed!

2006 Reunion RepLaura Hoguet [email protected]

Reunion reps are needed to contact classmates and plan your class event. Let us know if you are available.

Nancy McCormick Bassett ’83 Director of Alumni Relations(513) 272-5354 [email protected]

Hillsdale Class of 1961 pictured as juniors

We look forward to seeing you this fall!

Class Notes


1930Janet Seasongood Hoffheimer (L ’24, H) died on July 21, 2009.

Monte Richardson (C) (Asheville, NC) writes, “After 14 years in my small retirement cottage at Deerfield Episcopal Retirement Community, I am moving into an apartment in its assisted living unit. Retired from driving and this will be close for walking.”

1937Louise Jacob McFarland (H) died on January 14, 2010.

Margery Wing Sisson Runyan (H) (Dayton, OH) died on April 2, 2011. More about Margery’s life will be in the next issue.

1939Brooks Johnstone Saltsman (C) (Bethesda, MD) writes, “I am enjoying my new home at Maplewood Park Place. It’s full of interesting people—several who are longtime friends—so as they say, ‘life is good.’”

1942Peggy Kaufman Stricker (H) (Cincinnati) shares, “[I] enjoy keeping up with the impressive changes at the school.”

1944Jeanne Johnson McCarthy (H) received news from Lucie Shouse Wyatt ’s (H) (Scottsdale, AZ) nephew that she died on January 27, 2010.

1948Jane Vinsonhaler Koch (C) (Albuquerque, NM) writes, “I lost my beloved husband Robert B. Koch (Bob) after heart surgery in August 2009. Some of my friends from the CPS class of 1948 might remember him.”

1952Mary Stuart McGuire Tyler (L ’46, H) (Concord, MA) shares, “Just the other day, I thought, ‘Ye Gods and little fishes,’ which is what Mrs. Lotspeich used to say! Do you remember the brown photograph of the Parthenon on her classroom wall in sixth grade? When I saw the real thing at the age of fifty, I cried because it was so beautiful and because I had seen that picture ‘all my life’ in sixth grade!”

1953Charlotte Woodward Corbett (C) (Harbor Springs, MI) writes, “Finally at age 75 I am fully retired. We sold our company on October 29, 2010. My only regret is that Bill didn’t live long enough to share this with me.”

Ann Baxter Wiethe (H) (Wyoming, OH) writes, “ I am on the Board of the Covington-Cincinnati Suspension Bridge Committee. We are in the process of raising over $400,000 to put the lights back on the Roebling Bridge after painting. “

1956Linda Lovett Crawford (H) (Lincoln, MA) writes, “Jim and I moved this summer from our large home in Brookline to a somewhat smaller cottage in Lincoln, MA. It is in a new community of

independent/assisted living homes. We don’t need the assistance yet but are ready when we do. We love our new home!”

1957Mary Elizabeth Alexander Berry (H) (Cincinnati) shares, “I enjoy being a traveling grandmother—Ann ’85 and family live in Virginia and Jim L ’83 and family live in Boulder, CO. Great spots to visit and I have five wonderful grandchildren to keep me going.”

May Hauser Bingham (H) (Granville, OH) sent in, “I’m enjoying five grandboys!”

1957Naomi Tucker Gerwin (H) (Cincinnati) writes, “I am enjoying life in Cincinnati and in points east, west, north and south. My husband Bob Gerwin’s grandchildren provide an additional local attraction.”

1961Margot Deupree Taylor (L ’55, H) (Canton, GA) writes, “I’m hoping lots of Hillsdale class of 1961 (and even Lotspeich class of 1955) can be at Seven Hills on October 14-15, 2011. Mark your calendars and try to come!”

1962Rebecca Smith Stewart (C) (Venice, FL) shares, “My husband Tom and I are still enjoying our Florida life of wonderful weather, great friends, golf and tennis. In the last year or so, we have been fortunate to take cruises to the Mediterranean, Alaska and the Caribbean. Can’t believe I’m closing in on 50 years since graduating.”

Our condolences to the families and friends who lost loved ones reported in this issue.


1964Linda “Tuckie” Bartlett Westfall (C) (Alexandria, VA) writes, “I completed the Master Gardeners course and am almost certified. I am also working part-time at an upscale antiques and gift shop in Alexandria. My second and last stepchild graduated from Tufts in May. All is good.”

Kendra “Peaches” Gamble (H) died on October 26, 2010.

1966Melissa Moriss Mishoe (L ’66, H) (Winter Park, FL) shared this photo from her Cincinnati visit with her aunt Betty Freyhof Johnson L ’34, H ’40 in February 2010. Melissa also let us know she wrote an article about one of her favorite teachers, Marion Johnson, that was published in the Orlando Sentinel on Thursday, May 13, 2010.

1967Katherine Oechler Whitbeck (H) (Williamsburg, VA) writes, “Hunt and I are moving to Williamsburg, VA, after 35 years in New York City. We’re ready for a new adventure.”

Poppy Yeiser Hawkins (H) (Cincinnati) shares, “I’m enjoying life as a grandmother, volunteer and neophyte runner.”

1972Helen Asbury (H) (Cincinnati) writes, “We feel very fortunate to have John ’13 at Seven Hills. Allison headed off to the wild and wacky world of Oberlin this fall. Hello to members of Lotspeich ’66 and Hillsdale ’72.”

1973Isabel Rodriguez performed a martial arts demonstration at the Unit I Doherty recital with the assistance of her taekwondo instructor, Claire Hummel Kupferle (C). Yes, she did break the board and even one other! Claire is a second-degree black belt and director of the Little Tiger Program at Cincinnati Taekwondo Center. Isabel’s math teacher at Doherty is Anne Sheffield Vanoy (C).

1978Lisa Head James (Cincinnati) writes, “I wanted to express my deep gratitude to The Seven Hills School. I have gratitude for the wonderful education and upbringing Seven Hills provided me. I share an even deeper gratitude to all the exceptional human beings that have provided brilliant education in self-expression, creativity, character, ethics, team work and academics to my children. Thank you Seven Hills for helping Sandy and me raise our children, Sam ’05, Attie ’07 and Callie ’10. I attribute so much of their greatness to you and I am forever grateful.”

Class Noteswww.7hills.org

Lane Sikes Merten (H ’71) (Terrace Park, OH), husband Skip, and their family at the wedding of daughter Courtney on August 21, 2010, on the shores of Lake Leelanau, Michigan.

Melissa Moriss Mishoe and her Aunt Betty Freyhof Johnson L ’34, H ’40

Isabel Rodriguez and Claire Hummel Kupferle.

Class Notes

1981Jeff Collins (New York, NY) recently returned from a residential fellowship at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles. The GRI is dedicated to furthering knowledge and advancing understanding of the visual arts. “I’ve resumed my duties of 17th and 18th century art and culture at the Bard Graduate Center in New York City.”

1982Caroline Thompson-Springer (Chevy Chase, MD) was recently promoted to Assistant Director, Graduate Admissions & Professional Development at Georgetown Law School.

1984Murray Monroe Jr. (Cincinnati) writes, “The redevelopment of Cincinnati’s riverfront continues to occupy most of my time as an architect at THP Inc. I also continue to serve as President of the Betts House, a small house museum that creates exhibits on Cincinnati’s building and architectural history.” www.bettshouse.org

1985Ann Berry Kosche (Herndon, VA) shares, “When my father passed away three years ago, he left my brother Jim (L ’83) and myself his Sporting Clay business. I’ve made many trips between Virginia and Pennsylvania but I love running the business.” www.bustedflushsportingclays.com

1987Allen Zaring (Cincinnati) was appointed by the Hamilton County Commissioners as a Library Trustee on December 15, 2010. He has served as a Director of the Library Foundation since 2006 and currently serves as Chairman of the Foundation Board. He also served on the Library Levy Campaign Committee in 2009.

1989Congratulations to Andy Paris (New York, NY) on his performance as Father Byrne in the play A World Apart in New York at the Flea Theater February 4–26, 2011. His New York theater credits include Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde and The Laramie Project (both by Tectonic Theatre Project, directed by Moises Kaufman); Modotti by Wendy Beckett (The Acorn); Twelfth Night (The Pearl Theatre Company directed by John Rando; and most recently, Or by Liz Duffy Adams (Women’s Project). Other New York work includes Phaedre (Creation Production Company), The Necklace (The Talking Band), Innocents (Ripe Time), and Quick, Bright Things (The Flea). He was also seen in the HBO film of The Laramie Project. To see photos from the play go to: http://offoffbroadway.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo_Flash_A_WORLD_APART_20000101

1991David Monroe (South Lake Tahoe, CA) writes, “My wife Allison and I just adopted a little girl from North Western China. Her name is Sally and she’s 2 ½ years old. Everyone is doing great. She gets along wonderfully with her older sister Maddy and her older brother Brennan.”

1994Vasthi Christensen Wilson (Philadelphia, PA) is practicing radiation oncology at the University of Pennsylvania and has two children, Logan, 4, and Abigail, 1.

Congratulations to Wendy Schwartz Donohue (Andover, MA) and her husband Mark on the births of their children Keira “Kiki” Lynn on April 13, 2007, and Michael “Mikey” Joesph on December 10, 2010.


Andy Paris and Antoinette LaVecchia.

Class Notes

1995Ryan Plumley (Berlin, Germany) is currently a visiting history professor at the European College of Liberal Arts. Per the ECLA website, “Ryan Plumley began his study of European intellectual history in an interdisciplinary context as an undergraduate at Rice University. Both there and in his subsequent graduate work at Cornell University, he was deeply influenced by critical theory and gender studies. He received his Ph.D. in history from Cornell in January 2009. His dissertation, ‘The Romantic Subject of Textuality: German Literate Culture in the Late Eighteenth Century,’ focused on how the German Romantics tried to make practices of reading and writing into modes of constituting the self and its relation to collectivities.” Ryan and his wife Marie welcomed daughter Zoe Jane in January 2010. Congratulations!

1996Julia Christensen St. Pierre (Wyoming, OH) is in her sixth year teaching English at Wyoming High School and loving it.

1997Congratulations to Elizabeth Raskin (New York, NY) on her marriage to Benjamin Warlick on January 15, 2011.

Benjamin is an intellectual property attorney and Elizabeth is with the Legal Aid Society Juvenile Rights practice, specializing in child abuse and neglect cases.

1998Leon Reid IV (Brooklyn, NY) released his latest sculpture “Lost in Space” in limited edition. It is “a sculpture on the relationship of man and technology.” www.leonthe4th.com

1998 continuedKate Kiefhaber Elliot (Maplewood, NJ) and her mother Jan Kiefhaber have introduced ThRed Head—tuxedo shirts with a twist. It is their first collection of gentlemen’s special occasion wear. ThRedHeads has recently introduced a unique concept... custom shirts for the entire wedding PARTY!

As stated in their press release, “Jan and Kate are a mother-daughter duo who design professionally. Kate is a fashion designer in New York City and Jan does graphic design in Cincinnati. They conceived of ThRedHeads, researched menswear manufacturers, visited fabric houses, hired a pattern maker, made samples, toured factories, selected beautiful imported cottons, hired the finest American shirtmaker, and voila! ThRedHeads was born!” www.thredheads.com

2001Kathleen Halonen (Cincinnati) received her Master’s in Nursing Science from Xavier University.

2002Addison Lanier (Hanover, NH) recently started in the Tuck Business School at Dartmouth.

2003Alexander Maggio’s (Los Angeles, CA) thesis play, Lost Cause, was performed in December as a staged reading at the Los Angeles Theatre Center. The play was performed as part of the UCLA New Play Festival and featured a professional director and cast.


www.7hills.org

Ryan Plumley, wife Marie Muschalek, and daughter Zoe Jane

The happy couple.


Class Notes

2003 continuedMelanie McGraw (Washington DC), Middle School math teacher Carri Haskins, and Tyler McIlwraith (Cincinnati) completed the 2011 Disney Marathon on January 9.

Tyler McIlwraith (Cincinnati), a pre-K and Extended Day teacher at Lotspeich, traveled to Haiti during the second week of spring break this year to assist in the process of starting a new school and to train/teach the prospective Haitian teachers. Tyler went with a large collection of school supplies donated by the Seven Hills community for the Haitian school that has no supplies.

Congratulations to P.G. Sittenfeld (Cincinnati), who kicked off his campaign for Cincinnati City Council on February 9.

2004Zach Hurwitz (Cincinnati) was a guest speaker in Steve Davis’ Economics class in Upper. He discussed his experience of majoring in economics at Tufts University, as well as technical analysis techniques for securities.

Asher Lanier (Atlanta, GA) is working for Emory University in Resource Development and taking an EMT course.

Stefani Fishel (Columbus, OH) passed the National Opticianry Competency Examination (NOCE) offered by the American Board of Opticiary (ABO) and became a licensed optician in March 2011, after successfully completing her two-year apprenticeship. Stefani lives in Columbus and currently works for Lenscrafters.

2006Be sure to pay attention the next time you see a TJ Maxx ad this spring. Lindsay Degen (Brooklyn, NY) appears as the new face of TJ Maxx in TV ads and in the windows of all the stores. Congratulations!

2007 Sarah Leyman (Atlanta, GA), an Amherst College senior, was named one of five finalists from the NCAA’s Division I, II and III for the prestigious 7th Annual Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup from over 2000 nominees. Presented annually by Athletes for a Better World, the Wooden Cup is awarded to the most outstanding role model among college athletes in America.

The Wooden Cup is named in honor of legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden, one of the most successful coaches in collegiate history. Wooden’s legacy as a person of integrity, high moral character, compassion, and civic-mindedness continues to make him one of the most admired coaches in the history of sport. The award recognizes those athletes whose character represents the highest and best in sport, and who make the greatest difference in the lives of others.

Congratulations as well to Sarah and the Amherst women’s team for winning the women’s Division III championship for the first time in Amherst’s history. The Lord Jeffs defeated the Washington University Bears 64-55.

Amherst’s Class of 2011 finishes with 120 wins and only nine losses (.930), marking the highest win total for one team in any four-year span in the history of Division III women’s basketball. Sarah played in all 129 of Amherst’s games since she joined the program, with the March 19th appearance giving her the NCAA Division III women’s record for most games played in a career.

Sarah also finishes her career ranked third on Amherst’s all-time rebounding list (825), as well as sixth in scoring (1,166) and 11th in assists (187).

Melanie McGraw, Carri Haskins, Tyler McIlwraith

Sarah Leyman with Fred Northup, Founder of Athletes of a Better World, and Professor Molly Mead, Academic Liaison for Amherst Women’s Basketball.

2008Nevin Rao (Berkley, CA) is studying Environmental Economics and Policy at University of California, Berkley. He emailed this update to college advisor Wynne McCarthy Curry H ’71, “You’ll never guess what happened today! My professor informed us he was from Cincinnati. When I asked what school he went to, he told me Seven Hills! He graduated in 1999. His name is Damian Bickett. He knows Abineri, Turansky and everyone. It’s surreal.”

2009Alexa Lowe (Lexington, KY) transferred from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, to the University of Kentucky where she is majoring in Kinesiology.


Yearbooks Looking for a Home!

Did you forget to pick up your yearbook way back when? It’s still here! Check the list below to see if yours is waiting to be claimed.

Contact: Barbara Karol [email protected] 513-271-9027

1992 — Rob Hawkins, Caroline-Nelly Gillardin, Carmen Provenzano

1993 — Karen Barrett

1994 — Jamie McElhinney

1997 — Lydia Lawson

1998 — David Hensley, Jenn O’Brien

1999 — Tyler Foote, Kristen Humbach, Amy Morris

2000 — Kameron Franklin, Kevin Kummerle, Yu-Chieh Liu, Brandon Smith

2004 — Olga Krayterman

Class Noteswww.7hills.org

Parents of Alumni:If this issue of Seven Hills is mailed to an alumnus/a who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please update your child’s records by notifying Cheryl York at 513-272-5365 or [email protected].


Alumni Calendar of Events Questions? Nancy McCormick Bassett [email protected] (513) 272-5354

Spring/Summer 2011 Calendar of Events

Thursday, April 28 Alumni Luncheon in New York for Classes 1940-1979 New York Athletic Club 180 Central Park South 12:30pm-2:00pm

Alumni Reception in New York for Classes 1980-2010 The Smith 55 Third Avenue (10th/11th) 6:00-8:00pm

Thursday, May 12 Young Alum Beer Tasting Dutch’s 3378 Erie Avenue, 45208 5:30-7:30pm

Thursday, May 19 Alumni Dinner in Chicago Osteria Via Stata 620 N. State Street 6:00-8:30pm

Saturday, June 18 Alex Bibler Memorial Golf Scramble Walden Ponds Golf Club 6090 Golf Club Lane, Hamilton, OH 45011 8:00am-1:30pm

Sunday, August 14 Alumni Sports Day Upper School, Hillsdale Campus Tennis (co-ed) 3:00pm Soccer Girls 3:00pm, Guys 5:00pm Volleyball 5:00pm

The Seven Hills School Alumni Association and Athletic Boosters present

The 2nd Annual Alex Bibler Memorial Golf ScrambleSaturday, June 18, 2011

7:00am Registration, unlimited range balls 8:00am Shotgun start, 4-person best ball scramble 12:30 (approx) Lunch and awards

Walden Ponds Golf Club 6090 Golf Club Lane Indian Springs, OH 45011 513-785-2999

Cash Bar

All registrations must be received by June 1.

Register online: www.7hills.org, Quicklinks, Bibler Memorial Golf ScrambleWhen registering, you will have the opportunity to list foursome, pair or single.

Pairs and singles will be matched.

Questions or to register via phoneNancy McCormick Bassett ’83Director of Alumni Relations

[email protected]

This event is in memory of Alex Bibler’06 who was a member of the 7Hills golf team and had a lifelong love of the sport.

It is sponsored by the Alumni Association and Athletic Boosters to provide an opportunity for past and present 7Hills community to reconnect.

$30 lunch only$10 of each non-player’s fees will go to the Alex Bibler Scholarship Fund.

$100 per playerIncludes greens fee, cart, unlimited range balls, 2 drink tickets & lunch$10 of each player’s fees will go to the Alex Bibler Scholarship Fund.


Thank you to our generous sponsors for their support of this event.

Denoyer Group, Inc.David and Theresa Denoyer

HORAN

J.T.M.

Panera Bread—Kenwood Pavilion

The Resale Shop

Congresswoman Jean Schmidt

Clayton L. Scroggins Associates, Inc.

Tri-State Centers for Sight, Inc.

UC Health

The Bibler Family

Artwork courtesy of Dave Sanders ’91

(Front) David Stirsman ’82, Fran Chatfield ’10, L.T. Burke ’09, Malcolm Drane ’05, Matthew Bittner ’09, Brian McNamara ’09, Sean McKibben ’09, Scott Whitehead ’99; (middle) Jason Cohen ’91, Aaron VanderLaan ’91, Alex Hill ’10, Anthony Clark ’10, David Bittner ’07, Gavin Tabor ’05, Justin Harris ’03, Edmund Schweitzer ’10, Richard Fink ’07; (back) Jonathan Coleman ’07, Daniel Kalubi ’02.

Alumni News

Alumni Basketball GamesIt was a fun night for Stinger basketball as players, families, and fans came together for the Sixth Annual Alumni Basketball Games December 30!


Kathy Moebius ’07, Sarah Evans ’10, Sondra Polonsky ’09, Emily Rogers-Fightmaster ’10, Suzanne Kahle ’08, Tyler McIlwraith ’03.

Alumni News


Sunday, August 14, 2011Soccer, Volleyball, and Tennis

Hillsdale Campus, 5400 Red Bank Road

Soccer:Girls play at 3pm Guys play at 5pm

Upper School soccer field, behind Lotspeich

Volleyball: 5pmKalnow GymUpper School

Tennis (co-ed): 3pmCarol Brestel Courts

First school entrance off of Red Bank

All players should arrive 30 minutes before their game to arrange positions.

T-shirts will be provided for all players.

Cold drinks and fruit provided by the Boosters. Concessions will also be open.

For further information and to let us know you will play, please contact:

Nancy McCormick Bassett 513-272-5354

[email protected]

The Alumni Association and the Athletic Boosters Present Seven Hills Sports Day for Alumni and Varsity Teams

Photo credit: Kathy DeubellPhotographs by: Keith Neu

Intellectually vibrant, individually attuned, future-ready learning for students grades pre-K through 12.

SCHOOL

SEVENTHE

5400 Red Bank RoadCincinnati, Ohio 45227

HILLSNon-Profit Organization

U.S. PostagePAID

Cincinnati, OHPermit No. 9695

Seven Hills Magazine - Spring 2011

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Transcript of Seven Hills Magazine - Spring 2011