Taft Alumni News

Big Mike

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Michael McCabe '07 has made it through rookie camp with the Green Bay Packers and begins Organized Training Activities (OTAs) on May 22. The three-day camp included eight draft picks, 14 undrafted free agents and 29 tryout players, concluded with a late-morning workout in the Don Hutson Center.

McCabe, 23, was a first-team All-Patriot League selection and a first-team All-New England choice in 2011, the third straight season he earned all-conference honors and the second straight he was named all-region. He started all 11 games at left tackle as a senior, helping the Crusaders average 400.9 yards of offense per game. McCabe played in 47 career games with 36 starts along the offensive line, including a streak of 34 straight to end his college career. He signed a three-year free-agent contract with the Packers in April.

Mike McCarthy, seven-year Packers head coach, calls this one of the best rookie camps and says it could offer immediate help for a team trying to get back to the Super Bowl. “The way our program is designed tells you how we feel about young players,” McCarthy said. “We’ve been a draft-and-develop program going on year seven now. It’s a young man’s league, in my opinion. I think that’s a trend that potentially is only going to pick up, so it would not surprise me if you continue to see those numbers.”

“Today was our best practice. The tempo was the best we had of the three. I really felt the practice environment for the team as a whole got better through the weekend. That’s a credit to the players and a credit to our coaches. We actually finished a little ahead of schedule coming off the practice field today. I don’t think that’s ever happened for a rookie orientation camp. They were flying around today,” McCarthy said.

http://www.packers.com/team/players.html

Skating for Team USA

Sat, 12 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Former Rhino hockey superstars Max Pacioretty ‘07, now playing for the Montreal Canadiens, and John Curry ‘03, goalie for the Hamburg Freezers (Germany), are wearing the red-white-and-blue jerseys of Team USA this month as they compete in the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship in Helsinki, Finland. The sixteen competing teams carry rosters of 22 skaters and 3 goalies, and Pacioretty has already garnered tournament honors. His team voted him best player of Game 1 in recognition of the goal and two assists that contributed to the USA’s 7-2 victory over France. As of May 12, the Americans had skated their way to third place in the preliminary standings, just behind top-ranked Canada, whom they beat 5-4 in overtime, and host country Finland, whom they play tomorrow, May 13, at 09:15 EST.

The IIHF World Championship is the 2012 hockey season’s premier international men’s tournament and the largest annual winter sport event worldwide. This year’s tournament has a new format: two seeded groups of eight compete in preliminary rounds in Helsinki and Stockholm, Sweden. The top four teams from each group then advance to the quarterfinals. The medal games will be played in Helsinki on May 20.

The IIHF, founded on May 15, 1908 in Paris, France, is the governing body of international ice hockey and inline hockey. The IIHF features 70 member associations, each of which is the national governing body of the sport in its nation. Besides controlling the international rulebook, processing international player transfers, and dictating officiating guidelines, the IIHF runs numerous development programs designed to bring hockey to a broader population. The IIHF also presides over ice hockey in the Olympic Games, and over the IIHF World Championships at all levels, men, women, juniors under-20, juniors under-18 and women under-18. Each season, the IIHF, in collaboration with its local organizing committees, runs close to 25 different World Championships in the five different categories.

FBLA Workshop Series

Sat, 12 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The Taft School chapter of The Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) will host the second installment of its new business workshop series during Alumni Weekend, Friday, May 18 at 2:45 p.m. in Laube Auditorium. Writer, speaker and entrepreneur William C. Taylor ’77 will be the featured speaker.

William C. Taylor ’77 is an agenda-setting writer, speaker and entrepreneur who has helped to shape the global conversation about the best ways to compete, innovate and succeed. His latest project, Practically Radical: Not-So-Crazy Ways to Transform Your Company, Shake Up Your Industry, and Challenge Yourself, is based on in-depth access to 25 organizations that are making major organizational changes under difficult circumstances. From hard-charging technology companies to long-established nonprofits, these organizations are mastering strategies and practices that define leadership in turbulent times. Practically Radical is a sequel of sorts to Bill’s most recent book, Mavericks at Work: Why the Most Original Minds in Business Win.

As cofounder and founding editor of FastCompany, Taylor launched a magazine that won countless awards, earned a passionate following among executives and entrepreneurs around the world and became a legendary business success. In less than six years, an enterprise that took shape in some borrowed office space in Harvard Square sold for $340 million.

Taylor is also an adjunct lecturer at Babson College, America's top-rated school for entrepreneurship. He is the co-author of three other books on strategy, leadership and innovation, and has published numerous essays and CEO interviews in the Harvard Business Review. He is a graduate of Taft School, Princeton University and the MIT Sloan School of Management.

FBLA is the world's largest and oldest student business organization, with more than 250,000 high school students involved in FBLA clubs throughout the United States. Taft's FBLA chapter was founded in 2010, and has participated in two national leadership conferences and two virtual business competitions. In February 2012, FBLA launched Taft's first series of business workshops on campus with guest speaker Phil Schiller of Apple, Inc.

Moorhead '62 Honored

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Rodman W. Moorhead III ’62 will be awarded the Horace D. Taft Alumni Medal, formerly known as the Citation of Merit, on Alumni Day this year. The medal is the school’s highest alumni honor and is given each year to a person whose life work best exemplifies the school motto: Not to be ministered unto but to minister.

Rod first established himself as a dedicated member of the Taft community when he arrived as a student more than 50 years ago. During his three years at Taft Rod was a monitor, corridor monitor and a member of the class committee. He was also a member of the Glee Club and Church Choir, was Alpha Club president, chairman of the Chapel Committee, a member of the Switchboard Committee and Community Chest Committee. He played varsity football, basketball and track, earning varsity letters in ’59, ’60, ’61, and ’62. Rod continues his service to Taft today as chairman of the school's Board of Trustees.

Rod earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees from Harvard College. MBA in hand, Rod moved to New York, where he spent more than 30 years with the private equity group Warburg Pincus. As head of healthcare investment activities, Rod helped grow the company’s assests under management from approximately $40 million to $15 billion.

A staunch supporter of a broad range of education initiatives, Rod has been a valued and contributing member of many corporate boards. He is currently a director at Proximity Learning, which provides language learning programs for K-12 students, and at the Scientific Learning Corporation, a computer-based special education training company. Rod also sits on the Board of Directors of Imagine Schools, Inc., which operates public charter schools.

Beyond the field of education, Rod serves on the ElderTrustBoard of Trustees. ElderTrust operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT) that invests principally in senior housing and other healthcare facilities, primarily skilled nursing facilities, assisted and independent living facilities, and medical offices and other buildings. He is a member of the Harvard Medical School Board of Fellows, a former member of Harvard’s Board of Overseers, a trustee of the Jackson Hole Land Trust and co-chair of the Board of Directors, Stroud Water Research Center, Inc.

Rod’s dedication to both education and to Taft is in evidence in the academic facility here that bears his name. At the dedication of the Moorhead Learning Wing in 2004 Headmaster Willy Mac Mullen said, “Rod Moorhead is one of the school’s most remarkable, generous and committed graduates. In addition to being a longtime trustee, he has supported the school in every way imaginable, and his unique commitment to student learning has changed this place. Without his intellectual curiosity, this center would never have happened. This is clear: We will meet the school’s mission of educating the whole student even better now.”

Rod was first elected to the school’s board in 1991 as an alumni trustee, and stayed on after the completion of his four-year term, becoming a corporate trustee and eventually the treasurer. He succeeded Will Miller ’74 as board chair in 2006. Rod is a current member of the Admissions Committee, the Committee on School Life, the Development Committee, the Finance and Investment Committee, chair of the Governance Committee, a member of the Audit and Financial Risk Committee and the Campus Planning Committee.

Rod and his wife, Alice, split their time between their homes in Wilson, WY, New York City, and Unionville, PA. In his free time he enjoys fly fishing, fox hunting, golf, traveling, biking in France and Italy, and fishing in South America, Alaska, New Zealand and the U.S. West.

The Horace D. Taft Alumni Medal is the school’s highest alumni honor and is given each year. The recipient’s life and actions must demonstrate something humanitarian apart from a vocation or service. He or she must have gone above the ordinary demands of life or occupation. Success in a chosen field does not necessarily quality a person for the honor. At the same time, it is possible for a person to be eminently successful and go beyond the call of duty to serve others. All honorees, since the award’s creation in 1960, are recognized in a place of honor along Main Hall. The award is a reminder of Taft’s commitment to serve others.

For more information on the Horace D. Taft Medal, and a list of previous recipients, visit www.taftschool.org/alumni/merit.

Science Speaker Series

Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Taft’s Science Speaker Series continues Alumni Weekend with a presentation by allergy and immunology specialist Dr. Paul Ehrlich ’62. Dr. Ehrlich will talk about the impact of the environment on our health, and about how his efforts to bring asthma clinics to the South Bronx have their roots in Taft’s motto, “Not to be served but to serve.” The event will be held Friday, May 18, at 10:30 a.m. in Laube Auditorium.

Dr. Ehrlich is one of the nation's leading authorities on childhood allergies and asthma. After graduating from Taft, he studied at Columbia University and earned his medical degree at NYU. He completed medical training in pediatrics at Bellevue Hospital at NYU, and in allergy and immunology at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He is currently Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the NYU School of Medicine. Dr. Ehrlich is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, and the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. He has been featured as one New York’s top pediatric allergists in New York magazine for the last ten years.

The Taft program will focus largely on our simply daily routines and interactions, and the impact they have on our health. Dr. Ehrlich will invite the audience to consider how everything in our environment—from the food we eat to the air we breathe—can trigger a biological response that affects our overall well-being. Dr. Ehrlich will end the program with an open question and answer session.

Benefit Concert

Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

For her ISP, senior Bailey Outerbridge planned to write five original songs. She performed those pieces on April 30 at Taft. And that was just the beginning.

The Taft concert was not only a part of Bailey’s ISP, it was a fundraiser for Dana’s Angels Research Trust (DART). DART is a nonprofit organization founded by Phil and Andrea Marella to fund medical research, education and care for Niemann-Pick Type C disease (NPC). NPC is a genetic metabolic disorder in which harmful quantities of cholesterol and other fatty substances accumulate in the cells of the body including the spleen, liver, lungs, bone marrow and, most dramatically, the brain. Dana Marella, Phil and Andrea’s daughter, was diagnosed with the disease in 2002 when she was eight years old; her brother was diagnosed two years later.

Bailey first heard about DART through her friend and manager, Janice Roeg.

"After hearing about the charity from Janice, I did some reading to learn more," Bailey said. "I thought it was a great cause and decided to hold a DART benefit at Taft. The idea of a concert fit perfectly with my ISP."

Bailey does not know exactly how much money was raised at Taft, as the funds were donated directly to the Marella family.

"There was a great turnout," Bailey notes. "My classmates were very generous."

On Saturday, May 5, Bailey continued her work for DART by performing one of her ISP pieces at a major fundraiser in Stamford, CT. Hosted by celebrities Frank and Kathie Lee Gifford, the DART Gala Benefit and Concert featured headlining artist and nine-time Grammy winning singer Natalie Cole. Opening for Cole, Bailey debuted her song ‘Smile,” which was dedicated and inspired by Dana’s battle with her disease.

“In writing the song, I talked to Dana’s mom a lot and looked at her pictures and I was really struck by her smile,” Bailey told the press. “Her smile is really one of the only ways she can interact with people, but she has this really rich smile that is really very touching.”

After a decade, DART has raised $2.3 million to fund research and, organizers said, their goal is to raise $375,000 more this year.

To learn more about DART, visit danasangels.org

Click here to read more about the Stamford event.

Run for a Cause

Fri, 04 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Eric Metcalf and Charlie Garcia are Taft seniors who, in their own words, have spent the past three years running "side by side" in both cross-country and track. Todd '92 and Amanda McGovern '93 are Taft alumni who, for more than 5 years, have run a non-profit -- side by side. On alumni weekend, all four will join forces to benefit the McGovern's nonprofit while deepening their imprint on the Taft community.

On July 18, 2004, Todd McGovern was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. The 30 year-old newleywed was told he had less than two years to live. According to the nonprofit's website, "Todd faced the ultimate decision: die a little each day, or live a little each day. He chose to Seas It."

Seas It is a nonprofit organization that promotes cancer recovery through recreation. Following his cancer diagnosis, Todd faced the difficult road by committing to those things that had always brought him comfort and a sense of well-being. A two-sport college athlete, staying active topped the list of commitments: being active both lifted Todd's spirits and improved his health. That personal commitment became the foundation of Seas It, which provides cancer patients and their families with the means to participate in recreational activities through individualized programs and services. Seas It also works to educate the public about the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle in both fighting and preventing cancer.

"When we heard about Todd and Amanda McGovern’s nonprofit organization, we saw a rewarding opportunity to give back to the school we love so much," explained Eric.

Adds Charlie, "Using Taft’s motto as an undercurrent for our work, we are excited to present our project to the Taft community and to the Watertown community."

Eric and Charlie have planned two separate events to benefit Seas It; both feature 5k and 1 mile run/walk options. On Saturday, May 19 Taft alumni are invited to run for the cause; event registration is limited to alumni on this day. The following day, Taft students, faculty and community members are invited to participate in “Sweat for Sweets.” Day two division winners will be awarded baked goods made by faculty member and Taft parents. There are over forty divisions, including all Taft sports teams (Varsity, JV and Thirds), a fastest Thesbian division (for Tafties involved in theater) and a Clydesdale division (for the fastest runner over 200 pounds).

Registration for the alumni-only event on May 19 is free; t-shirts may be purchased for $20. Registration for the community race on May 20 is $15 for race only, or $25 for race registration and tee. Race organizers Eric and Charlie are also looking for baked good donations and race-day volunteers. Email cgarcia@taftschool.org to help.

For more information about SeasIt, visit http://seasit.org/

ALUMNI REGISTRATION

http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=dtlxm8cab&oeidk=a07e5os1h17d88eae89

STUDENT AND COMMUNITY REGISTRATION

http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=dtlxm8cab&oeidk=a07e5urpxb36741c5b8

High Note

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Taft musicians went out on a high note at two recent piano competitions. Alicia Wang ’15 tied for first place in the Schubert Club Awards competition, while Natalie Tam ’14 placed second in 2012 Hudson Philharmonic Orchestra Piano Concerto competition.

“I am not surprised with the results; both are excellent students and phenomenal musicians,” said music teacher TJ Thompson. “Alicia is one of my top saxophonists in Jazz Band; she plays great, is extremely attentive, and is both creative and thorough. Natalie was a phenomenal force on the European tour last year when we performed excerpts from Saent Saens' Carnival of the Animals. She too, unsurprisingly, is one of my top students in AP Music Theory.”

Alicia has been playing piano for about 10 years; she has been studying with her current teacher for most of that time. She has also been competing at the Schubert Club Awards for the past few years.

“It's pretty competitive, but it's also more fun than other competitions because it's not that formal,” Alicia explained. “There is an audience near the stage and the judges are way in the back.”

The competition was hosted by the Schubert Club of Fairfield County, based in Stamford, CT. Founded in 1910, the Club sponsors performances, competitions and educational programs.

“There were four award competitions,” said Alicia, “Bach, French Impressionist, Chopin, and a floating award, which was Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven. My first place finish was for the floating award in the junior division.”

Natalie traveled to New York last month for the 2012 Hudson Philharmonic Orchestra Piano Concerto competition.

“I have participated in many piano competitions in Hong Kong,” Natalie said. “Now that I have been in the United States for about a year, I decided to continue my competing experience. This competition is only my first competition, and I still have at least five more to go.”

Natalie earned a second place finish for her performance of the first movement of Beethoven Piano Concerto No.1 in C Major and Chopin Polanaise Op26. She has been playing piano for the past 11 years, and currently travels to Yale University twice each month to study under Professor Wei-Yi Yang.

“I attended the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts since I was 6 with other very competitive young pianists. I met a lot of talented musicians in this event and have made many musicians friends,” Natalie concluded.

As young students, teacher TJ Thompson knows there is much more ahead for both girls.

“I am proud and happy for both of them, thrilled to get to teach them, and can't wait to hear more,” said Thompson.

The Psychology of Sport

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Renowned sports psychologist, author and golfing guru Dr. Bob Rotella spent Monday in Watertown, and it wasn’t to play a round of golf. Rotella spent the day at Taft, dining with the golf team, inspiring students and coaches and even sharing tips and insights on the links at the Watertown Golf Club.

“I loved walking down the fairway at Watertown Golf club with him engaged in conversation,” said assistant director of athletics and girls’ golf team coach Ginger O’Shea. “Most people who saw us may have thought we were talking about approach shots to the green, but we talked about life. Bob's message to "be your own best cheerleader," and "be your own best friend" not only applies when you are out on the golf course, but it applies to your everyday attitude about life.”

Widely recognized as one of the world’s top sports psychologists, Rotella has worked as a personnel consultant for the NBA, NFL, Major League Baseball, NASCAR, PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, Senior Tour, U.S. Olympic Ski Team and the U.S. Olympic Equestrian Team, as well as the New York Yankees, San Francisco 49ers, New Jersey Nets, and Texas Rangers. And now—thanks to Kristine and Tom Gordon, parents of Heather Gordon ’14—Taft School.

During a presentation Monday night in the Black Box theater, Rotella spoke of visualization, self-confidence and the power of mental preparation. And a part of that preparation, Rotella says, is developing a meaningful routine.

“I was never a player that was big on routine, and I never thought that it could be such an important part of the game,” explained boys' golf team co-captain Brandon Sousa ’12. “But Dr. Rotella has such knowledge and constantly placed emphasis on the importance of a meaningful and consistent routine. I will definitely implement that as part of my game strategy from now on.”

Boys' co-captain Henry Wesson ’13 agrees:

“The day with Dr. Bob Rotella was eye-opening and definitely changed my mental approach to golf. After listening to him talk on the putting green I was able to go out on the course and try the things he talked about, which helped a lot. He also talked about things we need to do off the course to give ourselves the best chance to be successful golfers. He talked about many of the sacrifices that are necessary to be successful, and entertained us with stories from his own life and things he has learned.”

In the end, however, the most powerful message was not about stroke mechanics, chip shots, or where the ball lies, but about what lies within.

“The idea that resonated most with me was about not being fearful and having confidence,” said girls' golf team co-captain Ali Eleey ’12. “From now when I’m on the course I am going to trust myself and know that I have worked hard and practiced my game a lot, so there is no reason to be scared. Another idea that stuck with me was the importance of being resilient after tough days on the course. That is much more difficult than simply feeling bad and making excuses for yourself. I learned a lot from what Mr. Rotella said and it motivated me to continue working on my game.”

“It was a very memorable day,” concludes O’Shea. “We were very lucky to have had this opportunity; it was a really big day for anyone who loves sports and an especially big day for anyone who is interested in the mental aspect of sports.”

Potter Gallery

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The art of two members of the class of 1962 is featured in the Mark W. Potter '48 Gallery this month. John Foltz and Chris Youngs, both members of the 50th reunion class, contributed their work to the show.

John Foltz has been an avid photographer since his days at Taft. Now a retired DuPont plastics engineer, John has turned his focus to digital photography—his "dry darkroom."

"No more time needed to be spent in the basement of the Cruickshank residence," John wrote.

He has taken several courses at the Delaware Art Museum and, "now not a week goes past that I do not take some pictures, and hardly a day goes past without some time spent on the computer working on those images."

A life-long artist, Chris Youngs attended the San Francisco Art Institute, founded the first artists-run space in Canada, was a gallery director at Mount Allison University in New Brusnwick, taught art history, and was director of the Canada Council Art Bank, the Oklahoma City Art Museum and the Freedman Gallery at Albright College in Reading, PA—among the many other varied and interesting things that have filled the past 50 years.

Chris holds a masters in Art History and Criticism. "I have published a multitude of words about art and life..." he notes.

The show runs May 1 through May 26, with opening events from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on both May 1 and May 19. Pieces by Taft photography teacher Yee-Fun Yin and Mark W. Potter '48 round out the show.

DuBois Speaker

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General James Cartwright will address the Taft community during morning meeting Thursday, May 3. General Cartwright visits Taft through The Rear Admiral Raymond. F. DuBois Fellowship in Inernational Affairs.

General James Cartwright (USMC, ret.) hails from Rockford, Illinois. He attended the University of Iowa and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marines in 1971. He was both a naval flight officer and naval aviator who flew the F-4 Phantom, OA-4 Skyhawk, and F/A-18 Hornet. In 1983, he was named Outstanding Carrier Aviator of the Year by the Association of Naval Aviation and went on to command Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 12, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232, Marine Aircraft Group 31, and 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. He also served in a wide range of Marine and joint billets including as assistant program manager for engineering, F/A-18 Naval Air Systems Command; deputy, Aviation Plans, Policy, and Budgets, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps; and director, Force Structure, Resources and Assessment, J-8, Joint Staff.

General Cartwright graduated with distinction from the Air Command and Staff College, received an M.A. in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College, completed a fellowship with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and was honored with a Naval War College Distinguished Graduate Leadership Award. Unique among Marines, General Cartwright served as commander, U.S. Strategic Command, before being nominated and appointed as the eighth vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation’s second-highest military officer. During his four-year tenure as vice chairman, across two presidential administrations and constant military operations against diverse and evolving enemies, General Cartwright became widely recognized for his technical acumen, vision of future national security concepts, and keen ability to integrate systems, organizations, and people in ways that encourage creativity and spark innovation in the areas of strategic deterrence, nuclear proliferation, missile defense, cyber security, and adaptive acquisition processes.

The Rear Admiral Raymond F. DuBois Fellowship in International Affairs offers Taft students the opportunity to learn more about international affairs through annual presentations by guest lecturers

"Roomies" on Stage

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Roomies: One Year at a Time is an original play written and directed by Taft theater and film teacher Rick Doyle. Roomies opens in the Black Box Thursday, April 26, at 7:30 p.m., with additional performances Friday, April 27, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, April 28, at 8 p.m.

Roomies explores dorm life at a fictional boarding school through a series of topical vignettes; all incidents portrayed in the production are based on real events. Roomies looks into the lives of gay and lesbian students and deals with the issues that we can all relate to, both individually and as a community. The play captures the humor and drama that play out for the featured characters during the opening month of a new school year.

Roomies promises to be a hit; arrive at the Black Box early for the best seating.

Though not overly used, the language in the show may not be appropriate for younger children.

CAST

Tristan Smith- Eli Mortimor
Simmons Gaines
Carlande Nicolas
Sam Westmoreland- Renee
Rebecca Karabus- Alice
Kasey Pietro
Vienna Kaylan- Megan
Chris Browner - Hoover
Emily Nelson- Chelsea
Tommy Robertshaw- Mays
Chris Hylwa - Julian
Chrissy Fattore
Tommy Rowe - Teddy
Jillian Wipfler- Becky
Linda Saarnijoki- Ms. Opperman
Sam Stamas - Carl
Kaley McNeill- Darla
Natasha Batten

Assistant Director/Stage Manager:
Kash Griffith

Crew:
Emmanuel Mennesson
Blake Joblin