Chocolate Drops, a joyful risk, and the extended family of Senior Challenge

In next Wednesday's assembly, we'll be treated to the Carolina Chocolate Drops as part of the Durham Blues Festival's "Blues in Schools" program. The assembly, like last year's Clayton Miller Blues Band, grew out of our budding relationship with the Hayti Heritage Center.

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Want to see a new DA teacher taking a joyful risk? Check out this video of new 2nd grade teacher Anna Karol. Be patient and you'll be rewarded. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfy0fIiianA

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The following email is from Laura Sikes, mother of 12th grader Yates, whose grandfather died on Saturday morning, just as Senior Challenge was beginning. Laura called Greg Murray to ask if it might be possible for Yates to leave his group, attend the funeral in Tennessee, and rejoin the group to finish Senior Challenge. With a flurry of phone calls, a series of shuttles, and two well-orchestrated meetings in the wilderness, the Senior Challenge support crew helped Yates do just that.

Dear Upper School faculty:

I cannot adequately express my gratitude to Greg, Verle, Mr. Parry and the folks at BackCountry. They all worked to make a most difficult time as stress-free and normal as possible. I felt as if I was asking for the impossible and they all made it look as if it was no big deal. At one point Greg tried to explain that he and Verle both felt immediately that it all had to happen. I responded that once again DA was "Family".

Yates has looked forward to Senior Challenge since he was a freshman. He would have been extremely disappointed if he had missed it. I will never forget the look on his face when I woke him and told him about Pop-Pop. I will also never forget the look on his face when it clicked that he would likely miss Senior Challenge. So, instead of a life-long disappointment, Greg, Verle, Mr. Parry and the folks at BackCountry have created a life-long memory of how much people care about him. I think that he was somewhat humbled by the experience and I know that he appreciates the effort and will certainly never forget it.

So, please know that from the bottom of my heart, I appreciate all of the efforts of those involved. Please tell them that they are simply THE BEST and that once again, DA has given me reason to know that Yates is truly in THE BEST school imaginable!

Laura Sikes

Student U. in Christian Science Monitor, John Pardon nation's best young programmer

Student U. Co-Founder featured in Christian Science Monitor article - Amanda Dorsey, who teamed with new DA faculty member Dan Kimberg to launch Student U. this summer, comments on the role of DukeEngage in fostering moral leadership in Duke Students. To see Student U.'s first mention in a national publication, go to: http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0823/p14s02-legn.html. To see 15 more local stories about Student U. (including the News 14 Carolina TV profile), go to: http://studentu.da.org/press/index.html.

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Newly-minted alumnus John Pardon just returned from Zagreb, Croatia, where he was competing again the International Olympiad in Informatics, "one of the most prominent computer science competitions in the world." Also from the IOI website: "The Competition Tasks are of an algorithm nature, however the contestants have to show basic skills as problem analysis, design of the algorithm needed, data structures, as well as programming and testing of their solutions. The winners of the IOI belong, no doubt, to the best young computer scientists of the world."

For the second year in a row, John finished fifth in the world (the next American contestants were 9th, then 48th). For details and final results, go to http://ioi2007.hsin.hr/index.php?page=results

Soo motivated

DA Junior Adrianne Soo is one of six Triangle athletes featured in this morning's News and Observer. To see a picture of her in on the trail and hear an audio clip about what motivates her, go to http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/preps/photos/story/674230.html

Foreign students, Augustine connections, and Will's welcome

Please go out of your way to welcome two foreign students who arrived recently to join us for a year at DA:

• Senior Hannah Kaiser is a family friend of the Ohmans (senior Elsa and recent grad Edward). She comes from Sweden, is eagerly awaiting Senior Challenge, and plans to play tennis, basketball, and soccer.

• Junior Sonia Eisenfisz is an AFS student from France. She'll be living with the Noah Katz family, who hosted German Niklas Putschbach last year. Sonia enjoys music, table tennis, climbing, and judo. She also has her own YouTube singing audition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTMpmHc0sV4

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In late July I attended the graduation ceremony of about 20 volunteers for the Augustine Project. They had completed their 70-hour training program and were preparing for year-long commitments tutoring individual children in the Chapel Hill public schools. I was invited by Debbie McCarthy, the former DA teacher and current Director of the Augustine project (www.augustineproject.org), who will be teaming with Eric Teagarden to lead a dozen DA seniors in the same kind of project. It was inspiring to get a sense of the seriousness of the enterprise, the acuteness of the need, and the depth of learning already evident from the new tutors.

It was also fun to run into longtime Augustine Project volunteer Barbara Ziff, who taught Pre-K at DA for 20 years. She offered three news flashes:

• Barbara is a painter. She divides her time between literacy tutoring and watercolor, acrylic, and mixed media painting. She's had several gallery shows and sold many works. You can see one reproduction below, and many more at www.barbaraziff.com.


• Barbara's son Peter (DA class of 1996) is a truck driver. He and his wife live in Eastern North Carolina with their two young children. Peter has been keeping busy this month transporting loads of cucumbers from farms to markets in Raleigh and beyond. His new truck appears below.


• Barbara's web page designer is Peter's DA classmate Bill vonReichbauer. Bill is a guitarist, teacher, composer, writer, and editor, currently living in Albany, NY. You can see Bill pictured below and catch up on his life and work at www.williamvonr.com.


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The following remarks were delivered by senior Will Ramsey during last Monday's new faculty orientation meetings for teachers in all divisions.

Good morning. My name is Will Ramsey, and I am a senior here at DA. I am also a musician – I play saxophone in the upper school jazz and rock ensemble In The Pocket. Music is a great passion of mine, providing both an outlet for stress and a medium through which to unite and channel the creative energies of like-minded individuals. I am always looking to learn more, so this summer I decided to enroll in a five-week performance seminar at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. The five-week program is intended to give interested students the chance to expand their musical abilities, become familiar with the Berklee curriculum, and, of course, meet student musicians from all over the country and all over the world. Needless to say, most of the participants plan to pursue a career in music.
Despite sustaining a stress fracture in my right foot and spending four days in Massachusetts General Hospital with a severe urinary tract infection, I finished the program with improved technique and mostly excellent memories under my belt. So significant, in fact, was my time at Berklee, that when scrambling to prepare for this address, I felt it would be just the type of anecdote I needed.
I regard the five-week program as a wonderfully enlightening experience because it showed me that I couldn’t tolerate living with a bunch of musicians. For me, attending a school of music is like eating chocolate cake for every meal of the day, every day of the week. By the end, I was almost glad to go home, if only to escape hearing one more joke about guitar players or one more mention of modal interpolation, substitute dominants, or the imaginary bar line. Just like our mothers tell us, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing, regardless of how much it makes us practice.
I am sure that by this point you are asking yourselves; what the heck does this have to do with Durham Academy? Where is this guy going? Why am I here? Why did I even interview for this job? Not to worry. My point in telling you about Berklee comes to this: I realized that although music brought beauty and joy to my life, it could never be more than an avocation. Durham Academy – my home since kindergarten – has provided me with such a diverse spiritual and intellectual diet that anything less just makes me feel undernourished. Although I imagine most high schools maintain a certain number of interdisciplinary requirements, the environment at DA is such that students feel excited about stretching themselves across multiple fields of study, art, and thought. You’ll find truly remarkable kids here at DA – the cello-playing math prodigy who runs cross-country and still enjoys English class; the student body president who plays softball and finds time to tech for theater productions; the track-running poet/historian who also happens to play violin in the school chamber music ensemble; the star soccer player and devoted science student who skillfully entertains his friends and peers with magic. Students like these are not exceptions, although they are often exceptional – they are common at Durham Academy.
What is it, then, that you as teachers need to know, coming into an environment such as I’ve described? First: be yourself. The teachers I remember, the ones I consider superior, were and still are willing to share their interests and experiences with students and with the school community. Whether it’s the calculus teacher who readily discusses his passion for Schubert, the English teacher who goes out for the winter musical, or the history professor who talks about his days working for the CIA in the Soviet Union, DA teachers make an impact simply by contributing their unique selves to the mix. I won’t say be funny, because that may not be exactly who you are – but it doesn’t hurt.
Second: remain open to all the school has to offer. Teachers have the opportunity to extend themselves far beyond their individual disciplines – advising clubs, coaching teams, assisting with musical or theatrical productions and even starring in them. A great teacher, as you can probably tell, is one who forms a personal connection with the school and students and who constantly strengthens this connection by investing his/her time in as much as he/she can.
Third: be honest to your students and to yourself. This applies not only to your policies in the classroom, but also to your relationships outside. Teachers that are clear in their expectations garner respect from their students, as do teachers that are clear in their principles – clarity in both areas will immeasurably help class productivity.
Finally: remember this school’s oft repeated but still potent mission statement: “to provide each student an education that will enable him or her to live a moral, happy, and productive life.” Every aspect of the schooling process at DA should and does, in my opinion, contribute to the fulfillment of this mission statement – and every aspect of the schooling process starts with the teachers.
There is no manual that I know of that describes how new teachers should go about establishing themselves. A lot of it is, I think, stumbling around and making mistakes until one gets the hang of it. I could give you many more tips, beyond just four, that I think are important, but you’d probably forget them and resent me for presuming to dictate to my superiors. That’s why I’ll leave you with one overarching piece of advice – don’t be afraid to make your own way in this school. You may find that only some or none of my points apply in your case, and that a different approach is needed. That’s okay – in fact, given the unique diversity of this community, I might expect it.
It’s entirely possible that I’m just starry-eyed, that I have an overly romantic view of the school – one born of isolation from other perspectives, perhaps. But I think that you’ll find, as I have, that this is a very special place. Good luck.

Uganda, the magistrate, AFS, N&O, and Conrad

Amid his daily routine reading of Ugandan newspapers, Eric came upon the following story about DA’s partnership with Ugandan girls’ schools, catalyzed by the assembly visit of George Piwang-Jalobo and the subsequent work of Hillary Gleason and Jenny Denton: http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/9/35/573603

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Elaine Evans, mother of rising junior Tyler, is among our warmest, friendliest parents. Just hope you meet her at your work and not hers! See this great profile from the Herald Sun: http://www.heraldsun.com/durham/4-863651.cfm

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A note from rising junior Hillary Rosen, bound for an AFS semester (plus): “I just got all my information for Germany and I thought I would email you to keep you informed. I will be leaving on September 6th and returning on February 16th. I will be staying with the Wunderlich family in Esslingen, Germany. Esslingen is located in southern Germany jus outside of Stuttgart and about 140 miles southeast of Frankfurt.” To keep in touch with Hillary during the year, email hillroy@nc.rr.com.

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The News and Observer’s education reporter has been busy at DA lately, covering stories about:

1. Brennan Vail, Ashley Brasier, and Samantha Leder's Serving Our Community’s Kids (SOCK) camp (http://www.thedurhamnews.com/class_time/story/68963.html)

2. Student U. (http://www.newsobserver.com/print/wednesday/city_state/story/640857.html)

3. Chess Master Hikaru Nakamura visiting our chess team (http://www.thedurhamnews.com/class_time/story/73746.html)

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Several teachers and parents have asked about the progress of Conrad Zaborowski, the East Chapel Hill High student injured in May in a car accident. The answers are in the following articles and the blog maintained by his sister, DA alumna Daphne Zaborowski: www.thinkingofconrad.blogspot.com/

www.newsobserver.com/news/orange/story/642025.html

www.chapelhillnews.com/front/story/8607.html

Spring 2007 archive

January 21

Mollie Pathman’s teachers may know already why she’ll miss some school in April, but everyone ought to know that she’ll be representing the U.S. on the Girls National Soccer Team. This from the Olympic Development Program staff: “We would like to say congratulations on being selected to attend the 1991/1992 Costa Rica Trip. You should be proud of this accomplishment. There were 18 players chosen nationally. Players will fly out of Houston on 9 April and return 18 April 2007.” Brava, Mollie!

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In the same happy realm of wonderfully talented students, I share the following message and invitation (to all) from a (gasp!) sophomore:

There will be a very cool round table discussion / conference on linguistics, constructed languages, and sociolinguistics on February 2 from 3:30 to 5:30 in the conference room. The conference will not be entirely theory-intensive, and it should in fact cover a lot of personal experiences with communication. This discussion will be by no means controlled by me; I will simply organize and guide you guys. You all can talk about your musings, observations, or interests (basically anything you want, within reason) for as long as you like... hopefully from 3-20 minutes each presentation.

I have already gotten semi-confirmation on some topics (yet these aren't set in stone); Mr. Edwards will hopefully tell us about his experiences in the Peace Corps, using Wolof and learning Turkish. Mr. Nozick will hopefully comment on his experiences with Arabic and Hebrew on the streets of Israel (with especial focus on the language and culture connection). I, myself, will talk about 18th and 17th century philosophical languages and their connection to Wittgenstein's concept of a personal language. We will, for sure, have a special guest speaker coming to talk to us about a very cool topic (more on this later).

Finally, (phew, almost at the end) there will be a translation challenge in the beginning of March (hopefully somewhere in there). The idea - you have 35 min & 10 sec to learn a language (in which you are not fluent or semi-fluent) in teams as best you all can. You will use hints for what to study (general topics) which will be generated by the makers of source texts that you will use for translation... these people will also serve as judges. You can use dictionaries, phrase books, grammars, textbooks, and other related resources for this challenge. Hopefully, I can find judges for exotic languages like Persian, etc. Please let me know if you would be willing to judge (and thus create a text for translation). Best of wishes to you all, and please let me know if you have any ideas that you need help posting.

Ciao,
Johnny Piskor

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From the DA Debate website: “DA was the talk of the tournament, coming within one ballot of closingout public forum in a strong national field of sixty-plus teams. DedePless and Grace Wallack won the tournament, placing ahead of manynational contenders, including last year's NFL nationals runners-up. Patrick Toomey and Katherine Buse were third, losing a close semi-finalround. Both teams received TOC bids, and each debater won anindividual speaker award: Buse 4th, Pless 8th, Wallack 9th, and Toomey13th. Pless and Wallack also won partial scholarships to the FFIsummer institute as a result of their win. In extemp, Evan Donahuefinished 4th in a very consistent performance, and Michael Robey was asemi-finalist. Josh Erb finished 3-3 in varsity L-D.



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Bobbie is headed to New York next week to meet with a couple dozen DA alumni who live in the Big Apple. Below are excerpts from an email exchange with one 1981 graduate. I share it to 1) give you a sense of Bobbie’s outreach and help you answer the common student question, “who is that lady with the camera?”, and 2) to underscore how many alums are out in the world, rooting for our continued development as a school.

Dear NYC alums:

We are just finishing up a week of honoring the life and words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that is described on our web site (www.da.org). I have attached a photo from one of the events: the "I Have a Dream March". The entire Pre and Lower School marched to the US campus with their own "I have a dream" posters (no litter, no war, no sickness, no smoking, etc.). It was terrific to see so much hope on the move. We are in the business of training dream-makers.

Dear Ms. Hardaker,

I will certainly plan on being with you on Jan. 25. What a great event you have planned! And thanks for forwarding the link for the Martin Luther King event. What a wonderful initiative the DA march was. DA has made such great strides in the area of diversity and inclusion. I know that you are huge part of that. It was so different when I was there, but as an alumna, I am really so proud of the school's evolution in this regard. Also, I am proud of those of us who helped to blaze the challenging trails at DA- Brian Holeman, Cathy Clements, Anita Merritt, Wayne Perry, the irrepressible Donald "Buggy" Moore, Mark and Claire Sanders. This inspired march from the Lower School to the Upper School was such a profound and moving statement, as well as tribute to the legacy of Dr. King. Thank you for sharing this!!!! I look forward to seeing you next week

Valerie Kennedy Miller ‘81

January 28

Remember Marion Kennedy? Her mom (a Ridge Rd. neighbor) recently wrote me the following heartening email:

I invited Mr. Murray's advisory today to walk/run over for hot cider and cake. Marion was in Greg’s advisory so I have a special place for these 10th graders. They shook hands as they walked in, were charming and sweet and the young men on the bb team all had ties on- it was lovely to have them. They made me proud to have had children at DA.
Ana Kennedy

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John Pardon earns $1k for the science or math departments! John was named one of the 300 Semifinalists in the 66th annual Science Talent Search. His project, “On the Unfolding of Simple Closed Curves” 40 finalists will be announced on January 31 (at www.sciserv.org) and attend the Science Talent Institute in Washington DC in March. Each intel STS Semifinalist will be awarded $1000 by Intel. In addition, Intel will provide $1000 to the Semifinalist’s high school for each student named, to be designated to furtehr support excellence in science, math or engineering education at the recipient high school.

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February 1

Soo fast! For those of you who haven't yet checked the website Milesplit.com. From a report on the Va Tech meet: ”Adrianne Soo of Durham Academy, still figuring out what this "Indoor Track" stuff is all about finished 2nd in the 3200. She ran 20 seconds faster than last weekend at UNC. Her time of 11:10.79 ranks her #1 in the state for this indoor season. It is also the 9th fastest time ever run indoors by a NC athlete. On Saturday, she ran the 1600, and ran 7 seconds faster than last weekend. Adrianne finished 3rd with a time of 5:14.04. That's the fastest indoor time of the season among NC athletes.”

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Two top-five teams on Tobacco Road! No, it’s not Duke and Carolina, but Dede Pless and Grace Wallach, ranked #2 in the nation in Public Forum debate. Patrick Toomey and Katherine Buse are hot on their heels at #4. Though these are somewhat unscientific rankings, they still represent a great achievement for these four students and for DA Debate as a whole. Details: http://www.forensicsonline.net/results/2006/?cat=PFD

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February 11
Next gig . . . . Carnegie Hall? You may know that Andrew Ferrari performed last weekend at the Talent Extravaganza. You may not know that he performed last month at our Lower School. The LS web site makes it possible to watch a clip of Dr. Ferrari playing Scott Joplin’s Maple Leaf Rag.
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DA Debate update, from last weekend’s well-attended Cary Academy tournament: “Josh Zoffer and Tristan Bepler were undefeated and won 1st place in varsity public forum, Grace Wallack and Dede Pless were 3rd, and Kathrine Buse and Patrick Toomey were 4th. In JV public forum, Caitlyn Finn and Michelle Corea were 2nd, and Jim Mallerney and Caroline Buse might have trophied had a scheduling conflict not derailed their fourth round. Michael Roubey was 6th in international extemporaneous speaking, and barely missed placing in U.S. extemp. Meredith Burger was DA's first congessional debate competitor of the year, blazing a trail that others should follow.

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Two interesting “This I Believe” essays from NPR:
“I believe in pastrami -- well-marbled pastrami. Hot, thinly sliced, piled on fresh rye bread with dark mustard and a crisp dill pickle.” Educational psychologist Lee Shulman is president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in Stanford, Calif. For nearly 20 years he was on the faculty of Michigan State University and founded its Institute for Research on Teaching. Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6696794
“It all started in elementary school when I realized that I wasn't like everyone else.” Fourteen-year-old Joshua Yuchasz is a high school freshman in Milford, Mich. He plays in his school's concert band and on its football team. In addition to Godzilla, Yuchasz likes other reptiles, including Bubba, his pet red-tailed boa constrictor. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6254308
February 18

Congratulations to our 2007 Durham Herald Front Page Award Nominees:


Arts: Adam Marshall
Career & Technical: Katy Considine
English & Literature: Eleanor Wertman
Entertainment/Drama: Lizzy Poleski
Foreign Language: Terry Hsieh
Journalism: Kendall Bradley
Mathematics: John Pardon
Political Science: Harry Stark
Science: Scott Dobbins
Technology: Alec Grubbs

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For many years scholars have recognized that late nineteenth-century Durham, North Carolina makes an ideal case study for examining emancipation, industrialization, immigration, and urbanization in the context of the New South. "With its tobacco factories, textile mills, black entrepreneurs, and new college," the historian Syd Nathans observes, "Durham was a hub of enterprise and hope." By the early twentieth century, Durham became renowned for its vibrant entrepreneurial spirit. Both W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington wrote articles for the national press about their visits with members of Durham's African-American community. After his visit in 1910, Booker T. Washington dubbed Durham the "City of Negro Enterprises."
The Digital Durham website (http://digitaldurham.duke.edu/) offers students, teachers, and researchers a range of primary sources with which they can investigate the economic, social, cultural, and political history of a post-bellum southern community. Letters from mothers to daughters, parents to children, and husbands and wives give insight into the domestic lives of some of Durham's elite citizens. Entries from Atlas Rigsbee's general store ledger together with data from the 1880 census provide a view into the social experience of those Durham citizens who have not left written documents. Taken together the new materials on Digital Durham touch on over 600 topics including African American business enterprise, the emergence of textiles, tobacco production and marketing, child labor, prohibition, evangelical revivalism, nineteenth-century medical practices, women's experience of childbirth, and public and private education.

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Next Wellness Committee offering for parents: Families and Food: From DNA to the Dinner Table, with Cynthia M. Bulik, PhD, UNC-CH. Being a parent is hard enough, but conflicting advice about how to prevent obesity and eating disorders can make your head spin. The latest figures show that about 65% of adults and 15% of children in the United States are overweight. At the same time another group of people—those with anorexia nervosa—are literally starving to death. How can these two problems coexist? And more importantly, how can we prevent obesity and eating disorders simultaneously? In this highly interactive talk, I will present how both genes and environment contribute to risk for both obesity and eating disorders and provide practical and workable solutions for busy families who are struggling to normalize eating. Parents are urged to come with questions, as nothing is more valuable than learning from other parents facing similar challenges.

February 25

On Saturday, about 30 more prospective Student U. students and their parents will come to campus for their interviews. Today the Duke Chronicle ran a story about the program, authored by Camey VanSant. You can read it, a bunch of other articles about the program, and lots of program details at http://studentu.da.org/. Thanks to our Webmaster, sophomore Deniz Aydemir.

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Last week our debate teams confirmed their place among the nation’s best.

o At Harvard, Patrick Toomey and Katherine Buse were the public forum champions of the nation's most prestigious invitational, topping a strong national field of 155 teams. They even blanked their opponents 5-0 in the final round! Evan Donahue was in the semifinals of extemp, finishing in the top 12 out of 200 extempers. Editorial comment not on the website: Katherine and Patrick are clearly among the top five teams in the country, and probably would be first in a meaningful ranking system at this point. They beat last year's national runners-up in the semifinals, and have been 1st, 1st, and 3rd at their three national tournaments this year. Evan has a chance to be in the top 10 at nationals.

o At Cape Fear: Each and every DA competitor brought home hardware! Max Ramage was en fuego, taking 1st in extemp and 4th in impromptu. Robert Kindman was just behind him, placing 3rd in extemp and 5th in impromptu. On the debate side, Caitlyn Finn and Michelle Corea were 2nd in varsity public forum, while Will Lindsey and Mackin Brinegar were 4th. Josh Erb took his first trophy in varsity L-D, placing 4th. Editorial comment not on the website: This was a little tournament, but everyone seems to have had a good time. Max's performance was particularly impressive given that this is only the second tournament he's been to. He's a bit of an Evan -- socially awkward but can turn it on when he's competing.

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Andrew Herrington sent the following slide show to his advisor Herb Lamb. The two links are different formats, but the same show. I think you’ll find it inspiring, unsettling, uplifting, and entirely relevant for the work of our strategic task forces:

o http://www.scottmcleod.org/didyouknow.mov
o http://www.scottmcleod.org/didyouknow.swf

March 2

Most of us find ourselves leaning into spring break and the relaxation it represents, but Shan and Thomas are gearing up to take ten students to Nicaragua. The trip has been organized by Jordan Adair in partnership with the Sister Communities of Durham and San Ramon (a group founded by parents of DA alums Lonna and Richard Harkrader).

Below is an excerpt from the note Thomas sent this week to the parents of the Nicaragua travelers. It underlines the ways in which this trip is on the vanguard of our efforts for globalization, service-learning, and experiential education.

Dear parents:

First and foremost, let me extend my sincere gratitude to you all for the wonderful gift that you are giving your student. One of the great presents that my parents gave me when I graduated from high school eons ago was the opportunity to travel to Europe. It was an enormous financial sacrifice, but what they did was open the doors and perspectives of the world to me. What could beat experiencing the actually collapse of the Berlin wall, East Germany and Communism? To say that that trip has shaped my view of life and the world view would be a gross understatement. You are opening this world to your student and it will be transformative.

Shan and I are excited about this trip and we want to assure you that we will do our utmost to make sure that your child is safe, secure, and making the most of this trip. For starters, we will meet as a group this coming Wednesday during lunch to talk about expectations, goals, and ideas of not only how to make this trip memorable but how can we use this experience to launch bigger and more meaningful things in our lives, if that is possible. We will also try to plan and streamline what we can and should bring to Nicaragua. At any rate, we thank you for entrusting your child to us and we take this responsibility very seriously.

March 9

The Cum Laude committee recently selected this year’s new members:

• Juniors: Ashley Brasier, Lauren Bronec, Caitlin Burk, Molly Dektar, Jenny Denton, Elizabeth Hamilton, Ben Hattem, Leslie Ogden, Sean Sketch, and Brennan Vail.

• Seniors: Kendall Bradley, Scott Dobbins, Jess Epsten, Becki Feinglos, Brooke Hartley, Samantha Mumma, Harry Stark, Natalie Sutton, Lauren Vaughan, and Blair Wilson.

• Returning seniors (selected last year): Meredith Annex, Gary Bressler, Katherine Buse, Hannah Cohen, Evan Donahue, Anne Hart, Cora Lavin, John Pardon, Nell Snider, and Eleanor Wertman.

The Cum Laude assembly will take place on Monday, April 23 (a day 3).

As in past years, the committee deliberated patiently to select our maximum allowable 10% from each class. “Academic excellence” is the guiding principle. Under that umbrella we consider strength of academic schedule, grades achieved, intellectual curiosity, and character. We also consider the Cum Laude motto, three Greek words:

• Areté (excellence) includes the concept of excellence in the moral sense and is not limited to the ideal of superiority in scholarship, nor does it involve the endeavor of competing primarily for academic grades.
• Diké (justice) includes the concept of what is suitable and appropriate as well as just.
• Timé (honor) includes the concept of dignity and true worth as well as honor.

If you have any questions about Cum Laude or the selection process, please feel free to contact any member of the committee: Asta, David M., Dennis, Kari, Kathy, Margarita, Owen, Verle and me.

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From the Restore-Your-Faith-in-the-Youth-of-America Department – in the fall, a plastic globe in the library was found damaged one day. Another sign of student disrespect, it seemed. Several days later, Asta found a new globe with the following note on it:



Mrs. Dinello and Mrs. Smith,

My name is Yates Sikes. I am the student who broke your globe. I am sorry that I did this as it was an accident. This globe, I hope, can serve as a replacement for the broken one.

Yates Sikes
PS. I am truly sorry.


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The following thank-you letter was addressed to two of us, but directed to our whole community. Paula, who spent three weeks with us, is pictured below.






Dear Michael, Dear Christina,

Thank you so much for having Paula visiting your school and be a part of your wonderful, inspiring, vivid community. Paula had such a great time and I am sure traveled back with lots of insights and experiences eager to share with her friends back home. She was so glad to visit your school right in time for the
performance of the musical and was so impressed by the quality and dedication the students brought to it.
One thing she mentioned often was the closeness she observed between teachers and students, the encouragement and kindness teachers approached their students with.

I wish the best for you, your work and the school,
and we will keep you in fond memory,
Jeannette Stargala and Stephan Zuchner and children

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Edward B. Fiske (http://www.fiskeguide.com/ebf/index.html), who lives in Durham, is a former education editor of The New York Times and chair of the board of advisers of the Center for International Understanding. The editor of the Fiske Guide to Colleges, he lent his services to Kathy and Anthony for one of their parent programs last year.
Unsurprisingly Fiske’s perspective on education is broad and clear. Check out the opinion piece he wrote recently for the News and Observer. It mentions two rival schools (Chapel Hill/Carrboro schools and Cary Academy) and gives some fuel for at least one of our central task forces.

http://www.newsobserver.com/559/story/547883.html

March 25

The first child of debate coach Jeff Welty was born during our spring break. Wrote Jeff, “Baby Caroline Hope Welty is here, cute as a button and sweet as pie.”



Saving Ourselves
A Benefit Concert

Saturday, March 31, 2007 · 3 pm
Sunday, April 1, 2007 · 3 pm

The devastation of Hurricane Katrina and the Genocide Crisis in Sudan has affected the lives of millions. This benefit concert will feature an evening of entertainment performed by Durham Academy Middle Schoolers.

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Young scientists reach down from US Mount Olympus: (the following note was written by Science Olympics leader Meredith Annex). The attached description shows just how generous and creative our students can be.

At the beginning of the school year, our Science Olympiad team began planning a science day for the first graders. I'm emailing you to update you on our progress so far.The day is scheduled for Monday, March 26th, which the Upper School has off for end of quarter. We will meet with each class individually for an hour on Monday morning, and during this hour the kids will be split into three groups and sent to three different stations: one with a physics topic, one with a biology topic, and the last with a chemistry topic. We will also have an introductory demonstration for the kids to observe as we go over rules for the day, and we will give each student a ribbon as they leave.

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Turtle Island founder and Wilderness Renaissance Man Eustace Conway was recently in Durham. Check out this story on his work and a unique neighborhood not too far from DA: http://www.heraldsun.com/orange/10-830627.cfm

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Want to feel good? Read the following two emails from the mothers of senior John Pardon and Colorado College freshman Logan Roberts (DA ’06). Both underline the wonderful leavening process of adolescent development. Both remind us that the world is big, and that life is long, and that our roles matter..


Dear Michael :

After having John in several schools before the eighth grade (public schools, private schools, progressive schools, traditional schools, and homeschool) I am able to recognize the importance of the daily learning environment for a unique learner such as John. In some schools, under some teachers, he flourished. But more typically he shut down, was unable to purue his talents, much less use them, and would act unmotivated and apathetic or sad about the prospect of school. A positive reaction toward school was not a given with a child like John. Schools were typically an inhibiting, restrictive, boring environment for John, especially the ones who portrayed themselves as being otherwise. We tried DA five years ago. The school’s environment has nourished John, engaged him, and allowed him the time and encouragement to pursue outside activities important to him. It is because of the school , in part, that he has become an accomplished cellist, a nationally ranked computer programmer, and a national science talent award winner--though the pursuit of all those accomplishments occurred outside the school cirriculum and school day as typically considered. DA respected and promoted the values in its students to accomplish big dreams, pursue worthwhile activities, even follow one’s heart - as cliche as that sounds. DA found a place for a student like John to be himself.

The only reason John's sister, a freshman at East Chapel Hill High, is not at DA is strictly monetary. And she is more adaptable, and can flourish happily anywhere, where John is more temperamental, his environment more critical.

I'm hoping to compile a book about parenting and raising exceptional children from the perspective of parents of the 2007 intel finalists. IF it materializes, it will likely include many opinions on schooling which I will be happy to pass on. Parents of such kids often have lengthy tales of educational appropriateness (or lack thereof). I myself still ponder over how John's fifth grade teacher required him to do pages of single digit multiplication problems for homework when he had proved the quadratic formula in the third grade for fun. Her rationale was a bit weak "everyone can use practice with their multiplication." Silly things we parents remember.

Thanks for asking. I don't have much advice to offer, but I'm good at feedback. Try to meet kids’ needs at where they are- not where you think they should be.

Joyce Pardon



Michael,

I hope all is well at DA. I just returned from a 12-day Duke Alumni Association trip to Chile and Argentina -- I was the "faculty host," so did some lectures and general orientation (Jim got to go too!). We flew first
to Santiago, where we spent a few days (visited one of Neruda's houses, along with other highlights), then flew to Puerto Montt in the south, spent a couple nights in lovely Puerto Varas, and then crossed the Andes in the lake region (three lakes, three catamarans, plus a bus ride on a very undeveloped road -- really fascinating) and on to Bariloche -- gorgeous. Then 4 days in Buenos Aires, my favorite place. It was the two of us and 16 others, plus our guide (Pedro, argentino), and turned out to be a very compatible and simpático group. I know you can appreciate how difficult it was to come back!!

But the real reason I am writing is to tell you what a wonderful and mature young woman Sydney Hill Chopping is. She was along on the trip with her delightful grandmother, Irmgard Hill, and our entire group was very impressed by Sydney -- her personality, her openness to new cultures, and her ability to interact with folks of many ages and backgrounds. Meeting her was one of the highlights for everyone! (At the start of the trip she told me I looked familiar, and then we put two and two together and she discovered my connection to Logan and I discovered hers to DA!) I know she missed a little school in order to go along on this trip, but I can assure you that she threw herself completely into this trip and learned a tremendous amount. So -- please pass this on to her advisor and anyone else who might be interested!

Quick update on Logan: he is thriving at Colorado College -- a perfect choice for him -- and is (right now) spending most of his spring break at the Nantahala Outdoor Center learning to be a whitewater rafting guide --the summer job he wants, preferably on the French Broad. We are proud of him for doing such a cool thing over break!

Nick has completed the novel that began as his senior honors thesis at Duke (a novella in that incarnation) and is awaiting word from MFA programs, as well as from literary agents! He is living in our mountain cabin in Marshall (north and slightly west of Asheville, about 35 miles), working at an outfitter's (Curtis Wright) with shops in Weaverville and Biltmore, and also as a fly-fishing guide. Writing and fishing are his two passions, for sure.

All for now --
Deborah Jakubs
Rita DiGiallonardo Holloway University Librarian
Vice Provost for Library Affairs, Duke University


April 1

Congratulations to Herb, Trevor, and In the Pocket. Last Saturday night, in addition to raising the pulses of 450+ audience members, they raised nearly $1,300 for Musicians’ Village, a Habitat for Humanity project for New Orleans musicians.

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An email to Kari Newman, from first grade teacher Elizabeth Culpepper: I was so impressed by your students today at the Science Fun Day! It was obvious that they had put a lot of thought and energy into preparing for the day. The stations were fun and interesting, with great discussion and follow-up, the "big kids" were wonderful with our little ones and were wonderful roll models. It was truly special to see the first graders interacting with the upper school students and made such a connection for them and all they hope to be when they get bigger.

The entire day was well-organized, and all the thoughtful planning made it very easy to get the kids ready for a fun and enriching time. We (teachers) knew what to expect, the kids knew what to expect, and everything ran like clockwork. It couldn't have gone better! I hope that we can continue to do this in years to come.

Thank you so much for your help in bringing Science Olympiad Fun Day to the first grade. Please send my kudos to all your students, with many, many thanks from the First Grade Stars.

Elizabeth

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As our season of student and teacher recruitment draws to a close, I want to thank all of you for the hospitality and flexibility you show to all our guests, drop-in visitors, and interviewing candidates. The following note, which arrived in my email box this afternoon, is typical of what our visitors say about the Upper School. Even if you factor out the buttering up, this and all the other flattering writers are largely correct in their perceptions. Thanks for all you do to make us the community described below.

Dear Michael,

It was great to meet you and thank you again for taking the time to meet with Martha and me on Tuesday and arranging her morning visits. She had a terrific time in the classes she attended, felt very comfortable with the students she met and is very interested and excited about the possibility of attending DA next year as a new student.

We both appreciate your candidness about the applicant pool this year and the small number of spaces available for 11th grade, however, we will remain positive and hopeful that something works out. If there is additional information we might add to her application file to bolster her chances of being considered, would you kindly let us know.

As I mentioned in our brief discussion, Martha very much wants to be a part of a vital school community where valuable exchanges and nurturing relationships can be formed. She felt this sense of vitality in the small classes she attended, where students and teachers seemed engaged and closely connected with one another. She mentioned to me that the kids she met "were lucky" to have teachers that seemed to care so much.

Martha and I have also talked about how she'd like to expand her interests and try some new experiences, whether it's taking an elective, trying out for a school play, learning a new sport or working on the yearbook or school newspaper. Her current school encourages students to choose a path and excel in it, often at the exclusion of other pursuits. DA seems to be a place where exploring new ideas and interests is encouraged and valued. This is the kind of learning/growing environment in which I believe Martha would bloom.

Please know how much I appreciate your generous time and continued interest in Martha, and we look forward to hearing more from you in the weeks to come.

Warm regards,
Kim Glenn

April 8

Dear everyone:

I thought I’d send along a photo I took recently of DA kids at the Habitat worksite. They have been there the last two Saturdays. No one will be working this Saturday, but Lewis and Jeff Jones will be trying to recruit additional DA students for this spring.

The house is located very near downtown Durham. Kids from across Durham are working on another house on that street – the big “YouthBuild” project – so it’s a great collection of people.

I’m also going to send this photo to David Beischer -- to thank him for allowing DA to partner with the Fox Family Foundation. We had to raise an additional $14,000 to finish out the partnership. A number of parents helped out -- the Preyers, Gary Diamond, Jones, Brazer, Pappas, Chesson, and Strauman. Mac’s mother made a nice donation as well.

I thought DA might be interested in recognizing this partnership in some way, especially since the Fox Foundation made it possible.

Thanks for your support.

Wendy and Mac McCorkle
(parents of senior Lewis and recent alumnus Chip)



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The following excerpts from a message I wrote last week to the Student U. Advisory Board contains some encouraging updates and an open invitation for interested DA teachers.

Dear Advisory Board:

Student U.’s momentum keeps growing, thanks primarily to the tireless efforts of Amanda, Dan, and Mary. Even more exciting – their vision is beginning to multiply itself. As our students, parents, teachers, and mentors assume their roles in the program, Student U. is growing from an idea held by a few to a reality owned by a wide range of Triangle residents.

I invite you to see this reality at Student U. Family Day 2007 (Saturday, April 14; 3-5 pm at DA’s Brumley Auditorium). Family Day is the kick-off for Student U.'s first-ever summer session. Joining the staff and our newly-selected 16 teachers will be our 51 new 5th grade students and their families. We’ll begin with a short program introducing the staff, then invite students and parents to get to know their homeroom, or "family," peers and teachers. Parents will leave Family Day informed and prepared for the summer. Attached you’ll see the email to parents announcing the event.

Just as it marks the official public beginning for Student U., Family Day represents a bittersweet culmination of the planning stage for our collegiate trio. Dan and Amanda will be working in the summer program, but Mary will be moving to Washington DC, where she has accepted a teaching job at Key Academy, a KIPP charter middle school (www.keyacademy.org/). She’ll no doubt be helping Student U. right up to her departure, and surely will keep in close contact with the program. But Family Day marks Mary’s last major event, and our last chance to thank her for her incredible leadership and student recruitment. Please come if you can, even if it’s just a quick drop-in.
A few updates:

o Students – From nearly 70 applicants, we offered spaces to 52 students. Fifty-one of them accepted positions in the program. They come from 10 DPS elementary and two charter schools. 75% are African American; the rest represent a wide range of ethnicities, most predominately Latino. They represent a range of achievement levels, and well over half of our students' parents have not completed a college education. 100% of the families are engaged, excited, and eagerly looking forward to June.

o Teachers - From nearly 40 applicants, we offered positions to 15 college students who will join Amanda as the inaugural Student U. faculty. It’s a powerhouse group, including 4 Duke students, 7 from UNC, 3 from NCCU, and two from DA (one now at Brown, one preparing for high school graduation). Five of our 16 teachers are male. Six are African-American, 2 Hispanic, and 2 Asian-American. All of them have the intellect, energy, and charisma to make the program fly.

o Mentor teachers – Four talented and enthusiastic teachers bring more than 70 years of combined teaching experience to their roles as advisors/coaches/guides/ inspirations for our young faculty. Three come from DPS schools, one from DA’s Lower School. This foursome will be guided by our own Jan Riggsbee. They’ve already met and begun with curriculum development and orientation planning.

o Donations keep trickling in. We’ve now raised over $111,000 and find ourselves with the happy tasks of budgeting and spending. DA’s business office has been helpful as we work through the details of payroll, transportation, facilities, scheduling, food, parental permissions, insurance, and other nuts and bolts. We realize that none of this would be possible without your leadership and guidance with fundraising.

Many of you have been helping individually or in small groups with continued fundraising, planning, and the development of evaluation tools. Again, thank you for all this time and work. If anyone is feeling out of the loop and looking for ways to stay involved, email me or the trio of college students at
student-u@da.org. If you have questions or suggestions at any point, send those too.

April 15

Junior Amadeo DeLuca-Westrate recently finished all of the requirements for his Eagle Scout. He built a storage shed behind the Lakewood YMCA, and will soon be embarassed by me at a Morning Meeting or assembly. Congratulations, Amadeo!


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The Machine Is Us/ing Us, an inspiring 4.5-minute look at digital learning and how it changes everything. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLlGopyXT_g


April 22

Ingrid Smith has been named as the recipient of the Ria Stambaugh Undergraduate Award for Excellence in German for the year 2007. Established in 1987, this award recognizes the graduating senior judged to have achieved thte most distinguished academic record in German language and literature. This monetary prize is made possible by memorial contributions of friends and relatives of Ria Stambaugh, Professor of German from 1963 to 1984. The award was presented to Ingrid by Chancellor James Moeser at a special awards ceremony last Monday.

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Ex-library disciplinarian and DA alumnus Michael Dibbert is moving to Boston. He just got a job teaching Middle School English and coaching basketball and track at Boston College High School, a large Catholic day school in South Boston that is opening a new 7/8 division in the fall.

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A new initiative recently approved by the Student Life Committee - Student Entrepreneurs Activating Community ($EAC) grants, funded by the DA Parents Association, give Upper School students the opportunity to design, propose, fund, and carry out projects that build community on or beyond the campus.

The US Student Life Committee (SLC) acts as the granting agent for SEAC grants. Its members (4 Lead Advisors, Counselor, Directors of Outdoor Education, Community Service, and Alumni Affairs, Deans, and Director + 5 student representatives) consider proposals on October 15, January 15, and May 15.

Students may request up to $200 for materials and other costs necessary to carry out community-building projects. They may request funding from other sources as well. Grant applicants must submit detailed estimates of all costs with their proposals, and submit receipts after project completion. The SLC will make its grants based on the following criteria:

1. Acuteness of community need.
2. Quality of project plan.
3. Number of students/community members affected by proposed project.
4. Sustainability of project.
5. Variety of grant projects in the cycle and year.
6. Availability of funds (SLC will steward its $1000 over the three annual granting cycles).
7. Demonstrated responsibility and follow-through of student(s) making proposal.

Examples of student initiatives that might be appropriate for SEAC funding: Science Olympiad Fun Day for 1st graders, Intramural Sports Leagues, Environmental Awareness Week, Linguistics Club conference, SOCK camp, recycling efforts.

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How can we build more creative, social-justice-oriented students? 2007 Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE) Leadership in Social Entrepreneurship Award Presentation and Dialogue, honoring Bill Drayton, Founder and CEO, Ashoka - Tuesday, April 24th at 10:30 a.m. in Geneen Auditorium. Free. For those of you not familiar with Ashoka, it is the leading social entrepreneurship organization in the world. Bill Drayton founded Ashoka in 1980, and since that time, Ashoka has elected over 1,800 leading social entrepreneurs as Ashoka Fellows, providing them with living stipends, professional support, and access to a global network of peers in more than 60 countries. For his pioneering efforts, Bill Drayton has been recognized with numerous honors and awards, including a MacArthur "genius" award and recognition by US News & World Report as one of America's Best Leaders. After the award presentation, CASE Faculty Director Greg Dees will engage Bill Drayton in a spirited dialogue around social entrepreneurship. You can read more about Bill and our Annual Leadership Award at http://www.fuqua.duke.edu/centers/case/events/leadershipaward/07winner/index.html.

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April 29

From junior Anna Cooperberg: “I just wanted to let you know that the Paella Sale last Monday was a great success! We raised $950, counting $350 that I fundraised myself, for El Centro Hispano's Emergency Fund! The money in this fund goes to help individuals with special needs (medical treatment, electricity bills, etc.) The Fiesta Latina was also a success! We raised $1010 for the Pies Descalzos Foundation. Thanks to everyone for being so supportive of these events!”

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From a spy from a nearby school: “At the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling (SACAC) conference in Atlanta last weekend, Anthony Clay received a big award -- the President's Award. SACAC is a big organization -- maybe 2000 people in 9 states. 850+ were at the conference in Atlanta. At a luncheon, three awards were presented to different individuals for distinctive service to the college community at large. As a complete surprise to him, the outgoing President of SACAC honored Anthony for all of his service to the community, the organization, etc.... Although he was completely caught off guard, he made (as I'm sure is not surprising to you) an eloquent speech that was both gracious and humble.”

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Want to walk through Durham’s history? Join the Walking Tour of the Historic Hayti community. Saturday, April 28 at 9 AM, beginning at the Stanford Warren Library at 1201 Fayetteville St (at Simmons St) The following excerpt comes from the 3-page preview of the tour (attached):

Booker T. Washington, the noted African American leader and educator at Tuskegee Institute, agreed with DuBois that Durham provided an opportunity for African Americans to excel economically. But Washington also recognized the existence of friendly relations between African Americans and whites. He stated, "Of all the southern cities that I have visited I found here the sanest attitude (among) white people toward the blacks."

With this interracial and economically progressive environment as the back drop, Durham emerged during the Jim Crow era as one of the centers of African American middle class in North Carolina and the South. Many members of this middle class resided in impressive, large residents in the Hayti district. The architecture of the houses was Victorian. They had spacious porches and large lawns. Also located in Hayti were churches, stores, a hospital, a library, several funeral homes, a college, clubs, and fraternal lodges.

Also, many working class communities developed in the midst of the middle class neighborhoods-that was fueled by the tobacco industry created in a city within a city. The sound of blues music dominated the streets of Hayti, where the Biltmore Hotel played host to entertainers such as Bessie Smith, Cab Calloway, and Count Basie. Musicians like Blind Boy Fuller and Gary Davis made much of their early money singing on the streets of Hayti. African Americans living in Durham enjoyed a strong and independent social, economic, and cultural life.

May 6

Two more alumnae join the world’s greatest profession - Julia Lacy (’03), cousin of junior Zack Davenport, recently accepted an offer to teach high school English and History at the Field School in Washington, DC. Julia graduates from Duke next Sunday as an English Education major. Classmate Anna Jacobi (’03), who will join Teach For America in New York this fall, was just awarded Duke’s D.T. Stallings Award, presented annually to Duke seniors who have worked closely with faculty in the Program in Education to provide high-quality tutoring to at-risk children in local schools.

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Ingrid Smith, whose job in the front office has been reclaimed by Pat “The Bionic Woman” Isbell, has been working in the archives, digging up materials for DA’s 75th anniversary celebration. In her spare time, she digs up other useful resources, such as this guide to Grinding Rules: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PK_RTLuHQoY

May 13

Last week, sophomore Byran Jadot learned of his admission to the North Carolina School of Science and Math. Sophomore Greg Taschuk will be attending NCSSM, but Bryan was unsure about his decision. He spent a day visiting NCSSM. When I asked him about his impressions, he said;

o “Students at DA seem more uniformly smart and sophisticated. At NCSSM, I got the impression that there are some really really bright students, and some who are not as well prepared.”
o “Our campus is nicer – cleaner, more spacious, more natural-feeling.”
o “The general tone of the DA community is friendlier. I really like the feel of DA. It’s casual but smart, with a lot of sophisticated students and teachers.”

This week, Bryan decided to reenroll at DA. Like John Pardon, who declined an offer of admission from NCSSM, Bryan feels his overall experience will be richer and more satisfying here.

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An update from Jeff Welty from last weekend's Speech and Debate team trip to Lexington, Kentucky for the Tournament of Champions, an invitation-only tournament for the nation's best teams: DA's TOC debut! Katherine Buse and Patrick Toomey warm up for nationals by taking second place in a strong field of 36 qualifying teams. They did not lose a ballot in the elimination rounds until the controversial decision in the final debate. Meanwhile, Grace Wallack and Dede Pless nearly broke, cementing their place among the top sophomores in the country. Not on the website is the fact that we had a good time and managed not to aggravate one another too much during the 8-hour van rides each way.

May 20

Ninth grader Marco Reyes will be the featured alumnus speaker at the June 1 graduation ceremony of Durham Nativity School. It begins at 10:00 in Duke Gardens. Congratulations, Marco!

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DA debate: penultimate update, 07-08. Ain’t that great? – Evan Donahue and Michael Roubey went to the extemporanous speaking Tournament of Champions in Evanston, IL last weekend. From their website: Evan Donahue reaches the semifinals in his last tune-up for nationals, and is the only competitor from North Carolina to advance beyond the preliminary rounds. Michael Roubey is one of only a handful of sophomores to qualify for the competition. Not on the website: Evan narrowly missed finals, speaking about "How will the Pope's visit affect Brazil?" Not a topic for which we'd spent a lot of time preparing. He watched finals and felt like he could have been in the top three had he made it.

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The following was sent Wednesday to the parents of all TDA members, all US students of color, all MS students of color, all recently-admitted students of color, and all diversity committee members from all DA divisions. And now, to you (in the hope that we’ll see lots of US faculty members there).

Dear Parents and Students,

Please join us on Friday, June 1st at 7:00 p.m. on the Upper School quad* for dessert, refreshments, and jazz (from “In the Pocket,” DA’s student-faculty ensemble).

Our fourth annual “Diversity Dessert” will recognize the contributions of students and faculty in making Durham Academy a welcoming place for all. Many of our Upper School students, faculty and parents participated this year as organizers, assembly leaders and club members or supported school activities that enhanced Durham Academy’s sense of community. Their efforts will have a lasting and positive impact.

This event is for the whole family. We hope the evening will provide you an opportunity to meet with other families and faculty and learn more about Durham Academy’s commitment to building a community that welcomes and celebrates diversity in all forms. Please RSVP to the admissions office (admissions@da.org) or 493-5787 by May 25.

Looking forward to seeing you there,

Michael Ülkü-Steiner
Upper School Director

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Jennifer Crawford (mother of 9th grader Jonathan) and Deb Shadduck (PreK assistant and mother of 8th grader Michael) co-chaired this year’s DA used book sale. You may remember their satellite sale of paperbacks during International Day. While the US sale left lots of room for improvement next year, the overall event was a terrific success. It raised over $9600.00 to fund Parents Association gifts to the school, and drew scores of community members to campus for the first time. All unsold books were donated to Student U, The Durham Nativity School and Habitat Hand-Me-Ups. Jennifer, who also serves on the US diversity committee, came to DA from a school that raised over $100,000/year and wide community exposure from its book sale. If you see Jennifer on campus, say thanks and brainstorm with her for the Used Book Sale 2008.

May 27

Dear faculty and staff:

Thank you ALL so, so much for your generous donations and help this week. We have 4 huge suitcases full of clothes, toys and medicine to take with us and are a little nervous but very excited as we get ready to leave tomorrow morning. We raised about $420.00 with our popsicle sales which far exceeded what we had ever hoped to make. We recieved many generous donations and are extremely grateful. While we are gone, we are hoping to post on a blog. The blog address is http://guatemalagirls.blogspot.com in case you would like to take a look at what we're doing and hear about where all the clothes, toys and money you gave are going! While we won't be able to upload any pictures while there we will be sure to bring loads back!
Thank you again for all of your help,

Chloé Rousseau

June 3

For those who didn’t see the front page story from Wednesday’s Chapel Hill News: “Cooking with class”



Durham Academy seniors (left to right) Clark Witzleben, Christine Hardman, Jamie Gutter and Stephani Tindall join chef Pamela Grosscup Ransohoff (second from right wearing hat) in preparing food to serve at Project Homestart. The students took a cooking class and made meals for the women's shelter as part of their required 15 hours of community service. Full story:
http://www.chapelhillnews.com/front/story/7661.html

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9th grader Mollie Pathman traveled to California last week to train with the under-15 U.S. National Soccer team. A good showing could put her in the pipeline for the 2008 U17 Women’s World Cup. As the excerpts from the article below (www.topdrawersoccer.com) show, she had a good showing.

CARSON, CALIFORNIA - Tad Bobak's U15 Girls National Team closed their camp here Thursday.

Defender Mollie Pathman helped the U.S. set up the first effective attack, moving forward from the left side until she was able to strike a good cross to the front of the goal. One of the U.S. forwards managed to get a shot off, but the Eagles goalkeeper was up to the task diving to the right to make the save.

Just a few minutes later, Pathman again charged up the left side, with numerous U.S. players making simultaneous runs for the cross they knew was coming. After Pathman hit it, an Eagle defender attempted to clear the cross but knocked it into the corner of her own goal.

“Normally, I play forward, so I’m comfortable getting into the attack,” Pathman said. “The space opened up because they played three in the center.”Her strong left foot was a major asset to her position. “It helps a lot, because it allows me to hit something unexpected,” Pathman said. “But I use my right foot as well.”

After the equalizer, the pace of the match quickened exponentially. The Eagles loosed two shots in search of the lead, but both were off target. Still, Bobak was satisfied with their effort. He singled out Pathman as the player who had moved to another field position and impressed.

“Mollie – who was playing left back. Our left mid had to come out because of a little strain, so I moved Mollie up and brought in Mia Bruno, who is a left back, to play that position," Bobak said. "Mollie played that left mid position very productively, both defensively and offensively. That’s a good revelation for me.”

Some of the squad may soon be moving up the development ladder, though. “I think we have some players who can help out the U16 team,” Bobak concluded, noting that he is in frequent communication with U16 Girls National Team coach Kaz Tambi.

“We talk all the time," he said. "He’ll probably call me tomorrow or at the beginning of next week. He’s planning for qualifying and then later for New Zealand. We’re constantly exchanging ideas. I’m going to discuss these players with him and send some out there so he can compare them to the stronger players he has. If there’s anyone who can give him more depth, all the merrier.’

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Not a page-turner, but rather a school-changer. Sent by Dr. Kathryn Andolsek, mother of senior Kendall Bradley and Associate Director of Graduate Medical Education at Duke, this online book is an authoritative overview of current understanding of learning, with implications for teaching. Five minutes of skimming had me thinking about new ways to improve my course. How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. Available online (for free) at http://books.nap.edu/html/howpeople1

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A song by 11th grader James Han for a Vietnam project in Owen Bryant's US history class (right click on the attached mp3 file)

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A video by Lanis Wilson’s 10th grade Western World Literature course on T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-tzUcGcjgQ

June 10

The mother of Yates Sikes sent the following interview with “North Carolina’s Noble Savage,” the founder of Turtle Island, Eustace Conway. It appears on Microsoft’s site for Live Earth “is a monumental music event that will bring together more than 2 billion people on 7/7/07 to raise awareness about global warming. With 24 hours of music across 7 continents, and performances by more than 150 of the world's top musicians, Live Earth will engage, connect, and inspire individuals, corporations and governments to take action to solve the climate crisis.” (http://liveearth.msn.com/).

To see a picture of Eustace, learn why he likes deer hunting, urinating in sawdust, and Jacques Cousteau, click here: http://liveearth.msn.com/green/eustace?wa=wsignin1.0

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In case you never heard Arlonzo Williams in his radio debut, check out the archived Podcast for the April 2 Richard Brown Show on WCOM, 103.5 FM. If you can be patient (both after clicking the link and after hearing Richard’s first questions), you’ll hear Bela Kussin singing the praises of our diversity efforts and Arlonzo called “the future mayor of Durham.” http://richardbrownshow.com/show94.mp3

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The future is coming - Karl Schaefer has catalyzed a minor tech revolution in MS classes. To see an example of the kind of projects already being created by our future fresh-folk, check out this movie about the Constitution by rising 9th grader Allison Kohl: http://web.mac.com/damiddleschool/iWeb/MSPodcasts/USConMovie.html

Fall 2006 archive

August 7

Many of you have already heard from grateful colleagues who accompanied David Markus and Owen Bryant on June’s inaugural Civil Rights Tour for DA faculty. Dennis Cullen, Julian Cochran, Asta Smith, Eric and Barb Teagarden, and Jim Ebert represented the Upper School. As Dennis put it, "The Civil Rights Tour was one of the most profoundly moving and enriching experiences I’ve had in the last twenty years.” To find out why, check out David’s website recap at http://academics.da.org/dmarkus/civilrightshome.htm.

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On Sunday, July 30, Rising sophomore Deniz Aydemir will play in a cello ensemble for a concert to benefit the New Orleans Youth Orchestra. For more on the concert, see: http://www.chapelhillnews.com/weekend/story/2978526p-9409377c.html

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As you may remember, Christina Bronec sold more than $10,000 worth of Natalia Castillo-designed dresses to support DA’s fledgling chapter of Breakthrough Durham. Next Saturday (August 5), DA and Duke student organizers of the program will have a follow-up sale on the lawn at Foster’s Market in Durham. The sale will last from 9 am – 2 pm. They’d love to have a few adult volunteers (and customers!) to join them. Interested? Email Ali Dame-Boyle (afdameboyle@hotmail.com) or Amanda Dorsey (amanda.dorsey@duke.edu)

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Leadership: What Ethics Has To Teach Us -- A High School Student Conference presented by The North Carolina School of Science & Mathematics. Friday, November 17th, 2006 (8 – 2:30 pm). No cost. This conference is designed to stimulate future leaders to consider the moral and ethical implications of 21st Century issues.

This year’s plenary address will be given by Timothy Tyson, Ph.D., Visiting Professor of American Christianity and Southern Culture, Duke Divinity School / Senior Research Scholar, Center for Documentary Studies and author of Blood Done Sign My Name. Interested? Email Eric.

August 20

Sophomore Sarah Sessoms might be the best DA athlete we never see compete. Like Anna Cooperberg, Sarah gets few local opportunities to show her skills to peers and teachers. Nonetheless, she has a chance this weekend in Louisville to win her event at the World’s Championship Horse Show. To read more about the event, go to www.tnh1865.com or http://kystatefair.org/wchs/wchshome.htm. To track Sarah’s progress, look for a mare named “CH Assets & Attitude,” showing in the Junior Exhibitor 5 Gaited Pleasure Class on Monday Afternoon. (Class Number 32) and in the Junior Exhibitor 5 Gaited Pleasure Championship on Friday afternoon. (Class Number 185). Giddyup!

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Advisors and others curious about self-defense and martial arts – Read this news from Melody Clark: “You may or may not know, that I am trying to start a tae kwon do (p.e. elective) class at the Upper School whereby students will have the opportunity to move up in rank and actually earn a black belt if they start no later than the first semester of their sophomore year. However Jrs and Srs would be able to advance in rank, too. These classes are also available to any teacher who is free during the class time and would like to work toward a black belt.

The program description did not make it into the Spring schedule when the students were signing up for the Fall classes so many students are unaware of this opportunity. It's my understanding that this class will meet 3 times per week. When you are meeting with your students during the next couple of weeks, or before the drop/add period ends, will you please mention the availability of this class. The new DA Tae Kwon Do uniform (required for class) is hanging in the book store for display. Thank you. Please call me if you have any questions.

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A DA parent forwarded this short slide show: http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/wp-content/themes/179/aschool.html. Jordan sent this video: http://www.glumbert.com/media/okgo.html. At least one of the two will inspire you.

August 27

For the third consecutive year, sophomore Sarah Sessoms → won her division at the World’s Championship Equestrian competition in Louisville.

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Even more impressively, Senior John Pardon recently finished 5th in the International Olympiad for Informatics (computer science). John finished behind students from Poland, Korea, Russia, and China. The next highest American was 37th. This means our own John Pardon is the country’s best computer programmer. Wow. See
more at http://olympiads.win.tue.nl/ioi/


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As you’ve no doubt heard, DA students do some incredible things over the summer. This week I’ll highlight three travel/study experiences. Next week, with your help, I’d like to highlight a few students who found volunteering jobs in the Triangle. Please send me any news of your advisees and any inspiring/interesting/ notable summer experiences. It’s too early to apply for any summer programs, but the time is ripe to let students cross fertilize their imaginations with stories of summer learning.

• Terry Hsieh spent 28 days in Shanghai with “Glimpses of China,” a unique program designed by U.S. educators and university professors from China and Hong Kong. To see a good picture of Terry and some new female friends, open the enclosed weekly update. For more info on “Glimpses of China,” go to http://www.foundationprograms.com/.
• Nell Snider, recipient of the first DA Broadreach summer scholarship, is brimming with excitement and gratitude for her opportunities in Mexico this summer. Ask Nell to tell you some stories, or learn about Broadreach at http://www.gobroadreach.com/.
• Sam Mumma and Julianne Hoell attended the Summer Academy at Cape Town (South Africa), a 3-week school for students from around the world. They studied African history, culture, and language, and did substantial community service in townships. Sam went on a significant scholarship from the program. Julianne returned eager to start a DA club dedicated to ending genocide in Darfur. Find out more at http://www.summeracademyct.com/program.asp

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On August 4, Junior Catherine Donatucci fell 20 feet onto rocks while playing/swimming at a rock quarry. In addition to a major head trauma, she required surgery to repair a broken elbow and did significant muscular damage to her hip. You may have noticed Catherine limping through the first days of school. You may not know that her friends provided extraordinary support during the last month, keeping her spirits positive as she moved from an extended hospital stay to home, began physical therapy, and felt awkward about returning to school with a cane. Catherine’s mother Sharon (who worked for two years as the US Parents Association rep), sent the following note, thanking Kari for her efforts to smooth Catherine’s path back, and lauding some of our students for their compassion:

Nicole Pappas, Hilary Gleason, & Julia Shulman came to the hospital & just sat with her for hours & would also get her "real food" when the hospital fare didn't appeal to Catherine; they continued to come by when she came home, again to "feed her", just watch a movie, & even to sleep on my family room floor & couches one night when they all stayed past 9 (the witching hour for new drivers). Kate Neyland & Leslie Ogden also came by, both to the hospital & at home. Leslie took her out to eat for her first excursion, other than to Duke for appts. Brennan came by & brought Fosters one evening; Chris Koller came by with cookies; Julie Mc Cracken, Sam Reuss, & Laurie Pope all stopped in with cookies & giggles. The Field Hockey team came by with a Build a Bear, complete with cast & sling and Judy has given her a place on the team. Caitlin Crawford has been to see Catherine in the hospital & at home. There have been so many angels & acts of kindness these last few weeks & since most were her mates at DA, I just wanted you to know how wonderful they have been.

September 2

As happened last year, Becky and I heard lots of positive feedback regarding the fishbowl discussions that 9th graders and their parents did as part of the orientation week. Here’s one email from Lauren Stephens, mom of Alex and Katie Hearsey: “We would be remiss if we didn't drop you a note to tell you what a terrific program you and the Wellness Committee sponsored for the freshman and their parents today. . . . we're writing to let you know the real impact and benefit that the program had: From the time Kathy, Katie & I got in the car together after school, and all the way through dinner (with a brief respite for homework and other chores), we had the richest, most lively, and thought-provoking discussion we have had with Katie in a long time. She openly shared her opinions with us on some of the issues raised today, and we listened and shared ours. We asked her what she thought she would do if she were the parent, and she challenged us to see her point of view. Today's session served as a wonderful springboard to have one of those tough discussions that a parent always tries to find the "right time" to have with their child. Today's program gave us that "right time." It also helped us look into her world and see issues and dilemmas from her perspective. It truly provided us with an enriching opportunity to share our own and listen to her point of view. She hardly took a breath (except to listen), so we know she was thoroughly engaged, too.”

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Last spring, Anne Gregory-Bepler’s 3-D art class collaborated on an outdoor sculpture for the NC Museum of Life and Science. Their elaborate wind chimes, ← pictured here, offer a nice example of

creative service-learning and a lasting
contribution to the Museum. Brava, AG-B and your class!

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While packing my children’s lunches at night, I’ve been listening to podcasts on my laptop. These are free and (duh, I just figured this out) don’t require an iPod. Two speakers in particular have sparked all kinds of thoughts and emotions. Marco Torres and Alan November have made me feel at once totally inadquate as a teacher and thoroughly inspired to rethink some of my assumptions about teaching and learning.

Marco Torres is the California Teacher of the Year in 2005 and an internationally touted speaker. Torres is an advocate for students using multimedia as a way to liberate themselves.

• Here's an inspiring speech he delivered in May 2006.
• Here are some more links about Marco Torres

Alan November is recognized internationally as a leader in education technology. He began his career as an oceanography teacher and dorm counselor at an island reform school for boys in Boston Harbor. He has been a director of an alternative high school, computer coordinator, technology consultant, and university lecturer. As practitioner, designer, and author, Alan has guided schools, government organizations and industry leaders as they plan to improve quality with technology.

• Here's a speech he delivered to teachers and administrators in Michigan. (fast forward through the painful introductions and get right to Alan)
• Here’s Alan November’s website, source of the bio above and home to many interesting resources.

September 24

Q. Whatever happened to Breakthrough Durham? A. Lots.

Since Duke Junior Dan Kimberg came to report on the program at our faculty meeting last spring, the Duke and UNC student team has been working steadily with Ed, Leslie, Bela, Bobbie, me, and a great team of DA students (Ali Dame-Boyle, Brooke Hartley, Andrew Leibelt, Michelle Collins, Deniz Aydemir, and more). Here’s what they’ve done so far:

• Raised more than $12,000 through Christina Bronec’s Senior Project sale of Natalia Castillo dresses.

• Secured a $50,000 matching grant from the Robertson Foundation (we raise $50k, they give $50k.)

• Decided not to affiliate with national Breakthrough Collaborative. Primary reasons: 1) Breakthrough requires national teacher recruitment, which would limit local teachers and DA grads, 2) We can home-grow many of the technical and programming resources provided (for a $5k annual membership fee) by the national group.

• (As consequent of above), changed name to STUDENT U.. Motto: “Where teachers are students and students are teachers.” (brainstormed and selected by DA student team)

• Created a web site (http://studentu.da.org), designed by DA sophomore Deniz Aydemir.

• Completed grant proposals for more than $60,000 from 6 foundations: Today they heard one bit of encouraging news: a $3000 grant from the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation!

• Created partnerships with several Duke funding organizations and non-profits, who have identified STUDENT U. as primary recipients for their 06-07 fundraising (a la DA rent-a-junior)

• Began establishing a Board of Directors. Already committed as Chair through 2007: Duke Professor Tony Brown, initial service-learning catalyst for DA’s “Elbow” breakfast club and SOCK camp.

• Garnered support from other community leaders, including
- DPS Board Members Steve Schewell and Heidi Carter, who have already committed to funding the food for STUDENT U. and begun identifyng schools for student and mentor teacher recruitment.
- UNC’s Director of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, Terri Houston,
- Duke’s Director of Teacher Preparation Jan Riggsbee, who has already committed 2 days pro bono STUDENT U. faculty training in June.
- Jay Rogers (Durham native, national Teacher of the Year, Phillips Academy retiree and DA diversity consultant).

• Identified start and finish dates for the STUDENT U. pilot program in the summer of 07 (teachers begin on June 11 and work through August 3, students begin June 18 and finish July 27).

• With DA students, staffed a table at last weekend’s Centerfest: Made 20 great new contacts, added 100 more on our email list, and distributed about 1000 flyers.

• Dresses: Amanda has contacted the DA/ Duke student organizer (sorry that name's escaping) to see if she's interested in organizing a final sale. Because they are (leftover) summer clothes, we're worried that a sale won't be very successful, but want at least to see if there is a willing, motivated organizer out there. If not, we plan to take the clothes in bunches around to consignment shops, but hadn't thught about eBay. We should...and we'll work fast.

• Began curriculum design with DPS officials and Adam Short, former Director of Ravenscroft’s Breakthrough Program.

Wanna get involved? Email me to hear about several ways (with widely varying levels of commitment) that US teachers can share in this exciting project.

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DA Debate is off and running again. Last weekend the team competed in its first national circuit tournament at Wake Forest University. Evan Donahue won 1st in impromptu, 6th in extemp among more than 50 competitors in each event. Grace Wallack and Dede Pless finished 9th in public forum in a large national field. Patrick Toomey and Katherine Buse would also have been in the top 10 -- and maybe higher -- in public forum, but for a scoring error. Michael Roubey nearly qualified for the elimination rounds in impromptu, Jim Mallernee did very well in student congress, and Alex Hunt successfully got DA started in original oratory. For more info now or any time, see the DA Speech and Debate web page: http://academics.da.org/debate/.

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Every year year several new extracurricular clubs are born at the Upper School. Some thrive and survive for years, some hobble along until the founders graduate, and some collapse soon after the club fair. I thought you might like to hear about one of this year’s new clubs, Patriots for Peace. Whatever your political opinions, you can likely applaud the maturity and intellect with which seniors Harry and Adam have launched their effort. The following are excerpts from their first mass-emailed newsletter:

Hello everyone, welcome to the first issue of the Patriots for Peace email newsletter. We plan to send this out every 1-2 weeks as a collection of relevant news stories and commentary that we hope will be subject for discussion. If you would like to contribute to this newsletter, or talk about anything related to the topics brought up, feel free to email Harry Stark ( harrison.stark@gmail.com) or Adam Marshall (viperphantom@gmail.com ), or come talk to us at school. We will be planning some meetings, movie nights, protests, etc, and we'll let you know when those happen.

The following is an editorial; one will accompany every newsletter. Please feel free to submit your own articles to Harry or Adam, and they will be included in the following issues!

An Immoral War
by Adam Marshall ‘07

Last week former Secretary of State Colin Powell sent a letter to Congress with a clear message: "The world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism." Let us compare that with an excerpt from Mr. Bush's address to the nation on the fifth anniversary of September 11: "We are in a war that will set the course for this new century and determine the destiny of millions across the world…This struggle has been called a clash of civilizations. In truth, it is a struggle for civilization. We are fighting to maintain the way of life enjoyed by free nations." The juxtaposition of these two powerful theses clearly demonstrates the schism forming between the Bush administration and the rest of the world—the corruption of the United State's morality. The current administration cannot continue its policy of morality by assertion; repeating the same argument does not validate it. A recognition of what the War on Terror has become is essential if our nation is ever to reassert itself on a global scale. This war has become devoid of logic, purpose, and above all, morality, and if our President fails to acknowledge this, we will find ourselves in a struggle for the existence of our civilization, as defenders of an unjust and immoral war against the world.

The genesis of the current "War on Terror" was obviously September 11. Once we expanded our military campaign beyond addressing those responsible however, the US began sliding down a slippery slope into Iraq. The undermining of our morality began when Mr. Bush addressed the UN Security Council, promising that Saddam was seeking nuclear material, that he had stockpiles of biological weapons, and above all that it posed a threat to the United States. These were blatant lies. There were no WMDs, a fact told to the administration by the State Department many times over. Nonetheless, the United States proceeded to defy both UN resolutions and world opinion, and launch the first preemptive invasion in our country's history. This continued corruption of our moral position further weakened our status as the world's scion of justice and good, widening the gap between our actions and our obligation as the protector of world peace.

The moral quagmire continues to deepen: we now face an escalation of death and destruction in Iraq that worsens every day. 2,685+ dead American soldiers. 50,000+ innocent Iraqi civilian deaths. The numbers are staggering. To add insult to injury, we are now responsible for injustices such as Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay, and the CIA torture facilities in Eastern Europe. Now, the President wishes Congress to reinterpret the Geneva Convention to suit his own purposes, saying that "clarification" is essential for our military personnel. If this were to occur, it would open the door for any country with an agenda to also reinterpret the Convention for their benefit. We must be held accountable to international law, not just when it aligns with our goals, but to reemerge as a leader of justice in the international community. To do so otherwise would jeopardize the very principles our nation was founded on, and betray those who have fought and died to protect our way of life.

So in remembering September 11, let us not listen to a leader who warns us of the necessity to continue fighting "Islamofascists", but rather listen to the moral values that have guided our nation to its place in the world as the leader of truth, justice, and defenders of the common good, and may we never again forget what happens when we stray from them.

October 2

Young debators take torch and run – At the Indepdendence High School Novice/JV tournament last weekend, 9th grader Megan Mikhail was undefeated and won 1st among more than 30 novice Lincoln-Douglas debaters. Josh Zoffer and Mackin Brinegar were undefeated and finished 2nd among 43 novice public forum debate teams. Caitlin Finn and Berie Baldwin took 3rd in duo interpretation, the first time DA has trophied in an interp event. Robert Kindman took 3rd in novice impromptu. Michael Roubey took double honors, 3rd in JV impromptu and 4th in JV extemp. Also noteworthy: Meredith Berger went 3-1 in novice L-D, and Jennifer McMorrow and Michelle Corea both finished with extremely high speaker points and could easily have trophied. Cliff Drake and Alex Holloway went 3-1 in novice public
forum, narrowly missing an award. [Report from Jeff Welty on http://academics.da.org/debate/].

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DA alumnus Aaron Zaritzky, ‘96, translator of Probable Lives, a collection of poems by Felipe Benitez Reyes, will read selections and talk about the poetry at Regulator Bookshop on Saturday, October 14, 2006 at 3 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.

From the Regulator’s press release: Felipe Benitez Reyes is considered one of the primary figures of Spain's literary Generation X and the contemporary Spanish movement called The Poetry of Experience. One of the most significant contributors to the Spanish postmodern esthetic, his work speaks to issues of voice, persona, and the possibilities of fiction. Probable Lives, his most highly acclaimed book, won the 1996 National Book Award in Spain, the 1996 National Critics' Award in Spain, and the City of Melilla International Prize.

Born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, translator Aaron Zaritzky graduated from Durham Academy and the Creative Writing Workshop at Oberlin College in 2000. He completed a Masters of Fine Arts in Poetry from the University of Arizona in 2004. He has taught Spanish language at the high school level and worked as a language instructor for the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Arizona. The Kennedy Center and Nobel Prize finalist Miguel Mendez have commissioned him to translate

October 15

Diversity discussions continue Monday, Wednesday, and the following Wednesday. After her session on Friday, Anne G-B nicely captured the sentiments I heard from several US teachers who were pleasantly surprised by this week’s discussions:

“Thank you, Torsie, for the insightful, engaging session this morning . . . I left feeling stimulated and hungry for more and asking myself why I have not engaged in diversity conferences outside of DA or club activities within DA. I think I have felt very insecure and introverted on the topic, yet committed and caring in a personal, quiet way--just not comfortable what to do. Torsie, this morning you very sensitively opened a dialogue of sharing, teaching and safety that meant so much to me. I also know that often when I feel uncomfortable, unsure or insecure about an issue, it opens the door for change, learning and sometimes painful but important growth. Thank you for teaching by example, with empathy, tremendous skill and huge commitment (time, work, heart, etc.).”

October 29

From LS Director Carolyn Ronco: “Thank you so much for the great show of support for our LS Costume Parade today. The US students who came to participate were so warm and encouraging, and the children loved getting to parade for such a large gathering. Mike, the band was awesome and really set the mood and spirit for our Halloween festivities. Thank you so much for your willingness to come to us. I know it must have been a bit of a pain to bring your instruments, etc. to our site. We loved having you, however, and we really appreciated your effort. Please convey our thanks and gratitude to your students and faculty.”

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Some of you remember Karen Vandersea, who taught math and Spanish with us from 1998-2000. Karen left to work with a college classmate who was founding a web-based math instruction company. Well, Karen is still there, and Classmate Math has been extraordinarily successful. Karen remains the featured math teacher on their web videos and the voice behind their animated lessons.

To check out this former colleague’s new job, and to see a burgeoning growth industry that one day may compete with traditional schools like ours, check out http://www.classmatemath.com/ or go to http://www.classmatemath.com/products.php# and "Click here for a guided tour of an online Geometry lesson" if you want to see how a typical lesson works.

If you want to see a really revolutionary (scary/inspiring/bold) idea, check out http://epgy.stanford.edu/ohs/ for information about the 3-year comprehensive online high school offered by another one of those rinky-dink educational companies . . . . Stanford University.

November 5

Senior hoopster Evan Fjeld will sign his national letter of intent for the University of Vermont at 12:30 on Thursday (11/9) in the US conference room. If you’ve taught or cheered for Evan, come join the press and the fun. If you’d like to see the story of his initial commitment in the Burlington Free Press, click here.


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From Barbara Potter, parent-of-alumni Matt and Chris: “On Tuesday evenings in the spring, Blood Done Sign My Name author Tim Tyson will be teaching a Duke undergradute class that might be of interest to some DA faculty and staff. It's entitled "The South in Black and White: Southern History, Culture, and Politics in the 20th Century." You can take a look at the course information at the following webpage: http://www.siss.duke.edu/schedule/1190/DOCST/132/”

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Jim and Edith recently passed along engaging video clips. One (video) is a wonderful gift for parents, teachers, or advisors of girls. The other is an epic adventure portrayed by talking vegetables. I am not kidding. Both are worth your time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ud0kw8x9PRg

http://www.storewars.org/flash/index.html

November 12

DA Debate Team update from Jeff Welty: “With most of the varsity taking this East Chapel Hill High School tournament off, the novices carried the load: Josh Zoffer and Tristan Bepler, 1st in novice public forum; Caroline Buse and Jim Mallerney, 6th in novice public forum; Meredith Burger, 6th in novice L-D. Grizzled veteran Alex Hunt, 6th in original oratory, took the first DA trophy in that event in recorded history.

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Is senior Alec Grubbs the next great DA entrepreneur? Since last summer, Alec has been working on a concept that could revolutionize drive-through food ordering. Called MITYOP (May I Take Your Order Please?), the project is slowly coming to life with the help of his father and a professor at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler School of Business. The beginning of Alec’s paper is below, the remainder attached.

• What other examples of student ingenuity are out there?
• How can we encourage other students to think creatively and follow through with their ideas?
• What structures might we put in place to fertilize and nurture this kind of entrepreneurialism?
• Can I get fries with that?

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Have You Ever Ordered This: Through This: And Gotten This?


These are the opening slides of the PowerPoint presentation I used to pitch my invention in front of the second-year MBA students in the UNC Business Plan Creation class (MBA846F). The professor of the course was willing to take a risk on me, a high school senior. He said that if the students selected my idea in the open competition, I could take the course. This was easy for me, as I love public speaking and this was the best way for me to make a good impression. [full paper attached]

November 19
The ongoing conversation about Young Life has churned up all kinds of ideas. Below is another that seems worth sharing. It comes from Pamela Ransahoff, mother of senior Sarah and recent alumna Nan, now a sophomore at Harvard.

I love DA. I wanted to remind you of that. DA is made up of a vast variety of people and teachers who come into this life with different gifts and hearts full of love and dedication. The teachers and staff at DA have blessed us and our kids and I am very grateful for that. Their hearts are right. All of our hearts are hearts that, I believe, want to love and give to others even if it is done differently. I thank you for the hard hard work that each day you dedicate to our school.

Now, a little something to share: As Sarah is coming out of swimming as you know. It has been almost 8 months now. David and I have seen the most extraordinary growth. Now that her body is not exhausted, not overworked and her time is no longer squeezed with 35 hours per week of swimming (totaling over 7,800 hours at the time she stopped) she has time to step into parts of who she is that could not be done before and notice what is around her. I have noticed how much she loves the community of DA --grilling on Senior/teacher day, helping paint the Commons, embracing the breakfast club, loving Student Council, having fun with the yearbook , time to go talk to teachers about questions etc. real real growth in all directions. And this is what I want you to hear: it might seem simple to you but it is HUGE to us. And she has NEVER said this the simple but passionate way she did. David said, to Sarah, "Sarah, Mom and I have noticed how much you love community. How important the community of DA is now that you have time . You seem to be embracing the DA community and enjoy being involved in so many ways." She turned around as she was cooking in the kitchen and said, "I love DA and I love the community. I think people do not understand just how AWESOME Durham Academy is. They just do not get it. It is awesome. "

That was it. Simple but from a place deep inside. I thought you should hear that. I thought you should hear about how much you are appreciated for all the hard work you do to dedicate yourself to our children. I thought you should hear how valuable the community is at Durham Academy. Have a wonderful blessed day and a blessed week!
Love, Pamela

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Last Sunday, the Durham Art Guild opened its 52nd annual Juried Art Show at the Durham Arts Council Gallery downtown. Each year, submissions are invited from all North Carolina artists over 18 years of age. This year, senior Maddy Baldwin (whom Anne G-B calls “the most talented student I’ve ever taught at DA”) had not one but THREE of her works accepted into the Show. To see Maddy’s among the other selected works, go before December 17 to the DAC gallery at 120 Morris Street, Monday-Saturday, 9-9 or Sunday, 1-6. Congratulations, Maddy and Anne!

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Next Friday and Saturday, new coach Tim McKenna will lead the DA boys varsity basketball team into one of the top tournaments in the country. This year’s 10th annual Bull City Classic tournament features more than 80 Division 1 prospects and nationally ranked teams playing in ten four-team brackets: 28 boys teams and 12 girls teams. Evan Fjeld, Jamie Gutter, Cam Chambers, Torre Anderson, Seve Hoekstra and the Cavs will face Mt. Tabor High School at 10 am Friday at NCCU. If they win, they’ll play at 5:20 on Saturday at NCCU. If they lose, they’ll play at 2:15 Saturday at Hillside High School. Also in our bracket: Hillside and Mt. Zion’s varsity. For those alarmed by the sight of Mt. Zion (a school that counts more than 50 Division 1 basketball players among its alumni), it’s worth noting that we’re playing their “varsity” team, not their better “national” team or their even better “Prep” team. For more info on the tournament, check out http://www.bullcityclassic.com. If you happen to be in town this weekend and want to see some great competition, come cheer on the Cavs!

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Clare Norwood (DA 2000), sister of Aubin/Lloyd and Hollin, has curated one of her first exhibitions at Cincinnati’s Contemporary Arts Center (housed in a building called by the New York Times, “the most important building to be completed since the end of the Cold War.” Experimental Personalities: Kate Gilmore and Angie Reed. features video and performance work that investigates the notion of the self. Angie Reed’s punk-cabaret shows and Kate Gilmore’s dramatizations push the limits of the individual through humor and absurdity. To read more about the exhibition, click here.

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Geoff Harpham, Director of the National Humanities Center and father of John Harpham (DA ’06) wrote recently to DA Board Chair Rich Preyer, sharing a happy update and a grateful message for our faculty: “John had the best possible experience at DA, and now, it seems, he’s having the best possible experience at Duke. This weekend, he was on a trip with the club baseball team; on Monday, he went to Cameron; and last night he had dinner with David Brooks. He’s thrilled about the courses he’s enrolled in this semester and next. But he says he doesn’t get the same kind of attention paid to his papers as he did last year. I point out that his teachers were heroic last year, and he will never have that again.”

November 25
On Monday Junior Leslie Ogden will invite students to visit the US web site and write a postcard to a member of the U.S. armed services in Iraq. From the website of the cooperating organization: “The mission of Let's Say Thanks is to provide a way for individuals across the country to recognize U.S. troops stationed overseas. By submitting a message through this site you have the opportunity to send a free personalized postcard greeting to deployed servicemen and women.All you have to do is click on your favorite design and either select the message that best expresses your sentiment or draft a personal note. The postcards are then printed and mailed in care packages by military support organization Give2TheTroops®.”
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DA’s debating rookies did well last weekend at Asheville High School - Caitlin Finn and Mackin Brinegar took 2nd in novice public forum in Caitlin's PF debut. Josh Zoffer and Tristan Bepler continued their unbroken trophy streak by placing 3rd in novice public forum. Robert Kindman took 7th in varsity extemp in a large field. And Michelle Corea went 2-2 in novice L-D. For complete schedules, results, and pictures like this one →
, see the DA Debate website.

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Might you be interested in participating in a trip to the Gulf coast next summer for post-Katrina cleaning and construction? Two DA Presidents might inspire you to say yes:

• John Harlow (DA 2000, son of Patsy Harlow, Anna Edwards’ 2nd grade assistant teacher) recently returned from 8 months of Katrina recovery and construction work in Mississippi. After graduating from Dartmouth, this former Student Council President worked for Google until he felt that his work would be more useful in the Gulf region. John is now back in North Carolina, doing some writing and planning his next move. One of his pieces, a review of Spike Lee’s documentary on the post-Katrina catastophe, was published recently in the online Gelf magazine: http://www.gelfmagazine.com/mt/archives/broken_levees_broken_promises.html

• 9th grade class President Will Lindsey spent a week last summer doing similar Katrina relief work. He aims to take a group of DA students next summer and needs at least one faculty chaperone to accompany the group. Will’s rough notes on his plan are attached. Please see him or me if you might consider going.
December 3

Jon Enberg (DA alumnus, Navy diver, and son of our former colleague Marge) recently departed for a 6-month tour in Baghdad. He would certainly appreciate hearing from his old teachers, supportive new teachers, or students who want a local connection for Leslie Ogden’s Give2TheTroops initiative. Email: jon.enberg@navy.mil
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Good news from this weekend’s debate tournament in Greensboro: DA won 3rd place in overall sweepstakes. Individually, on the debate side, Josh Zoffer and Tristan Bepler took 1st in novice public forum. Caitlin Finn and Mackin Brinegar took 2nd in novice public forum, intensifying a friendly intrasquad rivalry. Dede Pless and Grace Wallack showed that they are getting back in form, placing 2nd in varsity public forum. And Josh Erb's recent work paid off as he took 2nd in novice Lincoln-Douglas. On the IE side, Evan Donahue made a clean sweep of his events, taking 1st in varsity extemp and 1st in varsity impromptu. Robert Kindman was 3rd in impromptu, while Max Ramage had a very strong debut performance, finishing 5th in impromptu. Full season results, schedule, and info at http://academics.da.org/debate/

December 17

Is DA’s the best speech and debate program in the state? Pound-for-pound, almost certainly so: Patrick Toomey and Katherine Buse won public forum at the by-application-only Carolina Challenge Cup, while Evan Donahue did the same in impromptu. Two entries, two wins! At the North Mecklenburg novice/JV tournament, Josh Erb was 1st in novice Lincoln-Douglas, Mackin Brinegar and Will Lindsey were 2nd in novice public forum, and Josh Zoffer and Tristan Bepler stepped up to JV, taking 4th place in their first outing at that level. Every competitor that attended came home with hardware in a tremendous showing! Perhaps most inspiring are the recent accolades for Patrick Toomey and Katherine Buse. While we can’t vouch for the authority of the site, www.forensicsonline.net ranks Patrick and Katherine the #1 Public Forum Debate team in the nation.

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The other team that has gone from nonexistence to national prominence in 5 years: DA Chess. Here’s part of a recent update from coach Craig Jones about the waves of talented chess players about to wash into the Upper School: “24 Durham Academy Students competed this past weekend at the National Grades Chess Championships in Orlando, Florida. In this very prestigious event the students only play others in their own grade. DA fielded full teams in 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th and had individuals also competing in 1st and 9th grades. The competition was obviously very tough with many of the nations top scholastic chess players in attendance. This type of event allows our players to get a feel for chess at a much higher level. “Placing” at grades is very difficult since they only award team trophies to the top 5 teams in each grade and with so many of the best teams in attendance it’s a very tight fit at the top. The New York City area has the oldest and deepest programs and continually give headaches to the nations youth chess players but now there are many other very strong regions making these events even more difficult. Each time we go to these events one or more of our team sets new school highs and inches inexorably closer to the top. Durham Academy’s 7th and 8th grade teams both cracked into the elite placing level by both grabbing 5th place finishes! This was a fantastic result and is yet again our best showing ever at Nationals, which is becoming a welcomed broken record. (Pun intended!)”


The 8th grade team.
1 Fred Ward
2 Carl Ward
3 Robert Jackson
4 Elliot Cartee
5 David Sailer

The 7th grade team.
1 Paul Weiner
2 Matthew Novak
3 Jordan Baker
4 Braxton Carr
5 Alan Lindsey

Durham will host the 2006 State Scholastic Chess Tournament in February. About 500 students are expected to be here – approximately 60 from DA.

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Griet Van Miegrot (Lotte’s mom and Director of DA Extended Day programs) recently asked, “Why wait for the Strategic Planning Task Forces?” Mandarin Chinese Classes will soon be offered on Mondays after school by Ms. Alison Kum (DA parent).

Mondays, 3:30 – 5 pm, January 8 to April 23 (13-weeks)
No class on January 15, March 12 and March 26. Make-up class is May 21

For more information or to enroll yourself or inquire for an advisee, contact Ms. Alison Kum at 323-6088 or alisonngai@yahoo.com.Tuition is $195, plus $25 book fee. December 19 (Tuesday) is the registration deadline. Space is limited. First come first served.


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Chip Denton (father of Jenny and Headmaster of Trinity School on Pickett Rd.) sent the following preview. I plan to attend and hope we’ll have at least a small contingent of DA teachers and parents.

On February 8, 2006, sociologist Christian Smith will come to Trinity to talk about the spiritual life of adolescents. Smith knows what he's talking about, and we think this a great chance for parents and educators to gain insight into this important part of the life of teenagers.

In many discussions of American teenage life, religion is often overlooked. Yet most American teens say that religious faith is important in their lives. What is the spiritual landscape among American teenagers? What do they really believe? What religious practices do they engage in? Do they expect to remain faithful to the religious traditions of their parents? Or are they abandoning those traditional religious institutions in search of new, more "authentic" spirituality?

These are the questions which sociologists Christian Smith and Melinda L. Denton have tackled in the largest and most detailed study of teenagers and religion ever undertaken: the National Study of Youth and Religion. The story they tell, based on nationwide telephone interviews and over 250 extensive face-to-face interviews, is now available in their book, Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers.

Christian Smith, formerly Professor of Sociology at UNC, now teaches at Notre Dame University. On February 8, 2006, Smith will give a presentation of his findings in the gymnasium at Trinity School, located at 4011 Pickett Road. Trinity is hosting this event for its own parents and also for the community at large. The students whom Smith studied represent a diverse sample of American teenagers, and his illuminating and insightful findings will be of interest to parents of different faiths and of none--to anyone who is interested in the way the current generation of teenagers thinks about matters of religion and spirituality.

Smith will give his presentation and then have a time for questions and answers. The program begins at 7:00 pm.

There is no charge for this event. Through a generous gift from the Trinity School Parents Association and Christian Smith himself, the first 100 families in the door will receive a free copy of Smith and Denton's book, Soul Searching. By making this gift possible, the authors and Trinity School hope to increase understanding of American teenage spirituality in our community.

I'd be glad to talk about this event with anyone at your school who is interested. Directions to the school can be found on the Trinity website at Error! Hyperlink reference not valid..

Thanks for helping us promote this event.

Chip Denton
Headmaster, Trinity School
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October’s Alumni Reunion brought hundreds of Cavs back to DA. Two who likely came the furthest were members of the class of 1996. Hiro Ishito from Tokyo, and Galen Nuttall from Caracas. Galen’s Bahai faith first led him for a one-year trip to Colombia, but one year turned into six, and romance (now a wife) helped him shift his “permanent” home to South America. Galen now lives in Caracas, where he’s helping found a Venezuelan satellite for the Columbian university with which he’s worked for several years.

In addition to a guest-lecture gig in my Advanced Spanish class, Galen spent a day hanging around the Upper School. It was the first time he had returned since June of 1996. Below are some excerpts of a recent email from Galen

Hey Michael:

It was my pleasure to visit DA. I haven't thought much of it since I left but going back really felt like going back home even though I have no roots in NC anymore. The most surprising thing of all was that so many things have changed but so many things are the same. When Brian [Engle], Seneca [York] and I piled into his minivan and drove around like nuts after the reunion it felt like I'd only been away for a long weekend. Lots of nostalgia came flooding back, which was actually the only side effect I was worried about. But it was all good indeed. The only thing I regret was that my trip was so short and the time with your class seemed to pass especially fast.

I also wanted to write to you about DA's commitment to diversity and excellence. I have to admit when I first heard about it and filled out that questionnaire I took it with a grain of salt. Every time I visited the website and saw pictures of kids with minority backgrounds I thought, "yeah right." I was very much surprised when I got the school that I did notice more diversity and also a bit more of a friendly atmosphere than I remember. Maybe it's just my perception but I was very impressed by the assembly meeting and the seemingly enthusiastic student body. I was also very impressed by the commitment to excellence and the idea that graduates should be more prepared for real world challenges. I hope that goes well. I never knew what to make of my time at DA and wasn't sure if I was proud of the place as a school but after my visit I am definitely proud to call the school my Alma Mater and am even sporting a DA bumper sticker (safe to say the only one in the Country)

So I'm sending you some pictures attached of the night of the reunion and also the kids in the 5th grade class at the school I mentioned. See if you can spot me among them.

Very nice to be in touch,

Galen Nuttall Brian Engle, Galen, Anna Larsen, Hiro Ishito, Maria Marinos


January 7

Congratulations to Howard, who recently won a grant from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund for $116,849.20 (yes, you read that right!) to support his project “Mars Outreach for North Carolina Students.” Howard is also applying for a “Toyota Tapestry” grant of $10,000 to support his collaboration with the NC Maritime Museum and their Cape Lookout Studies program.

Excerpts of a happy letter sent recently to David Markus: “It is my pleasure to inform you that your 9th grade student, Megan Mikhail has won the Senior Story category in our Take Five writing contest for her outstanding piece entitled "The Metamorphosis". We had over 1,700 entries this year and after we narrowed each category down, young adult novelist Ursula LeGuin personally handpicked Megan's story. Congratulations! As a winner, Megan's story will be published in our April/May issue of Writing Magazine
Thank you very much and again, please extend our congratulations to Megan. She has created a story that describes the wonder and beauty of a rapidly changing fantasy world that completely encompasses the ideas of this contest. "Metamorphosis" is an enjoyable read that makes you want to go back and read again and again...

Sincerely,
Bryon Cahill, Literary Editor, READ and Writing Magazines


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Sir Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, will deliver the 2007 Kenan Distinguished Lecture in Ethics on "The Dignity of Difference: How to Avoid the Clash of Civilizations," at Reynolds Theatre on January 18, 2007.
January 18, 5 – 6:30 pm, Reynolds Theater in the Bryan Center http://kenan.ethics.duke.edu

January 14

A note of advice from the Honor Council: A few recent cases have made clear that Honor cases go more smoothly and more productively when teachers talk directly and immediately with students about any concerns they have. Every year, the Honor Council President and I ask teachers to consult the President with any concerns about a possible violation. This advice stands: the Honor Council, this and every year, is a remarkably thorough, responsible, and wise group. At the same time, teachers should (as soon as they sense a problem with the Honor Code), address the matter transparently with the student(s) involved. While the Honor Council will hold a hearing as soon as possible, the teacher-student relationship remains foremost. If you think a student may have broken the Honor Code, follow these two steps, then stay tuned:

1. Talk with the student about your concerns, and
2. Refer the matter to the HC President and/or me.

Natalie and the Honor Council are now developing a web page with frequently asked questions about how they work, what they do, and what students can expect from their teachers and from the Council hearing. I think it will be a great resource. If you have any questions or suggestions about the Honor Council or its protocol, please feel free to email me or Natalie (nsutton719@gmail.com) at any point.

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Faculty brat helps conquer nation’s top debate team! Josh Zoffer and Tristan Bepler were undefeated and took 1st place in varsity public forum in their first-ever varsity tournament. Astonishing! Patrick Toomey and Katherine Buse, though also undefeated, were relegated to 2nd, while Grace Wallack and Dede Plesstook 4th. Evan Donahue was 1st in extemp, 5th in impromptu, while Michael Roubey was 5th in extemp. DA also had a strong showing innovice Lincoln-Douglas, with Josh Erb placing 5th (his third trophy in a row) and Jennifer McMorrow placing 4th.It was a mid-sized (25 schools) tournament this week and a good showing by our kids. Augurs well for the heart of the season over the next couple of months . . .

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Another sign of parent gratitude: An email from Jean Sailer, mother of Christine (’06) and Don (’05): “You have some wonderful faculty as I’m sure you know Mr. Ulku-Steiner!!! I can’t thank them since this is Don’s scene, but they have made his break. I’m not sure many schools have teachers like Mr. Markus, Mr. Phu, Mr. Adair, and Mr. Cullen that let Don show up for 3 days in a row to shadow their classes, say a few words to their class, talk to him about everything (track, math, history, etc.), go to lunch with him, etc. WOW!! It is really a privilege to have my kids at DA!”

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Click here for a brief update from Kelly Smoke,
(DA ’00), now working for Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina:
http://www.pefnc.org/about/staff.php

In Morning Meeting on Wednesday, we heard Harry Stark announce a new electronic pen pal arrangement between DA students. Here’s the email that got the ball rolling:

Mr. Ulku-Steiner,

Not sure if you remember me (the skinny kid on the '94 freshman basketball team), since you've met a lot of students since me and I haven't shown my face around campus too much since I graduated. I
haven't shown my face because I have been deployed overseas much of the time after college with the Marines doing various engineering stuff. I am currently in Iraq doing Civil Affairs in the city of Fallujah. I
spend most of my time working with the city engineers trying to fix the multitude of problems they have, but I also work with the teachers and the mayor and the city council to solve social issues as well. I also
wrote the letter (below) to my minister (thus the Christian tone of the message) based on my experiences here. So it occurred to me as I'm standing in this high school class here in Fallujah and the students
tell me that 75% of them have access to e-mail, I realize that I could help my goal of my letter of increasing the sense of community between the two groups by starting an e-mail correspondence between the students
here and the ones back home. So I'm writing you to ask if you would be interested in this and if one of the faculty there at DA would be interested in working with me to set up some e-mail accounts that
students here in Fallujah could send e-mails to, and that the DA students would then respond to. I think it would be a great opportunity to learn about each other's lives and see how similar we all are (the
kids here even like Britney Spears and Eminem). If you have someone who would be interested in leading this, I can work with him/her to work out the details. Just thought I'd ask. Thank you very much for your time.

Sincerely,
Capt Mike Vanderweide, 4th Civil Affairs Group, USMC
http://www.michaelvanderweide.com

I was thinking about something a few nights ago as I was lying awake trying to decide how my good friend getting shot in the face the other day was impacting the greater war on terrorism. It made me think of the bigger picture and I just wanted to put down my thoughts because I hope that spreading them might help win this war.
The thing to understand is that the stated goal of the terrorist is to drive a wedge between the Muslims and the Christians in the world and then use that hate to rally the masses to re-establish the Caliphate with them at the controls. And unfortunately they are winning because the fight here is only a small part of that. The bigger part of it is back in the states. I see news stories about how we should search all Muslims before they get on planes, how we should do background checks on all Muslims in American, how the “terrorists and suicide bombers are the true face of Islam” and how this is a war between Islam and Christianity that we must win. Then I talk to my Muslim friends in America and they tell me how worried they are about how they will be treated and that they feel hated and only want to be around their Muslim friends. I see this and realize that the terrorists are winning. The reason they are winning at convincing the Muslims of the world that the Americans and Christians hate them and want to wipe out Islam, is because that is exactly how we are acting. I see and hear the following prevailing attitudes in Americans and Christians toward Muslims:

• Segregate and isolate them: Isolation only allows them to be more manipulated into believing that Christians and Americans hate them.
• Hate them and punish them because they are all extremists: That is exactly what the terrorists want us to do. Besides, I have a lot of Muslim friends and met a lot of Muslims here who are not extremists.
• Convert them: We would take offense if someone came up to us and told us what we should believe, told us that what we believe is wrong and told us that we must change.

The only way to beat the terrorist strategy is if we as Americans and Christians work with absolute urgency to convince our fellow human beings who believe in something slightly different, that they are not the enemy, that they are part of our community, that we do not want to convert them to Christianity, and that we love them rather than hate them. I have seen this work first hand. One of the engineers at the Fallujah Engineer Meeting told me that before meeting us and working with us to improve the lives of the civilians, he believed that all Americans and Christians were evil and just wanted to take from the Muslims. I changed his mind not by holding a gun or a bible to his head, I just worked with him and showed him that we cared. I’m not a bleeding heart. I think we should capture the lead terrorists who are manipulating Islam for their ends because they are incapable of understanding love, only personal power and greed. However, the vast majority of Muslims around the world are capable, including the Iraqi children I see every day, my close Muslim friends in America, and the majority of the Muslims around the world that just want to live in peace. The terrorist are trying to convince them that we hate them, it is our obligation to show them that we don’t. We are fighting hard and well and winning locally, but it is not the military that is going to win this larger war. It is up to every American. I hope that you can pass that message on and encourage people to actively make Muslims feel part of the local and world community.