Gryphons in Paris

I write from The Marais in Paris on the final dark, cold afternoon of the decade. Yes, it is dark because the sun sets early (17:03) in this northern latitude (48º 52' North) and it is cold because it is mid- winter. Duh!

Douglas Draper '90 joined us for the Christmas week, and on one of our long Paresian walks we came upon what I thought must be massive Gryphons. Thus the picture of Douglas and the faux Gryphon. I had the smarts to send the picture to Deb Hunt since she has a good collection of Gryphons in her library at school. Her learned explanation of the beast follows:

Bonjour John and Alison -

These creatures (from your pics) are a variation on the traditional gryphon. They're called Wyverns and were favorite heraldic devises of Napolean because such a creature - if it existed - would be able to rule the air, land AND sea. Right up the little Corsican's alley! Think how easy invading England would have been if only he had controlled the weather.

Well, we tried and, I guess, got close to the real thing. Who ever heard of a Wyvern?

Our final effort with Gryphons in Paris gets a little bizzare. Alison and I found a strange, slightly twisted and small Christmas tree that would fit nicely in the apartment. It was one we could carry home easily. We bought some minimal tree decorations and lights at the local department store, BHV, and set the little guy up a few days before Christmas. Can you find the real Gryphon in that picture?

We wish you all a very Happy and Peaceful New Year.

A visit with Susan Silverman Liautaud '81 in London

Alison and I are enjoying some vacation time in Paris this December, and we took advantage of the proximity to London to visit with Susan and her husband, Bernard. Alison was Susan's English teacher in the eleventh grade and remembers her as an engaging, curious and passionate student. The nascent friendship between student and teacher has grown over the years since Susan graduated in 1981, and it was a delight to see it rekindle over dinner at Il Vaporetto, a beautiful Italian restaurant, on Friday evening.

Susan is a scholar in the purest sense of the word; she recently completed a Ph.D. in economics from the London School of Economics. She is now applying her knowledge of the law, yes, she is an attorney, and economics to her work on non-profit boards on which she sits. One board of certain interest to the Crystal family is Woody Halsey's famous, School Year Abroad which was founded in 1964. Woody was the first "Head" of the Uplands School in 1977 when we went coeducational. Subsequently he migrated to the administration of SYA where he became Director and was most recently elevated to President of SYA. His incredible educational organization is in good hands with Susan on the Board!

Susan is an adroit multitasker: she runs a home, is raising five children, and makes time for her high energy husband, Bernard. Their eldest is applying to universities in Europe and the States, and their youngest is a just beginning the rigors of the British school system. We wish them all well and hope that one day they will return to the Bay Area where they will be closer to the Crystal family of friends and alumni .

Courtney and JT visit campus

I am happy to see more alums coming back for campus visits. Courtney Frisbie '83 and JT Horenstein '89 recently returned for visits.

Courtney's jaw dropped when we walked into the "new" Gryphon Center and, along with Dave Robertson, her coach, found her X-Country trophy and winning record (5.31 second mile while winning NCS Championships) that stood for 20 plus years. Oh yeah, she was a fast and furious runner who has yet to be beaten in our book! Nice work, Courtney, Crystal Springs and Uplands School Athlete of the year 1983.

I learned that JT danced professionally with Maggie in performances before he joined the CSUS class of '89. JT returned to offer an intensive two-day dance and choreography technique class for some of Maggie's advanced dancers.

In addition, he generously offered Maggie's dancers a scholarship to his dance studio in Los Angles; Edge Performing Arts Center. http://www.edgepac.com/the.center.htm. He and Maggie were watching for the dancer with the most desire to improve, and that lucky young dancer will enjoy and certainly benefit from JT's gift. Thanks, JT and welcome back.

Ned Diamond returns to CSUS

Ned Diamond took CSUS by storm in 1995 when he began teaching math to middle schoolers under the firm but gentle mentor, John Newberger. In his six years with us, Ned taught math with a creative passion. He actually made math come alive for our son, Christopher '04. While teaching, he coached MS girls JV volleyball, HS JV boys soccer and HS JV boys basketball with excellent results.

And then in 2001 he decided to take a walk about and see what life was like in South America. Ned settled in Buenos Aires and taught math and coached at the Lincoln American School for three years. He learned to speak Spanish, dance salsa, play guitar and developed a deep love for the local soccer team, River Plata.

Ned returned to the Bay Area to pursue his interest in mathematics: fascinating stuff like real analysis, complex analysis, linear algebra and abstract algebra. He graduated with an MA in mathematics from San Francisco State University in May, 2009. He was getting ready to return to CSUS!

But before Ned came back home to Crystal, he met his wife to be, Adina, in October , 2005. Now happily married, she is a nurse at San Francisco General, and Ned adroitly took the place of his former mentor, John Newberger when he retired. Don't you just love cycles.

Welcome home, Ned.

Alumni visitors at Crystal

Our daughter, Jennifer Draper Carson '86, visited us with her daughter, Cate. She is just four months old and one of the best babies ever. Remember, I am her grandfather! Jennifer joined me on campus and helped me meet and greet visitors to our second admission open house. The highlight of the afternoon was finding Fred Gortner '82 and his family. His two children are applicants for fall 2010, and I certainly hope we have more Gortners on campus in the future. As always it is fun to have our alums on campus for any reason.

CSUS Fine Arts Alumni getting involved

The Fine Arts Department is reaching out to connect with our CSUS Fine Arts alumni. Our arts alumni can bring a vast wealth of information and experience to our current community, and we hope to make more connections in the years to come.

The year began with the Alumni Art Exhibit, which featured five visual artists; Selma Hartog Alderson (attended CSUS in1954), Susan Nightengale ‘69, Linda Anderson Schenck ’60, Justine Drennan ‘07, Eliza Reisfeld ’07. This event is the first of several connections planned this year.

Last week, Noelle Goodman Morris ‘03 taught a Physical Theatre class to Maggie’s Performance dancers to help them relax, improvise and rid themselves of inhibitions. Ben Fisher ‘04 will come in to teach the Middle School fall play cast the art and magic of stage combat and assist Kate Tomates in the last weeks of the show, just in case her baby decides to come early!

In November, JT Horenstein ‘92 will give a workshop to the entire dance department. And, finally we have three dancers who will be a part of the first ever CSUS Alumni Dance Company; Bryce Robertson ‘02, Noelle Goodman Morris ‘03 and Stephanie Reisfeld ‘04.

If you are part of our Arts Alumni or you are now involved in the arts and would like to share your talent and experience with our community, please contact Maggie Fongheiser Fine Arts Department Chair. mfongheiser@csus.org or (650) 342.4175. Thank you.

Drinks with Draper in New York

Beth Poole Parker '86, Tom Woodrow '96 and Stoney Cox '96

Park Ave. art

The best aspect of my new position at Crystal is catching up with adult alumni whom I either taught or admitted to school as long ago as thirty years. Sure it is corny to say, but I do feel a parental bond to scores of our graduates, and I am always delighted to share in their dreams, hopes, and occasionally, their hardships.

A week ago Alison and I traveled to New York City for a few days of coffees, lunches, dinners and a great party with regional graduates. Derek Snyder '00 and I had a Starbucks Park Ave. (expensive!) coffee together and talked about the scary world of high finance. I had lunch with Fleur Speigle Brown 93 ' in a funky 1954 deli on Wall Street. You know the type: lots of chrome, vinyl covered seats, Formica tables and really good food. Fleur was married just over a month ago. Congratulations, Fleur! I invited Julie Bridgham '90 and Tom Woodrow '96 to join me for lunch one day. I wanted them to meet because they are both film producers, and I thought a little Crystal networking would serve them well. She has produced an award winning documentary, "Sari Soldiers" about six very strong young woman in Nepal during the Maoist revolution. Tom's award winning "True Adolescents" follows a coming of age story shot in the beautiful wilds of western Seattle. Tom and Julie had plenty to talk about. Later that same day I had a meeting with our party host, Phil Enan '96, to lay final plans for the Thursday alumni party. Phil is a wonderful host, has a beautiful "party" condo, and is a good friend to Crystal. Lunch with Stoney Cox '96 at Rue 57, a great restaurant by the way, was dominated by his remembrances of middle school and high school. Barbara Close '80 and I had a date and time, but sadly she got a cold and thought better of driving into the city and feeling miserable. Next year, Barbara! I had coffee with Jayne Howard '79. She currently works for The Leadership Program in NYC public schools and is the Lead Trainer for in-class enrichment. Her specialty is conflict resolution between and among faculty and students in the South Bronx. She keeps her SAG and AFTRA memberships current and is always looking for gigs on stage. Matt Margolin '01 and I ate in a tiny Mexican restaurant on 3rd and enjoyed some of the best quesadillas ever. Matt is hard at work in Senator Schumer's office as his financial analyst.

I met alums from an earlier period: Rosamonde Drabkin Morgan '59, Kathy Langendorf Abbott '69 and Dianne Ingle Farley '69 who enjoyed the party, and I hope they return next year. Over the course of the evening at Phil's, I caught up with Jessica Berkeley '92, who is in her tenth year of teaching (Go Jessica!), Sidney Bialek '79, whom I immediately recognized because of the best curly hair in the world. Katie Meehan Conway '98 and her husband, Shane, stopped by to catch up with friends. Rebecca Miller DuMaine '88 will be looking for a teaching position in Northern California when she, husband Marc and the kids move in June. Deena Parnass Kleinman '86 has been a successful event planner and had lots of great ideas for next year's alumni event. Elizabeth Guttierrez Lee '90 and husband Josh also joined us. I reminded her about her stunning performance in 6th grade during a talent show as lead singer for the Supremes knocking out "Stop in the Name of Love." She nailed it but some how has memory loss! Elizabeth Poole Parker '86, Head of the Rug Department at Christie's, joined Lindsey Snyder '03 who now works at the auction house. The best voice in the world, Lee-Ming Zen '02 and his lovely wife Jennifer also attended the party as did Amanda Grove Holmen '83 . Britt Myers '96 got away from his professional recording studio, where he works up to 80 hours a week, long enough to enjoy a bit of the party. And then there were the '03 gals, Lindsay Snyder and Allison Rozwat who braved all of us old folks and enjoyed the evening.

We will do it again next year!

Hunt, Garrison and Draper reminisce

In an effort to develop an historic archive of Crystal history, we have begun to record conversations with senior faculty and administrators both current and past.  We would also appreciate the memories and ruminations of graduates from the 50's, 60's and early 70's. Please contact me or our archivist, Jane David, at school (650) 342.4175 if you would like to become part of our oral history treasure trove.  

This snippet discusses the origin of the Gryphon.

Turf field completion is on schedule

Our new all weather turf field is almost finished and Varsity 8 man football practice begins on Monday! The construction crew feels the pressure to complete on time.

Our Home Coming football game kicks off at 1:00 on Saturday, October 10. We invite alums to join us for a party at school beginning at 11:30 on the Mansion patio, and then to join us after the game at the 3rd. Ave. Sports Bar where the first round is on Crystal.

Rod Jacobsen, former Crystal faculty, and his big rig

Jake taught English, coached basketball and helped Antoinette in our theater program from 1977 to 1987. He taught for a year In Kenya and returned to Crystal in 1989 - 1991: far too brief a time on campus, but he left a positive and valuable impression on all of his students.

He and his wife, Susan, moved to teach and live at Thacher in the Ojai Valley where he continued his English teaching and drama productions. Over the past 18 years at Thacher, both have become deeply involved in the school's equestrian program. He stopped by for the night on his way from Napa with a beautiful 4 horse trailer that was donated to school by a very happy current parent.

Draper marries couple in Pebble Beach

Under the title of Draper's Capers, this has to be a unique first for me.  On Saturday afternoon I performed a civil marriage ceremony and married Stephanie and Robert.  I was sworn in as a "Deputy Commissioner of Civil Marriages" for 24 hours and made it all legal for them.  

Artificial turf is on the way

Varsity sports practices begin on Monday, August 17, and we are told the new artificial turf with a wet weather playing surface for winter soccer will be ready.  For the past several weeks workers have spent hours making the field level and preparing the surface for the addition of the turf.  I will keep you posted with more pictures as the turf is rolled out.

Remember that the Home Coming football game kicks off at 1:00 on October 10 at 1:00.  We will host a reception for alumni and friends in the Mansion beginning at 11:30, and there will be a special "ribbon cutting" for the new field that afternoon.

CSUS football field under construction

Construction of the new, turf football/soccer field began right after graduation.  Our new athletic league, The West Bay Athletic League, plays football, yes Crystal Football, in the fall and boys and girls soccer in the winter.  When the autumn and winter rains arrived, the field was so overused that it was a miserable and a dangerous experience to be on the grass field.  And then there is the financial impact of mowing and watering the grass field.  Well, when all the above was carefully considered, the concept of replacing the old field with artificial turf got some real traction.  I will keep you posted with more pictures and facts and figures as the summer progresses.  

Football practice begins August 17 and the homecoming football game is October 10.  Kickoff is at 1:00.  See you there.

The boys are back in town

In the late 70's as Crystal was turning to coeducation, Dick Loveland hired a stunning group of young, athletic teachers who brought positive energy, a zest for life, and a can do attitude to the faculty.  Sadly some moved on after only a few years, but they are well remembered and loved by students of that era and their former colleagues.

Jake, Tom, Michael and Jess posted for the May reunion.  Jake is teaching at Thacher School in Ojai, Tom runs a successful company, Experience, which places Ph.D's in the work force, Michael teaches in a community college near their home in Silver Spring, and Jess has made his career working for the US State Department and is currently stationed in Shanghai, China.  He got the prize for the greatest distance traveled for the reunion.

The podcast below is my first ever, but I plan to add more in the future.  Reunion photography by Jennifer Lea Wischmeyer.  Enjoy!

Kindness in giving

I came upon the following thought in a book about philanthropy, and I thought I would pass it along.

Kindness in words creates confidence.

Kindness in thinking creates profoundness.

Kindness in giving creates love.

Lao Tzu

Fine Dining at Crystal - A Brief History of Lunch

Lunch has not always been an epicurean highlight at CSUS! The first Crystal meals were offered in our temporary setting at The First Congregational Church in San Mateo. Kristi Cotton Spence '59 remembers the girls standing around lunch tables waiting for a faculty member to arrive at each table.  While standing, grace was said, and she remembers that often it was merely the word "grace."  She remembers fondly tuna fish with potato chips on top, creamed celery and mashed sweet potatoes as culinary highlights in the early days.

In the fall of 1956 when the school officially moved to the current Mansion, there was at least elegant ambiance when lunch was served in the marble walled Mansion dining room where Tempelton Crocker offered lavish meals during the "roaring 20's." The Crocker's original and expansive kitchen was more than enough to feed the fifty or so young ladies and the faculty.

As the school grew to about 200 girls there was a demand for more space for classrooms, arts, indoor sports and a theater.  The Intermediate School opened its doors in the fall of 1965 and the central pride and joy was the multipurpose room which boasted a cafeteria, theater and open space for games.  But I digress from the theme of food at Crystal.  When I arrived a decade later, the facility was tired and overused.  The kitchen was small and staffed by three "cooks" who opened cans of food, warmed the contents and served us what had to be the most unappealing food imaginable.

Food quality, quantity and presentation began trending upward with the installation of our first commercial food service, Chartwells and a real chef, Willie Branham!

Currently we are in food heaven with food service provided by Epicurean Group, www.epicurean-group.com.  Home cooked, nutritious meals are served daily and it is a real pleasure to go to a Crystal lunch these days.

Just to make your mouth water, see this week's menu  from Epicurean.

Monday, May 11

Assorted Cereal Bar

Creamy Tomato Basil

Grilled Niman Ranch Burgers

Grilled Garden Veggie Burgers

Ruffles Potato Chips

Steamed Broccoli, Pasta Salad

Grilled Pesto Vegetable Salad

Roasted Turkey and Provolone

Frozen Yogurt

Tuesday, May 12

Cinnamon-Sugar Oatmeal

Cream of Broccoli

Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas

Roasted Veggie Quesadillas

Spanish Rice, Black Beans

Steamed Summer Squash

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Honey Ham and Swiss

Wednesday, May 13

Cream of Wheat w/Blueberries

Spring Vegetable Soup

Lasagna Bolognese

Spaghetti w/House Marinara

Cheesy Garlic Bread

Steamed Organic Green Beans

Chef's Salad

Tuna Salad on Whole Wheat

Chef's Treat

Thursday, May 14

Special Cereal Choice: Captain Crunch

Black Bean Soup

Balsamic-Roasted Pork Loin

Balsamic Tofu and Veggie Saute

Roasted Asparagus

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

Crystal Cobb

Roast Beef and Cheddar

Friday, May 15

To-Go Snack

Vegan Butternut Squash

Meat Lovers' or Cheese Pizza

Veggie Lovers' Pizza

Spaghetti w/House Marinara

Tossed Garden Salad

Grilled Chicken Caesar

Egg Salad (w/Bacon)

Frozen Yogurt 

Welcome to Draper's CSUS blog, Draper's Capers

So here I come kicking and screaming into the 21st century with my very own blog at CSUS! Happily my drafts will not focus on me but on alums, alumni events, and current happenings at school.

I will do the me part first and be done with it.  I arrived at Crystal Springs School for Girls in late August of 1976, and I will always be thankful that Dick Loveland was able to get past my Poncho Villa mustache, the long hair and hire me as a Spanish teacher and soccer coach.  

Keep the long hair in mind as I tell you about getting lost in Hillsborough the day before school was to open.  I had moved to an apartment in San Mateo in mid August, and I thought it might be a good idea to figure out where the school was.  One Sunday afternoon I was driving in the approximate location of Crystal but not knowing exactly where it was.  I slowed down by a gentleman walking along, and I asked him if he knew directions to the school.  "Why do YOU (remember the hair) want to know?"  That was my first meeting with co-founder and Board member Bob Steiner!  Things lightened up considerably when I explained who I was.  Bob jumped into my beat up VW hatchback, and we drove together to campus for a quick tour and then on to his lovely home around the corner for drinks.  I knew then that this was going to be a good gig.

That was 33 years ago and I was just 33 years old at the time.  Now you know my age ("crypto").  In this day and age it is not easy to find professionals who have been in one place for half their lives, but it has been easy for me because of the various jobs at school.  I rough chronological order I have been:  Spanish teacher, soccer coach, Language Department Head, Director of Admissions, Dean of Students, Director of Summer Enrichment, Director of Educational Outreach, and now in what may be my final iteration, Philanthropy and Planned Giving Advisor.

My plan is to write about the school from the past and present with a focus on alumni activities.  I have a new Flip video camera and will post events as they happen.  Remember your CSUS Reunion on May 2.  Former faculty members, Michael Petty, Rod "Jake" Jacobsen, Tom Robinson and maybe Jess will be on campus for the event.  That will be great "blog fodder."

JT Horenstein's production in Hollywood

I flew to LA on Monday, March 16 to join Fred Gortner '82, Melissa Dingwell '81  and Stephanie Spangian '92  at the gala evening for JT's indie rock ballet, "Dance the Question" at the Ricardo Montalban Theater on Vine just off Hollywood Drive.  

The show was terrific and has received rave reviews in LA papers.  JT's stint as a juror in a lengthy murder trial provides the artistic inspiration for his production, and it works.  In splendidly choreographed dance backed by rock music, the audience is taken through the events of romantic intrigue that lead to the murder, the trial, the execution and redemption.  

"Dance the Question" is a professional production with legs and a commercially viable future.  We wish JT all the best with "Dance" and hope that he brings the show to San Francisco and our campus.

Check out his web site:  www.dancethequestion.com

And see a short video of alums below.

Conversations with Alumni

Recently we began a new contact with our alumni with the first of what will be a series of "conversations with alumni."  The Alumni Board was interested in creating a link between grads, our current students, and local alumni.  The first "conversation" focused on innovators and entrepreneurs and featured Will Harvey '84 and Jon Fisher '90.  

When Will was a sophomore he sold his Music Construction Set, a fun way to write music on a computer, to Electronic Arts.  I was Dean of Students then, and when the representative from EA arrived on campus unexpectedly looking for Will, I refused to let him take him off campus with out a note from home.  Big showdown!  Finally I got a call into Will's mom who assured me that the EA visit was approved by her.  And as they say, the rest is history.  Will went on to complete his under graduate, Masters and Doctoral degrees at Stanford University.  His most recent computer venture is IMVU; a combination of avatars and instant messaging in a 3D chat space.

Jon is my poster child for success after Crystal.  Professor Fisher is one of America's most innovative thinkers in the area of business, finance and entrepreneurship.  Jon founded Bharosa and successfully sold the online banking identity protection software to Oracle in 2007.  That same year Ernst & Young named him entrepreneur of the year in California.  Jon's recent book release, Strategic Entrepreneurism, offers a guide for developing entrepreneurial concepts and finding a financially viable exit strategy.  Currently Jon serves as an adjunct faculty member at the University of San Francisco's School of Business.

So, enough credentials?  Will and Jon spoke for about 45 minute to a standing room only crowd of over 85 in the Conference Room (aka some years ago as the student lounge, and prior to that the mansion's dining room) across from Head of School's office.  They held the mostly high school audience in rapt attention for the entire time and they delivered a great message.  

Will, who spoke first, was clear that people in the business of technology have to be flexible and ready to deal with set backs.  Keep trying.  If you have a good idea someone will to buy it.  When a student asked him how he came to be a tech innovator and entrepreneur, he said, "I liked to build things when I was younger."  Happily, Tom Woosnam had saved Will's balsa bridge from his 1983 Physics Class, and I showed the audience his undefeated bridge that held a remarkable 350 lbs.  Yes, he did like to build things!

Jon's message was to please listen to the adults around you.  Yes, even your parents who know more than you realize.  Follow your dreams and use the resources you learned at Crystal and stay in touch with your classmates. They will be some of your best allies and potential business partners in the future.

Thank you to Will and Jon for setting the bar so high for our future "Conversations with Alumni."

Serendipity

Serendipity has always been my friend.  Before Thanksgiving CSUS hosted an alumni party at Orson, a very hip watering hole in San Francisco in the trendy South of Market area on 4th.  In fact the place is an old warehouse that was gutted and fixed up to hipster hype and opened to the thirsty cognosciente.  Alison and I walked down the long entrance hall to the main bar which was full of after work revelers.  After a few moments of not recognizing a soul, we asked a waitress where the Crystal event was: upstairs was the answer.  Up we went to find our party. On the way up I saw Tiffany Chow '03.  "So, what are you doing here, Mr. Draper?"  Total disbelief.  She had missed the invitation to our event but was enjoying an after work party with her company, Six Degrees Apart.  I knew that Chris Alden '88 was the CEO of the blog start up, and I asked if he were at the party.  There was Chris down in the main part of the establishment surrounded by a number of his happy employees.

The next alumni serendipity occurred  in the Bankers Club on the 82 floor of 555 California--a definitely upscale address.  What a difference.  My car was searched for before I could park in the underground garage, and I had a special name tag made before I could ride the elevator to the top.  The view from the 82 floor is stunning, and the planned giving seminar on "charitable remainder annuity trusts" was...well, interesting.  My new job at Crystal as Philanthropy Advisor requires that I acquire a good understanding of some very arcane tax advantaged strategies that will be helpful to donors and our school.  Now, here comes the serendipity thing.  Leslie Bishop '84 Franco heard my voice in the crowded room--imagine that!  As soon as the conference ended we were chatting and laughing about the old days when Draper was dean and how I "let her into Crystal" when I was doing admissions.  But it gets better.  "Noah Zim works on the 72 floor--let's call him." In ten minutes Noah arrived on the top floor with a huge smile and a warm hug.  Talk about serendipity--there we were, the three of us rambling back over the years.  Oh yes, I do remember the day they took off from school to buy Stones concert tickets and the fabulous hoax when the Mansion was for sale.  

The good old days?  Perhaps, but things are still good at Crystal.  Stay tuned for more from Draper's First Draft.