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.