Inside: It’s the Economy, Smarty!
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A DEMY INSIDE:
It’s the Economy, Smarty! • Convocation • Reunion Weekend • Hall of Fame Induction • Alumni News & Notes Fall 2008 The Columbus Academy Magazine 2008
Dec. 18th Festivities will begin at 11:30 a.m. with lunch served at noon. All Alumni Welcome! You can register at CA’s interactive online community: http://alumni.columbusacademy.org 2 0 0 8 A L U M N I H O LI D AY L U N C H E O N Save This Date! P
as we present the Distinguished Alumnus Award to Charles (Rocky) Saxbe ’65 .
Saxbe has been the principal litigation counsel in numerous complex litigations and has appeared before the Ohio Supreme Court, the Ohio Court of Appeals and the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. In his role as Campaign & Election Law Practice Co-Chair, he has provided counsel to elected officials, political party organizations and candidates on election, campaign finance and public ethics law. Saxbe has also served as principle counsel for the State of Ohio in the national tobacco litigation, contributing significantly to the state’s record-setting $10 billion settlement. A former Marine, Saxbe was an infantry platoon commander during the Vietnam War and was discharged with the rank of captain. In 1974, he was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives, where he served four terms, and he was the Republican nominee for Ohio Attorney General in 1982. Thursday, Hall of FAME Maxwell Stevenson ’95…17 F E A T U R E S : D E P A R T M E N T S : Around Academy .........9 Alumni News ..............19 Class Notes .................20 School News ...............30 Sports View ................32 Academy Profile .........37
Cover Image: Third-graders Alyssa Kim (left) and Kelley Antoine lean on each other for support as they learn about the country’s economic market woes. 1
Fall 2008
President Thomas E. Szykowny P’04 ’07 ’10 Vice President Michael D. Ryan ’87, P’19 ’21 Secretary Laura Williams P’05 ’08
Treasurer George A. Skestos ’86 Immediate Past-President Kevin M. Kelley P’07 ’08 ’11 ’16 David Aronowitz P’11 ’13 ’16 Ken Brown ’75, P’09 ’11 Stephen Browning P’17
Larry Canini P’08 ’17
Phil Carlin ’58, P’83 ’93, GP’13 ’15 ’22 Michael Crane ’71, P’02 ’06 John Cullen P’14 ’16
Linda Hondros P’00 ’06 ’08 James Klingbeil Jr. ’85, P’16 ’19 ’22 Lauren Rackoff P’14 ’16
Jon J. Ricker P’07 ’11
Kathleen Starkoff P’11
Mark G. Turner P’10 ’13
Sharen Turney P’12
Charlie Walker ’69, P’02 ’04 ’06 Seanna Walter P’16 ’18 ’21 Stephen S. Wittmann ’67, P’15 Headmaster John Mackenzie P’15
Smarty!
It’s the Economy, Cover Story...........................3 C OLUMBUS A CADEMY E MBARKS O N 98 TH S CHOOL Y EAR Convocation......................8 08 Reunion Weekend Back to Campus...............12 n 1991, I had the good fortune to attend a weeklong “Institute for New Heads of Schools” sponsored by the National Association of Independent Schools. It was, in essence, “rookie camp” for 45 men and women who were about to begin stints as school Heads at a variety of different schools around the country. At the time of the New Heads Institute, I was exactly one week into my first year as a headmaster, in this case at Worcester Acad- emy in Massachusetts, where I served for six years before coming to Columbus Academy in 1997. Like the majority of the other new heads, most of my prior experience had been as a “school person” and not as a “money person.” I had been a teacher, coach, college counselor, department head, Dean, and Head of Upper School, but in these roles I had never put together a budget of any significant size or asked anyone to give the school a donation. My self-consciousness about the gaps in my background lasted about two days into the week, when I recognized that most of the other new heads knew no more that I did about finances and development. “Phew,” I thought, “I’m going to be okay on this; maybe knowing about financial stuff isn’t all that important to running a school.” In turn, this naiveté lasted just a few months into that first year as headmaster. It was not long before sev- eral “a-ha” realizations whacked me across the side of the head with evidence of the close interconnection of a quality education and a healthy school financial picture. As a new head, I had arrived at a school with a noble mission, a long history, eager students and a dedicated faculty. But I also arrived at a time when enrollment had dropped considerably and, as a result, when there was not enough revenue to support that noble mission and the best efforts of the faculty. In addition, the endowment was not strong for a school of its kind, and the develop- ment/fundraising program was underperforming. As a result, faculty morale was low because of budget cuts and minimal salary increases. The school lost some good teachers to higher paying jobs and could not compete well in the recruitment of new teachers. Without enough funding for proper upkeep of facilities, the school did not present well to prospective families. These various factors made it hard to turn around a difficult enrollment pro- file and led to a kind of vicious cycle of economic doldrums. Perhaps most regrettably, many good initiatives sug- gested by faculty and administration were greeted with the word “no,” sometimes said by me, simply because there was not enough funding to turn great ideas into realities. Among the many pleasures I have enjoyed since coming to Columbus Academy is the opportunity to say “yes” in support of some similarly good faculty and administration initiatives. I was fortunate to come to this school when its economic health was strong, and that good health continued to be even more robust up to the start of this present school year. Thanks primarily to the thoughtful leadership of our Board of Trustees, to the gen- erosity of our friends and, most of all, to the excellence of our faculty, Columbus Academy began this year prob- ably in the best financial health it has even experienced. With full enrollment, an endowment strengthened by the successful Advancing the Quest campaign, a steadily increasing Annual Fund and various other positive financial indicators, the Academy has not just been maintaining… it has been moving forward in positive ways. There has been funding to support new curricular offerings. Our faculty and staff have taken advantage of a wide range of professional development opportunities. We have expanded our technology resources, and the physical plant has been upgraded and well maintained. Most importantly, the faculty is stable and strong – very strong. At the time of this writing there is, however, a fairly dark cloud on Columbus Academy’s financial horizon. It is yet too early to know what kind of a detrimental impact the national financial crisis will have on Cherry Bot- tom Road, but some challenging decisions likely lie ahead. We hope the cover story in this edition of Academy Magazine will offer some insight into the economic environment in which these decisions will be made. Through whatever lies ahead, Columbus Academy will need to keep our “eyes on the prize,” and the prize for this school should always be quality education. Thus, financial decisions must ultimately be educational deci- sions. Careful management of the school’s near and long range finances will assure the best possible learning and teaching environment for this generation of Academy students and faculty. They deserve nothing less. Fall 2008 From the Headmaster’s Desk: John M. Mackenzie Headmaster A c a d e m y M a g a z i n e 2
Fall 2008 A c a d e m y M a g a z i n e 3
I n mid-October, Columbus Academy’s campus was buzzing with activity. Fall sports were in full swing, alumni were re- turning for Reunion Weekend and a na- tional presidential campaign was reaching a fever pitch. Yet as I walked through the hallways, meandered around the sports fields and enjoyed some of the alumni events, the topic that seemed to be on everyone’s minds was the economy. • Students in John Exline’s senior-elective economics course had just received their first copies of the Wall Street Journal for the annual stock market simulation game. Eighth-graders in John Ubbing’s social studies class were discussing the economic plans laid out by both candi- dates during the presidential debates. In the Lower School, Head Dan Vorenberg was reminding his teachers that the “American narrative Smarty!
by Bob Lee It’s the Economy, Cover Story Fall 2008 A c a d e m y M a g a z i n e 4
Managing Director of William M. Mercer Companies and Member of CA’s Finance Committee “I am scared, borderline panicking. I have an un- dergraduate degree in economics and an M.B.A. in fi- nance. We are in a territory now that we’ve never been in before as a country. The compounding problem is we’ve never been here before as a globe either. It’s one economic world out there around the globe and it’s all deteriorating rapidly. In short-term, we’re headed for a global recession and, hopefully not, but possibly a global depression. I couldn’t be more pessimistic. It will have a negative impact financially (on CA) and therefore spread down through the organization. I think we need to hunker down right now and look at discretionary expenses, meaning ones that we aren’t committed to and haven’t spent that aren’t core fundamental expenses that we need to keep mak- ing, to protect ourselves from an economic downturn. A few people – maybe more than a few – won’t be able to pay their January tuitions. The Annual Fund may take a hit this year, in my opinion. I regret that, but I’m trying to be real- istic. I’ve talked to various people in the administration about that. It’s time to start making lists, saving our money and only paying expenses that really count.” Cheryl Krueger P’08 President/CEO of Cheryl&Co. and Chair of CA’s Marketing Committee “If one steps back and has a long view, the U.S. econ- omy has a history of economic cycles with ups and downs, but corrects over a period of time. History also shows that the U.S. economy has been the most successful and is based on sound economic fundamentals. As we discover problems in the system, we correct them and hopefully learn from our mistakes. The good news is we have a highly productive workforce and the best marketplace in the world. When Columbus Academy launched the last Capital Campaign, it was immediately after 9/11 or September 2001 when the stock market tumbled to 7600 points. Our campaign goal was the highest in the school’s history at $17 million and the financial and emotional environment of the country was one of great concern. As Chairperson of the Capital Campaign the task at hand seemed daunting, but what we discovered was that during difficult times, people truly focus on their priorities. One of those critical priorities was to invest in our children’s future. That campaign ended up exceeding its goal by $400,000 and our children were the big winners. The Columbus Academy community got it right.
The Columbus Academy has always managed its budget with a conser- vative point of view and that has served the school well. Building upon that phi- losophy will be important, especially in this environment. Also, disciplined management of the endowment portfolio is critical in order for the funds to con- tinue to grow.” that is being constructed right now is scary… please keep in mind the effect our national crisis may be having on our school culture and community.” • Even at home, my entire October 20 issue of Newsweek was dedicated to the worldwide financial melt- down. The cover story by Fareed Zakaria began: “Some of us – especially those under 60 – have always wondered what it would be like to live through the kind of epochal event one reads about in books. Well, this is it. We’re now living history, suffering one of the greatest financial panics of all time. It compares with the big ones – 1907, 1929 – and we cannot yet know its full consequences for the financial system, the economy or society as a whole.” • On television, CNBC’s James Cramer – famous for his “there’s always a bull market somewhere” signature line – was telling Ann Curry on the “Today” show, “Whatever money you may need for the next five years, please take it out of the stock market right now, this week. I do not believe that you should risk those assets in the stock markets.” • Even Warren Buffett was making his opinion known in the pages of the New York Times. “A simple rule dic- tates my buying,” the oracle-like Buffett wrote. “Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful… In short, bad news is an investor’s best friend. It lets you buy a slice of America’s future at a marked-down price.” • Then, in a re- cent letter to current families, Headmaster John Mackenzie wrote: “We hope this economic downturn will not be long lasting, and we hope that its impact on our school community will be min- imal. But ‘hope’ will not do as much as action to assure that the 1,057 boys and girls who come through our doors every school day get the best education Columbus Academy can offer.” • With that in mind, I wondered what other members of our community are thinking and experiencing. How is this economic downturn affecting CA families? What does the school need to do if condi- tions are slow to improve or even worsen? What are people in our community – many of whom are leaders in industries affected by this crisis – forecasting for the future? So I have gathered here opinions from various members of the Academy family including alumni, parents, faculty and students. Many thanks for their comments that follow. Cover Story Fall 2008 A c a d e m y M a g a z i n e 5
Partner at Arcadia Holdings and Chair of CA’s Finance Committee “From Columbus Academy’s perspective, we’re going to do a couple of things. Every year, the school wants to be a better school than it was the year before. The value proposition has got to be continually ad- vanced, so that means we need to make sure that we are attracting and re- taining top-quality teachers. How that translates to our budgets means that we’re going to have budget constraints. We just can’t sit back and do nothing. We also realize there’s a limit to how much we can charge in tuition. So I think we’re very sensitive to people who are receiving financial aid and who have more than one child at Academy. Any raise in tuition during a period of uncertainty can add anxiety to a person’s home, and we want to try to avoid that as much as we can. From an endowment perspective, we have to be very disciplined and not focus on the day-to-day volatility in the markets. Columbus Academy is getting ready to celebrate its 100th year of providing education, and we’d like to think that we’re going to provide it for several more hundred years. So even though our endowment is invested in a diversified, balanced portfolio and we see that value on paper eroding, we need to make sure that we realize that we’re in it for the long-run and that we believe the value of the endowment is going to continue to be advanced, which is also going to hopefully ease our budgetary constraints in the future. We’re not going to panic, but we need to critically evaluate exactly what we do about investing the gifts that people give to the Columbus Academy. In the long run, the United States economy is still going to be strong. We’re going to have job growth and wage growth. I think we’re going to go about doing it in smarter ways than we have in the past… Columbus Academy has got to have a long-term approach towards educating students.”
President/CEO of Victoria’s Secret and CA Board of Trustees Member “I think we’re seeing the true power of sentiment in our economic system. I’m not sure we’ve seen such ex- treme examples of the direct causal relationship be- tween consumer sentiment and daily economic performance for a long time – at least since the tech bubble, and maybe long before then. One small but significant effect of the economic environment has been the slowing of mall traffic. For retailers, less traffic will be a challenge for at least the near future. It forces us to be more creative in our products, to know our customers even better and to emphasize newness and an emotional connection with those customers in all we do. In the short term (for CA), we know there will be more pressure on fam- ily budgets. That may manifest itself in a number of spending changes; it may make the decision tougher for the family deciding between Columbus Acad- emy and a public school. But I know as a parent how much I value stability and a nurturing environment for my son. I imagine many parents will see things like I do: if we have to revise the household budget, we will put a pri- ority on continuity for our kids and cut back elsewhere to be sure they get the best education experience we can give them. It may also be that tough times will reinforce to us how essential a strong education is, and that in the long run, interest in the Academy will benefit. When we’re trying to find something we can control in uncertain times, education for our children is often at the top of the list. Like I said – consumer sentiment is very powerful. It’s never too late to review finances and make sure the fundamentals of the institution are healthy and efficient. That’s something the Academy has within its control. I also believe times like these are when it’s most important to put your values first in all you do. Columbus Academy must be sure every- one in the school – every teacher, every administrator, every student and fam- ily member – is clear on the two or three powerful, emotional things the Academy stands for. Remind everyone why Columbus Academy’s approach is unique, and why we’re all a part of the school now. Bring the family together.”
Vice President of SBC Advertising and President of CA’s Parents’ Association “The advertising industry was already going through seismic changes well before this softening economy began. Client budgets had moved towards more meas- urable marketing programs and non-traditional media solutions had become the norm. Long gone are the times when a network TV spot alone was the magic bullet. On the positive side, as CMOs are faced with declining sales, they tend to shop their accounts around to agencies that can provide their brands with unique marketing solu- tions. An inventive agency has a chance to build their business in soft economic times. The weakening economy will have some impact on the pool of applica- tions Academy will receive. It will also make it tougher to raise funds for the school. However, raising funds is probably never more important as it can allow the school to expand our financial aid packages in the hopes of attracting and retaining the highest quality students. Creating a stronger, more defined marketing brand for the school will be an effective tool in combating the slower economy. It will allow the school to differentiate itself in the Central Ohio education community and present a compelling value proposition to parents and teachers alike.” Download 375.42 Kb. Do'stlaringiz bilan baham: 
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