Kim is a student in Stephanie Glenn’s Japanese 400 class. She studied the language in Middle School and spent last summer as an exchange student in Japan, allowing her to advance in the course sequence. She is also studying sculpture this year.

Winning their first three matches, Charles Wright Academy’s Upper School Knowledge Bowl team started the 2012 season with a bang. The team is very enthusiastic about their upcoming regional competition on March 3 and is working extremely hard towards their goal of winning the 3A state championship for the first time in school history.

Continuing a long tradition, CWA has been incredibly successful in recent years. Two Tarrier teams advanced to state last year and they placed second and third in the 3A state competition. While CWA won many 1A and 2A titles, the state championship has eluded the school in the 3A bracket.

CWA won state titles in the 1A division against other schools with 467 students are less in 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008. In 2009, CWA’s third request was granted to compete against 2A schools and the Tarriers won their first 2A state championship that year. In 2010, the Tarriers moved up another notch to the 3A bracket. Although CWA has just 275 high school students, their competitors in the 3A bracket come from schools with up to 1,300 students.

This year there are a total of fourteen members on the team: seniors Sarah Sadlier, Sarah Yamamoto, Anthony Wohns, Peter Schilling, Justice Nichols, Josh Zhu, Tim Chang, Kajsa Mayo, Nikki Ebalo, and Steven Lemma; junior Jack Dimmer; sophomore Nick Lai; and freshmen Connor Sandoval and Emily Ge.

Dimmer encourages new people to come and try out for the team next year.  He says “Knowledge bowl is really great; you don’t have to be a brainiac to join.” The team, led by history teacher John Lemma and science teacher David Kangas, meets three times a week during lunch to practice. As a second year member of the team, Dimmer wants to continue being a part of Knowledge Bowl and hopes he will get the opportunity to compete in this activity at the college level as well.

Zhu has been a part of Knowledge Bowl for three years and thinks it is a great way to use what he has learned in classes and other activities. He says “We are really hoping to win state; we have no idea who are strongest competition will be yet.”

The Charles Wright Community is extremely proud and supportive of the Knowledge Bowl Team. Senior Bob Thureson has been the scorekeeper for lunch practices for the past four years. This year he has attended home and away matches to cheer the team on. “It has been such an awesome experience to be a part of it, and all the guys love it that I’m there because it adds tension when they can see how close they are in scores to one another,” says Thureson. “It has been an honor to meet all of them, develop greater relationships with them, and just to be there and listen to questions is a treat!”

CWA’s next home match is scheduled for Thursday, February 2, at 3:30pm. The Tarriers will face off against Bellarmine and Wilson. Spectators are always encouraged to attend.

As each candle was lit, Chaplain Mike Moffitt read the following statements in alphabetical order explaining its significance.

Bodhi Day: Buddha statue and candle
This day marks the time when Siddhartha Gautama, a spiritual teacher and founder of Buddhism, positioned himself under a tree and vowed to remain there until he attained supreme enlightenment.  All Buddhist traditions agree that upon the rising of the morning star, he had experienced enlightenment and attained Nirvana.

Chinese New Year: Chinese lanterns
Chinese New Year is an all East and South-East-Asia celebration. In China it is known as “Spring Festival.”  It marks the end of the winter season, and the festival begins on the first day of the first month in the traditional Chinese calendar. It is a reflection on how the people behaved and what they believed in the most.

Christmas: Advent Wreath
Christmas is the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, believed to be the Son of God and Savior of the world.  Christmas traditions vary worldwide, and the day is often celebrated in prayer and song at church services, and gifts are often given to represent the gifts that Jesus received from the three kings, and the gift that Jesus is to the world.

Diwali: Diyas
Diwali gets its name from the row of lamps that Indians light outside their homes to symbolize the inner light that protects us from spiritual darkness.  Diwali originated as a harvest festival that marked the last harvest of the year before winter.  Indians celebrate with family gatherings, glittering clay lamps, festive fireworks, flowers, sharing of sweets, and worship.

Hanukkah: Menorah
Chanukah — the eight-day festival of light — celebrates the triumph of light over darkness.  More than twenty-one centuries ago, a small band of faithful Jews defeated the mighty Syrian-Greek army, which sought to eliminate Jewish religion and culture, and drove the Greeks from the land.  They reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and rededicated it to the service of God.

Japanese New Year: Wreath and candle

New Year is the most important holiday in Japan.  Families typically gather to spend the day together.  Each new year is seen as providing a fresh start. Consequently, all duties are supposed to be completed by the end of the year, while parties are held with the purpose of leaving the old year’s worries and troubles behind.

Kwanzaa: Kinara
Kwanzaa is an African American and Pan-African holiday which celebrates family, community and culture. Celebrated from 26 December thru 1 January, its origins are in the first harvest celebrations of Africa from which it takes its name. The name Kwanzaa is derived from the phrase “matunda ya kwanza” which means “first fruits” in Swahili.  Kwanzaa was established in 1966 in the midst of the Black Freedom Movement and thus reflects its concern for cultural groundedness in thought and practice.

Yule: Candle
Yule marks the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, and celebrates the rebirth of the sun in the Norse pagan tradition.  The modern day, western Yule festival contains a large blend of celebrations, leading back to multiple cultures and religious practices.  Practices include decorating a fir or spruce tree, burning a Yule log, hanging mistletoe and holly branches, and giving gifts.

Automata are simple mechanical toys have been built since the time of the ancient Greeks. Working with the big idea of play, the sculpture class was asked to design an automaton for a child between the ages of five and eight. After each student made their own small-scale model (maquette), the class chose two to designs to build to a larger scale.

Katie Welch, Claire Drouillard, Naomi Griggs, Young-eon Kim and Genie Park took a cardboard marquette and created an elaborate Halloween-inspired toy. With a turn of the handle, the two monster puppets on top spin.

Jesse Kolp, Nick Lai, Josh Clemons and Janay Davis worked together to transform this small marquette made from pipe-cleaners and cardboard into a large-scale multi-media toy, sure to delight any child. Turn the crank on the back and the swing carries the doll back and forth.

Welch and Kolp, a senior and sophomore respectively, served as the leaders of the two design teams.

Stop by the Ted Sanford Art Gallery during finals week to see all the marquettes.

Mayer was named to the all-area team as a defender. She was the Nisqually League’s defensive MVP with 151 clearances, eight goals and three assists. She was the only player from a 1A team honored. The News Tribune’s sports reporters also chose nine 4A, one 3A and one 2A.

“Katie is one of the most talented, and most competitive, defensive players that I have ever coached,” says head coach Jim Dempsey. “However, what is more impressive is that she can play any position that we ask her to play. She even had a shut-out in 20 minutes of playing goalkeeper for us this season! She is a great team player and the CWA girls soccer program is fortunate to have her as a player and a leader.”

Iverson received honorable mention for his role on the defensive line.

Head Coach Mike Finch was delighted with the News Tribune’s selection of Iverson. “Standing at 6’8″ 240 pounds, Beau has the physical gifts necessary to become a top talent in the state. Beau’s length, wing span, and strength make him nearly impossible to block off the edge. In fact, he led the Nisqually League during the regular season with 7.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss with a lot of finger tip tackles that most defenders would not be able to reach. As a Tight End, Beau provided us the flexibility to have an inside power running game within our offense. Primarily a run blocker, Beau did finish the season with 9 receptions for 100 yards. We are grateful for his contributions to the 2011 team and excited for his return in 2012.”

Tarrier sports fans won’t have to wait until next fall to see either of these athletes in action. Iverson is also a member of the boys basketball team and Mayer will run track in the spring.

Photos by Ed Beck

Cross-Country
Junior runner David Goldstone finished second at state, leading his team to a fourth place finish. Goldstone has now been invited to compete in the Border Clash race in Oregon on November 20, an honor only extended to the top two Washington state finishers. After beating Goldstone at the Westside Classic meet to become the tri-district champion, CWA junior Ruben Riordan took third in state, finishing just nine seconds behind his teammate.   Also contributing to the team victory were junior Travis Hensley, freshman Nick Laberge, junior Dylan Harper, sophomore Drake Birnbaum and senior Bob Thureson.

“It’s a very difficult course,” Coach Jaime O’Dell commented after the team returned home from Pasco. “It’s hilly, windy and a larger race than any of the others our athletes run during the regular season. It can be very intimidating but despite the tough course, five of our boys set personal bests which is simply not expected on the state course.”

For the boys team, this is the best finish since the 2003-2005 seasons when CWA runners Tommy Wyatt, Alex Crabill and Peter Browne won the state championship in three consecutive years.

At the tri-district competition, junior Sarah Dimakis finished third for the girls, setting a new personal record, and sophomore Bryn Mayo came in fourth. Both advanced to state where they ran well in very cold weather.

Tennis
The boys tennis team had a fantastic fall. The team won the league tournament held at Vashon and the district tournament in Seattle. Senior Daniel Ham, junior Austin Kelley, freshman Teddy Grenley, freshman Philip Grenley, senior Tim Chang, and junior Evan Valentine won the quad-district title and all qualified for the state tournament in May. This is CWA’s second consecutive quad-district championship and in the spring the Tarriers will defend their state title, hoping to win three in a row.

Football
The CWA football team concluded the regular season as co-champions of the Nisqually League. This is the first time since 1989 that CWA’s football team was tied for or won the championship. CWA hosted Meridian High School at Harry Lang Stadium in Lakewood where the teams battled in the district playoffs for a trip to state. It was the Tarriers first district game since 1998. The Tarriers held Meridian to a 14-14 tie in the first half, but when the Trojans abandoned their passing-game CWA fell behind in the third quarter. They pulled within two to bring the score to 22-20, but then fell behind again and lost by a final score of 42-27.

Coach Mike Finch, now in his fourth year at CWA, picked up all-league Coach of the Year honors as many of his players were honored for their efforts. Junior running back Colin Reynolds, senior tackle Nick Mungia, and junior tight-end Beau Iverson were named first team offense. Mungia and Iverson were also named to first-team defense as a linebacker and lineman. Senior linebacker Alex Nielson and senior secondary Chris Lee were also named to the first-team defense. For special teams, senior Alex Dennis was named first-team as a kicker and second-team as a punter. Second-team honors on offense went to junior quarterback Fritz Jacobson. Senior Parker Rush was named second-team defense for his efforts as a lineman.

Volleyball
The volleyball team advanced to the district playoffs by defeating Orting 3-1 in their last match.. The team finished the season strong with three critical wins to make the playoffs. Their first and last playoff game was against Lynden Christian. The team played a great match but lost 3-0.

Soccer
The girls’ soccer team played well this fall and has won several important games. While the team did not advance into the post season this year, they were very competitive with other teams in the league.

Last week, Junior Alec Kurtz appeared on TV Tacoma’s CityLine talk show to talk about the contributions of the Upper School’s Advanced Ceramics Empty Bowls Club. Click here to watch a video of the show and skip ahead to 45:50 for the Empty Bowls segment.

Empty Bowls is an annual fundraiser for the Emergency Food Network that will be hosted on the Charles Wright campus on Saturday, November 19, from 1-4pm. Kurtz and nine other students have been throwing pots all year to donate to the cause. They will have 100 pots for sale in the Middle School Commons.

Kurtz and his classmates are also contributing pieces to a silent auction on Friday evening at the EFN’s juried art show, Vessels, located in CWA’s Language and Performings Arts Building. This is the only three-dimensional juried art show in the area.

Both events are open to the public and proceeds from both events will benefit the thousands of Pierce County residents that visit the network of food banks in our area each week.

For more information about Empty Bowls or the Juried art show, contact Aileen Bacon at (253) 620-8433 or visit efoodnet.org.

Anthony Wohns of Tacoma, Nicole Ebalo of Olympia and Sarah Yamamoto of Lakewood were all honored as National Merit Semifinalists. This year CWA’s Commended Scholars are Timothy Chang of Gig Harbor, Paige Henderson of Port Orchard, Sydney Hughes of Olympia, Kajsa Mayo of Gig Harbor, Justice Nichols of Fircrest, Decker Nielsen of University Place, Sarah Sadlier of Gig Harbor, Peter Schilling of Tacoma, Ashley Thomas of Auburn, Jay Um of Gig Harbor, and Joshua Zhu of Tacoma.

These fourteen students have also excelled in many other academic and co-curricular pursuits.  The group includes:

•    Ten student athletes (Wohns, Chang, Henderson, Hughes, Mayo, Nichols, Nielsen, Sadlier, Schilling and Um);
•    Nine musicians, actors and actresses (Wohns, Yamamoto, Chang, Henderson, Nielsen, Sadlier, Schilling, Thomas and Um);
•    Nine Knowledge Bowl team members (Wohs, Ebalo, Yamamoto, Chang, Mayo, Nichols, Sadlier, Schilling and Zhu);
•    Seven volunteers who have far exceeded the school’s community service expectation (Wohns, Ebalo, Chang, Nielsen, Sadlier, Schilling and Zhu);
•    Six study-body or club leaders (Ebalo, Yamamoto, Chang, Henderson, Nielsen, and Sadlier);
•    Five Model UN team members (Wohns, Ebalo, Sadlier, Thomas and Zhu);
•    Three National History Day contestants (Chang, Schilling and Sadlier);
•    Two visual artistis (Hughes and Zhu); and
•    Two lit mag staffers (Hughes and Thomas).

Williams applied to 13 schools she thought represented the full continuum. Then, to her tremendous surprise, she was accepted by 12 of those 13 schools. The only trouble with that bit of good fortune was that the full weight of choosing a college then fell on her shoulders and her shoulders alone. She wound up at Dartmouth, the school she originally considered a reach, but with so many options on the table it was not an easy decision.

Williams attended CWA from kindergarten and for all 13 years she was an athlete, musician and leader among her peers. She was one of only two girls in her graduating class who completed 12 seasons of competitive high school athletics. She played volleyball and basketball and sprinted for the track team all through Middle and Upper School, serving as a team captain for all three sports both her junior and senior years.

She won two state championship titles in the 4×100 meter relay (2009 and 2010) and had three second-place finishes at state in the 4×200 (2008, 2009 and 2010). She was a member of the three most successful Tarrier volleyball teams in school history. She played club volleyball for four years outside of school and coached a team of fellow CWA athletes after finishing her senior season. Williams was named the school’s most outstanding female athlete at the end of her senior year and nominated for The News Tribune’s female athlete of the year award.

Athletics were not the only activities keeping her busy. She sang in school choirs all through Upper School and competed her senior year at the state solo and ensemble competition with a quartet. Williams was also a member of the Green Key club and was very involved in community service. She was elected by her peers to be the ASB community service head her senior year. She volunteered as a tutor with Stand Up for Kids, an outreach program for homeless and at-risk youth. She also worked with the school’s Chapel Home, Boys and Girls Clubs, and global outreach programs. She served as the President of the Tacoma chapter of Jack and Jill America, Inc, a youth leadership development organization. Her senior year, Williams became an actress and Brendan Rome cast her in the role of Salome in his one act by the same name.

Academically, Williams also excelled in many areas, especially English, history, Spanish and science. She loved working on her junior research project and wrote an essay about her experience with that English paper for Ties last summer. She credits Creighton King (English), Neil Biermann (science), Howard Wouters (math) and Coaches Rob Scotlan and Mindy McGrath as some of her greatest influences at CWA.

Williams particularly loved her forensics class. “Since the third grade, I have wanted to spend my life investigating the dead to bring answers to the living,” she says. “My passion only deepened when I began taking Mr. Biermann’s forensics science class my senior year. I got hands-on experience with mini investigations so I know this is what I want to spend my life doing. I love not knowing the answers because I love discovering. I love figuring things out for myself and this is still what attracts me to the role of a coroner or medical examiner today. Many might ask whose aspiration it would be to sit with dead people all day… but someone has to do it and it might as well be someone who is genuinely curious and passionate about the matter.”

Perhaps it part because she has so many strengths and interests, the college selection process was hard for Williams. “I had a very long list of colleges, right up until I made my final choice,” she says. “I started with a summer tour of West Coast schools with my parents the summer before my junior year, then took a similar tour of East Coast schools before my senior year. In total I saw almost 30 schools. I looked at every type of college and university because I thought it would at least help me decide what sort of school I did not want to attend.

“I decided that I would probably prefer a smaller school and that I liked the idea of attending school on the East Coast, especially since I think I will probably move back to the West Coast to begin my career. Beyond that, touring schools did not particularly help me narrow down my list. I decide to apply to 13 schools – more than most students do – and just see what happened. I assumed the schools’ decisions would narrow the list considerably. I applied regular-decision to mostly liberal arts schools on the East Coast but I also applied to a few in California and one in Washington.

“Dartmouth was the big reach on my list. It was secretly my number one, but I only told a few people that. I was intimidated by its selectivity – less than 10 percent of applicants get in – so although I knew I wanted to run in college, I didn’t even bother to contact the Dartmouth coach. It seemed like a waste of time because I really didn’t think I was going to get in.”

What Williams most liked about Dartmouth was not the prestige of its Ivy League status, but the feeling she got on campus. “I visited in the summer and it was the only campus that felt alive. There were lots of students there and everyone was studying and laughing and having fun. Everyone was happy. It seemed like they were a bunch of Rachaels.”

The decision letter began arriving in February and one after another brought good news. The first eleven decisions she received were all acceptances. Because she wanted to run for the track team, she found herself leaning toward Colgate and Davidson, confident that she could make either Division I team. She had several conversations with their coaches.

The twelfth decision Williams received was a denial and she consoled herself that getting into eleven of thirteen schools was really pretty good. The Dartmouth decision was schedule for the very same day, so she figured she would check online before telling her parents. To her tremendous surprise, she found she had been accepted. “I ran into the other room and told my dad, then went right upstairs to update my Facebook status and call my best friend,” she recalls. “I decided to surprise my mom when she came home but yeah, I told everyone on Facebook first.”

Once the excitement wore off, Williams faced a difficult decision. She was still feeling a little intimidated by Dartmouth’s academic reputation and she was not sure she could run there. More research was necessary. She emailed the coach who responded: “Your times look like the people I would have talked to (while recruiting). I’ll put you on the summer workout list.”

With the possibility of running on the table, she booked a flight to visit the school a second time. This trip she made solo. “After the last performance of One Acts, I changed my clothes at school and went straight to the airport. I had to be back at CWA on Tuesday so it was a quick trip two-night trip. I mainly listened to what people had to say. I sat in on a Spanish class and I thought the professor was really funny. Apparently a rat had disturbed his last class by running through the classroom and he kept making jokes about the rat.”

Williams spent both nights in the dorms. The first night she stayed with Tori Portnow, a 2010 graduate of CWA. “We talked about the transition and how prepared she felt,” says Williams. “Her answers really pointed me in the right direction. I was concerned about the weather – I thought I was going to freeze to death and I still do, actually – and about the academic rigor. Because we come from the same high school, her comparisons of the programs were really helpful and I gained a lot of confidence from our conversations.”

As a pre-med student, Williams knows her chosen course of study will be challenging. She will likely major in biochemistry or neurology. “Dartmouth has a really strong premed program and the number one student-faculty research program, so if I want to do research as an undergrad, this will definitely be the school to do that,” she says.

Williams also made time to visit with members of the track team. She thought long and hard about what made her a successful student athlete in high school. “I think what makes me successful in the classroom is knowing that I have so much to do that I have to balance and manage my time well. The more free time I have, the less I manage my time well. Athletics provides structure and I make more efficient time of the work time I create for myself. Running in college will help me be a better student and it will provide an emotional release that keeps me well rounded.

“By the end of the visit, I was sure I wanted to attend Dartmouth. For such a serious academic school, Dartmouth students know how to have fun. It feels kind of like Charles Wright, really. There isn’t a person there who doesn’t have pride in the school and I think that’s really important.”

When she arrived home in Tacoma, Williams got online to make decision official and after notifying the admissions office she sent an email to the track coach. Because track is a winter and spring sport, she does not need to report to campus early. She does need to stay healthy and after rehabbing an injury for several months, she’s making that a top priority. Once the big decision was behind her, Williams relaxed and enjoyed the end of her senior year. Her peers selected her as one of three student graduation speakers, an honor she greatly appreciated. “I’m just really going to miss this place and everyone who helped shape me into the person I am today,” she says.

By Ann Vogel, CWA Parent

Hugs, smiles, and bittersweet tears ended a two-week summer visit of girls from the Mukogawa Junior High as they said goodbye to Charles Wright faculty, student assistants, and host families last week.   

For the past 26 years, CWA’s Japanese language instructors and students have partnered with the Japanese sister school to provide students from both countries with unique language and cultural immersion experiences.   This summer, 46 Japanese girls spent two weeks at University of Puget Sound in classes taught by CWA faculty and staff Jim Dempsey, Dr. Dave Adams, Mike Moffitt, and Todd Richie, and assisted by six CWA students who stayed with the girls in the dorms.

“The highlight of the girls’ visit is the weekend home-stay with CWA families and friends that occurs after the first week,” said Program Director and CWA Japanese teacher Stephanie Glenn.  “The girls return so motivated to learn more English and to practice speaking.  They have a terrific time with their host families, some of whom host year after year.”

The longtime relationship is reciprocal.   During the annual summer program, CWA students serve as teaching assistants while honing their Japanese language skills and making close friends in the dorms.   CWA’s Winterim trip to Japan includes home-stays with Mukogawa families, and CWA senior girls have the opportunity to do their three-week internship at the Japanese school.

CWA’s first Japanese teacher Yasuko Wada started the sister school program nearly three decades ago and established the summer program.  She is now retired, but has a fourth grade grandson at CWA.  Wada was Stephanie Glenn’s Japanese teacher at CWA, volunteers monthly in her classroom, and remains her “mentor for life.”