TaftSpr00 3.23.b - The Taft School

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S P O T L I G H Tof the traditions of the place and his pridein its evolution. In the life of every institution,there are people who are—of theessence—schoolmasters. Barc is one ofthese, imbued with the tradition of theplace and the best of its evolution. InBarclay there is the joy of a little boy;he’s one of the true characters, with spectaculardevotion to the kids.”Steve McKibben describes Barclay’sstruggle with the stubborn technology ofthe computer age. “Barc was indefatigablein his pursuit of mastery and, thoughfrustrated at times, never stopped believingthat the computer would help histeaching and research. This is Barc’slegacy to me: I never want to be so rigidthat I can’t embrace the future, that I can’ttake risks that will stimulate my creativity,or that I become stagnant. Barc embodiesthe best of what teachers canoffer—creativity, knowledge, empathy,collaboration, and inspiration. I want tobe like Barc.” Willy MacMullen adds,“How can any of us carry that passionand love and energy so long? When he“Barclay very definitely represents the connectednessof Taft over generations, throughhis understanding of the traditions of the placeand his pride in its evolution.”leaves it will be a much quieter place.”When I moved three years ago to myoffice outside Barc’s classroom, A201, Isigned on for an education overheardthrough his F-block lectures on modernpoetry and his first-period sessions on editing.The inadvertent eavesdroppingworks both ways, as I found after I hadflubbed a particularly tough conferencelast fall with a senior angry about a papergrade. Frustrated, I looked up to findBarclay at my door, characteristically hesitant;ever polite, he never enters withoutan invitation. He handed me a second editionof Pride and Prejudice, gruffly offeringthat “I know you like Austen,” and left.It’s that friendship—knowing just what tosay to motivate, to correct, to care, andnot a word more—that I will miss.For years, Barclay has graded solelyin green, a color that is particularly significantin one of his favorite novels, TheGreat Gatsby—a connection I’m not sureis conscious, but which students noteeach spring. It’s that novel I most associatewith him, perhaps because the greenlight on the dock, the one to whichGatsby reaches out his arms each nightas though to capture his dream, is so realfor Barclay. He believes in possibility asmuch as anyone I know; he reminds usall of the absolute goodness of people ifwe just look hard enough. Taft will be aquieter place without him, yes, but Iimagine next year’s new students walkingby A201, wandering up to the track,editing a sentence, and telling tales of aMr. Johnson they haven’t met, yet somehowknow—no saint, but definitely thestuff of legends.Debbie Phipps is head of the English Departmentat Taft.I“In Barclay there isthe joy of a littleboy,” says LanceOdden, “nervouswhen he has to speakin public at times, butit’s that same boythat allows him toconnect to the kidsand their journey. Iremember living onBarclay’s corridor inthe ’60s; he was belovedby the kids.”Here, Barclay and hisfirst wife, Sabra (thefirst woman on thefaculty at Taft), visitwith some boys fromtheir hall.8 Spring 2000
S P O T L I G H TTen Thingsto Be Ready forWhen Returningfor Alumni DayBy Bonnie Blackburn ’84 and Steve Penhollow1. It’s one of the few sober opportunities you’ll have to wear a styrofoam hat with a reasonable amount of confidence.2. A current student, who reminds you of that cute upper-mid who sat in front of you in Tuozolo’s biology class,will smile at you before calling you “Ma’am.”3. You will discover that a loose collection of variously dressed people shambling to the top of a hill can becalled a “parade.”4. The level of coolness demonstrated by the Big Men On Campus way back when will be in direct proportion totheir current level of baldness.5. Women who had trouble keeping a cactus alive when you roomed with them in Congdon will arrive with sixkids confidently in tow.6. You can be sure you will run into at least one total stranger who will claim to have been your best friend.Contrary to popular belief, the name tag won’t jog your memory at all.7. Pop hits of your youth will be piped in to the dinner dance. Instead of feeling nostalgic, you will wonder atwhat point cutting-edge rock became Muzak.8. The people you shunned in school will seem surprisingly interesting, and the people you once worshiped willseem a tad dull. You will assume that this is because they’ve changed. Actually, it is because you have.9. It may seem a good idea to dig out your old Annual to remind yourself of your classmates before returning forAlumni Day. You will realize when you get to your senior page, however, that your classmates will bear as muchresemblance to their former selves as you do.10. No matter how dull and unrewarding your life seems to you, there will be someone there who envies it.Bonnie Blackburn ’84 is a writer for The Journal Gazette in Fort Wayne, Ind., where she spends most of her time with her catand her boyfriend, Steve Penhollow, who contributed most of these ideas after attending Bonnie’s 15th Reunion last May.Alumni are invited to submit humorous or lighthearted essays on any topic for this column. All should be structured in a listof ten items and contain no more than 750 words. Writers will receive $50 if their essays are published in the Taft Bulletin.We regret that manuscripts cannot be returned, so please do not send originals.Taft Bulletin 9
Page 3: An exclusive club:Of this group,pho
Page 11 and 12: S P O T L I G H TJessica Wynne ’9
Page 13 and 14: S P O T L I G H TGail Wynne had a t
Page 15 and 16: S P O T L I G H TCCoach Wynne showe
Page 17 and 18: S P O T L I G H T
Page 19 and 20: ALUMNI IN THE NEWSBill Hudders ’8
Page 21 and 22: Paula Murphy RetiresPaula Murphy wi
Page 23 and 24: S P O R TChristian Jensen and Ryan
Page 25: Taft AlumniWeekendMay 18-21, 2000Th

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