By Lauren Henry '99 - The Taft School

AROUND THE PONDCommunity ServiceTaft’s fourth annual Community Service Day followedclosely on the heels of last year’s event, whichhad been postponed until April. The debate on campusremains whether to hold the event in the fall orspring, or whether to increase the school’s opportunitiesfor service by holding it twice a year.Many local groups welcomed the efforts of Taftstudents including Flanders Nature Center, YMCA,Watertown Parks and Recreation Department, as wellas local schools and community centers. One of the dozens of crews set to work across thegreater Watertown area on the school’s annual CommunityService Day, this group cleared a grove of treesat a local school. From left Al Reiff ’80, Katie Franklin’03, Charlie Baker ’00, Tim Shaheen ’00, TeddyMcCarthy ’01, James Cavazuti ’02, Thomas Smythe ’00,Matt Aleksinas ’02, Lisa Ehrlich ’00, Christine Maddock’01, and Ben Smith ’01.The BobsOne of the added benefits of CommunityService Day in Septemberwas an evening concert during studyhall to make up for the lack of homeworkthat night. Students andfaculty were entertained by TheBobs, a four-member a cappellagroup “known for their incrediblelive show, witty, tuneful, originalmaterial, and outrageous covers ofclassic songs.” Richard Bob Greene,Matthew Bob Stull, Amy BobEngelhardt, and Joe Bob Finetti havebeen together since 1981 and havesold out venues around the world,released nine albums, been nominatedfor a Grammy, scored movies,produced commercials, been themusical commentators on NationalPublic Radio, and have built themselves“a legion of adoringfans”—especially at Taft.Visitors From VietnamMr. Doa Thien Khai, head of the Hanoi Amsterdam High School in Hanoi, Vietnam,came to Taft in September, along with Nguyen Thi Ngoc Minh, a memberof the English Department there. While on campus, they were taken on tour byformer student Khiem Do Ba ’00, and visited classes with Ha Tran ’01, who arrivedat Taft this fall from Hanoi Amsterdam. Pictured from left, Lance Odden,Ha Tran ’01, Mr. Dao Thien Khai, Khiem Do Ba ’00, Ms. Nguyen Thi NgocMinh, and Ferdie Wandelt ’66.26 Fall 1999