The Principia
Interoffice Correspondence

Date: May 23, 2008

To: The Principia Community
Fm: David Anable, Chief Executive
 
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
 
We are coming to the end of another eventful academic year! I’m full of admiration for the way the Principia community has come together during this period to put the finest qualities of this institution first. It is a great tribute to you all that we are moving forward successfully even while a cascade of new leadership is emerging throughout the organization.
 
Thank you for your sincere dedication to the students and unselfish support of their accomplishments in all areas. It is immensely encouraging to see Principia students throughout this institution fulfilling Mary Kimball Morgan’s goal of whole man character education. What a wonderful bunch of students we have!

Wandering the World
Speaking of students …
This year’s 59th annual Public Affairs Conference at the College – run by the students themselves under the expert eye of Professor Charles Heck – focused on international migration. Student delegates from Principia and five other colleges joined with 15 experts to focus on the challenges and opportunities of this new age of mobility. The student organizers did a remarkable job. One prominent panelist commented several times on how impressed he was with the Principia students’ global perspective and serious interest in world affairs. Panelist Julia Preston, national immigration correspondent at The New York Times, remarked that she was “blown away with the high quality of the students here at Principia.” I couldn’t have said it better myself! All those involved deserve our congratulations.
 
Upper School Production Wows Audience
And let’s not leave out the School students …
Isobel and I have attended numerous events this past academic year displaying their great range of skills at all levels – from the Pre-school “Rodeo” to the Upper School Production of “The Pirates of Penzance.” Having grown up in a family of Brits that seldom missed an opportunity to gather at a Gilbert and Sullivan performance, I have to say that I cannot remember ever enjoying a G&S evening as much as I enjoyed this Principia one! It was a wonderful evening, filled with musical and acting talent, fun and color, pizzazz and sheer exuberance.

Students on Tour
Nine College students spent part of their Spring Break traveling the eastern United States and showcasing an impressive array of artistic accomplishments – from dance and song to instrumental music, drama, and the visual arts. They performed in Boston, Washington, D.C., Raleigh, N.C., and Orlando. Several locations brought standing-room-only crowds. The students elegantly and eloquently shared what Principia is all about, and did an excellent job of representing the College departments of Music, Theatre, Dance, and Studio Art. Many thanks to the Principia Clubs who so graciously hosted these successful events.
 
In all the above examples of student activities, and in countless other ways, our faculty and staff have made magnificent and often unsung contributions. I thank you all for your unselfish service to a great cause.
 
Professional Development Opportunities
As part of her continuing effort to provide development opportunities for her marvelous team, Head of School Marilyn Wallace took a group of 17 administrators and teachers from all four School divisions to New Orleans to attend a conference sponsored by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. The conference focused on two main topics: One, “Curriculum Differentiation” – customizing the core curriculum to meet the wide variety of student needs; and, two, “Understanding By Design” – an approach to planning curriculum, assessment, and instruction that focuses on how to develop and deepen students’ understanding. Feedback from the trip was overwhelmingly positive. Next, a group of 40 teachers and administrators will travel to Nashville for a similar conference in June. It’s great to see this widespread enthusiasm for professional development.
 
New Faces at the College
’Tis the hiring season, and we’re pleased to report that among the faculty hires at the College are PhDs from such well-respected institutions as Yale, Princeton, and Berkeley. Other faculty members are to be congratulated for their determined hard work in acquiring, or moving toward acquiring, terminal degrees. All faculty, of course, will be participating in an evolving environment as Jonathan Palmer assumes the position of College President at the end of June, and as other new leaders take over such posts as Dean of Academic Affairs, Dean of Students, Athletic Director, and Dean of Enrollment Management. 
 
We warmly thank all those who have served and given unstintingly of themselves in these positions – even while we welcome and look forward to working with their successors. I would like to add a word of particular thanks to my fellow “interim” – the IDOC, “Dr. Tom” Fuller – a man of immense integrity who has handled a very difficult role with grace and courage.
 
Kudos all around
So much goes on all the time here at Principia that I cannot possibly highlight every eye-catching event in this brief (well, roughly speaking!) newsletter. But here’s a small sampling of “happenings” on both campuses since my last newsletter:

• The Principia College Women's Tennis Team won the SLIAC Conference Championship for the 15th time since 1991. All nine positions on the women's team earned All-Conference.
• For the first time in more than 15 years, both the Boys’ and Girls’ Track Teams at the Upper School won their district track meets. Principia hosted the Sectional qualifying meet on May 10, garnering rave reviews from participants. At the state meet in Jefferson City, the boys 4◊800 meter team took home its third straight state title, coming from behind to claim victory. The girls 4◊800 meter team won its first state title since 1992, also running a season-best time. The same quartet of girls competed in the 4◊400, placing second overall. Two Principia boys took second and fourth place in the 1600-meter race.
• Principia College continued a two-decade tradition by competing in the intercollegiate Model Illinois Government Simulation Competition. Two returning advocate students participated in the moot-court competition, arguing to semi-finals in a field of 18 teams from much larger universities. We also sent our first Principia legislative team in a number of years.
  

Dual-Campus Cooperation
As emphasized at the Joint Faculty/Staff meeting earlier this year, I am grateful to see evidence that we are living up to Mrs. Morgan’s requirement to always operate “as one institution” (Policy 15). Here are a few examples of this cooperative effort across the two campuses:

• Approximately 30 Upper School students who qualified for the all-state solo and ensemble contest were invited to perform at “Music at Davis,” a weekly recital that is normally reserved for College students. These students went on to compete in the State Music Festival at the University of Missouri, Columbia, where several received “superior” ratings.
• A half dozen Upper Schoolers participated in the College Choir and Orchestra Concert, joining the Hallelujah Chorus of Handel’s Messiah.
• Five Upper School students participated in the Public Affairs Conference at the College, joining visiting student delegates from the U.S. Military Academy (West Point), DePaul University, Greenville College, Webster University, and University of Missouri-St. Louis.
• College students involved in the Elsah Sugarbush project traveled to St. Louis to help ecologically minded Upper Schoolers tap the School campus trees for sap and boil their own maple syrup. Under the College students’ supervision, the high school Biology classes helped with a day-long boil. I can attest that the final product is delicious on pancakes of any sort!
  

Class of US’58 Holds 50th Reunion
During a recent weekend celebration in St. Petersburg, Florida, more than 120 alumni and friends celebrated 50 years of friendship and the remarkable accomplishment of raising over $1 million for Principia. Bill Hays, chairman of the Board of Trustees, attended the event along with Chief Advancement Officer Bruce Preston. The Upper School Class of 1958 Endowment Fund is designated to aid families whose changing financial circumstances could jeopardize a student’s future at Principia Upper School. This self-motivated group’s efforts show what can be done when alumni really get enthused and work with gritty determination! A big “thank you” to them all and to our Advancement staff for their superb support of this very special event.
 
Global Ethics Conference in Southern California
In March, the Principia Clubs of Southern California drew more than 270 attendees to a regional conference on “Global Ethics: Who’s Responsible?” The keynote speaker was author and attorney Egil “Bud” Krogh (US’57, C’61). He was followed by panels on environmental ethics and media ethics, including several Christian Science Monitor reporters. This event received rave reviews from both panelists and audience.
 
Keeping Our Media Ethics on Track
The three-person committee I asked to draft an ethics code for all Principia publications and broadcasting entities has completed its work. Blair Lindsay, advisor to the Upper School newspaper, and David McFarland, professor in the College Mass Communication Department, drafted the guidelines with input from committee chair and former Monitor editor John Hughes. This was no small task, and I am enormously grateful to Blair, David, and John for their work on this project.
 
The draft guidelines take effect immediately and are posted for the community’s review at http://www.principia.edu/about/media_guidelines.pdf. Members of the Principia community are welcome to suggest amendments and improvements to this draft. The guidelines will remain open for comment through the end of November. At that point, all suggested changes will be considered and, if necessary, a revised version developed. From now on, all Principia media, including The Pilot, The Voice, Principia Internet Radio, etc., are required to follow these standards.
 
Principia on the Road
Interim Dean of the College Tom Fuller and Head of School Marilyn Wallace have been packing their bags regularly and sharing inspiring stories of life at Principia today. Supported by local Principia Clubs, they have headlined events in Boston, Washington, D.C., and the San Francisco Bay area. Incoming College President Jonathan Palmer joined the duo in Washington and San Francisco. Amazingly eloquent students from both campuses also traveled to these events to talk about their own Principia experiences and reach out to prospective students.
 
Another such Principia promotional meeting was convened just outside London for our British friends and alumni. The gathering was well- and enthusiastically attended. It was one stop en route to Holland where a group of Trustees and executives participated in the dedication of a new and vast manufacturing plant for Cordstrap, the remarkable Dutch company willed to Principia by Fred Van Eck after his delight in attending several PACE sessions and trips. The rocket-like expansion of this company is built on the high quality of its load-securing products. What was especially heartwarming was hearing the Cordstrap executives repeatedly remark about how pleased they were that their efforts and profits are redounding to the good of an educational institution and helping our students.


Plans for Better Showers, Safer Sprinklers, Fewer Leaks, Greener Grass …
As always, our Facilities Departments will be hard at work this summer while the students are away. At the College, the work continues in support of the dormitory fire-sprinkler installation mandated by the State of Illinois. A new campus water main will be installed this summer in support of this mandate. In St. Louis, the Boys’ Dorm will undergo a major bathroom-renovation project; some leaking roofs will be replaced, along with boiler and transformer replacements. Several athletic fields will be renovated and resurfaced. While much of this infrastructure work is unseen, it keeps the campuses humming along smoothly all year, and we owe a huge debt of gratitude to the Facilities teams for all their skilled hard work. We also much appreciate a generous donor’s help in upgrading signs throughout the School campus, along with the addition of solar-powered lights to provide better visibility for the entrance signs at both Clayton Road gates.
 
Recent Trustees’ Meeting
At their April meeting, the Board of Trustees elected four new Trustees. Short bios and a summary of the meeting are available on the Trustee website at www.principia.edu/trustees/correspondence/20080428.shtml <http://www.principia.edu/trustees/correspondence/20080428.shtml> . The Trustees will be holding a retreat in late June to continue the discussions regarding governance restructuring at Principia.
 
Conclusion
I wish you all a happy, refreshing summer, and look forward to seeing you either during summer activities or when you return to the College and School in early Fall.

Warmest wishes,
 
David