Author: May S Ruiz

Will Harvard’s Report Change College Admissions?

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 16 June 2016 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly and Sierra Madre Weekly

College applications: it’s a rite of passage among teenagers in this country.  High schoolers spend 18 months of their life focused on this singular pursuit – actively padding resumes, accumulating countless hours of community service work, and preparing feverishly to get high scores in standardized tests – with the hope they would be good enough to merit admissions officers’ interest and acceptance to their dream school.

In its present form, the process arguably favors students with the resources to take test-prep classes, hire independent counselors to ‘package’ them, travel to far-flung countries to build houses as part of their community service, and intern for prestigious corporations. All for the purpose of burnishing applicants’ resumes.            

In January of this year, Harvard’s Graduate School of Education released a study purportedly to change the college admissions process which many see as a broken system. Titled “Turning the Tide: Inspiring Concern for Others and the Common Good Through College Admissions”, it enumerated recommendations that would change how students are evaluated.

The authors of the report touched on three areas: promoting more meaningful contributions to others, community service and engagement with the public good; assessing students’ ethical engagement and contributions to others in ways that reflect varying types of family and community contributions across race, culture and class; redefining achievement in ways that both level the playing field for economically diverse students and reduce excessive achievement pressure.

Image taken from Blair High School’s website

At Blair High School, in the Pasadena Unified School District, community service activism is a component of its International Baccalaureate program, according to college counselor, Karen Favor. She says, “Students identify a need for the school or the community, develop a plan with other schools, people or community, address that need and complete it in 150 hours. The Harvard study’s second recommendation – collective action that takes on community challenges – validates what we are already doing.

Favor adds, “I also appreciate its recommendation for assessing ethical engagement and contributions to others across race, culture, and class – specifically the one touching on contributions to one’s family. More and more we see students who also are caregivers for the elderly in their family. We had one student who had a grandfather with Alzheimer living at home. She woke him up every morning, fed him breakfast before going to school, then fed him dinner when she got back home. Besides providing care for him, she also had to deal with the mood swings that come with the disease.”

Image taken from Flintridge Prep’s website

At Flintridge Prep, a 7th-12th grade independent school in La Canada, Harvard’s seminal report has been widely circulated. Gloria Diaz Ventura, director of college counseling, reveals, “We know it well, it’s posted outside my office door. I believe in the words and to me it’s two different things. It’s something I will use to promote a balanced and healthy college process. The second issue is whether or not I feel if, in fact, this document will implement change in the college application process.

“Having worked at highly selective institutions, I’m very clear on the institutional standards and how the process works. But I believe in the document because I have to; I have to believe there’s a better way because right now I don’t see how we can keep going at this rate. The extreme selectivity among universities is creating unhealthy behaviors on the high school side.

“While we don’t have a community service requirement, we encourage our students to be part of their community. Our messaging is so clear that life has to be more than test scores and grades. We have a middle class ethos – there is no entitlement and we don’t forget where we come from,” Ventura further expounds.

Prep’s headmaster, Peter Bachmann, pronounces, “We support the values of the Harvard report, which are extremely compatible with Flintridge Prep’s. We sincerely hope that colleges around the country truly embrace them.” 

Image of Mayfield Senior School taken from Mayfield’s website

Among independent schools in Pasadena, community service and doing good for others are already part of their moral ethos. Kate Morin, head of school at Mayfield Senior, says “That’s  our core mission – Action Not Words. It’s really about empowering our students to be leaders in making the world a better place.” 

Morin recounts, “When I met recently with several generations of alums in San Francisco and in New York – some of whom were in their 70s – that’s what they want to talk to us about. They all have continued to serve the community in various ways, an extension or expansion of the work they started back when they were at Mayfield; maybe as part of their experience on Cornelia Connelly Day or Annual Service Day.”

Lori Holtrust, Mayfield college counselor, echoes Morin’s words, “We foster the development of the whole person. I think we’ve found that students are learning because they’re intrigued – they’re diving in. I don’t know that they’re doing it for college admissions. We focus on the journey of development, learning and understanding. And the college piece just happens.”

Sequoyah School, which will welcome its first 9th grade class this fall, has instilled this ‘habit of mind’ even among their elementary and middle school students. Marc Alongi, high school director, says “Our curriculum is designed to prepare students to graduate as experienced, confident and resourceful problem solvers, who know how to apply their knowledge and passion using strategies that can make a difference for their communities and for their own lives. Students will be challenged to think critically and creatively, learn how to work in diverse teams, and communicate ideas successfully.”

“The Harvard study certainly aligns with our values; our high school curriculum is framed along those lines. We aren’t merely preparing our students for college, we’re educating them. We want to inspire curious learners who are passionate and engaged about what they’re doing and connected to their community. 

“Oftentimes the college process distracts students from that; they focus on APs, grades, test scores, extra-curriculars. Again and again you hear in the media about college admissions officers seeing window dressing on students applications, not genuine interest. Are the community service hours being done to merely check off a box or is it for a deeper purpose? Our program for social innovation makes students responsible for their own impact project. It would show genuine interest and commitment; they’d have a real story to tell in their college essay.    

“The question for college admissions officers is how do they sort through the application? Are they using SAT scores as the initial filter? Some of these essays may still not get read; but if they are read, does it make a difference?,” Alongi further queries.

Ventura of Flintridge Prep, voices this same concern.  “In large offices, it’s newly graduated professionals from that school – 22-, 23- or 24-yeard-old grads – reading the file. Not unless the dean or director is telling them this is what they’re going to emphasize, they’ll just be following their marching orders. The deans, in turn, are following what the university president is telling them.

“College admissions officers need to evaluate what they’re valuing and what they’re praising at the end of the day. It’s very political – you have to look at these institutions and how they’re tied to Wall Street and political organizations.  Community service by itself doesn’t get you into Harvard,” Ventura states. 

Another Mayfield college counselor, Abigail Shaw, opines, “I think colleges are honest that  they’re looking holistically. They want students with broader perspectives. A lot of colleges are shifting their priorities – there are schools which are making the testing element optional and it’s building every single year. They are realizing that testing doesn’t necessarily present a true reflection of what a student can provide in their community so they’re taking it to heart. But I think in terms of the full spectrum of colleges making that shift … it’s not going to happen.”   

   

According to the media spokesperson for the Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools (ACCIS), Jodi Sweeney, “The intentions of the report are very noble. From our perspective, we feel that the report meshes well with our programming. Independent schools are preparing citizens of the world; we really work hard to help students find a balance so that they’re selecting courses with an appropriate amount of rigor so that they’re able to engage in the life of the community.

“We encourage our students to challenge themselves, find authentic service opportunities, and have transformative experiences. But we also want them to thrive and get sleep at night. It’s a balancing act and the landscape right now is more is more. And until we see that colleges really are recognizing and valuing a student who engages deeply in two or three activities and rewarding that with an acceptance, we won’t be making great changes to our college application process.

“Often admissions officers talk about the transcript being the most important component of the application – more so than the ACT or SAT. But when you look at the median scores at the schools, you’ll see that ranges are very high. College applications is so complex that it’s a perfect storm; fixing it requires a collective effort.  

“Technology and the ease with which students can apply to more schools, have also increased the competition. While we encourage them to be thoughtful and do intentional searches, students put out 12 to 15 applications because they can.

“We’re waiting to see what impact this report has on admissions selection and their recruitment process.  Right now it’s GPA- and SAT-based. We want to get a sense from college admissions officers how they’re going to tweak their process,” Sweeney says.  

At the core of the Harvard report is a fundamental issue – raising children with a moral compass who will grow up to be upstanding citizens of their community and the world. And that process starts during childhood.

Clairbourn School – Courtesy Photo

Dr. Robert Nafie, headmaster of Clairbourn School, a pre-K to 8th grade school in San Gabriel, offers his insight to support it. “Encouraging young people to take a more ethical path of social responsibility and community service must begin in the home. Additionally, it must be embraced at the individual level or there will be nothing but lip-service to perceived expectations. It is a way of life, not a fulfillment of college admissions criteria.

“The position paper implies students who demonstrate social responsibility and concern for the common good to be more desirable than those who have not exhibited such. However, it is doubtful that these institutions would accept social and ethical engagement in lieu of proven proficiency and knowledge in chosen fields of study. Although it is not clear from reading the study, it is likely that the report is actually arguing for the use of social and ethical engagement as an important secondary consideration, or even at the tertiary level, in the admissions process,” Nafie further opines.

While emphasis on the empathetic record might be highly desirable in a liberal arts college which focuses on the humanities or in education, social services, counseling, even law, Nafie puts forth that this does not hold true in technical areas.

“In the technical fields, content mastery and demonstrated proficiency will continue to be paramount. And the United States must continue to strive for excellence as measured by objective standards instead of anecdotal testimony. In science, medicine, aviation, and mathematics, for example, no amount of  motivation, intention, or concern, will make up for lack of precision or knowledge.

“When content mastery and demonstrated proficiency are substantially equal in college applicants, admissions officers should evaluate important but less critical elements in making their decisions. Without such a strong standard for objective measures of readiness, American colleges will be pulled into accepting good enough instead of reaching for genuine excellence,”  Nafie posits.

American universities are the envy of the world. Students everywhere aspire to gain admission to them. It is incumbent upon these institutions of higher learning to find the students who can balance scholastic ability and ethical responsibility.         

Barnhart School Aims to be the Best

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 9 June 2016 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

Barnhart School was founded in 1959 by Dr. Ethel Barnhart and is affiliated with the non-denominational Santa Anita Church. Students from kindergarten to 8th grade acquire a stellar education based on an ethos of respect and love that encourages independence and self-responsibility.      

Tucked away in eight acres of real estate between Colorado Place and Colorado Blvd. in Arcadia, close to the race tracks, Barnhart can easily by missed by someone driving by.  But if Ethan Williamson, headmaster of five years, were to have his way, it wouldn’t be too long when everyone will know exactly where it is.

“My ultimate goal is for Barnhart to be the premier independent school in the greater Pasadena marketplace – Altadena, Arcadia, Monrovia, Sierra Madre – the surrounding communities where we draw from,” Williamson pronounces. “I think we have an excellent product. We do exceedingly well placing our students into highly selective independent schools. 

“We don’t track them to one particular school. And that’s also what I think is unique about Barnhart. We try to understand the child and make sure a Barnhart education is about stretch, not stress,” Williamson says further.

The 32 8th graders graduating this year were accepted to 23 high schools, including Marlborough, Campbell Hall, Flintridge Prep, Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA), Mayfield Senior, Sequoyah, St. Francis, Westridge, and Stanford Online High School. Seven of them have been awarded merit scholarships. This wide range of institutions to which they applied and were admitted is proof that Barnhart ensures it finds the best fit for them.  

“Academics are essential at Barnhart. The rigor of our program shows in our ERB scores which have been improving over time. But we don’t focus a whole lot on test scores, we focus on education. We recognize that excellent test scores follow excellent education.

“We have been tracking their GPAs and our graduates do better than the average incoming freshman into high schools. We have a really high cohort of students who test as gifted; about 40 percent of our students qualify for the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) and participate in its summer program, and it’s still increasing,” Williamson proudly states.
 

Barnhart is also distinctive for its racially diverse student body – 40 percent of its enrollment is Caucasian, 30 percent Asian (Chinese, Japanese or Korean), 20 percent Hispanic, ten percent African-American.  And while students attend 15 minutes of chapel every morning (Monday-Wednesday-Friday for elementary students and Tuesday-Thursday for middle schoolers), a third of them are Catholics, another third are Agnostics or Atheists, and the rest belong to other world religions including Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam.

Williamson says, “Cultural diversity and cultural competency are very important to our students because their peers are from all over the world. It mirrors what they will be experiencing in the future as society and jobs become ever more global.”

With a total enrollment at 225, a faculty and staff of 50, the average class has about eight students to one teacher; with a maximum of 15. According to Melissa Gersh, Director of Marketing, Barnhart has 25 teachers, representing 336 years of total experience in the classroom.

Gersh adds, “On average, our teachers have a little over six years of experience directly at our school.  Half of our teachers have a master’s degree or higher; the school also requires all teachers to be credentialed.”  

Barnhart’s elementary program schedule incorporates the core content areas into the homeroom classes. A focus on literacy (reading/writing) includes 90-minute teaching blocks each day.  Math instruction occurs daily with a minimum of 60-minute lessons. Social studies and science classes are also built into the daily lessons. Balancing out the academic program is a variety of enrichment classes including: 45 minutes of art and library weekly; 30 minutes of music and Spanish, twice weekly; and 30 minutes of physical education daily.

The middle school program is designed to prepare students for the requirements of Pasadena-area high schools. Students have eight classes each day which include five core academic classes – Algebra/Geometry; English; History; Science; and Spanish – and three opportunities to experience the Barnhart Balance. 

Four exploratory classes rotate each quarter. In 6th grade: art appreciation; music appreciation; public speaking; technology. In 7th grade: human health; life skills; theatre appreciation; woodshop. In 8th grade: art appreciation; music appreciation; woodshop.

Students take one elective class per year: advanced band; studio art club; drama club; outdoor education; science club; screenwriting; and yearbook.

Physical education is a required daily 45 minute class.  

        

Barnhart has made incredible strides in technology. Says Williamson, “Four years ago not every student had individual access to an iPad or a laptop or any sort of tech device; they had to go to the computer lab. But our vision is to make technology as ubiquitous and available to students as pencils. This year we have iPads for every student in K to 2nd as they’re easy for children to use with their small fingers. Third to 5th graders use Chrome Books; we recognize that students enter the world of Google so we have Google Apps for Education and Google Classroom. In middle school it’s ‘bring your own device’ because we know this is the generation that will be device-agnostic. Many students already have both Apple and IBM at home so we intentionally gave them the flexibility to choose the right tool for the job they need to accomplish.

“We thought a lot about making sure our students are ready for the world they will encounter outside of college. We’re not just getting them into their high school or into college; we’re thinking about what their workplace will look like. And that’s especially true around technology where collaboration is key. In grades 3 to 5 our students use Google Doc so if they have a group project, which they might want to work on during the weekend, they can edit simultaneously without being in the same room. 

“Investing in a seamless wireless infrastructure became a priority for me when I first came on board. By spending $7K on a wireless network, we were able to integrate our entire system. Another enhancement we’ve created is a comprehensive student information system database – the instant students apply to Barnhart, we are able to track their progress in the admissions process. Once they’re accepted, we are able to interact with the family, keep all of them updated. Grades, test scores are all available in real time – there’s no hiding as a student,” Williamson laughs.

There’s much yet to be accomplished in the future, as Williamson says. “We’ve made major improvements in our school facilities. While it isn’t exciting to talk about, last summer we pulverized 75,000 sq. ft. of asphalt. But what’s cool about it is that we were able to recycle what we dug up and used it as a foundation for the new asphalt … and we were able to complete the project in 30 days, between summer school and the start of the school year! In the process, we also took down outdated poles, put in brand new basketball hoops, put in a nice white fence.

“Our future goals include updating our facilities to make them inspiring and competitive with our peer schools. We are currently on the planning stage of figuring out our priorities for improvement, how to go about that, what fundraising that entails.

“In terms of our curriculum and staffing, we want to optimize what we’re already doing by making changes every year as warranted. We have something solid, it’s simply a matter of continuing training. On the technology side, we will keep up with students’ needs to get their work done.

“We have a big rollout on a social curriculum this coming schoolyear. We’ll be using a system from a book developed by the Northeast Foundation for Children called ‘Teaching Children to Care – Management in the Responsive Classroom.’ It’s a proactive approach using a social curriculum that involves creating community standards or rules in the classroom. We will have teachers model the expected behaviors. This consistency in conduct means students don’t have to adjust to teachers’ expectations and styles; while personalities differ, the language we use does not. 

“More broadly, it’s a management system for the classroom. Research talks about ‘affect’ – how you feel in a classroom or work environment, for that matter, tremendously affects your performance. If one is scared, that uses up a lot of brain energy and leaves less available for learning. As students feel comfortable, their brains become fully engaged on their activity. So I think an investment in the social curriculum is critical to everything else we do.

 We have adapted the system into our middle school what the Northeast Foundation for Children designed for K-6th grade. But they have now come out with a middle school-specific book for which we have the honor of hosting the training. This summer, from August 8 to 11, an international group of 90 educators will be on our campus to learn it. It’s pretty exciting!” Williamson enthuses. 

Williamson’s infectious passion for learning and social responsibility is pervasive in the entire Barnhart community. Conceivably in the not-too-distant future, this spirit will spread far afield.  

A Robot Named Megabyte Makes Robotics Fun

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 26 May 2016 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

At Clairbourn School, a pre-K to 8th grade school in San Gabriel, technology is as ubiquitous as  students and teachers themselves. There are Smartboards in every classroom and iPads on every desk; electronic resources and tools are utilized to enhance the everyday learning experience.

It isn’t surprising, therefore, that besides large screen monitors and desktop computers, robots can also be found in the computer science lab. A relatively new addition to the tools used in the classroom is a 58-centimeter tall, blue and white humanoid robot whom the students endearingly call Megabyte.  

Paul Barker, computer science teacher, tells how he was able to get a robot to be part of their class, “I found out about this a year-and-a-half ago and did some research on him. Originally named NAO by its manufacturer, Megabyte was created by the French company Aldebaran, which worked with kindergartners through post-graduates to develop a robot that can help students learn Robotics.”

“I knew I wanted one for the school, and pushed for it all year.  I started my own fund-raising campaign by teaching after-school classes in Robotics. When the kids went home they told their parents how they wanted to have the class as part of regular school. Eventually our parent association allocated funds to go towards purchasing the $9,000 robot,” Barker adds.

“We’re all learning together with Megabyte. We’re training him to recognize people so when you walk up to him he’ll be able to say ‘Hello, Henry (or the name of the student)’. My goal is to have students do both input/output then using all the programs; students can create something on their own. I would like them to use the program, dive as deeply as they can, and learn how the robot operates with the end-goal of experiencing and exploring him,” Barker explains.

Here, kids as young as kindergarten learn Robotics; in 2nd grade they start programming using a Lego robot; and they move up through the curriculum until they get to 5th grade when they start using Python to program Megabyte. 

This morning, Henry, a 6th grader, bounds in, eager to demonstrate how Megabyte gets them excited for their class lesson. He asks Megabyte to dance and the robot obliges with his tai-chi moves. Midway through his routine, he teeters and reacts to it “Oh, I’m falling on the floor!” But even falling is methodical as he slowly spreads his arms out to lessen the impact to the ground. And just as efficiently, he gets himself up from the floor, and announces, “Hey, back in the game!” The kids absolutely love that.

For Clairbourn’s 5th graders, interactive robots create a wondrous experience. As Alicia Wong says, “Working on robots is better than watching TV. It isn’t hard to make and it’s a lot of fun. It makes me proud to finish constructing a robot by myself.”

In agreement with Alicia is Isabella Hernandez who relates, “Robots are fun to work with and they challenge your mind. I learned that building robots and programming them are easier than I thought.”   

Christopher Fung, on the other hand, takes a different stance, “I learned that robotics is not for everyone, but if you put your mind to it, you can do almost anything. It takes listening, respect and skill.”

Another 5th grader, Henry Xu, has a similar opinion, “I personally think that working with robots means patience and creativity. If you aren’t creative you won’t know what to do – instructions or no instructions. I learned that you should always double check what you’re doing before saying you’re finished.”   

Branden Orellana believes robots are transformative, “It means a lot to me when I work on robots; it changes my life.  I love building and programming now. I always wanted to be an engineer or a graphic designer.”

Perhaps it’s Julian Harrison who summarizes the role robots play, “Robots are the way of the future; seeing all the technology available now, they will likely replace humans someday. I am inspired because it makes me feel like I am part of that future.”

“Robotics is going to be huge in the next ten to 15 years, and getting a jumpstart on it would be a major accomplishment for our students as they go on to the next level in their schooling,” Barker concludes.

That Megabyte interacts well with young kids, who treat him almost like a friend and who talk to him like they would someone their own age, is what gives this Robotics class the element of a deeper, more meaningful experience. Students program questions the answers to which they’re really interested to know.

Megabyte can provide much information about himself including: his height and weight; his birthday and age; if he can eat, hear, see, or understand people; who made him and what he’s made of; if he has family or friends.   

Presently, Megabyte asks, “Do you like chocolates?”  If someone responds with a Yes, he rejoins, “Yes? That’s nice.” When he hears a No, he says, “No? I’m sorry to hear that.”

Henry then invites Megabyte, “Let’s go for a walk. Follow me.” Megabyte agrees, “Sure, take my hand.” Together they stroll, and when Henry stops after a short distance, Megabyte asks, “Are we done walking?”  Henry looks into Megabyte’s eyes and replies, “Yes, thank you for walking with me.” Child and robot regard each other, seemingly in complete understanding of a shared knowledge.   

The possibility of robots taking over the world one day, as one 5th grader surmises, sounds like a death knell for mankind. Happily, robots are not advanced enough to achieve the level of intellect that young students today are capable of reaching. For as long as human beings utilize that wisdom, it’s safe to say that robots still need breathing, living, and thinking people to program them to accomplish tasks.  

Interstellar Travel is the Goal of this Gates Millennial Scholar

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Image taken from John Muir High School website

Originally published on 19 May 2016 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

For many people Albert Einstein’s theories are topics that just go way over their heads. For Prakash Dass, a senior at John Muir High School and who has been awarded a Gates Millennium Scholarship, they are matters to wrap his head around.    

As Prakash states, “Einstein proved to us that we cannot travel faster than the speed of light. He started the conversation which became a jumping off point for many scientists in much the same way that Isaac Newton inspired his work. My life’s ambition is to accomplish the counter argument to Einstein’s theory – that we indeed can. 

“We would need an infinite amount of energy to reach the speed of light, but what if we found a way to bend space instead? We wouldn’t be bending the laws of Physics; we aren’t using energy to propel us but we’re still getting to a different location because the space around us is moving.” 

For Prakash that concept didn’t just come about from too many hours watching Star Trek, “I think there’s a group of people at NASA researching it but there isn’t enough science to back it up yet. I would like to be one of those scientists who can come to a definite conclusion.”

Interest in things that are out in the galaxy was something born from Prakash’s early passion for stargazing. He says, “I love to look up the night sky and stare at these twinkling, bright lights; they’re so fascinating to me. As a child, I dreamed of being an astronomer. Then I started to be more specific – I wanted to learn the physics behind stars and other things in the universe; which led to my absorption with particle and nuclear physics. Then that led me to aerospace engineering because I want to build interstellar spaceships.”

A student at John Muir’s Engineering and Environmental Science Academy, Prakash has participated in the Johns Hopkins Engineering Innovation summer program at Pasadena City College. He has also been actively involved with the school’s Solar Cup (a seven-month educational program, sponsored by The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California) Team. Of this year’s competition, held at Lake Skinner in Riverside County on May 13-15, he enthuses, “We made a much different boat from last year’s – we overhauled it and went completely the opposite direction. We had a rudder made of wood last year, this time we drew it out on Auto Desk Inventor and 3-D printed it in pieces then attached them. We applied more engineering aspects to it, and built new parts for the boat.

“While our team did not win the grand prize at the competition, we earned first place in the region for the technical report we wrote. John Muir also received an award for greatest teamwork in helping other teams at the Solar Cup, and communicating with them the best,” Prakash relates.

“I learned a lot of hands-on skills and gained valuable experience working with my team. It’s exhilarating to be with a group of people who share a common scientific and engineering endeavor – these are friends who, like me, have big dreams,” Prakash explains further. 

It helps that Prakash has all his plans laid out to make his wishes come true. He reveals, “I’m going to attend Cal Poly Pomona because I believe it’s a strong engineering school. It offers more practical applications as well as teaches other methods of engineering, including astronomy. It will better prepare me for Masters and Doctorate degrees. I have already figured out what I need to do in order to be accepted to Cal Tech for graduate education. 

“I intend to earn three doctorate degrees – particle and nuclear physics, and aerospace engineering. They’re all intertwined in pursuit of interstellar travel – comprehending stars and particles on a smaller scale, and understanding how to build ships to get us out there. Those three subjects are essential for me to succeed.

“There isn’t very much support for the things I want to do because right now there isn’t a lot of evidence it’s even possible for that to happen. While there is a great deal of research going on, it isn’t compelling enough for everyone get on board, so to speak. It’s something you see only on TV; but I want to be a pioneer in this field,” Prakash asserts.

Funded by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Gates Millennium Scholarship was established in 1999 with the goal of developing leaders and removing financial barriers to education for high-performing, low-income students. Prakash is John Muir High School’s seventh winner of this academic scholarship since 2005. He joins the ranks of a prestigious group of talented students from across the country awarded the scholarship that can be used to pursue a degree in any undergraduate major and selected graduate programs at accredited colleges or universities. Last year’s Muir HS winner, Kimberly Mejia, is currently at UC Berkeley studying engineering.     

Most scientists do not believe in a Higher Being who watches over us, mere mortals. But Prakash is certain that God has a hand in his good fortune. “I believe God gave me all the wonderful things I have. Winning the Gates Millennium Scholarship is something that doesn’t often happen in Pasadena, and yet I did. I feel really blessed because I know how much my education is going to cost. This scholarship will help immensely and it truly is a gift from God,” Prakash says with conviction.

Dr. Ben Aroyan, Prakash’s counselor, must have had tremendous confidence in him because he nominated Prakash for the Gates scholarship. Judges for the prestigious foundation, likewise, must have believed in his potential. And whether it was an Act of God, or his persuasive essays, or that the stars had all aligned for him to receive the much-coveted scholarship, he is most assuredly on a path to his intended destination.   

Duarte High School Gears Up for the San Gabriel Valley Special Olympics

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Image taken from the L.A. Times

Originally published on 12 May 2016 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly and Sierra Madre Weekly

Some 300 special education students – from elementary,  middle and high school – will convene and race on Duarte High School’s new football field at this year’s 2016 San Gabriel Valley Duarte Spring Games (Special Olympics Southern California)  which starts at 10:00 on the morning of Friday, May 20. Greg Saris, Duarte Unified School District (DUSD) adapted Physical Education teacher, heads a group of volunteer students, faculty, and parents who will be on hand to assist as well as cheer them on.

“The School Games were established in the San Gabriel Valley region well over ten years ago and in that span we have hosted over 20 school districts in this area,” says Teresa Borunda, Senior Manager of Sports & Programs for Special Olympics Southern California-Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Regions. “However, this is the first year for the 2016 Spring School Games hosted by Duarte High School.”

Saris, who is responsible for coordinating this year’s event along with Tracy Hall, another DUSD special education teacher, explains the district’s involvement, “Duarte has been participating in Special Olympics’ School Games for about six or seven years. In the Fall we go to a soccer tournament in Walnut where we compete against several West San Gabriel Valley school districts for elementary, middle and high school levels. Then in the Spring we compete in track & field. Last year we got left out because there is a cap of 300 participants and by the time we registered for the event they had reached that limit. Tracy and I decided to organize our own event and invited other districts who, like us, were not able to get in.

We had to do everything – from creating Excel spreadsheets for all the races, to finding T-shirts. When it proved to be quite a success we applied to the Special Olympics to put on the event for them in the area. It turned out that they were also looking for another school to host the games, and so here we are,” Saris happily states.

Adds Borunda, “The games were added to our calendar this year because of the popularity of the previous School Games. DUSD will be hosting ten schools from other districts – Alhambra, El Monte, Montebello, Rowland Heights, and Westmoreland Academy (in Pasadena).”

“I think it’s going to be a really fun event,” says Saris. “Jersey Mike’s will cater the food for all the volunteers and student participants. Special Olympics will be providing T-shirts and all the equipment. Duarte special education students will participate in seven races and one relay, but there will be as many as 25 different variations to give them more opportunities to win awards. There will be one volunteer who will run with each participant from the starting point of the races until they get to the awards area.   

“Assistant Superintendent, Miriam Fox, will officially open the games; we’re hoping Superintendent Allan Mucerino will be in attendance as well. Christine Wheeler, a general education senior, will sing the National Anthem. One of our special education students – Eric Little – will lead the Pledge of Allegiance. We’ll have our photographers take pictures and our videographers will create a promo video to send to Special Olympics to show other districts. We’re very excited – we’ve been planning this since last November. And we will soon see the culmination of all our efforts and hard work,” Saris says with unrestrained enthusiasm.

The Special Olympics was created in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver to provide year-round sports training and athletic competitions in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.      

In 1969, Olympic decathlon gold medalist Rafer Johnson founded the Western/California Regional Chapter and the first annual Western Regional Olympics were held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Athletes from seven western states competed in track and field and swimming.

The International Special Olympics was held in 1972 for the first time in Southern California at UCLA and Santa Monica College, with more than 2,500 athletes from eight countries attending. Law enforcement officers from the LAPD joined with California Special Olympics in the first Law Enforcement Torch Run in 1986.

To expand its outreach efforts, the California Special Olympics branched out into two chapters – Northern and Southern California – in 1995. Today Special Olympics’ global extent counts 4.4 million athletes participating in over 8,000 events and competitions held annually. Southern California accounts for more than 24,000 athletes.

This Friday, 319 young students from the San Gabriel Valley will participate in a Special Olympics event. They will join an outstanding and remarkable band of athletes, who will discover abilities they didn’t know they possess, to inspire others to achieve greatness.

Seeing the unbridled joy on the faces of the students he has known and taught would be the most significant reward of all for Saris.  

Going to Out-of-State and International Universities

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 28 April 2016 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

Any parent who has sent a child to university will tell you that college admissions is a mind-churning process, an out-of-body experience, but that which leaves you drained and numb. It isn’t surprising, therefore, that it spawned a billion-dollar industry which includes test prep companies, coaches, and independent counselors who help students get ready for and navigate this complicated maze.       

Bob Tyra and Becky Marchant are Southern California educators who, in 2012, co-founded a company that holds independent college fairs outside the high schools called California Out-of-State & International College Fairs (COOS&ICF). Tyra had an extensive professional  career in junior high and high school counseling programs as well as high school and adult school career counseling. Marchant works as lead counselor, ACT testing supervisor and intern coordinator at Brea Olinda High School. Together, they provide high school students access to information they need for college admissions. 

According to Marchant, the idea for this niche organization came to her as she attended events with her students. She relates, “Despite the array of colleges in attendance, students tended to gravitate to tables of institutions they were already aware of in the local area and walk by those that they were unfamiliar with.

“As educators, the challenge is to open students’ minds to all options and this is something we are very passionate about! By holding college fair events for only out-of-state, WUE (Western Undergraduate Exchange) and international colleges and universities, we found a solution to potentially self-limiting behavior by finding a way to expand their world,” continues Marchant.

COOS&ICF held its first fair in 2012 at the Pomona Unified School District Conference Center at Indian Hill. Close to 1,000 high school students and counselors from surrounding counties and over 50 educational institutions from 23 states, some from outside the United States, attended.

That impressive draw convinced Tyra and Marchant that they should hold more fairs of this kind in other Southern California areas. Now they offer eight such events – two in the spring and four in the fall. 

Marchant says, “To date we have held 29 fairs, served over 15,000 students and hosted almost 200 out-of-state universities, including 50 international institutions. Our fairs are always free to students and educators and local busing is reimbursed. We limit the size of the fair so students will be able to explore all participating institutions and we provide materials to prepare everyone who attends.”

Santa Anita Park, in Arcadia, was the venue for COOS&ICF’s spring college fair held on Tuesday, April 26. Representative from 38 out-of-state and 35 international colleges and universities were on hand to explain their curriculum or educational system, in the case of the international institutions, to a total of 314 high school juniors who milled around their tables.

An enthusiastic recruiter with the Swiss Education Group happily handed out brochures and earnestly explained how they can assist students in making internship arrangements as part of their study program. One helpful recruiter from an English university was making the case for an English versus a Scottish education (three years against four, thus saving a full year of tuition).

Tyra and Marchant, this year, organized for a student in a wheelchair to attend the college fair – 17-year-old Tito Morales, a junior at Downton Magnet High School in Los Angeles. Asked why he’s at the College Fair, Tito responds, “I’m at the point of deciding on majors and looking at all my options. While I want to stay in-state, I also want to see what’s available out-of-state. 

“My interests include writing in my journal – stories, anime fan fiction, whatever’s on my mind; I have no boundaries,” Tito continues. “But I’m mainly looking for a school that offers graphic design, animation, gaming. And, of course, one main concern is their accommodations for students like me since I’m in a wheel chair. I would like to see the college’s or university’s preparation for emergencies, should they arise.”

Tito spoke with several recruiters and found that universities in Canada and the United Kingdom offer courses he is particularly interested in, and even have accommodations for wheelchair-bound students. 

One important consideration is the cost of a college education. As Tito states, “I’m concerned about tuition too. Our school counselor, Lynda McGee is working with students right now on  scholarships. She’s also making sure we’re taking all the courses we need to be on track for college.”

“I really want to work on digital design and graphics. A job with DreamWorks is truly  something I would enjoy,” Tito wistfully says.  

An only child born to Guatemalan parents, Tito will be the first in his family to attend college.  His parents couldn’t afford higher education for themselves but they are determined for their son to live his dream of a college diploma, gainful employment in the future, and a better life. For Tito, finding a university during this College Fair is the first step in that direction. And for Tyra and Marchant, that would be such a rewarding outcome. 

A Noise Within Unveils 25th Anniversary Season

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Originally published on 21 April 2016 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

A Noise Within (ANW), the classical theatre repertory company based in Pasadena, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Founders and Producing Artistic Directors, Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, still find it amazing that they have reached that milestone. 

“If someone were to tell me a decade ago, when we were still in the cold, leaky Masonic Temple in Glendale, that I would be standing here in front of you today, I would never have believed it. I would have loved to hear it but I could not have imagined it to be the case. And yet here I am;  it’s simply beyond our wildest dreams,” Elliott humbly confessed before an audience of theatre supporters, artists-in-residence, and a few members of the press. 

On Tuesday, April 19, ANW officially began its 25th year celebration and unveiled its growth plans as well as the slate of play offerings for the 2016-2017 season. Michael Bateman, Managing Director, who opened that evening’s event described how the company plans to build on its success and thrive in the future. He also revealed how ANW will get the funding to support its grand initiatives.

The company’s ambitious growth plans include: continuing to invest in the artistic company – actors, designers, and directors; providing flexibility for ANW’s creative artists through ‘freedom funds’; maximizing educational outreach by providing additional transportation and ticket scholarships to underserved schools, and deeper engagement opportunities for teachers and for students, including sequential learning options and curriculum development assistance.

Continued Bateman, “While that sounds challenging, it is totally achievable. We are getting support for our initiatives through gifts and pledges. A single gift of $250,000 has been pledged by John and Barbara Lawrence, with $600,000 having been pledged overall. Jeanie Kay has pledged a bequest gift of $2.5 million; we are also hoping to find 25 new individuals, like Jeanie, to include ANW in their estate plans.”

After Bateman talked about the business of producing memorable plays,  Elliott and Rodriguez-Elliott took to the stage and announced ANW’s 2016-2017 season offerings. Amidst  

enthusiastic cheers from members of the company and theatre enthusiasts, who have been eagerly anticipating this announcement, they outlined each play – Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia; The Maids by Jean Genet; Moliere’s The Imaginary Invalid, adapted by Constance Congdon based on a new translation by Dan Smith; Shakespeare’s King Lear; Ah Wilderness! by Eugene O’Neill; Man of La Mancha by Dale Wasserman, music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion; and A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, adapted for the stage by Geoff Elliott.

Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott | Courtesy Photo

“Four of the plays we are announcing for the 25th anniversary season speak loudly to us now from our history – The Imaginary Invalid, King Lear, Ah, Wilderness!, and Man of La Mancha. Arcadia and The Maids are new for us. Together, our actors, artists, and audience will take a journey through and beyond our wildest, and sometimes simply wild dreams – the same journey that Julia and I have taken over this past quarter-century,” Elliott pronounced.

And it has indeed been a journey that has surpassed all their expectations as they look back in time. As Rodriguez-Elliott remembers it, “In 1991 we were struggling students, fresh from American Conservatory Theatre, and we used our last $3,000 to produce Hamlet. It was a big success and we learned a lot very quickly – that Los Angeles was filled with well-trained talent, that there was an audience hungry to see plays of substance, that there were people and resources willing to support this effort, and that there was a press corps interested in writing about this work.

“All of this added up quickly to the beginnings of a community,” continues Rodriguez-Elliott. “In the nurturing of this idea of community, we found ourselves on a path that led to our next productions, the use of the Masonic Temple in Glendale, a 501(c)(3) designation, an administrative staff, and so on. We had suddenly built an organization, including a robust education program, which enabled us to share our love of the classics with local students.”

As ANW gained following, it also outgrew its venue. In the middle of the 2008 recession the company somehow managed to raise the $13.5 million needed to build its new home on 3352 East Foothill Blvd. in Pasadena. It is a three-story, 30,000 square foot facility with rehearsal space, scene and costume shops, classrooms, administrative offices, and a student learning resource center.

This new facility made it possible for the theatre company to increase its audience considerably, and in the last five years has surpassed its previous box office and attendance records annually. Each year ANW serves over 40,000 patrons from Southern California and elsewhere. It has also achieved the remarkable feat of 85% subscription theatre renewals, 12% more than the national average. And it still is adding new subscribers, increasing its total audience base every year.

The theatre company’s commitment to make theatre accessible to everyone is evidenced by its ‘Pay What You Can’ night for each production. Its Resident Artists also put on staged readings six times a year at no cost to the public.   

One of ANW’s distinguishing hallmarks is its educational outreach program. Thirty percent of its resources are dedicated to support schools, providing transportation for students to come to the theatre. It also offers: reduced ticket costs to attend a live on-stage performance; post-show discussions with the artists; in-class workshops; and standards-based study guides. It has served more than 250,000 students over the years; in the 2015-2016 season, 15,400 youths from 204 schools from 28 school districts participated in this program. Its acclaimed summer camp, ‘Summer With Shakespeare,’ has graduated nearly 900 students since its creation.

So much has happened in two and a half decades. Today ANW is considered one of the most successful theatre companies in the country. But the one thing that has remained constant is their unwavering artistic vision. As Rodriguez-Elliott says, “We focus on timeless works that speak to the human condition. It’s important for us to present these epics in an intimate setting, told with a personal and contemporary perspective – after all, what good are all these grand, sweeping narratives if no one can relate to them?” 

To celebrate its first quarter century, ANW is holding events across their disciplines. There will be a Summer with Shakespeare on July 16; The American Dream: A Resident Artist Reading Festival on July 22- 24, 2016 (an event which is free to the public); a free Open House on September 17, 2016; a Fashion Show featuring costumes the artists have worn in its productions

through the years on January 21, 2017; and a 25th Anniversary Gala at the California Club to commemorate 25 years of classic theatre on April 29, 2017.

Elliott and Rodriguez-Elliott have decidedly come very far from their humble beginnings when they used their last dime to produce Hamlet. And both are keenly aware that a loyal community of artists, students, theatre lovers, and friends will take the next 25-year journey with them to help ensure this art form remains flourishing for generations to come.            

Six Characters in Search of an Author Premieres at a Noise Within

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Originally published on 14 April 2016 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

When Luigi Pirandello’s early play Six Characters in Search of an Author was first performed in 1921 at the Teatro Valle in Rome the audience protested with shouts of “manicomio!” (madhouse) because of the play’s irrational premise. Pirandello had to write a third edition in 1925 with a foreword to clarify the idea he wished to convey.

A precursor to the Theatre of the Absurd, Six Characters in Search of an Author, blurs the line between reality and illusion. It premieres at A Noise Within  (ANW) in Pasadena from March 27 to May 14, 2016 with Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott as co-directors.

Essentially a play within a play, it takes place in a rehearsal room where an acting company is working when they are interrupted by six people who come in from the street. They explain to the director that they are unfinished characters in search of an author to complete their story. While the director initially thinks them to be mad, he gives in to their claim as they relate their story. 

Elliott explains, “The director buys into it and agrees to stage their story.  But then a debate ensues as to who would best play the roles. The actors are convinced they are the ones who could bring the words to life and make these characters relatable human beings. Meanwhile the six characters argue that they should play themselves because anything otherwise would merely be an interpretation, and not who they really are.”  

Adds Rodriguez-Elliott, “This is why when Six Characters was first produced onstage there were protests. The play challenged the very nature of theatre; it showed how implausible theatre is. But when you parse it down to its most basic, it isn’t just an esoteric idea but a tale of passions.  It’s almost Shakespearean as it tackles infidelity, suicide and, possibly, incest. It is a story about a family seeking relief from a horrible event that has befallen them. And they believe that they would find that release they so desperately need if they could tell their story. It suggests theatre’s healing and therapeutic power.”

“Pirandello had these characters in his head who were so alive for him but he didn’t know how to use them or what play to put them in. Yet he couldn’t get them out of his mind,” Rodriguez-Elliott continues.

“They just wouldn’t leave him alone” Elliott interrupts with a laugh. “They kept causing great frustration so finally he gives in and lets them insert themselves into this rehearsal. I can’t help but think that writing this play must have been very cathartic for Pirandello. All writers or screenwriters, generally, dread to hand their work over to the actors because the actors will decide to rewrite it and make it into something they didn’t have in mind at all. What a joy it must have been for Pirandello to watch what happens when he haphazardly throws these characters into a play!”

Rodriguez-Elliott relates, “It’s quite fascinating – as we started working on the material, we saw the brilliance of Pirandello’s writing. We didn’t really completely comprehend it until we got into rehearsal and discovered its many facets. And, frankly, I found even more humanity in these individuals as we peeled away their layers.”

As Elliott puts it, “This play, more than any of the others we’ve done, reveals itself to us. It shows how your thoughts could change as you delve deeper into the story. It is fundamentally about a dysfunctional family. Who couldn’t relate to that?”

“Theatrically, it’s quite interesting to put on. We start out with a neutral rehearsal room with nothing much in the way of a set – a piano, some chairs, maybe. As the characters begin to tell their story, color is introduced; a garden comes to life; things appear and then disappear. The space takes on their reality at some point and you see that manifest itself through the pieces on the set. In a way it’s like our imagination; it can take us to certain places,” Rodriguez-Elliott elaborates.

“We hope Six Characters gives our audience a chance to experience theatre in its most non-linear sense and give in to it. Pirandello asks a lot of questions and puts them all out there. He doesn’t necessarily give us a solution nor neatly ties things together. It’s going to mean different things to disparate people; we can all observe the same event but each one of us would have a different perspective,” Rodriguez-Elliott concludes. 

In announcing the theatre company’s theme for the 2015-2016 season, Elliott declared, “As a recurring thematic element, ‘Breaking and Entering’ symbolizes breaking down the walls of ignorance or fear and summoning the personal courage to embrace a greater sense of truth. These plays are inhabited by characters who do just that.”

How apropos that Six Characters in Search of an Author culminates ANW’s impressive season staging groundbreaking masterpieces by playwrights who have given us permission to see beyond the obvious.                        

Film-making Starts in Fourth Grade at Beardslee Elementary School

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Originally published on 24 March 2016 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

It’s 2:45 on a Monday afternoon and students are getting picked up by their parents from Duarte Unified School District’s (DUSD) Beardslee Elementary School.  For a group of 4th graders, however, it isn’t the end of their school day; they have another 90 minutes of class time.  Yet these young kids don’t need any coaxing to get started all over again. That’s because they’re learning something different and exciting so they eagerly await the arrival of Polo and Jessica, Hollywood professionals, who will be teaching the lesson – film-making.

“We were told that cinematography isn’t a course that can be effectively taught beginning in high school,” begins Micah Green, 4th grade teacher at Beardslee and facilitator for the program. “It has to start in elementary grades, and build through the years. It was decided to add the course as an after-school program this year because we’re still trying it out. The idea is to have professionals teach the class while I watch. Next year it will be integrated into the curriculum as part of English class. I can work with students and give them story ideas.  I could be more involved in the scriptwriting process; Polo and Jessica can  just come in for the film-making portion.”

The cinematography class is the product of a partnership with the Latino Film Institute’s (LFI)Youth Cinema Project. LFI is the brainchild of actor Edward James Olmos who developed his commitment to education when he portrayed the role of Garfield High teacher Jaime Escalante. Through his foundation, he actively engages with a number of school districts in ensuring that Latino and African-American students are not forgotten in the schools.

Olmos began this program with two academicians who created the curriculum and planned a course of study for students. While new in DUSD, the film-making course has been in place in the elementary, middle and high schools in Santa Ana, Montebello, Bassett, Lynwood, and Pasadena districts.   

Green adds, “Mr. Olmos is the face of this film-making project.  I believe it was he who approached previous DUSD superintendent, Dr. Terry Nichols, about the cinematography class. Nichols liked the idea and okayed the project which was picked up by the current superintendent Dr. Allan Mucerino. To ensure that the program is continued, the district purchased a Canon handheld camera necessary for the course. While they’re not what would be used in a Hollywood movie, they’re more cost effective. Everyone is fully committed to go it all the way to high school.”

For right now, Green’s group of about 23 students from his 4th and 5th grade classes and from another teacher’s 4th graders at Beardslee, meet after school every Monday and Wednesday.

Even without the added benefit of learning film-making, the class itself is a boost for teaching in general. Explains Green, “Even struggling writers get motivated because they don’t think they have to write; they feel they’re telling their story, which is a different mindset – it’s purposeful writing.”

“It’s a messy process; these kids started out with no real skills – knowing nothing about writing scripts. We began with just basic writing about any topic they want to explore. They’re young kids so they write about things that are familiar to them – like a baseball game. They learn to write visually – what the camera will see – that’s what’s important. Then they learn that for every scene they need a description of the environment and positioning so they add the direction. Lastly, they put in the dialogue between their characters. That was a huge part of the class and took about five months – from October through February. They now have a script and they’re in the filming process. All the movies will be made on campus so the topic has to be limited to what’s available to them, although I think we have some green screen so maybe they can add CGI later,” Green elaborates.

The three-to-five-minute film Green’s students create will be shown in the spring at a presentation with their families and members of the community as audience. According to him even Creative Artists Agency (CAA), a major Hollywood talent agency, will have a representative watching the kids’ films.

“It’s an opportunity to rise to the top; students can later find jobs in the movie industry. But even those who aren’t cut out for film-making will have an appreciation for story-telling,” Green concludes.   

Mucerino shares his thoughts, “I was struck recently by a CEO poll taken by IBM that identified creativity as the most important leadership quality. It made me think how lucky our children are here in Duarte because their ‘creativity quotient’ (CQ) will be higher than their peers as a result of our efforts to promote creativity in our schools. After all, if creativity disappears, our music, art, and literature – our culture, will disappear with it. Creative children are the next generation of innovators, authors, entrepreneurs, software developers, diplomats, and hopefully, superintendents.”

American Impressionism Exhibit Educates at The Huntington Gallery

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Originally published on 17 March 2016 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

“I feel, as a curator, I am more of an educator,” muses Dr. James Glisson, Assistant Curator of American Art (Bradford and Christine Mishler) at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. And what a beautiful art education The Huntington visitors will be treated to!

Currently going on through the 9th of May at the MaryLou and George Boone Gallery, “The Artists Garden: American Impressionism and the Garden Movement, 1887-1902” features 17 paintings on loan from The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts’ (PAFA) permanent collection. The show gives visitors and scholars a glimpse of painting as it relates to garden design. Glisson, who organized the exhibition and contributed an essay to the catalog states, “This exhibition gets behind the undeniable beauty of impressionistic pictures of gardens and asks questions about the social activity of gardening, the scientific hybridization of plants, and even early environmental conservation.”

According to Glisson, the two paintings he selected to bookend the exhibition – The Crimson Rambler and The Hovel and the Skyscraper – sum up what the show is all about on a conceptual level. He explains, “Philip Leslie Hale’s painting shows a red rose bush, the Crimson Rambler, a common and hardy backyard plant paired with a woman wearing a wide-brimmed hat and dressed a la mode. I think Hale intends them to read as analogous to each other – she is on display like a beautiful flower; it may be a cliché metaphor but it’s still pretty effective. Both the woman and the newly hybridized rose are modern and contemporary for their time. Similarly, the painting technique used a modern application of colors.”

“When I talk to people about the exhibit I like to say that these are painters who are reflecting on modern American life in the late 19th and early 20th century, post industrialization and during urbanization. They painted landscapes that offer respite from the grunge of the city, an escape. The Crimson Rambler is a subtle rendering of this sentiment,” Glisson says further.   

Philip Leslie Hale’s ‘The Crimson Rambler | Photo courtesy of The Huntington

Glisson then points out, “Childe Hassam’s painting, on the other hand, is an explicit depiction of the time’s attitude. The Hovel and the Skyscraper looks out of the artist’s studio into Central Park. He delivers the message in his paint application – very precise with a lot of rectilinears; and the subject matter – a tall building. In 1904 New York’s skyscrapers were the epitome of an advanced, modern American city.  It resonated among its viewers in the same way we see the skyscrapers of Dubai or Shanghai. Yet, he painted the park as soft, gentle and beautiful, with no straight lines – a space of quiet, refuge and nature.”

“I see this painting as something that speaks to Angelenos and the real estate market; his views are about to be blocked by brand new buildings. It alludes to today’s teardown phenomenon where existing structures are being replaced by bigger, taller ones to  make a lot more money,” Glisson adds.

In the late 19th century, the railroad made it possible for Americans to conveniently travel from their suburban home into the city to work. In the same vein, painters commuted whenever they had to and their artwork reflected that lifestyle. Describes Glisson, “Painters at the time depicted what was near and familiar to them, which also happened to be really modern at the time.”

One piece of art in the show is by John Henry Twachtman, a member of the new suburban class who lived in southern Connecticut close to the railroad. His piece, called Snow, depicts his backyard covered in snow. Though not a farmer, he lavished great care on his yard.    

The exhibition also includes some of The Huntington’s collection of 150,000 chromo lithographs gifted by Jay T. Last. Chromolithography was a process used by artists of this period to produce illustrations for newspapers and magazines to make money. It was also widely used to advertise the new colors of hybridized roses, like the Crimson Rambler, and to create the seed packets for flowers being grown by Americans who have discovered backyard planting as a middle class leisure pursuit. 

The San Marino institution is the show’s only West Coast stop on a five-venue tour organized by Anna Marley, Curator of Historical Art at PAFA. She explains the rationale, “The Huntington, with its spectacular gardens and wonderful American art collection is the perfect venue for a show that traces the interconnections between the American garden movement and Impressionist painting. Also, the development of the Pasadena bungalow culture at the turn of the 20th century corresponds perfectly to the material in the exhibition, which was related to the broader national garden cities and British Arts and Crafts movement.”

“I hope visitors to The Huntington make the connections between their own homes and gardens and the lives of American artists living and working over 100 years ago. I hope they love the art but also take away a new-found knowledge of the history of the Progressive era in the United States, and particularly its relationship to the burgeoning movements of environmentalism and women’s suffrage, issues with great resonance today,” Marley concludes.

The historic gardens at The Huntington, an estate which once belonged to collectors and philanthropists Henry E. Huntington and his wife, Arabella, is planted with 1,400 varieties of roses artfully perched on arbors and trellises. It is easy to imagine how Arabella took delight in the magnificent blooms in her rose garden, and how 21st century women are experiencing the same to this day.