TaborTalk Blog

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With all the national news following the decisions by grand juries in the cases of Eric Garner (Staten Island, NY) and Michael Brown (Ferguson, MO) and the protests that have taken place in cities across our country, the Office of Multicultural Education and Community Life arranged a series of events designed to educate our students about what is happening, while also providing avenues of open discussion among students and faculty to share feelings, and different points of view.

In September, we were honored to hold the memorial service for Tom Finn ’85 here at Tabor with many of his friends and family present. Mark Aimone ’86 was invited to speak in remembrance of Tom and to share the story of a special effort Tom made on behalf of Tabor before he died. What follows were Mark’s remarks at the service.

David Taylor Johannesen ’64 will be publishing a book through Simon & Schuster, NY, in December. His novel Falcons & Seagulls was begun in 1999 and has undergone four revisions. The story begins in 1959 when at age 13 and a student at Fessenden School the main character spends time with Hollywood mogul, Howard Hughes, also an alum of Fessenden, comparing notes on their school. Using family sources (the author is a 5^th generation Mormon from Utah), Johannesen weaves together a story around the completion of Israel’s nuclear capability and its subsequent cover up thirty years later. The rest he says has been “the craft of fiction, creating and sustaining characters, romance and conspiracy within the framework of a thriller. One early review has described it so: ‘complex writing with a lyrical voice; erudite yet accessible.’”

There has been a lot of dressing up lately! Between Halloween and Holderness Day, just one week apart, there were four days of dressing up in costumes or representative garb.

Tabor will be hosting our second annual Graboys Leadership Symposium on November 18, a day long event when we discuss the importance of leadership as a community. The event honors George '50 and Lois Graboys, who have been champions for youth and leadership education their whole lives.

Tomorrow we leave at dawn heading north to Holderness School to continue our longstanding rivalry and defend the trophy. All fall our athletes have been preparing, and all week we have been getting in the spirit: Tomorrow is the big day.

A few emails crossed my desk this morning that I thought would be fun to share. One was from Head of School John Quirk, sending our athletes off with a story from The Iliad, the other was from Rob Hurd with the words to the Tabor fight song. Read on for some Tabor fun, and please plan to cheer us on tomorrow from wherever you are!

From John Quirk:

"Greetings, Sea Wolf Nation. It’s a big weekend of competition ahead of us with Holderness, nestled into two big weeks of plays, recitals and other performances. There’s lots going on, and lots of which to be proud!

Those who know me well, know I’m a huge sports fan and a bigger Tabor fan (of sports and whatever is going on at school…). Those who know me really well, know I am also a classics teacher. Attached find a little lesson from Homer – my small contribution to your life-long learning! It’s a good read, and you will always be bettered by being able to quote, in polite company, things like Book VII of The Iliad."

Cheer us on tomorrow from wherever you are with the Tabor Fight Song: with very clear instructions from Mr. Hurd to be sung loud and proud! Go Seawolves!

Seawolves, Seawolves, Mighty-Mighty Seawolves
words by Rob Hurd, Music by David Horne

Seawolves, Seawolves, mighty-mighty Seawolves,
rulers of the sea!
Driving down the field,
we will never yield
'til we bring opponents to their knees.

Seawolves, Seawolves, mighty-mighty Seawolves,
on to victory.
With all our might,
we will fight, fight, fight,
All-A-Taut-O we will ever be!

This summer, Tabor marine science faculty members Jennifer Albright and Kimberly Ulmer, set out to foster some new relationships and learn from local scientists about how to ensure the success of our fledgling oyster farm, as well as ways to integrate the farm into two new marine science courses at Tabor in physical and chemical oceanography.

On November 20 at Cipriani on Wall Street, The Christopher Reeve Foundation will be awarding Travis Roy '95 with the Christopher Reeve "Spirit of Courage Award" at their A Magical Evening celebration in New York City. Senator Tom Harkin is the other honorary guest and it is suspected the foundation will be doing something in memory of Robin Williams that evening, a close friend of Dana and Christopher Reeve.