Lets Hear It For The Teachers!

Hi Dave,Might as well grab this opportunity to thank you publicly for the terrific art classes you gave me for my two years at HKIS (75 and 76). The balance of freedom and information which you offered gave me great (though undeserved) confidence and enjoyment in creating visual art for many years. I have filled notebook after notebook with sketches, watercolours, pastels and bic pen.

I never 'did anything' with this save for to find contentment, peace and clarity from the process. Now a teacher (of music) myself, I can only hope my students will take music with them,in whatever ways, perhaps as an accompaniment to the less meaningful pursuits in their lives. Amazed that you are still at it!!

One day you had the courage to stop in at the 'shack' when a group of us were drinking vitasoys and San Mig. You sat a while at our table in the dark shadows and talked with us as if we were worth being with just for the hell of it. Later (we rumored) you got chastised. You were a hero!
Thanks again,

Brad SANDLER ‘75

Dave Kohl I remember as a VW bugin a land of Chryslers as far as the teachers went. Hope you are doing well.

Dave KOHL Faculty

Hi Eric Allen...What a pleasant surprize...thank you for the nice letter and compliment about my way of working with HKIS students. Sounds like you are a teacher, I assume happily, so you know that we never may know what effect we may have on our students.

I do remember going into the shack on several occasions...I thought it was a neat little hangout, and that you "kids" did have at least some hangout spot. And, no, I never did get "chastized" for many things I did at HKIS (although I probably should have).

I developed a personal philosophy about working with students my first year out of college in Chicago about kids. I think everyone we meet or work with has something to teach us, either positively or negatively.

I figured out in Chicago that I had a lot to learn from my street-wise highschoolers about survival and stamina, and just taking the moment to get to know them a bit beyond the academics.

I grew up a semi-suburban pseudo-sophisticated kid, never experiencing anyone black, chinese, gay, or non-Lutheran. So I had a lot to learn about the larger world, and Hong Kong certainly was a big chapter in that adventure and you students from all walks of adolescent experience added a great deal.

I do remember sitting with you at Eucliff the night we had an advisor-advisee "pot-luck" by the good graces of Karen Eu. Mazn...where in the world could students and teachers have better opportunities to really know each other? I thank you for taking the time to let me know that I had a good impact on you. I hope you have similiar experiences with your students.

What specifically do you teach, what level, and where?

My son, Adam, born Oct of 76 turned out to be a decent French Horn player, and played throughout Jr and Sr high school, and did marching band for 4 years, loved it, mostly. I still horse around on the pipe organ and play as a substitute organist occasionally.

Barbara SCHWERDTMANN Easton ‘77

It is so really cool to have my daughter wearing my jewelry from my art classes with Mr. Kohl! Big hoops are back!!

Gabe LAU ‘77

Dave, If I do not have ALL then I have almost all of my art work from your jewelry & ceramic classes with me. With no exception, just like Eric has been said..., you also have made a great dent in my art background.

By the way, did you not have a bunch of keys hanging out from the loop of your pants?

Tim HARVEY ‘74

I remember a big black station wagon that all the Ketterer kids used to cometo school in.
One day, it quit coming.
Another day, on that afternoon called Serendipity, it showed up and we got to take it apart. I remember all those kids poring over that car taking it apart and wondering how each piece worked. I got to work on grinding the valves. Getting them out of the heads was a real chore and the hand grinding took forever. Mr. Westrick was patient as he was pulled, first in one direction, then in another.

I'm grateful to him and to the Ketterers for that time to tinker. It was indeed serendipitous.

Kathy GRIMES Velchoff ‘78

Dave Kohl, do you remember me? Some of my best memories of HKIS are sitting in your art class, trying my hardest to be "creative" with various materials! I'm happy to say that, in your class, I learned that you do not have to be the very best at something in order to feel a sense of accomplishment. I also seem to have a vague memory of sitting on a stool, acting as a "model" for a night class of students modeling figures (mine!) in clay.

Ken KOO ‘79

How about Mrs. Dorothy Mache ? She's always been one of my favorite art teachers back when we were in elementary school in the 60's. I met up with Mrs. Byrne's (3rd grade teacher in the early 70's)daughter about 3 years ago who's also teaching 3rd grade at HKIS.

Would anyone happen to have a contact address for Mrs. Monica Bradsher? She was teaching 6th Grade during the early 70's and always one of the favorites amongst us (then) kids.

Barbara SCHWERDTMANN Easton '77

Mrs. Mache lives in New York and my mom and dad have her address and phone number.

Eric Mache attended the reunion of the century in HK in 97.

Another great place to get teachers addresses is through the Church of All Nations. I think Mr. Schmidt was writing it for a while. It probably won't take to much digging to find those with other numbers.

Dave KOHL faculty

Ken Koo...
Mrs. Dottie Mache, last I know, was retired with her husband Joe and living outside Buffalo, New York. Her favorite expressions always stick with me..."back in day one"..."we just don't get the quality of people here we used to".

She's great lady...really fought for the arts at HKIS.

Dave KOHL Faculty

Hi Kathy Grimes...I do remember you...and it continues to amaze me how little things we do in class often stick with students, when at the time, neither you nor I find them significant.

There must be a lesson in life there someplace, like working with your own kids, you never know which comments will sink in and re-surface and which ones will never cross into cognition.

I think if I can do art, just about anybody can...I enjoy my talents, which seem to vary as to media with my current interests.

Now I'm into graphics, designing logos to make into stamps to impress on mugs that I make and sell to school and church groups, businesses, volunteer groups, camps, etc. Even made mugs for the cast and crew of a Hollywood movies that was shot here in PDX this summer, in which I got to be an extra. That was a fun and new experience.

Movie is "Navy Diver" with Robert DeNiro and David Conrad and Cuba Gooding Jr and will come out sometime this spring.Thanks for thinking of me.

Dave MEYER Faculty

In '76, at Earls' gentle nudging, we started a one quarter course in auto shop. I took over what had been the maintenance shop on the ground floor of #6 South Bay Close, went to Central to grovel with the managing director for Snap-On Tools (the world's finest) to help us outfit the shop, then went to a couple repair shops with Gary Tso as interpreter, (anyone know the Cantonese word for carburetor) to pick up carburetors, distributors, starters, etc. for lab work. Used a book titled Auto Repair for Dummies. I've talked with former students who still carry that book in the trunk!

We met t last period of the day, and it was not uncommon on hot spring and fall days (well, ok, cool days, too) to wander down to The Shack for a cold San Miguel. Try doing that with students in the US! (Did they really serve noodles at The Shack? I only remember the beer)

Sadly, my last visit in the early '90's, The Shack was gone...

Patrick GOULD ‘74

Well, Dave Meyer's email has moved me to get off the fence and write.

The Shack is gone? Impossible. The Statue of Liberty, The Eiffel Tower, The Empire State Building maybe, but the Shack? Say it ain't so.

It is great hearing and reliving all the old memories. Thanks to Judi for a great idea. I do have some incriminating pictures of Judi and have threatened to put them for sale on ebay. Let the bidding begin!

June STEAGALL Wamsley 77,

Hi! Okay, I'm so excited about this list, I could scream! How are you guys?
Hi, Rosemary Garvey, do you remember me?
Chris Meyers, I was your neighbor in those blue buildings.
Hey if anyone knows the whereabouts of John MacMillan I would like to say hi and see how he's doing, too.The list about people I've wondered about goes on....
Please!!! drop me a line and say hi.

Dave KOHL Faculty

Hi June...Remember your old art teacher? I thought about immediately when your brother's messages started appearing. Chris Myers lives here in Oregon and we've connected a few times. He has a great job as special events manager at Oregon's only 5-start destination resort, called Sun River. I've always regarded him as my #2 son - we house sat for him and Sue many times in the old blue building (Hayden Court).

Catch us all up on what's been happeniong with you - 5 kids? Wow.

June STEAGALL Wamsley 77

Well hello MR. (Dave) Kohl! How are you?Of course I remember you. I'm surprised you remember me, though.I still remember the awesome ceramics you did. I even still have a still life I painted in your class. It really if awful, though. Idon't know why I kept it, but there it is in a trunk somewhere. (where it belongs) No reflection on your teaching abilities, really, you can only work with so much.

Yes, I have 5 kids. The oldest is in college and the youngest is 6 years old. Crazy? Well, I always was, right? I have been a karate teacher for the past 18 years and now my husband and I have a small studio of our own. It helps us stay in shape, or at least with the illusion of youth. We do have to keep up with the 5 kids we have, right?

Are you still teaching art? Who else have you kept in touch with? Do you know where the music teacher that looked like Frank Zappa ended up? I think his name is Chet Passarella?? My memory is pretty bad. Funny, the things we remember. Thanks for taking the time to write!

Lynn BARRATT Frau '73

Hi Rich,Thanks for the dispensation! I wish I could find that book you loaned me and mail it off to you but I think it got lost in all the moves.

I don't know if loaning out books, etc. to irresponsible students is what teachers are for but I can tell you that I think of you as one of the best teachers I ever had and certainly one who instilled in me a lifelong interest in history, though certainly not limited to American history.

I still turn red when I remember trying to give an oral report on something to do with "Mississippi". With my lisp it was a challenge! If I recall I ended up spelling that word for most of the report. The traumas of high school!

My lisp is more under control these days but there are still some words I have to consciously concentrate to say properly. Where are you teaching these days?
Ciao,

MaryJo LUEDTKE Reinmann 75

I have so many memories that I don't even know where to start.

Here's a try:
I remember ceramics class with Dave Kohl as a highlight of HS. No, Dave, I was never faking my enthusiasm. I taught ceramics for two years after college at night, and my oldest, Kim, took ceramics for three years in HS and loved it.

I vividly remember the Taroko Gorge trip. I loved the bus ride on the East-West highway and would love to take my family there at some point.

We primitive camp now as a family and I can still name many constellations thanks to Del Harnisch. What a great time those trips were. Alan C, Gary A, and others, remember traipsing through rice paddies in the New Territories to get to a beach campsite

Dave KOHL Faculty

Mary Jo...Thanks for the wonderful letter and all the nice things you said about my class and ceramics. I still teach a college ceramics course every semester here at Concordia Portland. Tonight we did history...one of my favorites.

If only I had gotten your message last week....I was in Columbus this past weekend for Paul Westrick's wedding. The whole Westrick clan was there, plus the Siegerts and I. Beautiful time with good friends. I would sayPaul was close to delirious. I took time during the weekend to drive to Cincinatti, and enjoyed the art museum there, as well as the one in Columbus. Also, good used & rare book stores.

So how far was I from you?

Alan CLAASSEN 73

Rich Siegert,
Good to see your notes. I believe I had you for US history in 71-72 and for a government or political science (1/2 year?) class in 72-73.

Among other things, I remember you instilling in us the value of a free press.

But wasn't it also your VW bug that ended up in the cafeteria? How did you do that? Just kidding (but thanks for the help).

That was the work of a group of us (what sort of group I'm not sure) that met with Mr Ranta. And the person with lots of ideas (most of which weren't suitable) was the one and only Steve Goudey. Whom I bring up because he was also the person who led the Syrian UN delegation (of which I was also a member) which I believe Judi mentioned deployed a tank in the general direction of the Israeli delegation.
Something like that.

It will be interesting to hear what other memories you have from the faculty perspective.
Take care.
(Don't believe I took any of your books)

Cathy SMITH Caviness 1975

Alan, Rich, and others,
First of all, how can all you people call these teachers by their first names? He's still "Mr. Siegert" to me!

That respect for the press is what I remember too. "Rich," aren't you the one who said anyone who succeeded ingetting a letter-to-the-editor published in Newsweek/Time magazines would get an "A" for the semester? It was a goal of mine for years afterwords. (I never made it ... but I have been published in the Washington Post Neologism contest ... a mere shadow of that goal).

Thanks for spurring my interest incurrent events in such a creative way. But what spurred me to write today is the memory of that mock UN delegation.I was new to HKIS that year and somehow ended up on that Syrian delegation too. I studied all about Syria and showed up thinking we would be mild-mannered and serious delegates. I believe you guys insisted on my wearing a green army jacket of some kind. We terrorized the entire process.. but only appropriately, I am sure!

Until that time I knew you, Alan as a friend of my big sister and Steve Goudey as a 'quiet type.' Ha! I ended upwith a huge crush on Steve (no offense, Alan) and a 'big brother' in Alan. It was one of my best memories of that year. Thanks for reliving the moment. I'm more intentional about living in the present these days, but I don't want the flow of memories to stop ... so, in my opinion, there just aren't enough people writing in to this dragontrain!

I'm kidding ... but whatever gives people the options they want sounds good to me.

Sheila PEARCE Rodger 75

Hi all:
The mention of Steven Goudey(sp.?) reminded me that in the summer of 1976 when I was home after my first year of university , Steve and I worked at the Canadian Embassy as student immigration officers, determining whether HK students would be given permission to study in Canada. What a memorable and unusual job to have as an 18 yr. old. Does anyone else have a story about working in HK?

Rich SIEGERT Faculty

Hi Alan, thanks for remembering.
Yes, I have fond memories of the VW moving into the cafeteria - "It's coming" remember that? I recall a photo made the yearbook.

What are you up to these days? I remember you as quite a class leader.

My family and I have been in Evansville, IN since leaving HKIS. We both teach at Evansville Day School, love Indiana and the Midwest. Today we start a week of Fall break, and are heading to Oregon to spend some time with Earl Westrick.

Time sure marches on, and I feel really old when I hear from you guys. So long for now, are you sure you don't have any of my books?

Hi Cathy, good to hear from you after all these years. "Mr. Siegert" really makes me feel old.

It is amazing to see what "kids" remember. The Time magazine reflection was correct. I think one student did get a letter published once, and yes did receive an A for the semester.

I still make that offer here in Evansville where I teach. Time magazine is still required reading and is still something kids thank me for. I am always glad to hear that.

My wife even uses Time For Kids in third grade, and in fact is on their teacher advisor board. I guess it's a family thing.

How is life treating you? I have fond memories of you and so many people from that era. Glad the Model UN left memories too. We do one here in Evansville every few years. They are fun experiences.
God bless, Lynn BARRATT Frau 73

Hi fellow Crusaders/Dragons
I just got back home after being away for Canadian Thanksgiving. What a treat to find so much mail - a real welcome home! Let's find a different topic for discussion already though - too much, too little - at least it's something! I can stop being jealous of all the people I know who've had friends that they've kept since grade school. Moving every two or three years just didn't facilitate that!

As far as calling teachers by their first name - I'm just calling them what we called them way back when! If I recall correctly there were several teachers that we always called by their first name - namely, Rich Siegert, Rob Prout and Victor Lee (whose real last name by the by is really Guy but that's a whole other story!).

Certainly, nobody was going to call Mr. Zimmerman - Lester! Yikes! Hey,even Bill Rutherford signed my year book with his first name.

Checking through the year book for teachers names I found a picture of Edith Burvett, the guidance counsellor. Reminded me of the first time I met her. My parents had already enrolled me at the school on a previous trip to HK but I hadn't been to the school yet. So where do I meet her - the lounge (Captain's Bar, I think it was called?) of the Mandarin Hotel. I was with my parents and a whole bunch of other executives from Pepsi-Cola (that's where my Dad worked), dancing with these older men and drinking kahlua and cream.

My mother was very embarrassed when we ran into Mrs. Burvett! Everybody was doing a lot of drinking in the early 70's, even the youth. I'm married to an Italian and we don't even let our kids do that. The occasionally sip of beer or wine, maybe.

Times have certainly changed.Ciao,

P.S. - If anybody has any leads on the whereabouts of anyone from 1973 who isn't already on the dragonlist - please let me know as I've signed on as Class Agent. Thanks.

Dave KOHL Faculty Hi Bill in Brazil...Thanks for notes on the Taroko Gorge senior trip. That was one of the most delightful student trips I ever worked with. Staying at Father Pauls in the gorge was so classic.

I remember hiking up and down the road to hot springs with groups including Marcus Woo, Betsy Templeton, Steve Smith, Brad Sandlor, and Phillip Lim. Now those names should evoke a few memories.Wasn't Mary-Kaye Heissler one of the chaperones? and Himmler? I don't fully remember (a middle-age moment, you know)

Mary-Kaye is now a neighbor -lives about 30 miles in Washington State, as do Rev. Paul and CarolineTuchardt. Their Son, Brad, lives nearby also, married a Washington schoolteacher, and they have a son. Wally Tuchardt lives nearer, in Gresham, Oregon with his wife, they have a toddler daughter.

Glad the pottery experience helped you decide to take it again. Teaching is really a head trip when you start to realize how much influence (hopefully positive) you unknowlingly have on students. So,. thanks forsharing your experience.

Keep me on the list, I love the messages, although I am about 60 behind in even reading. The dragontrain is an inspiration.

Dave MEYERS Faculty

Actually, Art (Himmler) is a PhD and the Superintendent of a school district in Western Washington, just south of Tacoma...