My Latest Adventure
It has been fun to watch - to experience - the way that last summer's cross-country trek has developed into another adventure of a wholly different sort.
I don't remember if I ever explained here about how my ride became a fundraiser for The School for Ethics and Global Leadership (SEGL) - apart from the fact that Noah is a good friend and the school is a project I really believe in. When I began sharing that I intended to cycle across the U.S. with my dog several people responded that they would like to sponsor me. It seemed odd that they would sponsor my vacation, so I became a man in search of a cause. And the first cause I identified was the Chicago Anti-Cruelty Society, an animal shelter in the city where I now live. They were definitely intrigued by the plan but ultimately decided that it might not be entirely safe for Coltrane. Anxious about what it might mean for them if something were to happen to him on the trip, they rejected my offer to raise money. About that time I received an email from Noah, who, after working several years at the Mountain School, was studying at Columbia University's Teachers College. He announced that he was moving forward with a dream that the two of us had discussed years previously, to begin a semester program dedicated to grappling with tough philosophical and ethical questions. I knew immediately that SEGL should be my cause. I didn't quite anticipate how involved in the project I would become.
Our financial gains last summer were quite modest, not more than a couple thousand dollars. But I am particularly excited about a couple of the significant connections that proceeded from my ride. I advertised the trip and SEGL to nearly everyone I have ever known. Matt Ellis, a friend from my first years at Dartmouth, a graduate of St. Mark's Academy in Dallas, now an international law attorney in DC, was quickly interested in SEGL and offered to help. In the past year Matt has been an incredible asset to the project, particularly for arranging the legal assistance necessary to achieve 501(c)(3) tax exempt status with the IRS. Matt has been nominated to be the Head of SEGL's board, and a decision will be made soon. Another great connection began with a friend at the University of Chicago. Harold Liss was, at the time, a resident of the undergraduate dorm I work with. He got excited about the project and thought it would really appeal to the Head of his high school alma mater, Newark Academy in Livingston, New Jersey. Newark Academy became SEGL's first sending school.
While riding last summer and over the course of the past year it has been thrilling to watch Noah's progress with SEGL. Noah's passion is incredible; his diligent work, tireless; his resourcefulness, surprising; his accomplishments, truly staggering. He has secured the support of a real dream team of collaborators. So when Noah and I discussed the opportunity to get my hands dirty with the project again this summer, I couldn't refuse. This really will be a unique program. Sometimes the language we have used to assert that SEGL will be life-changing feels to me needlessly dramatic - I am usually a pretty understated guy - but this experience really will change lives, it will capture the imagination of its students and open them to all sorts of new questions and opportunities. To be sure, a single semester will not be the last word for any of these students, but the junior year of high school is exactly the time that most young people are determining who they want to be.
The summer before my junior year in high school I spent the summer with a compelling Christian community. I am not part of the same community now, and my understanding of the Christian tradition and experience has matured significantly. But that summer was for me the beginning of the questions, concerns, and commitments that still inform my academic research and my personal faith. SEGL, of course, is not a religious institution, but my own experience recommends that we not trivialize the potential of a meaningful community, tough questions, and a true mentorship opportunity to break into a young person's routine, to help shape character, and to orient significant life decisions.
My tasks this summer have been varied. Probably the biggest jobs have included approaching charitable foundations and scouting for an appropriate facility. Other jobs have included general networking and determining what it will take to feed our students and faculty. I spent a couple days soliciting restaurants for gift certificates to use at fundraising events, I spent this morning trying to identify an accounting firm that might provide pro bono services, I have collected a huge database of nearly every school in the United States that could send students (there are about 24,000 of them) and I've been trying to chase down a mattress company all summer to get a product donation. Some days feel long and productive. Other days the tasks feel nonspecific, phone calls and emails come to dead ends, and it can feel like a waiting game - waiting for someone to bite at one of the lures I've cast. Early this summer I distinguished work with SEGL from my usually academic occupation for its clear practical tasks and perceivable progress. Now I think the two are not quite so distinct. This work requires self-discipline and the industry and creativity to determine what jobs need most to be done. Above all, it requires confidence that it will be successful and that it is important.
One of the great stories of the summer comes out of the facility search. I spent my first days in DC identifying potential properties, driving and riding my bike throughout the District with my camera and a notepad. I looked at over 50 properties: an abandoned gas station, a couple retired churches, the old Italian embassy ($16 million to purchase, $12 million to renovate), single family homes nearly as large as the dorm I direct in Chicago (home to 80 students), a wonderful collection of storefront properties near Eastern Market, and several office spaces that might be converted. Of course, SEGL's requirements are difficult - size, cost, proximity to public transportation, proximity to open space, safety, zoning, aesthetics.
Noah asked me to look into an empty-looking building on Massachusetts Avenue, next door to the Johns Hopkins SAIS building. I looked up the assessor's info to discover that it belonged the Philippines government, apparently their old embassy. With the help of our brokers at CB Richard Ellis, we approached the Philippines about the property. The building was vacated in 1994 when the Philippines moved into a new building across the street. It has not been offered for sale or lease, but they were very excited that someone might like to fix the building up, so excited that they initially offered a no-cost lease if we would assume the renovation expenses. Very excited about the possibility, Noah and I arranged to tour the facility.
On a hot afternoon, a friendly, quiet man named Ernesto unbolted the chain on the front door and let us in. The interior was incredible, like the occupants had fled quickly in the middle of a workday and never looked back. In the ensuing years pigeons and rats have made the building their home. We picked our way among the bird droppings. The building is full of old office furniture, typewriters, passport applications and other paperwork, and a wonderful portrait of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos. Some of the windows are cracked and broken, the electricity and air-conditioning were off, so we worked our way through dusty shadows. Each door we opened was an adventure, as we were likely to encounter a family of pigeons that, when disturbed, would fly at us in the confined quarters of the hallway. But underneath the dust is an incredible building - grand rooms with high ceilings and beautiful moldings. The size was just right, and what a great story. It seems fitting that we should negotiate a contract with a sovereign nation for our program in international affairs. Noah and I loved the building and, for a while, were really excited to move forward.
The details of subsequent developments might be tedious to recount. It has become clear that it may be difficult to work with Philippines, and the lease deal is not quite the boon we first thought it might be. We have now directed our attention elsewhere and are very excited about the present British School of Washington building on 16th Street NW. But I don't think Noah and I will ever forget our tour of that beautiful and frighteningly neglected building.
Because this blog began with last summer's trek, I am glad that my experience in DC has been an occasion to reestablish some of the connections I made last year. On my way to DC from Chicago I stayed an evening with Rhonda Collins, a wonderful, generous woman I met near Covington, KY, last year. She is working on a degree in pharmaceutical studies, a second career after working many years as a jockey and then briefly as a television broadcaster. I admire her a great deal for reasons that would take too long to detail here. I also reconnected this summer with a couple I stayed with in West Union, West Virginia: Paul and Sharon Weekley. When I stayed at their home last summer they took me to the Doddridge County Fair, where I saw my first demolition derby and got to meet the Queen of the Fair. I expressed interest in returning to the fair this summer, and Sharon invited me to be a judge for the fair pageant. I am a stranger to pageants and have some anxiety about their potential shallowness - a la Little Miss Sunshine - but I was thrilled at the invitation. A week ago today I drove to West Virginia for the pageant and had a wonderful time. The girls were great, and it is clearly a significant event in the life of the community. It was an honor, really, to be included in it.
In the world of biking, this summer has been much less active than last. But I got out a couple weekends ago for a long ride on Skyline Drive, through Shenandoah National Park. I was distressed to discover I'm not in the shape I was last summer, but it didn't dampen the beauty of the landscape or my enjoyment of the road.
It has been a wonderful summer, and I am sad that it must come to an end. I will be teaching two courses this fall, preparing the final manuscript of an anthology for publication, supervising the dorm, and plugging away on a dissertation. I can't sustain a full-time commitment to SEGL, but I remain a supporter of this project, will glad to pick up the occasional helpful task, to follow up on a few of the relationships I have established this summer, and - naturally - to watch eagerly as the program comes even closer to its opening day.
Fund raising is a real priority now. One donor has just pledged that he and his friends can be counted on for at least $250,000. Before they will release the gift, however, they are requiring that we have $500,000 committed from other sources. Please, if you are in a position to support the school, however modestly, this is the time to give. Please consider making a donation at the SEGL website: www.schoolforethics.org.
I don't remember if I ever explained here about how my ride became a fundraiser for The School for Ethics and Global Leadership (SEGL) - apart from the fact that Noah is a good friend and the school is a project I really believe in. When I began sharing that I intended to cycle across the U.S. with my dog several people responded that they would like to sponsor me. It seemed odd that they would sponsor my vacation, so I became a man in search of a cause. And the first cause I identified was the Chicago Anti-Cruelty Society, an animal shelter in the city where I now live. They were definitely intrigued by the plan but ultimately decided that it might not be entirely safe for Coltrane. Anxious about what it might mean for them if something were to happen to him on the trip, they rejected my offer to raise money. About that time I received an email from Noah, who, after working several years at the Mountain School, was studying at Columbia University's Teachers College. He announced that he was moving forward with a dream that the two of us had discussed years previously, to begin a semester program dedicated to grappling with tough philosophical and ethical questions. I knew immediately that SEGL should be my cause. I didn't quite anticipate how involved in the project I would become.
Our financial gains last summer were quite modest, not more than a couple thousand dollars. But I am particularly excited about a couple of the significant connections that proceeded from my ride. I advertised the trip and SEGL to nearly everyone I have ever known. Matt Ellis, a friend from my first years at Dartmouth, a graduate of St. Mark's Academy in Dallas, now an international law attorney in DC, was quickly interested in SEGL and offered to help. In the past year Matt has been an incredible asset to the project, particularly for arranging the legal assistance necessary to achieve 501(c)(3) tax exempt status with the IRS. Matt has been nominated to be the Head of SEGL's board, and a decision will be made soon. Another great connection began with a friend at the University of Chicago. Harold Liss was, at the time, a resident of the undergraduate dorm I work with. He got excited about the project and thought it would really appeal to the Head of his high school alma mater, Newark Academy in Livingston, New Jersey. Newark Academy became SEGL's first sending school.
While riding last summer and over the course of the past year it has been thrilling to watch Noah's progress with SEGL. Noah's passion is incredible; his diligent work, tireless; his resourcefulness, surprising; his accomplishments, truly staggering. He has secured the support of a real dream team of collaborators. So when Noah and I discussed the opportunity to get my hands dirty with the project again this summer, I couldn't refuse. This really will be a unique program. Sometimes the language we have used to assert that SEGL will be life-changing feels to me needlessly dramatic - I am usually a pretty understated guy - but this experience really will change lives, it will capture the imagination of its students and open them to all sorts of new questions and opportunities. To be sure, a single semester will not be the last word for any of these students, but the junior year of high school is exactly the time that most young people are determining who they want to be.
The summer before my junior year in high school I spent the summer with a compelling Christian community. I am not part of the same community now, and my understanding of the Christian tradition and experience has matured significantly. But that summer was for me the beginning of the questions, concerns, and commitments that still inform my academic research and my personal faith. SEGL, of course, is not a religious institution, but my own experience recommends that we not trivialize the potential of a meaningful community, tough questions, and a true mentorship opportunity to break into a young person's routine, to help shape character, and to orient significant life decisions.
My tasks this summer have been varied. Probably the biggest jobs have included approaching charitable foundations and scouting for an appropriate facility. Other jobs have included general networking and determining what it will take to feed our students and faculty. I spent a couple days soliciting restaurants for gift certificates to use at fundraising events, I spent this morning trying to identify an accounting firm that might provide pro bono services, I have collected a huge database of nearly every school in the United States that could send students (there are about 24,000 of them) and I've been trying to chase down a mattress company all summer to get a product donation. Some days feel long and productive. Other days the tasks feel nonspecific, phone calls and emails come to dead ends, and it can feel like a waiting game - waiting for someone to bite at one of the lures I've cast. Early this summer I distinguished work with SEGL from my usually academic occupation for its clear practical tasks and perceivable progress. Now I think the two are not quite so distinct. This work requires self-discipline and the industry and creativity to determine what jobs need most to be done. Above all, it requires confidence that it will be successful and that it is important.
One of the great stories of the summer comes out of the facility search. I spent my first days in DC identifying potential properties, driving and riding my bike throughout the District with my camera and a notepad. I looked at over 50 properties: an abandoned gas station, a couple retired churches, the old Italian embassy ($16 million to purchase, $12 million to renovate), single family homes nearly as large as the dorm I direct in Chicago (home to 80 students), a wonderful collection of storefront properties near Eastern Market, and several office spaces that might be converted. Of course, SEGL's requirements are difficult - size, cost, proximity to public transportation, proximity to open space, safety, zoning, aesthetics.
Noah asked me to look into an empty-looking building on Massachusetts Avenue, next door to the Johns Hopkins SAIS building. I looked up the assessor's info to discover that it belonged the Philippines government, apparently their old embassy. With the help of our brokers at CB Richard Ellis, we approached the Philippines about the property. The building was vacated in 1994 when the Philippines moved into a new building across the street. It has not been offered for sale or lease, but they were very excited that someone might like to fix the building up, so excited that they initially offered a no-cost lease if we would assume the renovation expenses. Very excited about the possibility, Noah and I arranged to tour the facility.
On a hot afternoon, a friendly, quiet man named Ernesto unbolted the chain on the front door and let us in. The interior was incredible, like the occupants had fled quickly in the middle of a workday and never looked back. In the ensuing years pigeons and rats have made the building their home. We picked our way among the bird droppings. The building is full of old office furniture, typewriters, passport applications and other paperwork, and a wonderful portrait of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos. Some of the windows are cracked and broken, the electricity and air-conditioning were off, so we worked our way through dusty shadows. Each door we opened was an adventure, as we were likely to encounter a family of pigeons that, when disturbed, would fly at us in the confined quarters of the hallway. But underneath the dust is an incredible building - grand rooms with high ceilings and beautiful moldings. The size was just right, and what a great story. It seems fitting that we should negotiate a contract with a sovereign nation for our program in international affairs. Noah and I loved the building and, for a while, were really excited to move forward.
The details of subsequent developments might be tedious to recount. It has become clear that it may be difficult to work with Philippines, and the lease deal is not quite the boon we first thought it might be. We have now directed our attention elsewhere and are very excited about the present British School of Washington building on 16th Street NW. But I don't think Noah and I will ever forget our tour of that beautiful and frighteningly neglected building.
Because this blog began with last summer's trek, I am glad that my experience in DC has been an occasion to reestablish some of the connections I made last year. On my way to DC from Chicago I stayed an evening with Rhonda Collins, a wonderful, generous woman I met near Covington, KY, last year. She is working on a degree in pharmaceutical studies, a second career after working many years as a jockey and then briefly as a television broadcaster. I admire her a great deal for reasons that would take too long to detail here. I also reconnected this summer with a couple I stayed with in West Union, West Virginia: Paul and Sharon Weekley. When I stayed at their home last summer they took me to the Doddridge County Fair, where I saw my first demolition derby and got to meet the Queen of the Fair. I expressed interest in returning to the fair this summer, and Sharon invited me to be a judge for the fair pageant. I am a stranger to pageants and have some anxiety about their potential shallowness - a la Little Miss Sunshine - but I was thrilled at the invitation. A week ago today I drove to West Virginia for the pageant and had a wonderful time. The girls were great, and it is clearly a significant event in the life of the community. It was an honor, really, to be included in it.
In the world of biking, this summer has been much less active than last. But I got out a couple weekends ago for a long ride on Skyline Drive, through Shenandoah National Park. I was distressed to discover I'm not in the shape I was last summer, but it didn't dampen the beauty of the landscape or my enjoyment of the road.
It has been a wonderful summer, and I am sad that it must come to an end. I will be teaching two courses this fall, preparing the final manuscript of an anthology for publication, supervising the dorm, and plugging away on a dissertation. I can't sustain a full-time commitment to SEGL, but I remain a supporter of this project, will glad to pick up the occasional helpful task, to follow up on a few of the relationships I have established this summer, and - naturally - to watch eagerly as the program comes even closer to its opening day.
Fund raising is a real priority now. One donor has just pledged that he and his friends can be counted on for at least $250,000. Before they will release the gift, however, they are requiring that we have $500,000 committed from other sources. Please, if you are in a position to support the school, however modestly, this is the time to give. Please consider making a donation at the SEGL website: www.schoolforethics.org.
