Perry '98 and Rebecca (Miller) '99 Shank, Denver, Colo., twins Hazel Jane and Olive Anne, Nov. 6, 2011.
Melody King ’03 and Mark Gornto King, Philadelphia, Pa., Leah Alice, Nov. 4, 2011.
Lew ’98 and Jean Briskey ’97 Wagner, Royal City, Wash., Malachi Aaron, Jan. 14, 2011.
Sara Unruh ’03 and Bradley Hiebert, Hutchinson, Kan., Mia Marie, Oct. 27, 2011.
Kirsten Brubaker ’99 and Adam Fuhr, Hickory, N.C., Lukas Allen, Sept. 12, 2011.
Jennie Varner ’03 and Lincoln Nafziger, Archbold, Ohio, Trey Timothy, May 27, 2011.
Sarah Christopher ’99 and Darrin Leichty ’00, West Liberty, Ohio, Elin Joy, Oct. 9, 2011.
Kevin ’94, Sem ’03, and Anna Nofziger, Lancaster, Pa., Katyarina (Katya) Rose, Aug. 23, 2011.
James (Jimmy) ’99 and Kari Suter Miller, Elkton, Va., Henry James, Aug. 19, 2011.
Ryan ’03 and Melissa Cassel Ritter, Broadway, Va., Isaac Joel, Oct. 10, 2011.
Trina Trotter ’99 and Brian ’99 Nussbaum, Harrisonburg, Va., Julian Harold Trotter, Aug. 4, 2011. Ingrid De Sanctis and Sarah Pharis
photograph by Nikki Fox
On Living Fully Until Death Somewhere in the middle of talking about her stage four terminal cancer and a play documenting her life, Sarah Pharis ’04 begins striking her “Katherine Hepburn face.” Sitting beside her at her Harrisonburg home, Ingrid De Sanctis ’88 launches into details of writing the play, called “Sarah and the Dinosaur,” a funny and sometimes heartbreaking look at her former theater assistant’s battle with ocular melanoma. “For me personally to be able to step out of [the play] and go, ‘OK it’s my name and it’s based on my story, but it’s a story that a lot of people are living;’ it changes it for me somehow,” said Pharis, of Staunton, who was told she had six months to live when the eye cancer spread to her liver in 2010. “[The play is] not about me and it’s not really even about cancer it’s just about… ” “Choosing life,” De Sanctis says, finishing the thought. Yes, Pharis has terminal cancer and yes, that’s the basis of the play, but “Sarah and the Dinosaur” is really a larger metaphor for something that Pharis seems to demonstrate so well in her own life — overcoming hardships and living life to the fullest. The play, De Sanctis says, is her own way of coping with Pharis’ illness. “When you watch a young person get cancer and know that their years are limited, you do want to do something and for me the only something was [writing this play],” said De Sanctis. Pharis was first diagnosed with ocular melanoma in 2006 at the age of 26. “In my case, if I look at you through my right eye, it looks as though Picasso was left in charge of your face,” writes Pharis on her blog, “Love x Infinity2.” A list of 35 things Pharis wants to do before her 35th birthday, reads just as one would expect: “Participate in an act of guerilla gardening, take a chocolate bath, see Tom Jones in concert, reconcile with my ‘enemies,’ send a message in a bottle, go sailing, live to be 35.” “[If ] you walk out [of the play and] after 90 minutes are more awake to your life, that’s why I want to tell this story,” said De Sanctis. — Emily Sharrer, excerpted and slightly edited with permission from the Daily News Record (Jan. 9, 2012)
fall 2007 58 | crossroads | fall/winter/spring 2011-12
Gregory ’03 and April Gonzol ’04 Sachs, Harrisonburg, Va., Sylvia June, Nov. 24, 2011.
Grant Rosenberger ’99 and Laura Dell’Olio ’99, State College, Pa., Cedric, April 21, 2011.
Adam Maust ’03 and Sarah Sensamaust, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Annaïs Violette, July 11, 2011.
David ’99 and Julette Leaman Rush, ’95, MA ’02 (education), Harrisonburg, Va., Kyle David, July 2, 2011.
Timothy ’03 and Tamara (Tama) Duncan ’04 Shoemaker, Harrisonburg, Va., Elena Cate, Aug. 22, 2011.
David ’00 and Rebekka Stutzman, Pasadena, Calif., Immanuel Lee, Nov. 2, 2011.
Braden (B.J.) ’04 and Sherah-Leigh Zehr ’04, MDiv ’09, Gerber, Apple Creek, Ohio, Anna Elizabeth, June 13, 2011.
Steven ’00, MDiv ’05, and Katie Grove ’03 Swartzendruber, MA ’06 (counseling), Leesburg, Va., Lane Sydney, Aug. 4, 2011. Mindy Nolt ’01 and Jared Hankee ’02, Lancaster, Pa., Willow Frances Nolt, July 29, 2011. Tanya Siemens ’01 and Christopher J. Hoover '00, Manitoba, Canada, Leo James, June 8, 2011. Michelle Zook ’01 and Mike Kline, Belleville, Pa., Beulah Isabella, Aug. 19, 2011. Amy Sommers ’01 and Mark Shelly, Uniontown, Ohio, Caroline Sarah, March 28, 2011. Paul ’01 and Alicia Slaubaugh ’00 Berry, Harrisonburg, Va., Ellaryn Joy, Jan. 5, 2012. Nathan ’01 and Jana Bentch ’03 Stoltzfus, Lancaster, Pa., Nuriah Psalm, Dec. 31, 2010. Craig ’01 and Sharisa Keim ’98 Zook, Broadway, Va., Harper June, March 11, 2011. Angela Kratzer ’01 and Todd Zuercher, Apple Creek, Ohio, Joshua Daniel, April 19, 2011. Philip ’02 and Amy Blount, Bluffton, Ohio, Ryan, Jan. 21, 2011. Hans ’02 and Sarah Link ’03 Harman, Harrisonburg, Va., Pace Elizabeth, Aug. 4, 2011. Karen Spicher ’02 and Jae Young Lee MA ’03 (conflict transformation), Seoul, Korea, Lomie Spicher, Dec. 5, 2011. Agwu (Ag) ’02 and Jennifer Cline ’04 Ukwa, Brambleton Va., Amarachi Rose, June 21, 2011.
Steve ’04 and Bethany Miller Gibbs, Port Republic, Va., William Seth, Sept. 12, 2011. Cara Wagler ’04 and Tyler Kauffman ’05, Harrisonburg, Va., Delaney Jade, June 12, 2011. Maria Joy Martin '04 and Lester Shisler, Goshen, Ind., Roselynn Joie, Nov. 5, 2011. Denver ’04 and Tara Gerber Steiner, Orrville, Ohio, Alethea Grace, Sept. 14, 2011. Kara Freed ’04 and Jeff Thoman, London, Ohio, Jackson Leo, May 16, 2011. Hannah Kratzer ’04 and Darrell Wenger, Harrisonburg, Va., Aaron Glen, Sept. 20, 2011. Peter ’05 and Christy Harrison Sensenig, Wynnewood, Pa., Moses Peter, Dec. 22, 2011. Erin Hurst ’05 and Chris Wenger, Harrisonburg, Va., Alisa Hurst Wenger, Sept. 17, 2011. Camron ’06 and Leah Ritter ’08 Conrad, Churchville, Va., Corinna Jade, July 6, 2011. Rochelle Zook ’05 and Nathanael Grieser ’06, Sarasota, Fla., Kinsley Faith, March 7, 2011. Aaron (Holden) ’06 and Heidi Bowman ’04 Byler, Harrisonburg, Va., Sydney Hope, Oct. 29, 2011. Eric ’06 and Stephanie Walton ’05 Sents, Broadway, Va., Addison Ruth, Aug. 21, 2011. Josiah ’06 and Carmen Kennel ’07 Garber, Mountville, Pa., David James, July 5, 2011.