Mercersburg Magazine - Summer 2008

Mercersburg

The Life of Sport

The Life of Sport

Mercersburg

1,043 Words

The view from above. Page 10

Commencement 2008

All the sights and excitement of Mercersburg’s 115th Commencement exercises, minus the heat and humidity. Page 12

Mercersburg’s Olympians

These alumni competitors have reached the world’s biggest athletic stage. Page 20

Mercersburg Profiles

Members of this Academy starting lineup have won gold, overcome obstacles, and trotted the globe. Page 26

My Say

Declamation—a moment of truth that’s uniquely Mercersburg. Page 61

YouShouldKnow

Four Mercersburg students earned awards at the Regional Scholastic Arts Competition in Harrisburg this spring. The seniorportfoliosofSoniaByun’08(whosedrawing, RedRain,is picturedatleft)andAmandaCha’08garneredGoldKeyawards, while Madeleine Foster ’08 and Liza Rockwell ’08 collected SilverKeysforthecoverdesignforthe2007 BlueReview anda computer-graphics piece, respectively. For more arts highlights fromthisacademicyear,seepage41.

Photocredits: p.2ChrisCrisman;p.3RyanSmith;p.4(Adams)FrankPerrella,(Hendrickson) Smith,(McDowell)BillGreen;p.5(topleft,topright)LeeOwen;p.7(CumLaude)ReneeHicks; p.8(Nam)StaceyGrasa,(Flannery)AdamBruzzone,(Springman)courtesyAlisaSpringman, (DelToro)MarthaStewart;p.9Hicks;p.10–11Smith;p.12–14(allphotos)BillGreen;p.15(allbut topleft)Smith,(topleft)Hicks;p.16Hicks;p.17Smith;p.19Hicks;p.20(top,bottomleft) MercersburgAcademyArchives;(Stewart)UniversityofTennesseeAthleticCommunications, (Mitchell)UniversityofTexasSportsPhotography;p.22(Hendrickson)Hicks,(Bershatsky)Grasa; p.23(Birmingham,Curran)MercersburgAcademyArchives;(Powers/Simar)SandieCubit;p.24 Owen;p.25courtesyMercersburgOutdoorEducation;p.27CornellAthleticCommunications; p.28courtesyCharlesMoore;p.29(Cass)PhilHoffman;p.30USCSportsInformation;p.33 WoodsPierce;p.34NevilleMiles;p.35(Fulton)CoadyPhotography,(Talbott)StanfordAthletics; p.36LafayetteCollege;p.37courtesyJamieHughes;p.38RutgersAthleticCommunications; p.39courtesyRomonePenny;p.40(Fasano)Owen,(Kaaki)Hicks;p.41(bottomright)Smith; (allotherphotos)NatalieHopkins’09;p.42(groupphoto)Hicks,(bottomleft)Owen,(allother photos)Green;p.43Hicks;p.44(topright)Smith,(allotherphotos)Hicks;p.45Hicks;p.46 LesleyGourley;p.50(Logie)Stewart;p.61courtesyLarissaChaceSmith.

From the Head of School 2 Via Mercersburg 3 Arts 41 Athletics 43 Alumni Notes 46

Mercersburg magazine is published three times annually by the Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications.

Mercersburg Academy 300 East Seminary Street Mercersburg, Pennsylvania 17236

Magazine correspondence: Lee_Owen@mercersburg.edu

Alumni Notes correspondence: NewsNotes@mercersburg.edu

Alumni correspondence/ change of address: Leslie_Miller@mercersburg.edu www.mercersburg.edu

Editor: Lee Owen

Alumni Notes Editor: Jenn Flanagan ’99

Contributors: Larissa Chace Smith ’97, Shelton Clark, Tom Coccagna, Kristy Fasano ’02, Pete Gunkelman, Phil Kantaros, Pat Myers, Susan Pasternack, Jay Quinn, Lindsay Tanton, Wallace Whitworth

Alumni Notes Assistants: Jessica Glass, Carol Swinehart

Art Direction: Aldrich Design

Head of School: Douglas Hale

Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications: Wallace Whitworth

Assistant Head for External Affairs: Mary Carrasco

Fromthe Head ofSchool

FieldsofStudy

Thebanners and trophies on the walls and in the display cases in Nolde Gymnasium are tangible reminders of Mercersburg’s long and storied athletictradition.InthisOlympicyear,it’salsoparticularlygratifyingtonotethenamesof theschool’s54OlympiansinscribedontheplaqueattheIrvineMemorial—powerfulstatements about the extraordinary accomplishments of some of our best athletes. Rightly so, interscholastic athletics have been and always will be an important part of the total educational experience at Mercersburg. As a former basketball player, some of my most profoundlearningoccurredonthebasketballcourt.Inadditiontothesheerjoyofplaying thegame,thelessonscarriedoffthecourtand intoliferepresenttherealandlastingvalueof secondary-schoolathletics.

Whileonlyoneavenue,athleticsarestillan obvious and ideal way to teach young people abouttheimportanceofcompetition;howably we compete determines success at life’s many stages. To balance and complement the competitiveness, though, and to prevent healthy competitionfrombecomingunseemlyandunhealthy,athleticsalsodemandcooperation. No matter how deadly accurate your mid-range jump shot might be, that skill wouldn’t mattermuchifotherswerenotwillingtodefendandreboundandgettheballinyourhands atjusttherightmoment.

Whileoftennotconsideredintheseterms,athleticsalsooffersomeoflife’smostpowerfullessonsaboutcreativity.Everyoffensivepossession,forexample,hasasetofanticipated outcomes.Butwhenthatwhichishopedandplannedfordoesn’tmaterialize(whichismore oftenthecasethannot),acapableathletenotonlyrecognizesbutalsocreatesnewopportunitiesforgoodthingstohappen.

Commitmenttoanenterprisesomehowlargerthanyourownindividualselfisyetanother importantlessontaughtbyathletics.Itisn’teasyorquicktoconditionone’sbodyordevelop thenecessaryskillstoparticipateinasport.Andbeyondthoseparticularphysicalexpectations,thepsychiccommitmenttoacceptadefinedroleforyourselfandtoplaythatrolefor thegreatergoodoftheteamisanespeciallyimportantcomponentoftheathleticexperience.

Notsurprisingly,thelanguageofathleticsandoftheclassroomhaslongbeenaligned, mirroringtheactualexperienceinvokedinthetwovenues.Thebestteachersarealsothose bestableto“coach”astudenttowardmasteryofaskillorconcept,andthebestcoachesare thosewhocansuccessfully“teach”theskillsandinstilltheconfidencenecessaryforathletic competition.LikeotherdeeplyheldtraditionsatMercersburg,maintainingastrong,vibrant athleticprogramisworthyofourcompleterespectandcommitment.

HeadofSchool

DouglasHale

Ringing Far and Wide

New bell completes Academy’s carillon

On May 2, a bell weighing in excess of two tons was hoisted more than 100 feet and lifted into the Irvine Memorial Chapel’s Swoope Carillon. The bell, named for and dedicated to Mercersburg carillonneur James W. Smith, rings a C-sharp and is the final piece of the Academy’s 50-bell carillon. It is the third-largest bell in the tower, and was lifted into the space as part of a school meeting in front of an assembled crowd of students, faculty, the community, and invited guests.

Smith (above) came to Mercersburg as organist and choirmaster in 1965, and later became head of the fine arts department. He was appointed carillonneur at the Academy in 1981, following the retirement of Bryan Barker (who had held the position for 53 years).

Smith, a former organist for the Mercersburg Community Chorus and Orchestra, formed the Mercersburg Chorale and Women’s Ensemble after the Academy became co-ed in the late 1960s. He retired from teaching in 2001, and was honored that same year with the Alumni Council Award for service and accomplishment at the Academy.

Mercersburg’s carillon has had a key for the new bell since it was completed in 1926.

Announcing New Administrative Faculty

Thomas Adams

assistant head of school for enrollment

Adams comes to Mercersburg from The Gunnery in Washington, Connecticut, where he had been director of admission since 2000 and was associate director of admission starting in 1996. Prior to The Gunnery, he was both a teacher and director of admission at The Phelps School in Malvern, Pennsylvania, preceded by four years of teaching at Northwood School in Lake Placid, New York.

He succeeds Christopher Tompkins, who after eight years at Mercersburg accepted the position of headmaster at Perkiomen School in Pennsburg, Pennsylvania.

“I am both honored and thrilled to be appointed,” Adams says. “Having the opportunity to visit the campus several times to meet with students, administrators, and faculty enabled me to appreciate what a special place the Academy is.

“It is a spectacular campus with beautiful facilities, but even more important, the spirit and pride within the school community were strong and evident. I look forward to working with the other members of the admission staff to maintain and further enhance the quality and character of the student body.”

Douglas Hale, head of school, echoes Adams’ enthusiasm. “Not only is Tommy known to many around the country as an energetic and respected educator,” Hale says, “but he has an excellent track record in the areas of admission and marketing, and he is totally dedicated to working with young people in a boarding school environment.”

Adams received his preparatory education at Avon Old Farms School in Avon, Connecticut, and holds a bachelor’s degree from Roanoke College.

Rick Hendrickson

director of athletics

Hendrickson begins his 16th year at Mercersburg with a new role. Having served as director of summer and extended programs, as a teacher of English, and a 15-year stint as head wrestling coach, Hendrickson now assumes leadership of the Academy’s athletic department.

He succeeds Ron Simar, who moves into a newly created administrative position at the Academy following 20 years in charge of athletics.

“I am very excited about the opportunity to lead the direction of athletics here, and to provide the vision for our athletic department,” Hendrickson says. “Ron has served the school well in this position, and I hope to be able to serve Mercersburg just as well during my tenure.”

Hendrickson is one of the most successful coaches in recent Mercersburg history. He holds school marks in dual-meet coaching victories and winning percentage, coached 12 Pennsylvania state individual prep champions and 28 Prep All-Americans, and led the Blue Storm to six conference championships.

In summer 2007, Mercersburg Summer Programs ran more than 30 different sessions for approximately 1,900 participants.

Hendrickson is a graduate of West Liberty State College and West Virginia University; his wife, Amy, works in the Academy’s business office, and their two oldest children, Jennifer ’03 and Rachael ’06, are Mercersburg alumni.

Quentin McDowell

director of summer and extended programs

McDowell, who also takes over the Blue Storm men’s soccer program, first arrived at Mercersburg in 2007 to teach history. His boarding school career began as a postgraduate student at Holderness School in New Hampshire.

The captain of the men’s soccer team at Muhlenberg College, McDowell graduated a semester early and joined the National Soccer Coaches Association of America as education program coordinator and technical coordinator. He developed coaching curriculum, handled event planning, and taught coaching courses.

McDowell then spent two years as a teacher and coach at Cushing Academy in Massachusetts, where he also served as director of student activities for the school’s summer session.

In addition to his classroom and residential duties during his first year at Mercersburg, he was an assistant coach for the varsity men’s soccer and lacrosse programs.

“I am thrilled to be taking over as director of summer and extended programs,” McDowell says. “The office has thrived under Rick’s leadership, and I hope I can bring the same energy and creativity needed to keep the program moving forward.”

Wallace Whitworth director of strategic marketing and communications

Whitworth comes to Mercersburg most recently from Georgetown University, where for four years he was executive director of marketing, communications, and constituent development in the medical center wing of the university’s Office of Advancement.

A liberal arts graduate of the University of South Carolina, Whitworth has focused the better part of his career on building marketing and fundraising programs for some of the most prestigious institutions in the country.

For 10 years at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., he served as assistant director of development for annual giving programs, where he managed a combined donor base of 30,000 that generated $5 million annually. At Lincoln Center in New York City, he was director of marketing for six years with New York City Opera, where he was in charge of all advertising and sales for a 20-week season of 19 productions in repertory each year.

Whitworth says that he sees Mercersburg as one big theatrical production—a seasoned production team, a handsome setting, an ever-renewing story line, a dedicated audience of alumni and parents, and, of course, 430 of the most committed and energized young performers on the planet.

In his new role, he succeeds Heather Sullivan, who accepted a position at Northfield Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts.

OFF TO COLLEGE, ATHLETES

row (L–R): Destinee Hays (Bellarmine, softball), Whitney Matthew (Hampton, track), Clayton Young (Navy, squash), Lauren Dobish (Bates, basketball/softball), Valentin Quan Miranda (Middlebury, squash), Lara Brandfass (College of Charleston, swimming). Second row: Peter Cooke (Case Western Reserve, swimming), Bill Campi (Rochester, football), Ben Eaton (Lafayette, football), Collin Stevens (Coastal Carolina, football/baseball), David O’Brien (Frostburg State, baseball), Jay Whyel (Alfred, lacrosse). Third row: Garrett Matthews (Washington College, lacrosse), Andrew Reichardt (Dickinson, lacrosse), Ethan Strickler (Kenyon, soccer), Annie Spencer (Boston College, cross country), Luke Griffin (Franklin & Marshall, squash), Ben Axelrod (Sewanee, lacrosse), Gabe Martin (Emory, basketball). Fourth row: James Finucane (Penn, cross country/track), Fleet White (Navy, track), Logan Craig (John Carroll, soccer), Chris Freeland (Gettysburg, baseball). Back row: Brett Burrier (MarylandBaltimore County, basketball), Simon Berger (Lehigh, swimming), Nick Rowan (Gettysburg, lacrosse), David Strider (South Carolina, track), Marshall Daniels (Navy, swimming). Not pictured: Patrick Holmes (Lehigh, swimming), Mary Lancaster (Hamilton, field hockey/lacrosse), Tom McCarthy (Navy, swimming), Augusta Reilly (Washington College, field hockey/lacrosse), Chris Sintetos (Holy Cross, baseball).

Saying Aloha

The irony isn’t lost on Kimberly Smith ’09: she’s a cheerleader at a school that doesn’t officially have a cheerleading squad.

Yet as most of the nation shivered in early February, Smith (pictured, second from left) was cheering at the 2008 NFL Pro Bowl in Hawaii, more than 4,700 miles from Mercersburg.

Smith, a competitive cheerleader who started taking gymnastics classes in first grade, was selected to participate in the AllAmerican Cheer and Dance NFL Pro Bowl Performance Tour. She joined approximately 800 cheerleaders from across America at pro football’s annual all-star game.

Following more than 15 hours of rehearsal in the week leading up to the game at Honolulu’s Aloha Stadium, the group performed at halftime and was accompanied by a live performance from recording artist Lifehouse. The game and halftime

show were broadcast on FOX, and Smith received additional airtime when she found herself seated behind Washington Redskins tight end Chris Cooley as he caught a touchdown pass.

Smith played field hockey her freshman year at Mercersburg and is a high jumper on the track team (although she missed the spring 2008 season with a back injury). She balances academics with 8–10 hours of weekly practice at her gym, and hopes to earn a cheerleading scholarship to a “bigtime” Division I school.

The following members of the Class of 2008 plan to compete in collegiate athletics. Front

Quad and Irvine Memorial Set for Major Revitalization

Most of us like to think that some things never change, and that sentiment is particularly true when it comes to the Mercersburg quad.

In reality, however, the quad is always changing. Every year, it suffers the effects of wind, rain, snow, cold, heat, and ice. As the campus changes, pedestrian and vehicle traffic patterns must be reassessed—and the quad’s aesthetics inevitably need a face-lift to keep it fresh and in step with the times.

Rather than simply continuing to maintain the quad in patchwork fashion, the Board of Regents decided that the Academy

should make strategic upgrades, additions, and repairs with the assistance of a leading landscape architect.

Working with Michael Vergason Landscape Architects of Alexandria, Virginia, the Academy is embarking on the first-ever revitalization of the quad, which began in June and continues through spring 2009.

The total revitalization will include:

• Renovation of the Irvine Memorial

• A new traffic pattern

• New additional parking

• A new granite plaza leading to the Chapel and new granite crosswalks

• Improved quad soils with indigenous trees

• Improved curbs, pavings, lighting, and illumination

The Academy chose MVLA because of the firm’s track record of designing lasting places through creative and rigorous study of sites and their contexts. Founder Michael Vergason is involved directly; MVLA’s manager for the Mercersburg project is Doug Hays, who has a 30-year career in the public and private sectors—including the National Park Service, where he was the landscape architect assigned to the White House during the Ford, Carter, and Reagan presidencies.

For more information and updates as they become available, visit www.mercersburg.edu/quad.

THE NEW CLASS OF Cum Laude

Twenty-four members of the Class of 2008 were elected to membership in Mercersburg’s chapter of the Cum Laude Society. Founded in 1906, the organization is the secondary-school equivalent of Phi Beta Kappa, and has chapters at more than 350 schools nationwide.

Sitting (L–R): Sarah Cho, Jenna Spagnolo, Nathan Stanford, Annie Spencer, Janice Jung, Molly Sabol. Standing: Vivien Hu, Ting Ou Yang, Tony Yen, James Finucane, David Strider, Leonhard Deibel, Eleanor Carroll-Smith, Laura Diller, Remy Wheat, Emily Weiss, Lara Brandfass, Jeff Chung, Laura Willwerth, Josh Bowling, Pat Morgan, Kelsie Bittle, Chris Freeland, invited speaker Ivan Sag ’67 (note, page 48), Head of School Douglas Hale. Not pictured: Kiva Rudd.

In Case You Missed It

The American Association of Physics Teachers selected Jae Nam ’10 as one of 24 members of the 2008 U.S. Physics Team. Nam, who was nominated by Mercersburg physics teacher Jim Malone, earned a top score on an initial qualifying exam. He moved on from a pool of 200 semifinalists to tackle a second exam, which placed him in the top 24.

As part of the team, Nam spent nine days in May engaged in intense study, testing, and problem solving at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Nam posted a perfect score at the Johns Hopkins Mathematics Algebra Tournament last fall, and scored in the top 500 out of more than 225,000 students that participated this spring in the USA Mathematical Olympiad, a national mathematics competition.

In March, the Ammerman Family Lecture featured Australian scientist, conservationist, and author Tim Flannery. In his best-selling book, The Weather Makers: How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth, Flannery tells the story of climate change over millions of years to help us understand the predicament we face today.

“We’ve been given an extraordinary privilege [as a society] today,” Flannery said during his talk. “With new technologies and global treaties, we can step in and intervene as a species to keep our planet livable.”

The Class of ’48 Lecture was delivered in April by lecturer and author Marcelo SuarezOrozco. A member of the National Academy of Education and co-founder of the Harvard Immigration Project, he is a professor of globalization and education at New York University.

“The United States is one of the few post-industrial states in which immigration is both its history and destiny,” Suarez-Orozco said; he told the assembled audience that from the time they wake up each morning until they go to bed, $1 trillion crosses national boundaries, and that every second, 25 people cross a national border somewhere in the world.

Springman was selected to compete this summer in the 2008 Badwater Ultramarathon, a 135mile race from Death Valley to Mount Whitney in California. She is raising money for the Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation in memory of Lauren Grady, the daughter of Mercersburg faculty member David Grady. For more information, visit www.badwater.com.

This year, Mercersburg was one of approximately 150 secondary schools nationwide to offer an Ancient Greek course. (Karl Muller taught the course, which was the first Greek class at the Academy in more than 35 years.) Five of his students took the American Classical League’s National Greek Examination; all five received Merit Awards for correctly answering at least 33 of 40 questions. The group included Lars Arnesen ’09, John Draper ’09, Spencer Flohr ’10, Josh Muller ’10, and Sam Richardson ’09.

Students are required to study three or more years of Latin before enrolling in the course.

Benicio Del Toro ’85 won the Best Actor prize at this spring’s Cannes Film Festival for his performance in Steven Soderbergh’s Che The production—with Del Toro in the role of Latin American revolutionary figure Ernesto “Che” Guevara— combines a pair of Soderbergh films (Guerilla and The Argentine) that are tentatively scheduled for release in the U.S. sometime this year. In 2000, Del Toro earned the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his work in another Soderbergh film, Traffic

Also this spring, Power of 10, a game show created by Del Toro classmate Michael Davies ’85, captured the prestigious Rose d’Or for best game show. Davies, a member of Mercersburg’s Board of Regents and CEO of Embassy Row Productions, is executive producer of the show, which airs in the U.S. on CBS and is hosted by Drew Carey.

Talk about going the extra mile: faculty member Alisa Springman won a 100-mile race from Key Largo to Key West, Florida, in May. Springman placed first in the inaugural Keys 100—more than two and a half hours ahead of her closest challenger—and covered the 100 miles south of Miami on foot in 23 hours, 2.23 minutes.

The race was held on a Saturday; the following Monday, Springman was back on campus teaching math and serving as dorm dean of Keil Hall.

Mercersburg’s Burgin Center for the Arts earned a pair of architectural awards this spring. The building, which opened in fall 2006, is one of two facilities to receive an Honor Architecture Award this year from the United States Institute for Theatre Technology, and also garnered an award citation from the National School Boards Association. An exhibit featuring the building was on display during the NSBA conference in Orlando in March.

New York–based Polshek Partnership Architects designed the 65,500-square-foot facility, which includes performance, classroom, studio, and other creative space.

Jae Nam

Alisa Springman

Benicio Del Toro ’85

Tim Flannery

Marcelo Suarez-Orozco

A Hero’s Welcome for A

New Portrait

portrait of Rear Admiral Eugene Bennett Fluckey ’30 was unveiled on Memorial Day in the Simon Theatre. The portrait will hang in Ford Hall along with paintings of Mercersburg’s two other Medal of Honor recipients, Lieutenant Ralph Talbot ’16 and Admiral Joel T. Boone (1909)—and with the portrait of World War I hero Wilbert White (1907), who has been frequently recommended for the Medal of Honor.

Fluckey was a World War II hero and a great naval leader and innovator. A 1935 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, he joined the submarine service in 1938 and took command of the USS Barb in April 1944. He received the Medal of Honor for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life” as the Barb’s commanding officer. Among Fluckey’s many other commendations were four Navy Crosses, the Distinguished Service Medal, and the Legion of Merit; he died in June 2007 at age 93.

The Fluckey portrait was commissioned and given to Mercersburg in memory of Thomas G. Pownall ’40 by his widow, Marilyn, and family.

A total of 167 Mercersburg alumni were killed in action during World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. “That number is far more than this school’s fair share, given our size,” said Douglas Hale, head of school, during the ceremony. “But it measures the depth of Mercersburg’s belief in duty, honor, and service to country.

“Admiral Fluckey’s achievements are enormous, and he is truly a war hero. We are deeply proud of him and of all of our military.”

Artist Jamie Lee McMahan with his portrait of Rear Admiral Eugene B. Fluckey

1,043 Words

Most in attendance looked skyward as the final bell in the Academy’s Swoope Carillon was lifted into the tower on a festive May day. This view offers a different perspective of the festivities, which honored the bell’s namesake, Mercersburg carillonneur James W. Smith.

CLASSOF2008PRIZESFORDISTINGUISHEDPERFORMANCE

CumLaudeSociety

KelsieBittle JoshBowling LaraBrandfass EleanorCarroll-Smith

SarahCho

JeffChung LeonhardDeibel LauraDiller JamesFinucane ChrisFreeland VivienHu JaniceJung PatMorgan TingOuYang KivaRudd MollySabol JennaSpagnolo AnnieSpencer NathanStanford DavidStrider EmilyWeiss RemyWheat LauraWillwerth TonyYen

President’sEducationAward forEducationalExcellence

KelsieBittle LaraBrandfass EleanorCarroll-Smith SarahCho PeterCooke LeonhardDeibel JamesFinucane VivienHu SeanJohnson JaniceJung SteveKim KwangBaekLee PatMorgan TingOuYang KivaRudd DianeSchrom LilySmith JennaSpagnolo AnnieSpencer DavidStrider EmilyWeiss RemyWheat FleetWhite LauraWillwerth

English

THEHARRYF.SMITHPRIZE RemyWheat

THEJOHNMOUNTAINPRIZE LaraBrandfass

THEDR.JULIUSSHAMANSKYPRIZE EmilyBrundage

THEWILLIAMC.HEILMANPRIZE

FleetWhite

THEPOETRYPRIZE TaylorHoffman

THEPRATTL.TOBEYPRIZE MaryLancaster

THEGORDONM.MACARTNEYPRIZE MaryLancaster

FineArts

THEHEADOFSCHOOL’S PURCHASEPRIZE JennaSpagnolo andLauraWillwerth

THEAUSTINV.MCCLAINPRIZE INFINEARTS AmandaCha

THEMUSICDIRECTOR’SPRIZE NatashaSukerkar

THEPAULM.SUERKENPRIZE JoshBowling

THESENIORINSTRUMENTAL MUSICPRIZE JaniceJung andTrentWoodham

THEDANCEDIRECTOR’SAWARD HonorZimmerman

THECHOREOGRAPHYPRIZE LizaRockwell

THESTONYBATTERPRIZE AnnaHunkaandAlexSchroer

History

THEEUROPEANHISTORYPRIZE KelsieBittle

THEHUMANITIESPRIZE DianeSchrom

THECOLONELWILLSPRIZE RobbieMunter(firstprize) TonyYen(secondprize)

ForeignLanguage

ADVANCEDLEVELCHINESE JaniceJung

INTRODUCTORYLEVELGERMAN HisakiMizutani

THEH.EUGENEDAVISPRIZEINSPANISH NatashaSukerkar

Mathematics

PRIZEINMATH50AP(CALCULUS) LeonhardDeibel

Religion

THEWILLIAMPAULBUCHANANPRIZE

FleetWhite(firstprize) JoshBowling(secondprize) PeterCooke(fourthprize)

Science

THEWILMARTHI.JACOBS APPHYSICSPRIZE LeonhardDeibel

THEBRENTGIFTENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCEPRIZE JennaSpagnolo

Athletics/OutdoorEducation

THELEONARDPLANTZAWARD JamesFinucane

THEDARRELLECKERAWARD LaurenDobish

THEPERSISF.ROSSAWARD SethFries

SpecialAwards

U.S.NAVALACADEMYATANNAPOLIS CERTIFICATE MarshallDaniels SeanJohnson TomMcCarthy FleetWhite ClaytonYoung

THECOMMUNITYSERVICEAWARD TaylorHoffman

THEYALEUNIVERSITYAURELIANPRIZE DavidStrider

THEFRANCISSHUNKDOWNSPRIZE KatePreston

THEWILLIAMC.FOWLEAWARD JoshBowling andRachelGreenberg

THEMARYJANEBERGERPRIZE EmilyCarl

THETIMO.ROCKWELLAWARD SethFries

THECAROLAMOROCHOPRIZE ChrisFreeland

THEHEADOFSCHOOL’SPRIZE JamesFinucane

MERCERSBURG’S 115th COMMENCEMENT

Facts and Fi gures

122 graduates, r representi ng 18 states, the District of Columbia, and 16 nati ons

Members of the class w wil l attend 88 different i nstitutions of higher learning

Most-popular college choice ( (five matricul ations): United States Naval Academy

Second-most-popular choices ( (three matricul ations each): Ameri can Unive rsity, Col lege of Charleston, Emory University, Lehigh U ni versity, New York Universi ty, University of Pennsylvania, University of Richmond, U ni versity of Rocheste r

Valedictorian: R Remy Wheat, Ri chmond, Virginia

Salutatorian: E Emil y Wei ss, Greencastle, Pennsylvania

Schaff Orator: D David Strider, Charles Town, West Virginia

Class Orator: L Laura Dil ler, Chambersburg , Pennsylvania

Commencement speaker: C Thomas Thorne, facul ty membe r/Latin teacher and language depar tment head

Baccalaureate speaker: J James Applebaum, facul ty membe r/Engli sh teacher

“This world is going to be okay, because you will make it that way. This world is going to be okay, because you will make it your responsibility to hold things together; to solve age-old problems and some new ones.”

—TOM THORNE, COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER

Irving-Marshall Week 2008

WINNER: MARSHALL

Irving declaimers (L–R): Taylor Hoffman ’08, Hannah Miller ’10, second-place winner Ellis Mays ’10, Fleet White ’08, Derek Osei-Bonsu ’09.

Marshall declaimers (L–R): Rebecca Galey ’09, first-place winner Bond Stockdale ’09, Evan Pavloff ’09, Patrick Morgan ’08, third-place winner Emily Bays ’10.

MONIQUE LIDDELL: “HeretoMentor”

ith Monique Liddell at the head of the class, you wouldn’t dream of coming up with any type of “dog-ate-my-homework” excuse. Liddell,whobeganatMercersburglastfallasamathteacher andheadwomen’sbasketballcoach,runsatightshipwith a cool, steady confidence often found in teacher-athletes. She will keep her coaching duties and serve as the Academy’sassociatedirectorofathleticsbeginninginfall2008.

Aftercoachingatthehighschoolandcollegiatelevels— includingastintasanassistantatMorganStateUniversity, whereshewasathree-timeAll-Mid-EasternAthleticConference selection during her playing career—Liddell was

eagertorunherownprogram.“That’showIlearnedabout Mercersburg,”shesays.“Irememberdrivinghereonaroad in the middle of nowhere and then finding this beautiful campus.” During her interview, she felt a pull toward the school and especially toward the basketball team she met briefly—“Isensedtheywereeagerformetocomebackand immediatelyfeltthatIhadworktodohere.”

Among the highlights of her first season? A convincing win against Lawrenceville [58–36] “and the fact that my teamislaughingandsmiling,”shesays.“We’reworkinghard andhavingfun.”

BeingateacherwhoisalsoanaccomplishedathletedirectlyinfluenceshowLiddellrunsherclassroom,herpractices,andherlife.“Disciplineiseverythingtome;it’show I was raised and how my best teachers and coaches were withme,”shesays.“ItissomethingIimparttomystudents andmyplayerseveryday.Ibelievethateverythingfallsinto placewithdisciplineandafirmgraspofthefundamentals.”

Additionally,shehasfoundthataboarding-schoolenvironmenttakesmentoringtoawholenewlevel.“Thereare so many areas of the students’ lives where we can make a positiveimpact,”Liddellsays.

Oneofsixsiblings,Liddellisgratefultothefemalerole models and mentors who altered the direction of her life. “At a point in high school, I felt indifferent about playing basketballuntiloneofmycoachestoldmethatIhadsome talent and she wanted me on the team. From that point, everythingchanged,andIbecamemorefocusedandgoaloriented.

“Forme,havingmentorsledtomybeingabletotravel, to see the world, and realize that I have options.” At Mercersburg,Liddell’svisionisclear:“Mypassionandpurpose istogivebacktothekids—Iamheretomentor.”

—LindsayTanton

PETE WILLIAMS:

Making a Splash

How do you know you’re an Olympian? If you find yourself in the Olympic Village wearing George Foreman’s sportcoat, chances are you’ve made it.

In 1968, Pete Williams qualified for the U.S. Olympic Swim Team in the 400-meter medley relay. Williams was fresh out of Michigan State University (where he was an 11time All-American and an NCAA record holder in the 400 individual medley)—and although he didn’t see action as a competitor at those Games in Mexico City, Williams officially caught Olympic fever. (He also tried on Foreman’s jacket, which, for the record, “enveloped me,” he says.)

Williams, who has served as Mercersburg’s head swimming coach since 1988, has been a part of four Olympiads as an athlete, coach, or official.

“No one is ever a ‘former’ Olympian—once you’re one, you’re always one,” Williams says. “It’s sort of like a big fraternity, with all the friendships and the camaraderie.”

While preparing for the ’68 Games at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Williams noticed that a lot of swimmers were training in the modern pentathlon (which combines swimming, a cross-country run, pistol shooting, an equestrian event, and fencing). So he decided to give it a try.

After the Olympics and while in the Army at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Williams was training to become an MP when he was thrown from a horse on the pentathlon course, breaking his ankle. The setback had the unintended consequence of giving birth to his coaching career.

Williams began coaching at nearby Alamo Heights High School, where he tutored future Olympic gold medalist Bruce Hayes. He prepared members of the U.S. modern pentathlon team for the 1972 and 1976 Games, and served

as a pentathlon official (and as Hayes’ personal coach) during the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles; Hayes struck gold there in the 4x200mfreestyle relay.

At those same Olympics, former Olympic swimmer John McGinigo and sports psychologist Keith Bell talked Williams into his first open-water swim, in the Pacific Ocean. “I loved it,” Williams says. “It’s so different from being in the pool.” Williams has competed in open-water events in the U.S., Australia, and Mexico, and won his age group at a May competition in Austin, Texas.

Immediately after coming to Mercersburg in 1988, he worked as the swim coach for the U.S. modern pentathlon squad at the Summer Olympics in Seoul; he also served as de facto head swimming coach for the Pakistani Olympic Team at the 1996 Atlanta Games, when he coached the squad’s lone member, Kamul Masud ’97. (Williams also worked in Atlanta with Croatia’s Tinka Dancevic ’98.)

Under Williams, 10 Mercersburg swimmers have competed at the Olympics; at the Academy, members of his teams have broken three national interscholastic records, won four Eastern Interscholastic Swimming Championships, and captured the 2008 Mid-Atlantic Prep League men’s championship.

“The experience here as a coach is pretty unique,” says Williams, now in his 19th year as head of the physical education department. Both his daughters, Jeanie Williams McGaughy ’92 and Rosie Williams Udodj ’95, competed in various sports at Mercersburg (including swimming, in Jeanie’s case). “Kids want to compete and get a good education. It’s really similar to a college situation.”

—Lee Owen

“No one is ever a ‘former’ Olympian—once you’re one, you’re always one.”

M E R C E R S B U R G ’ S O LY M P I A N S

(L–R): Barney Berli nger ’ 27, Ted Meredith ’ 12, Coach Jimmy Curran, Bill Carr ’ 29

Bil l Carr ’ 29

Me lvin S tewart ’88

Betsy Mitchell ’ 83

N

Walter Drumhel ler (1897) 1900 USA trac k & fiel d

Bob Leav itt (1903) 1906 USA trac k & fiel d

Thomas Moffi tt (1901) 1908 USA trac k & fiel d

William Robbins (1906) 1908 USA trac k & fiel d

Lee Talbott (1907) 1908 USA trac k & fiel d

Robe rt Foster (1909) 1908 USA swi mmi ng

Ted Meredith ’ 12 1912/1920 USA trac k & fiel d

Harry Goelitz ’ 14 1920 USA trac k & fiel d

Al len Woodri ng ’18 1920 USA trac k & fiel d

Marvin Rick ’ 20 1924 USA trac k & fiel d

George Hester ’ 22 1924 Canada trac k & fiel d

Charl es “Crip” Moore ’ 22 1924 USA trac k & fiel d

Bill Cox ’ 24 1924 USA trac k & fiel d

Harry Glancy ’ 24 1924 /1928 USA swi mmi ng

Barney Berl inger ’ 27 1928 USA trac k & fiel d

Bill Carr ’ 29 1932 USA trac k & fiel d

Basi l Francis ’ 31 1932 USA swi mmi ng

John Macionis ’ 34 1936 USA swi mmi ng

Al an Ford ’ 42 1948 USA swi mmi ng

Jeff Kirk ’ 42 1948 USA trac k & fiel d

Robe rt Sohl ’ 45 1948 USA swi mmi ng

Charl es Moore Jr ’ 47 1952 USA trac k & fiel d

Ri chard Cl eveland ’ 4 8 1952 USA swi mmi ng

Jean Cronstedt ’ 50 1952 Sweden g ymnastics

Lee Yoder ’ 50 1952 USA trac k & fiel d

Rolando Cruz ’60 1956/1960/1964 Puerto Rico trac k & fiel d

Cel estino “Ti to” Perez ’65 1964 Puerto Rico swi mmi ng

Radames Torruella ’58 1968 Puerto Rico sailing

Frank Richardson Jr ’80 1976 USA swi mmi ng

Ri ch Saeger ’82 1984 USA swi mmi ng

Betsy Mitchell ’83 1984 /1988 USA swi mmi ng

Christine Jacob ’85 1984 Philippines swi mmi ng

Robe

Le

Starstruck

Harry Glancy ’ 24 swam in two Summer Olympics, striking gold at the 1924 Games as a member of the U S 4x200 -meter relay team He also holds the unique distinction of having comp eted on relay teams with two actors that later went on to play Tarzan i n motion pic tures: Johnny Weissmuller (Glancy’s Olympi c teammate) and Buster Crabbe

Saluting a Coach

EDITOR’SNOTE:After 15 years at the helm of Mercersburg’s wrestling program, Rick Hendrickson becomes the Academy’s director of athletics this fall. Longtime assistant coach Jason Bershatsky offers his reflections on one of the most successful coaches in recent Mercersburg history.

“One thing that stood out when I came here was the nature of the program Rick had built. This was a place both for elite wrestlers and for kids who began wrestling at Mercersburg—kids who stuck with the program and became solid wrestlers by their senior years. Rick cares equally about all of his wrestlers, and about how they develop as athletes and as students.

“There are many people who consider Rick to have been the most important person in their Mercersburg experiences. In that way, Rick is a coach in the fullest sense of the word. His combination of commitment and caring has been critical to the success of many kids, especially those that have hit some bumps. So it’s no surprise that a couple of wrestlers have asked Rick to serve as best man in their weddings.

“Rick knows wrestling. Before coming to Mercersburg, he turned around the wrestling program at Berkeley Springs High School in West Virginia. He is a master at generating real enthusiasm about wrestling; his practices are creative and effective. There’s the legendary dead-of-winter mountain run at McConnellsburg, and I’m sure our wrestlers have nothing but fond memories of having to push Rick’s pickup truck around campus.

“Rick has volunteered to help other athletic programs with conditioning drills. He assisted with the football program despite his hectic schedule. And in addition to coaching wrestling [and working as Mercersburg’s director of summer and extended programs], Rick produced a Mercersburg wrestling magazine, media guides, a wrestling website, and an email list that keeps the Mercersburg wrestling community connected.

“When Rick came, his strategy was simple: find the best possible competition and compete. The number of matches went up and the quality of our opponents also increased. But stepping up to that next level has always meant that each and every wrestler take that step. That emphasis on community—the earnest commitment to every player, every ‘mat stat’ [manager], every coach, and every family—that’s what has been most rewarding to me as a member of Mercersburg’s wrestling community.”

—Phil Kantaros

JasonBershatsky

RickHendrickson

Le gendary Coaches

JIMMY CURR AN, who coached at Mercersburg from 1910 to 1961, was truly a man for al l seasons Thi rtee n of his track & field athl etes compete d in the Olympic Games; the group won eight medals, i ncluding six golds A de dic ated and fun-lovi ng athle te himself, Curran once kic ked a football 50 yards with his bare toes, and played 290 holes of golf on the nowvanishe d Academy course duri ng one long 15-hour day

"KING" JOH N MILLER pre sided over the pool from 1924 until 1953, inc luding a wartime break for military se rvic e He, too, produced several Olympians, and won a dozen Eastern Intersc hol astic Swimming championships Life magaz ine even devoted four pages of a 1939 i ssue to Miller and his unusual traini ng methods, which inc luded feeding team members honey be fore race s and an occasional prod from his infamous bamboo pole

Three decades later, JOH N TR EMB LEY set the bar at a nearly unreachable height From 1980 to 1988, Trembley’s swimming teams captured seven national pre p championships, set 29 national prep records, and racked up a gaudy 95 – 2 dual-meet record His program also produce d Mercersburg’s three most-rec ent Olympic gold medalists: Ri ch Saeger ’82, Be tsy Mitchell ’83, and Me lvin Stewart ’88 Trembley has be en head coach at the University of Tennessee sinc e 1988

Super Powers

At the 1936 Penn Relays, Ed Powers ’37 he lped set a world record (8: 08 6) as a member of Mercersburg’s 4x800me ter relay team (Powers ran the second leg; teammates included Hoyt Thurber ’36, Joe McCabe ’ 36, and Steven Reeves ’36 )

This spring, the 90-year-old Powers (ri ght, with outgoing Ac ademy director of athle ti cs Ron Simar) was saluted at Mercersburg’s athl etics banquet wi th the creation of the Edward J Powers Most Improved Track Athlete Prize, an annual award to be presented in his honor (Read about the i naugural winne rs in the wi nte r issue of Mercersburg magazine )

R E M E M B E R I N G

Joe Birmin gh am (1904) played nine seasons as an outfielder for the Cleveland Naps of the American League Although he wasn’t a star hitter, Birmingham was known to possess a stellar arm and thus was qui te a defensive weapon He was name d the Naps’ manager in 1912, serving for parts of four seasons and when the team change d its name in 1915 , Birmingham became the first manager of the Cleveland Indians Unfortunately, he wasn’t around long enough to get comfortable with the new moniker; Birmingham was fired 28 games into the 1915 campaign He died in 1946

Ted Meredith ’12 was Merce rsburg’s first alumnus to win two Olympi c gold medals; he first qualifi ed for the U S Olympic team during his se nior year at Mercersburg He c aptured both medals at the 1912 Summer Olympi cs i n Stock holm, winni ng the 800-meter run while setti ng a worl d record (1: 51 90) and striking gold as a member of the U S 4x400m relay team Meredith, who was also the first Mercersburg al um to compete in multiple Olympiads (1912 and 1920), narrowly mi ssed two more Olympic medals; he finished fourth in the 400m in 1912 and fourth on the 1920 American 4x400m relay squad Meredith, who die d in 1957, wil l be inducted into the Pe nnsylvania Sports Hall of Fame this November

In April 1924 , future major-league pitcher Irving “Bump” Hadley ’24 struc k out 26 of the 27 batters he faced en route to tossing a perfect game for Mercersburg against Hadl ey-Lynn of Massac husetts It is not known whether the 26 -strikeout performance i s an amateur singl e-game record Hadley won 161 games in 16 majorleague seasons with the Washington Senators, Chicago White Sox, St Loui s Browns, New York Yankees, New York Giants, and Philadelphia Athletics, and won four Worl d Se ries championshi ps as a member of the Yankees In 1948, he was a member of the very first Boston Red Sox television-broadc ast crew; he died in 1963

Jimmy Curran

Information MOE

An inside look at Mercersburg’s great outdoors department

B Y P ETE G UNKELMAN

THE12 CLU B

In May, Lauren Dobish ’08 (left) and Laura Diller ’ 08 were honore d as winners of 12 varsi ty le tters during their athletic c areers at Mercersburg Both are members of a sel ect group of just 15 Merce rsburg athletes to have accomplished this feat

Shelley Wei nberg (1972 – 1976): field hockey, basketball, tennis

David Illi ngworth (1978 – 1982): football , wrestl ing , baseball

Sarah Burbank (1991 – 1995): field hockey, squash, softball, socce r

Amanda Reisner (1993 – 1997): field hockey, basketball , softbal l

Katie Keller (2000 –2004): fiel d hockey, basketbal l, lac rosse

Eric Rahauser (2001 – 2005): soc cer, basketball, tennis

Beth Wilber (2001 – 2005): fi eld hockey, sk iing , lacrosse

Melissa McCartney (2001 –2005): volleyball, basketball, trac k

Matt Engl ehart (2001 –2005): football , wrestli ng , baseball

Shelby Hoffman (2002 – 2006): soccer, ski ing , lacrosse, track

Josh Edgin (2002 –2006): football, wrestling, baseball

Lee Banta (2002 – 2006): golf, cross country, squash, track

Madi McConnell (2003 – 2007): cross country, swimming , track

Laura Diller (2004 – 2008): fi eld hockey, winter track, track

Laure n Dobish (2004 – 2008): soccer, baske tball, softball

Ihave to admit that the first time I heard “MOE” (the common campus acronym for Mercersburg Outdoor Education), I thought that it sounded like one of the Three Stooges.

I think I even suggested calling it something else— rather insulting, I’m sure, to Derry Mason, MOE’s director, who had been using the moniker for a year before I hit the scene. The outdoors, and the effect our programs have on people, could not be further in my eyes perceptually from slapstick comedy. Only through three years of participation have I understood what “I do MOE” means to our students and the community.

MOE is a department—one that offers biking, climbing, kayaking, and Endeavor [our mountaineering, communications, and leadership course] along with a number of residential programs focused on leadership. As MOE faculty, we have a commitment to physical fitness that we instill in our participants regardless of what discipline we’re working in that particular season. We do this by role modeling—by working out alongside the students. Open and assertive communication, leadership fundamentals, and sound wilderness ethics permeate all of our programs. I’d like to think that it is this consistent quality of experience that is responsible for the “I do MOE” phenomenon.

Embracing the school’s egalitarian sensibilities has helped increase “buy-in” on the part of our participants. There’s a moment in every season when the students realize that, as instructors, we’re not simply assigning them a

T H E S H O RT L I S T O F W I N N E R S O F 1 2 VA R S I T Y L E T T E R S

AT M E R C E R S B U R G I N C LU D E S :

workout. We critique their form, push them, and sweat right next to them as we all work to complete the task.

There are few traditional sports offered at Mercersburg (or anywhere else) where involvement is inherent in the coaching of that activity. Our kayak instructors, including student-instructors Laura Graham ’09 and Seth Fries ’08, don’t stand on the riverbank; they paddle alongside the others. This immersion that students see from the leaders of programs cultivates a sense of putting oneself on the line, and garners trust in the instructor’s skills (and a healthy respect for the decisions the instructor makesas well). If a MOE instructor tells you to watch what you’re doing, it could be a life-threatening situation.

It’s hard to talk about what students take from our programs physically without

discussing other aspects of the program. If you’re involved with Endeavor, you’ll run with a pack on—every day. If you’re on the Climbing Team, you’ll do more pull-ups and run more than you ever thought possible. And those are just training regimens; the real activities—the actual mountaineering, climbing, and kayaking experiences— are so much more than physical actions.

To examine these activities without talking about leadership, personal responsibility, communication, and intense reliance upon your group-mates is impossible. Those that “do MOE” learn much more than how to stay in shape.

Pete Gunkelman is the assistant director of Mercersburg Outdoor Education. His wife, Leah Rockwell ’97, serves as dorm dean of Tippetts Hall.

Gunkelman (right) and MOE Director Derry Mason

Mercersburg Profiles

Therehavebeenvictories inthe spotlight: for starters, Mercersburg alumni have won 12 Olympic gold medals, as well as Super Bowls as front-office personnel (Baltimore Ravens president Dick Cass ’64 and IndianapolisColtsownerJimIrsay’78).DeanTaylor’69played apartinbringingWorldSerieschampionshipstoKansasCity andAtlanta. Therehavebeentriumphsintheshadows:JimmyRodgers’81 tackled as tough an assignment as there is for a professional groundskeeper—repeatedlytransitioningaplayingsurfacefrom MajorLeagueBaseballtoMajorLeagueSoccerandbackagain. Tom Edlefsen ’61 beat paralysis to return to tennis greatness. Therehasbeenfun:KareemWright’99broughtsmilestothe facesofbasketballfansfromBermudatoBudapestasamember ofthestoriedHarlemGlobetrotters. Andservicetohumanityhasplayedapart:JamieHughes’01 usedbasketballtobringProtestantandCatholicyouthtogether inNorthernIreland. Whatevertheirspotsontheroster—asathletes,broadcasters, coaches,executives,orsomethingelse—Mercersburgalumni are running the race, reporting the scores, solving problems, andpushingthemselvestohigherlimits. To take the field with some of the Academy’s athletic representatives,readon.

Charles Moore—undefeated in his signature athletic event—has a similar record in business and leadership

Winning Every Race

Charles Moore ’47 would have no use for F. Scott Fitzgerald’s oft-quoted maxim that there are no second acts in American lives.

Not only did Moore follow an Olympicgold-medal-winning track career with a series of business successes, but his return to the athletic world and his status as a leader in corporate philanthropy would qualify him— even by Fitzgerald’s standards—for a third or fourth act already, with more to come.

Moore’s athletic career was very nearly finished before it began. As a 6-year-old child in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, he was run over by an automobile and broke his right leg so badly that normal treatments (stabilizing the fracture with pins) did not work; the doctors eventually drilled holes in the bones and tied them together with kangaroo hide. Six months passed before Moore could walk again.

Moore attended a one-room, consolidated school until coming to Mercersburg for his 11th-grade year. That was when his father, fellow Olympian Charles “Crip” Moore ’22, told his son that he wanted him to follow in his footsteps at the Academy.

“My dad was an enormous influence,” the younger Moore says. “He took me up there and introduced me to Jimmy Curran, who was bigger than life. Like it was for many people, Mercersburg was a life-changing experience. I grew up at Mercersburg—academically, socially, and athletically.”

Until he met Curran, Mercersburg’s legendary track coach of 51 years [page 23], Moore did not even consider himself an athlete.

“Jim said, ‘Let’s see. Your dad was a hurdler; let’s see if we can make you a hurdler,’” Moore recalls. “I’d never even run before, so it was a big deal just getting three steps between the hurdles. The thing that surprised me is how I took to it.

“I owe everything in my track career to Jimmy Curran, who simply turned to this kid who had never run—ever—and said, ‘Here, let me help you.’”

B Y S HELTON C LARK

—CHARLES

A crucial step—so to speak—in Moore’s progress as a hurdler came in an epiphany of self-discovery. “I was just a fair hurdler with not particularly picture-perfect form,” he says. “I learned early on that typically, everybody took 15 steps [in the 40 yards] between hurdles. I was six feet tall, but I had fairly long legs and

It builds discipline. It builds hard work; it supports hard work; it rewards hard work. And being an elite athlete requires enormous dedication and focus. As director of athletics at Cornell, I once was looking at the grade-point averages of my athletes, and I found that 34 of them had a 4.0 or better—I didn’t know anybody could do that. And I thought that the president of the university needed to meet these kids.

So twice a year, I’d invite all these athletes—I called it the 400 Club—to have breakfast with the president and the provost. The whole idea was for them to tell the president how they’d been able to do it at Cornell. And uniformly, they all said, “We could not have these incredible grade-point averages and this wonderful experience if it were not for athletics. We need the fitness, we need the outpouring of our energy and so on, and that’s the only reason we are at the top of our class.

“We don’t need the parties, we don’t need the beer drinking, we don’t need the staring at the television or anything else, but we need this outlet to go forward.”

a long stride, so I was always chopping down. I said, ‘Wait a minute—I can do better, I’ll take 13 steps between hurdles.’ And that was revolutionary.”

Moore also ran the 400-meter dash and a leg of the mile relay. His relay team won the national prep-school championships at Madison Square Garden his first year, and he competed in the Penn Relays and won the school’s Williams Cup before moving on to a distinguished career at Cornell.

In addition to serving three terms on Mercersburg’s Board of Regents, Moore served as national chairman for the Mightily Onward campaign. (Along with his father, several of Moore’s family members have Mercersburg ties—including great-niece Jane Banta ’11, the starting goalie on the Blue Storm’s field hockey team last fall.)

Many athletes are prone to exaggeration when recalling past athletic exploits, but Moore is unequivocally modest. He recounts the varsity letters he received on Cornell’s track team without mention of the NCAA titles he won in the 220-yard hurdles and the 440-yard dash.

And then there’s the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. “I was very fortunate to make the Olympic team and win a gold medal and set the Olympic record in the 400-meter hurdles,” he says, simply and matter-of-factly. He also ran the third leg for the silver-medal-winning U.S. mile relay team.

Moore’s accomplishments earned him a place in the USA Track & Field Hall of Fame, and the United States Olympic Committee named him one of its 100 Golden Athletes in 1996. He has also served as chair of the USOC’s audit committee and on a USOC group that selected New York to represent the U.S. in a bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics (which London ultimately won the right to host).

Moore retired from competition follow-

ing his win in Helsinki, having never lost a 400 hurdles race. Ever. “By good fortune, I knew when to stop and to hang up my spikes,” he says. “Eventually, if you’ve run long enough, you’re going to lose a race.”

Cornell engineering degree in hand, Moore had offers from DuPont and Bethlehem Steel, but at his father’s urging, he decided to work with his family’s steel-forging business. He later sold the business to Gulf + Western Industries, and embarked on a management career that led him to serve as CEO for a series of struggling companies he would turn around.

More than 40 years into his business career, Moore was unable to resist the call of his collegiate alma mater when it asked him to become its athletic director in 1994. Seeing another opportunity for a turnaround, he took the job, under the proviso that he would stay just five years. He was the catalyst for significant upgrades in facilities and new coaching hires, and kept his word by retiring in 1999.

He had hoped to move to Washington and work in the government at that point, but a board of corporate philanthropists, working through an executive search firm, had other plans in mind. Today, Moore is executive director of the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy.

“They were attracted to me not for what I knew about corporate philanthropy, [but] for what I knew about being a CEO and the value systems that are an important part of corporate America,” Moore says. “I had an amazing experience as [Cornell’s] director of athletics, and now I’m doing this, where I have 175 CEOs that I brought in. We account for 50 percent of the total corporate giving in the United States. So it’s been an amazing experience, and at 78, I’ve never had more fun.”

“By good fortune, I knew when to stop and to hang up my spikes. Eventually, if you’ve run long enough, you’re going to lose a race.”

MOORE ’47

On the benefit of athletics

Meet a Timeless Olympian Online

John Macionis ’34 (right, with Mercersburg Head Swimming Coach Pete Williams) won a silver medal at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. At those Olympics (best remembered for Jesse Owens’ historic performances and the specter of Nazi power in Germany), Macionis was part of the American 4x200-meter freestyle relay team. Macionis swam as part of two record-setting national interscholastic relay teams at Mercersburg, and went on to win back-toback individual NCAA championships in the 1500-meter freestyle at Yale in 1937 and 1938. He is credited with giving legendary Mercersburg swimming coach “King” John Miller his nickname. Today, at age 92, Macionis lives outside Philadelphia; he served as an official at the Eastern Intercollegiate Swimming Championships for more than 50 years, and swam daily into his 90s.

For more about Macionis and his career, visit www.mercersburg.edu/magazine.

president, Baltimore Ravens (summer 2007 issue) three-time Summer Olympian (winter 2007–2008)

founder/president, International Alliance for Youth Sports (summer 2007)

Olympic gold medalist/director of athletics, Allegheny College (summer 2007) director of television, All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club (winter 2007–2008)

Olympic gold medalist (summer 2007) assistant general manager, Kansas City Royals (summer 2007)

Dick Cass ’64

Beating ODDS

He had won three national championships as a member of the greatest men’s college tennis team of all time, and had been named All-America in three of his four seasons.

He had played at Wimbledon.

He had beaten Arthur Ashe—and players that were better than Arthur Ashe.

He never lost a match in two years at Mercersburg.

But little of that seemed to matter as Tom Edlefsen ’61, the No. 9-ranked tennis player in the United States, lay paralyzed in a hospital bed, his life dependent on a respirator.

at the University of Southern California. He and his friend Larry Riggs, the son of pro-tennis legend Bobby Riggs, went through basic training together; the process began with a series of 12 immunizations—the same ones every serviceman received after reporting for duty.

B Y L EE O WEN

In 1967, with war raging half a world away in Vietnam, Edlefsen joined the Air Force Reserves immediately following his last exam

Doctors later determined that Edlefsen suffered a reaction to his smallpox vaccination; over the next several weeks, the infection developed into a rare nerve disease called Guillain-Barré syndrome. While most of its victims recover in time, a percentage do not; there are some in the medical community that believe President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was stricken with GBS, not polio.

“If you recover, they know it’s not polio,” Edlefsen says.

Tom Edlefsen’s toughest opponent never stepped onto a court

Edlefsen (second from left) and the 1963 national-champion USC men’s tennis team

Moving east—and north Edlefsen grew up in Piedmont, California, in the Bay Area—a tennis hotbed in those days to rival anyplace in America. One of the kids Edlefsen learned to play the game with, Chris Crawford, made the United States Davis Cup team as a junior at Piedmont High.

In 1958, Edlefsen became the youngest player ever to win the National Junior Hardcourt Championship. He met Mercersburg alumnus Sy Bashore of the Class of 1910, who told Edlefsen and his family about Dale Junta ’54; Junta had won the same tournament several years earlier. At Bashore’s recommendation, Junta went east to Mercersburg and later became captain of the tennis team at Harvard.

Today, it’s commonplace for top American juniors to headsouth and west to places like Florida and Edlefsen’s home state of California for year-round training opportunities. More recently, a promising young Nebraskan named Andy Roddick relocated to Texas and later South Florida as a junior for the purpose of training 12 months a year in the constant outdoor-friendly weather.

So here Edlefsen was faced with the opposite decision; leave the temperate climate of Northern California for a climate with all four seasons—heavy winter snows and ice storms included. “My parents thought Mercersburg and its great education werea good idea,” Edlefsen says.

From a wins-and-losses standpoint, the move to the Academy for Edlefsen (at the beginning of his 11th-grade year) was a complete success. He was undefeated in both singles and doubles, and just once in two years was an opponent able to muster the strength to stretch him to a third set; even then, Edlefsen dispatched the challenger anyway. The Blue Devils (as they were then known) were a combined 13–1 in dual-match play with Edlefsen on campus, with their only loss a 1961 defeat at the hands of Woodberry Forest. Edlefsen won the Eastern Interscholastic Championship on Long Island that same year.

There was just one problem with Mercersburg.

“I hated it,” Edlefsen says. “But I was too immature at the time to realize how great Mercersburg was for me. When I went there, I had to work. I waited on tables three meals a day, but I met some of my best friends by doing that.”

Teammate David Frantz ’60, Edlefsen’s doubles partner and the No. 2 singles player behind him in his first season at the Academy, “really took me under his wing and looked out for me,” Edlefsen says.

Frantz, now a member of Mercersburg’s Board of Regents and a professor of English and secretary of the Board of Trustees at The Ohio State University, says Edlefsen was impossible to beat.

“There’s no question that Tom was the greatest tennis player ever at the Academy,” Frantz says. “He had these beautiful, long ground strokes, and was a true gentleman and an unassuming guy.”

Edlefsen remembers frequent trips home with Frantz on weekends; Frantz lived in nearby Chambersburg, where his father was headmaster at Penn Hall, a nearby girls’ school. “We’d get the shovels out and chip away the ice on the courts and hit,” Edlefsen says.

“It was difficult being at Mercersburg at that time in my life, but I learned a lot from it and I’m glad I went. I remember the professors to this day—including my English teacher my senior year, [“Fred” Slater], who I even ran into at a stop on the tour. They were great.”

Back to California

Given his success on the junior circuit and in prep school, Edlefsen was a sought-after college recruit. After a year at Oakland City College (made necessary by Edlefsen’s failure to pass chemistry in his final term at Mercersburg), his decision came down to USC and crosstown rival UCLA. Edlefsen’s Junior Davis Cup teammates Ashe and Charlie Pasarell were freshmen at UCLA, but USC countered with the reigning NCAA singles and doubles champion (Rafael Osuna) and a former Wimbledon and U.S. Open doubles titlist (Dennis Ralston); Ralston would sweep the NCAA singles and doubles crowns (with Osuna as his doubles partner) the following season.

Essentially, Edlefsen became a tiebreaker of sorts between the Trojans and Bruins; whichever team secured his services would immediately morph into the favorite to capture the national title.

“When I was the number-one player in Northern California as a junior, I had known Dennis; he was the top-ranked player in Southern California,” Edlefsen says. “We had met at what is now the Orange Bowl tournament in Miami, where they had put us together in doubles and we became friends. So I decided to go to USC.”

For legendary coach George Toley’s Trojans, Edlefsen played No. 3 singles behind Ralston and Osuna. USC won national championships in 1963, 1964, and 1966. (Between 1962 and 1969, the Trojans’ stranglehold on the crown was broken just once—by UCLA in 1965.)

Numerous experts consider the 1963 team (Edlefsen’s freshman season) to be the best ever assembled; the Trojans sent their top five players from that squad—including Edlefsen—to the ITA Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame. “That was the best team of all time,” former Stanford head coach Dick Gould told Inside Tennis in 2005. “You’ve got a couple of Grand Slam champions; you’ve got three guys [Ralston, Osuna, and Edlefsen] who were in the top 10 in the U.S. They were in a class by themselves.”

TOUGH DRAW

In 1963, fresh off his first NCAA team title, Edlefsen defeated Roy Emerson (the world’s topranked player) and beat Arthur Ashe in back-to-back rounds of the U.S. National Indoors in Salisbury, Maryland. And Edlefsen didn’t even reach the finals of the tournament; he dropped a semifinal match to USC teammate (and reigning NCAA singles champion) Dennis Ralston.

The landscape of tennis changed substantially in 1968, when professionals were allowed to compete in the major tournaments (including Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, and the French Open) for the first time. “Today, if [college-aged players] are good enough, they just go directly into the pros,” Edlefsen says.

A devastating blow… and recovery

Since Guillain-Barré syndrome attacks the body from the extremities inward, Edlefsen first lost feeling in his hands and feet. In a matter of weeks, the paralysis was total— although temporary. The symptoms slowly subsided after six months of hospitalization. Still, according to his doctor, Edlefsen’s tennis career was over at age 25.

“It was crushing to hear that, but I just couldn’t accept it,” Edlefsen says. “To recover, I had to do everything a polio victim does. I had to learn to walk and to use my hands again. Therapy is a long process.

“I was passionate about getting back. I wanted to do everything I could to give it a try, and thank God I did. If I hadn’t trained incredibly hard—I would never run fewer than 3–5 miles a day, in addition to the physical therapy—I would never have been able to do what I did.”

Less than a year after complete paralysis,

SO MUCH FOR REST

Edlefsen is the answer to an obscure tennis trivia question— in 1969, he was the opponent for Pancho Gonzales in Gonzales’ next match following the longest contest in Wimbledon history. Gonzales had defeated Edlefsen’s former doubles partner (and UCLA rival) Charlie Pasarell, 22–24, 1–6, 16–14, 6–3, 11–9, in a match that took five hours and 12 minutes— and portions of two days—to complete, thanks to the absence of tiebreakers and lighted courts.

Edlefsen took the court for a tournament in Omaha. He competed that summer in the inaugural Open-era editions of the French Open and Wimbledon. In Paris, he drew eventual champion Ken Rosewall in the first round, but fared better on the grass courts of the All England Club; Edlefsen won three matches to advance to the tournament’s round of 16, defeating No. 14 seed Cliff Drysdale along the way.

“I was playing more on memory than anything else—my reflexes were about half of what they should have been,” Edlefsen says. “It really took about three years for the disease to be fully flushed from my system. There was no way I was going to be what I should have been [before the paralysis], but I still made a living and did pretty well.”

Among Edlefsen’s on-court victims were Ashe, Ilie Nastase, and Roy Emerson, who was the world’s top-ranked player when Edlefsen beat him in the 1963 U.S. National Indoors. Edlefsen is a Davis Cup veteran and a member of the Northern California Tennis Hall of Fame.

After the tour

Edlefsen retired from pro tennis at age 34, and became tennis director at a resort in Palm Springs, California. He built tennis courts in Los Angeles with four-time Grand Slam doubles champion Gene Mako and owned the Lafayette Tennis Club in the Bay Area before running the San Francisco Tennis Club’s tennis operations for several years. In 2003, the United States Tennis Association named it one of the top three clubs in the nation.

Today, Edlefsen and his wife, Sunny, own and operate the Kiahuna Tennis Club in Hawaii, on the south shore of Kaua’i. Poipu Beach, which is adjacent to the club and the Kiahuna Plantation, is consistently ranked among the world’s best beaches.

“It’s a great place,” Edlefsen says. “It’s like no other place on Earth, and I’ve been everywhere.

“I have so many fond memories. When I was a senior [at Mercersburg], I was a tour guide and was asked to show the campus to a gentleman, his wife, and their son. It turned out to be Jimmy Stewart ’28.”

STAYING GROUNDED

AsJimmy Rodgers ’81 generates an allusion to Robert Frost, it somehow seems appropriate on a couple of levels.

The first is easy to see: Rodgers was an English major at Colgate University, so he is well acquainted with one of America’s master poets.

The second may not be as obvious, but it makes sense, especially when considering the route Rodgers selected for a career. Like Frost’s traveler in “The Road Not Taken,” Rodgers took the road less traveled.

“I’ve chosen a career path that not many of my classmates at Mercersburg would ever have thought of,” says Rodgers. “It’s like the poem by Robert Frost; I chose the narrower path.”

And that, as Frost famously concludes, has made all the difference.

Rodgers has worked in turf management since 1992, and is fortunate to be employed in a career he loves. As long as that love burns, what’s wrong with a little dirt under the fingernails, some mud on the shoes, or even an occasional grass stain on the knees of a good pair of pants?

“I’ve found my vocation in this industry,” Rodgers says. “It has been very rewarding. I’ve had a really good ride.”

The journey has melded two of Rodgers’ loves: the outdoors and sports. He grew up on a dairy farm in central Pennsylvania, forging a love for agriculture. At Mercersburg, he played football, baseball, and basketball.

“He was chosen by his teammates to be captain of the basketball team his senior year, even though he wasn’t a starter,” says longtime Mercersburg faculty member

Tom Edlefsen ’61

Jim Malone. “Clearly, that was because [his teammates] all respected him and saw him as a real leader.” Rodgers also captained the Colgate baseball team in 1984 and 1985.

It wasn’t until later, though, that Rodgers snatched the opportunity to merge his passions for the outdoors and sports. In 1992 he was hired as assistant groundskeeper for the Atlanta Braves’ AAA minor-league affiliate in Richmond, Virginia. After that came a similar position at the Florida Marlins’ spring training complex in Melbourne, Florida.

From 1996 to 2000, he supervised the athletic grounds at George Mason University, and then in June of 2000 he was hired as sports field manager for the University of Virginia. At UVA, Rodgers won the 2003 University Sports Field Complex of the Year Award from the Sports Turf Managers Association.

As rewarding as the Virginia job was, in 2005 the opportunity of a lifetime—or so Rodgers thought—came along. The Montreal Expos’ move to Washington, D.C., was approved by Major League Baseball, so the nation’s capital would be home to a team for the first time since 1971. The team—called the Nationals—needed a head groundskeeper. Rodgers came on board in February 2005.

Suddenly Rodgers had a job that only 29 other people in the world could claim—head groundskeeper at a major-league ballpark. But in shaping Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium into his own field of dreams, he faced a demanding task.

“We had 60 days to turn a [football] stadium into a major-league baseball venue,” Rodgers reflects. “And with the intricacies of D.C. politics and the weather, it was a major challenge.”

RFK Stadium hosted the Washington Senators until they bolted to Texas after the 1971 season. The NFL’s Washington Redskins

tore up its turf for many years before moving into their new stadium in 1997.

But even in its heyday, RFK had never been trumpeted as a great place to play baseball. It wasn’t cut from the nostalgic mold of baseball’s older parks like Wrigley Field or Fenway Park, nor was it on par with some of the new fields like Baltimore’s Oriole Park at Camden Yards or PNC Park in Pittsburgh. The only descriptions aimed at RFK were far from flattering, ranging from “one of the first concrete cookie-cutter stadiums” to “a dump.”

Rodgers’ task, then, was arduous. But by April, heand his crew had RFK primed for its 2005 opener.

“That field [at RFK] is much better than a lot of other stadiums,” José Guillén, the Nationals’ opening-day right fielder, told MLB.com. “Nobody here can complain. From what I see, that’s a first-class field.”

But such jobs often exact a high professional and personal price. Keeping the field in tip-top shape was time-consuming. Night games kept Rodgers away from home. D.C. United, a Major League Soccer franchise, also called RFK home, so the frequent transformation of the field from soccer to baseball and back again was exhausting. As exciting as being a major-league groundskeeper was, by December of that year, Rodgers decided to look elsewhere.

“I realized being a major-league groundskeeper wasn’t very conducive to family life,” said Rodgers, who lives in Lyndhurst, Virginia, with his wife, CeCe, and three children. “Then there were the financial considerations of having to move my family to a metropolitan area.”

Rodgers hasn’t looked back. Today, he works for Luck Stone Corporation in Virginia and is responsible for sales of all specialty products (including sports fields) in Northern Virginia,

and Maryland.

“I’m still involved in sports; only now I’m on the sales side rather than the applications side,” he says.

In other words, if your organization is looking to build a playing field, Jimmy Rodgers is your man.

the Shenandoah Valley, southwest Virginia, West Virginia,

Jimmy Rodgers is a veteran of athletic turf wars B Y T OM C OCCAGNA

Live from London: Q&A with Rebecca

Areporter for international television network Setanta Sports, Rebecca Lowe is a familiar face to football fanatics across the Atlantic. She abandoned her plans to become an actress after beating out 650 candidates in the BBC’s Talent Search competition, and found herself covering the world’s most popular sport from stadiums and studios; she even met her future husband (producer Stefano Bozzi) in the process.

MM: Did growing up as the daughter of a famous journalist (BBC news anchor Chris Lowe) make you want to become a journalist as well?

RL: Actually, it was never something I thought about; I had my heart set on following my mother [actress Judith Potts] into her career. And my brother [British sportswriter Alex Lowe] was always the writer in our family, not me. Dad was on TV a lot when I was growing up, which was strange at times, but I felt proud. When I was young, he used to wink at the end of the Evening News for me, which I would get really excited about.

MM: I assume you’ve been a fan of football (or “soccer,” as we Americans call it) for most of your life. Did you follow or play other sports growing up?

RL: My family is very sporty, so I was always being dragged to watch cricket with my brother and dad. It’s a very English thing to do on a Sunday afternoon—to go watch the men play cricket while the ladies sit around drinking tea and eating scones and jam. I played hockey and netball in school and then some football when I came toMercersburg, which was great fun. I like playing all sports— except golf, which I find infuriating and way too lengthy!

MM: Did you have a favorite team growing up? And is it difficult to be neutral on the air?

RL: My dad took me to my first game when I was nine; I’ve been hooked on it—and Crystal Palace Football Club—ever since. There’s a saying in football that you never change your colors. My team is nowhere near the best, but that’s why it’s interesting. Winning all the time would be boring—you have to experience the lows to really enjoy the highs. When I was reporting from a Premier League game every week, I was often sent to cover Palace, and I was actually live on the BBC when they were relegated to the division below. I’ll never forget that day—it really tested my skills to be impartial. I hope I pulled it off. After I was off the air, I sat and cried for 10 minutes in the press box.

MM: How did you end up at Mercersburg?

RL: I was just 17 when I finished school in England, so I knew I didn’t want to go straight to university at that age. My brother had been an English-Speaking Union scholar (at Holderness School in New Hampshire) and had loved it, so I thought I’d give it a shot. Arriving at Tippetts Hall on a snowy January night was fairly scary, and I immediately felt homesick, but the place just enveloped me after that. My two terms at Mercersburg were some of the best times of my life, with great friends, the best teachers, and the warmest memories. It is a special place which I think about often—I only wish I could have been there longer.

Lowe ’99

“It was a bit like [American Idol], but minus Simon Cowell—thank God.”

MM: You were a drama major at the University of East Anglia. Has that helped you in your career?

RL: I acted in and directed two or three shows a term; we did productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Peer Gynt, The Tempest, and smaller ones written by fellow students. That experience (and the acting I had done since I was tiny) definitely helps me on television. My mum always taught me the importance of good diction, which you need for both stage and screen—and now I’m used to the nerves. I have always had nerves before productions, and I still do now before we go on the air—but experience has helped me learn how to control them.

MM: What was it like to compete (and win) the BBC Talent Search? It sounds like a TVsports version of Pop Idol (or American Idol, as we call it here).

RL: It was a bit like that, but minus Simon Cowell—thank God. It began with a 12-page application, which I had to submit along with several photos that proved my love of football. It moved to reporting on live games, and then the final seven of us spent the day in front of the camera presenting and reporting for the judges. At the time, I was working at a sports-radio station and really enjoying it there, so I felt I had nothing to lose. Two days later, I got the phone call which knocked both my mum and meoff the sofa; six months at the BBC as a national-network football reporter. I’m not sure I’ll ever experience a moment like that again.

MM: Describe your first event as a professional reporter.

RL: It was the most terrifying experience of my life. I’m not exaggerating when I say that I hardly ate for the two days leading up to the Nottingham Forest/Walsall match. I arrived four hours early to plug in my equipment, and then sat inside the stadium riddled with nerves. At 5 p.m., I went live on BBC1 (the main channel in England) for my 40-second report and somehow managed to get through it. The relief afterward was unbelievable.

MM: What was it like to cover the World Cup in 2006?

RL: I’d never attended a major tournament before, and could hardly believe it when I discovered I would be one of four BBC reporters in Germany. It was a tough month with lots of traveling, but it was an immense privilege to watch so many games with the best players in the world. I interviewed some of the biggest names in football and experienced four weeks I’ll never forget. I spent a lot of time with the U.S. team (and all its armed guards), and interviewed the likes of Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley, and Kasey Keller. It was just a shame that England could not go further than the quarterfinals; it’s always the same with England.

MM: Was it difficult to leave the BBC for Setanta Sports in 2007, considering you had spent your entire TV career there (and your father works for the BBC as well)?

RL: Both Stefano and I had been offered jobs at Setanta, so we had to decide if it was the right thing to do for our future. The BBC represents stability and security, but it is also a huge company, so it can be difficult to shine or progress. Setanta was just starting out; it was a chance to be part of a new beginning somewhere. We have absolutely no regrets— though I think that one day we would both like to go back.

MM: Do you have a favorite moment from your career?

RL: In 2006, in order to reach their first-ever World Cup, England’s women’s team needed a draw in France—which they just got—so for the first time in 16 years, England qualified for a major tournament. I had been with the team at every game for two years, so it meant a lot that night to see them through. I also presented the sports on the BBC Breakfast Programme, which is the most-watched morning show in the country, so that felt like a real achievement. And this week, I am presenting my first show live from Wembley Stadium, so I hope that will go down as one of the top moments, too.

—Lee Owen

Mercersburg conne ctions abound in the worl d of thoroughbred raci ng Stanley Fulton ’49 owns Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino in New Mexico, as well as a number of thoroughbreds Two of his horse s have reached the Kentuc ky Derby: A P Warrior, who ran in 2006, and St Averi l, who was scratc hed with an injury on the morning of the 2004 Derby Fellow alumnus and thoroughbred owne r David Moore ’74, son of Olympic gold medalist Charles Moore ’47 (sto ry, page 27), entered the Derby in 2004 wi th Pollard’s Vision And renowned trainer Nick Zito (father of Alex Zito ’01) has more than 1,500 care er vic tories, fi ve of which have come in Triple Crown races includi ng Da’ Tara’s monumental upset of Big Brown in the 2008 Belmont Stakes

Mark Talbott ’78, who spent 12 years as the top-ranked squash player in North America, has been called “the Michael Jordan of squash ” Since 2004 , Talbott has served as head men ’ s and women ’ s squash coach at Stanford; he coached Yale to the 2003 –2004 NCAA women ’ s squash title An eight-time World Professional Squash Association Player of the Year, Talbott was inducted into the Squash Hall of Fame in 2000, and has more than 200 career tournament victories

Nina Porter Winfield ’80, who (l ike Talbott) played at squash powe rhouse Trinity Colle ge i n Connecticut, is a member of the College Squash Association Hall of Fame and the Women’s Interscholastic Squash Racque ts Associ ation Hall of Fame Winfield represented the United States at two World S quash Championshi ps Her great-uncle is Barney Berl inger ’ 27, who competed i n the decathlon at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam

M E R C E R S B U R G B R I E F

Fulton

Haven Barnes ’96 has competed on six continents as a professional triathlete Barnes was allconference twice i n both footbal l and track at Merc ersburg , and still holds the school record in the 400-meter dash (48 2 se conds) He was a track All -Americ an and a Penn Relays champion at the Uni versity of Connec tic ut, and turned pro as a triathl ete in 2004 Barnes trains and l ives in the high altitude of Colorado; at press time , he had alre ady won three events during the 2008 se ason

Joe L. Brown ’37 spent 21 years as general manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates (1955 to 1976), bringing World Series championshi ps to the S tee l City in 1960 and 1971 He replac ed the le gendary Branch Ric key, who i s best known for signing Jac kie Robinson while GM of the Brookl yn Dodgers Brown led the Pirates from last place to the top of the baseball world; he signed Roberto Clemente and Willie S targell, among others Brown spent part of 1985 as the team’s acting GM, and c haired the Ve terans Commi ttee of the Baseball Hall of Fame for several years

Noelle Bassi ’02 captured a silver me dal in the 200me ter butterfly at the 2003 Pan Ameri can Games in Santo Domi ngo, Domini can Republic ; 12 years earlier, fellow alumna S usan Gottlieb ’87 competed in the same event at the Pan Am Games in Havana Bassi, who holds the school record in the 200 individual medley (1:58 84), finished in the top ei ght i n the 200 fly at the U S National Championshi ps while a student at Mercersburg, and won the event i n 2004 while attending Harvard S he broke the Ivy League record in the 100 fly in 2007, and e arned All -Americ a and Ac ademi c AllAmerica honors while captaining the Crimson Bassi i s engaged to fellow Blue S torm swi mmi ng alum Justin S mith ’ 03 , and works as an educati onal consultant i n Dallas Her sister, Trisha ’ 10, is an uppermiddler at Mercersburg

HEALING HOOPS

THROUGH

Bringing children together through a shared love for sport

B Y S HELTON C LARK

M E R C E R S B U R G B R I E F S

At seven feet tall, Jamie Hughes ’01 was quite a presence in the lane for Mercersburg’s basketball team, and later for the Lafayette College Leopards. But fighting for rebounds in the area under the boards gave him only the slightest inkling of the emotional and psychological chasm he would work to cover as a representative of Peace Players International: the centuries-old conflict between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland.

“My Lafayette teammate, Justin DeBerry, was involved with Peace Players International, which was then called Playing for Peace,” Hughes says. “I fell in love with the idea. I liked that I would have a chance to make a difference in the world and to travel abroad.”

The organization’s mission, not only in Northern Ireland but also in other areas of conflict in the world, is simple: “to use the game of basketball to unite and educate children and their communities.” Peace Players oversees programs in Northern Ireland, South Africa, the Middle East (with a focus on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict), and Cyprus—as well as in New Orleans while the city continues its rebuilding process following Hurricane Katrina.

Hughes spent the better part of a year based in Dungannon, County Tyrone, about 45 minutes west of Belfast. He introduced the game to Protestant and Catholic children from ages 7 through 18, “twinning” two schools in the community for a period of six weeks. Hughes and his fellow Peace Players coaches taught throughout County Tyrone and assisted other coaches in Derry and Belfast.

“Teaching basketball to beginners brought me back to where I started [as a player],” Hughes says. “The big three sports there are rugby, Gaelic football, and soccer. Basketball was something new, something fresh, and something that they could learn with their friends and with children of their community.

“Add to that the fact that it’s cross-community-based, and that there are Americans involved. By the sixth week, we had these cross-community teams competing in the Ulster Basketball League against alreadyestablished organizations within Northern Ireland and, to some extent, in the Republic of Ireland. I had such a new appreciation for the game of basketball.”

In addition to his work with Peace Players International, Hughes played professionally for Star of the Sea, a Belfast team in the Irish Superleague. After that season (2005–2006), Hughes returned to the States to work as Lafayette’s assistant director of alumni affairs, handling areas from Baltimore to Richmond and Seattle to Denver for the college’s alumni office.

It is no surprise to Hughes’ coach at Mercersburg, Mark Cubit, that his former player was an effective leader to youth in Northern Ireland. “Jamie was, and is, very bright and well-rounded,” Cubit says. “His selection as a captain at Lafayette for his great college coach, Fran O’Hanlon, speaks clearly to his development as a leader and communicator.”

“Mercersburg is such a diverse community,” adds Hughes, who came to the Academy for a postgraduate year after graduating from Benedictine High School in Virginia. “It was an amazing experience. The opportunities I got and the friendships I made had a real profound impact on me. I met people from

asmall world

around the world, which made me want to go out and have an international experience.”

One of the experiences that most profoundly moved Hughes was the culmination of Peace Players’ time in Omagh, the site of the infamous 1998 bombing of a shopping area that killed 29 people.

“Seeing the kids interact in Omagh was really, to me, the culmination of what we were trying to do,” Hughes says. “Here’s a place where so many people were killed—in one of the most horrific and most notable events of the Troubles—and now Protestant and Catholic kids are together in this town, interacting with each other.

“Even the parents were talking to each other. I would get goose bumps seeing parents who were on opposite sides the first week— based on their religious affiliation—and at the end of the year, they were interacting. So while our main focus was on the kids, that just underscored the good and the effectiveness of our work.”

HughesworkedinNorthernIrelandwithPeacePlayers International(www.peaceplayersintl.org),whichwascofoundedbyBrendanTuohey,aroommateofMercersburg historyteacherandheadfootballcoachDanWalkerwhen thetwoattendedColgateUniversity.Today,Tuoheyservesas theorganization’sexecutivedirector.

Hughes (top right) in Northern Irelandwith participants, coaches, and the Dalai Lama (center)

Spanning (andSpinning) the Globe

Following the bouncing ball with an ex–Harlem Globetrotter

Kareem Wright ’99 came to Mercersburg expecting a big change from the life he left behind in his West Philadelphia neighborhood. But there was one thing for which he arrived unprepared. The silence.

“In the city, there were always a lot of things going on,” Wright says. “Police sirens. Fire engines. A lot of things around. When I got here, I couldn’t sleep because it was so quiet. I had to play my radio so I could sleep.”

Once he was able torest, Wright set out on his size-19 feet to pave a path from his newfound, peaceful surroundings to a starring role in Big East Conference basketball (at Rutgers) and a spot on the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters.

Wright was more of a football star before coming to Mercersburg—and was tough to tackle. He played all over the field; one can only imagine the fear in the heart of a kicker at seeing the 6-foot-9-inch Wright on the opposing line of scrimmage, standing between the ball and the uprights.

“I loved football,” Wright says. “I was a wide receiver, a defensive back, and a quarterback—and then I kept growing. I ended up on the offensive and defensive lines at Mercersburg, and on special teams. I blocked a couple of kicks, and got hit [by field-goal attempts] in the helmet a couple times, too. It was fun.”

With his height, basketball was a natural fit—but he was raw, having played organized basketball for the first time in eighth grade. Still, it was the sport that brought him to Mercersburg; Tony Tucker, then the Blue Storm’s head coach, saw a story about Wright in the Philadelphia Inquirer, and contacted him to gauge his interest in making the threehour trip west to boarding school.

“I got my parents to decide to let me go,” Wright says, “and the rest is history. Mercersburg completely changed how I looked at life and at people. I learned how to deal with people from all different backgrounds and ethnicities. And the learning experiences— on top of sports—were phenomenal.” When his father, Ricardo, passed away while Kareem was a student at Mercersburg, he found

comfort in the support of Paul Galey (then Mercersburg’s school minister and today a faculty member). Ricardo was a star athlete at Delaware State who played professionally in the Canadian Football League and for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

At Mercersburg, the younger Wright shared time on the court with no fewer than eight future Division I college basketball players—Michael Bush ’98 (Washington State), Kevin Harris ’98 (Alabama State), Kyle Logan ’98 (Stanford), Wes Miller ’01 (James Madison/North Carolina), Ugonna Onyekwe ’98 (Penn), Stephane Pelle ’99 (Colorado), Jake Rauchbach ’02 (Drexel), and Mike Simmons ’98 (Miami). The level of talent he faced in daily workouts prepared him well for games, where he attracted the interest of several big-time college programs, including Boston College, Georgetown, Miami, and Villanova—as well as Rutgers, not far across the Delaware River from Philadelphia.

The first game he started for the Scarlet Knights (midway through his freshman season) was in the Carrier Dome against Syracuse, which featured future NBA center Etan Thomas. “It was a moment I’ll never forget,” Wright says. “It was exhilarating, and I played well. It showed me I belonged and could play at this level. You can practice and prepare, but it’s never the same feeling as when you step on the court with the atmosphere and all the fans.”

During Wright’s tenure, Rutgers beat Connecticut in January 2002 when the Huskies were ranked No. 4 in the country, and the Scarlet Knights knocked off eventual national-champion Syracuse in January 2003.

Following his college career, Wright worked out for several NBA teams in Los Angeles and at a camp in Columbus, Ohio, hoping to attract interest. Former Los Angeles Lakers forward A.C. Green worked with Wright, who had significant interest from the Memphis Grizzlies before things fell through. Then a different professional team stepped in.

“When I was a kid, I remember always seeing the Harlem Globetrotters playing on TV, and on cartoons and Scooby-Doo and stuff like that,” Wright says. (The Globetrotters starred in several animated and live-action

television shows and movies.) “When they contacted me, I honestly didn’t know at first that they were still around. But they invited me to their training camp, so I went, tried out, and got the job.”

The Globetrotters, who have entertained fans around the world since 1927, have won more than 22,000 games and lost fewer than 350. But despite being best known for their on-court showmanship and family-friendly comedic antics, Globetrotter games are more steak than sizzle. “That training camp was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever been a part of,” Wright says. “My friends laughed and asked how that was possible. We spent three hours a day on basketball and three more hours on tricks and training.

“And going into every game, you knew you’d better not lose. We were undefeated. People would ask me if the games were fixed; they’re not. Only small segments [of each game] are actually a show, and when the show is over, it’s real basketball. If they beat us, our jobs are on the line. You don’t want to lose—you’re representing so many great players that have played before you.

“But at the same time, you get to enjoy what you do every day. You know that when you go to work, you’re putting a smile on someone’s face. You can affect people in a positive way, with a focus on entertaining families and children.”

Wright had been to Chile on a pre-season trip with his team at Rutgers, but playing with the Globetrotters truly sent him—you guessed it—around the world. His first game with the team was in Bermuda; he went on to visit 52 countries, “everywhere but Africa and Asia,” he says. “I really enjoyed the different cultures, the people, the food, and seeing how people in other places live day to day. You appreciate everything in your life more when you get to see how things are all over.”

He returned to Philadelphia on a full-time basis in 2005 in order to be closer to his family; today, Wright lives with his wife, Chiquita, and two sons. With family already in law enforcement (his mother and stepfather are both ex–police officers), Wright became a lead dispatcher for the Delaware River Port

A pair of former Mercersburg standouts helped their teams to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament in 2008. In the process, one made recent history; the other just made history, period.

With forward Alex Tyler ’06 in the starting lineup, Cornell captured its first Ivy League championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 20 years. Tyler, a sophomore, scored 10 points in the Big Red’s first-round NCAA loss to Stanford. He averaged 8.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per contest while starting every game for Cornell, which finished the season 22–6 overall and a perfect 14–0 in the Ivy League.

Romone Penny ’03 (below right, holding Patriot League championship trophy) capped off his senior season by taking American to its first NCAA Tournament since the school joined the Division I ranks 41 years ago. American won the Patriot League’s regular-season and tournament titles, and gave No. 2-seed Tennessee all it could handle in an NCAA first-round contest before the Vols pulled away for a 72–57 win.

Penny, who began his college career at Florida State and is a cousin of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs, graduated in May and works in accounting for Ernst & Young.

Authority assigned to the Ben Franklin Bridge. He has worked as a counselor for at-risk youth and can frequently be found coaching at the Lansdowne Boys Club or working on the court with aspiring big men from Philadelphia-area high schools.

“I love doing anything that helps people,” Wright says. “I try to stay constantly involved with kids who might not have a role model. I can show them that even though you’re in the city, that doesn’t mean you don’t have options. You can go to a school and make a life for yourself—it’s not the end of the road because of where you are.”

Yankee Doodles

B Y K RISTY FASANO ’02

My memories are littered with pinstripes. There’s Wells’ perfecto in ’98, and Coney’s in ’99. Jeffrey Maier’s catch in the ’96 playoffs. Boone’s homer off Wakefield in the 2003 ALCS. Jeter’s flip to Posada in ’01. That delicious day in 2000 when the Yankees hammered the Red Sox, 22–1, in Fenway Park.

Although baseball is my passion, the New York Yankees were my very first love. No doubt, there are other sports that appeal to me— there’s the unbridled aggression of football, the commanding speed of hockey—but baseball rules my heart. It’s the way the season stretches from the early rains of April to those frosty October nights—insisting dedication from even the most casual fan. The season is long and demanding, and at its very core is designed to weed out teams that break out of the gate strong, but can’t keep pace down the stretch. In baseball, you can’t sprint for 16 games and hope for the best. With 162 contests, baseball is a marathon.

In college, when so many people branch out and take a chance on their dreams, I chickened out. I wanted desperately to study sports journalism—to combine my love of writing

with my passion for sport—but in the end, I decided that I should focus on something more established, something more pronounced, and something that sounded good to my parents’ friends. So I went with accounting.

There are days I sit at my desk at work looking out a window—with the sunshine beckoning to me—dreaming of when I can next make it to the ballpark. I curse under my breath at the architect who decided that my office should be made predominantly of glass. I muse that he must have been a cruel man, constructing an office that allows the sunshine to permeate my every idea, and entices me to dream about being outside. So in an effort to appease my itch, I contribute my reflections to an independent sports website, MVN.com

I blog because in an office full of women—and financially minded men— there is no one who wants to discuss last night’s game with me. I am instructed to make decisions on whether or not a Roth or traditional IRA will best fit a person’s financial goals, and not whether Joba Chamber-

lain should be in the starting rotation or relegated to the bullpen. At the water cooler, I discuss interest rates, not Hank Steinbrenner’s comments to the media and how they parallel those of his infamous father. I spend my lunch hour calling neighboring financial institutions to compare interest rates, not to compare managerial styles of the two Joes (Girardi and Torre). There is no one else hoping to discuss the effectiveness of Brian Cashman as general manager, or how the Yankees (for the first time in a long while) have a farm system of which they can be proud.

And—horror of horrors—the other day, when I called a poor financial investment a “Carl Pavano,” I received only blank stares and dead silence in return.

Though my job takes precedence in my life, baseball will always be the passion that fuels me through the summer. Four words— “pitchers and catchers report”—will always jolt me out of the dead of winter. And as I face each day in a grown-up world, and adjust to making grown-up decisions, baseball will always let me be a kid again.

Kristy Fasano works in financial services, and is spending this summer as a counselor at Mercersburg Adventure Camps (MAC). She begins work on an MBA at Pennsylvania State University in the fall. Read her blog online at www.mvn.com

Chasing the Dream

Basil Kaaki ’06 broke five Lebanese national records at the 2008 FINA Swimming World Championships in April. Kaaki, a junior at Penn State, just missed qualifying for the 2008 SummerOlympics in Beijing; his brother, Abed ’04, swam for Lebanon at the 2004 Summer Games in Athens. For full details, visit www.mercersburg.edu/magazine.

One blogger’s explanation for why we love our teams so much

2007–2008 in Pictures

Sep 7 Nancy Horton Heefner Art Show opening reception Sheridan Gallery (Irvine Hall), 1–4:30 p.m.

Sep 26–28 Stony Batter presents The Diary of Anne Frank Hale Studio Theatre, 8 p.m.

Fall Dance Concert Simon Theatre, 8 p.m.

Fall Pops Concert Simon Theatre, 8 p.m.

Music [directors: Richard Rotz, Jack Hawbaker, Jim Brinson, Michael Cameron]

performs Theatre in

Visual Art [faculty: Mark Flowers, Kristy Higby, Wells Gray]

Emily Weiss ’08, painting

Liza Rockwell ’08, computer graphics

Napat Waikwamdee ’09, self-portrait

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: the Chorale performs in December in the Simon Theatre; the String Ensemble and Band in rehearsal.

Dance [director: Denise Dalton]

Stony Batter [directors: Laurie Mufson, Matt Maurer, John McAfee]

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Vivien Hu ’08, Anderson Chen ’10, Nicole Ongor ’08, Kevin Joseph ’11; Maryjane Clark ’10 (foreground), Annette Hull ’11, Molly Sabol ’08, Honor Zimmerman ’08 (background); student dancers with members of the Paul Taylor Dance Company following an April performance on campus.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Alex Schroer ’08 and Joanna Kessler ’09 in Into the Woods; John Henry Reilly ’10 takes flight in Peter Pan as Madeleine Foster ’08, Maggie Goff ’10, and Justin Corey ’08 look on; Foster and Pat Morgan ’08 in The Learned Ladies during the annual production of Classical Scenes.

Sep27

men’s/women’scrosscountryhostsMercersburgInvitational

LawrencevilleatMercersburg: women’stennis/volleyball,1:30p.m. fieldhockey/men’s&women’ssoccer,2p.m. football,2:30p.m.

Oct18

BullisatMercersburg(AlumniWeekend): men’s&women’ssoccer/fieldhockey/women’stennis/volleyball,1p.m. football,2:30p.m.

WinterVarsityAthleticsRoundup

Men’sBasketball

Captains: BrettBurrier’08,TonyTruitt’09

Mostoutstandingplayer: Burrier

Mostimprovedplayer: JimmyChen’08

JohnPrevost’54Award(citizenship): BenEaton’08

Headcoach: MarkCubit(9thseason) Record: 4–18(1–4MAPL)

Highlights: Burrier,whowillplayatUMBCnext year,garneredAll-Mid-AtlanticPrepLeague honors…AjayeDean’11wasnamedhonorablementionAll-Areabythe[Chambersburg] Public Opinion… GabeMartin’08willplayforEmorynext season,whileEatonwillplayfootballatLafayette… theteamknockedofffifth-seededFriendsCentral inthePennsylvaniaStateIndependentSchools Tournament,andnarrowlymissedatriptothe statesemifinalswhenMalvernPrepedgedthe BlueStormintheroundofeight…awinover LawrencevillewasthehighlightoftheMAPLslate… fouroftheteam’slossescamebyfivepointsorfewer.

Women’sBasketball

Captains: JennDillon’09,LaurenDobish’08

Mostoutstandingplayer: Dobish

Mostimprovedplayers: Dillon,CarolineLovette’09

Headcoach: MoniqueLiddell(1stseason) Record: 11–12(2–3MAPL)

Highlights:DobishwasanAll-MAPLselectionand willplaybasketballandsoftballatBatesCollege nextyear…shewasafour-yearletterwinnerand (alongwithclassmateLauraDiller’08)earneda totalof12varsitylettersinfouryearsat Mercersburg[page24]…Dobishalsoplayedinthe McDonald’sRoundballClassicinMarch…Lovette earnedhonorable-mentionall-conference recognition…followingregular-seasonvictories overLawrencevilleandBlair,theteamwonagame intheMAPLTournament(overLawrenceville)for thefirsttimesincejoiningtheleague;itsMAPL finish(tiedforthird)wasthehighestinthe program’shistory.

Skiing

Captains: KatePreston’08,MitchShetter’08

Mostoutstandingskiers: Preston,Shetter Mostimprovedskiers: LizaRizzo’11, ChrisWeller’11

Headcoach: DavidHolzwarth’78(16thseason) Highlights: BothPrestonandShetterwerefouryearletterwinners…PrestontooksecondintheJ1 women’sgiantslalomatthePennsylvaniaCupfinalsatElkMountain…intheirfirstpairofslalom races,JulietKasbar’10andLilyHebert’10placedin thetopthreeintheiragegroup…Rizzofinishedin thetopfiveinthepreliminaryPennsylvaniaEastern Qualifiers…asfirst-yearskiersintheJ2agegroup, AnnieLucas’10,EliLittlefield’11,CarlosGarcia’10, andChrisWeller’11showedcomposureinworking theirwayupthestartingorderwitheachrace…in additiontocompeting,LauraWirtavuori’09also helpedwithtuningskisandcritiquingcoursesettings(aninvaluableresourceforthecoaching staff).

Schedulesubjecttochange;forupdatedschedulesandresults,visit www.mercersburg.edu

DatestoRemember

Men’s Squash

Captains: Luke Griffin ’08, Josh Rosenblat ’08

Thomas Flanagan Award (most outstanding player): Rosenblat

Most improved player: Chris McClintick ’08

Head coach: Chip Vink ’73 (8th season) Record: 11–9

Highlights: Valentin Quan Miranda ’08 completed a perfect 21–0 season at the #1 position… Rosenblat compiled a 21–2 mark at No. 2, and Clayton Young ’08 was 20–3 at No. 3… the team finished third at the MAPL Championships, and captured the consolation final at the Division IV National Team Championships… Rosenblat lettered all four years… both Quan Miranda and Rosenblat earned all-conference honors… Quan Miranda will play at Middlebury next year, while Young will compete for Navy and Griffin for Franklin & Marshall.

Women’s Squash

Captains: Rachel Greenberg ’08, Mary Lancaster ’08

Thomas Flanagan Award (most outstanding player): Greenberg

Most improved player: Lancaster

Head coach: Wells Gray (5th season)

Record: 6–10

Highlights: The team defeated Bronxville, Bryn Mawr “B,” and Episcopal to capture its first National Division V Team Championship in February in New Haven, Connecticut; in the final, the Storm got victories from Greenberg, Lancaster, Lucia Rowe ’09, and Emily Carl ’08… Greenberg and Lancaster garnered All-MAPL honors… the team’s top-ranked player was Ana Kelly ’11, an alumna of New York’s notable CitySquash program.

Men’s Swimming

Captains: Simon Berger ’08, Patrick Holmes ’08, Mike Weinstein ’09

Glancy Award (most outstanding swimmer): Marshall Daniels ’08

John Preston ’47 Award (most improved swimmer): Collin Greene ’11

Thomas Hartz ’72 Award (dedication): Berger

Head coach: Pete Williams (20th season)

Easterns finish: 5th (of 28)

MAPL finish: 1st

Highlights: Daniels (50 free, 100 fly), Nick Thomson ’10 (100 free), and the 400 free relay

squad of Daniels, Thomson, Holmes, and Weinstein captured MAPL championships in their events… top finishers at Easterns included Daniels (2nd/50 free and 3rd/100 free), the 200 medley relay team of Thomson, Holmes, Tom McCarthy ’08, and Nikolai Paloni ’10 (2nd), the 200 free relay squad of Daniels, Thomson, Paloni, and McCarthy (3rd), and the 400 relay team of Weinstein, McCarthy, Holmes, and Daniels (3rd)… honorable-mention All-MAPL selections included Berger, Greene, McCarthy, Paloni, Andrew Buehler ’08, Ed Carroll ’08, Kevin Joseph ’11, and Sammy Schadt ’10… collegiate swimmers next year will include Daniels and McCarthy (Navy),

Berger and Holmes (Lehigh), and Peter Cooke ’08 (Case Western Reserve).

Women’s Swimming

Captains: Lara Brandfass ’08, Rebecca Galey ’09

Neidhoefer Award (most outstanding swimmer): Kiersten Bell ’09

Finlay Vanderveer Award (greatest influence): Brandfass

John Preston ’47 Award (most improved swimmer): Bell

Head coach: Pete Williams (20th season)

Easterns finish: 7th (of 29)

MAPL finish: 3rd

Highlights: Bell (500 free) and Nikki Hyrkas ’11 (200 IM) won MAPL individual titles in their events… top Easterns finishes were the 400 free relay team of Brandfass, Hyrkas, Bell, and Joy Mullins ’10 (4th) and the individual performances of Bell (7th/500 free and 9th/200 free), and Brandfass (9th/50 free and 10th/100 fly)… Brandfass, Galey, Mullins, and Jen Leahey ’10 earned honorable-mention All-MAPL honors… Brandfass will swim at College of Charleston next year.

Men’s Winter Track

Captains: James Finucane ’08, Andre Watkis ’08

Most outstanding athlete: Finucane

Most improved athlete: Nebiyu Osman ’10

Head coach: David Grady (4th season)

MAPL finish: 3rd

Highlights: Finucane swept the 1600m (4:25.70, a new meet record) and 3200m races at the MAPL

Championships… he was fifth in the mile at the Pennsylvania Indoor State Championships, the highest-ever finish for a Mercersburg athlete there… David Strider ’08 (high jump) joined Finucaneas an All-MAPL selection… honorable-mention All-MAPL honors went to Bill Campi ’08, Dillon French ’09, Troy Harrison ’10, Stephan Kreifels ’09, Ellis Mays ’10, Pat Morgan ’08, Nebiyu Osman ’10, and Fleet White ’08… Finucane will run track and cross country at Penn next season, while Strider will compete at South Carolina and White for Navy.

Women’s Winter Track

Captains: Laura Diller ’08, Whitney Matthew ’08

Most outstanding athletes: Lena Finucane ’09, Asia Walker ’09

Most improved athlete: Sarah Kolanowski ’10

Head coach: David Grady (4th season)

MAPL finish: 3rd

Highlights: Walker (55m, long jump) and Finucane (1600m) captured individual MAPL championships… Finucane (mile), Matthew (200m), and Walker (55m) qualified for the Pennsylvania Indoor State Championships as individuals; they were joined at the meet by the first-ever Mercersburg relay team to qualify (the 4x200m squad of Walker, Matthew, Deborah Adjibaba ’11, and Kayleigh Kiser ’11)… honorable-mention All-MAPL selections included Adjibaba, Diller, Kiser, Kolanowski, Alicia Furnary ’09, Paige Harry ’10, Mackenzie Riford ’11, and Paige Summers ’11… Diller earned varsity letters all four years, giving her a total of 12 letters for her Mercersburg career… Matthew leaves as a

three-time state qualifier and two-time medalist, and as the holder of three school records (55m, 200m, and 400m).

Wrestling

Captains: Cody Barrick ’10, Garrick Skubon ’09, Nathan Stanford ’08

Fred Kuhn Award (most outstanding wrestler): Barrick

Most improved wrestler: A.J. Firestone ’10

Ronald D. Tebben Leadership Award: Stanford Head coach: Rick Hendrickson (15th season)

Record (dual meets): 3–7

Highlights: Hendrickson, who becomes Mercersburg’s director of athletics next year, was 234–81–2 in 15 years at the Academy; he holds the school record for most dual-meet coaching victories and best winning percentage, and coached 12 Pennsylvania state prep individual champions and 28 Prep All-Americans… his career dual-meet record is 329–99–2… Barrick, a Prep All-American, compiled a 43–7 record and finished seventh at the National Prep Tournament at Lehigh University… Skubon (31–6) and Firestone (27–14) also placed at the state event and competed at the national tournament; as a team, Mercersburg placed 39th out of 122 qualifying squads… Barrick and Skubon were named All-MAPL... Stanford was a four-year letterwinner… Mercersburg alumnus Nate Jacklin ’96 will take over the program next winter; Jacklin wrestled at Columbia and has produced six Virginia Class AAA state placewinners as a coach in the past four years at Mountain View High School.

AlumniNotes

Mark your calendar

In 2009, Mercersburg anniversary reunion celebrations move to the summer

Learn more in this Q&A with Susie Lyles-Reed ’88, president of the Alumni Council:

Q: Why are anniversary reunion celebrations being moved to the summer?

Ferry. We hope to offer presentations, panel discussions, and dialogue with student leaders, in addition to meetings with administrators representing the offices of admission & financial aid, college counseling, and summer programs.

Submit alumni notes and photographs online or by email to NewsNotes@mercersburg.edu or your class agent. Submissions may appear online or in print. Mercersburg reserves the right to edit submissions for space or content, and is not responsible for more than reasonable editing or fact-checking.

A: Celebrating five-year anniversary reunions in the early summer (the weekend following Commencement) will allow for many new opportunities. In particular, the move to a summer date helps eliminate the two biggest concerns about a fall reunion that emerged from a 2005 alumni survey. In the survey, alumni told us that accommodations are too far away from campus. By moving reunions to the summer, alumni and their families will be able to stay on campus in dormitories. (Of course, if you prefer to stay in a nearby hotel, that option is still available.) Second, alumni told us that the fall is often too busy a time for them to travel with their families to campus. A summer reunion date allows alumni to plan a family weekend on campus and to introduce their children to Mercersburg.

Q: What are some of the things I can look forward to on reunion weekend in the summer?

A: Reunion weekend activities will give alumni full use of campus facilities, and allow for learning opportunities with faculty and off-campus programs (for alumni and families) that could include trips to destinations like Gettysburg, Antietam, and Harpers

We know that alumni like to see each other—and former teachers and coaches. During reunion weekend activities, there are plans for more events with coaches and former faculty. It is important to us that there are activities for adults and families—activities that are casual, fun, and relaxing.

Q: Can I still come back for Alumni Weekend in the fall?

A: Absolutely. There will continue to be a fall event held in October that will welcome all alumni back to campus. This weekend will involve the entire school in homecoming/Founder’s Day activities reflecting school spirit and traditions. We want to begin planning alumni reunions for affinity groups, including the Loyalty Club, athletic teams, music groups, clubs, and dorms. We want student activities to be an integral part of the weekend, which will allow for more student-alumni engagement. Activities that involve students, faculty, and alumni, and that celebrate the birthday of the school’s founder, Dr. William Mann Irvine, will be included. And finally, this fall weekend will emphasize school spirit, school history, and school traditions.

Please note that Alumni Weekend 2008 (for anniversary reunions ending in 3 and 8) remains in the fall, and is set for October 17–19. For more information, visit www.mercersburg.edu/alumni.

Susie Lyles-Reed ’88

Births

Robert “Bob” Johnson received the James E. Hillhouse High School Athlete Hall of Fame Award. Bob placed first in the Connecticut State Championships in both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle for two years, and won the 200-meter freestyle at the National High School Championships. At Mercersburg, he swam on the national-champion 200 free relay team and was first in the 220yard individual event. At Ohio State University, he captained the swim team in 1938 and 1939; the team won the National Open AAU Swimming Short and Long Course championships, a first in the history of college swimming. He also anchored Ohio State’s 200 free relay team, which set a world record.

Roger Loewi writes, “I’m still happily around here in Denver, where I’ve been since 1966, and still active. I go work out at the gym, drive myself around town, and go to concerts, opera, and art museums. I am looking forward to my 91st birthday in July, and I have been lucky enough to have my younger son, his wife, and 15-year-old son living with me. Hope to hear from some who were at the Academy during my days there. Best regards to Bob Johnson and others still around. ’38

◆ Ned Hermann ehermann404@comcast.net ’43

John Sweet’s book, Discovery at Prudhoe Bay, was published in June 2007. ’47

◆ Harry McAlpine 703-893-3893

Jim Ruder’scompany, Golden Cycle Gold Corporation of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was acquired by AngloGold Ashanti of South Africa for $149 million; the companies have been partners in Colorado’s largest gold-mining operation since 1991. Jim has enjoyed a long career in the gold-mining industry; he has served as chairman of Golden Cycle since 2001. ’48

◆ Pat Harris (widow of Bill Harris ’48) whatpath@mindspring.com

◆ Ray Magill rmagill@juno.com

◆ Hugh Miller hcmfaia@comcast.net

◆ Jim Pfautz bsgimd@aol.com

John “Jack” Eldridge ’41 (right) and life partner Don Caven celebrate their 59th anniversary (yes, that’s 59 years) in July. Both retired in 1973—Jack from Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and Don as an independent petroleum accountant. In the 35 years since, they have restored five antique houses in Texas, Massachusetts, Maine, and New Jersey, and have logged thousands of hours volunteering in hospitals and teaching crafts in nursing homes. They divide their time between a condo in Dallas and a recently purchased house on a beautiful lake in northeast Texas.

’49

Christopher James, born November 19, 2007, son of Jay “Mato” Tindall ’79 and his wife, Patricia.

Daniela Elizabeth, born October 22, 2007, daughter of Jorge Vargas ’84 and his wife, Wendy Purdon.

◆ Bill Alexander 740-282-5810

Dr. Stan Silverblatt authored Hotel Doctor, a memoir of his days as an inhouse physician for the rich, the famous, and the infamous at the Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood, Florida. The book was published by Dorrance Publishing Company of Pittsburgh. ’50

◆ Ed Hager edward.t.hager1@adelphia.net

After finishing six months as interim supply priest at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Southfield, Michigan, Friar John Albrecht went on a mini-sabbatical to Germany in October. It was the first time in seven years that Christa, his wife, had seen her family in northern Germany. ’54

◆ Jack Connolly jackconnolly@cfmr.com

Jack Connolly reports that his wife, Marcia, passed away on March 15, 2008; Jack and Marcia were just about to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. They have two children and five grandchildren. Marcia was associate director of admission at Harvard and Radcliffe colleges for 25 years.

Anastasia Ava, born January 17, 2008, daughter of Brian Wagner ’84 and his wife, Aleksandra.

Micah Anker, born October 15, 2007, son of Jennifer Anker Kaufman ’90 and her husband, Ira.

Children of Iain Martin ’88 and his wife, Chona: Sofia Cameron, born March 21, 2008, and big brother Thomas.

Children of Amy Sheridan Fazackerley ’89 and her husband, Adam: Andrew, Miles, and their new brother, Caden Adam, born January 20, 2008.

Children of Lynda Askey Jutronich ’90 and her husband, Craig: older brother Doug with Jason McLean, born September 27, 2007.

’56

◆

David A. Ulsh ducu1960@comcast.net

In November, John Butterfield was elected to the town council of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; of the 12 candidates for seven seats, he was the leading votegetter. John stresses that he is “not a politician, but a public servant.”

’58

◆ Jon Dubbs jdubbs@dubbs.com ◆ Jack Reilly jackreillysr@gmail.com

Francis “Buck” Stultz’sretirement is “on hold.” His wife, Valerie, accepted a position on the bishop’s cabinet as superintendent of the Akron Canal District. They planned a move to Stow, Ohio, in June (their 15th move in 42 years of marriage).

◆ Guy Anderson guykanderson@att.net ◆ George Kistler gwkistler@aol.com ◆ Koz Kozloff riokoz@cox.net ◆ Ross Lenhart rlenhart@sc.rr.com ◆ Jim Starkey starkyj1@universalleaf.com ◆ Bill Vose wovose@kaballero.com ◆ Alan Wein alan.wein@uphs.upenn.edu

◆ Gene Homicki ukey@spiders.com

◆ Dave Millstein sponte@aol.com

◆ Paul Sommerville psommerville@hargray.com

’63

“Americana Roads,” an exhibition of photography by former

◆ Hank Bowis hbowis@cox.net ◆ Doug Douglass al_douglass@ml.com ◆ Barry Dubbs bdubbs@targetlogos.com ◆ Clem Geitner hkyleather@aol.com ◆ Charlie Hamburg chamburg@effortfoundry.com ◆ Bob Hecht rhecht@ecovacs.com ◆ Bob Hughes bob.hughes@jgr.com ◆ Frank Lloyd fwlloyd@mintz.com

’59

Witcher “Topper” McCullough went to Stetson University in Florida. “I had seen enough of you guys running around in dress suits in the cold snow at the Academy,” he writes, “so I traded mine in for a bathing suit and the beach— absolutely no regrets. I serve as a director on the Stetson Alumni Board. I wish we Mercersburg grads did more getting together like we do at Stetson; we always pay lip service to intentions and then don’t perform—why does that sound familiar?” Topper went to law school at West Virginia University and was a federal prosecutor for four years in Houston. “Imagine that—the guy voted one of the winners of ‘gets away with the most’ putting the bad guys in prison. Jump 37 years forward; I am a civil trial lawyer and mediator with a firm that has 500 lawyers and 10 offices, and have not aged a bit. I convinced a hometown girl (another hillbilly with one leg shorter than the other) to marry me 27 years ago. We have three kids, and none of them have

married yet, so no grandchildren.” He bought a ranch in Pontotoc, Texas (about 90 miles from Austin), “so come on down and have a cold one with me. Unlike the old days with Jack Lutz et al., I keep the beer in the fridge instead of under the rocks in a distant creek. God willing and the crick don’t rise, I do plan to be at our 45th next year.”

Dave Millstein is not retired yet, and is still practicing law (and enjoying it some) in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. He has a second home in Naples, Florida, and tries to get there as often as he can. All three of his kids are married, and he has three grandsons. He says life has been good, for the most part.

Bill Stepp plans to attend his 45th reunion in October, if he can make it. Fall is a busy time, as he has two children in college and also plans to visit their campuses. Knowing how efficient the Academy is at raising funds, he offers a modest proposal of the establishment of a “Let’s Bring Old Bill Stepp back to Mercersburg” fund. Even though he is retired, he’s always looking for additional income. Should he return to campus, he could fulfill his part of the class prophecy (working as a street sweeper in Mercersburg). Regardless, he looks forward to coming back and personally giving his very best to all of ’63.

◆ Stan Westbrook

fswgolf2@verizon.net

’66

Bill Goodfellow’swife, Washington Post journalist Dana Priest, is one of the winners of the 2008 Selden Ring Award. Dana and fellow journalist Anne Hull received the $35,000 award for a series exposing conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The annual prize, presented by the School of Journalism at the USC Annenberg School for Communication, recognizes the year’s outstanding work in investigative journalism that led to direct results. “If it were not for these two reporters, our veterans would continue to suffer needlessly and unconscionably,” said Michael Parks, the Pulitzer Prize–winning former editor of the Los Angeles Times , who now serves as the school’s director. “This is exactly what investigative reporting should do—hold the government accountable to its people.”

’67

◆ Allan Rose allan@byrose.com

◆ Ed Russell martnwod@bellsouth.net

◆ Mike Radbill mradbill1@comcast.net

’64

Ivan Sag was the featured speaker for Mercersburg’s Cum Laude Convocation in March [page 7]. Ivan, who holds a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is a noted linguist and professor of linguistics at Stanford University. He has co-authored several books that introduce and develop the syntactic theory known as head-driven phrase structure grammar (HPSG). During his visit, he spoke to students in the Simon Theatre about his time at the ’Burg more than 40 years ago and the circuitous route his life has taken.

Regent Robert Kurtz ’52 [Mercersburg, spring 2008], will run in the Burgin Center for the Arts from the beginning of the 2008–2009 academic year through Alumni Weekend in October.

Matthew Cook ’11 and Stephanie Stine ’11 (grandchildren of Bill Cook ’51) in their first year at Mercersburg.

◆ Charles Alter ca@buckeye-express.com

◆ Bill Ford william_ford@ml.com

◆ Rich Helzel rhelzel@mac.com

◆ Bruce Kemmler kemmler@kemmlerproducts.com

◆ Mike Kopen kopen@goeaston.net

◆ Tucker Shields shieldst@mercersburg.edu

◆ Clarence Youngs clarence4150@aol.com

Andrew Ammerman joined his mother, Josephine Ammerman, and Hubert and Charlotte Schlosberg in celebration of Arena Stage’s 2007–2008 season by sponsoring Ella, the Arena’s first production in Crystal City, just across the Potomac from Washington, D.C. Through Andrew’s generosity, a group of Mercersburg students and faculty attended a performance in February. Andrew considers Ella Fitzgerald a seminal part of his childhood, as he has wonderful memories of the stereo filling his home with her gorgeous voice. He was elected to the Arena’s board of trustees in 2006 and admires the theater’s mission to celebrate American Voices

Dan Huyett is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in the nation. He is a partner at Stevens & Lee in Reading, Pennsylvania; his areas of practice are commercial and class action litigation, corporate investigation, and whitecollar criminal defense. Dan is a former federal prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Philadelphia.

Doug Miller is senior vice president and general counsel for Cogentrix Energy in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The USS Stockdale (DDG-106), an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer in the U.S. Navy, was christened May 10 during a ceremony in Bath, Maine. The ship is named for Vice Admiral James B. Stockdale, the father of Jim Stockdale and grandfather of Liz ’02 and Bond ’09 Admiral Stockdale, one of the most decorated officers in the history of the Navy, was a Medal of Honor recipient who spent eight years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, and ran for vice president as Ross Perot’s running mate in 1992. He died in 2005 at age 81.

For the past 30 years, Rich Freedman has lived in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he is a small-animal veterinarian. He has taught, written, and perfected a few things (and that’s very few).

He loves vintage British cars, jukeboxes, and pinball machines; he also coached youth lacrosse for 15 years. His daughter, Danielle, attended Duke University and now works for a consulting firm in Washington. His son, Chad, is in his second year at Washington College and plays lacrosse. “It’s time to quit and figure out how to retire someday,” Rich says. “After two college tuitions, anyone have any good ideas?” Rich gets back to the ’Burg a couple times a year; he is good friends with the basketball coach, Mark Cubit. He periodically reads about Bruce Josten, vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and saw him on TV one night discussing foreign ownership of our ports. Rich’s brother, Skip ’66, is in Portland, Oregon, “playing doctor” and running a company that does insurance claims review and hospital peer review.

AmericanFarm.com featured Dick Seibert’s Knob Hall Winery in an April 2008 article. Knob Hall was one of six stops on the 2008 Maryland Agriculture Commission tour. Commission members met with members of the state’s agricultural community to discuss ways to promote Maryland’s number-one industry—agriculture. Knob Hall has hired John Levenberg as a consultant winemaker specializing in the production of ultra-premium wines; John has served as winemaker for wineries in several locales, including Long Island, California, and France. ’72

◆ Tom Hadzor T.Hadzor@Duke.edu ◆ Eric Scoblionko wekdirscobes@aol.com

Scott Christopher and his wife, Elizabeth, have been featured twice in the pages of the Santa Fe New Mexican The stories detailed Scott and Elizabeth’s artistic talents and ventures over the last several years. Scott is best known for his 42 years of photographic images, including pictures of Michael Jackson, Princess Diana, and Cal Ripken Jr.

Since November, Peggy Northrop has served as editor-in-chief of Reader’s Digest Previously, Peggy was the editorin-chief of More magazine for three years; she has also held editorial positions at Redbook, Organic Style, Glamour, and Mirabella magazines.

Births

Children of Melissa Glah Orders ’95 and her husband, Nathaniel: Catherine, Elizabeth Ann (born April 27, 2007), and Andrew.

Emily Miller Joyner ’99 with her son, Bruce Honus, born to her and her husband, Stephen, January 4, 2007.

◆ Rick Fleck

aspnrick@aol.com

◆ Rich Freedman rfreedman@iqworks.net

◆ Dick Seibert

rseibert@knobhall.com

◆ Joe Lee jos.lee@comcast.net

Alex Kenel, son of Amanda Reisner ’97 and her husband, Jean Docteur, born October 31, 2007.

To Alyssa Bella Landahl ’89 and her husband, Andrew: a son, William Aldo, October 16, 2007.

To Matt Kettering ’90 and his wife, Adrian: a son, Foster Nicol, January 17, 2008.

To John Barnes ’91 and his wife, Kassie: a son, John Robert, January 30, 2008.

To Timothy Keeler ’94 and his wife, Elissa: a son, Finian “Finn” Michael, March 28, 2008.

’73

To Ingrid Herr-Paul Ashley ’99 and her husband, Timothy: a son, Aiden Paul, January 9, 2008.

Mason Perrin, born December 1, 2007, son of SaKeithia Rogers ’97 and her husband, Perrin.

Faculty

To Michael Cameron and his wife, Jennifer Blyth: a son, Harold Raymond, April 29, 2008.

To Jon Hathorn and his wife, Helen: a daughter, Madeleine Marie, April 26, 2008.

ABOVE: Hadley Grace, daughter of faculty member Jo Wrzesinsky and her husband, Jason Frey, born April 22, 2008.

Giselle Amna, born October 4, 2007, daughter of Tim Gocke ’94 and his wife, Fizzah.

Emma Marie, daughter of Ben Graham ’94 and his wife, Brigid, born February 5, 2008.

Board of Regents Nominees:

Elizabeth Gildea Logie ’81, New Canaan, Connecticut

Liz is a graduate of Yale University and Georgetown Law School. Previously an attorney in New York City for Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, as well as Christy & Viner, she left the practice of law to raise a family. In 2003, Liz reentered the workforce as an entrepreneur, establishing Liz Logie LLC to showcase her high-end women’s shirt designs. Her line is now available in approximately 50 stores nationwide, including Barneys New York and Neiman Marcus. Liz was a volunteer with the New York Region committee for Mightily Onward, and was elected to the Board of Regents in May 2005. She and her husband, Scott, have two sons and a daughter.

Jamil T. Myrie ’93, New York, New York

Jamil graduated cum laude from Mercersburg and received a bachelor of arts in economics from Harvard University. Jamil was elected to the Board of Regents in 1999; he was the first Regent elected to a seat on the Board created by the Nominating Committee especially for young graduates. Jamil began his career as the co-founder of MOJA Design Corporation, a leading international design, manufacturing, and distribution company based in New York City. Jamil was a pioneer in bringing the first hip-hop fashion designer brand to the $17 billion eyewear industry; in 2002, he successfully led MOJA Design through the acquisition, integration, and repositioning of renowned urban fashion house Maurice Malone. In 2004, Jamil joined For Eyes, a privately owned, national retail company with more than 150 locations throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, as executive vice president of real estate and development. He oversees the company’s real-estate portfolio of close to 500,000 square feet, and also serves as executive vice president of business intelligence.

Alum ni Council Nom inees:

Colin

G.

Marsh ’01, Denver, Colorado

Colin earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Harvey Mudd College in 2005, and is an analyst with Accenture. He is the development lead for a project at movie channels Starz/Encore; his team worked to develop Vongo, a video-download service. His brother, Robert Marsh Kurtz ’09, is a current Mercersburg student, and his sister, Karis ’05, is also a graduate of the Academy. Colin’s grandfather is Robert Kurtz ’52, a former member of the Board of Regents and past-president of the Alumni Council.

Steve Flanagan smpf55@earthlink.net

Kevin Longenecker kklong@epix.net ’76

Jane White Yocum jane.yocum@hmrmlaw.com

Mark Bistline’sdaughter, Bennett, is a freshman at the Rhode Island School of Design. His son, James, celebrated his first birthday in May, and Mark’s wife, Susan, is due with their third child in July. ’78 ◆ Heidi Kaul Krutek hkrutek@bellsouth.net

Marie Furnary celebrated several big events this year. In June, her daughter, Alina, graduated from The Thacher School in Ojai, California; she plans to attend Dartmouth College next year. Her son, James, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy last May and is training to be a Marine pilot in Pensacola, Florida. James married fellow Annapolis graduate Sara Miller, who will be an ensign on a ship based in Jacksonville, Florida. Following their actionpacked spring, Marie and her husband, Ken, are lying low for the summer in McCall, Idaho.

Ralph Kline ’76, his wife, Helen, and country-music star Phil Vassar at a January 2008 Mercersburg gathering at the Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia.

David Hawbaker ’69 has served as Pennsylvania Magisterial District Judge in Mercersburg since 1982.

Mark Hammond , who is “teaching physics at St. Andrew’s School and loving it,” spent spring break visiting colleges with his daughter, Sadie, which “made me feel kind of old,” he says— “but we get to run together each afternoon, which makes me feel young. My son, Davis, will be starting St. Andrew’s next fall—I don’t know how that makes me feel. Last summer, we traveled around Germany, France, and Italy, boosting the European economy despite our country’s ‘war on tourism.’”

Hank Katzen shares, “All is well in Maitland, Florida. Plenty of work to do and I’m getting back to Pennsylvania almost every month, which is great. I’m taking the mixing of business with

pleasure to an art form. Number-one son, Malcolm Alexander, has started high school and has been asked to be a part of the Rollins College Orchestra— not bad for a high school freshman. Number-two son, Max David, is in eighth grade, continues to post straight As, and is becoming very social. Number-three son, Mason Ross, will soon be 11 years old and can’t wait for the Rush concert in a few weeks—he is convinced Neil Peart is the greatest rock-and-roll drummer alive today. We still see as many shows as we can; we even added Jazz Fest to the calendar and now we have a new B.B. King’s in Orlando to keep the good times rolling. I got to see the Steelers beat the Bengals in the house of Heinz last season—that was cool. We are now season

Marriages

ticket holders for UCF basketball and football, and supporting the home team has been really fun. I hope to see a Penn State home game next fall.”

Ken Lee moved back to central Pennsylvania several years ago, and is a shareholder with the law firm of Tucker Arensberg and co-chairman of the firm’s Real Estate and Construction Law Group. He has been named a “Best Attorney in America” for the last several years, and has played fast-pitch baseball for a Field of Dreams team. “The best thing about being back in central Pennsylvania,” Ken says, “is being near all of my siblings and my mom and letting my daughter, Samantha, enjoy special times with her grandmother, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Samantha is an honor student who starts high school in the fall. We, of course, are back in Mercersburg often, because my mom still lives on the family farm just outside of town. I stay in touch with Sam Happel and Scott “Reggie” Toward, who are both in the Pittsburgh area.”

John McAvoy and his wife, Kim, finished a third home on Rangeley Lake in the mountains of Maine. John spent the past two years completing the U.S. Army War College’s distance-education program, and now holds a master’s degree in strategic studies. He is still active on weekends as the Deputy J4 (Logistics) for the Maine Army National Guard. Kim and the girls are active in scouting activities. John’s hobbies include boating, fishing, miniature golf, and skiing; fortunately, the girls all enjoy those activities, so it’s usually a group effort.

Walter McGhee moved back to Pittsburgh about five years ago after being gone for approximately 20 years. Walter,

who works in asset management, kept his job in New York, so he goes there often—which, he says, is nice. “I decided to go back to school last year and have been working on my CFA,” he says. “Not sure why I am doing this since it is requiring all of my free time… chalk it up to a moment of temporary insanity. Kathleen and I have been married for nearly 16 years and have four wonderful children (ages 12, 10, 9, and 5). Occasionally, I bump into Sam Happel, which is always a nice surprise.”

◆ Carol Furnary Casparian furnaryc@mercersburg.edu

Ruth Quinn’shusband, Thomas Chalkley, did a caricature of former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and political pundit James Carville that appeared in a Super Bowl commercial for Coca-Cola.

Jay “Mato” Tindall and his wife, Patricia, had a son, Christopher James, on November 19, 2007. The family (including the newly christened baby boy) lives in Harmony, Pennsylvania (35 miles north of Pittsburgh). Patricia is now a stay-athome mom after working as an intensive-care nurse in the neurological unit at Allegheny General Hospital, and more recently as a case-management supervisor at Cigna Healthcare. Jay completed a global MBA at the University of Phoenix and works for a risk-management firm, Global Consulting, of London. Jay is fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian, and works frequently in Latin America and Europe. He says the time spent away from home can be very frustrating; however, the baby will get his passport soon, and then the whole family can travel together.

The marriage of Laura Linderman ’91 and Andrew Barker, January 17, 2008.

The wedding of Chesley Bastholm ’98 and Justin Nonemaker, April 5, 2008, in Kiawah Island, South Carolina (L–R): Cat Supernavage ’97, Irene Papoutsis ’99, Pierce Lord ’98, Justin and Chesley, Ashley Bastholm Piraino ’93, Sarah Cohen ’98, Julia Wiedeman ’98.

Liz Yates ’96 to David Eppley, June 28, 2008.

The marriage of Lovro Vuksa ’01 and Nikolina Svecak, June 30, 2007.

Future (Marshall) Mercersburg student Sydney Parker Byrd, daughter of Harry ’91 and Ashley Byrd.

’82

◆ Todd Wells todd.wells@jetblue.com

◆ Duncan White duncan.m.white@accenture.com

Ray Liddy was promoted to the rank of colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves.

’83

◆ Mark Pyper mark.e.pyper@smithbarney.com

◆ Bruce Ricciuti jbr@birchrea.com

Betsy Rider-Williams joined the Berwyn Squash Club near Philadelphia, where she bumped into Erika LaCerda ’83 and Cindy Davenport Borger ’83 They had a great time remembering all the fun they had playing squash at Mercersburg with Chip Vink ’73 and traveling to games. They look forward to playing in future Burbank Squash Tournaments.

Jorge Vargas and Wendy Purdon announce the birth of a baby girl, Daniela Elizabeth, October 22, 2007, in Pembroke Pines, Florida. Big brother Alexander is very happy about the addition to the family.

’85

◆ Susan Corwin Moreau moreau.s@att.net

’84

◆ Rachel Haines Bowman rachbowman@comcast.net

◆ Ann Quinn aquinn@scandh.com

Todd and Claudia Bayona Hovenden operate 21 Biaggi’s restaurants in 12 states. They are enjoying watching Max (12) and Gabby (10) grow up. “If there is ever anything that we can do for any of our fellow Mercersburg alumni, we would love to hear from them,” Todd says.

Luke Ebbin co-wrote the song “No Turning Back,” which was one of 20 songs competing to be the first single released by the winner of this year’s season of American Idol Luke, a record producer and songwriter, has worked with Bon Jovi, Melissa Etheridge, the AllAmerican Rejects, and Plain White T’s.

Theo “Chipper” Lichtenstein has returned from New Zealand and Australia, where he was teaching bridge.

September 18 Young Alumni Multi-school Event Boat Basin Café, New York City Enjoy drinks, snacks, and good company with alumni from Mercersburg, Hill, Andover, Lawrenceville, Peddie, and Blair.

September 26–28

’88

◆

Kristin Butterfield Vickery kbutterfield@aapa.org ◆ Jennifer Cutshall Sobich j.sobich@verizon.net

Paul Giannaris nicksinn@aol.com ◆ Susie Lyles-Reed ebsl_reed@yahoo.com ◆ Eric Reed ereed_md@yahoo.com

Iain Martin’snew book, The Quotable American Civil War, was published in May by Lyons Press.

’89 ◆ Zania Pearson zmp2work@verizon.net

Ames Prentiss aprentiss@intownvet.com

’91 ◆ Helen Barfield Prichett helenprichett@yahoo.com ◆ Laura Linderman Barker laura.linderman@t-mobile.com

Treva Ghattas tghattas@osimd.com ◆ Kim Lloyd kim_lloyd@sbcglobal.net

Jeffrey LaGrassa earned a promotion to principal research technician at Air Products and Chemicals in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He celebrated his 10th anniversary with the company in November of last year, and supports research activities as a member of the process and separations group. He and his wife, Alicia, were married in June 2005. Outside of work, Jeff spends a lot of time playing disc golf, skiing, playing the electric bass, and jamming with friends. He occasionally runs into Dan Stoner in the Lancaster area.

John Barnes and his wife, Kassie, announce the birth of a baby boy, John Robert “Jack” Barnes, on January 30, 2008. Jack is the nephew of James Barnes ’95

Bill Jarrett ’91 (left, with former New York City Mayor and presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani) is an attorney in Manhattan, involved with the 2008 presidential campaign, and making a move on Wall Street.

Rossell Purcell ’91 enjoying a Gaucho festival in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

’92

’94

’98

◆ Emily Gilmer Caldwell gilmercaldwell@yahoo.com

Dan Akers is a visual-effects artist in Los Angeles. He is working on the film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. Dan has worked on several recent films, including Pirates of the Caribbean, I Am Legend, Blood Diamond, and King Kong For more, check out his profile at the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com).

’93

◆ Tim Gocke tim.gocke@gmail.com ◆ Rob Jefferson rmjefferson@venable.com

◆ Lori Esposit Miller lori_esposit@msn.com

◆ Geraldine Gardner geraldide@hotmail.com

’96

◆ Danielle Dahlstrom dlld93@hotmail.com ◆ Alexis Kemmler Simpson a_kemmler@hotmail.com ◆ Alyson McKee Humphreys amckee675@aol.com ◆ Jamil Myrie jmyrie@foreyes.com ◆ Karen Pak Oppenheimer karenpak@yahoo.com ◆ Rob Pitts robkpitts@hotmail.com ◆ Sarah Smith smiths@nbps.org

Danielle Dahlstrom is delighted to announce her engagement to Ryan Cleland-Bogle. The couple plans a September wedding, and will live in Amman, Jordan. Danielle, who lives in Vienna, Austria, continues work as a press and public information officer at the International Atomic Energy Agency (the UN’s atomic watchdog and global focal point for nuclear cooperation). She is producing a multimedia package on nuclear security’s role in the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.

Stirling Elmendorf exhibited a selection of fine-art photographs in January and February at Caramel Boutique in Washington.

Arlo Crawford ’sstory, “Cold-Comfort Farming,” was featured May 4, 2008, in the New York Times Magazine The piece is about his experience as an organic farmer, relationships, and dating.

Liz Yates married David Eppley June 28; classmate Allison Arch served as a bridesmaid. Liz and David live in New York City with their yellow Lab, Stella.

’97

◆ Emily Peterson emilyadairpeterson@gmail.com

◆ Chris Senker chris.senker@cookmedical.com

Larissa Chase Smith was instrumental in founding the Mercersburg Council for the Arts (MCFA) in January; fellow founders included her husband, Ryan, and Jenn Flanagan ’99 The organization’s goal is to facilitate dialogue between area artists and members of the Mercersburg community. For more information, visit www.mercersburg.org/mcfa.

Liz Curry ecurry@tigglobal.com ◆ Dean Hosgood dean.hosgood@gmail.com ◆ Pierce Lord piercelordnyc@yahoo.com ◆ Beth Pniewski Bell bethannbell@gmail.com ◆ Owen Rice orice4@gmail.com ◆ Abby Russell russell04@bellsouth.net

◆

’00

Kevin Hoffmann has worked as an actor in New York and Orlando for the past several years. He has appeared in commercials for Sony, Mediacom Cable, Royal Bank of Canada, and Sweetbay Supermarkets. This fall, Kevin will attend the Old Globe Theatre’s MFA acting program in San Diego. Students learn and perform at the Old Globe Theatre during the intense two-year program. The program includes a full-tuition scholarship, a living stipend, and a trip to London to study during the second year; only seven students each year are accepted. Kevin would love to hear from any alumni in the entertainment industry; for more information, visit kevinhoffmann.com.

’99

◆ Kevin Glah kevglah@gmail.com ◆ Taylor Horst taylor.horst@tufts.edu ◆ Andrew Miller amiller@pioneeringprojects.org ◆ Anne Reeder annereeder@sbcglobal.net

Pia Streicher and Hannah Kaufman met up for a weekend in Lisbon, Portugal. Hannah taught English and worked on a series of paintings in Lisbon before returning to the States in April to teach art. Pia lives in Paris, where she is finishing a Ph.D. in biophysics at the Institut Curie.

’01

◆ Jenn Flanagan flanaganj@mercersburg.edu ◆ Jess Malarik jmalarik@gmail.com

Brothers Matt and Andy Danziger [Mercersburg, summer 2007] invite you to visit their website, web.mac.com/ andrewdanziger, which talks about the Pan-Mass Challenge.

◆ Heidi Anderes handeres@gmail.com ◆ Ann Marie Bliley abliley@gmail.com

◆ Brian Schreiber brianpschreiber@gmail.com

After playing briefly overseas in the British Basketball League, Wes Miller is hoping to land a job coaching basketball. In the meantime, Wes, a former North Carolina guard, is promoting his book, The Road to Blue Heaven.

Lovro Vuksa married Nikolina Svecak June 30, 2007, in Zagreb, Croatia; Justin Stephenson ’02 and Petar Krvaric ’00 attended the ceremony.

Matt Danziger ’99 and his fiancée, Kate Stone, celebrating their engagement in San Francisco.

Hannah Kaufman ’00 and Pia Streicher ’00 visiting Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Portugal.

A group of young alumni met in March at a bar in downtown Denver to watch Sean Doherty ’02 play guitar at an open-mic night. (L–R): Ann Marie Bliley ’01, Peter Maxwell Banzhaf ’02, Heidi Anderes ’01, Sean, Mariel Gallet ’03.

’02

katie14165@yahoo.com

◆ Noelle Bassi noelle.bassi@gmail.com

◆ Bryan Stiffler bryan.stiffler@gmail.com

◆ Liz Stockdale lstockdale@foxcroft.org

◆ Ian Thompson ianmthompson@gmail.com

After his trip around the world [Mercersburg, winter 2007–2008], Peter Banzhaf is in the midst of his last two quarters of the MBA-program portion of the five-year bachelor’s of construction management and MBA-infinance program at the University of Denver. He hopes to find a construction-related job in Denver this summer.

In July, James Sprott begins master’s study in maritime archaeology at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia. He says visitors are welcome.

’03

◆ Abby Thomas abby15@msn.com

◆ Amber Wroe wroeyourboat@gmail.com

Claire Bolton majored in economics; her career goal is to work for a nonprofit that specializes in community-friendly business development and general economic empowerment in low-income areas. She is applying for a fellowship working with livelihood and poverty issues in rural India. “If I am successful, I will start in September,” she says. “If not, I will continue my job search in the U.S.”

Douglas Hummel-Price and the Yale Whiffenpoofs were pictured in the May 2008 issue of Vanity Fair The photo appeared with a story about the recent renaissance of sorts that a cappella music is enjoying in popular culture.

Lianna Wong graduated from the University of Florida, and has launched liannawongdesign.com, which features her design portfolio.

Brothers Mike ’01 and Matt ’04 Flanagan ice fishing this winter on their family farm in upstate New York.

Maxine Battis is finishing her second year at Smith College and will spend her junior year in Switzerland.

Jan Weber writes that his review of Mercersburg on boarding-school review website PrepReview.com was chosen as the top review for the month of February. He won a cash prize of $220, which he plans to donate to the Dr. Thomas Foose ’63 Memorial Wildlife Fund.

◆ Colleen Booth ccbooth@comcast.net

◆ Kolb Ettenger wke2@gmail.com

◆ Nate Fochtman nfochtman@gmail.com

◆ Whitney Groseclose wgrosecl@goucher.edu

◆ Jenn Hendrickson jennhendrickson@gmail.com

◆ Gabby Joffie joffieg@dickinson.edu

◆ Eric Wilkins lefty07@aol.com

◆ Vanessa Youngs veyoungs@gmail.com

Following work as a counselor for Mercersburg Adventure Camps, Nate Fochtman is spending a month this summer traveling across the country by train. He leaves from Philadelphia in early August for a cross-country excursion that will take him to approximately 30 states, with stops at official and unofficial alumni gatherings in Chicago, Denver, Seattle, Austin, and other locales. Read Nate’s blog at www.mercersburg.edu.

Coast Guard Seaman Charles Lewis graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Recruit Training Center in Cape May, New Jersey.

◆ Sam Carrasco sc3050@ship.edu ◆ Greg Larson u0489384@umail.utah.edu ◆ Joy Thomas jatho2@wm.edu ◆ Stephanie Turner stephanie_turner@pitzer.edu ◆ Jonathan Wilde jt.wilde@furman.edu ◆ Stephanie Yeatman syeatman@stetson.edu

’06

’07

◆ Dan Gottlieb dgottlie@tulane.edu ◆ Xanthe Hilton xanthe89@gmail.com ◆ Bada Kang badakang@gmail.com ◆ Mallory Polak polakmm@gmail.com ◆ Chuck Roberts galway989@yahoo.com ◆ Kristina Trudeau kristitrudeau@hotmail.com ◆ Katelyn Wiley kw235911@muhlenberg.edu

Faculty/Former Faculty

Kristy Higby’sfilm, Cornie, was part of the three-day Martin Luther King celebration at Shippensburg University in January.

◆ Alyse Blackburn

iifortuneii@aol.com

◆ Marissa Franklin franklim@dickinson.edu

◆ Lindsey Harden lindseyharden@aol.com

◆ Katherine Keller kkeller@bucknell.edu

◆ Nick Mellott mellottn@bu.edu

◆ Katie Proudman

’04

Bob Holman retired from teaching at the close of the 2007–2008 academic year. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Bob came to Mercersburg in 2004 to teach mathematics and serve as an assistant football and lacrosse coach. Before Mercersburg, he taught at West Nottingham Academy in Maryland and spent 22 years as an officer in the U.S. Navy.

Joel Chace published a new book of poetry, Cleaning the Mirror: Selected and New Poems For more information about the collection, visit www.blazevox.org/bk-jchace.htm

Former mathematics and English teacher David Kagan authored a book entitled Pine Creek Villages in the “Im-

ages of America” series by the Arcadia Publishing Company. The book consists of eight chapters, with introductory histories of the villages along Pine Creek in north-central Pennsylvania, followed by more than 200 old photographs going back to the great lumbering and railroading years at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries.

A few years ago, former faculty member Larry Weber sold Weber Shandwick, one of the world’s leading public-relations firms. His latest venture is W2 Group, a global marketing services ecosystem that helps executives in their roles as builders of communities and content aggregators ( www.w2groupinc.com ). David Schilling ’79 caught up with Larry in Boston; after 25 years, Larry spoke very fondly of his times at Mercersburg, and he’d like to hear from former students (lweber@w2groupinc.com).

Matt Engle says that his first semester at Sewanee was amazing. He started on the soccer team as a freshman; he says the unofficial motto is “work hard, play hard.” He took humanities, economics, world politics, and calculus courses.

Tammy McBeth ’05 and presidential candidate Ron Paul during his April stop at Gettysburg College.

An exhibition of sculpture by faculty member Pete Gunkelman [page 24] entitled “The Male Form” was showcased during March and April in the Burgin Center’s Niche Gallery.

Josh Hunka ’02 with his sister, Anna ’08, at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, where Josh is going through basic training.

Obituaries

Laurence A. Scott, January 1985. (Marshall, The Fifteen, orchestra, Chapel Quartet, track) A magna cum laude graduate of Amherst College, he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and a Rhodes Scholar. He wrote and produced films and plays for the theater. While at Oxford, he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and his first play, Doubloon, was produced in London. Soon after his return to the States, Goodbye Again, a musical comedy, was successful on Broadway. ’25

C. Charles Haines, January 19, 2003. ’26

Eugene M. Ehrbar, May 20, 1991. ’27

John P. Heilman, December 31, 1997. ’28

Thomas M. Batchelor, July 12, 1999. ’29

Leo H. Heintz, August 18, 2002. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, Colonel Heintz served in World War II with the 11th Armored Division, the 9th Army, and the U.S. Army Air Corps Training Center. After the war, he transferred to the then-new U.S. Air Force; he was one of the earliest graduates of the Air War College.

Edward P. Jones, August 6, 2005.

Robert P. Woods, August 13, 1999.

Herbert J. Hughes, April 3, 1996.

Oliver D. “Pat” Finnigan, June 1, 2007. (Irving, News, band) Commander Finnigan was a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. A pre-war assignment for him was aboard the destroyer USS Talbot, based at Pearl Harbor. The Talbot was named after Medal of Honor recipient Ralph Talbot ’16, who was killed in World War I. Following the war, Pat graduated from the U.S. Army War College, served as staff commander of the Marianas, taught in the department of electrical engineering at the U.S. Naval Academy, was U.S. naval attaché to Canada, and was commanding officer of the U.S. Naval Station in Newport, Rhode Island. In 1965, after 30 years of naval service, he was appointed secretary of the Navy Relief Society.

Robert G. Booth, June 17, 2007. (Irving, News Board, Lit, swimming, track, cross country, Stony Batter) As a young boy, Bob lived in his parents’ homeland of Ireland, where he attended grammar school before returning to America to complete his education. A graduate of Colgate University, he was an advertising executive with the J. Walter Thompson Company for 17 years. In 1961, he joined Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, and was named vice president of advertising in 1966. Bob’s wife of nearly 60 years, Eleanor Wood Booth, died February 12, 2008.

Charles L. Pfaff, March 1, 2000. ’33

Harry C. Carolus, March 9, 1997. (Marshall, Glee Club, Chapel Choir, Stony Batter, soccer, baseball) He was a graduate of Catawba College and the Theological Seminary of Lancaster. In 1953, Reverend Carolus served on the Academy’s Board of Regents, filling the unexpired term of a deceased Board member.

Robert W. Leibold, September 21, 2007. (Irving, Glee Club, track) A graduate of Haverford College and the University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Bob was discharged as a captain from the U.S. Army Medical Corps in 1947. He was retired as an obstetrics and gynecology physician of the Wheeling Clinic in West Virginia. His wife of 57 years, Mary Louise, preceded him in death. Survivors include four sons (including Dave ’59), eight grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, a sister, and a brother, John ’35. ’34

Homer C. Groce, July 7, 2005. (Marshall, Chapel Choir, Glee Club, Stony Batter, Orchestra, Band) A graduate of Susquehanna University, he served in the British Air Ministry and the U.S. Army Air Corps in an intelligence capacity in Europe in the late 1930s. He was employed by U.S. Rubber and the DuPont Corporation during World War II. After the war, he served as vice president of the family business, William Groce Silk Mills and Groce Distributors. He was also president and CEO of Building Systems of America and Southern Business Systems. He codified the Native American language used by the Lenape tribe of the Eastern Delaware Nation. Based on his work to preserve the language and customs of the culture, he was adopted into the Lenape tribe in 1991. He became an elder of the Turtle Clan and sat on the Grand Council of Chiefs of the Eastern Delaware Nation. Survivors include his wife of 64 years, Anna, a son, two daughters, four grandchildren, four step-grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and a nephew, Charlie ’64.

Earl S. Krick, September 26, 2002. (Irving) He was a practicing physician in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, for more than 50 years. He is survived by his wife, Helen, as well as four daughters, a son, 11 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Charles Y. Dusenbury, November 23, 1999.

Stephen S. Sechrist, January 22, 2008. (Marshall, Les Copains, Glee Club, Chapel Choir) Following graduation from Princeton University, Steve returned to the family business, Red Lion Cabinet Company, which manufactured cabinets for the radio and television industry. The company would evolve into Redco Corporation, which manufactured metal automotive parts. He was predeceased by his wife, Mary Louise Wilton Sechrist, and is survived by a son, two daughters, and two grandchildren.

Harold A. Strohman, January 22, 2008. (Chapel Choir, Glee Club, Symphony Orchestra, Les Copains, baseball, football) He graduated from Lehigh University, and served in the U.S. Army from 1940 to 1945, attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was employed at the Baldwin Locomotive Company before moving to the Cummins Engine Company in 1959; he retired in 1978. He was predeceased by his wife, Hilda, who died in 1990. Survivors include a stepson (Dick White ’59), a grandson and granddaughter, a great-grandson, and a longtime companion, Laura Lewis.

’36

spent 42 years in flight operations for Trans World Airlines, including eight years in Cairo, Egypt, and 20 years at JFK International Airport. He was predeceased by his wife, Katherine Goetz Nuss, in 1970. Survivors include his wife of 36 years, Naomi Berwaldt Nuss, as well as two daughters and two grandchildren.

Noel A. Buckner, November 20, 2004. (Main Annex, Irving, KARUX Board, soccer) He was a graduate of the University of Michigan and a U.S. Army veteran of World War II. He was the former president of Buckner Finance Company of Pontiac, Michigan. Survivors include his wife, Sue, two daughters, two sons, and six grandchildren.

Frank G. Farrell, March 23, 2008. (Marshall, track) He was a retired United Airlines pilot and enjoyed a career lasting more than 35 years. He was predeceased by Marian, his wife of 60 years. Survivors include a son, a daughter, two grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

James I. Hahn, November 25, 2001. (Marshall) For much of Jim’s business career, he was associated with the accounting division of Continental Electronics Manufacturing Company in England and several states, including Massachusetts and Texas.

Paul D. Blum, May 11, 2000. (Marshall, track)

John A. Bogar, January 25, 2008. (Marshall, football) He graduated from Dickinson College and was a lieutenant commander aboard the USS Indiana in the Pacific during World War II. He was the retired vice president of the Chester County, Pennsylvania, Mutual Insurance Company. He was preceded in death by his wife, Alice Spratt Bogar, two brothers (including George ’28), and two sisters. Surviving are a son, two daughters, seven grandchildren, and a great-grandson.

Russell L. Hollenback, May 3, 2005. (Marshall) A veteran of the U.S. Merchant Marine, he distributed musical instruments to schools and institutions for Carty’s Music Company. In addition to his wife of 65 years, Romayne Hoffman Hollenback, he is survived by two sons, a daughter, six grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

Frank V. Walsh, April 4, 2008. (Irving, Class Ode Committee, Radio Club president, Stony Batter) A graduate of Cornell University, Van spent 30 years with Curtis Wright Corporation, where he constructed airplane engines and parts. During some of those years, he built a one-mile track for a narrow-gauge steam locomotive circling an amusement park, then spent many enjoyable years with this ambitious hobby. In retirement, he continued working and volunteering until he was 80 years old. He was predeceased by his wife of 64 years, Daisy; survivors include three daughters, three grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

Hobart J. Harder, August 19, 1999. (Irving, Gun Club)

Raymond H. Hoult, March 14, 1997. Ray was a retired administrator with the Florida State Department of Transportation.

Allen H. Lemmon, May 22, 2007. (Irving) Al graduated from Princeton University and served with the Army Air Force in England during World War II. He retired in 1980 from Gulf Oil, where he was in marketing and human resources.

Charles F. Bradbury, May 12, 2002. (Marshall, track)

Richard B. Jones, December 31, 1996. (Irving, soccer) Dick attended Dartmouth College both before and after World War II, graduating in 1947. He was awarded the Bronze Star and Silver Star and was a member of a regiment that received the Croix de Guerre.

Richard W. Putnam, March 28, 2002. He was retired as president of Putnam Drug in Hanover, New Hampshire.

John Blair, May 1, 2004. (Irving, Chapel Choir, Glee Club) He graduated from Washington & Jefferson College and served in the U.S. Army in World War II. His business career was in construction-supply services. Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Hila Siemon Blair, two sons, two daughters, eight grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter.

G. Thomas Ewing Jr., May 10, 1999.

John S. Nuss, July 16, 2007. (Marshall, swimming) He attended Colgate University and served with the Army Air Corps during World War II. He

Alvin R. Blattner, March 30, 2007. (Marshall, Les Copains, Rauchrunde, tennis, soccer, wrestling, Laticlavii, News photographer, Airplane Club) He was born in Cairo and grew up in Italy and Switzerland before moving to America. After a two-year interruption for military service, he graduated from the University of Illinois. He served in the 28th Fighter Group of the U.S. Army, filling a valuable role as an interpreter and cultural advisor for senior staff in France, the Rhineland, and Africa. Bob was employed in a series of corporate settings, including Corn Products Company (now CPC International), Chemico, Stone and Webster Engineering, and Foster Wheeler Energy. He is survived by a son, a daughter, and two grandchildren.

Robert J. Underwood, June 8, 2003. (Marshall, football)

Dean Corsa Jr., January 19, 2003. (Marshall, swimming) He served in the U.S. Army, seeing action in the European theater in World War II, and was a graduate of the University of Illinois. Survivors include Lee, his wife of 56 years, two sons, two daughters, and six grandchildren.

John K. Cousens, January 12, 2008. (Main, Irving, swimming, track, football) A member of the undefeated 440-yard freestyle relay team at Cornell University, John swam for many years in masters swimming programs and was a retired insurance underwriter. He is survived by two sons and four grandchildren.

Donald W. Gies, July 18, 1996.

Alexander C. Sherrard II, March 27, 2008. (Main, Marshall, The Fifteen secretary, Laticlavii, News, Lit Board, Press Club, Class Ode Committee chair) Alex attended Washington & Jefferson College before serving in the U.S. Army during World War II; he then graduated from Amherst College and the Yale School of Law. He practiced law for 52 years, retiring from Sherrard, German and Kelly, in Pittsburgh. Alex was a class agent for several years and was a member of his class’s 50th Reunion Committee. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy Lind Sherrard, a daughter, a son, and four grandchildren.

Charles E. Wagner, October 5, 2007. (Main, Irving, Rauchrunde, Chemistry Club) Charlie’s education at Princeton University was interrupted by an 18month tour during World War II as a pharmacist’s mate in the Navy. He earned a Ph.D. from Indiana University and taught gross anatomy for 54 years, retiring in 1991 as professor emeritus. He was predeceased by his wife, Peggy Ann Able Wagner, and is survived by three sons and two grandchildren.

W. Fowler Wilson, November 5, 2007. (Main, Irving, Glee Club, cheerleader, Stony Batter, Rauchrunde, Stamp Club, Gun Club) A graduate of Colgate University with a master’s degree and doctoral studies at Syracuse University, he served with the U.S. Army in Italy during World War II.

eral directorships with the general chemical division of the Allied Chemical Corporation in New Jersey. He is survived by his wife, Patricia Hoke Ruch, and several daughters. ’43

Earl C. Downey, November 25, 2002. (Marshall, Stamp Club, spider football) He was a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, and Florida Atlantic University. A retired Presbyterian minister, he served in all manner of caring and supporting ways, especially on the side of the poor and oppressed. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy, five daughters, two stepsons, 12 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

M. Richard W. Vail, June 9, 2007. (South Cottage, Marshall, Glee Club, Blue and White Melodians, News Board, Stony Batter, baseball, wrestling) Richard served in the South Pacific with the Navy in World War II. He was a graduate of the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce at the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University School of Law. He had a private practice in New Jersey and served as deputy attorney general for the state from 1970 to 1973. Later, he was general counsel to the Housing Finance Agency and chief of the environmental section. He was predeceased by his wife, Nan, and his brother, Craig ’38. Survivors include his nephew, Alan ’67, stepson, William Wallace ’70, and brother-in-law, William Wilshire ’49.

Camden G. Conaway Jr., September 23, 2007. (Marshall, football manager) He served in the Army in World War II as a platoon sergeant. He was awarded two Purple Hearts and the Croix de Guerre for battle wounds. A graduate of Lehigh University, he held managerial positions with Johnson Control for 37 years. Survivors include his wife, Pat, two sons, a daughter, and five grandchildren.

John H. Hickerson, June 3, 2001. (Irving, El Circulo Español) Upon leaving Mercersburg in the spring of 1942, John served in the U.S. Marine Corps at Saipan, Tinian, and Iwo Jima. He was a graduate of George Washington University. Following a 16-year stint in advertising, sales, and public relations, he entered the insurance world with Massachusetts Mutual in New York City.

James F. Minnich, January 31, 2002.

William C. Ruch, January 2, 2008. (Irving, Les Copains, Laticlavii, Chemistry Club, The Fifteen, football, swimming, tennis, Class Day Committee) Bill was a graduate of Cornell University. Throughout his career, he held sev-

Benjamin Vinton Jr., February 29, 2008. (Main, Marshall, Senate, Laucks Hall Council, Glee Club, Stony Batter, Dance Committee Chairman, Class Historian, football, wrestling, swimming, baseball) Having spent three and a half years in naval service during World War II, Bud was called to active duty in the fall of 1950. In one action aboard a minesweeper off the enemy-held Korean port of Wonson, a mine was caught up and jammed in the sweep wire, about 20 feet below the hull. “I was scared to death,” he recalled. “I cleared the fantail, went over the side with a pair of wire cutters, and cut it loose. The mine was Russian, probably five feet high and three feet in diameter, and it sank.” He was awarded the Bronze Star. He retired as president of the Commonwealth Trust Company of Wilmington, Delaware, with which he was associated throughout his business career. A former Alumni Council member, he was preceded in death by his wife, Yvonne Johnson Vinton. Survivors include two sons (Brock ’66 and Benjamin III ’67) and a daughter.

Edwin A. French, May 27, 2003. (Marshall, Marshal of the Field, swimming) Ed founded and was president of E.A. French & Company, an independent sales firm of athletic equipment. He was the longtime athletic director at Greenwich Country Day School in Greenwich, Connecticut. A U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, he is survived by his wife, Barbara, a daughter, three sons, and 11 grandchildren.

John Matthews III, August 27, 2002. (Marshall, basketball)

Burton Wolf, January 4, 2004. (South Cottage, Irving, Les Copains, Glee Club, cheerleader, baseball, tennis, track, wrestling, basketball) Burton was one of 34 January graduates in the Class of 1944. He is survived by his wife, Frances, and two sons.

’45

Eugene M. Brusiloff, March 28, 2005. (Irving, Concert Band, Football Band, Assembly Orchestra) He graduated from the Catholic University of America. A trombonist, he played with the U.S. Air Force Band during the Korean War, as well as with Peter Duchin, Lester Lanin, and Meyer Davis in orchestras backing Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Tony Bennett, among others. He was a patient and inspirational music teacher. Survivors include his wife, Phyllis, a son and daughter, and grandchildren.

Monroe L. Nute, August 12, 2007. A lifetime resident of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, he owned and operated Nute Motor Company, a Plymouth-Dodge dealership. Retiring in 1984, he was a well-known antiques dealer for more than 20 years. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Audrey Stover Nute, as well as two daughters, two grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

’46

Raymond D. Coates, January 27, 2008. (South Cottage, Irving, Chemistry Club, El Circulo Español, Senior Club, Gun Club, Glee Club, Football Band, Blue and White Melodians, Concert Band, football manager, soccer, baseball) Ray received undergraduate and law degrees from Washington and Lee University. In 1955, he began the practice of law in Berlin, Maryland; over the years, the practice became Coates, Coates and Coates. He was a past president of the Worcester County Bar Association and state’s attorney for the county. A loyal Mercersburg son, he served on Mercersburg’s Alumni Council. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Jane Rudisill Coates, as well as sons Ray Jr. ’67, Randy ’68, and Thomas ’77, granddaughters Lindsey ’99 and Lauren ’03, and grandson Alex West ’98.

Edwin A. Eshleman, April 8, 2005. (Marshall, wrestling) A U.S. Navy veteran of the Korean War, he was retired from the New Jersey Highway Authority as a supervisor. Survivors include his wife of 40 years, Leticia, three sons, a daughter, and 10 grandchildren.

Ray B. Heppenstall, July 28, 2004. (Laucks, Irving) “Heppy” was in management with Subaru of America in Pennsauken, New Jersey. In his early years he became involved in racing with the Sports Car Club of America and raced throughout the country, winning many events— he even raced at LeMans. He was a principal in the development of the Howmet TX racecar; in his later years he continued racing in his Crosley Hotshot. His lifetime interest may have had its start one January day in 1946, when he escaped the campus on a “lark” in Coach Frederick Kuhn’s car. Survivors include a son, two daughters, and two grandchildren.

Henry S. Jamison, December 14, 2007. He was a World War II returning veteran, living in Colonial Cottage. In 1939, immediately after graduating from high school in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, he joined the Pennsylvania National Guard and enlisted in the Army at the outbreak of World War II. He was sent to England with the 507th Parachute Infantry Division late in 1943. The unit was attached to the 82d Airborne Division, which on D-Day jumped behind German lines in advance of the Allied invasion of Normandy. He was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds he received that day. He studied at Babson College and spent most of his career connected to the coal industry. Preceded in death

by a sister and five brothers, he was the last of a large family. Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Nancy, a daughter and son, four grandsons, and a nephew, Joe ’68.

William L. Kane, August 17, 1996.

A. John May, March 24, 2008. (South Cottage, Irving debater and president, Senate vice president, News; Lit, The Fifteen president, Class Orator, Press Club, Radio Club, Laticlavii, baseball) Jack was a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School. He joined Duane Morris in Philadelphia in 1954 and spent his entire career with the firm, as it grew from some 20 lawyers to more than 650. He became a partner at the firm in 1963 and was named chairman in 1989, a position in which he served until 1994. He served in the U.S. Army, achieving the rank of captain with the 18th Airborne Corps and 45th Infantry Division in the Korean War. He is survived by his wife, Gwendolyn, and three daughters and a son—all of whom are lawyers.

Richard L. McKiernan, July 10, 2005. (Marshall, football)

John T. Welch, May 4, 2007. (Main Annex, Marshall, Les Copains, Caducean Club) A wartime January graduate, he graduated from West Virginia University and the University of Maryland School of Dentistry. He retired as professor emeritus of oral and maxillofacial surgery and chairman of the department of dentistry at West Virginia University Medical Center. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Rose Anne Welch, and a daughter.

Thomas M. Whiteman, March 16, 2002. (Marshall) Prior to his retirement, he owned Latrobe Printing and Publishing, which published the Latrobe Bulletin He was an enlisted NCO with the 801st Air Evacuation Squadron in Korea and Japan, and received his discharge having completed a year’s assignment in England. Survivors include two daughters and three grandchildren.

William H. Moennig, February 26, 2004.

Charles E. Swope, November 8, 2003. He was the former president and chief executive officer of the First National Bank of West Chester, Pennsylvania. ’48

James R. Hartman, December 23, 2003. (Main, Irving, wrestling) He was a graduate of Ursinus College and a U.S. Navy veteran of the Korean War. He was retired from the environmental services division of General Electric in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Judith, a son and daughter, two grandchildren, and a brother, Willis ’49.

Alvin P. Ostrow, September 7, 1997. (Main, Irving, Les Copains, Chemistry Club, Chapel Choir, Glee Club, Octet, Band, baseball, Stony Batter) A graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, he was retired as president of Ostrow Builders in Washington, D.C.

John M. Rider, April 8, 2005. (Maple Cottage, Irving, Glee Club) He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II, having served in the Pacific theater with the Second Brigade of amphibious engineers. He was a graduate of Lafayette College. Survivors include his wife of 53 years, Roselyn, a daughter, a son, and five grandchildren. ’49

Robert J. DeLaney Jr., October 13, 2007. (Keil, Irving, El Circulo Español, Chapel Usher, football, basketball, baseball, Varsity Club, Stony Batter) The son of Robert J. DeLaney ’23, Bob graduated from Williams College and was a Korean War veteran. He was a commercial banker for 41 years, retiring in 1992. He was predeceased by his wife, Ann Vanberg DeLaney, in 1995; survivors include a son, a daughter, and two grandchildren.

John W. Loomis, March 16, 2008. (Irving, Chapel Choir, Glee Club) A graduate of Gettysburg College and the Dickinson School of Law, he was an Army veteran and retired as assistant chief counsel for the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. He is survived by his wife, Dian, two sons, a daughter, and a grandson.

George E. Trump, December 10, 2002. (Marshall, Glee Club, Chapel Choir, Concert Band, football, swimming) He owned Opera House Printing Company in Westminster, Maryland. In addition to his wife, Genevieve, survivors include a son and daughter, a stepson, two stepdaughters, and 10 grandchildren.

’51

Frank B. Abbott, February 3, 2005. (Irving, football) A graduate of the University of Miami, he had a passion for flying and labored for more than a decade to design and build an open cockpit biplane that he successfully flew in 1992. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Joan Stadler Abbott, two daughters, and six grandchildren.

’52

Norman W. Littlejohn, March 23, 2004.

John C. Rose II, December 13, 2007. (Main Annex, Marshall, Student Council, Rauchrunde, Choir, Glee Club, Christian Service Group, Stony Batter, Chess Club, football)

Richard L. Wilcox, December 8, 2002. (Marshall)

William H. Wilson, March 15, 2005. (Irving, Gun Club) ’56

Larry G. Giovacchini, March 21, 2005. ’57

Henry P. Fletcher, June 19, 1999. (Marshall)

David R. Williams, January 19, 2002. (Marshall, track) He was a graduate of Brown University. Survivors include a daughter, Jenny Williams Costa ’83.

’58

Charles G. Goodell, January 22, 2003.

’59

Daniel W. Hoff, November 10, 1997. (Marshall)

William J. Erdner Jr., April 1983.

Richard E. Green, March 30, 1999. (Marshall, football)

E. Joseph West, January 8, 2008. (Main, Marshall, Student Council, Christian Service Group, Rauchrunde, Election Committee, KARUX Board, Press Club, News Board) Joe attended the U.S. Air Force Academy and received an MBA from the College of William & Mary. In his career as an investment professional and financial analyst, he was with several Washington firms, including E.F. Hutton, Drexel Burnham Lambert, and Salomon Smith Barney. He was a loyal alumnus, serving on the Alumni Council from 1988 through 1994. In addition, for more than a decade, Joe hosted Annual Fund phonathons from his downtown Washington office at which a fairly consistent group of greater D.C. alumni staffed the phones to chat with their classmates; these evenings were recalled by that group as “mini- reunions.” Survivors include his wife, Karen, and son, Emery.

’53

Richard B. Scholes, November 15, 2007. (South Cottage, Irving Band, Concert Band, Blue and White Melodians, Football Band, Assembly Orchestra) A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, Dick worked as a missile test engineer at Northrop and Hughes Aircraft in Southern California. In 1987, he moved to Oregon, where he became a successful real-estate salesman and developer.

Wilson P. Wright, December 23, 1997. (Marshall)

’54

Robert E. Davies, September 8, 2005. (Main, Irving, Laticlavii, Radio Club, football) Bob retired in 1998 as a claims adjuster with Aetna. Survivors include his wife, Lucie, a daughter, two grandchildren, and five stepgrandchildren.

’60

G. Thomas Ewing III, October 5, 2007. (Laticlavii, Tribunus) He graduated from Ohio Northern University. After a brief career with Marathon Oil, he worked with Lincoln Wearever Foodservice Company for 33 years, retiring as vice president of sales. Survivors include his wife, Marilyn, two sons, and four grandchildren.

’62

Michael W. Shultz, January 3, 2008. (Main, Marshall, El Circulo Español, Press Club, Glee Club) Mike graduated from the University of Pittsburgh and earned a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from the University of California. He was a home-health physical therapist with Kaiser Permanente. He was an avid motorcyclist, making a solo cross-country trip in his BMW GS just before his 60th birthday. Survivors include his wife of 40 years, Louise Chase Shultz, a daughter, two grandchildren, and his mother.

Philip J. Statton, January 20, 2008. (Main, Irving, Chess Club, Electronics Club, basketball, tennis) Phil served in the U.S. Air Force as a Survival School instructor from 1964 to 1968. He graduated from the University of Maryland in 1971 with a degree in business and public administration. He also graduated from management programs at Stanford in 1978, and Harvard in 1984. He was president of Statton Furniture Manufacturing Company in Hagerstown from 1986 to 2006, and was chairman of the board at the time of his death. In addition to his wife, Betty Jean Statton, survivors include three daughters (including Jessica Statton Peachey ’94), two brothers, a sister, 12 grandchildren, and a nephew, Brandon Pile ’94.

’66

Richard R. Rust, February 12, 2008. (Irving, Orientation Committee, Blue Key, Chapel Reader, Spanish Club, Ski Club, Stony Batter, cross country, tennis) A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, Richard earned a master’s degree and Ph.D. from Texas A&M University. In 1985, he accepted a position with North Carolina State University to establish an extension service for the school’s civil engineering department. At points in his civil engineering career, he was senior engineer for the Westinghouse Electric Corporation at the Bettis Atomic Laboratory, Naval Reactors Facility in Idaho Falls, Idaho; vice president of Clearflame Inc. in Raleigh, North Carolina; and a branch manager of the North Carolina office of Tribble and Richardson.

’67

Harold M. Soars, February 21, 2008. (Marshall, Student Council, Blue Key, Chapel Usher, French Club, Spanish Club, Jurisprudence Society, Chapel Choir, Varsity Club, football, wrestling, spider football student coach) A graduate of St. Lawrence University, Sandy’s professional career included managerial and sales appointments with several industries, including Sprout-Waldron & Company, Huyck Felt Corporation, and C-E Bauer. Fluent in several languages, he was international vice president of overseas operations for V.I.B. Corporation. Survivors include two sons, a brother, and two uncles, Lew ’48 and Dick ’50.

’70

Harold W. Bierly, March 7, 2004.

John S. Chalfant, January 24, 2004. A webmaster with American Micro Tech in Hagerstown, Jason was a lifelong musician, playing guitar in a number of Tri-State area bands. He is survived by his parents, his stepmother, two brothers, and a sister, Ann Chalfant Gedrose ’71.

’71

Glenn W. McKnight, January 14, 2007. (Irving, Glee Club, Football Band, Assembly Band, Concert Band, Chapel Usher, Latin Club) Glenn was a graduate of the University of Maryland and retired from Honeywell at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Survivors include his mother, three daughters, a grandson, and a granddaughter.

’72

Walter E. Baker III, February 7, 2007. (Marshall, Jurisprudence Society, Glee Club, Film Club, Railroad Club, Rocketry Club, Ski Club, golf) Chip graduated from Washington & Jefferson College. He was a financial analyst for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and a past membership director for the Western Pennsylvania Better Business Bureau in Pittsburgh. Survivors include his wife, Darice, and a son.

Barbara Hawbaker Goldthwait, April 7, 2008. (Marshall, French Club, Concert and Football bands) Barb was a graduate of Grove City College, held a master’s degree in library science from the University of Pittsburgh, and studied for three years at Gettysburg Lutheran Theological Seminary. She served for several years on the Academy’s library staff and was head librarian at the McConnellsburg Public Library. Survivors include her husband, Allen, her brother, David ’69, and her mother.

’77

John H. Glass, February 13, 2008. (football, baseball, News, Blue Review) John was a loving brother, uncle and friend to many. He was an employee of Moses Ford in St. Albans, West Virginia, and an accomplished golfer. In addition to his brother, Henry ’73, he is survived by a niece, nephew, and aunt.

’80

William W. Boulden, April 22, 2008. (football, squash, lacrosse, Blue Review, Stony Batter) Bill was a member of Salisbury School’s first graduating class, and attended Elon College. He was an accounting manager for Aramark in Atlanta, Georgia. In addition to his longtime companion, Bryan Thrasher, survivors include his parents, two brothers (Robert ’74 and Bruce ’76), and three nephews.

Former faculty/staff/friends

Miriam R. Baxter, widow of Rex Baxter ’29, mother of Paul Baxter ’56 and Doug Baxter ’69, and grandmother of Julia Streeter Berle ’87, February 14, 2007.

Edith M. Lowans, former School Matron and mother of David Lowans ’69, February 4, 2008.

The

spindles

of the wooden chair pushed against my back; the seat was hard and cold as I sat on the stage of old Boone Hall in the spring of 1997, my senior year at Mercersburg. I was a declaimer, and I was about to begin my monologue in front of the entire school.

BY L ARISSA C HACE S MITH ’97

As a member of Stony Batter, I had set foot on this stage many times. Being a declaimer on this stage, however, was a different matter altogether. This was the culmination of the entire Irving-Marshall week. Declamation would clinch the deal; either Marshall or Irving would emerge victorious. It all rested on a few important minutes— on me and my fellow declaimers. And for those moments, we went it alone, taking turns in the glaring, white circle of light in the middle of the stage. They were the most exhilarating and terrifying moments of my Mercersburg career.

Mr. [Walter] Burgin ’53 introduced me, and I pushed myself out of the chair and slowly walked toward the front of the stage. Every eye was upon me as I steadied myself and began to speak: “Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed judges, Mr. Burgin, my fellow declaimers.” The room was silent. The sash across my chest—a reminder of the pomp surrounding the tradition—bore the colors of the Marshall Society. The weight of pride and importance was upon me as I began my piece, hearing the words leave my lips as if it was someone else speaking them. I remember those few minutes as if they lasted a lifetime. And as I spoke the final words, I felt a rush of relief and exhilaration as I dropped my head and stepped back into the darkness of what lay ahead.

Every declaimer intimately knows those few seconds before the whole room erupts in applause. As soon as I heard the cheers, I raised my head and looked out at the Marshall flag waving vigorously, and at my society members jumping to their feet, the energy from their excitement flooding the stage. But declaiming wasn’t just for Marshall or the competition; it was for my school and its great traditions. As I scanned both sides of the room, I felt the most pride of my young life. (For the record, Marshall won that year. I won third place; my best friend, Greg Walker ’97—of Irving— took second; and my fellow Marshall declaimer, Julia Wiedeman ’98, captured first place.)

This past March, more than a decade after that great evening, I stood in the shadows in the Simon Theatre of the new Burgin Center, watching the 2008 declaimers have their moments in the spotlight. My husband, Ryan, and I, recently moved back to Mercersburg along with our photography business, and the school had hired us to capture this special event [ page 15 ]. As the evening unfolded, I experienced an intense sense of nostalgia, wanting so much to touch and smell the old walls of Boone where I had spent so much time. I could almost hear the echoes of the crowd on the night of my Declamation.

But it was not my night; it was time for a new generation of declaimers to have their moments to shine. As I watched the talented, young students on stage, I knew how those chairs felt against the declaimers’ backs, how it felt to speak to the expectant crowd, and the thrill of the whole room erupting in applause.

Larissa Chace Smith and her husband, Ryan, run Mercersburgbased Chace Smith Photography (www.csphotographs.com)

The author (far left) with her Declamation teammates

FRI DAY, OCTOBER 17

■ Golf outing for alumni and guests (11:30 a.m.)

■ Reception for Class Agents and Reunion Volunteers (5:30–6:30 p.m.)

■ Alumni Weekend Kick-off Event (7–9 p.m.)

■ Steps Songs, School Cheers, Bonfire (9–10:15 p.m.)

SATUR DAY, OCTOBER 18

■ Class of ’58 Breakfast with the Head of School (9–10 a.m.)

■ Alumni Remembrance & Recognition Ceremony (11 a.m.)

■ Big Tent BBQ (noon–2 p.m.)

■ Anniversary reunion class dinners (6:30 p.m.)

■ All-Class Dance Party featuring live entertainment (9–11 p.m.)

SU N DAY, OCTOBER 19

■ Alumni Weekend Chapel Service (11 a.m.)

■ Carillon recital featuring James W. Smith (3 p.m.)

Register online: www.mercersburg.edu/alumni alumni@mercersburg.edu 800-588-2550

Mercersburg Academy

3 300 East Se minary Street Mercersburg , PA 17236 -1551