SAS Spring 2015 Magazine

a m ag a z i n e for a lu m n i a n d f r i e n d s of s a s . spr i ng 2 015

A Time of Preparation

Spring 2015

Care.

INSPIRING CURIOSITY Give to the 2014-2015 SAS Fund

St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School Magazine

AT SAS learning is about the challenge, not the test. It’s about discovering the right questions, not just the right answers. It’s about experiencing your education, not just getting it. At SAS learning is about bringing curiosity to life. Your gift makes a difference. Give today to the SAS Fund.

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Campus News

Do you know a child who could benefit from an SAS education?

FEATURES

Aptitude 12 Strength Desire: The

SAS STRIVES TO RECRUIT the best and brightest young people from across the country and around the world. Our prospective families often tell us that “word of mouth” was the most important factor in bringing SAS to their attention. Help us get the word out.

Claiborne Scholars

www.sasweb.org/admission

Father 16 Celebrating Thomas

Wear.

Show your Mountain Pride.

St.Andrew’s Sewanee

GEAR UP! The SAS School Store offers a wide variety of t-shirts, hoodies, outerwear, hats, fun tank tops, and blankets. These items make great gifts and offer a tangible way to show your St. Andrew’s-Sewanee pride.

The 18 Worship: Foundational Discipline

Contact ameeks@sasweb.org for more information.

ALUMNI

24 Class Notes

Why are we decorating cookies in chemistry?

ANSWER ON PAGE 27

28 Alumni Events The winter musical, Lullaby of Broadway, showcased the talents of 54 students.

From the President of the Board of Trustees

Honoring Leadership, Preparing for Transition

T

his June, after a seven-year tenure as head of school, the Rev. John Taliaferro Thomas will leave St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School and assume the helm of Frederica Academy.

When Fr. Thomas steps down, Judith Chamberlain will bring her significant experience and leadership skills to the position of Interim Head of School and lead us through a transitional year.

The Board of Trustees has engaged Carney Sandoe & Associates to work with us in the search for our next head of school. Carney Sandoe is nationally recognized for its work in the recruitment of secondary school leaders. Former SAS Board member Eunice Colmore is chairing the search committee which includes alumni, parents, and faculty.

In this magazine you will find a tribute to Fr. Thomas. You will also find information about Ms. Chamberlain and the Head of School Search Committee. Additional information about the head of school position, including a position description, is available on the school’s website at sasweb. org/headsearch. This website will be updated throughout the process.

This is an exciting time for our school. Capitalizing on the achievements of the past, we look forward to welcoming new leadership and continuing to move forward to achieve the goals of our current Strategic Plan: GOAL I: Practice a grace-filled, lively, and welcoming spiritual life grounded in the liturgy and traditions of the Episcopal Church while seeking ways to learn from and serve the world.

GOAL II: Expand our commitment to outstanding instruction and individualized support.

GOAL III: Solidify, enhance, and market the distinguishing programs that capitalize on our geography, history, and reputation.

GOAL IV: Build on the school’s legacy of grace and generosity.

We are all invited to participate in this process. I hope you will join me in doing so.

Richard Westling President, Board of Trustees

4 · St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Magazine · Spring 2015

St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School Magazine Published twice a year by St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School Editor Sherri Bergman Layout & Design Aaron Welch,

Big A Designs & Printing Editorial Assistant Kiki Beavers SA ’82 Head of School The Rev. John Taliaferro Thomas Director of Development Tim Graham Director of Alumni Relations Elizabeth Duncan StA ’76 Director of Admission David Mendlewski Office of Communications and Marketing Sherri Bergman, Director 290 Quintard Road Sewanee, Tennessee 37375-3000 Phone: 931.598.5651 Email: sbergman@sasweb.org www.sasweb.org www.facebook.com/SASweb Special Thanks to Contributors / Photographers: Robert Burroughs, Nathan Carlson, Steve Garrett, Paul Klekotta, Namkha Norbu, Faye Ricketts, Mariel Rinck, Paul Ward School Mission Statement To be an inclusive Christian community in which the Episcopal heritage is central; to provide superior preparation for college; to provide educational opportunities for those students for whom such experiences might not otherwise be available; and to bring all members of the community to a richer spiritual, intellectual, social, physical, and aesthetic awareness, so that they might lead lives of honor and loving service to God and others.

On The Cover: Holy Week provided an opportunity for reflection and worship.

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SAVE THE DATES Upcoming Campus Events April 24, 2015

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Join the Conversation.

Class of 2015 Alumni Association Induction

April 30, 2015

Birmingham Alumni and Friends, Home of George Myers, SA ‘74

May 15-17, 2015 On a story about Iris Engel ’15, first year basketball player, scoring the first basket of her life on the team’s Senior Night: I was just telling somebody AGAIN the other day how our coach played ALL of us at Sewanee Academy!

I'm nearly 60 and that, to this day, still touches my heart. I was a so-so or worse basketball player who had time on the courts thanx to Coach! Go mountain athletics! Praise be to Jesus!

– Sonshine Ashcraft, SA ‘75 On a photo of students ice skating: I went ice-skating once on a Rejoice! tour and am scarred for life. Got chased by the Zamboni (I was the only one left on the ice) while the rest of the choir sat in the stands and laughed.

– Anne C. Marsh, SA ‘78 In memory of SAS teacher Ruth Benson: Ruth Benson was one of the most kind, generous, and loving teachers I had during my time at SAS. She helped me to love and understand the ancient world and the Latin language.

I will drink a cup of hot tea and say a prayer for her and her family today. Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine: et lux perpetua luceat ei.

– Peter M. Floyd, ‘93

In response to an article about how green surroundings improve student test scores: I remember vividly when we studied transcendentalism, particularly the works of Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson, in English class at SAS. Gene Ham took our class out to the reservoir to teach us there ... what a great teacher and a great lesson! I'll never forget that experience.

– Stuart Harrod, ‘82 In response to an article by Will Evans ‘12 for the University of Virginia’s Cavalier Daily: Here is Wisdom. This goes for all hot button issues. Let us appreciate the good in people.

We see things differently. We focus our energies on the things we think matter most and where we feel we might/can make a difference for good. Why demonize each other over differences in perspective? Civil conversation trumps polarization always.

– Grant Miller, past parent A photo from one of TOO many snow days prompted : I have a picture of this exact scene taken from my 2nd floor St. Mary's dorm room window in 1995 or 1996. A good snowball fight is timeless.

– Sierra Schneider, ‘97

Commencement Weekend

June 1-5, 2015

Basketball Camp

June 5-7, 2015

ALUMNI WEEKEND

June 8-12, 2015 Soccer Camp

June 14-20, 2015

Shakerag Workshops Session I

June 15-19, 2015

Wrestling Camp, Arts & Outdoors Camp

June 21-27, 2015

Shakerag Workshops Session II

July 24-25, 2015

Give Back Day, Alumni Work Weekend

August 20-23, 2015 Opening Weekend

September 18-20, 2015

shakerag.org

Upper School Family Weekend

More info: www.sasweb.org/calendar

Campus News

The Wetlands Winter Concert

SAS Launches New Website

Lullaby of Broadway

Eighty-nine students participated in the SAS Winter Concert in McCrory Hall for the Performing Arts. The Middle School and Upper School choirs offered a wide selection of music, including tunes from Simon and Garfunkel, Phantom of the Opera, Chopin, and more.

SAS launched a new website in January. In addition to a fresh look, the site’s responsive design allows it to be viewed on all mobile devices.

The SAS Players presented The Lullaby of Broadway, a musical revue, in McCrory Hall for the Performing Arts. The show combined songs from a range of classic and contemporary shows including Next to Normal, Oklahoma, 42nd Street, Once, Pippin, Rent, and Mame. Fifty-four students were involved in the production. SAS Performing Arts Coordinator, Robie Jackson, directed the show with technical direction by John Holleman, musical direction by Katherine Anderson, and choreography

by Debbie Blinder Welch.

Annual Studio Tour in SAS Gallery The SAS Gallery hosted a full exhibit of artists during the annual 2014 Holiday Tour of Fine Craft. The studio tour features art from members of Tennessee Craft–Southeast (formerly CASTTACA). Art teacher Rachel Malde was a merit award recipient for her archival inkjet print “Laundry, Trenchtown, 2011.” Students and faculty members sold their art and crafts from the art studio during the tour.

Candy Cane Sale The House Program Leadership raised $300 through a candy cane sale before the holidays. With that money, toys and gifts were purchased and distributed to needy children in the area by the Sewanee Volunteer Fire Department and Operation NOEL.

Mid-year Cum Laude Induction Allison Bruce ’15 was inducted into the Cum Laude Society as a mid-year selection. Allison is a high honors student. She also serves in leadership roles as a Proctor and is a member of the Honor Council. A talented singer, Allison has been cast in principal roles in numerous theatre productions including The Lullaby of Broadway, and is a member of the upper school choir. She was also a valued member of the varsity volleyball and track and field teams.

Allison was the recipient of the SMA Class of 1946 Junior Leadership award.

Faculty members Michael Short and the Rev. Drew Bunting ’93, Chaplain, were selected for the Cum Laude Society as faculty inductees.

In the Gallery The SAS Gallery welcomed the work of Pippa Browne. Her fine art and illustrations have been exhibited internationally and in her home country of Zimbabwe.

She has written and illustrated five books including African Animals ABC, Gaggle of Geese, Kangaroos Have Joeys, Elephants and Emus, and Legend of the Chinese Zodiac.

The SAS Gallery hosts a series of exhibitions, workshops, and special projects from August through June each year. The series includes both solo and group exhibitions by regional artists and from across the nation. The goal of the program is to introduce the community to a broad range of contemporary art and artists.

Winterim Speaker Jeff Poppen, The Barefoot Farmer, spoke to the school community during Winterim 2015. Poppen is the owner and operator of Long Hungry Creek Farm, the oldest and largest organic farm in Tennessee. Poppen has been influential in educating people about growing their own food and the importance of local farming. He has appeared on the program Volunteer Gardener on Nashville Public Television, is the author of two books, and writes a gardening column for the Macon County Chronicle. He recently received a grant from the USDA’s Farmers Market Promotion Program to establish a farmers market in Red Boiling Springs, Tenn., and to continue his educational training programs.

Bishop Reynolds Forum Author and journalist Richard Louv spoke to the school community as the 22nd Bishop Reynolds Forum speaker.

Louv is the author of eight books, including Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from NatureDeficit Disorder and The Nature

Principle: Reconnecting with Life in a Virtual Age. His appearance at SAS was made possible, in part, by the Friends of South Cumberland who brought him to the Mountain to be keynote speaker for Trails & Trilliums, a celebration of the natural bounty of our region that originated as an SAS Parents' Council event.

As co-founder and Chairman Emeritus of the Children & Nature Network, Louv has catalyzed an international movement to connect people and communities to the natural world. He appears frequently on national radio and television programs, including the Today Show, CBS Evening News, and NPR’s Fresh Air, and often addresses national and international gatherings. In 2012 he was keynote speaker at the first White House Summit on Environmental Education.

In 2008, he received the Audubon Medal; past recipients include Rachel Carson, E.O. Wilson, and Jimmy Carter.

The Bishop Reynolds Forum brings a prominent speaker to campus each year to engage students and the community in a topic of current interest. The Forum was established through an endowment in memory of The Rt. Rev. George Reynolds, the late Bishop of Tennessee, a former SAS trustee, and father of Katherine Reynolds ’88.

The eighth grade science class continues to monitor the school’s wetlands, a project begun in 2006 by Director of Middle School and science teacher Marion Knoll. For the Wetlands Monitoring Project students install PVC piezometers to monitor fluctuations in the water table, analyze the soil types in the wetland, and analyze the wetland and transitional plants. The hallmark of the SAS Middle School Science program is the innovative, daily use of the extensive campus as an outdoor laboratory. With an emphasis on the student as scientist, the students conduct a series of projects throughout the year, thus learning science by actually doing science. Research from

the ongoing study has been published jointly by Knoll and her students.

American Roots Music Ben Ayers ’11 returned to campus to provide a delightful evening of music with the Tennessee Fiddle Ensemble.

TFE played a two-hour concert of American Roots music with a flair at McCrory Hall for the Performing Arts. In addition to Ayers, the Ensemble includes Jim and Inge Wood, and John Boulware.

Spring 2015 · St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Magazine · 7

Campus News

Spring Break Service Trip SAS students and teachers Luke Diamond and Rachel Malde traveled to Jamaica for the fourth annual

#sassnowday

Mountain T.O.P. Volunteer

Mariel Rinck ’19 was the winner

Emma Diamond ’20 was named Mountain T.O.P. Volunteer of the Year.

Emma volunteered two days every week

was #sassnowday. A second contest called for students to submit pictures of themselves wearing their SAS gear on spring break. Photographs came in from the Grand Canyon, Germany, the White House, Florida, and more.

Governor’s School Invitations Fritz Stine ’17 was accepted to the Governor’s School for Computational Physics at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville. Jackie Tang ’17 was accepted to the Governor’s School Tennessee State University on full scholarship. Dan McNair ’17 was selected as an alternate for the Governor’s School for the Sciences at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Mountain T.O.P. (Tennessee Outreach Project) is an interdenominational, with the Tennessee Conference of the United Methodist Church that is dedicated to rural life ministry in the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee.

Marie Ponsot Reading Marie Ponsot, an internationallyacclaimed poet and winner of the Aiken Taylor Award for Modern American year, the University of the South and for the Aiken Taylor Award winner to speak to the SAS student body.

mainly in Boys’ Town, repairing a classroom building, painting, and contributing to the upkeep of the soccer facilities. Students helped to tutor children at the Cecil Boswell Basic School. “Painting walls for impoverished people might not seem like a huge mission is being accomplished. But giving a town a sense of pride in what they can do and what they can stand for is more than you or I will ever be able to fully taken for granted, and then forgotten about. But we have had the chance to give the people of Boys’ Town a little bit more of the respect that they Cooper Nickels ’17.

Art on the Rise Art on the Rise: A Celebration of Young Artists is a regional student art exhibition showing through April 25 in the SAS Gallery. Seventy-seven works were submitted from various schools, including Baylor School, McCallie School, SAS, and Webb School. Painter and art educator Mira Gerard ’86, juror for the exhibition, chose 15 pieces from SAS artists for inclusion. Mira is a professor in the Department of Art and Design at East Tennessee State University.

RULE #3: Act with love for your team. It is my job as a coach to be critical and demanding when necessary. It is your job to encourage, support, work for, work with, and love one another.

–Coach Harrison Camp, Varsity Soccer Coach

Late-Breaking Fall News

Climbing Club

SAS golf coach Dan Hatfield announced his retirement from coaching. During his 5-year tenure, Jenna Burris ’14 twice qualified for state and the boys’ team made its first state appearance, placing fifth overall.

Coach Hatfield’s career record at SAS was 57-28.

St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Climbing Club competed in the inaugural season of the Chattanooga Area Interscholastic Climbing League (CAICL). Twelve area high schools had teams compete at the meets. The SAS Climbing Club is comprised of eight students including nationally ranked climber Anna Fox ’17.

SAS finished eighth out of 20 teams. Anna finished second out of 23 female competitors and eighth out of 133 overall competitors.

Ty Klekotta ‘19 and Sophia Patterson ’19 ran in the TSSAA Division II-A Regional Cross Country meet at the Steeple Chase in Nashville.

Varsity girls’ soccer players Kyra Wilson ’17 and Isabel Butler ’16 were named to the All-District Team.

Wrestling Abby Mainzer ’16, Ferah Fortune ’17, and Kia Whitman ’17 qualified for the state tournament.

Mainzer placed first, Whitman took third, and

Basketball The boys’ varsity basketball team advanced to the second round of the district tournament as the number two seed, but lost to Ezell-Harding Academy 52-46.

They lost to The Kings' Academy in the consolation game. The team finished the season 16-8. James Beasley ’15, who was voted to the Division II-A East/Middle All-District Team and AllTournament Team, surpassed the 1,000-point mark for his career. Eric Baynard ’15 was voted to the AllDistrict and the TSWA AllState Basketball Teams.

Fortune placed fourth, earning the girls’ team a state runner-up trophy. They earned second place in the Region. Wyatt Lindlau ’17 from the boys’ wrestling team qualified for the state tournament and placed fifth.

Big-8 News Middle school girls’ basketball team finished the season 9-7 and was co-runner-up in the conference. Kate Butler ’19, Mariel Rinck ’19, and Anna Post ’20 were named to the All-Tournament team. Post was also named to the Big 8 All-Conference team. Larson Heitzenrater ’19 was selected to the All-Conference middle school boys’ team.

Zeitler Wins 200th Game Director of Athletics and head coach Rob Zeitler celebrated his 200th career win in basketball when the varsity boys’ team defeated Mt. Juliet Christian Academy, 59-32, on February 5. The victory came towards the end of a 16-8 season. In his 20-year career at SAS, Coach Zeitler has served as Assistant Director of Athletics, volleyball coach, middle school and varsity boys’ basketball coach, health and fitness instructor, physical education instructor, and lead house parent for Harvey House.

and talks by professional artists.

Swimming The boys’ swim team placed first in the Snowball Invitational Tournament.

At the MTHSSA High School Region Championships the 200-medley relay team placed 19th and the 200-free relay placed 21st. SAS finished second in the boys’ meet and tied for second overall. The boys’ team was second overall in the division. Sam Smith ’17 qualified for the state swim meet in the 200 free and the 100 breast. Matthew Baranco ’15 qualified in the 200 IM. Aidan Smith ’20 finished 11th in 100 fly at the Middle School Swim Championships. The middle school 200 free relay team finished eight out of 35 in the finals. The 200 medley relay team placed 18th.

INTRODUCING

Interim Head School of

A Brief Conversation Interim Head

Judith Chamberlain

Judith Chamberlain

I

n early April, the Board of Trustees announced the appointment of Judith Chamberlain as Interim Head of St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School for the 2015-16 academic year. Ms. Chamberlain will lead SAS, while a Committee (see sidebar on page 11) made up of trustees, alumni, faculty, parents, and administrators conducts a national search for the permanent head who will begin July 2016.

A lifelong educator and seasoned administrator, Ms. Chamberlain is the former head of Gifft Hill School in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands; Calmont School in Topanga, California; Ransom Everglades School in Miami, Florida; and Winchester Thurston School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

She has built her career on reimagining K-12 learning, integrating experiential learning into a standards-based curriculum, and managing enrollment. She began her career as a Latin teacher in the District of Columbia Public Schools going on to serve for 13

years as a teacher and the Director of the Middle School at National Cathedral School in Washington, D.C. Board President Richard Westling noted, “Judy's leadership experience, her insight and her demonstrated knowledge of school operations and governance will serve us well as we prepare the school for new leadership.” In announcing the appointment, Westling noted Ms. Chamberlain’s accomplishments in increasing both enrollment and faculty compensation at her last two schools.

Ms. Chamberlain holds a BA in Latin from George Washington University and an MA in Latin from The Catholic University of America and has done coursework in education at District of Columbia Teachers College and Columbia University where she was a Klingenstein Fellow.

Ms. Chamberlain will begin her tenure at SAS on July 1, 2015.

10 · St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Magazine · Spring 2015

with

What attracted you to the position of Interim Head of School at SAS? I’ve been curious about SAS since my years at National Cathedral School when my dear colleague Bill Wade left his position as Chaplain to become the Head of St. Andrew’sSewanee. It was a bit of a mystery to me because SAS seemed so far off the beaten path. Now that I have seen firsthand the School’s stunning setting, amazing program, talented staff, and unparalleled commitment by all those involved, the mystery is solved, and I can’t wait to join the SAS community.

What do you perceive to be the role of an Interim Head of School?

My job will be to maintain the excellence of the program for the students. I will work with trustees, faculty and staff to enhance governance and operations using NAIS Principles of Good Practice and collaborate on projects that are already percolating, such as continued implementation of the Strategic Plan and further expansion of SAS’s regional and international marketing presence and enrollment.

What do you hope to accomplish in the coming year?

I would like to share my experience and expertise to help SAS focus on being the best it can be and to prepare the community to welcome its next Head of School.

HEAD OF SCHOOL SEARCH COMMITTEE Eunice Colmore, Chair, Former Trustee, Former Chair of Buildings & Grounds Committee David Allen StA ’77, Trustee, President of the Alumni Council Lee Ann Backlund, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Sewanee:The University of the South Merritt Dyke SA ’80, Former Board President and Trustee Lisa Hartman, Trustee, Vice President of the Parents Council Osei Hill ’07, Faculty Martha Rhodes McLendon ’93, Trustee George Myers SA ’74, Board Secretary, Trustee, Chair of Development Committee Allison Paterson, Dean of Students Rondal Richardson, Trustee

Spring 2015 · St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Magazine · 11

WINTERIM Animal Rights Performing Troupe The Art of Wire Jewelry Making • CSI Sewanee Construction with Clay • Cross Stitch Groundswell: Stitching a Map • Animal Harbour Have Your Say: Academic Debate Improv Ensemble • Indoor Soccer • Local Caves Introduction to Anime • Strategic Board Games Myth, Meaning, and Morality in Star Wars Science Olympiad • Not Your Grandma's Crochet Programming Mods for Minecraft Race and Racism in a Divided Nation The Tempest: Five Acts in Five Days

e '80s? day as in th o T t n a v le e ow es' Films: R n Should Kn o rs e John Hugh P g n u o Every Y logy ness? Skills g • Farm Bio in c n Art of Manli a D m o llro ginners • Ba ks Tools for Be torage Rac S rd a o b te a elter Building Sk of Indian Sh n o ti a v a c x E ge ology: Salva nitting Field Archae Greats • K y d n ru G • iteracy dux Financial L , a Book Re ld ie F a , d n yball Find a Frie ing • Volle k a tm n ri P akers • g Movies & M ital to Analo ig D m ro F : hy Basics Photograp ckpacking a B r te in W • itter Course Safe Babys

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Spring 2015 · St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Magazine · 13

STRENGTH APTITUDE DESIRE

The Claiborne Scholars

Know a child with the strength to lead, an aptitude for academic excellence, and the desire to serve? Contact admissions@sasweb.org for more information about the Clairborne Scholarship.

I

n 2004, St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School welcomed its first four Claiborne Scholars. Named in honor of Archdeacon William Sterling Claiborne, who was instrumental in the founding of SAS and re-establishing St. Mary’s School for Mountain girls, the Claiborne Scholars program provides merit scholarships to outstanding new boarding students entering ninth or tenth grade. Qualified students retain their scholarships until graduation.

JACOB BRASHEAR ’11

plays classical cello and composes and performs electronic club music. He is president of the Linguistics Association at Boston University and treasurer of the campus chapter of Democracy Matters.

His road through college has been circuitous, including time off to lead a group of fellow SAS alumni in the construction of a cabin in Eastern Kentucky with hopes of creating a permaculture farm. Future plans include a semester in Grenoble, France and work on a farm in Burgundy. SAS was the perfect incubator for a man of such diverse interests and talents.

“SAS felt warm and welcoming from the moment I stepped on campus. I had toured another school in the area and the student body seemed so homogenous. After visiting SAS, I had no interest in seeing other schools.

The Claiborne Scholarship, and the support it provided, helped me to convince my parents that SAS was the right place, too.”

14 · St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Magazine · Spring 2015

To be selected as a Claiborne Scholar, a student must have a strong academic record and exhibit leadership qualities that reflect a sense of honor and a commitment to serving the community. This merit-based program is open to all families, including those who would not qualify for need-based aid.

Over the years, 30 boarding students have been named Claiborne Scholars. We wondered where a few of them are now…

KATY HANSEN ’11 had one option for education

where her parents were living in West Virginia, a huge public high school with more than 1,000 students in each grade.

Her desire not to be lost in the crowd brought her to SAS. A senior at Belmont University in Nashville, Katy is president of the Panhellenic Board, the largest student organization on a campus with more than 7,200 students.

“Being offered the Claiborne Scholarship at SAS was important to me. I was accepted at other schools, but SAS was the only school that really acknowledged my commitment to service and made me feel like I would have something to contribute to the community from the first day I arrived.”

As philanthropy chair of her sorority, Katy has continued that commitment to helping others. Under her leadership, Phi Mu raises funds to support the Children’s Miracle Network and provides companionship to residents of a local nursing home.

TAYLOR KAVANAUGH ’10

continues to find ways to combine academic excellence with a desire to lead and serve. This summer, Taylor, who is pursuing a PhD in biomedical engineering, will take time from her research and studies to introduce a group of metro Nashville high school girls to the engineering field through a design project to benefit the Lwala Community Alliance, a nonprofit health and development agency that serves a rural village in western Kenya. Taylor’s undergraduate research into the development of hydrogels for bone regeneration at Georgia Tech informs her current research into drug delivery systems to treat osteoarthritis.

“I came to SAS looking for greater academic challenge than what was available in my community. The Claiborne Scholarship allowed my family to afford SAS. The emphasis on community and outreach helped me to know that I was choosing a school that shared my values.”

Spring 2015 · St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Magazine · 15

THE REVEREND

John Taliaferro Thomas ST. ANDREW'S-SEWANEE • HEAD OF SCHOOL • 2008-2015

I

n 2008, the Rev. John Taliaferro Thomas took on the daunting task of succeeding the school’s founding head, the Rev. William S. Wade. At the end of this academic year, Fr. Thomas ends his 7-year tenure, as he assumes the helm of Frederica Academy on St. Simon’s Island, Georgia.

The accomplishments and successes at the school during Fr. Thomas’s tenure have been numerous. The school completed construction of McCrory Hall for the Performing Arts and Wade Hall for the Sciences and renovated the old science wing into a beautiful Middle School facility honoring longtime faculty members Claire Reishman and George Chamberlain. Fundraising initiatives for campus stewardship have made possible many improvements, especially in energy conservation. The ongoing Chapel Campaign will allow much-needed attention to the spiritual center of the campus.

Curricular changes included the introduction of English electives for 11th and 12th graders, the flipping of the Upper School science sequence, and the extension of Winterim to the Upper School. Student life has benefited from the introduction of Grade Level Programming, a House Program that builds

community among grades, and the introduction of mountain biking, 8-man football, and women’s wrestling as varsity sports.

Accomplishments have been both practical and philosophical with a strategic visioning process and reaccreditation that led to the multi-year Strategic Plan under which the school is currently operating.

Fr. Thomas has been a strong proponent for recognizing that, after 34 years, SAS alumni have come into their own, and he has worked to move graduates of the merged school into leadership positions on the Board of Trustees.

Fr. Thomas’s wife, Janice, has served as school nurse, gracious host, and substitute mother to scores of students.

She has improved our Mountain with her leadership of the Mountain Goat Trail Alliance and its completion of a paved trail from downtown Sewanee to Monteagle, a recreational addition to our community that will benefit generations of SAS students, area residents, and visitors.

We are grateful to Fr. and Mrs. Thomas for their dedication to SAS.

THE WISDOM of FATHER THOMAS “You have to look good to be good.”

“There’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes.”

“We play sports to have fun, and there’s nothing more fun than winning.”

“Feed the good dogs.”

“Sooner is better than later and more is better than less.”

“Make it a great Wednesday.”

16 · St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Magazine · Spring 2015

azaleas, crocus, and forsythia. We would take turns kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament. On Good Friday, exhausted, we walked the 14 Stations of the Cross on the 550-acre campus.

The Easter celebration began Saturday at 10 p.m. The liturgy lapsed from time to time into Latin, while candles and incense burned, smoke swirled, and the drama of our redemption was rehearsed from Genesis to Romans. Well after midnight, we would make our way to the refectory for Easter treats.

W

hen Saint Augustine admits in his Confessions, “I came to love you late,” I know how that happens. I was “late” showing my love for God, too.

At the age of 14, I was invited to attend Saint Andrew’s School in Sewanee, Tennessee.

No one was more surprised than I when the venerable headmaster, Father Franklin Martin, issued two terse words to my mother, “Send him.”

Saint Andrew’s spelled freedom for me.

While many of the boys felt interned in that highly structured, antiquated school, I felt the cool wind of freedom flowing across my face. I did not have to keep a job on the weekends; so I could play athletics. You could either play athletics at Saint Andrew’s or work on the maintenance crew. This presented an easy choice for most of us. A Spartan, but functional, room was provided, as were three meals per day, and 115 boys with whom to be friends. The most liberating aspect was that Saint Andrew’s provided a level playing field. The monks, priests, nuns, teachers, and coaches cared about what you could do—not about your last name or your neighborhood. Unbound from the chains of social stratification and “polite” southern conventions, I was able to soar.

Worship was the priority of our weekly schedule. We began the week on Sundays

at 11 a.m., with an ornate, sung Holy Eucharist. It was like being invited to an Italian opera with all its choreographed movement and singing. We were not allowed to eat before the Eucharist, so we arrived empty and ravenous. The host and sweet port wine awakened my tongue, and the choir languidly sang the lines inspired

by Isaiah, “Let all mortal flesh keep silence.”

Mondays we celebrated solemn Morning Prayer. Tuesday evenings we held solemn Evening Prayer. Thursday evenings before dinner, we celebrated sung Evening Prayer— Evensong. Father Martin insisted we sing the stark verse, “The Peace of God it is no peace but strife sown in the sod, yet brothers pray but for one thing—the marvelous peace of God, the marvelous peace of God!” Our headmaster wanted to make sure we boys knew what we were getting into with this God. If we were looking for “easy street,” we had best follow another. Fridays, we hastily offered Noonday Prayers, with an occasional intercession that we “grind our adversaries on the football field into dust”—metaphorically speaking, of course.

We spent Holy Week on our knees. Maundy Thursday was the apex of the experience.

Because the disciples fell asleep that fateful night, the monks thought it imperative that we stay awake all night in prayer.

The Lady Chapel was transformed into a garden, replete with Dogwood branches,

18 · St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Magazine · Spring 2015

Writing these lines, I realize that my profound love and need for worship began at Saint Andrew’s. The rhythm of the worship that I experienced from age 14-18 has never left me. For reasons I cannot quite articulate, worship propels my life in Christ and is the cornerstone of my identity.

Worship is far more than giving an occasional nod to our creator. It is a fundamental reorientation of life.

Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous ordinances.

Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble. Psalm 119:164-165 We can “stumble” even when engaged in work or enterprises that began with the noblest or holiest intentions. The monks who had a hand in educating me at Saint Andrew’s School knew this, and while they zealously strove to train and mold all of us hapless boys, they centered their lives—not on us—but on the regular worship of the Lord, who brought us to them. Imagine how the perception and direction of our own lives would change if we nurtured our children, romanced our spouse, orchestrated our business, cared for our household, and pursued our recreation all from the foundation of worship—instead of making worship a paltry appendage to those former things.

We do not worship God to assuage his vanity. We worship to keep us in right relationship with Him. We worship to keep us in right relationship to the world, so that we are not absorbed by its demands or seduced by its fleeting promises. Finally, we worship to keep us in right relationship with ourselves, so that we unseat ourselves from the throne of our lives and submit to the One who made us and holds our future.

I remember another hymn Father Martin insisted we boys sing every Thursday night at Evensong. The hymn is dedicated to Saint Andrew, our patron, but I believe it was the third verse our calculating headmaster wanted us to absorb: Jesus calls us from the worship of the vain world’s golden store, From each Idol that would keep us, saying, "Christian love me more."

Spring 2015 · St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Magazine · 19

Heart of This P lace

The

F

AYE RICKETTS’ grandmother washed half a century of Saint Andrew’s School laundry.

Her grandfather served the school as night watchman and kept the furnace going. For 30 years as assistant to the Head of School, Faye, too, has been our sentry and our fire keeper, keeping us organized, honest, and focused on our mission. This summer, when she retires, our flame will gutter a bit.

Faye, whose father graduated from Saint Andrew’s in 1932, grew up just a stone’s throw from campus. Following graduation from Franklin County High School, she took a job in the development office at Sewanee Military Academy.

Months after beginning work at the Academy, Ben Cameron hired her to work in the College Board’s Sewanee office. When the College Board moved the office to Atlanta, Faye moved to the big city. “I was in Atlanta for 15 years,” she explained. “I had wonderful friends there, but I never adjusted to the noise and traffic. I kept moving farther from the city, but the city kept coming after me.” When her father died in 1984, Faye sought to return home to help care for her mother. The Rev. William S. Wade offered her a job as his assistant at the newly merged St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School.

“I took a huge pay cut to come to SAS,” laughed Faye, “and even then it was way more than what they had budgeted for.”

Father Wade’s promise of a working relationship based on trust and the kindness of the students she met during the interview process convinced her that she was making the right choice.

Faye enjoyed her new job. She enjoyed the variety in 20 · St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Magazine · Spring 2015

her work day and she enjoyed the sense of community. “At SAS, the teachers really know the students. They care about them as more than just pupils in their classroom. The feeling extends to the staff, too. No matter what job you have, you are a part of the community. I’ve been fortunate to work with great people over the years, people who have always created an atmosphere of mutual respect.”

“Faye was hired nearly 30 years ago because of her rich experience with the College Board and her many skills but primarily because of her assertion that ‘trust’ is what makes a working relationship effective,” shared Fr. Wade. “Living out that quality of trust and being deeply committed to the school’s mission have marked Faye’s relationship with her colleagues (including me even after I retired), the Board, and the varied constituents of SAS and, as a result, all have been more than blessed.”

“Faye Ricketts is wisdom incarnate,” according to Head of School The Rev. John Thomas. “I am blessed and honored and in awe of my partner in serving SAS.” Director of Development Tim Graham noted her dedication, “Faye is much more than an employee who does her job well, she loves the school and cares deeply about its people and mission.”

During her 30 years, Faye has seen many changes at the school, but she believes that the basic philosophy has not changed. “Regardless of who you are, whether you are rich or poor, Episcopalian or atheist, a star student or someone who has gotten off track, you can come here to study and be nurtured. That’s the heart of this place.”

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD RECIPIENTS Clifton Lewis StA ’75

C

lifton grew up with a father who practiced medicine.

“From a young age I realized the rewards of healing the sick and knew that I wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps as a heart surgeon.” Clifton is a cardiac surgeon at Princeton Baptist Medical Center in Birmingham, Ala., where he has performed thousands of cardiac surgeries, many using the daVinci robotic procedure. His compassion and caring set him apart. “I enjoy centering my practice on not only safely and effectively operating on patients, but also guiding them into happy, fuller, and healthier lives.”

Clifton completed his BS and MD degrees and his surgery residency at the University of Alabama. His cardiovascular surgery residency was at the Texas Heart Institute. He specializes in robotic mitral valve repair, minimally invasive aortic valve replacement and research, and tricuspid valve repair. He was recently elected to the executive council of the Alabama Chapter of the American College of Cardiology. He was formerly chief of cardiac surgery at Sarasota Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery. He is a member of the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, the Tinsley Harrison Society, and the John W. Kirlin Society, and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the American College of Chest Physicians, and the American College of Cardiology.

Clifton and his wife, Sara Anne, live in Birmingham, Alabama, and are proud parents and grandparents.

William Turner SMA ’65

B

ill is a professor of surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. As the holder of the Carla and Paul Bass Professorship in Medical Education and the Ernest Poulos, M.D. Distinguished Chair in Surgery, his passion is teaching.

Bill is an expert in surgically treating abdominal disorders and benign soft tissue diseases. He says, “Better care comes from asking questions and researching the answers and then asking more questions.” His research interests include gastrointestinal, hepatobiliary, and pancreatic diseases.

After receiving his medical degree from Tulane School of Medicine, Bill completed his residency in general surgery at UT Southwestern. He served in the United States Air Force Reserve Medical Corps for two years and in the Medical Corps Active Duty for three years. He spent the first 18 years of his academic medicine career at UT Southwestern before moving on to Indiana University School of Medicine for six years. In 1998 he became the James D. Hardy Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery at the University

of Mississippi School of Medicine, virtually rebuilding the program. He also was a professor at the University of Mississippi School of Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences. Bill returned to UT Southwestern in 2007.

He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the Dallas County Medical Society, the Parkland Surgical Society, the Southwestern Surgical Congress, the Texas Medical Association, and the Southern Surgical Association, among other professional organizations.

He and his wife, Toni, live in Dallas.

Spring 2015 · St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Magazine · 21

IN MEMORIAM Wright Tracy Dixon, Jr. SMA ’39 died on November 22, 2014. Mr. Dixon enrolled at Duke University and volunteered for service in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. He qualified for and graduated from Officer’s Training Corps at Quantico, Va. as a second lieutenant.

As a bomb disposal officer, he was stationed on the island of Guam and the surrounding areas in the Pacific Theater. After the war, he returned to his undergraduate studies and graduated from Duke University.

He moved to Rutherfordton, N.C. where he worked in a family owned lumber business. He enrolled at Wake Forest Law School and completed his legal education at UNC. Wright was a lifelong Christian with a strong faith. He was an original member of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Raleigh and served in many capacities there.

He is survived by his three children and eight grandchildren.

Harrold Rae Flintoff SMA ’40 of Nashville, Tenn., died January 3, 2015. Mr. Flintoff grew up in Sewanee and graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South. During World War II, he served with the 82nd Airborne Division in Europe, earning a Purple Heart and Distinguished Service Medal. After the war, he worked for Genesco and then spent more than 40 years with the H.G. Hill Co., where he became executive vice president in the Real Estate Acquisition and Development Division. He sat on the Board of Directors until his death.

He was an honorary member of Hillwood Country Club and Belle Meade Country Club. He married Mae Caldwell and later married Joanne Blackwood Ward. He is survived by three stepchildren.

Pauline Hunziker Tomes SMS ’41 died September 21, 2014. She was a longtime employee of the Davidson County School System.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Eldridge Kilgore and son, Alfred Kilgore. She is survived by daughter, Sharon Kilgore Logan; seven grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; two greatgreat grandchildren; and faithful canine companion, Abby.

James Samuel McCleery SMA ’43 died peacefully at home on May 22, 2014. He faithfully served his country as a Seabee in the U.S. Navy during WWII in the Pacific

arena. He was a former member of Richmond United Presbyterian Church, where he served as an elder on session. He then joined the Bloomingdale United Presbyterian Church. Mr. McCleery was one of the founding owners of International Mill Service and a member of Unionport Masonic Lodge 333, Farm Bureau, and The Ohio Cattleman’s Association. He was a lifetime farmer, a passionate investor in the stock market, and a self-made entrepreneur. He was preceded in death by his wife, Veronica Yashko McCleery. He is survived by three children; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

William L. Yarbrough SMA ’43 of Winchester, Tenn., died January 28, 2015. He married Carolyn Potter and had four children. Mr. Yarbrough served in the Army, as a second lieutenant, post World War II and was stationed in Germany. He later graduated from the Commander and General Staff College of the U.S. Army. He also served for many years in the Tennessee National Guard retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. He was a farmer and a businessman. He served as the Emergency Preparedness Director for Franklin County for several years. He was a member of the American Legion, VFW, Emergency 911 committee, and Good Shepherd Catholic Church.

He is survived by two sons; William Louis Yarbrough, Jr. SMA ’68, and Robert Potter Yarbrough SMA ’69; two daughters; six grandchildren; and seven great grandchildren.

Lesslie W. Lee SMA ’46 died December 11, 2014. He was predeceased by his wife, Virginia Pate Lee. Mr. Lee grew up on a farm in Gallatin, Tenn. He enlisted in the U.S. Army after graduation, serving in the Philippines during World War II. After the war, he attended the University of Missouri, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. In 1949, he married Virginia and they moved to Chattanooga, where he took a job under the G.I. Bill, in the Service Department of the Cliff-Smith Company. He served as a Deacon and Elder at Central Presbyterian Church, where he and Virginia were members of the Spencer McCallie Sunday School Class. He was a faithful member of Signal Mountain Presbyterian Church where he served as an Elder, a Trustee, and a member of the Becking Sunday School Class.

Mr. Lee is survived by a daughter, a son, and one granddaughter.

Daniel Tierney Horning SMA ’44 of Hockessin, Del., died September 20, 2012. He joined the United States Navy in WWII, and became a radar specialist. He was discharged in 1946 and graduated from North Carolina State. He worked for DuPont for 33 years and began a second career in woodworking. He is survived by his wife, Mary Ann Bullard; two daughters; and four grandchildren.

Donald Gordon Hubbard, Sr. StA ’49 of Ft. Myers, Fla., died January 13, 2015. While at St. Andrew’s, he learned many life-enhancing lessons, learned to play the violin, and was on the varsity tennis team. Mr. Hubbard attended Miami Edison High School and graduated with honors in 1949.

He went on to The University of Miami and graduated with a BS in Mechanical Engineering in 1953. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1953 and assigned to a position as product engineer in the enginetesting laboratory of the Evaluation Engineering and Mechanical Engineering Branch. He was honorably discharged in 1955. He holds patents on engine pushrods and roller tappets. He has been awarded numerous outstanding achievement, engineering research and development, technological, scientific, and leadership awards. He is survived by his wife, Jo; four daughters; a son; and three grandchildren.

Thomas E. Greenhalgh SMA ’45 of Birmingham, Ala., died January 17, 2015. Tom attended the University of Alabama and was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. He was the first Republican to be elected as constable of Jefferson County, Ala. He attended Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church. Mr. Greenhalgh is survived by his wife, Frances, a son, a daughter, and two grandsons.

Park Vasco Urquhart, Jr. SMA ’50 died July 24, 2014. Mr. Urquhart lived in Moore, S.C., and was an executive at Goodyear Manufacturing. He was a city councilman for the town of Lyman, worked as a private consultant, and with his wife, Marie Kostiw Urquhart, owned and operated The Walnut Lane Bed and Breakfast.

He attended the University of

22 · St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Magazine · Spring 2015

Florida and Akron University.

He served as a deacon at the Episcopal Church in Dayton, Ohio and will be remembered by many for the marriages he performed in Greenville and Spartanburg Counties. In addition to his wife, he is survived by two sons; two daughters; eight grandchildren; and one great-grandson.

Polly Luvall Wicarius SMS ’50 of Claremont, Calif., died June 21, 2013.

She grew up in Middletown, Ohio and attended Blackburn College in Carlinville, Ill. She was involved in the Wicarius Dental Practice and later became a registered dental assistant, graduating from the University of Southern California program.

Her husband, Martin Wicarius, preceded her in death. She is survived by three children, and three stepchildren; eight grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

Frazier G. Vucovich SMA ’52 of Rifle, Colo., died September 7, 2014. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army. Mr. Vucovich is survived by his wife, Charmaine; a son; a daughter; and a granddaughter.

Joseph M. Kierce SMA ’54 of Baker, Fla., passed away October 20, 2014. Mr. Kierce was a truck driver for 18 years before he retired. He is survived by his wife, Lucy Kierce; one sister; and one brother-in-law.

Thomas McBride Goodrum SMA ’56 died on March 2, 2015 in WinstonSalem, N.C. He was educated at the Cairo American School, Sewanee Military Academy, and Sewanee: The University of the South. As a son in a Coca-Cola family, he had the opportunity to live abroad in Manila, Cairo, and Beirut while calling Newnan, Ga. home. He was a Captain in the U.S. Air Force and served his country on various bases in the United States and West Germany. Mr. Goodrum was extremely active in service to others.

Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church was the central hub of his stewardship, and he served as Senior and Junior Warden on the Vestry. He was a member of the Board of Trustees and later a member of the Board of Regents of Sewanee: The University of the South. He was preceded in death by his brother James Jefferson Goodrum SMA’54.

He is survived by his wife, Jane McCrary Goodrum; a daughter; a son; and three grandchildren.

Charles Quintard Wiggins III SMA ’56 died Jan. 9, 2015. He was a direct descendant of Rt. Rev. Bishop C. T. Quintard, First Chancellor of Sewanee: The University of the South, and Benjamin Lawton Wiggins, Vice Chancellor of Sewanee. He attended Sewanee: The University of the South. He was in the U.S. Marine Corps and actively served from February 1957 until January 1960. He was a wizard with words and writing and started his career at the Memphis Commercial Appeal and Memphis Press Scimitar.

He was alumni and publicity director for Sewanee Military Academy; assistant director of public relations at Lykes Bros. Steamship Company in New Orleans; and vice president, Water Resources Congress, Washington, D.C. In 1972 he moved to Houston, Texas as public relations representative for the volunteer U. S. Army recruiting program with N. W. Ayer & Son for Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana areas; he was legislative assistant to Commissioner Bob Eckels; partner in McHale/ Wiggins advertising and public relations agency, and owner of Landmark Advertising. He is survived by his wife, Jude Boylan Wiggins; a son; and two grandchildren.

William E. Christie SMA ’58 of Palestine, Texas, died May 14, 2013.

Mr. Christie attended the University of Texas. He was a recognized innovator in contemporary yacht sail production in the Gulf Coast area. His passion for sailing was instrumental in the creation of the custom sail, rigging, and canvas business in Houston, C&C Sailmakers. Mr. Christie is survived by a son, a daughter, and three grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Carol Ann (Mundel) Christie.

Peter A. Culwell StA ’59 of Monroe, Ga., died November 28, 2014. Mr. Culwell was a veteran of the U.S. Navy and a professor of electronic engineering at various colleges. He is survived by his wife, Mary Baker Culwell.

Julius Alvin Gilreath, Jr. SMA ’61 died in a plane crash on May 27, 2013. He was a Greenville High School alumnus and a 1966 Clemson graduate with a degree in Building Construction. During his time at Clemson, he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Zeta Fraternity. He served in the U.S. Army from 1967

to 1969. After being discharged from the U.S. Army, he returned to Greenville and worked with his father in the Gilreath Construction Company. In the late 1970s, Mr. Gilreath started JAG, Inc., which for nearly 40 years specialized in the design and construction of medical and dental facilities. His son preceded him in death. He is survived by his wife, Perry Russell Gilreath; his three daughters; and six grandchildren.

Ronald J. Dunlap SMA ’64 of Hot Spring, Ark., died October 10, 2014.

Mr. Dunlap attended the University of Virginia. He was Director of Food Services at Rivendell in Benton, Ark., at the time of his death. He is survived by a sister.

Alex Kitchens SMA ’64 of Monteagle, Tenn., died on March 7, 2015. He attended the University of Chattanooga from 1964 to 1965. He was a veteran of the Vietnam War, having served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1966 until his honorable discharge in 1970. He was a licensed private pilot, a merchant marine, commercial diver and dive boat operator, charter captain, and competition deep-sea fisherman.

He is survived by his children, Paul Alexander Kitchens and Nicole Alexis Thorn ’02, and a granddaughter.

Susan Templeton McDowell SMS ’64 died on August 5, 2014. She was a member of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church. Mrs. McDowell was a devoted wife, mother, and Memaw. She is survived by her husband, Lynn McDowell; one son; and one granddaughter.

Sister Mary Elizabeth Roll, C.T. SMS ’65 died at the Convent of the Transfiguration in Cincinnati, Ohio on August 17, 2014. She was received as a Postulant in 1968, and Life Professed in 1976.

Sister touched the lives of many children as a teacher of Christian Education at Bethany School for 27 years until her retirement last year, serving as the Director of Christian Education for part of that time. She is survived by a brother; a nephew, and two nieces; great-nieces and nephews; and her Sisters in the Community of the Transfiguration.

Elizabeth Bennett-Ertell SA ’75 died October 5, 2014 from cancer. Mrs. Bennett-Ertell was a graduate of University of California at Santa Barbara, and managed the jobs development program for Goodwill

Industries. She traveled extensively with her husband, Dewey, while he was in the military and they lived in Japan for many years.

She was a longtime member of All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Lakeland, Fla. In addition to her husband, she is survived by her daughter and mother.

John Claiborne IV ’91 died January 27, 2015. Known for his good-natured sense of humor, compassionate heart, and passion for cars, airplanes, the Blackhawks, and the Cubs, he grew up in Barrington, Ill. and attended Barrington High School before coming to SAS. He graduated in 1997 from Indiana University with a double major in English and business and built a career in the retirement industry, working with both ADP and Voya. He is survived by his dear friend Tasha Kazek, his mother, and stepson. Should friends desire, memorial donations may be sent in his name to St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School, 290 Quintard Road, Sewanee, TN 37375.

Faculty and Staff Ross Thomas Barry of Winchester, Tenn., and formerly of the Midway community near Sewanee, died on Feb. 26, 2015. He was a U.S. Army veteran and a member of St. James Episcopal Church. He is survived by wife, Mary Helen Barry; son, Timothy Alan Barry ’85; daughter, Karen Annette McCallie StA’78; one grandchild and nine step-grandchildren. He worked in the maintenance department at St. Andrew’s in the 1970s.

Ruth Cook Benson of Sewanee, died on November 28, 2014, at her home. She was a graduate of Vanderbilt University. She taught Latin at St. Andrew’s School and St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School.

Mrs. Benson retired in 2004.

She is survived by her husband, Robert George Benson; two sons, Robert George Benson Jr. ’87 and Andrew Cook Benson ’91; and two grandchildren.

Johnny Dale Campbell of Keith Springs, Tenn., passed away November 3, 2014. A native of Franklin County, he was a 1964 graduate of Franklin County High School. He later served in the National Guard for six years and retired from the maintenance

department of St. Andrew’sSewanee in 2014. Mr. Campbell is survived by his mother, eight sisters, two brothers, two daughters, and two grandsons.

The Rev. Daniel Willard Eckman Jr. died on February 28, 2015. Originally from Baltimore and Catonsville, Md., Fr. Eckman received his undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland, where he met his wife, Barbara. He graduated in 1971 from the Virginia Theological Seminary. He was a priest in The Episcopal Church for 42 years. He was Director of Development at SAS from 1991-1995. In addition to his wife, Fr. Eckman is survived by his daughter, Lila Eckman Balentine ’93; sons Ben Eckman ’95 and Joshua Eckman; step-mother, Dolores Eckman; and five grandchildren.

Walter “Skip” Gray III died Feb. 1, 2015 after a brief illness. A clinical psychologist, Mr. Gray taught speech and theater at St. Andrew’s in the early 1970s and was the creative force behind the launch of the Saint Andrew’s theater program.

With a $1,000 gift, he bought a small lighting system and a control board to create the Theater of the Saints, precursor to the current SAS Players.

“From him I learned the foundational lessons and passion that made it possible for me to have a life in the theater,” said alumnus Robert Kiefer StA ’71. Mr. Gray earned a master’s in guidance and counseling from Austin Peay State University, an MFA from Georgia State, and a PhD in clinical psychology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He was a Mason and professional musician.

He is survived by his lifelong friend, Judy Davis, and one son.

Notification of Death Jacques P. Adoue, Jr. SMA ’48 died August 8, 2011.

Ellen Maddin Farrell SMS ’48 died November 28, 2012.

Stephen M. Bray StA ’51 died October 6, 2011.

William S. McBride SMA ’51 died February 12, 2012.

Richard Sompayrac StA ’51 died September 5, 2010.

Eugene F. Robbins SMA ’57 died June 15, 2011.

Spring 2015 · St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Magazine · 23

CLASS NOTES

1940s Thomas Northam, Jr. SMA ’49 lives in Leavenworth, Wash., with his wife, Fiona, in a 5,300 square foot log home that they built. Active at 84, he does 200 sit-ups a day and is writing two books, a memoir and one on the burial of a time capsule.

Graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1956, he claims the singular distinction of attending both West Point and the Naval Academy! He was president of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10445.

1950s Thomas Ferguson SMA ’51 wrote he has moved to Jacksonville, Fla., “for the moment” and also owns a home in Bridgetown, Barbados B.W.I. An attorney, he has served as a United States Ambassador since 1987, and before his appointment, he was Deputy Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. Doug Newton SMA ’56 has retired from a career in art direction and advertising but continues his love of painting. Primarily an oil painter, he had a Winter 2014 show at the Brooklyn Public Library entitled Reflections, which featured his painting “Radishes and Onions.” He and his wife, Kathleen, a professional painter, live in Brooklyn.

Jay Hemphill StA ’65 lives in Winnetka, Calif., where he is a superintendent for Barb Construction Co. He is reunion leader for his 50th this June and recently visited with classmate Roy Cole StA ’65 in Charleston, S.C. Roy and his wife, Patricia, have offered to host the next Charleston alumni event in their historic South of Broad home.

1960s Kent Anthony StA ’66 is retired from teaching and now works full-time at Houston Methodist San Jacinto Hospital as an ER doctor.

1970s Sally Lines Starr SMA ’70 wrote, “Our first grandchild, Libba Starr, was born last April.” Sally and husband Bryan continue to live in Atlanta where she works at The Westminster School.

Spring 2015 · 24

Charles Watson, Jr. StA ’71 wrote, “For the past two years I have been living and working in Moscow, Idaho, which is quite a change after spending all of my life in the east.

I understand the term ‘Big Sky Country’ now.

I work for an environmental consulting firm, doing identifications of aquatic invertebrates, insects, worms, clams, snails, crustaceans, etc., in samples collected by government agencies and private firms. I plan to work for another three to four years, and retire back east.”

Mark Kelly StA ’73 offered a book signing and reading from his son’s memoir, Gone Off with the Angels in Sewanee. Among those in attendance were Sarah Stapleton StA ’73, past parent Becky Killian, current parents and Crossroad’s owners, Richard and Irene Emory, and several members of the SAS staff. Mark donated a percentage from each book sold to the St. Andrew’s Chapel Restoration Fund. He is the marketing director for Lodge Manufacturing Company and lives in Kimball, Tenn.

Tom Ham SA ’76 is the chief marketing officer of ConcentriQ, an Atlanta-based company that is a social endorsements platform. He is also a partner in ClickMore Media, a full service online marketing consultancy that was launched in 2013. He lives in Vinings, Ga.

Yokasta Martinez ’95 completed graduate school at University of Phoenix and received her MBA in January with a concentration in project management. She works as a Human Resources Information System (HRIS) reporting analyst for Premise Health in Brentwood, Tenn. Yokasta lives in Nashville.

Robin Hemley StA ’76 is professor emeritus at the University of Iowa and Writer-in-Residence and Director of the Writing Program at Yale-NUS in Singapore. He was recently named an honorary professor at RMIT in Melbourne, Australia.

1980s Jane-Ellen White Bass StA ’80 and Wiley Bass were married January 23, 2015 and took a fabulous trip to Walt Disney World to celebrate. They live in Cary, N.C.

Robert Lundin SA ’74 and his cat live in the Chicago area where Robert works at a county mental health agency. Evenings and weekends, he works on his craft as a playwright. His recent play, Dementia Praecox, will have a public stage reading at The Greenhouse Theater Center in Chicago in April. He’s busy workshopping a new play, The Icon, at Chicago Dramatists, which he hopes will raise him above obscurity!

Paul Camfield StA ’75 is pictured with good friend Chris Mills StA ’76. He wrote, “Just had a splendid time in Austin catching up with my dear friend Chris Mills in the live music capital of the world. Hopefully a return trip with more of my S.C. and StA buds lies in the future.” Paul is the director of alumni at Shriner University in Kerrville, Texas. Chris is a civil rights attorney in Columbia, S.C., and father of Claire Mills ’11.

Debbie Taylor Sarmadi StA ’81 is a broker with Coldwell Banker in Destin, Fla. saying, “Selling the resort lifestyle in the beautiful beachfront community comes easy after many successful years as a realtor in Nashville.” Her husband, Mark travels year round with their international consulting firm. Debbie loves being a grandmother to Harper Andrew, the son of her oldest son.

Wayne Davis StA ’76 and Melanie Harris Davis StA ’79 live in Daphne, Ala., where Wayne is an assistant football/strength coach at Robertsdale High School. He previously coached and taught for 11 years at Daphne High. Melanie is a media specialist at Spanish Fort Elementary. He wrote, “Our boys are both married to great girls and are at Daphne High. Owen, the oldest, is the head baseball coach and Andrew is a history teacher, and assistant football and baseball coach.

We all live about a mile apart and spend a good deal of time together.”

Robert Hughes ’84 wrote, “I recently became vice president of sales at Panopto, Inc., a video content management software company.

My daughter Rachel was just accepted to the 2019 class of Northwestern University, majoring in engineering and dance.”

Alexandria Hadden ’85 and Terry Snyder ’85 are pictured in New Orleans during a recent visit by Alex. Terry wrote, “Alex and I both went to Maryville College and haven’t seen one another since 1996. We both will be coming to our 30th reunion this June.” Terry has lived in New Orleans for seven years, five of those with his partner Tim Jones, and worked with Stein Mart for 25 years. He is co-reunion leader with Tracy Redding ’85. Alex is an educator and lives in New York City where she is the tutoring center coordinator at Long Island University.

Jessica Shuler Hoffman ’94 and husband Phillip welcomed their second child, Finn, on September 15, 2014. Finn joins his older sister, Makenzie, who is three. The family has recently moved from Brevard to Boone, N.C.

1990s Daisy Elliott ’90 opened her own business, Signal Skin Care, in Signal Mountain, Tenn., where she offers facials, targeted treatments, brow and lash tinting, and waxing. She lives on Signal Mountain with her husband, Louie, and daughter, Grace.

Thea Keith-Lucas ’93 is the chaplain at MIT and the coordinator for the MIT Technology and Culture Forum. She was featured in an article in the Episcopal News Service about bringing the “intent of Lent” digitally to the young adult community. “We are going to branch out in our style, mix it up and surprise people a little bit. On Ash Wednesday, for example, ‘Intent’ subscribers received a sunflower-bright mixed-media collage via email. For at least a moment in the day, try to be intentional about the season and see what it might have to offer you.” Thea lives in Lexington, Mass., with her family, husband Jake Montweiler, and children, Dimitri and Renee.

Liz Holmes Hennessy ’96 is a realtor and lives in Wichita, Kansas with her two boys, Caleb and Dylan.

Patten Priestley Mahler ’99 wrote “It’s been a big year for us. I finished my PhD in economics, moved to Kentucky to work at Centre College, and we welcomed our first child in September. I enjoyed catching up with everyone at our 15th reunion!” William Priestley Mahler was born September 2014 to Patten and her husband, Joe. They live in Danville, Ky.

Sean Bridgers ’86 is filming The Free State of Jones in New Orleans. The movie stars Matthew McConaughey and Kerri Russell. Scheduled for a 2016 release, the story follows a poor Mississippi farmer as he leads a group of rebels against the Confederate army; Sean plays Sumrall in the film. When not on location, he lives in Toronto, Canada with his wife, Rachel, and family.

Michael Hollingsworth II ’88 joined the Board of Trustees of the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta, which houses the High Museum of Art, the Alliance Theatre, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and Arts for Learning. He lives in the Buckhead community with his wife, Rebecca; 12-year old son, Michael; nine-year old daughter, Margaret; and their rescue dog, Wilson, age unknown.

Michael has been an SAS Trustee since 2010.

Leslie Stiles Patton ’96 has been married to husband, Chris, since June 2000. She moved to Carbondale, Penn., north of Scranton, where she works for the State of Pennsylvania Dept. of Public Welfare as a state inspector of all facilities for the elderly. Chris works at St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Seminary, as assistant to the dean.

2000s

Matt Howell ’94 has been interviewed by ABC’s Good Morning America for his amazing transformation from a 320-pound sedentary teacher to a 160-pound obstacle course junkie.

In 2014, Matt’s wife, Sabrina, gave him the gift of a professional tennis match. After receiving a backhanded compliment from Ivan Lendl, “You would have been a really good tennis player if you weren’t so big” and a doom-filled doctor’s report, Matt, the father of two young children, knew it was time to make a change. By working with a friend who is both a triathlete and a doctor, he lost 160 pounds in 11 months.

Matt, a teacher in the Grenada, Miss., school district, is an inspiration to his family, students, and us. Thank you, Matt, for sharing your story.

Rachel Bonds ’01 had a new work premiere at the Studio Theatre in Washington, D.C. in November. The Washington Post ranked The Wolfe Twins as one of the 10 best plays in 2014. She lives in Brooklyn.

Lindsay Chance ’01 teaches special education in Murfreesboro, Tenn. She completed her EdS in education and is a certified autism specialist.

Aggie Wright Stephenson ’01 wrote, “My husband Andrew and I welcomed our daughter, Sara Emerson, this past July!”

They live in Washington, D.C., where Aggie works with The National 4-H Council.

Ross Knowles ’04 wrote, “I’ve just completed my last rotation at United Hospital Center as a medical student! What a great, supportive place to train. A big thanks to everyone that has tolerated me for the past year and a half!” He lives in Chapmanville, W. Va.

Robert Johnston ’94 and David Sharpe ’95 are pictured with their newest additions, both born this fall. Robert is managing director of Johnston Southern Co., LLC, a trustee of the Tucker Foundation, Inc., vice president of Blue Star Properties, and an officer of MetalTek International. He is also a director of the Land Trust of Tennessee as well as the Nature Conservancy. He and wife, Whitney, were married in October 2013 and welcomed daughter, Alex, in October 2014. David and wife, Rebekah, were married in 2012 and welcomed their son, Collier, in October 2014. Collier has two big sisters, Kaya and Dani. David is the regional head brewer for Big River Grille and Brewing Works.

Spring 2015 · St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Magazine · 25

CLASS NOTES

Katie Taylor West ’04 and husband, Thomas, welcomed their first child, Cal, in February 2015.

Katie and Thomas recently moved from Knoxville, Tenn., where Katie was a vet-tech, to Manhattan, Kans., where Thomas attends Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Michael Forster ’04 returned to campus as an alumni sports mentor and met with the boys’ basketball team. From assistant coach Osei Hill ‘07, “Last night Michael gave a powerful message to the team, covering topics such as healthy life choices and translating athletic skills into professional career abilities. The young men were truly captivated by his authentic and heartfelt words and left with a new level of appreciation for their parents, teammates, and future families.” Michael lives in Nashville, where he is a financial advisor with Raymond James.

He and his wife, Christina, have two daughters.

Ally Petrilla ’05 has begun a new career as a guide with the international company, Trek Travel. After successfully completing a 10-day interview process, she has moved temporarily from Denver to Mallorca, Balearics Islands, Spain where she will work as a bicycle tour guide along the Mediterranean Coast. She wrote, “Only thing close to being as cool as riding bicycles?

Speaking Spanish. This is my job!?” Ally is the sister of Joe Petrilla ’00 and Addy Petrilla ’06.

Anne Ruleman Barach ’05 and husband Dan welcomed their first child, Isaac Arthur, in January 2015. The family lives in University Heights, Ohio.

Rachel Kravitz ’05 lives in Atlanta where she is the events and sponsorships coordinator for the active lifestyle nutrition company, Kill Cliff. She also oversees their samplings and apparel line requiring travel throughout the southeastern region. She wrote, “It’s a lot of fun but very crazy busy all the time!”

Jude Ziliak ’05 played baroque solo violin in April in New York City’s newest historic performance series, SpectrumHP. He is a violinist and independent scholar, specializing in historical performance practices and was an inaugural recipient of the English Concert American Fellowship, which

ALUMNI IN PRINT

recognizes emerging artists “who appear likely to make significant contributions to the field of early music.” Active from Myanmar to Miami, he appears this season with the American Bach Soloists, Gotham Chamber Opera, Sonnambula, New Vintage Baroque, Clarion Music Society, Trinity Baroque Orchestra, and Concert Royal.

Recent highlights include performances with William Christie and Les Arts Florissants at the Rencontres musicales en Vendée and with Richard Egarr at the Britten-Pears School. He is the son of SAS faculty member Julie Jones and older brother of Flora Ziliak ’09.

Chatham Morgan ’05 and his wife Marilu were married in Mentone, Ala., in January 2015.

The couple lives in Destin, Fla., where Chatham manages the Morgan family restaurants and deep sea fishing companies. Destin Magazine voted their flagship restaurant, Harbor Docks, as the best seafood restaurant and best sushi. Chatham is the older brother of Jane Morgan ’12 who attends NYU. Andrew Hard ’06 wrote, “I’ve been moving from place to place conducting physics research and working towards a PhD with an expected completion just before the 10-year reunion.”

Jordan Anderson ’07 received her MS in counseling from Mississippi College where she earned a 4.0 average and was a member of the Honor Society. She has since passed her boards for full certification. Jordan is the daughter of Kay Marquis Anderson StA ’72 and niece of Jim Marquis StA ’71.

Hong Seon Kim ’07 graduated from Cornell and is a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology. She wrote, “I just finished my first semester and have nine more semesters to go. I hope to go into private practice, to continue conducting research, and to teach. I am interested in research to understand the psychological distress of Asians and Asian Americans, with an emphasis on the impact of immigration and early study abroad. I want to study resilience among a population that went through tragedies but are living healthy lives without developing life-debilitating psychopathologies such as post-traumatic stress disorders or mood disorders. I began as an engineering major but took some psychology courses to learn how to help make my life less stressful. I found that questioning the human mind will never cease to excite me.” Hong Seon lives in Fort Lee, N.J. Allie Cahoon SAS ’08 is an art teacher at the Breakwater School in Portland, Maine.

Daniel Shaver ’09 graduated from college in May 2013 and took a job in a biomedical research lab at Oregon Health and Science University. He wrote, “We are trying to figure out how the brains of people with cerebral palsy are different than the brains of people without it and how those differences relate to the symptoms that people experience. I am

26 · St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Magazine · Spring 2015

about to take the MCAT for medical school in the fall of 2016, and I am looking forward to being done, for about two years, with studying hard for the first time since 10th grade.

I’m not sure how that’s going to work ...”

Alexis Rollins ’09 married Andrew Bennett in December 2014 in Chattanooga.

Alumni attending were: Megan Barry ’08, Ashley Barry ’14, Alyson Barry ’14, Rachel Collazo Davis ’07, Mollie Lamb Sykes ’07, and Flora Ziliak ’09.

Current student Kendale James ’20 was a junior bridesmaid. In the small world department, Alexis and Andrew have moved into the Chattanooga apartment that was the home of Mollie Lamb Sykes ’07 before Mollie and her husband, Jonathan, purchased their new home.

Nick Evans SAS ’10 wrote, “I am currently living in Berlin, Germany. With the support of a DAAD grant, I work as a research assistant for a Think Tank that specializes in European energy and climate policy.”

Andria Burnett ’11 married Chris Niels in October 2014 in Marietta, Ga. They live in Kennesaw, Ga., with their daughter, Eden, who just celebrated her first birthday. Andria was the former marketing coordinator for Powersports Marketing in the Atlanta suburb of Peachtree City.

Sarah Jones ’12 learned her novel, The Edge of Never, was accepted by Lands Atlantic, and is scheduled for publication in February or March of 2016. She lives in Memphis and blogs for Tremr.

Camas Gazzola ’12, Jimmy Kuo ’12, Helena Hofmeyer-Lancaster ’12, and Josuha Yap ’12

2010s Selina Miller ’10 married Jared Lee Forsyth in January 2015. After spending 18 months as a missionary in the Peru Chiclayo Mission, Selina graduated this year from Brigham Young University.

She and Jared live in Provo, Utah.

Jung Yoon “Jessica” Wie ’10 wrote, “I’m not sure if I can be at SAS for alumni weekend because I attend music festivals every summer.

I’m in my first year of a master’s program in music composition at University of Michigan.”

Jessica graduated in 2014 from The College of Wooster with a BA in music composition and theory. She was the winner of the 2012 Young and Emerging Composers Competition, and the Cleveland Chamber Symphony selected Flying in Winter for performance. She was awarded an honorable mention at the 2012 International Sejong Music Composition Competition with a subsequent premiere at the 2013 Bowdoin International Music Festival. Jessica won the 2012 Wooster Chorus Composition Competition. In 2014, she premiered her piano concerto, Jindo Arirang Concerto, as an invited soloist with the Wooster Symphony Orchestra. She won first prize at the 2014 Ohio Federation of Music Clubs Collegiate Composers Competition and was a finalist in the 2014 ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Awards.

met in Los Angeles during spring break. Camas attends the University of Alabama at Huntsville, where she majors in psychology and Spanish.

Helena was named to the Maryville College Dean’s List for the fall 2014 semester and majors in art.

Joshua is a member of the Order of the Gownsmen at The University of the South, majoring in Asian studies with a minor in business. Jimmy attends the Fashion Institute for Design Management in L.A.

Ateliér: Building the Visual Arts Studios of the 21st Century (Tiber & Hudson Publications, 2014)

by Tony Winters SMA ’71, lifts the curtain on historic and contemporary studios to show us how great workspaces support great art. Ateliér offers artists and architects the technical information needed to build a studio to support creativity.

As an architect and landscape painter, Tony knows firsthand the importance of artistic space. His firm, Pentastudio Architecture, New York, is focused on design for creative environments.

Clients include the Blue Man Group, the Olney Theater in Maryland, and Cinecitta Studios in Rome.

Tony received his BA in Fine Arts from Sewanee: The University of the South.

Further studies included Master of Architecture from the University of Texas at Austin, with continuing education at Harvard University Graduate School of Design, The Art Students League of New York, and the New York Academy of Art. In 2014, he was selected for the Hudson River Fellowship which brings together outstanding landscape painters for a month-long residency in the Catskill Mountains.

QUIZ ANSWER

FROM PAGE 2

Mrs. Bachman’s chemistry class used cookies and candy to explore the concept of limiting reagents.

Caki Wilkinson ’99 delights readers with her second published poetry collection.

The Wynona Stone Poems (Persea, 2015) introduces us to a young woman in a hometown she always meant to leave and staring down “doubt, a storm that’s never not approaching.”

Caki’s first published collection, Circles Where the Head Should Be (UNT Press, 2011), won the Vassar Miller Prize.

A former Ruth Lilly Fellow, Caki’s poems have appeared in The Atlantic, Kenyon Review, Poetry, and Yale Review. She was the creative writing program manager of the Sewanee Writers’ Conference and a visiting assistant professor of creative writing at Sewanee: The University of the South.

Caki received her BA from Rhodes College, her MFA from the Johns Hopkins University, and her PhD from the University of Cincinnati.

She lives in Memphis where she is an assistant professor of English at Rhodes College. She is the sister of Matt Wilkinson ’96.

“Caki Wilkinson pulls off something miraculous in The Wynona Stone Poems, a collection that is both confessional and mythological, deeply personal as it charts the course of an utterly strange woman. In focusing on her title character, a singular creation, Wilkinson says something about what it means to be female—living, loving, aging—in turns of phrase that are odd and perfect and stick to you like gum.”

—Lena Dunham

Spring 2015 · St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Magazine · 27

ALUMNI EVENTS

A Moment of Insight & Gratitude

ANNUAL SUMMER VOLUNTEER WORKDAY SAVE THE DATE: JULY 25, 2015

T

he annual Summer Volunteer Workday, now in its sixth year, offers a weekend’s worth of service and fun. The event is eagerly anticipated by both participating alumni and the SAS physical plant staff. Over the years, groups of dedicated alumni and their families have helped to reclaim and landscape

Pictured front row left to right: Paul Cahoon (husband of Suzanne Ramseur Cahoon SA ’75), Susan Waldner StA ’77, Lelee Frank Hazard StA ’77, Andrew Wilkinson StA ’79, Martha Warren ’82, David Allen StA ’77, Rodney Quarles ’92.

Top row: Mike Kossmann StA ’75, Allen Brooks SMA ’69, Leslie Martin Bell StA ’79, Laura Cunningham ’96, George Ramseur StA ’74, John Kenna StA ’79, Lizzie Duncan StA ’76, Holly Anderson Kruse ’82.

the Simmonds courtyard, build benches for Betsy’s Path, trim and clear campus trails, work on the SAS Farm, and paint the Varsity Field press box, numerous tables and benches, a bike shed, Ramsey’s Rest, the basement of the gym, and nearly an entire dorm.

Several alumni have attended multiple years, but only one devoted alumna has

participated every year since 2010: Laura Cunningham ’96!

This year’s Summer Volunteer Workday will be July 25. Campus accommodations are available free of charge for Friday and Saturday. Mark your calendar to be a part of this growing tradition and spend a beautiful Sewanee summer weekend on us.

REGIONAL GATHERINGS Each year the SAS Alumni Office hosts regional gatherings from New York to Florida, and Mississippi to South Carolina, with major stops in Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama.

Since the fall, alumni and friends have met in Columbus and Atlanta, Ga., Greenville, S.C., Washington, D.C, Manhattan and Brooklyn, N.Y., Chattanooga and Nashville, Tenn., and Birmingham, Ala.

ATLANTA EVENT: Attending were: Kneeling: Tim Graham (Director of Development), Kelly Alexander ’02, Lizzie Duncan StA ’76.

Second Row: James Beasley (President of the Parents’ Council), David Allen StA ’77, Marshall Walter SMA ’58, Heidi Hanger Simmonds SMS ’61, Anna Watkins StA ’80, Crystal McClendon ’00, Fran Thomas, Michael Asmussen ’01, Aika Yano Davis ’05, Barbara Walter.

YOUNG ALUMNI PLAY DAY: In January, college-age alumni returned to campus for a fun-filled morning of sports and lunch with current students. Attending this year (left to right): Osei Hill ’07, Shanda Lack ’15, Keeley Stewart ’10, Andrew White ’14, Eliza McNair ’14, Katie Mobley ’14, Alex Tinsely ’13, Bo Craig ’13, Jane Morgan ’12, Elise Anderson ’12, Alex Berner-Coe ’13, and Lizzie Duncan StA ’76.

Back Row: Tom Ham SA ’76, Chuck Johnson SA ’77, Andy Simmonds StA ’61, Lucy Bowles Newton SMS ’63, The Rev. John Thomas (Head of School), Emory Thomas, Walter Perrin, Mary Perrin, Michael Hollingsworth ’88.

CURRENT COUNCIL MEMBERS David Allen StA ’77, President Will Beard ’86, Vice President Anneke Skidmore ’05, Secretary Jeanie Hinson Bross ’90

Elizabeth Duncan StA ’76 Caleb Goodwyn ’01 Claire Agricola England SMS ’66

28 · St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Magazine · Spring 2015

Mike Flannes SMA ’69 Xan Glover ’92 Ansley Kellermann ’00

Leslie Muir ’91 David Tharp ’84 Susan Waldner StA ’77

ALUMNI COUNCIL: The SAS Alumni Council met on March 28 for their annual spring meeting. In addition to hosting a variety of events throughout the year, they have undertaken two exciting new initiatives. A much-needed career mentoring series has been proposed for February 2016, to be held in conjunction with SAS Winterim. The event will bring alumni to campus to meet with current juniors and seniors, touching on a wide range of topics and career paths. Dining etiquette, résumé building, and the professional interview process are a few of the planned workshops. The Council is also undertaking the creation of a regional chapter program to facilitate increased communication, social opportunities, outreach, and networking within specific geographic areas.

Attending the annual spring meeting were: (sitting on bench left to right) David Allen, Will Beard, Anneke Skidmore; (standing) Leslie Muir, Susan Waldner, Jeanie Hinson Bross, Claire Agricola England, Lizzie Duncan, David Tharp.

For more information about alumni projects or events, contact the Alumni Office at sasalumni@sasweb.org.

S

HELPING FUTURE STUDENTS

everal years ago, John Davis StA ’74 and his classmates were attending the Alumni Weekend when the discussion led to how their families were able to financially afford the school. It did not take long for them to all reach a similar conclusion.

“We realized that many of us would not have been able to attend if not for generous financial aid from the school,” said John. “It was a moment of insight and gratitude for what we were given so many years ago.

I wanted to help assure that future students will be able to afford the same experience. That is why I included the school in my estate plan so a percentage of my assets would go to the school upon my death.”

“Part of our experience (almost without realizing it at the time) was the important spiritual formation that took place in the St. Andrew’s Chapel. I know that mission remains central to SAS today, and for many the chapel is the heart of the school.

That is why I enthusiastically support

the campaign to restore and endow the chapel.”

“At this point in my life, with college expenses for my children finally paid, I find that I have the income if not the assets to give. I am converting some now unneeded term life insurance and donating a whole life insurance policy to St. Andrew’s-Sewanee, making the school the owner and beneficiary.

For me, this is a very affordable way to help build the chapel endowment for operation and maintenance. My gifts for the premiums made during the campaign will be part of my participation and will qualify for the generous matching offers.”

St. Andrew’s-Sewanee is thankful to John and donors like him who want to ensure that future generations of students will benefit from their own “mountain” experience. For information on how estate planning can benefit you, your family, and St. Andrew’s-Sewanee, contact Tim Graham, Director of Development at 931.463.2124 or tgraham@sasweb.org.

Spring 2015 · St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Magazine · 29

ALUMNI WEEKEND 2015

SAS Alumni Weekend u

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The 50th reunions were a big hit

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The Class of 1994 enjoyed their reunion

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Members of the SMA Class of 1964 celebrate

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LUMNI WEEKEND 2015 is right around the corner, and registrations are flowing in. Last year’s outstanding weekend was filled with joyful faces, wonderful connections, and heartfelt good-byes. More than 400 alumni and friends are expected to attend this year.

Alumni Weekend 2014 included a Centennial Mass celebrating the 100th anniversary of the St. Andrew’s Chapel; history presentations on the chapel and SMA; memorial services; and a record turnout for a number of reunions, most notably the 10th for SAS ’04 and 62nd for SMA ’52. Photos from last year, which are available on sasweb.smugmug.com, give us the inspiration to return to the Mountain to relax, rejoice, and reconnect in 2015!

Come celebrate your five-year milestone reunion or join the many alumni who return each year. New this year will be a Saturday morning yoga master class offered by Laura Spaulding

SMA ’70 and an afternoon poetry reading by accomplished writers Mel Green SMA ’69, and Lee Stockdale SMA ’70. All will be entertained both Friday and Saturday nights by a number of talented alumni musicians. Our 50th reunion classes from SMA, StA and St. Mary’s are on pace to have record numbers return to accept their SAS medallions at Saturday’s Champagne Awards Brunch. The Class of ’05 and the Alumni Council will host a tea in memory of beloved Latin teacher Ruth Benson.

It is hard to believe it has been 10 years since our first SAS Alumni Awards were bestowed as a part of Heritage Weekend 2005. Please join us on Saturday, June 6 as we honor this year’s Distinguished Alumni Award recipients, Bill Turner SMA ’65 and Clifton Lewis StA ’75 (see page 21).

We hope to see you in June! Please visit our main website to register and to see Who’s Coming. If you need more information or have questions, send us an email: sasalumni@sasweb.org.

JUNE 5-7, 2015

Register for Alumni Weekend at sasweb.org/Alumni-Weekend

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The view from Piney Point

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The SMA March to All Saints’ Chapel

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Classmates from 2004 reunite

FRIDAY • JUNE 5 10 a.m.

Noon 4:30 p.m.

6 p.m.

9 p.m.

Registration Opens SAS Golf Classic St. Mary’s Tea Jazz Dinner & Lawn Party* Bonfire

SATURDAY • JUNE 6

St. Andrew’s Chapel Centennial Celebration

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SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS

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7:30 a.m.

11:30 a.m.

2–5 p.m.

3:30 p.m.

5:30 p.m.

7 p.m.

9 p.m.

Breakfast Opens Champagne Awards Brunch Res Swim & Canoeing Ruth Benson Memorial Tea Reunion Cocktail Parties* Dinner and Entertainment* Bonfire*

SUNDAY • JUNE 7 9:45 a.m. SMA Alumni March 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist, St. Andrew’s Chapel 11:30 a.m. Farewell Brunch *Youth Program available during these events

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See more photos at sasweb.smugmug.com

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Return to the Mountain to celebrate your fiveyear milestone reunion, or join the many alumni who make each year a reunion celebration.

Register today and come home!

sasweb.org/alumni Spring 2015 · 31

St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School

290 Quintard Road Sewanee, Tennessee 37375-3000 www.sasweb.org Address Service Requested

NON-PROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID CHATTANOOGA, TN PERMIT 78

We're Floored!

The Wood-Alligood Gymnasium basketball and volleyball court recently received a face lift with a refinishing and addition of the school's shield.

32 · St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Magazine · Spring 2015