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Do you know why Robinson Dining Hall is looking so fancy?
ANSWERS ON PAGE 21
Fall 2014
St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School Magazine Published twice a year by St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School
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Campus News
FEATURES
10 Celebrating the Book Work in 12 Real the Real World
Bishop 18 Presiding Helps Celebrate Centennial ALUMNI
24 Class Notes 28 Alumni Events Father Thomas's graduation day selfie inspired AdmissionsQuest to ask all boarding schools for similar photos.
St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School Magazine
From the Head of School
Preparing for Whatever May Come HELPING & HEALING GOD’S WORLD We are sending messengers to a future we cannot see.
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o said Dr. Annette Smith, Head of The Hutchison School in Memphis as she addressed our fall Board of Trustees meeting. She was our guest speaker, bringing 30 years of experience and wisdom in leading independent schools and working with governing boards. It was a powerful weekend as our board wrestled with big questions and the changing dynamics of schools and how they are most effectively led and inspired. St. Andrew’s-Sewanee empowers students to seek their ground of being and their sense of home base. The school provides a launching pad for the future, a locus for life-long friendships, and a place to which they may return and remember. In this magazine you will hear about the Chapel and classroom as starting places for inspiration and challenge and the varied journeys our students have made into their particular futures. While we do not know the exact challenges our graduates will face, we continue to strive to prepare them for whatever may come and provide a ground and purpose for claiming their role in helping and healing God’s world. It is a privilege and honor to help send young people into a future we cannot see.
The Rev. John Taliaferro Thomas Head of School
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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: Nathan Carlson, Steve Garrett, Osei Hill, Paul Klekotta, Paul Ward, Eric T. Wright 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: For close to 44 years, Edward St. John has been bringing his panoramic camera to Sewanee campuses. The all-school photo is an enduring tradition that SAS shares with its parent schools.
SAVE THE DATES
Join the Conversation
In response to SAGE, the school's new dining service, serving sushi: We've come a long way from frito pie. – Jude Ziliak ‘05 Wow! And to think I lived off peanut butter and jelly when I was there. Will that be on the menu for Alumni Weekend? Still, would not trade our cellphone-free lives back then for anything. – Teresa Outlaw ‘82 In response to an announcement that Maryville College soccer player, Allyson Hale '12, was named USA South Player of the Week: Couldn't have done it without SAS! – Allyson Ridley Hale ‘12 In response to a photo of Helen Wilson '13 and Eliza McNair '14 packed up for their journey to Wellesley College: They can fit all of two girls stuff in one car? Epic– your mamas should be so proud! Good luck on your journey! – Robin Albright Kavanaugh, StA ‘79 On the passing of the Rev. Rod Welles, former headmaster of Sewanee Academy: I always suspected he could walk on water, but I could never catch him at it. - Phil White, Former Faculty
Upcoming Campus Events December 10, 2014 Winter Concert
facebook.com/SASweb
SAS Players' Musical Review
February 13-15, 2015 Benefactors' Weekend
April 15, 2015 youtube.com/StAndrewsSewanee
Spring Concert
May 15-17, 2015
Commencement Weekend
June 5-7, 2015
ALUMNI WEEKEND sasweb.tumblr.com
June 14-20, 2015
Shakerag Workshops Session I
June 21-27, 2015 twitter.com/sasweb
Shakerag Workshops Session II More info: www.sasweb.org/calendar
@BleacherReport VIDEO: An enthusiastic Tennessee HS football player sends his coach flying with a hip bump. During Family Weekend: The faculty here is so dag-gone good. - Bill Nickels, Parent
February 6-8, 2015
sasweb.smugmug.com
pinterest.com/sasweb
Fall 2014 · St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Magazine · 5
Campus News
SAS Excels on National Language Exams SAS Spanish language students attained national recognition for excellent performance on the 2014 National Spanish Examinations, earning a total of two gold, two silver, and six bronze medals along with 17 honorable mentions. On the 2014 National Latin Exam, six SAS students earned Cum Laude, five earned Magna Cum Laude and one earned the Silver Maxima Cum Laude medal. One student, studying independently, earned first place in Tennessee and fifth place on the national level on The Grand Concours de Français.
SAS Class of 2014 Garners $4.38M in Merit Scholarships Fifty-five seniors participated in Commencement Eucharist and Exercises at SAS on May 18. Commencement speakers included valedictorian Emily Blount and salutatorian Kelly Pierce. Bob Hoagland, former Director of Technology, delivered the Baccalaureate address. Thirty-nine members of the Class of 2014 received merit and financial aid awards totaling a record $4.38 million from 43 colleges and universities across the nation, from Lewis and Clark College in Oregon to Pratt Institute in New York.
Student Research Recognized by Junior Academy of Sciences
Welcome to New Faculty & Staff This school year, St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School welcomed new members to the faculty and staff. Front Row, L-R: Elizabeth Walker (English, science, Adventure Education), Molly Short (residential), Yuiri Nomoto (athletic trainer), Sandy Bryant (development); Back Row, L-R: Harrison Camp (soccer, strength and conditioning, residential, radio), David Mendlewski (admission), The Rev. Drew Bunting ’93 (chaplain, religion), Michael Short (sixth grade), Geoffrey Smith (history, residential), and Nathan Carlson (technology). Not pictured, Eva Sun (Chinese).
Sam Smith ’17, Kyra Wilson ’17, and Christian Taylor ’17 presented their research “Voltage Measured Relative to Angle of Solar Panel,” at the Tennessee Jr. Academy of Sciences (TJAS) annual meeting. Two additional SAS student research papers were selected for abstract publication in the 2014 TJAS Handbook: “The Effect of Added Weight on Draft” by Cooper Nickels ’17 and Sam Thomas ’17, and “The Effect of Angle on the Efficiency of an Inclined Plane” by Crawford Emory ’17 and Ashton Milford ’17.
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SAS Admission Preview St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School welcomed families with students in grades 5-11 during an Admission Preview on October 19. They attended mini-classes in science, art, and history. Tours were offered of the school’s beautiful 550-acre campus, including LEED Gold certified Wade Hall for the Sciences and McCrory Hall for the Performing Arts.
Grade Level Programming Day Each grade at SAS participates in innovative grade-level programming throughout the year. SAS suspends the regular academic day in order for all students and faculty advisors to participate in the program. This fall sixth graders participated in a historical scavenger hunt on the SAS campus. Seventh graders offered their service to Blue Monarch, a longterm residential program for woman and children. Eighth graders served Mountain T.O.P., a rural outreach ministry. Upper school students enjoyed canoeing the Elk and Buffalo Rivers and trips to Atlanta and Chattanooga.
See more photos at sasweb.smugmug.com Students Recognized by National Merit Scholarship Program
Theatre
Ethan Evans ’15 and Fields Ford ’15 were named Commended Students in the 2015 National Merit Scholarship Program. In addition to their academic achievements, both are active in the life of the school. Ethan is a high honors student, an SAS Ambassador, Honor Council member, and Proctor. He is an outstanding actor and musician, a statequalifying swimmer, an Eagle Scout, and a published researcher. Fields, an outstanding artist and photographer, is president of the school’s Cum Laude Society and a Proctor. He was co-captain and MVP of the 2014 SAS mountain biking team, the number one team in Tennessee. Mpilo Ngomane ’15 was named an Outstanding Participant. Mpilo is an honors student, SAS Ambassador, and Proctor. Mpilo has received the Latin I, II, and III language awards and recently earned a magna cum laude distinction on the National Latin Exam. Mpilo is a Claiborne Scholar at SAS. A valued member of the boys’ varsity soccer team, he was also the team manager for the girls’ varsity soccer team.
The SAS Players contributed to the mythology of Godzilla with their creation of a live theater reinterpretation of Gojira and Godzilla, King of the Monsters. The production featured bold movementtheater with a 35-member ensemble. Every cast member played roles and served as stagehands. The play recreated the joy of a good horror film while reflecting a bit of Japanese culture and the American culture of the 1950s.
American Math Competition Seventeen SAS students gained recognition as the school’s top scorers in the 2014 American Mathematics Competitions. Edward Kang ’15 received a national bronze medal. Four students were Math League high scorers.
Spot in the Woods SAS sixth graders were featured in an article in the July/August Tennessee Conservationist Magazine. The article was about their spot in the woods where they journal and reflect on the changes around them. www.tn.gov/environment/ conservationist/ my-spot-inthe-woods
SPRING & FALL 2014 ATHLETES SELECTED ALL REGION, ALL DISTRICT Lexie Laurendine ’18 was named to the Division II-A East/Middle All District Team for Volleyball. Varsity baseball player Levi Higgins ’15 was named to the 2014 TSSAA Class A Division II All Region Team. Varsity soccer players Sam Smith ’17 and Ethan Brand ’15 were named to the Division II, All District Team. The soccer team made it to the semifinal round of the district tournament.
LIFTING OUR SPIRITS When varsity athletes returned to campus this fall, one of the many campus improvements they encountered was a freshly equipped and renovated weight room. The purchase of custom equipment was made possible through entrance fees collected at SAS athletic contests and concession sales. The school credits its Mountain Lion Club, athletics boosters, and volunteers for making it possible to raise the necessary funds.
TRACK AND FIELD The varsity boys’ track team broke four school records. James Beasley ’15 (pictured here with coach Molly Schaefer ’07) broke his own 100-meter high hurdle record, captured the 300-meter intermediate hurdle record, and ran the anchor leg of the record-setting 4x400 meter relay team that included Lucas Lu ’15, Burton Dorough ’16, and Eric Baynard ’15. Sarah Beavers ’14, Baynard, Beasley, Jake Mallory ’15 and Christian Taylor ’17 competed in the District II East Regionals. Baynard placed second in the regional decathlon with a score of 4,131, establishing a school record. The boys’ team placed third overall. Beasley won the 300 hurdles at the District II East Regionals and qualified to compete in the TSSAA State Track and Field Meet.
tt Photo by Steve Garre
GOLF TEAM TO STATE The golf team ended their regular season with a 16-1 record. Tommy Oliver ’16, Andrew Heitzenrater ’15, Jake Wiley ’16, Sam Thomas ’17, and Aubrey Black ’18 placed second in the Division II-A Regional Meet and qualified for the TSSAA Division II-A state golf championship, where they finished fifth with a two-day total of 689. Oliver (fourth from the left) finished sixth overall. THE CLIP FELT 'ROUND THE WORLD A video clip of Wyatt Lindlau ’17 hip bumping Coach McLain Still at a football game went viral. The video was featured on Bleacher Report, USA Today, ESPN websites, and ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown. (At last count, there were more than 150,000 YouTube views.) View this clip and more at youtube.com/ StAndrewsSewanee. GROUND BREAKING CEREMONY The mountain biking team, the Rev. John Thomas–Head of School, Mountain Goat Trail Alliance (MGTA) president and school nurse Janice Thomas, and MGTA board member and SAS parent Clayton Rogers joined the groundbreaking ceremonies for the Monteagle-to-Sewanee portion of the Mountain Goat Trail, which links downtown Sewanee to the SAS campus. The next section will connect the campus to the town of Monteagle. Fall 2014 · St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Magazine · 9
The idol would drown that night.
glanced in, shuddered, retreated.
“Death projected for half past one a.m.,” ran the memo Ka read at lunchtime on the volcano’s break room bulletin board. “Direct all inquiries to Mara Ceyla.” Another business update among many, pinned between a recruitment ad for the office ullamal league and a pink poster for a lunchand-learn on soul trading in the Southern Gleb. Few noticed the memo, and fewer read it. Kai did both, and took the news back to her office with her sandwich. Ham and cheese and lettuce on white bread digested easy. The news didn’t.
“Not my problem,” Kai said, and realized she’d spoken out loud to her empty office—empty, at least, of people. The altars and prayer wheels and rosaries and fetishes and sacrificial knives kept their own counsel, as always. “Damn.”
Kai ruminated through the afternoon, and dinner, and the night. By 1:00 a.m. her work was done: three chickens sacrificed, one each on altars of silver, iron, and stone; a stack of profit and loss statements dispatched by nightmare telegraph; a prayer litany chanted balancing on one foot; a proposal drafted, suggesting an Iskari family shift their faith from the high-risk personal resurrection market to dependable grain-focused fertility. She scrubbed down the altars, washed her hands, brushed her hair, tied it back in a ponytail, and glanced again at the clock. One twenty. Her office windows faced into the caldera. Two human figures waited on the shore of the dark pool far below, in the pit’s center. Kai recognized their outlines, though rendered doll-sized by distance. Gavin, tall, round, peered into the deep. Mara beside him was a straight line with a slight bend at the shoulders; she paced in tight circles, nervous, desperate, already mourning. Kai had long passed quitting time. The Order owed her a carriage ride home. In thirty minutes she could be brushing her teeth, and in five more abed and asleep, safe from everything but dreams.
She walked the long lonely hallway to the break room and descended a winding stair to the caldera floor, to join the death watch. She paused at the foot of the stairs. She could still go. They hadn’t seen her yet. Leaving from her office would have been understandable. Leaving now was cowardice. And anyway, Mara needed a friend. Kai stepped out into the night, into view.
“There has to be something you can do.” Her laugh was short. “I wish.”
Gavin turned from the pool and shuffled toward them over lava pebbles. “Won’t be long now.”
“Your idol just needs a loan. A few hundred souls on credit, to keep her alive until the market recovers.”
Kai replaced him on the shore, leaned over the not-water’s edge, and watched the idol drown.
“No one knows when the market will recover, or if. Makes it hard to price a loan.”
She was a wire-frame sculpture of light, flailing in the depths like a fish caught on a line: female in figure, almost human. Wings flared. Goat legs bent against themselves. The suggestion of a mouth gaped in a not-quite-face. Her heart had faded, and the fade was spreading.
“Sacrifice to her, then. We can afford the soulstuff to get her through the next few days.” “Shame I’m all out of virgins and aurochs. What the hell’s the plural of ‘aurochs’ anyway?” “Use the Order’s funds. You’re a priest. You’re allowed.”
Cliffs above circumscribed a sky swirled with alien stars. Kai approached over lava five hundred years cool.
“Jace says no.”
Mara’s feet ground gravel as she turned. “You came.” Her voice was at once relieved and bitter. “I didn’t expect you.”
“Does it matter?” She paced again, in circles. “He said no.”
“How are you holding up?” Kai asked. “I’m fine.” Mara sipped coffee from a white mug marked with the Order’s black mountain sigil. Her free hand trembled. She turned the hand palm in, then out, spread her fingers, and watched them shake. She laughed a laugh of dry leaves. “I wish it would be over soon. Sooner.”
“Did he say why?”
“Blaming yourself won’t help.” “Who do you think my clients will blame when their idol dies: The market? Or their hired priestess?” She jabbed her thumb against her sternum. “The guilt’s mine sooner or later. I might as well accept that.” “Your clients signed off on the trade. They knew the risks.”
Kai wanted to touch the other woman’s shoulder, but hooked her thumbs through her belt loops instead.
“I wonder what it feels like,” Mara said after a long silence. “Losing half of your soul at once.”
Wind whistled over the crater’s jagged lip. Gavin seemed not to have noticed Kai’s arrival or overheard their conversation. Bent by the pool’s edge, he watched the idol dying within.
“Idols don’t feel like we do.” Kai knew as she spoke that it was the wrong thing to say.
Mara turned. Stopped. Twisted the toe of her shoe into broken lava. Stuffed 10 · St. in Andrew’s-Sewanee her hands her pockets, pulled them Magazine · Fall 2014 out again, crossed her arms, uncrossed “Waiting is the worst part,” Mara said.
Stars glinted in black sky and black pool— different stars above and below, not reflections. The shattered ground was a thin
Other idols swam and shifted around her in the pool. Bright outlines of men, women, animals, and angels danced through invisible currents, tied each to each by silver threads. No threads bound the dying idol. Mara had severed her ties to the rest already, to keep her from dragging them down when she died. “It’s beautiful,” Gavin said. He shifted from side to side, and his shadow swayed, long and broad, broken by the ground. “And sad. It looks beautiful and sad.” The idol stared up into Kai and through her, desperate, drowning, and scared. Idols don’t feel like we do. Kai turned from the pool. Human silhouettes watched from office windows above. Curious enough to observe, callous enough to keep their distance. Kai was being unfair. No. She was tired. The situation, that was unfair. The idol was about to die, and take Mara’s career with it. “What’s her name?” Kai asked. “The file code’s forty digits long. I’ve called her Seven Alpha.” Mara sat on a rock and stared down into her coffee. “Jace’s secretary already sent me the paperwork.
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t. Andrew’s-Sewanee School celebrated the first annual Day of the Book on October 1. The Day of the Book is an outgrowth of the school’s summer reading program and a celebration of books in all their forms and the freedom to enjoy the printed word. The day began with a presentation
from award-winning author Max Gladstone ’02. Following the talk, students explored the many roles of the book in our lives. They participated in workshops led by poets, novelists, playwrights, naturalists, journalists, and more. After the morning sessions, students, faculty, and guests enjoyed a literary-themed lunch in Robinson Dining Hall.
Fall 2014 · St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Magazine · 11
Real Work in the Real World Recent Grads Exploring Their Passions
Elise Anderson ’12
Zachary Blount ’12
Katie Craighill ’13
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PERKS: Unlimited espresso drinks and amazing, fresh, organic food.
PERKS: Being near the Blue Ridge Mountains (those views and hikes are incredible!).
PERKS: Playing with fox and bobcat kittens.
University of the South Thistle Farms, Intern
his summer, I interned for Thistle Farms in Nashville. In addition to working at Thistle Stop Café during the day, I lived in a Magdalene house, a twoyear recovery program for women suffering from addiction, sexual and physical abuse, and prostitution/human trafficking. Magdalene residents and graduates work at Thistle Farms (a social enterprise that produces body care products) or Thistle Stop Café. During the day, I spent my time with the cafe employees, six Magdalene residents and graduates. After work, I went home where I lived with nine women, all of whom were sexually abused as children, used drugs as a means of escaping the poverty and dysfunction in which they lived, and prostituted to fuel their addictions. My time with Thistle Farms reaffirmed what I have known about myself for some time: I am driven by human connection. I now know for certain that I want to pursue a career in professional counseling.
Davidson College Broughton Hospital, Practicum Student
he Davidson-Broughton Summer Study Program at a state psychiatric hospital in Morganton, North Carolina, provided me with the opportunity to solidify my career goals and challenge myself academically. I shadowed a staff psychologist for two months and worked five days a week with psychologists, psychiatrists, pharmacists, physicians, and social workers in every area of the hospital. I spent one-on-one time with patients and attended group therapy sessions. I observed symptoms that most undergraduate students only read about in class texts. I also learned directly from the patients by connecting through the struggles, pains, and joys that make every one of us human. My work at Broughton has inspired me to spend my life and career in service of others; I believe the field of clinical psychology may be my medium to do so.
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Bowdoin College Oatland Island Wildlife Center, Wildlife Intern
erched atop the jungle-gym, a blackspeckled bobcat glared down. The bobcat leapt down and padded out of the open gate and into the unbounded wilderness. We shepherded him back with no one the wiser. This was just one of many exciting moments in my internship at Savannah’s Oatland Island, home to native wildlife species, including foxes, reptiles, birds of prey, wolves, bison, cougars, and bobcats. I spent my summer cleaning and maintaining animal enclosures, preparing and distributing food, and working on projects to enrich the animals and help keep the center running smoothly. I hosed down the young cougar who, against most cats’ true nature, enjoyed playing in the water, assisted the veterinarian in holding down a temperamental sick goat, wrangled numerous rat snakes that snuck into the chicken coop, and thwarted escape attempts made by the wily broad-headed skink. There was never a dull day.
Sophie Register ’12 Colorado College Student Farm Intern
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ince I was little I have had a love of farming that was prompted by my grandparents’ gardening store. This passion continued to develop at St. Andrew’s-Sewanee. This year I was chosen along with three other interns to run Colorado College’s greenhouse and 1.5 acre student farm. We each receive a stipend in exchange for $7,000 worth of produce and herbs, which we supply to our school’s dining hall. We grow a variety of vegetables, and our farm is home to rabbits, chickens, beehives, and an assortment of flowers. We have the liberty to grow what we want, choose our own hours, and market our produce how we see fit. Despite being an extremely time consuming job, it is one with many rewards and cultivates responsibility and respect for how our food arrives on our plates each day. We also have volunteer workdays and have begun selling our produce at a market on Saturday mornings in the hopes of educating others about the origins of their food. PERKS: Close working relationships with other farms and eating some of the food we produce.
Kate Wiley ’11
Kenyon College Marketing Intern, American Songwriter
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onsidering its sizable following, American Songwriter Magazine is a surprisingly small operation—a maximum of seven people are in the office at a given time and interns outnumber staff. Working at such a small company means taking out the trash, but it also affords the opportunity to be closely involved in the production and distribution of a bi-monthly magazine with an international readership. My primary responsibilities were creating posts on social media platforms which corresponded to articles published on American Songwriter’s website and reaching out to musicians and fans to expand the magazine’s presence. I also assisted with a marketing campaign to stock the magazine in Nashville businesses. My internship provided an excellent introduction to how the magazine cultivates and maintains a following. PERKS: The office shuts down for Bonnaroo.
Charlie Woodlief ’12 Vanderbilt University Editorial Intern, Nashville Scene
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cene is Nashville’s alternative weekly. The free paper includes commentary, features, and news and reviews of local arts and entertainment. I wrote a weekly Critics’ Pick, a 200-word promotion for an upcoming event, something that would inspire people to get off their couches and out of their houses for live entertainment. Writing a Pick was very different from my experience as a writer for the Vanderbilt Hustler. Scene has its own voice, a coherent tone, and, although the Pick would be over my byline, I had to learn to write in that voice. I also helped to transcribe interviews that our senior writers conducted with headline musicians. If you can’t be with Jack White, the next best thing is to get to hear him unexpurgated. Overall, my internship gave me greater appreciation for the craft and collaborative community created through journalism. PERKS: Press pass to Bonnaroo and a job offer. Fall 2014 · St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Magazine · 13
In October 2012, Jane Morgan sent us a lovely essay created for her freshman writing class at New York University (NYU). The assignment asked students to describe a cultural ritual and what it illuminates about the culture itself. We are often asked if, in this more secular time and world, Chapel still has the same meaning for students. Here is your answer. (This article is abridged from the original paper.)
BY JANE MORGAN ’12 — During the four years I called St. Andrew’sSewanee School home, I befriended fellow students from 16 countries and six continents. We came to this school from different cultures, believing in different things. Together, we attended chapel every Monday morning. There is something very special about participating in a traditional Episcopalian service among atheists, agnostics, Catholics, and Jews. The little details of this Monday morning service perfectly convey the overwhelming sense of belonging one feels on campus. The modest, beautiful, St. Andrew’s chapel is perhaps the most appreciated building on campus. It provides a place of comfort and contemplation for all students, no matter their faith. The chapel and the services that take place in it are important to SAS because they represent two vital aspects of the school: tradition and the acceptance of others. Behind the heavy wooden doors and the stucco exterior of the chapel lie rows of wooden pews. There is a small lady chapel. There is a bell tower and a red roof topped by a small cross. Above the organ, to the right of the altar, is the banner of the recently graduated senior class. If someone comes in late, they do not go unnoticed. His lateness is greeted by a creaky door. When it is hot outside, it tends to be stuffy in the chapel, and when the temperature starts to drop, everyone wants the seats by the heaters. There is a serenity to the chapel. It is representative of a significant part of the SAS experience: comfort. Piles of backpacks line the path to the entrance of the chapel. Faculty greeters stand on the steps, asking about everyone’s weekends. Upon entering the chapel, one can expect to find girls frantically hugging because they have not seen each other in 12 hours; sophomores reviewing for their quizzes on geography; and the occasional campus dog being escorted outside. Middle schoolers race up the stairs to the balcony to take their seats. A few boarders stumble in at 7:59 after sleeping through several alarms. At 8:00 the procession begins. Everyone stands.
The procession is composed of the Episcopal priests at place. At SAS, two students walk down the aisle to present SAS and the student acolytes. Students who are just barely the offerings. Their darting eyes elicit shushed laughter from late trail the procession and squeeze into their rows on the their classmates. Rows take turns going forward, and anyone way down the aisle. The procession is accompanied by music is invited to receive communion or a blessing. Those who unless it is Lent. Music continues throughout the service. Not choose not to go forward remain seated. everyone sings, but everyone stands out of respect. Sometimes Sometimes I went up to receive communion, other times to the upper school or middle school choir will sing for us. Their receive a blessing, and, on occasion, I remained seated. I never sometimes embarrassed faces and always amazing voices noticed a difference in the way my peers and teachers perceived leave their teacher gleaming and their classmates impressed. me, and I was never questioned about my choice. I also never The speaker of the day stands, and the service becomes thought about why some of my friends took part in communion infinitely more personal. The priests and occasional visitors and why others did not. This lack of judgment regarding such take turns delivering a a powerful part of the sermon. The sermons Episcopal tradition usually present an further illuminates the idea that everyone genuine nature of the can relate to and carry accepting community with them for the next inside the chapel. 30 minutes, for the When services week, or forever. Some are not taking place favorite sermons are students seek refuge Jane Morgan and schoolmate Lucas Crossland on a visit back to St. Andrew's Chapel. repeated. These are the in the chapel to think, sermons that students and faculty automatically associate with write, or play music. It is a central location for meditation. chapel, with SAS, and with their time spent on the mountain. The chapel is always open, and when one steps inside, he can The sermon that really resonates with me is one that I forget the impending assignments or dreary weather. I went heard three times throughout my four years and is about one to the chapel when I needed a place to read and think. One of of the priest’s first encounters with a dead body. The details my friends would go to the chapel on rainy afternoons to play are so vivid that I feel like the situation happened to me. He his violin. Others used the chapel as a place of prayer. It served illuminates the truly shocking nature of seeing a dead body and all of us, no matter what we needed it for. It is vital to have a how he will never forget even the slightest detail. The tangible place to go to when life is overwhelming, and the fact that the reminder of mortality changes his perspective on life and his chapel is that place for so many different people illustrates the words carry a deeper meaning for the listener. When I have had communal sense of security and warmth it brings. the misfortune of encountering death, I think of that sermon. Rituals illuminate how a community functions; they The faiths of the speaker and of the listener have no influence on confirm how members of a community find their sense of the general power of the words spoken, and the sheer potency place. Chapel connects the school to the Episcopal faith. The of the sermons provides everyone with a message. way it is carried out conveys the comfort and acceptance of Following the sermon is the faith-affirming act of the school and its members. People from completely different communion. In many churches, communion is intimidating. cultures unite in a common practice once a week and the Someone moves around the church, inviting each row to amount of respect that is demonstrated in this service speaks come forward, and it feels awkward if one opts to stay in their volumes for how special SAS truly is.
Fall 2014 · St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Magazine · 15
I want my students to consider their assumptions, their experiences, their core values and explore what it means to be a free thinker and to study other people’s lives in history. —BURKI GLADSTONE
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e are historical beings. History isn’t just something we study; we are born into history, we create history, and we live through history. In the freshman year our students study the history of Western culture. In the sophomore year we look at the rest of the world. It is a huge topic, and I lose sleep over all that we are not covering, but we do what we can, and we leave space to tackle current events as they occur throughout the year. One on-going exercise is map drawing. By the end of the year, all of my students should be able to draw a map of the world and identify at least 70% of the countries. We work region by region and by the end they can put the whole world together. The map underscores that history is a story of relationships. It also sticks with them. Blake Haynes ’01 approached me recently in the Piggly Wiggly parking lot and said, "They were talking about Ukraine on the news the other night. Thanks to your class, I knew where that was." Fifteen years later, he could better understand the issues because he knew where that was. We put our knowledge, research, and skills of persuasion to the test through simulations. Students assume the roles of representatives to the Arab League, Joint African Union, ASEAN, and the United Nations. We dress up to represent our nations and we tackle difficult issues. This year we will be considering women’s empowerment and how it affects poverty reduction. I challenge students to explore why they think what they think. Should we negotiate with terrorists? Whatever your view, why do you hold that view? What is it about the way that you have been taught to think about the world that has formed your opinion? If you had been raised within a Hindu or Buddhist culture would you see the world the same way? I want my students to consider their assumptions, their experiences, their core values and explore what it means to be a free thinker and to study other people’s lives in history. It is an awesome task. Burki Gladstone is in her 21st year of teaching history at SAS. She and her husband, Tom, live on campus where they raised their children, Max (’02) and Hallie (’04). Burki also teaches clay and leads the school's Mind•Body•Exercise program. She plays in a local Celtic band.
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he Most Rev. Katherine Jefforts Schori, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in America, joined us for the centennial celebration of St. Andrew’s Chapel on June 6, 2014. The following are excerpts from her sermon.
“The saintly witnesses who came before us, and the ones we meet walking through life, are human reminders that God is still at work, creating life and more abundant life in us and every part of creation. God desires our flourishing, that we might live full and abundant lives that help others’ flourishing. That starts with knowing that we are beloved, uniquely created and known by name, and called to be part of building a world that looks more like what God intends for us all. “Schools and church communities have remarkable opportunities to plant and deepen that knowledge of the abiding, creative love of God. And when the two communities come together, as they have in this place, they can help to shape leaders who will transform the world.
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“The history of this chapel begins ‘in a little upper room’ in the monks’ mountaintop farmhouse. When the congregation of boys and neighbors outgrew the space, they turned a carpenter’s shop into a worship space. That, too, was soon stretched beyond its limits, but there were no funds to build something larger. The story goes that a poor woman sent a small sum, with these words: ‘I cannot build the chapel, but I send this mite with which to begin the fund, and God will do the rest.’ One of the monks had been sent off to Philadelphia to fill in as a parish interim, and as a result the 1913 Easter offering from St. Mark’s was sent here and provided the core of critically needed funds. “The gospel says that Andrew’s journey of faith, his willingness to let go of old ways and try Jesus’ way of fishing happened in the blink of an eye, that he and Simon left their nets ‘immediately,’ and so did James and John. Methinks the gospel writer doth protest too much. Very few of us do anything quite that quickly, unless out of youthful, perhaps rash, enthusiasm. Enthusiasm means being filled with God. Pray that St. Andrew’s-Sewanee continues to enthuse the people here, young and old, and fill us all with enough sheer holy boldness to change the world. Lord, teach us to fish with your abandon, and fill our nets far beyond our puny expectations.” Fall 2014 · St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Magazine · 19
“There is more beauty than our eyes can bear, precious things have been put into our hands and to do nothing to honor them is to do great harm.” —Marilynne Robinson, Gilead
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t. Andrew’s-Sewanee is, indeed, blessed with “more beauty than eyes can bear.” The school’s natural setting and its built facilities reflect both the rich history of the school and a firm commitment “to bring all members of the community to a richer spiritual, intellectual, social, physical, and aesthetic awareness so that they might lead lives of
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honor and loving service to God and to others.” From the God-given wonder of Piney Point, to the student-made Res, from the innovative Wade Hall for the Sciences, to our 100-year-old chapel, our campus reminds us each day of God’s love and the love and commitment of those who have come before us. $
FERRIS CHALLENGE for CAMPUS STEWARDSHIP The on-going care of our facilities and campus is a high priority for the school. Finding individuals who understand the importance of stewardship and maintenance is challenging. This is why SAS is exceedingly grateful for Trustee Doug Ferris. Mr. Ferris’s $250,000 challenge has helped SAS to raise $660,000 towards a $1 million goal for campus improvements, including new roofs and heating and air-conditioning in our main academic building, Simmonds Hall, and in Robinson Dining Hall.
Ferris Challenge for Campus Stewardship ANONYMOUS CHAPEL MATCH for ALL DONORS A generous donor who wishes to remain anonymous will donate $1 for every $2 donated to the Chapel Campaign, up to a cumulative total of $200,000. Are you interested in honoring the good work at St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School by supporting our campus initiatives?
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RESTORATION and ENDOWMENT of ST. ANDREW’S CHAPEL During the Chapel Centennial Celebration on Alumni Weekend in June, Andy Simmonds, Campaign Co-Chair announced The Centennial Campaign to provide much needed restoration for the St. Andrew’s Chapel and to endow its care and operation in perpetuity. Two generous donors have offered matches for the SAS community to step up to help preserve the spiritual center of our campus. In total, their giving will inspire alumni and friends to reach the $1,350,000 campaign goal. To date, $500,000 has been raised.
The Centennial Chapel Campaign ST. ANDREW’S ALUMNI MATCH Ric Dillon StA ’74 will match gifts $1 for $1 from alumni of the St. Andrew’s classes of 1971-1979, up to a cumulative total of $100,000. Contact Director of Development Tim Graham Email: tgraham@sasweb.org Telephone: 931.463.2124
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ast fall, alumni of St. Andrew’s, SMA, and St. Mary’s were included in an email survey from the University of the South assessing the potential market for a senior living community to be located on the University campus. The survey was sent to several groups, most with some affiliation to the community. A total of 7,131 surveys were sent and 1,013 were completed. Based on those responses, there is annual demand for approximately 77 independent living units, although the interest is varied in the types of residences desired (single-family home or apartment) and the services included (full service package with meals and housekeeping
or just maintenance). A continuum of care (assisted living and nursing care) is important to the prospects for this new community. About three-fourths of the households rated these services as essential or desirable. Survey results indicated that the number of households requesting additional information suggests support for the project. The University’s Board of Trustees has formed a committee to examine and evaluate the establishment of a retirement community on the Domain. This committee will report its findings and recommendations to the Vice-Chancellor prior to the 2014 Board of Trustees’ annual meeting. We will keep you apprised of their progress.
QUIZ ANSWER: Family-Style Dinner Once a month, boarders and residential faculty gather for a family-style dinner. Students are assigned to a different table each month. The dinners are a great opportunity to make new friends and practice all-important table manners. Following dinner, there is a town hall meeting where boarders may share information and raise any residential concerns or suggestions. Fall 2014 · St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Magazine · 21
IN MEMORIAM Faculty and Staff The Rev. Sister Lucy (Lucy Lee Shetters) of the Community of St. Mary, Southern Province died on August 29, 2014. Sister was the first woman to be ordained in the Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee. She was born in Sherwood, Tenn. in 1933, and entered the Community of St. Mary in 1954. In 1958, she was sent as a missionary in the Philippines, where she served for seven years. In the mid-sixties, she served in the Community’s schools, including St. Mary’s School. In the early 1970s she was appointed the Sister-in-Charge of St. Mary’s Convent, where she helped develop the retreat center that is now known as St. Mary’s Sewanee. In 1977, Sr. Lucy entered the School of Theology at the University of the South. She was ordained in 1980 and called to Grace Fellowship Church in Garnertown as pastor. She served, off and on for 36 years, as Sister-inCharge of the Southern Province of the Community of St. Mary. Under her leadership, the Community moved to its present location. From 1988-1993, she served as vicar of St. James Episcopal mission. She served as vicar of Epiphany Mission in Sherwood, Tenn. from 19942008. From 2008 onward, Sr. Lucy continued to serve the congregation at the convent chapel and Grace Fellowship as her health allowed. Dale Morton of Jackson, Tenn., died June 17, 2012. He was a former Sewanee Academy faculty member, coach, and athletic director. He taught economics and coached football, wrestling, and baseball. He was the owner of Morton Moving and Storage. He graduated from the University of the South in 1973. He was a member of Old Hickory Rotary Club where he received the Paul Harris Fellow award, and a member of the Jackson Jaycees, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Northside United Methodist Church. He served as a Madison County Commissioner. He is survived by his wife, Amelia; one daughter; a brother; one grandson; and extended family. Roger R. Ross of Montverde, Fla., died April 14, 2014 after a brief illness. He taught Spanish at Sewanee Academy from 1978 to 1980. He was a graduate of the University of the South and received a master’s degree in Spanish from Middlebury College. He taught high school Spanish for 30
years and coached baseball, football, and basketball. For the last 14 years, he was the Dean of the Upper School at Montverde Academy. The Rev. Donald Roderick Welles, Jr. of Wilmington, Del., died June 16, 2014. Fr. Welles was headmaster of Sewanee Academy from 1977 to 1981. He received his BA from Yale University and his Master of Divinity from Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, Mass. Following seminary, Fr. Welles taught English and religion at St. Paul’s School in Concord, N.H., after which he was head of the upper school of Portledge School in Locust Valley, N.Y. He also served as head of the Arlington Schools in College Park, Ga. After returning to Wilmington, he worked for Independent School Management, and Friendship House, Inc. He is survived by his wife, Sue; two children; and three grandchildren.
Alumni Nancy Creason SMS ’38 of Winchester, Tenn., died July 13, 2014. She was a teacher at Anderson, Sherwood, Liberty, and Cowan schools. She also worked for the Hat Corporation and was the owner of Neal Hotel. She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; and a brother, Floyd Garner StA ’37. Survivors include two sons, three grandchildren, and extended family. Frank D. Green SMA ’38 of Tyler, Texas, died March 15, 2014. He attended the University of Virginia and the University of Tennessee. Dr. Green specialized in internal medicine from 1954 until retiring from private practice in 1989. After serving in World War II and the Korean War, he entered the naval reserves and retired as commander. He is survived by two daughters and three grandchildren. Asa Benton Allen SMA ’42 of Key Largo, Fla., died February 4, 2013. He was a World War II veteran and graduate of Boston University. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Joan; three children; three grandchildren; and extended family. Charles E. Karsten, Jr. SMA ’42 of Readfield, Maine, died February 2, 2014. He was rector emeritus of Christ Church in Gardiner, Maine, and pastor emeritus of the Gardiner Area Ministers Association. He graduated from The University of the South in 1945; Ripon Hall Theological College and Oxford University in 1947. He also attended General Theological Seminary and Yale
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University and was a visiting scholar at Cambridge University. He served as assistant minister at St. Stephen’s Church in Wilkes Barre, Penn.; assistant minister at Trinity Church in New Haven, Conn.; minister in charge at Olivet Episcopal Church in Franconia, Va.; and rector of Christ Church in Gardiner. In the Diocese of Maine, he served as president of the Standing Committee of the diocese, canon of St. Luke’s Cathedral in Portland, deputy to the General Convention of the Episcopal Church, and vicepresident of the Maine Council of Churches. Canon Karsten is survived by one daughter, a daughter-in-law, a sister, and two grandchildren. James G. Nichols SMA ’43 of Tulsa, Okla., died May 24, 2014, ending an 18-year battle with Parkinson’s disease. He attended the English language Canadian Academy boarding school in Japan. He was drafted into the U.S. Army upon graduation from SMA. As a first lieutenant, he commanded the 314th Headquarters Military Intelligence Detachment in Korea and Japan. He received his degree in architecture from Kansas State University. He is survived by his wife, Donna. John H. Nichols SMA ’44 of Atlanta, Ga., died July 24, 2014. A graduate of the University of the South, Mr. Nichols served in the Navy in World War II and was discharged in August 1946. In 1955, he established his grain brokerage business, K.S. Crittendon of Georgia. He served as Trustee of the University of the South and as President of the Georgia Grain & Feed Association. He is survived by his wife, Anna; three daughters; five grandchildren; a brother; and a sister. Richard W. Ziegler SMA ’48 of Saratoga, Calif., died on May 15, 2014. Dr. Ziegler received a BA in biology from the University of Virginia, and graduated from the Louisiana State University Medical School in 1956. He served his internship at the Naval Hospital in Oakland, Calif., and was on active duty in the U.S. Navy from 1957 to 1960 as a Lieutenant Commander. Dr. Ziegler added two additional years of training in internal medicine at the University of Munich in Germany, and returned to practice at the New Orleans Charity Hospital. In 1968, he moved to California to open his own private practice, which he had for 36 years in San Jose and Saratoga. Proctor A. Sherwin SMA ’49 of Georgetown, Texas, passed away on August 4, 2014. Mr. Sherwin
graduated with a BA in business administration from Tri-State College in Angola, Ind. He worked for 15 years with Blue Bell, achieving vice presidency in the Wrangler Boot Division in Nashville, Tenn. He then moved to Texas Boots and U.S. Shoe, both in the Nashville area. In 1975, he started Sherwin Sheyenne, his own western apparel wholesale business. In 2003, Mr. Sherwin retired, but continued consulting well into his 70s. He is survived by his wife, Murlee Marcum Young; a daughter; a son; a stepdaughter; several grandchildren; and great grandchildren. Frank Northup SMA ’50 of Winston-Salem, N.C., died June 9, 2013. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Appalachian State University and was a math professor at ASU and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. His passion for invention redirected his career to the hosiery industry where he worked in research and development at Hanes Hosiery and L’eggs in Winston-Salem. He was Vice President of Research and Development at Spanco Yarns in Sanford, N.C., until his retirement. Mr. Northup held patents on 14 yarn manufacturing machines and developed the unique yarn used for L’eggs Sheer Energy and Sheer Elegance hose. He is survived by three daughters, and extended family. William Egleston III SMA ’53 of Columbia, S.C., died March 10, 2014. Mr. Egleston served in the Army in 1954 at the end of the Korean War. He attended the University of South Carolina where he received a bachelor’s degree in arts and science. He was retired from the Highway Department’s Research and Materials Lab. He is survived by a daughter, a sister, a grandson, and extended family. William L. Harp SMA ’54 of Mayfield, Ky., died March 8, 2014. He graduated from Murray State University with a degree in business. He moved to Mayfield in 1958, joining his father at Hale Chevrolet, a dealership founded by Mr. Harp’s grandfather. The business later became Harp Chevrolet, which the family sold in 1971. He worked as a purchasing agent at Ingersoll Rand and Westvaco in Wickliffe, retiring in 2004. He is survived by his wife, two sons; a brother; six grandchildren; and a niece. John S. Crutcher III SMA ’56 died March 9, 2014. He attended Howard
College and after a brief career in pharmacy, pursued a career in real estate. He served in the Alabama National Guard and the National Guard Reserve. He was a member of the Progress and Rotary Clubs of Athens, as well as many regional and national historical societies reflecting his deep interest in history. Mr. Crutcher is survived by a son, John Sims Crutcher IV ’88; a daughter; a stepson; and two grandchildren, including John W. Garth ’11. George A. Mhoon StA ’56 died June 13, 2014. He joined the Navy and was assigned sea duty on the USS Hornet, then to Miramar Naval Air Station in San Diego, Calif., to the unit now known as Top Gun. He moved to the U.S. Army in 1959, was assigned to the Nike missile system, and trained in the assembly, radar, and launch of the Ajax and Hercules missiles. He graduated third in his class at the Army Recruiter and Career counselor school and was assigned to the 8th Infantry Division Artillery Headquarters in Germany. Before his medical discharge in 1976, he was station commander in Abilene, Texas. He received numerous military awards including the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Army Good Conduct Medal, Navy Good Conduct Award, and the National Defense Service Medal. After his discharge, he graduated from Cameron University and taught in junior and senior high schools in Lawton, Okla. He was a lifetime member of the Lawton DAV, Chapter 56, Mount Scott Masonic Lodge No. 540, and a Shrine Clown. Survivors include his wife, Jackie; a daughter; a son; a grandson; two great-granddaughters; two sisters; and extended family. William K. Jones SMA ’59 of Jackson, Tenn., died July 2, 2014. He was a graduate of Lambuth University. Mr. Jones did post graduate work at the University of Memphis and the University of Mississippi, and taught at both the high school and college level. He was a member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. Mr. Jones is survived by his wife, Marian; a son; a sister; and several grandchildren. George L. Smith, Jr. SMA ’60 of Winchester, Tenn., died April 15, 2014. He was a graduate of the University of Tennessee Medical School and was a third generation physician. Dr. Smith is survived by his ex-wife Nancy Doyle; two children; two grandchildren; two sisters; and his brother, Thomas A. Smith SMA ’66.
Hugh “Tiger” Richards SMA ’63 of London, Ky., passed away July 1, 2014. He received his JD degree from the University of Kentucky Chase Law School and owned the Hugh Richards Law Office in London. Mr. Richards was an important and valued connector for SMA alumni relations and served SAS as reunion leader since 1997, taking the lead for four class reunions, including their 50th in 2013. He is survived by his wife, Beverly; a brother, David Richards SMA ’70; a sister; and one son. Thomas Yates SMA ’63 of Sewanee, Tenn., died on April 19, 2014. Mr. Yates was an Eagle Scout and a graduate of Tennessee Tech. He served in Vietnam in 1971-72 in the U.S. Army and taught at Grundy County High School. He retired in 2005 from the U.S. Postal Service after 20 years with the Sewanee Post Office. He is survived by his wife, Jane; one brother; and extended family. Charles D. Cunningham SMA ’64 of Charlottesville, Va., died on July 31, 2014. He was valedictorian of his SMA class and received degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill and the University of Virginia. He taught at Tandem Friends School and was a partner of Rising Sun Bakery. He was the math coordinator for the Science and Math Learning Center at James Madison University for almost 20 years. He served SAS as reunion leader for his 50th just this past June. Mr. Cunningham is survived by his longtime girlfriend, Diane Spangler; a brother; a sister; and extended family. Monte S. Harrington SMA ’65 of Charleston, S.C., died May 10, 2014. He was a graduate of the University of Virginia and the University of Tennessee and the University of North Carolina Schools of Dentistry. He served in the U.S. Army at Fort Benning, Ga. Dr. Harrington was a member of St. Michael’s Church, the American Dental Society, the American Association of Orthodontists, the Carolina Yacht Club, the Hibernian Society, and Kappa Alpha Fraternity. He is survived by his wife, Pamela; a daughter; a son; and four grandchildren. Gordon M. Campbell, Sr. SMA ’66 of Paris, Ky., died July 27, 2014. He completed his undergraduate degree in architecture from the University of Kentucky in 1970, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity. He received his master’s degree in urban planning
from Catholic University in 1973. He served eight years in the U.S. Navy, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Commander. He was a practicing and licensed architect for more than 40 years throughout Kentucky. He owned and operated Campbell and Associates Architecture, LLC, in Versailles. He was a long time Scoutmaster and advocate of the Boy Scouts. Survivors include a son, W. Arron Campbell ’99; a step-son; a daughter; his brother, Douglas J. Campbell SMA ’59; two grandchildren; long-time companion, Susann Strayer; and a daughter-in law.
Philip Hancock Tucker SA ’74 of Little Rock, Ark. died May 4, 2014. Mr. Tucker attended Southern Methodist University and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He is survived by his mother, a brother, and extended family.
Michael B. Larkin SMA ’66 died May 26, 2014 in Homington, England. Originally from Mobile, Ala., he is survived by his wife, Susan Brettman Larkin SMS ’66; five children; two stepchildren; two grandchildren; and two step-grandchildren.
Tessa Danielle George ’06 of Kennesaw, Ga., died September 25, 2014, from a car accident in Volusia County, Fla. She was born in Bucaramanga, Colombia, South America and adopted when she was three months old. She was an avid horseback rider and dancer. At SAS, she was a member of the equestrian, dance, and basketball teams, played powder puff football, and was a student ambassador. Ms. George graduated from Valdosta State College in 2011, and was pursuing job opportunities in Florida. She is survived by her mother, Cindee George; one sister; and extended family.
Kathleen Woods SMS ‘68 of Nashville, Tenn., died August 3, 2014. She graduated from Hollins University after having studied at Oxford University for two years. She received her MEd from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University. Ms. Woods became a preschool teacher at Children’s House of Nashville. She followed her children to University School of Nashville, where she was the Head of the Lower School. After her retirement from USN, she taught mindfulness meditation and Qigong with her husband, Gordon Peerman, at Insight Nashville. Her commitment to sharing mindfulness practices with people of all ages led her to convene Mindfulness in Nashville Education. She had a warm sense of humor, a sharp analytical mind, and wide-ranging interests, including literature, music, spiritual practice, and the natural world. She was a dedicated board member at both USN and St. Mary’s Sewanee. Ms. Woods was predeceased by her father, The Very Rev. G. Cecil Woods. She is survived by her husband, Gordon Peerman; her mother, Marie Cartinhour Woods; three sisters, Ellen Woods SMA ’70, Margaret, and Caroline; her son and daughter; one stepson; two grandchildren; her first husband, Karl VanDevender; and extended family. Woods House on the SAS campus is named in honor of her family. Shelby Michael Gregory SMA ’69 of Mt. Juliet, Tenn. passed away on November 26, 2013. He is survived by a sister.
Courtenay Sloan SA ’79 died June 12, 2014 in Charleston, S.C. He attended Wofford College and graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology with a BS degree in 1985. He lived in Atlanta. He is survived by his father, Ned Sloan SMA ’46; one brother; and two sisters.
Death Notices Miles C. McCormack SMA ’38 died April 12, 2014. Jimmy Ray (J.R.) Brock SMA ’47 died May 21, 2012. James D. Elliott SMA ’49 died April 9, 2011. Spencer W. Boyd, Jr. SMA ’50 died December 29, 2012. Eugene C. Spencer StA ’51 died October 29, 2010. John A. Cooper StA ’53 died November 13, 2012. Jack Hill, StA ’53 died March 13, 2012. William A. Bacon, Jr. SMA ’69 died April 23, 2014. Charles Fredrick Solie SMA ’70 died April 17, 2014. Jeanne L. Hubbard SA ’76 died September 3, 2014.
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CLASS NOTES
1940s John Bragg SMA ’43 lives in Franklin, Tenn., where former SAS staff member Paul Ward spotted him on his scooter. John is a 1949 graduate of the University of the South and, as he wrote, “loves all things Sewanee with a passion.” He served in World War II prior to finishing at Sewanee, went on to the University of Virginia, and then had a 40-year career at Battle Ground Academy in Franklin. He retired from BGA after 21 years as headmaster. Bragg Hall was named in his honor in 1998. He says, “As much as I love BGA and Franklin, there is no place on earth that will take the place of Sewanee in my heart.” Harry Lombard SMA ’47 lives in Gadsden, Ala., with his wife, Marcie. He was featured in a front-page story in The Gadsden Times for his work in planning the city’s annual Fourth of July fireworks celebration. As a retired engineer, Harry has overseen the intricate planning and execution of the patriotic display for more than a decade. He graduated from West Point in 1951 and was a member of the Corps of Engineers, retiring in 1977 with the rank of Colonel. He then worked as an engineer in New York, Louisiana, and Texas. After living in New Orleans for 24 years, his second retirement took him to Marcie’s hometown, where he serves in Gadsden’s Patriotic Association. Harry served on the SAS Heritage Committee in 2005, which brought a record number of SMA alumni back to campus. Photo by Times photographer Eric T. Wright.
1950s Lewis Long III StA ’59 wrote, “Our oldest son, Clark, is back home from Afghanistan and is now a student at Stetson University. Our youngest son, Chase, also a graduate of Stetson, is an officer with the U.S. Marine Corps and stationed in Japan. I am a Stetson graduate along with my mother and grandmother.” Lewis lives with his wife, Caryn, in Lake Helen, Fla. Bud Walters SMA ’59 received the National Radio Award in September. He founded The Cromwell Group in 1972 and currently owns and operates 28 radio stations in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since building his first station in Hawesville, Ky., which he still owns, Bud has focused on start-up stations and upgrading licenses in small markets. He also ensures that each station plays a vital role in its local community. Bud serves as Chairman of the RAB Board of Directors, on the Radio Music Licensing Committee, and on the DePauw
University Board of Trustees. In addition, he has served on the boards of NAB and the Kentucky and Tennessee Broadcasters Associations. He has been honored with Broadcaster of the Year awards in Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee and the Broadcasters Foundation of America Pioneer Award. He received the SAS Distinguished Alumni Award in 2010. He and his wife, Rosemary, live in Nashville, Tenn. Bud established and supports the SAS radio station, WMTN-LP 103.1 FM which provides SAS students with an opportunity to create, record, and broadcast original shows.
1960s Bill MacLeod StA ’61 traveled with his son to Peru for two weeks in April. He wrote, “We climbed to the Gate of the Sun and then to the top of Huayna Picchu on the same morning. Demanding exercise, especially considering the altitude! However, I was able to keep a good pace up for the whole climb. Not too bad for an old guy. We also stayed on one of the floating islands on Lake Titicaca for one night and took the train from Puno back to Cusco—awesome trip and scenery. My son had visited there before so I was most fortunate in having my own personal guide.” Bill lives in San Diego, Calif., with his wife, Pam. Mel Green SMA ’69 directed the comedy, A Family Affair, for the Classical Theatre Lab and City of West Hollywood. The production ran throughout July and August and was a part of West Hollywood’s Free Theater in the Park. Mel is an accomplished writer for television. His novel, Marker, has been optioned as a feature film. He lives in Valley Glen, Calif. Karl Merchant StA ’69 has retired from the National Park Service and fills his time writing, painting, and biking. He recently had a speaking role in the independent movie, A Picture of You, which was filmed in Pennsylvania. He lives in Milford, Penn.
1970s Conrad Sansbury SMA ’70 wrote, “I quit my day job in 2014. I’m working on improving my music and songwriting abilities.” He lives in Poway, Calif., with his wife, Susan. Tony Winters SMA ’71 was chosen by the Grand Central Academy in New York to participate in the Hudson River Fellowship’s three week plein air drawing and painting study. This year the artists convened in Jackson, N.H., located in the White Mountains. In
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addition to the natural beauty, many painting locations are historically significant, having been “discovered” and made famous by the Hudson River School during the 1860s. Outdoor Painter Magazine recently ran an article on the Hudson River Fellowship, which features several of Tony’s paintings including the one shown. Tony is an architect and lives in Manhattan with his wife, Helen. Gay Henry Lyons StA ’73 is the marketing and development director for Positively Living, a not-for-profit social service agency that provides housing and care for the homeless and those suffering with HIV/AIDS, mental illness, addiction, or physical disability. She previously was the editor of The Knoxville Magazine and professor of English at Pellissippi State Community College. Gay lives in downtown Knoxville with her husband, Bill. Her daughter Liz Lyons ’04, who lives nearby, graduated with a BS from UTK and works with the data management company Delta 21. Will Rodriquez SA ’73 is pictured at the SMA Rock during a spring visit to campus. He and his wife, Allet, were moving from Chula Vista, Calif., to Flat Rock, N.C., and stopped on the way to see the school. Will graduated from the Citadel in 1977 and attended the Naval Postgraduate School, receiving his MS in systems technology in 1984. In 2004, upon receiving flag rank in the U.S. Navy, he was assigned as the chief engineer for the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR), then the acting commander for SPAWAR, and finally in 2007, was the acting program executive officer for Enterprise Information Services. He left active duty in 2008 and is now a fully retired rear admiral.
Tim Barger SA ’75 was ordained into the Unitarian Universalist ministry in 2013. He lives in Toledo, Ohio with his wife, Jewell. Robin Hemley StA ’76 co-directed and co-produced the film, Jewish Caviar, which has been accepted to both the San Diego Jewish Film Festival and the Starz Denver Film Festival. Having served as the director of the non-fiction writing program at the University of Iowa, he currently lives in Singapore where he is the director of the writing program at the National University of Singapore.
After nearly 40 years, members of the St. Andrew’s School Japan exchange program enjoyed a great reunion over beer and amazing Kobe beef in Kobe, Japan. Pictured left-to-right are: Kyoichi “Ichi” Sakamoto StA ’75, who was the group’s generous host and lives and works near Osaka in Nara; Robin Hemley StA ’76, visiting from Singapore; Paul Warren StA ’76, who lives in Baltimore with his wife, Susan, and sons, Will and Daniel; Boun-Mi Maokhampio (now David Ong) StA ’75, who joined his classmates from his home in Bangkok; and Hiroshi Oshiro StA ’76, who lives and works in Osaka. Ed Magruder StA ’79 married Tori Bandy on June 21, 2014, in Cashiers, N.C. Together they have three children, Rachel Magruder and Jack and Ben Bandy. They reside in Athens, Ga., where Ed continues to own and operate Musician’s Warehouse, and Tori seeks employment as a medical or legal administrator. Ed has brought Tori to SAS for several Alumni Weekends for, as he says, vetting, and this year the couple received a marriage blessing from the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, The Most Rev. Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori.
1980s Geoff Cassidy StA ’80 was featured on the front cover of Successful Meetings magazine for his work as vice president of meetings and convention operations for the National Association of Homebuilders located in Washington, D.C. His International Builders Show gathered 100,000 attendees involving 250 daily shuttle buses and 75 hotels in Orlando, Fla., and is well attended in other cities. Geoff was interviewed at length on our nation’s transportation infrastructure and its impact on the meeting and convention industry. Barry Bean SA ’81 wrote, “In addition to trading cotton and publishing the Rose Cotton Report, I’ve gotten the bicycle racing bug in a big way, and am working my way through road races in the mid-south and Midwest.” Barry lives in Gideon, Mo., with his wife, Vickie, and two children, Blake and Valerie. He is the older brother of Jason Bean ’89 who lives in Holcomb, Mo. Stephen Kearley ’84 is licensed by the Texas Real Estate Commission and is busy inspecting homes for sale in the Austin area. When not working his day job, he plays lead guitar for Austin Family Jewels. He and his wife, Janice, a Montessori teacher, also run an international business from their home in Buda, Texas, making and selling Montessori baby toys. Their six-yearold daughter, Ruth, was accepted as a member of the violin section of the Austin Youth Orchestra. Thomas Brodhead ’85 is an accomplished musicologist and painter living in Nashville, Tenn., and has more than 20 paintings on display at the K.C. Potter Center and Vanderbilt University. In an Out and About Nashville interview he said, “I think of myself as a satirist, most especially in my writing. But I’m dead serious about visual appeal, comic or otherwise. The paintings are hyper-fauvist … they’re definitely not by Rembrandt. And I do enjoy the element of narrative, something that was all but lost in 20th century visual art.” Additionally, his edition of the Ives 4th Symphony premiered at the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland in 2012, and has been performed numerous times since.
Robert Dodge ’87 married Colleen Hurley on August 9, 2014. Robert wrote, “Our combined family consists of Jane, Tatum, Hazel, Kaelen, and Mia who are 14, 12, 11, 10, and eight respectively, and our two lab retrievers, Zeus and Clarence.” They all live in Evergreen Colo., where Robert is a professional firefighter. Rachel McKinney ’89 lives and works in Washington, D.C. where she is director of Education in Emergencies with Save the Children. Allan Redd ’89 has moved from Brooklyn, N.Y. to Nashville to continue his career in advertising and marketing. He also continues work on his drawing portfolio for representation in regional galleries. He reconnected with area alumni at the Nashville Tailgate party in September to cheer on the SAS Mountain Lion football team.
1990s Elisabeth Röhm ’91 appears as a series regular on the new CBS drama Stalker, playing a Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney opposite Dylan McDermott and Maggie Q. She lives in California with her daughter and has published numerous short stories, poetry tomes, and her book, Baby Steps. Bob Williams ’93 is the manager of Tennessee’s Sumner County Habitat ReStore where he and his team received the State Impact Award for Most Creative Marketing by a ReStore. They recreated the TARDIS time machine used in the iconic Doctor Who British television series. Their “TARDIS” has now been used in numerous non-profit programs around the state prompting Bob to write, “I’m very proud of my staff and pleased to bring some state notoriety to our ‘little ReStore that could’.” He lives in Nashville with his wife, Sara, and daughter, Kate. Jan Williams Stevens ’95 has been traveling to Haiti since the earthquake in 2010, and in June she and the entire family moved from Montgomery, Ala., to Jacmel, Haiti to start work with the Hands and Feet Project. She and her husband, Frank, are
Fall 2014 · St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Magazine · 25
CLASS NOTES
the site directors for an orphanage and have applied for residency. Along with their children Josie and Gabriel, they have started a new life as missionaries. She chronicles her experiences in a blog, which can be found on Weebly. In August, they initiated one of their first projects, called Village Values of Be Responsible, Obedient, Loving, and Honest. Laura Cunningham ’96 was named Stars of Industry’s Lodging Employee of the Year by the Tennessee Hospitality Association. She has been accepted into the prestigious concierge organization, Les Clefs d’Or. The worldwide association has approximately 3,800 members in 50 countries, with 600 in the U.S. and only two in Tennessee. Laura has been at the Hutton Hotel in Nashville for five years and is now their Chef Concierge. Scott Gelinas ’96 served for 11 years with the U.S. Army, departing in 2013 with the rank of Sergeant First Class. His final assignment was on Okinawa, Japan. He works as a government contractor in the Washington, D.C. area and has returned to school for a master’s degree in international relations. He lives in Virginia with his wife, Susan. Richard Lodge ’97 wrote, “My partner of nine years and I were married in a small ceremony in Los Angeles on November 1, 2013. SAS alumni attending were Sierra Schneider ’97 and Marianna Madico ’97. I currently work as the tax director for a small family office in Beverly Hills. My husband, also named Richard, and I are very happy and raising our two cats.” Maggie Shults ’99 is pictured with Michael Benjamin ’04 and former faculty member Rebecca Nelson when they met in April for an impromptu round of beer and tacos in Dallas, Texas. Maggie has been drafted by her classmates to organize their next reunion in 2019. She lives in Dallas and is a field consultant with 7-Eleven. Rebecca is Head of Middle School at St. John’s Episcopal School, also in Dallas. Michael was traveling in the area.
2000s Joel Petrilla ’00 is acting and filmmaking. His new short comedy, reConception won the Grand Prize for Best Experimental Short Film at the 2014 Rhode Island Film Festival. The film, about a hellbent bunch of boys who break into an abandoned cargo trailer and are interrupted by the unexpected return of the owner, was written and directed by Joel. He lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., with his wife, Tara. He is the older brother of Ally Petrilla ’05 and Addy Petrilla ’06, who both live in Colorado.
Drew Batkin ’00 graduated in May with a BS from Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn., and owns Revival Woodcraft, a small custom woodwork and renovations business. He married Cristina Gordon in May 2013 in Charleston, S.C., with his father The Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Batkin officiating. Drew’s family now includes two 11-year-old twin stepdaughters, and an older stepdaughter who is 17. They live in Chattanooga. Dubravka Colic Ritter ’02 is a senior industry specialist at the Federal Reserve Bank in Philadelphia, Penn., where she lives with her husband, Moritz, and their 15-month old daughter, Lena. Moritz is a professor at Temple University. Alex Hill ’03 was a graduate student at Penn State University between 2008 and 2014, receiving an MS and PhD in biological anthropology with research focusing on sexual selection in humans and nonhuman primates. He celebrated graduation with a trip to New Zealand for a Hill family reunion and is pictured with his cousin at the top of Mt. Eden in Auckland. Alex is currently a postdoctoral research associate in the Penn State Department of Anthropology. Richard Newman ’04 announced his call to be the Director of Music for Grace Episcopal Church in Alexandria, Va. He moved from Michigan to start his new position on August 31. Richard received his doctorate in music from The University of Michigan and was the organ scholar at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Detroit.
Jade McBee Barry ’04 and husband Brandon Barry ’03 welcomed their son, Stratton Fin Barry, on Sept. 13, 2014. Jade is pictured at a summer baby shower with SAS alumni Tori Smith Counts ’98, Hallie Gladstone Barrett ’04, Lydia Orr Barry ’04, and Nichole Hidalgo Jordan ’04. She is a clinical dietician at the Health Center at Standifer Place in Chattanooga. Brandon is an engineer at US Stove. Stratton is the couple’s first child. Grace Brooks ’04 married Kenny Ratchford at her family home in Lookout Mountain, Tenn., on Oct. 4, 2014. In addition to Grace’s family members, mother, Susan Lawrence Brooks StA ’78; brother, David Brooks ’02; and uncle, Stephen Lawrence StA ’80; other SAS alumni present were Whitney Able ’01, Vivian Gray Ramsey ’02, and Jill Burfete ’01. The couple lives in Chattanooga where Grace is a yoga therapist. Francesca Penner ’05 moved from San Francisco to Nashville, Tenn., to finish work on a master’s degree in education with Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. She serves with Charlie Shrader ’05 and Anneke Skidmore ’05 as co-reunion leaders for their 10th year reunion in June. Ally Petrilla ’05 moved from Atlanta to Denver, Colo., where she is both a professional trainer and professional musician. She is certified by the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America and the American College of Sports and Medicine, and has completed work on a master’s in public health from Emory University. With her band, Royal Hills, she opened for Grammy award winning artist Macy Gray at the Marquis Theater in Denver on September 23. She wrote, “Our band met very serendipitously and our writing chemistry has been amazing. We submitted numerous original songs and did not expect much since the demos were recorded acoustically in a basement. Macy Gray’s touring manager liked them enough to invite us to open for her at the Marquis.” Ally and her sister Addy Petrilla ’06 completed the 70.3 Ironman Augusta competition in September.
Clarissa Dean Frank ’05 wrote, “Tim and I have a new addition to the family. Our son Daniel Lawrence was born on August 7, 2014. My twin sister, Sarah Dean ’05, completed her PhD in geology at Rice University and began working for Shell in Houston, Texas.” Clarissa and Tim live in Silver Spring, Md., where she works as a museum specialist with the Naval History and Heritage Command. She previously worked with the National Museum of the United States Navy. Shane Rollins ’06 married Amy Porter in Woodside, Calif., on August 20, 2014. SAS alumni in attendance were Bruce Frommeyer ’06 and Josh Scheufler ’07. After a gorgeous honeymoon in Bora Bora, they returned to Palo Alto, Calif., where Shane works at Cisco Systems as a data analyst and programmer. He studied computer information systems at Carson-Newman University. Jenna Lewis ’07 has moved from Philadelphia to the Washington, D.C. area where she works with the George Washington Medical Faculty Associates in their urology clinic. She received her RN, MSN and WHNP-BC (women’s health nurse practitioner– board certified) degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. She lives in Capitol Heights, Md. Moritz Muller ’07 lives in Germany but has plans to return to the U.S. in February. He completed his law degree and is enrolled in a PhD program at the University of Cologne. He wrote, “I live in Munich and work two days a week with a law firm. During research for my thesis, I came across a great article from a very prestigious Germanborn professor. I wrote him and asked if I could visit in 2015. I now look forward to another great experience in the U.S. at the University of California, Berkeley.” Meg Armour-Jones ’09 earned a BS in biology from the University of Memphis in May where she was on the dean’s list. She has entered St. George University School of Medicine in Grenada, where she participated in their
traditional White Coat Ceremony, symbolizing her induction into the medical school in August. Pierce Myers ’09 won a Biehl International Research Fellowship from the University of the South and traveled this summer to Santiago, Chile. The program focuses on selfdirected social science research in countries where the primary language is not English. Pierce gave a presentation in October at the McGriff Alumni House at the University of the South where he is a senior. His brother, Tilghman Myers ’11, also attends Sewanee. Jack Howick ’09 graduated from Fort Lewis College in May with a BA in adventure education. He lives in Denver, Colo., where he works at The Joshua School, a unique institution with campuses in both Denver and Boulder that devotes itself to autism spectrum disorders and developmental disabilities. Jack is the brother of Lee Howick ’06, Sam Howick ’12, and Lucy Howick ’14.
2010s Nick Evans ’10 graduated magna cum laude with a BS in psychology and German studies from Davidson College. He received a DAAD grant from the German government to return to Berlin to work as a research assistant with the environmental think tank, Ecologic. An avid musician, songwriter, and lead singer for the indie pop group The Culprits, Nick hopes to pursue a career in environmental policy and sustainable behavior. Nick’s brother Will Evans ’12 attends the University of Virginia. His youngest brother, Ethan Evans ’15, is a senior at SAS. Asia Szewczyk ’10 received a BS degree in animal science with a pre-vet/pre-professional option from the College of Agriculture at Auburn University. She has moved to Philadelphia, Penn., where she is in medical school at Thomas Jefferson Medical College. Noah Johnson ’10 and Jessi Johnson were married on July 19, 2014, by Noah’s mother, The Rev. Jane Johnson. Noah is a student at Mid-State Technical College while Jessi is the office manager at The School of Performing Arts in Stevens Point, Wisc. They have one daughter, three-year-old Annahleah, and live in Stevens Point.
Stewart Anderson ’10 stopped by campus this fall during his first visit home in nearly two years. He is in the management program at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. He and his brother Jake Anderson ’06, who also works at Disney, have been selected to sing in Disney’s Candlelight Processional for the 2014 holiday season. Stewart received his undergraduate degree from Rollins University located in Winter Park, Fla. Taylor Kavanaugh ’10 graduated from Georgia Tech in May with a BS is biomedical engineering. While there, she was an undergraduate research assistant at the Andrés García Laboratory and worked as an animal care technician. She moved from Atlanta to Nashville to pursue her PhD in biomedical engineering at Vanderbilt University. She is employed at Vanderbilt as a graduate research assistant. She is the daughter of Robin Albright Kavanaugh StA ’79. Taylor will colead the Class of 2010’s 5th year reunion with Zoe Petropoulos ’10, who lives in Washington, D.C. Joshua Yap ’12 spent his summer at Yunnan University, one of the largest and most prestigious universities in the Yunnan province of China. He attends The University of the South in Sewanee and was admitted to the Order of Gownsmen for academic distinction in July. Our most recent graduates cannot stay away long! Pictured at a Middle School soccer game are, left to right: Taylor Ballard ’14, Robert Post ’13, Tyler Privette ’13, and Aubrey Hobby ’14. Robert and Aubrey were back to cheer on their little sisters, Anna Post ’20 and Sara Beth Hobby ’20. We love having all alumni back on campus to cheer on the Mountain Lions!
ALUMNI EVENTS
Two great gatherings took place in Nashville: the spring alumni and friends party held at the Bound’ry Restaurant and a new tailgate party in honor of the SAS Mountain Lion football team, who were playing in nearby Hendersonville.
Warren StA ’82, David Allen StA ’77, and Rodney Quarles ’92. Second 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, and Holly Anderson Kruse ’82.
Alumni spanning five decades were in attendance. Pictured from left to right are: David Baulch SA ’80, The Rev. John Thomas (Head of School), Ben Paty SMA ’70, Newt Lovvorn SMA ’56, Laura Cunningham ’96, Lindsey Croy Dyer ’02, John McClannahan StA ’74, Kent Rea SMA ’53, Will Beard ’86, Jim Gilmore SMA ’52, Lizzie Duncan StA ’76, and Myles Vollmer StA ’71. Also attending but not pictured were Charles Carr StA ’57, Holly Anderson Kruse ’82, and alumni parents Holly Baulch and Kim and Richard Fletcher.
Nearly 40 people attended the Sewanee area alumni gathering. Front Row, L-R: Leslie Muir ’91, with daughter Elizabeth, Alex Neubauer ’91, Jeanie Hinson Bross ’90, former faculty member, Sarah Carlos, Jessie Owens ’08, Lani Skidmore ’08, Keeley Stewart ’11, Laura Cunningham ’96, and Rachel Stewart ’13. Middle Row: David Clough SMA ’57, Will Johannsson ’11, David Tharp ’84, former faculty member Heidi Hanger Simmonds SMS ’61, Anneke Skidmore ’05, Head of School The Rev. John Thomas, Karen Barry McCallie StA ’78, Xan Glover ’92, Molly
In September, a loyal group of Mountain Lion supporters attended the first Nashville tailgate gathering, held at the Pour House. Pictured left to right are: Ben Paty SMA ’70, Laura Cunningham ’96, Rodney Quarles ’92, Lizzie Duncan StA ’76, Allan Redd ’89, Taylor Kavanaugh ’10, Will Beard ’86, John Moler SMA ’69, and Myles Vollmer StA ’71.
Schaefer ’07, and Lizzie Duncan StA ’76; Back Row, L-R: Andrew Wilkinson StA ’79, Chris Mills StA ’76, former faculty member Andy Simmonds StA ’61, Amelia Lang Hodges SMS ’63, Mary Clark StA ’74, and Susan Waldner StA ’77. Attending but not pictured were Ansley Kellermann ’00, Claire Agricola England SMS ’66, and SAS faculty member Susan Core.
Sewanee
Atlanta
In addition to Alumni Weekend, which welcomed 350 guests back to campus, two more great events were held for area alumni. The 5th Annual Volunteer Work Day welcomed first-time participants as well as five-year workers. The 3rd Annual Sewanee Alumni Party was hosted by the Alumni Council at the home of Rick and Elizabeth Duncan.
Another great party took place on the mid-town Atlanta rooftop of Nelson Mullins where SAS Trustee Michael Hollingsworth ’88 is managing partner. The weather was glorious as new faces and old friends gathered. Alumni from SAS, SMA, StA, and St. Mary’s provided a rich tapestry of shared experiences and multi-generational reminiscing and received an update on SAS today from the Rev. John Thomas, Head of School. Pictured left to right are: Anna Watkins StA ’80, Sandra Haverstick Fancher SMS ’63, Lucy Bowles Newton SMS ’63, Michael Asmussen ’01, David Allen StA ’77, Taylor Kavanaugh ’10, Robin Albright Kavanaugh StA ’79, alumni parents Lee and Doris
Pictured on Work Day are 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
28 · St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Magazine · Fall 2014
Shelton, Andy Simmonds StA ’61, Heidi Hangar Simmonds SMS ’61, The Rev. John Thomas (Head of School), Hojbar Niaki StA ’80, John Kenna StA ’79, Burt Campbell StA ’79, and Ed Magruder StA ’79. Also present but not pictured were alumni Rick Baggenstoss ’88, Duval Cravens SMA ’70, and Director of Alumni Elizabeth Duncan StA ’76.
Alumni Council The SAS Alumni Council meets in the fall and the spring. They help to host Alumni Weekend in June, the Volunteer Work Day in July, and the fall Sewanee area alumni party. The Council organizes alumni activities to create connections to SAS and support the mission of the school, aiming to increase alumni participation in the school’s fundraising, development, and admissions work. There are currently 13 members.
Attending the September 2014 meeting were, seated left to right: Leslie Muir, Susan Waldner, David Allen, and Claire England; standing left to right: Lizzie Duncan, Ansley Kellermann, Jeanie Bross, Will Beard, Anneke Skidmore, and Xan Glover. Not pictured: David Tharp.
Serving 2014-2015
Nashville
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 Mike Flannes SMA ’69 Xan Glover ’92 Ansley Kellermann ’00 Leslie Muir ’91 David Tharp ’84 Susan Waldner StA ’77
ALUMNI IN PRINT
UPCOMING REGIONAL EVENTS Wednesday, December 3 Washington, D.C. Front Page Restaurant & Grill, DuPont Circle Thursday, December 4 Brooklyn, N.Y. The Clover Club Friday, December 5 Manhattan, N.Y. The Marlton Hotel Upcoming in 2015 Nashville, Tenn. Atlanta, Ga. Memphis, Tenn. New Orleans, La. Jackson, Miss. Invitations for regional gatherings are sent via both email and post, so be sure we have your current contact info! You can update your info by emailing sasalumni@sasweb.org or logging on at sasweb.org/alumni.
Max Gladstone ’02, keynote speaker for the SAS Day of the Book celebration (page 11-12) in October, spoke eloquently and humorously about the critical importance of books in our technically advanced lives. Max described the book as the “killer app of the 2nd century.” His closing words gave all in attendance something to ponder, “Let’s celebrate the book not for its use, but for itself – as we celebrate human beings. As they transcend use themselves, books free us to transcend the uses others find for us, the places they put us in. And when we’re free, we can come back and free our friends.” Full Fathom Five, published July 2014, is Max’s third novel. Reviewer Liz Bourke writes, “This might be his third novel in as many years, but one could be forgiven for believing Gladstone had an entire previous career writing books under another name: Full Fathom Five reads like the work of a mature writer, one in full control of his craft and style.” Max was valedictorian of his SAS graduation class and is a 2006 graduate of Yale University. He was a John W. Campbell Best New Writer Award Nominee for 2013. His first book of the series, Three Parts Dead, is a Massachusetts Must Read book of 2013. The second novel, Two Serpents Rise, was published to rave reviews in October 2013. He is the son of Tom and Burki Gladstone and older brother of Hallie Gladstone Barrett ’04. Max lives in Sommerville, Mass., with his wife, Stephanie Neely.
Profe s s i on a l photographer Liz StegerHartzman ’91 collaborated with Stephen Bruce to create a cookbook to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Bruce’s famed restaurant, Serendipity 3. Sweet Serendipity: Delicious Desserts and Devilish Dish has been rereleased as The Diamond Edition published by Rizzoli. The book includes 75 recipes and anecdotes from the restaurant known for its delicious food, famous clientele, and the world’s most expensive dessert. Liz provides the exquisite photography and her work brings to life the melt-in-your-mouth richness of the offerings. The Serendipity series also includes Serendipity Sundaes and Serendipity Parties. All three books have been featured on Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and Fox News. Based in New Rochelle, N.Y., and New York City, Liz built her career on food photography and still life, and her subjects have included New York’s finest eating establishments and chefs. In 2002, she embraced the oddities in Found on eBay: 101 Genuinely Bizarre Items from the World’s Online Yard Sale, written by her husband, Marc. She also provided the photography for the popular guidebook, Avant Guide New York from Empire. Her clients include Food Arts Magazine, New York Magazine, Ciao Bella Gelato, and Smith & Wollensky. With the birth of her first child in 2005, she branched out into children’s photography and family portraiture. Liz also teaches photography at Challenge Camp in Rye, N.Y. She and her husband have two daughters.
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St. Andrews-Sewanee School has been a 'belly-button' in my personal and spiritual journey. By that I mean that it is both the experience and a place that I refer to when I think about the formative values and commitments in my life that shape my direction and decisions. For that reason, I want to ensure other students who are and will be coming along have some of the same opportunities I had and so I have joyfully set aside a percentage of my estate to go to the school upon my death. THE REV. JAMES BOYD, StA ’65 Chapel Campaign Steering Committee, Mountain Society Member
T
he Mountain Society recognizes alumni and friends who have made provisions for the school in their estate plans. One of the goals of the Chapel Campaign is to assure the chapel’s continued presence as the focus for sacred community on our campus through the establishment of an endowment for the building’s ongoing care. Planned giving presents an opportunity to provide for the stewardship of this historic and important structure. For more information on including SAS in your estate planning, contact Director of Development, Tim Graham: tgraham@sasweb.org or 931.463.2124.
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Plan to join us for Alumni Weekend!
JUNE 5-7, 2015
Information on registration will be posted in January at www.sasweb.org/alumni.
Fall 2014 · St. Andrew’s-Sewanee Magazine · 31
St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School
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2014-2015 St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School Legacies
FRONT ROW (L-R): Robert Graham, grandfather David Prescott StA ’58;Thomas Stapleton, father Archie Stapleton StA ’75; Anna Stapleton, father Archie Stapleton StA ’75; Nathan King, mother Barbara Gambrell King ’00; Porter Neubauer, father Alex Neubauer ’91; Meredith Foster, grandfather Gary Gipson StA ’66; Zolon Knoll, father Martin Knoll SA’ 78. Second Row (L-R): Matthew Baranco, mother Sian Howell Baranco SA ’72; Emily Turner, mother Sandy Turner StA ’76; Eliza Gooding, father Charles Gooding ‘83 (deceased); Lindsay Rhys, father Adam Rhys StA ’80; Samantha Kennard, father Steve Kennard StA ’59; Christine Wheeler, father John Wheeler ’83. BACK ROWS (L-R): John Beavers, father and mother Ben Beavers SA ’81 and Kiki Glendening Beavers SA ‘82; Dustin Stensby, mother Jessica Stensby ‘98; Camilla Hwang-Carlos, mother Malia Carlos ’87; Elliott Duncan, mother Elizabeth Clark Duncan StA ’76; Edwin Keeble, father Peter Keeble StA ’70; Rachel Alvarez, father Stephen Alvarez ’83; Joshua Alvarez, father Stephen Alvarez ’83. NOT PICTURED: Mason Goodson, father John Goodson StA ’78; Vanessa Moss, mother and step father Bennett Bridgers-Carlos ’84 and Aaron Bridgers-Carlos ’83; Caroline Graham and Mary 32 ·Grace St. Graham, Andrew’s-Sewanee grandfather David Prescott Magazine StA ’58; Lauren · Fall Wockasen, 2014 mother Tonya Ladd Wockasen ’94; Mary Brook Donald, grandfather Frank Parrott StA ’62.