summer 2010
completed our first Sprint Triathlon on May 9th with a respectable finish of 1 hour and 48 minutes. Needless to say, not much grass grows under my feet these days. h Nandy Wentzel practices acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine at her clinic (Age Well Acupuncture Clinic) in Bethesda, MD. She earned a Master’s in Acupuncture in 2004 after completing her program in China. Nandy is completely in love with her work and feels very lucky to have discovered it! A 14-year anniversary is coming up for Nandy and her husband Dhafer and they have two amazing boys, Skander (age 11) and Zachary (age 9). Elizabeth Slanker Manning is the Middle and Upper School Latin Teacher at The Calverton School in Huntingtown, MD. Elizabeth was the class recipient of the Lynch Latin Award in 1984 in honor of former Severn Latin teacher Dick Lynch. She told me recently that while she’s proud of the award, “The greater reward was having Mr. Lynch as a teacher. I really thought he was a very talented, charismatic teacher.” Elizabeth is married and has one son, Daniel.
1985 Send notes to: Julie Katcef Maseritz 197 Cinnamon Lane Edgewater, MD 21037 julie12@comcast.net
John C. Eldridge, Jr. passed the Maryland Bar exam and was sworn in as a member of the bar in December.
1987 Penny Leatherwood Kennedy penny.kennedy@gmail.com 410-439-5982
Penny writes: “There were a record setting 500 attendees at this years alumni picnic - were you one of them? Following is a photo of Lakin Ducker ’86, Sallie Luck ’86, Ian Robb Patrick ’87 and Mariam Bahrami ’87 at the picnic - please keep sending your updates so you can be included in the class notes! Here is a note from Mariam Bahrami: “There was a record turn out for the Severn Alumni picnic this year! Over 500 alumni, family and friends attended. Amy Tate Schultheis, Ian Robb Patrick, Michelle Hurt Para, Tara Frame Wicker and I were there representing the class of 87. It is always a great time catching up with old friends and I would encourage people to try to make it in the future!” h This is from Amy Tate Schultheis: “Hi all - In addition to keeping busy with family and work, I have committed to run a half-marathon to benefit Chrohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America in honor of a dear friend’s daughter who was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis at the age of 6. Those who know me know I am NOT the marathon type but I will finish strong thinking of her and my supportive friends and family, including my fellow Severn alumni. Please visit my site active.com/donate/Boston10Maryland/AmyTateisJoggingforJulia. And check in at my Facebook page for other events.”
1986 Send notes to: Sara Tabasi Toomey 150 Longfellow Drive Millersville, MD 21108 410-315-7728 charleysangels@verizon.net
JOHN HOLLWAY ’77, lawyer, author JOHN HOLLWAY ’77 introduces his first book, “Killing Time”, which recounts an 18-year odyssey to prove the innocence of John Thompson, a man who was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of a prominent white man in New Orleans. In a letter to our alumni department, John tells our readers about “Killing Time” and his time at Severn.
“I recently published my first book, a non-fiction account of John Thompson, a man sent to death row in Louisiana in 1985 for two crimes he didn’t commit. Less than 4 weeks before his scheduled execution in 1999, John’s lawyers discovered evidence that had been buried by the New Orleans DA’s Office (run by Harry Connick, Sr., father of the famous singer) suggesting that John’s claims of innocence might actually be the truth. This led to a dramatic retrial in 2003 that resulted in John’s acquittal on all charges. The story allowed me as a writer to create what I hope is an “intelligent beach read” – something where the twists and turns of the story will keep you turning the pages, but the underlying material will make readers stop and think about the trust we give our prosecutors, the role of the death penalty in our society, and what we as a community should do when elected officials act improperly. These issues are so well defined in John’s case that the US Supreme Court will be considering them in October, as they hear argument on John’s civil case against the City of New Orleans. The first person that I remember who thought that I could be a writer was Nancy Osius, my 12th grade English Teacher. I remember that being a unique thing at the time, and it definitely gave me confidence to take something like this project on. I’d also be very appreciative if you could forward this email to any of the teachers who have been at the school since 1988, including Mr. Heslin, Ms. McLaughlin, and Mr. Madden – I haven’t seen or spoken to them in years, but I think of them often, and always with a smile and deep, deep affection.”
John’s book may be purchased at amazon.com and bookstores everywhere.
Lakin Ducker ’86, Sallie Luck ’86, Ian Robb Patrick ’87 & Mariam Bahram ’87
Read a review of Killing Time at www.boston.com/ae/books/articles/2010/05/25/killing_time_chronicles_the_righting_of_a_ wrongful_conviction/
33