winter bridge 2010 by Severn School

Severn ALUMNI WEEKEND IS APRIL 30 - MAY 2, 2010

THE BRIDGE

For Severn School Alumni and Friends Winter 2010

vintage severn Teel Hall 1970â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Did boarding students have snow days?

winter 2010

departments

Around Campus

Got Robots? Joel Madden highlights his hands-on students

Dining Guide from Dr. Jackie Baugh’s creative writing epicureans

From the Archives by Brian Mark Weber

2009 Distinguished Alumnus, Rear Admiral Edward K. Walker ’50

Letters from Mr. Teel

Homecoming 2009

Alumni in the Arts

Severn Sports

Annapolis Alumni Reception

Class Notes

EDITOR The Bridge is published three times each year. We encourage all of our readers to respond with comments, suggestions and information. Please contact: SEVERN SCHOOL Pamala Heffner, Editor, The Bridge The Boone House 116 Maple Avenue Severna Park, MD 21146 p.heffner@severnschool.com 410-647-7701 ext. 2260 © 2010 SEVERN SCHOOL. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Severn School does not discriminate against any person in admission, employment, or otherwise because of race, creed, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or age. Severn School is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and approved by the Maryland State Board of Education. On the cover: (front to back) JV Football players, John Beckman ’12, Brett Bedard ’13, Eamonn Vain-Callahan ’12, Tommy Exarhakis ’12

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T H E B R IDGE

from the headmaster

In 2000, Harvard Professor Robert Putnam published his seminal work, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. Dr. Putnam’s premise is: we, as individuals, have become increasingly disconnected from family, friends, neighbors and our democratic structure. Using the statistic that the number of bowlers in the late 90’s increased, yet the number of bowling leagues decreased - hence bowling alone - he set the stage for a compelling, data-driven analysis of the disconnection and social isolation of today’s society. He argues that changes in work, family structure, age, suburban life, television, computers, and women’s roles among other factors are the root causes of this loss of connection between individuals, or what he terms “social capital.” Much like Putnam’s observations about bowling, schools today often stand alone as the sole source of community for a child. There was a time when the responsibility of building and providing community – a crucial ingredient for a child to grow into a confident, productive adult - was shared evenly between three institutions – families, religious institutions and schools. In recent years, however, families have become so over-scheduled and focused on personal pursuits they have little time for communal activities such as family meals or outings, and fewer and fewer families find time to or have the inclination to attend religious services. It is increasingly incumbent on schools, then, to provide a strong sense of community and connection for individuals. Independent schools, in particular, are designed to flourish as a source of community for students, parents, faculty, and alumni. But they, too, are facing threats that increasingly erode their effectiveness. Fueled by economic uncertainty and fear about the future, the world-wide, discordant climate has created a competitive, unsettled, anxious environment exacerbating the frequency and intensity of conflict. While we do our best here at Severn to make sure the troubles plaguing the culture at large do not effect how we act and relate to each other, we are, alas, a community made up of people who everyday interact with and react to broader communities. A decade removed from Putnam’s best seller, are we still “Bowling Alone”? Some will argue that technological advancements like instant messaging and blogs and e-communities like Facebook and Linkdin counterbalance the loss of connectedness in society. But do we really build relationships

or simply exchange information online? Without face-to-face personal connection, are we really building “social capital,” or are we just fooling ourselves into believing we are? Without genuine relationships there is no foundation for community and, therefore, nothing from which to pull strength to achieve goals and endure hard times. I would argue while the online world allows us to reconnect and rekindle the embers of past community connections, I find it difficult to fathom that the online world fills the vast void of disconnect created by the way we live today or alleviates the anxiety associated with the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Severn today is in some aspects very different from what it was twentyfive years ago, or fifty, and yet it is not different. It still is a constant interaction between young and old, between students and faculty, between student and student, adult and adult; an interaction between past and present; an interaction between community values and the values at large. These personal interactions are the connective tissue of a vast web of people; all who have had the unique, powerful experience of Severn School. It is this experience that is the foundation for the community from which we pull strength. Recently, I met with the reconstituted Executive Committee of our Alumni Association, and we discussed at length the use of technology to create connections between the School and its alums, between current students and alums, and between alums themselves. There is no doubt technology will help us reach out and reconnect, but as I think about the current generation of Severn students and the complex issues they will face in their lives, digital connections must be just a beginning. I ask you to reconnect with Severn in deeper, more meaningful ways. For Severn to remain a formative source of community for current and future generations, it will take more than electronic connections - particularly in a world where, over the past couple of decades, so many traditional sources of community have declined. Given what I know of the Severn community, I am confident it is up to the formative challenge of investing time and effort into strengthening Severn’s “social capital.” As always, let me know your thoughts. Send me an email, or better yet, come by the campus and reconnect. Go Admirals,

Doug Lagarde

“These personal interactions are the connective tissue of a vast web of people; all who have had the unique, powerful experience of Severn School. It is this experience that is the foundation for the community from which we pull strength.”

WI N TE R 2010

2009-2010 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Mrs. Pamela Hoehn-Saric, Chair Mr. John R. Soderlund, Vice Chair Mrs. Marjorie A. Corwin, Secretary Mr. Michael K. DeStefano ’84, Treasurer Mrs. Kimberly Corbin Aviles ’79 Mr. John S. Bremer Mrs. Carolyn D. Crawley Mr. Raymond J. Herman Mr. Donald R. Hug Mr. Gorton Parker (G.P.) Lindsay ’73 Mr. Christopher R. McCleary Mr. James A. Nolan ’62 Mrs. Margaret O’Connor Mr. Lee S. Owen Mr. Wilson H. Phipps ’74 Mr. Robert W. Rabbitt ’82 Mr. Robert L. Roth Mr. Steven R. Schuh ’78 Mrs. Mary Sentimore Mr. J. Adger Stokes. Jr., Immediate Past Chair Mr. Christopher A. Taylor ’71 Mr. William F. Utz Mrs. Pamela Drain Waltjen ’77 Mr. E. Marc Williamson ’80 Mrs. Nancy J. Wooddell Mrs. Liz Mann Carlin ’74, Asst. Secretary Mr. Terry Del Prete, Asst. Treasurer HONORARY TRUSTEES Mr. Thomas L. Carter ’53 Mr. H. Franklin Knipp, Jr. SEVERN SCHOOL ADMIRALS PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT Mrs. Sharon Blaszczak

MISSION Severn School challenges its students to pursue excellence in character, conduct and scholarship, to marshal the courage to lead, and to develop the lasting desire to serve and achieve. We believe this is best realized in a community where adults model these qualities and where each student is known and valued. DIVERSITY STATEMENT In support of the mission of Severn School, we seek to create and sustain a thriving, diverse community in which human differences are understood, respected, and seen as vital reflections of our larger society and world. As a community of learners, we value human diversity as a rich, living educational resource for fulfillment of our mission. Our diverse community includes (but is not limited to) the dimensions of gender, race, ethnicity, economic status, religion, physical ability, and sexual orientation.

from the chairman of the board As a community, we rightfully praise Severn School’s tangible and most visible assets such as its state-of-the-art facilities as well as its stellar faculty and administrators. Frequently, we overlook the equally important and enduring strength of the Severn community itself. This sense of community is built on a foundation of trust, respect, diversity, and tradition. As we enter a new decade and welcome new classes of students and parents, we will no doubt face new challenges and opportunities. While our buildings will ultimately deteriorate and teachers will retire, our sense of community will remain an ever-present support structure for our students. One of the countless ways the strength of the Severn community manifests itself is through the student’s support for one another regardless of the endeavor. In the classroom, students are valued, respected, and encouraged by their peers and their teachers without exception. Whether it is cheering for the lacrosse team in Battle Lax, the lawyers at the Mock Trial State Finals, or the actors in the spring musical, Severn students are all vocal champions for their peers. Spirit Week and Homecoming are the most visible expressions of the Severn community, which includes not only current students, but Severn alumni, parents, and teachers from decades past. More impressive than the wild class colors of Spirit Week are the true colors shown by the Severn community during times of hardship or adversity. Whether it is a classmate’s personal or academic struggle the community is quick to rally around and offer support and words of encouragement. This communal support makes possible Severn’s diverse student life, enriches the Severn experience, and reinforces the character of our students. Recently, Severn’s newly inducted Distinguished Alumnus Admiral Edward “Ted” Walker ’50 addressed the student body. He spoke of how Severn prepared him for his impressive career and of how he continues to enjoy the fruits of his Severn experience. While addressing valuable academics and extra-curricular activities, Admiral Walker emphasized that “it is as true today as it was when the school started in 1914, that many of the friendships you start here will grow and flourish and become more precious to you as the years pass.” Consistent with those words, six of Ted’s best friends, classmates from 60 years ago, were in attendance to support him when he received his award this fall. Since its founding, the school has evolved from a small, all-boys Naval Academy feeder school into a coeducational college prep school with nearly 600 students, diverse course work, and countless sports teams and extracurricular activities. Despite the dramatic changes that have and will continue to reshape the physical layout and makeup of the school, the Severn community is the ever-present culture that binds together our students, parents, faculty, and alumni. It is our responsibility as parents, teachers, alumni, and friends to ensure that the spirit of the Severn community endures, grows, and strengthens.

Pamela Hoehn-Saric 5

T H E B R IDGE

around Campus

The Once and Future English Department ...following “the Severn tradition [of ] rigor and invention” On November 19-24, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) held its annual convention in Philadelphia and over a third of the English teachers from Severn’s Upper School were there. This year’s exciting theme “Once and Future Classics: Reading between the Lines” held special appeal, since it had to do with finding new approaches to classic works of literature while focusing on the teaching of contemporary classics as well. It promised to be a celebration of both the traditional and the new in the area of English studies, something that seemed particularly relevant since Professor Tristan Davies from Johns Hopkins University, who visited the department last year as part of its self-study, wrote in his report that the English Department has been successful in following “the Severn tradition [of ] rigor and invention,” and went on to encourage its members to continue to “explore and experiment,” something the NCTE Conference clearly offered an opportunity to do. Severn’s contingent to the conference consisted of Julia Maxey, Upper School English Teacher & Technology Coordinator and a long-time participant in this yearly event;

Amy Pickering, Upper School English; Brian Weber, Upper School English; and Tom Worthington, Chair. All found the trip rewarding and there were several comments about the most interesting experiences. Brian Weber, for instance, described a session that “was designed to inspire educators to teach poetry to high school students from a more holistic approach by immersing them in the flow of the language, by encouraging them to break free from their preconceived notions about poetry, and by enabling them to experience poetry rather than merely reading words on a page.” Amy Pickering, too, attended a poetry session that was of particular value, one that had the interesting title of Drop a Mouse Into a Poem: Embracing Surprise in Reading and Writing Poetry. “This was my favorite! The presenters had a ton of energy, and I took away at least eight different activities I hope to try with the 9th and 10th graders.” While these poetry sessions were clearly a hit, Tom Worthington reported enjoying a very different kind of presentation, one concerned with the teaching of the Old English epic Beowulf. “Seeing how Star Wars movies and the works of Joseph Campbell can be used to help students un-

NCTE convention participants from the Upper School English department, Amy Pickering, Brian Weber, Tom Worthington and Julia Maxey 6

derstand the mythic characters and themes in Beowulf was definitely rewarding. I left the session with several handouts that relate not only to Beowulf, but to other mythic works of literature as well.” Everyone in the group came away from this experience energized by being in the company of so many inventive and dedicated teachers of English, and they are already entertaining dreams of attending next year’s conference in Chicago. The Philadelphia adventure is only the most recent example of the English Department’s peripatetic predilections and followed hard on the heels of the trip Dr. Jackie Baugh and Brian Weber made to the Association of Independent Maryland Schools’ (AIMS) fall Conference held at the Baltimore Convention Center in November, where they presented a session titled, “Tips for Teachers with Templates.” This contact with the broader community of English teachers, along with the recent NCTE trip, is part of the department’s long-term strategy to accomplish what Professor Davies considered the ultimate goal: “to continue to uphold the department’s tradition of clarity, communication and inventive thinking.”

JHU Excellence in Teaching award winning Professor Tristan Davies counseled the Upper School English department on curriculum development

Book or Nook? E readers and the changing face of Libraries DID YOU GET A KINDLE FOR CHRISTMAS? How would you feel about your child’s library being stocked with electronic readers? The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) printed the following article from the Worcester Business Journal in November ’09. Let us know your thoughts on this subject by mailing p.heffner@severnschool.com Stand and watch the circulation desk at Cushing Academy’s library in Ashburnham, MA and before long a student will come up and request to check out not a book, but a Kindle. About 68 of the electronic readers, which retail for about $250, are distributed throughout the campus after the school’s headmaster, James Tracy, invested about $100,000 in the library and technology budgets to embrace a digital future in education. “The students are going to electronic resources anyway; meanwhile we are warehousing books in these vast buildings at a tremendous overhead. The financials alone will drive schools to say, we can offer far more resources much more cheaply, and give students resources they will actually use.” As the e-book industry continues to grow, some educators see an opportunity for the technology in education. Others are not as enthused by the idea. “Will e-readers have an application in education? Absolutely,” said Michael Welch, headmaster at Saint John High School in Shrewsbury, MA. “Will a textbook ever lose its place in a classroom? I don’t think so.” Forrester Research Inc. estimates that already 2 million e-books have been sold in the United States so far. Another 1 million are expected to be purchased this holiday season alone. By the end of next year, there could be more than 10 million e-readers in the market. In the education industry specifically, companies have begun marketing e-textbooks to schools. “E-textbooks will be a killer application for our technology. We see these devices as allowing a student to take an entire library to class in their backpack,” said Sriram Peruvemba, Vice President of Marketing for E-Ink Corp, of Cambridge, which makes the screens most e-readers use.

Some private schools do not have e-readers circulating around campus, but have made a commitment to using digital textbooks. Worcester Academy’s middle school program, wherever possible, uses online textbooks as opposed to the traditional print textbooks. It costs about 75 percent less and gives students access to interactive material. “Plus, it means students don’t have to carry around heavy textbooks,” said Neil Isakson, Director of External Communications for the 6-12th grade boarding and day school in Worcester. “E-textbooks will be a killer application for our technology. We see these devices as allowing a student to take an entire library to class in their backpack.” Tracey Leger-Hornby is the assistant vice president for library services at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, the private college in Worcester. She’s excited about one day integrating electronic readers into the library. However, “... some of the e-readers do not have color screens and do not display graphs and charts as well as a printed book,” she said. One day she expects the price of the e-readers to decrease and the features they offer to increase, at which time the e-readers could make a good investment. “I just don’t think we’re quite there yet,” she said. Molly Ingram, Director of Communications for St. Mark’s School, a private boarding high school in Southborough, isn’t as convinced about the e-readers, such as Kindle, or Barnes and Noble’s new product, the Nook. Ingram values having students who are researching a term paper scouring through the stacks of a

library searching for the book that has the information they need. “How many times have you been in a library, looking at a shelf, and you take down 10 books, flip through them, read the jacket and the chapter headings until you find the one you need?” she said. “I can’t make those determinations based on a title and a description online.” Myra McGovern, director of public information for the National Association of Independent Schools, said private schools in the country are watching the e-book industry very closely. “Schools around the country are always looking for new ways to deliver curriculum, particularly in ways that appeal to and work for digital native students,” she said. As the technology continues to evolve she expects more schools to explore how e-readers can be integrated in their classrooms. But, she said the technology will supplement, not replace printed text. “I don’t think it’s ever going to be one or the other exclusively,” she said. “If you’re concerned about your carbon footprint, electronic books make a lot of sense: fewer trees cut down, less petroleum used to deliver heavy items, and less in the recycling bin. I think e-books for textbooks and non-fiction titles make perfect sense, but I don’t see them as a wholly satisfactory substitute for fiction or children’s books. I love taking a stack of paperback mysteries to the beach. And can you imagine reading Pat the Bunny or a Richard Scarry book on an electronic reader?“ Mary Coutts, Severn School Head Librarian

The Rise Of The E-Book . Cushing Academy leads the way in new tech adoption, but will anyone follow? By Brandon Butler, Worcester Business Journal, November 9, 2009, www.wbjournal.com/news44936html?Type=search 7

T H E B R IDGE

got robots? severn students are designing robots and the programs to make them work by joel madden, upper school science

This year, the Middle School and Upper School science departments introduced three new robotics programs. Middle School students now have the opportunity to choose Lego Robotics as one of their enrichment activities and in the Upper School there are two new robotics elective courses. These programs are designed to help prepare Severn students for the highly technical world in which they live. Robotics is becoming more and more a part of our lives. We now have robotic vacuum cleaners and lawn mowers available to remove some of the drudgery from our daily routines. Everything from automobiles to television sets are assembled by robots. In first class hospitals such as Johns Hopkins robotics is making its way into the operating room. There are two robotic vehicles on the surface of Mars right now gathering enormous amounts of data about the red planet. Severn knows that our students are keenly aware of all the technological innovations going on around them. Even if a student does not plan to make a career of robotics, he or she can still learn much about science and the applications of science by taking one of the electives. Severn got into robotics about twelve years ago when we teamed up with the Naval Academy and Broadneck High School to form a FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technol-

ogy, www.usfirst.org) team. FIRST is an organization that sponsors regional, national and even international robotic competitions. The robots built by FIRST teams are typically about the size of a grocery store shopping cart. One team usually builds only one robot since they are so complex and are quite expensive to build. During the years of our FIRST team we won one regional championship, came in as runner up another time and went to three national championships. Our trophies are on display in Teel Hall. It was a great experience for our students to work closely with and become friends with midshipmen. Moreover, our students really enjoyed building each year’s robot in one of the labs at Rickover Hall at the Naval Academy. They thought it was very cool that our lab number was 007. Unfortunately, because of budget cuts, the Naval Academy suspended funding for our FIRST team two years ago. For the past three years, Severn has offered two levels of robotics in its summer camp. Boys and girls age nine through twelve can participate in the Lego Robotics camp while boys and girls from 12 through 17 can participate in the VEX robotics camp. In both camps the students design, build, program and operate robots. This year Mr. Robert Kennedy, Middle School Science, started a robotics enrichment program in the Middle School. In this program,

Photo left, Carlos Jacome ’15, Doug Adams ’15, Robby Schuh ’15, and Jeff Carr ’15. Photo right, Connor Merryman ’14

WI N TE R 2010

participants learn much about robotics and programming using Lego robots. Fourteen students meet five times a week to design, build and operate robots and so far this year, all 14 students have successfully built several robots. They include the humanoid, the scorpion, the pitcher and batter, the robotic arm, and others. It is incredible to watch the student as they rapidly build these complicated pieces of machinery. This year the Upper School Science Department has introduced two new elective courses in robotics. For freshmen and sophomores we have Introductory Robotics. This course employs VEX Robotics design system, the VEX Robotics curriculum, Easy C programming language, and Autodesk Inventor - a CAD design program. In the course the students move through a 17 part curriculum in which they design, build, program and operate various robots. At each stage of the program, the students learn new physics concepts, new engineering concepts and new robot skills. This semester there are 14 students enrolled in the introductory course. Each of these students has built six different robots this semester. The students are presently working on robots of their own design. In the process they are learning much about mechanics, electricity and computer programming and their enthusiasm is contagious. I believe that this class has been the most fun I have had in 35 years of teaching. The Advanced Robotics course will be offered to juniors and seniors starting next semester. This course will employ the same VEX materials and curriculum used by the introductory course. However, much more emphasis will be place on using the Autodesk Inventor program to design robots and on using Easy C to program the robots to operate in autonomous mode. This will require the student to plan

what he or she wants the robot to do, write a program for this action, and download the program into the robot’s memory. Students in the advanced class will also learn to use various sensors to guide the robot through various challenges. Each year the First Lego League (FLL) sponsors regional and national competitions, in which Middle School students play games that are based on some practical uses of robots. One year the game featured ways robots could be used to aid people with handicaps. For Upper School students, VEX sponsors similar competitions using the VEX robots which are more complex than the Lego robots. VEX robots are much less expensive than FIRST robots, so many more students can be directly involved in the competitions. A Severn student can certainly contribute to the way in which robots impact our world! From left to right, Jason Utz ‘13, Emmett Nelson ’13, Connor Sheehan ‘13 and Teddy Porter ‘12 in the background

Photo left, Janai Hollinger ’13, Travis Cherry ’13, Coleman DeLude ’12 with their Robotic Tank. Photo right, Austin Wang ’13

Severna Park/Annapolis

Dining Guide 2010 JENO’S Severna Park’s Best Cheese Steaks Grant Ritter ’13

ALUMNI WEEKENDERS! OUT OF TOWNERS! NEED SOME HELP WHEN THE FAMILY ASKS, “WHAT’S FOR DINNER?” The creative writers in Dr. Jackie Baugh’s freshman English, entertain and enlighten us with restaurant reviews from five local eateries. Zagat’s got nothin’ on us! Mangia.

Because of the homey atmosphere, the excellent service and all around great food, Jeno’s in Severna Park, Maryland earns a rating of five huge stars. The employees cater to the customers at their every whim. They go out of their way to make the customers eating experience phenomenal. When the customers walk into the small, comfortable store, they are greeted kindly. After they pause to gape at the vast menu of delicious sounding sandwiches, the employees smile and ask for the order. As the customers order their food, the adroit chef is already preparing the mouth watering meat. While food is being prepared, one cannot help but read and look at all the pictures, signatures, and lacrosse gear filling the walls. These items are all donated to Jeno’s by their loyal customers. The restaurant really feels like a family kitchen. As the diners are pulled out of the trance the restaurant put on them, they are handed their steaming sandwiches. It draws people in from miles away and holds them there with its awesome food. The aroma arouses the senses. The sandwich is a whole other level of food. One of the most popular cheese steaks is call the Shubacca. It represents Maryland culture. It consists of layers of french fries, cheese sauce, steak, and Old Bay seasoning. The flavors work excellently together. It’s like an explosion in one’s mouth. All people return eventually. Jeno’s is not a place one would eat at only once. It is a very popular hang out site, due to its prime location between two schools. All of these factors play into the five-star rating. It is not just a given; the rating is earned by the food, atmosphere, and by the dedicated staff who work long hours to satisfy the hunger of the Severna Park customers.

THE DELICIOUIS DOUBLE T DINER Will Hupp ’13

The Double T Diner on West Street earns five stars for food, service and atmosphere. The diner is setup to look like an actual 40’s diner and has customers feeling like they’re back in time. The music played is the type that was played in the 40’s. All the servers are dressed like 40’s waiters and waitresses. The Double T serves a wide variety of food; from pancakes to scallops, that will make everyone in the family happy. With a menu that lets the customer create their own meals, few are disappointed. It also serves its entire menu 24 hours a day. An experienced chef cooks high quality yet reasonably priced food. If a customer wants something made a certain way, he or she will get it made the way he or she wants it. Customers will find the servers social, engaging, and amicable. The servers check on the customer constantly, refilling drinks, and bringing new silverware. The service is quick; once the order is taken, the food will be served within the next 10 minutes. The Double T Diner also has a wide selection of desserts beautifully displayed for the customer to see when they walk in. The Double T Diner has delicious and affordable food for the whole family in a fun, relaxed environment. 10

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CAFÉ BRETTON Ruby Gilmor ’13

Café Bretton in Severna Park receives three out of five stars for its overall atmosphere, food, and service. As the customer walks in there are simple decorations and marble statues that give a feeling as if he/ she is in a French bistro. The walls are painted a cream color and giant windows take over one side of the restaurant. Café Bretton seems very small from the outside, but in the inside it is very spacious and amicable. Arches separate two main dining rooms. Soft music such as Nor Jones plays in the background and the lights are dimmed. The ambience is very relaxed and cozy. After sitting down, the chef greets everyone at the table and describes the specials on the menu. The menu has tons of European style dishes. Dates, blue cheese, prosciutto ham topped with balsamic dressing is one gourmet appetizer. Another appetizer is fried green tomatoes served with a lump of crabmeat on top. All of the vegetables on the menu are grown and are picked from a garden behind the restaurant. While waiting for the food, a basket of hot, fresh bread and spicy olive tapenade is placed in the middle of the table. For desert there are many choices. Café Bretton is famous for its passion fruit and chocolate layer cake topped with fresh strawberries. The food is delicious but the service is a huge disappointment. 15 minutes elapsed before the appetizers arrived and a full 45 minutes until the main courses. After the food comes, customers are too hungry to fully appreciate all of the flavors. It is feasible that Café Bretton could receive five out of five stars for its excellent food, beautiful yet simple décor, and if the management could improve the service.

LEMONGRASS RESTAURANT Jack Hiltabidle ’13

Lemongrass restaurant in Annapolis receives five out of five stars for its excellent food, great service and lively atmosphere. The food that Lemongrass provides is both beautifully prepared and indeed a tasteful sensation. The dishes that the restaurant offers are always fresh, delicious, and do not disappoint. Whether the customer is in the mood for a thick and spicy chicken curry dish or wonderful, complementing fried rice, Lemongrass provides the quintessence of Thai food in the Annapolis area. The service is reliable with caring waiters and chefs. When the customer orders his or her food, the dishes come dashing out in about 10 to 15 minutes. Overall, the service, like the food, is exceptional. The atmosphere is another contributing factor to why the restaurant deserves its five star rating. When a customer walks into Lemongrass he or she is greeted by an amicable hostess

who takes the customer to his or her table. While sitting down the customer can hear the slight clatter in the kitchen and smell the aroma that is being produced. As the customer looks around, he or she sees a modern atmosphere with square tables, numerous plants, and candles. Overall the atmosphere provides a simple and modern style with the tastes of the finest Thai food. So when a customer walks into Lemongrass he or she knows that he or she is stepping into one of the best restaurants in Annapolis, for its outstanding food, service and atmosphere.

FUJI JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE Ben Priddy ’13

Fuji Japanese Steakhouse in Edgewater receives a five-star rating for its food, service, and atmosphere. Customers at Fuji Japanese Steakhouse order any combination of two of the following: chicken, shrimp, lobster, scallops or steak. Along with this main course come delicious vegetables, tasty noodles, and the “fan-favorite” fried rice. Customers salivate upon ordering this incredible fried rice, which is prepared to perfection and is by far the best food on the menu. No matter what customers order, it is always perfectly seasoned and well cooked. Get this: if a customer wants to be different, there is a whole other menu of just sushi! At Fuji, the wide variety of food is fantastic. Also worth noting is the incredible service at Fuji Japanese Steakhouse. Nothing is worse than slow service at a restaurant. At Fuji, the waiters and waitresses provide great, speedy service to all customers. As far as drinks go, a glass is never empty for more than a minute. Once a waiter or waitress spots it, they immediately refill the glass with the desired drink. Also, the chef rarely takes too long cooking the food, so customers never become impatient. The wonderful service helps create an even more enjoyable diner. The atmosphere at Fuji Japanese Steakhouse is perhaps its strongest asset. Upon entering the restaurant, the delicious scents of Japanese foods and spices greet the hungry customers. Once meals are ordered, the chefs come out with correct ingredients. They put on an incredible performance while cooking the food to perfection. The many tricks exhibited by the adroit chefs cause customers to gape in amazement. The most exciting part of the show is when the chefs try to toss extra bits of food into people’s mouths. The atmosphere at Fuji Japanese Steakhouse creates a truly enjoyable dinner. Fuji Japanese Steakhouse in Edgewater receives a five-star rating for its delicious food, great service, and fun atmosphere.

T H E B R IDGE

Community

If you were one of the lucky ones who attended Severn’s Homecoming in November, you will undoubtedly remember a drop dead gorgeous day, a huge crowd, a great rivalry, and an incredibly strong sense of community. And if you were one of the lucky to have been on campus the week prior to Homecoming day - spirit week - the sense of community was even stronger on ‘field day’, when classes competed with muscle and mouth, and on ‘twin day’, when students, faculty and staff mirrored one another - truly an exercise in humor, admiration, and unity. But our sense of community goes way beyond Homecoming festivities. It is evident throughout alumni weekend and at alumni receptions where distance does not keep friends from getting together and becoming a community yet one more time. It is evident at out Distinguished Alumni ceremony where great men and women celebrate each others’ successes. It is in the dining hall and classrooms and hallways and wherever students share common experiences. A school, after all, is a community of people with similar interests, values, and goals. So what is it about our community that makes us so special? Perhaps it is our 96 year history or the exceptional leaders Severn has launched - but perhaps it is the ideal that is written in our mission statement - “... in a community where adults model these qualities and where each student is known and valued.”

WI N TE R 2010

From the Archives by

On t h e p r e c i p i c e o f o u r c e n t e n n i a l , the Severn campus of today looks nothing like the campus of our school’s early days. New buildings dedicated by one generation have been razed by another as time weakens these temporary edifices. Yet, over the years the elements of character, conduct, and scholarship have moved like an electric current through recessions, world wars, economic booms, political unrest, and social change to enable Severn to remain true to its core foundational principles. Severn’s modern campus offers visitors and alumni a surface understanding of who we are, but to truly understand Severn one must look at its people. Some buildings like the “new” Teel Hall remind us on a daily basis of our boarding tradition while new structures such as the Edward St. ‘Although we would John Athletic Center and Creeden like to believe that our Hall serve as indications that we are physical campus will charging into a new century with always remain in its curthe resolve to keep our institution rent state, buildings are strong. As a modern skyscraper temporary. In this fact may reflect the financial prosperity we should not become of a country and to some extent is discouraged, for the a product of a vibrant and healthy core of our community society, it does not offer insight is built upon principles into the hearts and minds of its which have stood the people. When alumni return to test of time.’ Severn they often walk around our campus and to the casual observer appear to be looking at our modern, state-of-the-art buildings. And in fact, alumni are impressed when they return to recognize that the physical components of our school are better than ever before. Yet, we cannot limit our understanding of Severn solely by the externals, for the spirit and power of a thriving academic community is truly realized from within. I have often approached an alumnus who appeared to be awed by the architecture or style of one of our newest buildings only to discover that while we were both looking in the same direction, he was looking upon a different time and seeing the campus as it was then, not as it is now. Likewise, many of our graduates see Severn as it was in 1950, 1968, or 1980, not as we view it today. One may suppose that this reflects a disdain for contemporary structures, but what this actually reflects is a powerful connection we have to the people and experiences in our lives. Severn graduates do not ruminate upon their days as students with remorse for lost buildings. In fact, many are quick to remember the creaky floors and leaky roofs of this building or that. Instead, their connection is to the teachers, coaches, and friends who inhabited the buildings and

Brian Mark Weber

who made a difference in their lives. The graduates of 2010 will not return in fifty years to share stories about the physical plant. What will draw them back are the memories of good friends, dedicated and caring teachers, and inspirational coaches. Teel Hall may be a distant memory by then, and the athletic complex may be showing its age, but the relationships between our alumni and people in the Severn community will remain indestructible. Although we would like to believe that our physical campus will always remain in its current state, buildings are temporary. In this fact we should not become discouraged, for the core of our community is built upon principles which have stood the test of time. No building which stands on our grounds today will likely be here in the twenty-second century, but reconnecting to the values upon which our school was founded will ensure that the spirit of the Severn community remains intact for generations to come.

Memorial Gymnasium 1963

Edward St. John Athletic Center 2007

T H E B R IDGE

istinguished Alumus 2009

Rear Admiral Edward K. Walker ’50 joins the ranks of outstanding alumni who have received The Rolland M. Teel Distinguished Alumni Award Our congratulations to Rear Admiral Edward K. Walker ’50 on receiving the The Rolland M. Teel Distinguished Alumni Award at an all school assembly on November 13. Admiral Walker was born in Annapolis in 1933. As the son of a naval officer, he grew up in a variety of locales worldwide and was living in Hawaii during the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He graduated from Severn School in 1950 and the USNA in 1954. During the next 30 years he was deployed on a variety of warships and submarines including the USS NEW JERSEY and the destroyer USS WREN. From 1957 until 1964 he served at Naval stations in Norfolk, VA, Newport RI, Rodman, Panama Canal Zone. In his next tour he commissioned the second Polaris submarine squadron SUBRON SIXTEEN and deployed with it to Rota, Spain, to establish the first US strategic missile presence on the European continent and in the Mediterranean. Upon leaving Spain he attended the Armed Forces Staff College and was assigned as a joint strategic operations plans officer in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. Rear Admiral Edward K. Walker ’50 & Headmaster Lagarde

Following several cold war submarine tours, he returned to Washington, DC, where he served as the attack submarine programs and budget officer in the office of the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations. He also served as submarine warfare and force supply officer on the staff of the Commander Submarine Force, US Atlantic Fleet. In 1980 he assumed command of the Naval Supply Center in Puget Sound, WA. He was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral in July 1981 and served in Norfolk as assistant chief of staff for logistics readiness and fleet supply officer for the Commander in Chief, US Atlantic Fleet. In 1983 he assumed duties as assistant comptroller of the Navy for Financial Management Systems and Commander Navy Accounting and Financial Center. In March, 1984 he was named commander naval supply systems command and 35th chief of supply corps. Upon his retirement from the Navy in 1988 with the Distinguished Service Medal, RADM Walker became vice president for Administration and Corporate Strategy for Resource Consultants Inc (RCI) a worldwide government services contractor. He retired from that position in 2000. RADM Walker remains active and serves in a wide variety of endeavors including chairman Vinson Hall Corporation, president and CEO of the United States Navy Memorial Foundation, vice president of the board of directors of Herley Industries of Lancaster PA, and member of the Board of Visitors at Elon University. He is a life member of the Naval Academy Alumni Association - Submarine League, Military Officers Association and Surface Warfare Association. RADM Walker is a widower having lost his wife, Carol Ann, of 48 years in 2002. He resides in the family home in

WI N TE R 2010

The Rolland M. Teel Distinguished Alumni Award was created by the Severn School Alumni Association to distinguish those Severn graduates who make significant and meaningful contributions to society. Itrecognizesthosealumniwhohavedemonstratedoutstandingservicetohumanity,servicetocommunity, professionalachievementand/orservicetoSevernSchool. JointlysponsoredbytheBoardofTrusteesandtheSevern School Alumni Association, this is the highest honor the School can bestow. 1985 RADM Herbert E. Schonland ‘20 RADM Bruce McCandless ‘28 1986 Roger Ahlbrand t ‘30 Lt. Gen Henry W. Buse Jr . ‘30 1987 Charles R. Zimmerman ‘25 Paul Hobbs Massey ‘67 1988 John Drew Betz ‘37 1989 LCDR Lance E. Massey ‘26 RADM Richard R. Pratt ‘32

1990 Thomas J. Peters ‘60 1991 Stephens F. Millard ‘51 1992 Bruce S. Old ‘30 1994 CDR Robert B. Pirie Jr. ‘50 1995 ADM James R. Hogg ‘52 1996 CDR Edwin Malloy Jr. ‘36 1997 CAPT Slade D. Cutter ‘31 William H. G. FitzGerald ‘27

1998 2005 John K. Hopkins ‘63 Joseph Caleb Deschanel ’62 1999 2006 Frederick D. Hunt ‘30 Gary Koch ’71 2000 2007 Charles F. Lynch ‘44 Anne ‘Sandy’ Barbour ’77 2001 2008 Lt. Gen. W. H. Sterling Wright ‘26 Major General Kenneth W. Weir Alester G. Furman III ‘35 USMCR ’48 (Ret) 2002 2009 Nicholas Goldsborough ‘52 RADM Edward K. Walker ’50 (Ret) 2003 The Honorable Richard D. Bennett ‘65 2004 Bruce A. Hawtin ‘54

Admiral Walker & friends. From L to R: Jim Healy ’50, Jack Jones ’49, Buzz Hall ’47, Bill Hargrave ’50, Nick Goldsborough ’52, Ted Walker ’50 and Headmaster Doug Lagarde

The Bridge contributing writer, Dave Myers, sent this photo from the Toys for Tots campaign at the offices of the Navy Memorial Foundation, of which Admiral Walker is the president and CEO. Included in this photo is the staff of the Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program, Dave Myers far right and Admiral Walker in the background, left.

letters

from Mr Tee .

Founder’s Day, our special nod to Severn founder Rolland M. Teel, was celebrated on November 13 duringtheDistinguishedAlumnusceremonyforAdmiralTedWalker. HeadmasterDougLagardepreparedpassagesfromFaculty Emeritus Robert Gray’s 1970 interview with Mr. Teel that Middle and Upper School students read to the audience. The Bridge proudly shares these selected passages with special thanks to Bob Gray and Doug Lagarde.

My wife had a little bit of money and I had

a little bit of money and we pooled it together and we started this school. We looked at several places and locations and we decided on this one because here was just what was necessary; a railroad station, a post office, a freight office, telephone exchange, and a couple of grocery stores. So, I bought this place where we are now. And here is the part I can never quite understand. I borrowed a little cash to start with. My brother who was in business in New York took me to a hotel and restaurant supply house from which I bought a load of kitchen equipment, dishes, etc. on an open account. And in those days there was no such thing as installment buying. They gave me full credit for them. We got mattresses and pillows from Schuster & Company in Baltimore. I bought some beds and bedroom furniture from Stuart & Company Department Store in Baltimore, and I bought some classroom chairs and classroom equipment from a firm

in Baltimore. Two banks in Annapolis loaned me quite a sum of money. And I had no security except my life insurance policy which I had taken out while I was a boy. And I look back up on that as utterly astounding – how people would trust me to that extent. Today the banks would not be allowed to do that. Now why in the world those people were willing to trust me that far, I just can’t understand.

We started out with about two or three students. Mr. Hawkins had gone in with me from the very beginning and we worked this whole thing out together from the educational standpoint. And what a wonderful loyal person he was. He was a jewel beyond words. For the first year we ran the whole thing ourselves as far as the teaching was concerned. He taught the English and history and I taught most of the mathematics, and I handled the correspondence myself. There wasn’t an awful lot of it at that time.

“One woman in Massachusetts sent us money orders for the payment of the tuition and they were all most helpful, but I wasn’t going to accept the jewels she offered me. ” He was mentally lazy and physically timid. You couldn’t get him to do anything on the athletic field. When he was ready to go to college he had a good mind and I had great confidence in the boy. He wanted to study marine architecture and at the time I knew of only two institutions in this country that had good courses in that field. They were MIT and University of Michigan. I talked it over with his mother and father, he came from a fairly well to do family. I said I wouldn’t send his credentials to either place until he completed two years at VMI. I admit it was a little cruel because at that time VMI had a nationwide reputation for having the worst hazing among all the colleges in the country. I thought the boy needed something like that.

One of the chief sources of success at this school was the deep interest that the individual instructors had in the individual boys. We emphasized that in our catalogue and in our letters to families. There were rare exception, though. There was an instructor who had a fine personality. He had a fine educational background. He was a good teacher, but still the boys hated him. If he gave a boy one demerit the boys would throw a fit. Mr. Halsted would give them five or 10 and they would take it with a smile. I just couldn’t understand it. We had an awfully good student council at the time and I talked it over with the chairman of the student council. I said, “Bob, why is it that you boys get so angry at Mr. X?” “We ... Mr. Teel, we just don’t like that guy.” “Well, tell me why. He’s a good teacher isn’t he?” “Yes.” “He knows his stuff doesn’t he?” “Yes.” “But why don’t you like him?” “Well, we’ve talked about it among ourselves and we think that the guy is not interested in us at all. He is only interested in himself.”

October 1929 I got my first inclination that something was wrong when the vicepresident of the Penn. Railroad came into my office at five o’clock in the afternoon and handed me $500.00 in cash and said this may come in handy. He wheeled and went out of the door like a shot. The next morning the banks were all closed. That $500 came in mighty handy to pay some of the help around here. Some of the banks continued

to cash treasury checks sent by the parents of navy and army juniors here, and that helped out. The bank in Annapolis let us draw enough money to let us meet our payrole for the low paid employees around the place. One woman in Massachusetts sent us money orders for the payment of the tuition and they were all most helpful, but I wasn’t going to accept the jewels she offered me. That would have been all wrong. We got by, we got by. It was a ticklish time, I’ll assure you, but we weathered it. We had grand cooperation from the parents, good cooperation from one bank in Annapolis. We got by.

Evening Capital Monday, May 23, 1955 Mr. Teel sees some differences in boys today as compared with those at the time he opened the School: “They’re not so willing to do things for themselves. They want too much given to them,” he stated. The retiring headmaster feels that the automobile is the chief thing in the breakdown of discipline, believing that with the automobile goes a freedom in which the boys are out all hours and become disturbed psychologically. “They’re not ready for serious school study,” he observed. On the other hand, Teel feels the boys have broader interests and broader opportunities than they did 40 years ago.

You have worked well, you have played well, you have shown a fine sense of obligation and honor. These are the qualities that bring advancement, health and happiness, and real friends, all of which are essential in building up a successful and happy life. It is our earnest hope that the years at Severn have brought the firm conviction that one cannot get something for nothing; that what is worth having is worth working for; that freedom to be maintained must be cherished and its price paid; that things of lasting value carry a high price tag; and that material rewards are not the only ones worth striving for. While we are sorry to see you go, we are happy in your success and that you are on your way to greater efforts and greater responsibilities. We have enjoyed the privilege of knowing you and of working with you; we shall follow your future with deep interest, and shall look forward to seeing you.”

homecoming 2009

Trey ’08 and Jamie ’11 Mullady Lynne and Tom Foard ’78 with son Drew ’10 Cece Lasley ’16

From the Class of ’09: Evalyse Limon, Drew Farrell, Max Babcock, Sean Sheehy and Taylor Stout

Vicky Norton Kreiner ’86 with her brother and chef extraordinaire, John Norton ’72, and her children Hannah and Michael

From the Class of ’10: Carly Trainor, Olivia Nelson and Claire Rosen Mary Helen Waltjen ’07 and Chase Strom ’10 18

Zee Burton, mom of Marc Burton ’12

Lisa Crawford, mom of football player Brett ’10 Molly Moore Green ’83 and daughter Ella ’17 < Chili champs Madeleine and Andrew Bowden (Grace ’13 & Drew ’15)

The family of Garry Jenkins’ ’80, Chili CookOff Honoree (L to R), Garry’s parents, Wilfred ’58 and Carol Azar, son Travis ’04, his wife Ginger Steele Jenkins ’81 and his daughter Chelsea ’10

< James Duncan ’91 with daughter Addison, Drew Bauer ’91 with son Tref, Dudley Dixon ’93 and Tim Donegan ’91

The Powder Puff Gang, Class of 2011

Athletic Hall of Famer, Zach Wade ’92 with sons Haden & Jack and Andrew Greely, Upper School English and Admissions, with daughter Maggie 19

Alumni in Arts by Natalie Mardirossian ’12 In a continuing series, Severn sophomore Natalie Mardirossian ’12 will update Bridge readers on our alumni artists. In this issue we will look at the work of Arthur Egeli ’82, Kathryn Shepherd Leonard ’86 and Allison Prouty ’95. Severn has shared in the development of many fine artists and we hope to visit all of them but please let us know of anyone we regrettably may have missed. Do you know where your classmates have gone or what they have become and accomplished? Some will recognize the names Allison Prouty, Kathryn Shepherd Leonard, and Arthur Egeli - three alums who have done spectacular things and are sure to impress.

Arthur Egeli ’82 Arthur Egeli, Class of ’82 credits Severn with giving him work and study habits that he still uses today.  He tells The Bridge, “Severn developed in me a sense of who I am as an American in a historical and in a moral sense… by the time I was a senior at Severn, I was beginning to sense what my own place would be in the world and my teachers instilled in me the confidence to pursue it.” Arthur was born into a family of artists and painters which include his grandfather, grandmother, parents and sisters. Arthur’s parents guided and taught him the craft of painting and the business of surviving as a painter which they told him might be tough at first. He notes that through his twenties and early thirties work was tough to find, but in his midthirties collectors began to notice his work. He now has a seasonal gallery in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where he showcases his work along with the work of eight other artists. Arthur shared his amazing perspective on what it is like to paint a portrait: when starting the process of painting a portrait, he only has a little time with the subject

and with that given time he has to discover the best features of the said person and then he has to figure out how to magnify those features in his artwork. Arthur mentions that the oil portrait has to honor not only the subject but the artist as well. He says that it is his job to make a work of art equal to the subject’s achievements and that “a portrait should not only tell us about the subject, but also tells us something about humanity in general.” You may recognize the portrait of former Headmaster Bill Creeden hanging in Creeden Hall. This portrait was painted by Mr. Egeli, and he says, “Bill exemplifies the man who had challenges and overcame them - professional football player to headmaster and a gentle and caring role model for students. He had a vision of what Severn could be and he gently made others see it and support it.” To see more of Arthur’s work please visit www.arthuregeli.com.

Right, Arthur Egeli’s portrait of former headmaster, Bill Creeden.

Left, three generations of artists, (from left) Arthur Egeli ’82, his grandfather Bjorn Egeli, and his father Cedric Egeli at Maryland Hall,1984. Bottom Right, Arthur at work.

Kathryn Shepherd Leonard ’86

Allison Prouty ’95

Kathryn Shepherd Leonard graduated from Severn in 1986 being well prepared for college and a future she thought would mainly include poetry. Her favorite teachers while at Severn were Mr. Madden, Mr. Bodley, Mr. Woods, and Mr. Sassi. She notes the great sense of community she shared with her peers while at Severn saying that she is still in touch with almost all of her old friends and loves hanging out with them. Kathryn also mentioned how much Severn has changed. She said that when she went back to speak at the School on Career Day a couple of years ago, she had to have a student guide her around because she was not familiar with the new and updated buildings. Her only regret was not having sufficient computer and business management skills that may have helped her later on. After attending Severn, Kathryn went on to receive a B.A. in French and Studio Arts from Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia, not really thinking she would become an artist until “I started thinking in pictures rather than in words.” She then packed Kathryn Leonard her bags and headand her art ed to France where she was taught by Bernard Phreim, a renowned New York painter at the Lacoste School of Arts in Lacoste, France. She touched on how hard it was getting used to her new surroundings, even though she knew French very well. Kathryn has recently relocated to Key West, Florida ,and mainly paints maritime paintings, and the architectural structures in the streets of Key West. Her work has been displayed at The Stone Soup Gallery, The Kennedy Gallery, and The Fleming Street Gallery. She also illustrated the children’s book Adventures of Bandit & Hanchi, and has started to write a book of her own. If you would like to learn more about Ms. Shepherd or view her work, visit her website at www.kathrynleonard.com. Kathryn Shepherd Leonard has accomplished much in her life and whatever she does next, the Severn community will be watching closely.

Allison Prouty graduated from Severn in 1995 and attended Skidmore College where she double majored in theatre and women’s studies. Allison tells The Bridge, (that while at Severn) ... “I was lucky enough to be a student of Mr. Robert and Mrs. Susan Gray. I thank the Grays for instilling the love of a good story through their passion and dedication to history.” In fact, it was Mrs. Gray that taught Allison her first women’s studies course. Allison now dedicates her life to the theatre as a producer specializing in new play development, festivals and special events. During the past ten years she has been a part of a wide range of different ventures including being the associate producer at Women’s Project from 2007 to 2009, which is the oldest and biggest women’s theater in the nation, being guest director at the 7th Annual Martha’s Vineyard Independent Film Festival, and the executive producer for the play Throat, which premiered in New York City and toured to Washington, D.C., McAllen, Texas and Minneapolis, Minnesota. During the past five years Allison has also been the associate artistic director for the Global Movement to End Violence against Women and Girls called V-Day which was founded by Eve Ensler the writer of The Vagina Monologues. She has produced events that have played in places such as The Apollo, Hammerstein Ballroom, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, The Brooklyn Museum and Studio 54. She has worked with many theatre companies including Hangar Theatre, Stillpoint Productions, Hartford Stage Company, Icarus Theater Ensemble, O’Connor Casting in Chicago, Williamstown Theater Festival and Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Allison is also the founder and president of Second Bolt Management and Consulting, a firm dedicated to business development for artists and organizations. Allison obviously loves helping women and girls with her amazing talents in the theatre department. She is a great example of a woman who has a mission in life and is taking remarkable steps to realize that mission.

Allison Prouty

ern sports severn sports severn sports Boy’s Varsity Soccer Coach Larry Snyder Cross Country Coach Richard Zmuda What an extraordinary season it was for Cross Country this year. As a team they ran the 13-mile Baltimore Half Marathon and they made it look effortless. And give immense credit to Claire Rosen ’10, who completed the full 26-mile marathon that same morning! The result was a season that was not only measured in wins and losses, but in some incredibly hard work and lifelong memories. For the boys, the actual season was especially rewarding. After a 1-4 start, and a mid-season meet where we lost 3 dual races in a single day due to half the team being out with the flu, they finished up with a 1416 overall mark. And the girls, finishing with a remarkable 34-4 dual meet record, second best in the 16-team conference. A simply awesome achievement. The Most Valuable Player Award, chosen by the team, went to Louis Rosson ’10 who was the clear leader of the team, not only in terms of athletic ability but also in terms of enthusiasm. The Coach’s Award went to Matt Avallone ’11 who quietly worked like crazy during every practice. His positive, driven attitude was infectious and it led all of the other runners to work that much harder. For the girls, the Most Valuable Player Award went to Kendall Farnham ’10 who clearly defines excellence, hard work and drive and who also won the individual B conference championship for the second year in a row! The Coach’s Award went to Mattie Crow ’10 who truly embodied the spirit of the team. Every year she has been one of our top runners – and she has done so for all four years of her high school career. From Coach Pickering and myself, thank you to all of you for an absolutely awesome season. -

The Severn boy’s varsity soccer team ended the 2009 season with an overall record of 4-12-2 and an MIAA league record of 3-91.  Unfortunately, the team came up short of making the playoffs, but was very competitive in every game, with most games going right down to the wire.  We started our MIAA conference schedule on the road against defending league champion Boys’ Latin.  It was the usual tough, well-played game against BL, but we were on the losing end, 1-0.  We then got a very big conference win on the road, 2-1 against Glenelg, when Nick Stringfellow ’11 put in the game winner one minute into overtime.  After losing on the road to St. Paul’s, we finally got back

Ben Stringfellow ’11

home and received an excellent performance from everyone, beating Cardinal Gibbons 1-0.  Chase Strom ’10 scored early in the game on a nice assist from Greg Herman ’10.  We then went through an extremely tough stretch and just could not find the net or get the right bounce, losing a number of hard-fought one goal games and adding in a couple of ties.  We finally got back in the win column in our next to last game of the

season, beating Pallotti on the road 3-2 and knocking them out of the playoff picture.  Joe Kotler ’12 was the star this day, having 2 goals and an assist.  Captain Daniel Farley ’10 manned the goal almost the entire season, as he kept us in most games with his fine play and was named team MVP.  Captain Chase Strom led our strikers and team captain Colin Rainey ’11 led our midfield.  Kyle Moran ’12, Alex Cramer ’10, Bennett Heussler ’11, Mark Cohen ’12, Andrew Igler ’11 and Ben Stringfellow all played very well as our back-line defenders.      Varsity Football Coach Troy Wilson Although the Varsity football team did not achieve as much success as they would have liked this year, there were still many positives that came out of the season. Many young players had the chance to gain valuable experience and step into key roles. Kyle McGovern ’10 was atop the county leaders in passing and Dean Marchitelli ’10 dominated the tackle category for the second straight year. Over the course of the season the Admirals had to overcome a lot of adversity, including injuries and the swine flu, which limited the amount of available players during practices and games. The players still came out to practice every single week with a tremendous amount of intensity and toughness. Captains Matt Treuth ’10 and Alex Adams ’10 are optimistic that the talented underclassmen will make up a very competitive and successful Varsity football team next year. Varsity Tennis Coach Cathy Officer The Varsity Tennis team finished the season tied for fourth place with Garrison Forest in the IAAM A Division. The overall record was 3-7 for league play. Highlights included Macy Walker ’10 and Allie Foard ’12 being named to the IAAM All Conference team for playing first doubles. In the individual tournament, the 2nd doubles team of Jordan Hurelbaus ’10 and Lillian Cartwright ’10

s severn sports severn sports severn sp lost in the finals of the second doubles flight to league champions Roland Park. The third doubles team of Meg Gesner ’13 and Mallory Orr ’10 made it to the semi finals before losing 7-6 in the third set to the seeded team of Roland Park. The Players Award went to Macy Walker who finished with a 6-6 record at first doubles. The Coaches Award went to Jordan Hurelbaus who played second doubles. Both Macy and Jordan served as co-captains of the team. Thirty-one girls participated in the tennis program this fall for Severn. Five seniors will graduate from the top eight but the future looks bright with dedicated talent coming up from the JV.

ever, after the halfway point the girls got things going winning 7 straight. The Lady Admirals were 3rd in the conference as the playoffs started. Unfortunately, the Admirals came up short losing to the eventual champions Bryn Mawr 2-0 in the semi finals. We look forward to a great season next year as we have a very young team. Congratulations to Jordy Bathras ’10 on receiving the Players Award and Mackenzie Carroll ’10, recipient of the Coaches Award. Varsity Field Hockey Coach Jessica Burke ’96

Catie Kinlein ’10

Girl’s Varsity Soccer Coach Adam Ritchie

Jamie Mullady ’11

The girl’s varsity soccer team started off the season playing one of the toughest schedules they have ever played. After many close games to the top 10 teams in the state, including a 1-0 loss to Severna Park and a 10 in over time to Spalding (which was was ranked #1 in the country at the time), the Admirals fell to 1-7 to start the season. How-

Finishing with an overall 10-11 record, the Varsity Field Hockey team started off their season with a thrilling win over neighborhood rival Severna Park. Eleven returning varsity players were joined by eight newcomers to make up the 2009 squad. Led by team captains Bridget Brown ’10, Avery Burns ’10 and Caroline Code ’11, the team consistently worked hard day in and day out and their consistent hard work produced great things both on and off the field. Leading the team this season in points was Avery Burns who finished with 9 goals and 6 assists. Following close behind was sophomore Liza Bart Dolan ’12 who finished with 7 goals and 2 assists. Goalkeeper Catie Kinlein ’10 finished with an impressive 87.9 save percentage. The Hodges Award went to Avery Burns and the Players Award went to defender Sydney Halle ’10. Several players including seniors Avery Burns, Sydney Halle, Catie Kinlein and Liza Bart Dolan were also recognized with numerous post season honors. Each and every member of the 2009 Varsity Field Hockey team contributed to the season in some manner; and while the five seniors the team is losing will be difficult to replace, the 14 returners are certainly strong and ready for the challenges of the ’10 season.

alumni sports by dave myers On the soccer pitch, Mauricio Simms ’07 saw action in four games for 11-7 Davidson. Sander Beck ’08 is expected to be in Maryland’s starting rotation. Sander was coming off a great summer in the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League where he pitched a team high 40.3 innings for the Youse Orioles, while going 6-1 with 28 strikeouts and a 1.56 ERA. These stats earned the big right-hander co-hononrs as the league’s most outstanding pitcher. On the waves, Joe Morris ’08 contributions to Yale sailing continue to grow under full sail. Autumn highlights included a win at the Schell Trophy regatta at MIT in November and a third in the A Division at the Hood Trophy competition. The Bulldogs, ranked number one in the nation during the Fall, closed the season with a 4th at the Atlantic Coast Championships, with Joe and crewmate grabbing a second place finish in the B Division. On the gridiron, Jon Gren ’09, quickly made a mark as the number two receiver for the Bowdoin College. In seven games for the 3-5 Polar Bears, Jon caught 46 passes for 345 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 7.5 yards per catch with a longest of 41 yards. At MIT basketball, Ben Montgomery ’09 has averaged 18 minutes and 2.5 points for the 121 Engineers. Caroline Burns ’09 has already been a contributor in the pool for the James Madison University swim squad. The highlights of Caroline’s efforts during the first semester of her collegiate career were wins in the 100 and 200 backstroke events against Radford in November. Kate Dickerson ’09 has seen action in five basketball games for Emery University which is off to a 6-4 start.

Mark Staines ’08 and Alex Jones ’09 24

alumni athletes to watch

lacrosse Brown University Alex Jones ‘09 Cornell University Kristen Reese ’06 Dartmouth University Garrett Nicholson ‘06 Denison Matt Verklin ‘08 Nick Verklin ‘09 University of Denver Becca Steinberg ‘08 University of Delaware Nick Elsmo ‘07 Taylor Burns ‘08 University of Florida Lindsay Higham ‘09 George Washington Univ. Emmy Aras ‘09 Hamilton College Brad Kennedy ‘09 College of the Holy Cross David Henry ‘08 Johns Hopkins University Brett Bathras ’06 Erin Russell ’06 Monica D’Ambrogi ‘08 Lynchburg College Chase Loetz ‘07 University of Maryland Brian Phipps ’06 UMBC Adam Cohen ‘09 The Ohio State Univ. Stewart D’Ambrogi ‘09 University of Oregon Kristina Barrett ‘08 US Air Force Academy Woodruff Johnson ‘07 US Merchant Marine Academy Sean Sheehy ‘09 USNA Maggie Morton ’06

Penn State Universitry Kevin Etter ’06 Kelsey Hughes ‘09 Suzanne Isidor ‘91, women’s head lax coach Randolph-Macon College Van Eney ‘09 Roanoke College Brooks Laufman ’06 Sunni Ray ’06 St. Mary’s College Dennis Rosson ‘07 John Collinson ’07 University of North Carolina Mark Staines ‘08 Stevie Kirkup ‘09 Stanford University Elizabeth Adam ‘09 Yale Caroline Crow ‘08 Vanderbilt Anastasia Adam ’06 Allie Frank ’06 Alex Priddy ‘08 University of Vermont Alex Plavner ‘08 Villanova University Shannon Lane ‘09 University of Virginia Lauren Benner ’06 Josie Owen ‘08 basketball Emory University Katie Dickerson ‘09 Franklin & Marshall Faith Meisenburg ’06 MIT Ben Montgomery ‘09 Randolph-Macon College Taylor Weiczorek ‘08 Washington & Lee Univ. Will Smith ‘08 baseball University of Maryland Sander Beck ‘08

cross country Colgate Emily Oliver ’06 field hockey The Ohio State Univ. Keri Houser ‘06 St. Mary’s College Ryan O’Malley ‘07 football Bowdoin College Jon Gren ‘09 Noah Pyles ‘09 Hamilton College Brad Kennedy ’09 Salisbury State Univ. Zach Holbrook ‘07 University of Virginia Brendan Lane ’06 golf Tulane University Sage Roth ‘08 gymnastics Auburn University Toi Garcia ‘09 sailing College of Charleston Alex Bertrand ‘08 Katie Weaver ‘06 Connecticut College Brendan Heussler ‘08 Georgetown Evan Aras ‘07 Roger Williams College Dave Schellie ‘09 St. Mary’s College of Maryland Sara Morgan Watters ’06 Yale Joe Morris ‘08 soccer Davidson College Maricio Simms ‘07 Lynchburg College Christina Tran ‘08 swimming James Madison University Caroline Burns ‘09

From the Class of ’09 (L to R) Brad Kennedy, John Gren and Noah Pyles

WI N TE R 2010

annapolis alumni reception

Bobby DeStefano ’74, Wilson Phipps ‘74, & Alumni Director Denise Tray Rosson ‘78

Headmaster Doug Lagarde, our host Admiral Ted Walker ‘50, & Pat Grimm ‘04

Christina Lindsay, Susan Kiehne & Stacey Hendricks Manis ’81

^ Doug Lagarde,

Ann Wallace Riefe ‘76 & Geoff Riefe ‘73 Señora Claudia McLaughlin and Jamie McNealey ‘87

Sara Tabasi Toomey ‘86, Athletic Director Julian Domenech ‘84, Kristin Quirk Clevenger ’86 & Erin Domenech

Lindsey Bowers ’01, Will Simmons ’01 & guest

Alumni parent and former Board Chair Adger Stokes, Mark Carroll ‘83, Holly Carroll, & Molly Green ‘83 25

Alumni Weekend April 30 - May 2, 2010 we are hard at work on the 2010 reunion! If you graduated in a year ending with a 5 or 0 this is a milestone reunion year. We have full slate of fun-filled gatherings planned just for you! We need volunteers to round up the troops to reunite here at Severn. If you are interested in helping out please contact Denise Tray Rosson `78, d.rosson@severnschool.com

Athletic Hall of Fame Ceremony - 1:30 p.m, Edward St. John Athletic Center Boys Varsity Lacrosse vs Loyola Blakefield, Lynch Field Girls Varsity Lacrosse vs Seton Keough, Varsity Girls Field

saturday, may 1 Alumni Lax Game - 10:30 am, Lynch Field Alumni Picnic - Noon to 3:30, Boone House Lawn Alumni Reunion Class Dinners - 7 to 10 p.m, Edward St. John Athletic Center

sunday, may 2 Kesmodel-Lindsay Brunch - 10:30 am, Creeden Commons (for members of the Class of 1970 and back)

reunion chairs 1950 - John Giddings - jgiddings@gmacresc.com Bill Hargrave - lump54@gmail.com 1965 - Sandy Clark - sandyclark@yahoo.com 1970 - Jeff Shields - jeffonturkeypointisland@comcast.net 1980 - Megan Mylander Hanson - eahanson5@verizon.net 1985 - Wendy Ratchford Rhoe - wendyrhoe@comcast.net Jessica Hay McCarthy - jmwindy@aol.com 1990 - Margot Mohsberg - mmohsber@aba.com Becky Reid Qualey - rqualey1@jhmi.edu 1995 -

Allison Clark Collins - chefallison@hotmail.com Darcy Watt Gurganous - drwatt21@hotmail.com C. Todd McManus - toddmcmanus@hotmail.com Becky Hurst Kemp - rkemp1022@yahoo.com

2000 - J. Paul Ford, Jr. - fordo42@comcast.net

2005 - Ashley McCarl - ashleymccarl@gmail.com

weekend2010alumniweekend2010alumniweekend2010alumniweek

friday, april 30

severn school

Class Notes

it is with sorrow we note the passing of these severn friends

James Rutter ‘32, 10/28/2007 Harold “Hal” Fisher ‘38, 4/10/2009 Jeffrey “Jeff” Smith ‘60, 8/11/2009 Anthony Brocato ‘67, 7/1/2009 David “Dave” Pickall ‘68, 9/29/2009 Father of Caitlin J. Pickall ‘99 and Lauren Pickall ‘00 Phyllis Davis, 9/10/09 Grandmother of Richa T. Davis ‘09 Nick Cipriano, 9/23/2009 Grandfather of Josephine B. Cipriano ‘09 and N. Rocco Cipriano ‘12 Louise Feen , 11/29/09 Mother of Jeffrey Feen ‘86

LouiseFeen,“TheVoiceofSevern” Mary Louise Feen, 71, a lifelong resident of the Annapolis area, and Severn’s receptionist from 1993 - 2006 died at home Nov. 29 of natural causes. Louise was born July 10, 1938, in Annapolis, and was raised in West Annapolis, the youngest of five. She graduated from Annapolis H.S. in 1956, and married Edward F. Feen Jr. at St Mary’s in Annapolis. Other than her time at Severn, Louise worked at Aviation in Glen Burnie, Annapolis Bank & Trust, and Wilmer’s Communications in Edgewater. Louise was a caring, thoughtful and devoted mother, wife, and friend and gave much of herself to others. She took great pride in being known as “Mom” to many people other than just her children. Her patience, supportiveness and friendship touched many lives. Louise enjoyed reading, traveling and especially sewing and quilting; many grateful

family members and friends were the recipients of her creative sewing and quilting talents. She was a loyal and avid Penn State fan and was very active in the Annapolis Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association.

1941 Dick Flower sends this news: “Learning and playing lacrosse for 1 year, after the war I came home got a job, married, raising young ones and joined the “Cleveland Lacrosse Club”. We were promoting lacrosse in Ohio by playing all the college teams. You coached me well! Quit at 36.”

1944 Send notes to: Karl J. Christoph, Jr.

230 W. Laurel St. #802 San Diego, CA 92101 619-231-9514 radmx@msn.com

From Chris: “Hi All: Surprise! Surprise! I’m home. After ten weeks in the hospital and a rehab facil-

ity I am finally home. No, I never had that knee operation that I was scheduled for last week. It all started on July 15th when I tripped over a treadmill at the hospital in the cardiac maintenance facility, fell on my wallet, and broke my hip. If you are going to break anything, a hospital is the best place I know. Within five seconds I must have been surrounded by 15 people, including my cardiologist and two other doctors. Within an hour I was in the operating room having the hip fixed with a plate and a pin. Then the fun began. My balance is non-existent. And the knee, which I was supposed to have fixed became totally unstable, coupled with two bouts of faux gout, swollen ligaments, non functional rotator cuff (which prevented me from leaning on the walker) - I was such a mess I thought I would never walk again. I’m not there yet, but at least I can now see the end of the tunnel. My goal is to make a class cruise in January. Wish me luck!”

1946 Send notes to: Hugh “Dick” McLean

P.O. Box 1735 Borrego Springs, CA 9204 hugh-mclean@hotmail.com

1947 Send notes to: Blair “Buzz” Hall

666 Maid Marian Hill Sherwood Forest, MD 21405 410-849-2134 blairhall@aol.com

1948 Send notes to: Bill Fisher

8722 Higdon Drive Vienna VA 22182 703-938-7487 wgf50929@yahoo.com

From Bill: “Happy New Year to all. I hope everyone had a joyful holiday and were surrounded by family and friends and are full of good health. The mail box has been very quiet and looks forward to hearing from you. Any news or stories you want to pass on to classmates and other Severnites would be welcome. I hope each of you has a 2010 full of joy and good times. As always, take good care.”

T H E B R IDGE

1950 reconnect renew it’s your year!

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Contact your Reunion Chairs! John Giddings, jgiddings@gmacresc.com Bill Hargrave, lump54@gmail.com

1952 Send Notes to: Nick Goldsborough 5101 River Crescent Dr. Annapolis, MD 21401 ngoldsborough2@verizon.net

1960 reconnect renew it’s your year!

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Send notes to: Neil Perron

1253 Dogwood Road Arnold, MD 21012 nfp1@comcast.net

1961

islands from here any day of the week. Thanks to our great housing market here, I guess I will be doing this for a while longer....but I do enjoy what I am doing. Since our last gathering I have two beautiful granddaughters, one from each of my two sons. If I am not in the Caribbean I am in DC or Greenwich, CT visiting them or Rehoboth Beach, DE where Hunter ’58, PJ ’61 and Ned ’65 (Kesmodel) have all retired. I plan to stay in the warm weather as long as I can! Paull Phillips and Susie visited last year on a swing through south FL so we had a chance to catch up. I hope everyone is doing well and look forward to seeing all of you at the next reunion, our 50th!!! Please keep in touch!!

1965 reconnect renew it’s your year!

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From PJ Kesmodel: “I’m still coaching lacrosse after all these years. I’ll send something about the picture and caption about the 1961 Lacrosse Team that appeared in the Cape Gazette (Rehobeth Beach, DE), the local newspaper here. Bruce Burns and I were captains of that team.”

Contact your Reunion Chair! Sandy Clark - sandyclark@yahoo. com

1962

Send notes to: Richard Templeton

Send notes to: Robert Kesmodel

11 Island Avenue Unit 806 Miami Beach, FL 33139 Home/Office 305-538-2004 rkesmodel@gmail.com

From Robert Kesmodel: “Hi everyone, Happy Holidays from sunny Miami Beach! If anyone has anything to report please send to p.heffner@severnschool.com. I am still enjoying life on South Beach and working exclusively in the Caribbean with the mobile network operators there. I withdrew from working in FL and Central America and now only focus in the Caribbean...makes life a lot easier for me since I can get to all the 28

Send Notes to: Sandy Clark

528 4th Street SE Washington, D.C. 20003 sandyclark@yahoo.com

1966 108 Annapolis Street Annapolis, MD 21401 kron2000@aol.com

1968 Send notes to: Shannon McDowell

3 South Cherry Grove Ave. Annapolis, MD 21401 shannonmcdowell2006@comcast.net

From Shannon on Dave Pickall: “In the thought of keeping community in focus, the following tribute to David Pickall should serve as marching orders for all of us in the Severn Community. Dave touched so many of us, in so many generations.” From The Capital, 9/27/09: “David Pickall died quietly at his home at Wrighter Lake,

Thompson, Pa., of brain cancer following a two year illness, due to its recurrence. Born in Annapolis, February 9, 1950, he was the son of Ruth and A. J. Pickall. He was husband and dear friend to Marianna Janicelli and loving and wellloved father to his two daughters, Caitlin J. Pickall ’99 and Lauren Pickall ’00. He lived his childhood in Millersville, MD, graduated from Severn School and from Johns Hopkins University playing varsity football and lacrosse at both. He was a sailor, a runner, photographer, and member of St. Anne’s Parish in Annapolis. His favorite philanthropy was C.R.A.B. (Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating). A memorial celebration will be held for him this summer at Wrighter Lake. The family would like to thank Hospice for their care and encourage others to use their services. As a parting gift to David it is suggested that friends do an act of kindness in his name.” From Dick Webster: “I have enjoyed reading the emails from David’s classmates and friends. They speak volumes of David and all of you. I think it is essential that each of us reflect on why this great guy has meant so much to all of us. And then, as a tribute to David, do our best to incorporate those qualities and values into our own lives, thereby, making our respective communities a little better. God knows, our world appears to sorely lack the spirit, integrity, honesty, leadership and character that we have long associated with David Pickall. God bless, men! Keep the faith!” From Bruce Hunter: “I was saddened to hear of the death of classmate David Pickall. My thoughts and prayers are with his mother, wife and children. He was an example and an inspiration to all who knew him. He’ll be greatly missed.” From Dave’s wife, Marianna Janicelli: “I thank so many of you who have written, contacted us and kept David in your prayers. David died in great peace and se-

renity. We had a wonderful day with him and stayed up late into the night accompanying him in his journey with prayers and love. Filled with sadness that he became ill, we are happy that he is now settled into Glory. David has been well-loved by many people, we find joy in this and thank you.”

1969 Send notes to: Nick Codd

P.O. Box 843 Severna Park, MD 21146 nickcodd@verizon.net

1970 reconnect renew it’s your year!

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Contact your Reunion Chair! Jeff Shields jeffonturkeypointisland @comcast.net

From Chip Albertson: “I work at the Smithsonian in D.C., MD, NY & VA as an administrator for elevator/escalator maintenance & repair contracts as well as other facility contracts.”

1972 Send notes to: John Norton

13 Botany Court Emerald Hills, CA 94062 650-361-8062 john@declarity.com

John Norton has lots of news: “I went to an exhibition lacrosse game between UNC and Brown last Saturday in San Francisco. Ron Staines and his wife Lauren came in to watch their son Mark ’08, play in the game for UNC. Alex Jones ’09, plays for Brown. I wore my Brown University T-shirt as I sat with Ron. I call it my halfmillion-dollar T-shirt. My daughter is a freshman at Brown and my son graduated from Brown in ’08. Among all the wonders that California has to offer, two remain elusive: good lacrosse and good crab cakes. I got my lacrosse, and I’ll see you at homecoming in my search

WI N TE R 2010

for the crab cakes.” More from John: Tom Codd writes that the holidays were interesting, particularly given the 20-plus-inch snowstorm that hit Severna Park a few days before Christmas. “The pandemonium at the Giant, as every single inhabitant of Severna Park converged there the day before the storm to forage for milk, bread and toilet paper, was unprecedented. On a lark, I ventured out in the middle of the blizzard to walk from my house to the office. (Tom and his wife Downey have law offices on Ritchie Highway near Cypress Creek Rd.) By the time I got onto Evergreen Road by Severn, I hadn’t seen a single car or snow plow, and I realized that I must have been out of my mind. By the time I got to the office, I looked like Omar Sharif in Dr. Zhivago after he walked across Siberia to Lara’s apartment.” Tom returned home safely. I do not know if he mentioned that bit about Lara’s apartment to Downey. n Bill Hugel, his wife Ann, and their son Matt are living in a two-hundredyear-old home in Ellicott City. The house, called White Hall is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and Bill reports that it takes up a lot of his time. “Maintenance-free was not in vogue in 1810,” is how Bill puts it, but the investment suits his talents. Bill founded Real Estate Enterprises, a property holding company in

1975, and acquired income housing properties in Baltimore, Glen Burnie, Pasadena, and the Laurel area. In 1996, he began Rental Maintenance Corporation, a property management company. Bill writes, “Recently I have been selling and holding financing, but the downturn in real estate has slowed my retirement.” Bill and Ann (Madden, Severna Park High School ’72) have been a couple since ninth-grade. Tempus fugit. Their son Matt is a sixteen-yearold junior and a kicker for Centennial High football In Ellicott City. Bill is eager to stay in touch with fellow Severn pals. You can send him an email at bill.hugel@ yahoo.com. n Richard Rester lives in Southwest Oregon, a beautiful place where he is eager to spend less time working and more time enjoying the area. “We spend most of our free time camping and hiking, as we live halfway between Crater Lake and the Oregon coast. We are only hours from the high desert, where we can still get 50 miles off the pavement and 20 miles from the nearest human being, often in search of little-known hot springs.” Richard also writes about the retirement delay, “The recession put a dent in my contracting business, but I was winding it down already, and focusing on my work as a contract inspector for FEMA. Last year found me at the Iowa floods, New Orleans for

Gustav, and Texas for Ike, meeting with homeowners to do postdisaster damage assessment. It is both intense and exhausting, but extremely satisfying-18-hour days filled with hope, smiles and tears. My recent peek into Facebook to check out a page for other disaster inspectors yielded an unexpected plethora of names and faces from the past, both from Severn and Allegheny College. I hope to be able to rekindle some of these acquaintances in the future.” Richard remarried last year; has a daughter in her third-year at Indiana University, and a son who is graduating this spring and pursuing a career in visual graphics. n News from John on former faculty members Gene Festa and Don Wood: “I spoke to Gene Festa just before Christmas. He is living in Houston, TX and about to retire after teaching at The Kinkaid School for 35 years. He is turning 65 this year but has no plans to slow down. He has written a book, taken up singing, and is planning a move to San Antonio, TX to be closer to his grandchildren. You can reach him at atsef@aol.com or visit his Facebook page. Don Wood is happy in Oregon. He tried to retire from banking, but well… You can reach him at bendoreg@msn.com or visit his Facebook page.

1978

1973

1981

Send notes to: Bona Hurst Ellis

Send notes to: Stacey Hendricks Manis

513 Point Field Drive Millersville, MD 21108 410-987-3949 rellis@msn.com

1976 Send notes to: Catherine Clarke

104 Castletown Road Lutherville, MD 21093 410-823-7777

Send notes to: Denise Tray Rosson

Severn School The Boone House 116 Maple Avenue

Severna Park, MD 21146 d.rosson@severnschool.com

1979 Send notes to: Kim Corbin Aviles

443 Maryleborn Road Severna Park, MD 21146 kaviles@csalaw.com

1980 reconnect renew it’s your year!

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Contact your Reunion Chair! Megan Mylander Hanson eahanson5@verizon.net Send notes to: Andy Long

7034 Irongate Lane Dallas, TX 75214 214-821-4526 AFLong@sbcglobal.net

Lorraine Johnson writes: “Can’t wait to see everyone for our 30th reunion in May. Can it possibly have been that long ago?” n Rick Hoffman tells The Bridge: “ I am regional sr. vice president for the Corcoran Group, now running the largest residential real estate company in the Hamptons.”

211 Mount Oak Place Annapolis, MD 21409 410-349-8822 maniss@comcast.net

Ham Tyler sends this in: “Hunter Tyler ’16 is enjoying his first year at Severn. Hamilton ’14 was on the 7th and 8th grade soccer team that went 10-1 this past fall.”

Mark Staines ’08 & Alex Jones ’09. Photo courtesy of John Norton ’72 29

T H E B R IDGE

1982

1986

Send notes to: Tracy Tischer

Send notes to: Sara Tabasi Toomey

504 Riverview Ct Annapolis, MD 21401 410-266-4595 tracyctisher@hotmail.com

1983 Send notes to: Molly Moore Green

123 Hatton Drive Severna Park, MD 21146 m.green@severnschool.com

1984 Send Notes to: Susan Leonard

Susanleonard1921@mac.com

1985 reconnect renew it’s your year!

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Contact your Reunion Chairs! Wendy Ratchford Rhoe, wendyrhoe@comcast.net Jessica Hay McCarthy, jmwindy@aol.com Send notes to: Julie Katcef Maseritz

197 Cinnamon Lane Edgewater, MD 21037 julie12@comcast.net

150 Longfellow Drive Millersville, MD 21108 410-315-7728 charleysangels@verizon.net

Sara sends this in from Cindy Huffard Richards: “Hope all is well. I’m so bad about updating, but had a quiet moment, so I thought I’d write for the Bridge. I think it has been years! I am still living in Richmond, VA and I now have four children: Sara (17) Russell (7) Mary Kate (6) and Natalie (1). I own my own pediatric physical therapy clinic, and I love my job! I also started a non-profit business called the Richmond Hope Foundation which raises money to help families afford physical therapy for their children with special needs. If anyone has any fundraising ideas, send them my way! My life is very busy, but very rewarding. My husband, Mike, is very supportive, thank goodness. I love seeing/reading about everyone in the Bridge. I can’t believe that we graduated 23 years ago….does not seem possible!! Take care and hope you are doing well.” Cindy Richards Home 804.364.1294 Cell 804.399.9574 Office 804.747.4673 This from Jeff Muller: “I figured it’s been a while since the last time I sent in an update for The Bridge, so here it is: It’s been an-

other busy year. After helping raise awareness and the funds to build the new Irvine Nature Center facility in Owings Mills, I began a new job in January with the World Wildlife Fund in the organization’s DC headquarters. I have also been serving as a citizen advisor on the Baltimore County Sustainability Work Group. This makes nearly a decade working on issues of sustainability and a healthier environment. I also continue to make music. As part of a busy 2009 gig schedule, in April I performed at the Barns at Wolf Trap, in May for the Severn Reunion with Tom Bodor and Lakin Ducker (in attendance from our class were Sally Luck, Hayley Falk Schless, John Rivers, Kristen Quirk Clevenger and Sam Bradshaw - did I miss anyone?), and in August I played a community party in Sherwood Forest where I saw Bizzy and Chip ’84 Mortimer. Most importantly, my wife Sarah and I welcomed our second son, Hanly, on July 7. He joins big brother Langston, who turned 5 this November. Although I work in DC we continue to live in Baltimore (I have become intimately familiar with the MARC train). I hope to see more classmates at this coming year’s reunion (with the focus on the Class of ‘85) and remember: we’re only a year away from our 25th! Happy holidays! n Campbell Hough writes: “Life is great in Colorado. My daughters Carly (10) and Bridgette (7) are awesome. Carly

Deniz Ozdemir Cribbs ’81 and Willy Mitchell ’82 at homecoming’s River Classic

From Jeff Muller ’86, sons Hanly (l) and Langston (r) 30

is on a Nordic ski team and Bridge is my big performer. Lisa and I are very happy and enjoying all things Colorado.”

1987 Send notes to: Penny Leatherwood Kennedy

penny.kennedy@gmail.com 410-439-5982

Penny writes: “I can’t believe the holidays flew by in the blink of an eye. The blizzard of ‘09 helped to make the holidays white and memorable. We ended up with about 22 inches at my house and we did plenty of sledding. I hope everyone had a great holiday and wish you the best for a wonderful new year in 2010! Thanks for the updates, keep them coming. I received the following: From Matt Lapides: “My wife, Catherine, and I have been living in Miami Beach since 2005. She is a litigation attorney, and now a stay at home mom. We had our first child, Ethan James, on July 30. I left Merrill Lynch after 12 years, and now run the Wealth Management and Trust Divisions at a private bank and trust company based in Miami. We’re having a great time being new parents and love being involved in the diverse activities available in South Florida. I can’t believe it has been two years since our reunion in Annapolis. My family is still in Annapolis and the surrounding areas. We visit a few times per year. My e-mail address is malapides@bellsouth.net Matt” n From Mark Burroughs: “ I do not know where I left off or if I have told anyone anything. I am currently in my 3rd year teaching 7th grade Geography at Lexington (KY) Christian Academy. I also coach Middle School Boys soccer and am getting my National “D” license for coaching. In the Fall, I will begin coaching a Club program, as my son begins playing at the club level. Erik is 7 and finishing up another season of

WI N TE R 2010

indoor soccer before moving on to basketball for January through March. After basketball, we move back into soccer and baseball. Erik is finishing his first grade year. Leigh, my wife, currently works at Chico’s. We love Lexington especially the horses and the anticipated arrival of the equestrian games. My father, which many of you had, has been retired for three years and works at a golf course in Pasadena (MD), Compass Pointe. He loves it and really does it for the free golf. We get to Maryland about twice a year, spring break and summer, just enough time to play golf and play on dad’s boat. I hope everyone is well. Mark” n Lastly, I received this great Holiday photo from Kathy Bass Clevenger of her kids Anne (11) and Alex (8) and dog Emma (3).

1988 Send notes to: Drew Burns

402 Ben Oaks Dr East Severna Park, MD 21146 dburns@pcmgc.com 410-846-5570

This news from Becky Burrows parents: “Becky & Erik have moved from Tokyo to Hong Kong and we are going to visit after New Years and help Becky celebrate her 40th birthday! They have recov-

ered beautifully from the Lehman fiasco of a year ago and Erik has very high regard for Nomura. They enjoy the big house they have rented in H.K., with quite a bit more space than Tokyo.” n Nicole Feliciano sends this in: “My parenting blog, Momtrends, continues to flourish. I welcome hearing from Severn parents that have gear, products, clothing aimed at the 0-6 age group.

1989 Send notes to: Holly Hodson

668 N. Coast Hwy. #408 Laguna Beach, CA  92651 949-497-8770 holly@fijigirl.net

1990 reconnect renew it’s your year!

news from Peter and Robin Atkins Cotgreave: “Pete and I had a baby girl in May. Reagan Elizabeth Cotgreave was born on May 11th. She weighed 8 lbs, 10oz. She is a happy baby and loves all the attention she gets from her big sisters and brother.” Congratulations Robin and Pete! Can’t wait to meet Reagan at our reunion. Thanks to all who are involved in the planning of our 20th reunion, April 30th - May 1st. Looking forward to seeing everyone there.

1991 Send notes to: Heather Clark Piskorowski

4371 Westminster Place Saint Louis MO 63108 heatherpisko@gmail.com or

eunion

Contact your Reunion Chair! Margot Mohsberg, mmohsber@aba.com Becky Reid Qualey, rqualey1@jhmi.edu Send notes to: Blairlee Sommers Owens

419 Prince George Street Laurel, MD 20707 blairleeowens@comcast.net

Kelly Burrows continues to live in Brooklyn and works as a chef in NYC. n Blairlee shares this

Matt Sarro

3051 Aberdeen Road Annapolis, MD 21403 mattsarro@yahoo.com

1992 Send notes to: Jennifer Molesvich

305 S. Clinton St. Baltimore, MD 21224 jennpm1@msn.com

Jennifer sends in lots of news: Brooke Courtney and her husband Kevin (who she met during law school) live in Annapolis. She works at a think tank that focuses on bioterrorism policy. She tells us that she “spends some of my free time organizing international volunteer trips for Yale alumni and students.” She sees Jacqui McDermott and Marisa Braun fairly often. Brooke says, “Happy New Year! I got back to Severn this year for Homecoming and I spent time touring the campus with Nicole Bromwell Giordano, Sarah Franey, Robin Quinton ’93 and Wes Sims ’94. The place looks

David Astle ’92 Lecture Series Members of the Class of 1992 gathered for dinner with Senator and Mrs. John Astle before attending the annual David Astle lecture series at Severn on Nov. 10. This year’s speaker was celebrated writer Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want. John and Jayne Astle established the speaker series endowment after a car accident claimed the life of their son. David Astle graduated from Severn in 1992 and from Clemson University in 1996. An active member of the school community during his seven years as a student, and a well liked member of the alumni body, David told his mother shortly before his death that he felt he had developed life-long friends while at Severn School. The David Astle Memorial Endowment funds an annual lecture series through which knowledgeable and/or inspirational speakers are invited to share their expertise, experiences, and messages with the community.

Kathy Bass Clevenger’s ’87 children Alex, Anne and their dog Emma

Senator John Astle and Headmaster Lagarde 31

T H E B R IDGE

fantastic! I heard from many of our classmates this year.”

Nicole

Bromwell Giordano’s husband Jason opened up a car dealership in Glen Burnie, ‘Certified Cars Inc.’, which is keeping them busy. She writes, “Son Jaidan will be 3 this month and Jaxson just turned 5. Still living in Lothian, MD, still working for BB&T and life is good! Got back for Severn Homecoming this year and the place looks great!! =).” n Mindy Dapkunis Kilgore and her husband moved back from CO in 2002 and are living in Arnold. “I am a pediatric occupational therapist in Severna Park, and love every minute working with children who are special in one way or another! My kids are 12, 11, and 7 - yep, this makes me feel really old!!” n Ryan Phillips is still serving our country (thank you for your service Ryan!) and is stationed in the tropical paradise of Guam with his wife and 3 yr old daughter. He writes, “I still fly search and rescue helicopters in the Navy, and I am days away from finishing a 10 month deployment in the Far East. We love living in Guam where temperatures stay between 80-85 all year round, our base housing is on a palm tree lined golf course, and we enjoy some of the best diving in the world. If anyone should find themselves out here, give me a heads up and we’ll throw some extra ribs on the bbq.” n Kimberly Johnston Gentile is living just south of Boston in Bridgewater, MA. Her daughter Emma turned 6 in November, is in kindergarten

this year, and Sophie turned 1 in September. They recently visited with Becca Batchelder Beckman, her husband Scott and their adorable new baby Libby. She writes, “OMG...it was so funny to see our KIDS together! Crazy.” Kimberly also tells me that her brother Mark Johston ’97is doing great still living in Vermont and is so happy with his dog, cat and girlfriend Journey. n Carmen Fifer Bailey writes, “We are living in Tampa, Florida due to move again in 2011 possibly back to MD or VA. Maggie is now 3½. We are really enjoying Florida and are just an hour from Disney which Maggie loves.” n I heard from Graydon Ripley who is living in Elkridge, MD with his wife Angela and their two little girls, Emma (4) and Madelyn (20 months). He recently joined a small elevator consulting firm based in Annapolis and it has been a great change. n Jacqueline McDermott and her husband Chris were blessed with their second son on Sept. 30. Alton Harlow Smith, II called “Ace” (named after his paternal great grandfather). n Andrew Webb let us know that he is still living in Summit, NJ with his wife, Denielle, and their three daughters, Cecelia (5), Juliet (2) and Evangeline (6 months). He writes, “Between the girls and work (I just started a new role at my company, Knight Capital Group, as chief of staff) life is pretty busy. My parents now live just off Old County Rd, so I see Severn every time we visit. The campus looks great. If anyone is

Bartram Andrew Shaeffer, II, son of Bart Shaeffer ’92 32

up in NYC, please drop us a line.” n Aimee Sadle Brainard and her husband Tom and have been living in Denver, CO since their wedding in Beaver Creek in 2008. She tells me, “I am managing editor of a locally-based publication and website, Modern in Denver, and my husband specializes in insurance for the creative community with the Denver Agency. We love Colorado and the mountains with all that it has to offer, but find ourselves missing the coast! I travel back to MD often, as my parents and sister still reside in Annapolis, and would love to catch up on a future visit. If anyone finds themselves in Denver, please let us know!” n Carrie Glasby is still living in Philadelphia, PA with her wife Kathleen and their kids, Tim (5) and Alma (1). She just celebrated her seventh year as development manager for a Quaker nonprofit (Friends General Conference) and she is taking parttime classes in anticipation of becoming a nurse. n Katie Burrows Hill and her husband Rolf Hill ’90 will celebrate their 8th wedding anniversary in March. They are living in West Annapolis with their three beautiful and fabulous little girls, Sam (6), Polly (5) and Rebecca (2½). Rolf ’s environmental consulting business is keeping him pretty busy these days and Katie is still an attorney with Miles & Stockbridge P.C. in Baltimore, working in the commercial business litigation department. Katie says, “Life is crazy busy, but great. I ran the Annapolis 10 Mile Run

Rolf and Katie Hill’s ’92 girls, Polly and Sam

in August - last time I did it was 10 years ago. I am planning on running again this year.” n Valerie Threlfall shared that in 2007 she chose to go back to the nonprofit sector, where her passions really lie, and is now working for an organization called the Center for Effective Philanthropy leading a project called Youth Truth. In June 2008, she became CEP’s West Coast office director and moved to San Francisco, with her new wonderful husband, Steve Boni (married in July 2008). She writes, “If anyone’s ever out in the Bay area please let me know. It would be great to catch up!” n Susanne Ducker and her husband Jon have been living in Santa Fe, NM for 7 years with the recent addition of their son Eli now 18 months. She tells us that she was, “...the art director for Outside’s Traveler, a special edition travel magazine. I worked for the magazine for 5 years, until becoming pregnant with Eli and am now, mostly a stay at home mom. However, I’ve recently started a small business selling handmade baby and kids knitted items to local merchants in Santa Fe and am also, in the process of setting up an online store for the selling of my art and designs on paper.”

1993 Send notes to: Dave Sobel

3171 Colchester Brook Lane Fairfax, VA 22031 703-280-2628 dave@evolvetech.com

Carrie Cole Pizzi ’95 & David Pizzi ’95 with daughter Susie

WI N TE R 2010

1994 Send notes to: Michael Calabrese

calabrese_michael@hotmail.com

1995 reconnect renew it’s your year!

eunion

Contact your Reunion Chairs! Allison Clark Collins, chefallison@hotmail.com Darcy Watt Gurganous, drwatt21@hotmail.com Todd McManus, toddmcmanus@hotmail.com Becky Hurst Kemp, rkemp1022@yahoo.com Send notes to: Darcy Watt Gurganous

703-327-1089 drwatt21@hotmail.com

1996 Send notes to: Erika Huebner

4709 Spring Hill Road Savannah, GA 31404 912-691-1639 erika@designstudio13.com

1997

Tom Alphin and Amy Louise Robinson were married on July 4. Suzanne Alphin ’01 and Brendan Fields ’98 were part of the wedding party. The groom and groomsmen were dressed in a formal kilt in the family tartan MacAlpine. The bride is a 2000 graduate of Trinity Episcopal School in Richmond and a 2005 graduate of Longwood University. Amy is employed as a teacher at the French American School of Puget Sound in Washington and Tom works as a user experience program manager at Microsoft in Washington. The newlyweds enjoyed a honeymoon in Ireland, Scotland and England and reside in Kirkland, Washington. n Andrea Ceccarelli Cuniff tells The Bridge: “My husband and I recently bought a home in Annapolis and are thrilled to be back in town. I am in private practice on Kent Island at Maryland Primary Care Physicians (www. mpcp.com). I am also going to AAMC to see newborns, so if any of you all are planning on delivering there, I may see you (or your

baby!). Justin and I are expecting our own bundle of joy, who is due in February.”

1999 Send notes to: Jennifer Scott

1650 21st Rd. N. Apt 2 Arlington, VA 22209-1160 jenscott@alumni.virginia.edu

From the Class of ’00, Alison Mitchell & Ginny Chacos

Send notes to: Gussie Habeck Melendez

augustamelendez@gmail.com

Benjamin Feinblum writes: Currently, I am living in Bethesda as the president/owner of my own company - The Magic of Benjamin Corey. I recently fell into a position as a CFO/owner of another company at medievalmadness.org. We put on a medieval feast with a show. Finding that sometime’s logging in and looking around may mean finding a friend passed away. Fortunately, it is rare, but today’s visit here and looking over class of 1996 reminded me of the value of life.

2000

reconnect renew it’s your year!

eunion

Contact your Reunion Chair! Paul Ford, fordo42@comcast.net Send notes to: Jane Friend

Jfriend12@gmail.com

Jordan Gratrix is planning to wed Chritina Margaret Kolock on April 10, 2010. n Ginny Chacos writes, “Alison Mitchell and I played in the Hawaii Lacrosse Invitational in Waikiki on Oahu over Halloween weekend. It had been 10 years since we played together!” n Bayne Brown says, “On October 10th, 2009 I married my college sweetheart, Kristen Kirkpatrick. In attendance were fellow admirals: Feltrin Davis, Jeff McMahon, William Chalfant, Wintrop Joesting, and Brian Edgar ’01. Somehow during all of the wedding planning I managed to achieve my project management certification (PMP) and assume a leading position providing management consulting support to the chief engineer at the U.S. Agency for International Development. My wife and I live in Odenton, MD, a perfect location between our friends in the area and our jobs in D.C. I look forward to reconnecting at the Alumni Basketball game and the 10 year reunion.”

Josh and Megan Sims ’96 girls, Madeline and Lia

1998 Send notes to: Dan Ericson

910 M Street NW #408 Washington, D.C. 20001 ericson@gwu.edu Tom Alphin ’98 and his wife Amy

The Bayne Brown ’00 wedding and guests 33

T H E B R IDGE

Washingtonians Sarah Dunaway ’02 and Ryan Mack ’01 were recently visited by Mary Salsich, Director of Campaign Giving

2001

Send Notes to: Tyler Williams

Send notes to: Helen Birney

helenwb@gmail.com

Jenessa Del Sesto

Willitr0@sewanee.edu

2002 Send Notes to: Kristi Jobson

kristi.jobson@gmail.com

jmdel87@aol.com

2006 Send Notes to: Courtney Dunn

ctd231@nyu.edu

2003 Send notes to: Laura Lutkefedder

llutkefedder@gmail.com

Zachary Goldman graduated from the University of Delaware, Lerner School of Business. Zach has worked for The Cambridge ociates and Alliance Bernstein and is currently with Barclay’s Bank in Washington, DC. in the field of private wealth management. He is applying to MBA programs to schools in NYC and continues to maintain his special Severn School friendships.

2004 Send Notes to: Jenn Presswood

jennpresswood@gmail.com

Ryan Brassel is with the Gallo Wine Family in their management program in Michigan.

Courtney Dunn sends in lots of news: “I am completing my last 4 undergraduate credits in Puebla, Mexico this January.” n Chris Hughes graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and is planning to spend several months this spring traveling and doing volunteer work in Vietnam and throughout Asia. n Faith Meisenberg just returned from her semester abroad in Barcelona, Spain. n Kirsten Kelly has been selected as the “Overall” heading the THON Merchandise Committee at Penn State. THON is a student-run philanthropy raising funds for the fight against pediatric cancer and supporting the Penn State Children’s Hospital. Last

The Brothers Grimm in Nepal: Dan ’01 and Pat ”04

year, THON raised $7.5 million. Each February, THON culminates with a 46-hour dance marathon with 700 dancers in the Bryce Jordan Center and with 12,000 in the stands for the final day. n Kelsey Mullady graduated from Bucknell in December.

2007 Send Notes to: Samantha Goldman

srgoldma@syr.edu or

Graham Ellison

ellisogc@eckerd.edu Samantha is in her junior year at Syracuse University with a retail management major in the business school. She completed an internship in NYC this past summer at the Max Mara showroom and is planning to study in Florence, Italy next semester. n This news from Denea “Randi” Galloway: “I recently was married on May 23, 2009 to Airman William James Jr of the Air Force. We will

2005 reconnect renew it’s your year!

eunion

Contact your Reunion Chair! Ashley McCarl, ashleymccarl@gmail.com Denea Galloway James ’07 and husband William James Jr. 34

be moving to North Carolina to be stationed there for the next four years.”

2008 Send Notes to: Annie Weber

acw5133@psu.edu or

Stephen Sexauer

stephen.b.sexauer@vanderbilt.edu

Stephen Sexauer tells The Bridge that Chelsea O’Neil, Clay Palmer, and Lauren Butler now attend the University of Richmond, Kelsey Hughes now attends Penn State University, Catherine Crowe now attends Boston College, and Alexa Schuett will attend Virginia Commonwealth University starting in the fall.

2009 This news on Ariel Mitchell at BYU: Ariel has written another short play for a class. She is serving as a dramatrug for a new play in production written by another student. She is also working on crew for the New Play Festival, not to mention singing in Choral, taking voice and auditioning. She has joined an Arts Service group that both provides entertainment and education at a women’s shelter weekly and helps with the children. She has been granted a Theater - Playwriting Major and Music Minor. She is applying to BYU’s Summer Theater program in London.

WI N TE R 2010

Meet the Alumni Association Executive Council Chairs

todd heffner ’05 ‘leaders by choice’ In 1977 Push America, a philanthropic initiative to serve people with disabilities, was established as a non-profit organization by Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity and has become an unparalleled success in the Greek world. Todd Heffner ’05 has proudly served as a team member for four of the Push America programs. In the summer of ’07, Todd biked across the U.S. with the Journey of Hope team. The Journey of Hope is a cross-country bicycle trek that starts in San Francisco, CA and Seattle, WA and ends 60 some days later with all teams coming together in Washington, D.C. The event raises funds and awareness for people with disabilities, making ‘friendship visits’ across the nation - singing, dancing, playing games and sharing meals with kids in camps and recreation centers. During the summer of ’08, Todd completed the Summer Fellowship program as a counselor at Camp Twin Lakes in Rutledge, GA. Camp Twin Lakes is a non-profit organization offering recreational, therapeutic, and educational programs for children facing serious illnesses and other physical and emotional life challenges. Twin Lakes works with over 40 different special needs organizations including kids with cancer and diabetes. For Todd, one very special group stood out - Camp To Belong - a program that reunites siblings who were separated by placement with different foster families. In May, 2009 Todd got back on his bike and he and 30 teammates criss-crossed Florida as member of the Gear Up Florida team. The team arrived in Tallahassee after two weeks and over 800 miles traveled on behalf of people with disabilities. Even more incredible than cycling through exhaustive heat and uncharacteristic rains was the team’s commitment to fund raising - over $90,000 on behalf of people with disabilities. In the summer of ’09, Todd served as a member of the Build America team. Build America is a Push America construction program created to make camps more accessible for people with disabilities. Build America constructs and renovates nature trails, fishing piers, high-ropes courses, accessible playgrounds and many other projects. “I can’t tell you how much I have grown through these experiences,” Todd states. “Pi Kappa Phi and Push America are amazing organizations that follow through on all they say they are going to do. These are leadership programs that give you the confidence and courage to excel in any situation, any profession.” Visit www.pushamerica.org for more information

Severn is delighted to welcome its new Executive Alumni Council. The group has been hard at work developing a strategic plan for our alumni body. We look forward to hearing your input on how alumni can best serve the school as it celebrates its first century in 2014. Many thanks to our council chairs and fellow members of the Alumni Executive Council; Mike Calabrese ’94, Mark Carroll ’83, Kim Selby Gauthier ’88, Carrie Grimes ’91, Whitney Hopkins Kerridge ’88, John Leimkuhler ’59, Susan Tyndall Leonard ’84, Willie Mitchell ’82 and Ashley McCarl ’05.

Dr. James B. “Woody” Wooddell ’73 is the Chairman of the Alumni Association Executive Council. Raised in Davidsonville MD, Woody graduated from Severn in 1973 where he played varsity football and lacrosse, and was the student council president. He graduated with a BS from Washington and Lee University in 1977 and attained his DDS from the University of Maryland in 1981. He has been in private practice for 28 years at the Wooddell and Passaro Dental Group in Davidsonville, MD, focusing on comprehensive adult esthetic, restorative and implant dentistry. Woody started the Chesapeake Dental Education Center, a comprehensive dental learning facility. He is married to Nancy Wooddell, a physical therapist, Severn board member and former APA president and has three children who have all attended Severn - Kaitlin ’04, Jamie ’06 and Kelsey ’10.

Robert G. Graw III ’85 is the Vice Chairman of the Alumni Association Executive Council. Bob is Nighttime Care Centers’ Chief Technology Officer. He is active in guiding the technological aspects of the company’s operations, and is also responsible for the development, oversight and implementation of the Company’s strategic vision relative to innovative technology and telemedicine. Bob has extensive knowledge of software operating systems, network monitoring and hardware devices. He has significant management experience with operational and technical personnel. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science. Bob and his wife, Melanie, are current parents of two Severn students, Victoria ’13 and Mary ’15.

201 Water Street Severna Park, MD 21146 www.severnschool.com 410-647-7700

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HEY, ALUMNI! Graduated? Moved out of your parent’s basement? Taken a job on the west coast? We want to make sure that The Bridge gets to wherever it is you’re going! Update your info at www.severnschool.com or contact Alison Hall, Database Manager, 410-647-7701 ext. 2256, or e mail a.hall@severnschool.com

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Alumni Weekend is April 30 - May 2! visit severnschool.com for details

photo courtesty of Deniz Ozdemir Cribbs ’81