A-Mag, 2011 Spring

Spring 2011

Huffington Library Architecture Represents the Triumph of Knowledge

The March to the Finals A Historic Season for Culver Athletes

Academies a Beacon for Change in Secondary School Education

Reaching New Heights An athletic season of unprecedented accomplishment culminated in Indianapolis as more than 2,000 Culver students, alumni, parents, and faculty/ staff are on hand to support the CMA Eagles in the Class 3A Indiana basketball finals. To read more about the Eagles’ success on the hardwood, the fencing strip, the wrestling mat, in the pool, and on the ice, see page 16.

Photos by Jan Garrison and Paul Pare W’62, ’67

Culver

Contents

Huffington Library Architecture is an Open Book

The familiar exterior facade of the Huffington Library is a temple to learning steeped in Greco-Roman architecture, according to Fine Arts Instructor Jack Williams. More than a repository of books, Williams says the library represents the triumph of knowledge over ignorance.

page 20

An Athletic Season of Unprecedented Success

page 14

Culver Military Academy won its first sectional basketball in history and marched to the final game of the 3A state championship. But this unprecedented accomplishment was just one of several team titles and individual honors Culver athletes garnered during the season.

A Beacon for Change in Secondary Education

page 26 The

Through innovative programs and forward thinking, Culver has positioned itself as a leader in secondary boarding school education. As a result, the expertise of its administrators, faculty, and staff is being sought by national professional organizations representing private secondary education.

Mission

Departments 2 Letters to the Editor 4

Views & Perspectives

38 Alumni Class News 46 Passings in Review 53 Culver Clubs International 55 And One More Thing …

On Our Cover

Anchoring the south side of the Academic Quadrangle known as Manuel Green, the Huffington Library has graced the campus for nearly two decades. Dedicated in 1993, it continues to thrive as a place to study, to meet, and to learn.

By Staff Photographer Gary Mills.

Culver educates its students for leadership and responsible citizenship in society by developing and nurturing the whole individual – mind, spirit, body – through an integrated curriculum that emphasizes the cultivation of character.

Letters

to the

Editor

Corrections & Clarifications Marching on…

I join the army of Alumni readers who welcome the return of a print magazine, especially one as informative and as touching as the Summer/Fall 2010 issue.

From good stock I thoroughly endorse all that was said about Mr. Henderson. (Alumni Magazine, Summer/Fall 2010). He might have gained all of his positive traits from growing up as a Culver “brat,” but I say he inherited them even more.

As a new Culver instructor in 1965, I was appointed scoutmaster. There I met Dean John W. Henderson. What a wonderful person he was. I must add the phrase: “Like father, like son.” The acorn did not fall very far from the tree.

Darrell H. Beach Master Instructor Emeritus, Science Culver, Ind.

A 1950s-era alumnus called recently to make it quite clear that going to an online magazine in the winter of 2009 was “the dumbest thing you ever did,” or words to that effect.

Editor’s note: While I don’t agree, I made it clear that there is not another online issue scheduled at this time. However, that does not rule out the possibility of an online magazine in the future. Culver is committed to a print publication and upgrades to the design and content are underway. Whether in print or online, we want Culver Alumni Magazine to be the best it can be.

Also, on page 56 of the Summer/Fall edition, the Kaser Scholar award was misspelled. The award, one of the legacies of the Class of 1975, honors Mark B. Kaser, valedictorian of the Class of 1975. It is presented annually to a faculty member who inspires students and kindles a zest for life and learning.

COMMUNICATIONS

ALUMNI OFFICE

INTERNATIONAL ADVANCEMENT

Culver (USPS 139-740) is published by The Culver Educational Foundation, 1300 Academy Road, Culver, Indiana 46511-1291.

Director/Strategic Communications Bill Hargraves III ’77

Director Alan Loehr Jr.

Director

Editor/ Culver Alumni Magazine Director/Publications Doug Haberland

Legion President Russell Sheaffer ’81 Mahtomedi, Minn.

Asst. Director/Publications Jan Garrison

CSSAA President Phil Sbarbaro W’59, N’63 Vienna, Va.

Postmaster, please send change of address notice to Culver Alumni Office, 1300 Academy Road #132, Culver, Indiana 46511-1291.

Magazine design by Scott Adams Design Associates of Minneapolis and Columbus, Ohio.

Printed and mailed by Harmony Marketing Group, Bourbon, Indiana.

Spring 2011

Not a Fan

The name of National Merit Semifinalist senior Elaina Faust (Charlottesville, Va.) was misspelled in the Student Notes section of the Summer/Fall 2010 issue.

A four-year senior, Elaina also performed with the Equestriennes at the World Equestrian Games in September 2010.

Volume 88, Issue 2 Spring 2011

Opinions are those of the authors, and no material may be reproduced without the editor’s written consent.

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Alan Bunner Master Instructor Emeritus, Math Culver, Ind.

The name of the late Allen M. Herrman ’42 (Co. A) was misspelled on page 47 of the Summer/Fall 2010 issue. Mr. Herrman died April 7, 2010, in Scottsdale, Ariz., and is survived by a son, Allen of Melrose, Mass. He was predeceased by brothers, Carl ’36 and Richard ’45.

Website Content Manager Trent Miles Photographer Gary Mills

Director/Culver Clubs International Alan Loehr Jr.

Tony Giraldi ’75

DEVELOPMENT Director Mike Hogan Deputy Director Mary Kay Karzas Director/Annual Fund Chet Marshall ’73 Director/Planned Giving Dale Spenner

A Word

from the Editor

Hoosier Hysteria – The Culver way!

“I don’t care what the scoreboard says at the end of the game,

in my book we’re gonna be winners.”

By

Doug Haberland

Editor

– Coach Norman Dale from the movie “Hoosiers” (1986)

Your Alumni magazine is a little late this month, but with good reason. We couldn’t go to press without knowing how far the boys’ basketball team was going to go in the Class 3A Indiana high school basketball tournament. And we’re proud to report CMA went all the way to the championship game in Indianapolis and came home as the state runner-up.

As a Hoosier, Hysteria is just something we grow up with. It’s part of our DNA. It’s why Indiana kids shoot baskets in barn lofts and driveways when they can see their breath, why they shovel snow from a neighbor’s court so they can dribble, why they shoot for hours – alone – with a play-by-play running in their head and every shot is the potential game-winner.

It’s hard for me to put into words what a big deal this is. CMA winning its first sectional title was a historic accomplishment – and then the Eagles added regional and semistate championships to their resume, earning a trip to the state finals. One day you’re playing in front of a couple of thousand fans in Plymouth and in a matter of weeks you’re at Conseco Fieldhouse in front of 18,000.

As an Indiana boarding school, CMA’s feat is even more impressive. Our team was comprised of players from five states and four countries. Only five of our players are from Indiana. The unfortunate irony was that our students departed for spring break two days before the final game. Still, a loud and enthusiastic crowd of students, alumni, parents and faculty/staff were in Indianapolis to support their CMA Eagles.

I was born in Indiana and have lived here all my life, but I cannot adequately explain Hoosier Hysteria – the grassroots Indiana high school equivalent of the NCAA’s March Madness. Hoosier Hysteria is school, community, kids, fans, magic, emotion, and dreams all wrapped up together. The movie “Hoosiers” probably comes as close as anything in depicting it. It’s based on the real-life David vs. Goliath tale of Milan High School in 1954. (If you haven’t seen the movie, you should rent it.)

In 1964 – before there was class basketball – my hometown high school lost in the Indiana state finals. I remember the opponent, the score, our coach, and I can name our starting lineup. The disappointment is long gone; the pride will always be there.

Now, CMA and its fans can lay claim to the memory of a championship game, something most Indiana high school players – boys and girls even with class basketball – only dream about. From that first sectional game to the final game, Hoosier Hysteria is a big deal. And we were there – at the end.

Your Thoughts?

We want Culver Alumni Magazine to be more interactive with our readers. If you see or read something you like, let us know. If you have a story idea or have a story to tell, we’d like to know that, too.

Doug Haberland, Editor (574) 842-8365 haberld@culver.org

Views &

Perspectives

Gathering Various Perspectives A means of harvesting potential and identifying opportunities Taking perspective on anything from Culver or on others, on activities or beliefs is important for all of us. Actually perspective-taking may be one of the most important skills or lessons from one’s education. Seeing the world or issues as others see them; seeing ourselves as others see us; walking a mile in another’s shoes; and doing unto others are all derivatives of this same concept. We should be reflective about and not simply reactive to our environment, friends, and challenges.

This is beginning to sound sententious or prolix, but it is important that we all take objective and realistic perspective on that in which we are involved.

By John N. Buxton Head of Schools

Twelve years ago as Pam and I were preparing to come to Culver, we were struck by the number of people who introduced and lauded Culver as a place brimming with potential. From their perspective having potential meant Culver had the capacity for greatness. From ours it reverberated with echoes of unrealized hopes and dreams. We wanted people to be able to introduce Culver as an institution fully realizing its potential, as a place that was truly a series of “reflections of excellence.”

It’s all about perspective.

Now as we enter the next phase of our planning for Culver’s future, we are challenging ourselves to identify those areas in which we still have potential to harvest and where opportunities exist for future growth. This requires us to be reflective about our successes as well as our shortcomings. We must be objective about our results and assess carefully the truth as only we who work here can know it.

We were fortunate to have the opportunity of establishing a baseline for our

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strategic planning. As a member of the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS) we were asked to participate in the ultimate perspectivetaking experiment by beta-testing a new survey instrument to help schools evaluate their customers’ (writ families’) reaction to their schools. The audience were those people who had most recently experienced the school – alumni who had graduated in the last one to five years and their parents – as well as older graduates.

Culver received over 5,000 responses, and 44 percent of the recent graduates and nearly 40 percent of their parents responded. These results would be the start of our forming a perspective on how well we were delivering on the potential we all agreed we had.

The data was so rich and exhaustive that we hired an analyst to do a deep dive into the data and provide us with an objective summary we could use as a foundation for our planning process. The best news is that those students and parents who had lived Culver most recently believed that Culver delivered on its promises to provide the three outcomes that are the highest priorities for all families when they choose independent schools: (1) Character development and leadership training; (2) a positive and supportive culture and community; and (3) an excellent academic program. Ninety-four percent of recent parents and students said they would recommend Culver to a next child, friend, or relative. And that paralleled the 93 percent of all alumni who would recommend their school to others. According to our objective expert analyzing the data, these numbers are “eye-popping.”

Views & Gary Mills photo

Perspectives

There are so many interesting perspectives that we gleaned from the information we received, and we will unpack that for you in a future article of this magazine. I want to focus on what we learned that was new and what areas we believe we need to explore further so we can continue to harvest these numbers in the future. As a teaser and to provide additional perspective, we learned that nearly 50 percent of our older alumni consider Culver one of their top three philanthropic targets, while 73 percent of our recent graduates make that same claim. We also learned that our young alumni believe they can be more helpful in directing students and helping convince admissions applicants to attend Culver. In general, alumni want more Culver events, and many expressed an interest in staying connected through additional communications or events.

Head of Schools John Buxton and Commandant Col. Kelly Jordan make their way across campus.

their view of CGA and their perspective on how we can improve upon and promote it. We are indebted to each of them, and their findings will help direct our efforts to build for the future.

We also have taken steps in CMA and CGA to build a more tangible continuum for both honor and leadership. Any of

‘…we are challenging ourselves to identify those areas in which we still have potential to harvest and where opportunities exist for future growth.’

So is this the time to declare victory and celebrate a victory lap? Absolutely not!

This is the time to capture new opportunities. We are working currently with 15 extraordinary women who comprise our CGA Alumnae Advisory Council. They have volunteered untold hours of time to help us take a fresh perspective on one of Culver’s gems: Culver Girls Academy.

Over a period of two years this legion of Culver alumnae have researched, met with, thought about, and tutored us on

you who are parents or grandparents, aunts or uncles of today’s teenagers know how challenging an environment they are navigating. Imbuing in their lives the right values and teaching them “right action” are increasingly difficult as their worlds become more superficial and depend more on connectivity than relationships.

We must discover more creative ways to keep them focused while not becoming anachronistic. We are thrilled with the early results.

We are also fully invested in planning for future trends in academics. There is no more important debate in this country today than the crisis in education and the appropriate response to what many believe is a failing or failed system. The world is changing so rapidly and all schools need to be planning for sustainability. What will relevance look like in the next 10 years? As we plan for our seven-year accreditation next fall, we will be putting in the cornerstone of Culver’s answer to some of these questions.

We know “we have miles to go before we sleep,” but we also understand that it is the journey that is ultimately important.

We also know that a commitment to continuous improvement is essential and has always defined this great institution.

We have the will and we see that way.

None of this would be happening without the engagement of a committed faculty, loyal alumni and alumnae, and devoted and trusting parents. Pam and I are grateful for your support.

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First-classman Ryan Kolden of Aliso Viejo, Calif., has been named one of 250 winners in the Coca-Cola Scholars Program and could receive $20,000 from the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation.

There were over 71,000 applicants, and the Academies had two students among the 2,150 semifinalists. Joining Kolden at that level was senior Claire Lee of Daejeon, South Korea. As a finalist, Kolden will be invited to Atlanta to attend the Scholars Weekend in April in order to interview for two tiers of scholarships.

In February, Andrew Van Duyn ’12 (Wheaton, Ill.) participated in the Teen Tournament on the television game show “Jeopardy.”

Unfortunately, Van Duyn Van Duyn did not advance in the competition, but he did come home with $5,000. Van Duyn had $3,000 going into Final Jeopardy, wagered it all, and answered correctly, but ended up in third place. He said getting the timing right on the buzzer was more difficult than he expected. Van Duyn flew to Los Angeles in early December for taping, but he had to remain mum on the outcome until the air date.

Joel Florek ’11 has won the China Competition sponsored by The Ron Rubin School for the Entrepreneur.

Competition designed to interest Culver students in entrepreneurship in the world’s fastest growing economy, application and 500-word essay that analyzes an innovative product or service in the People’s Republic of China or profiles Chinese entrepreneur.

Winner receives all-expenses paid trip to PRC with Culver’s Spring Break in Mission trip.

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In November, Madeleine Loney ’11 (Hebron, Ky.) won the $1,500 first-prize in the Family Travel Forum Teen Travel Writing Scholarship competition. Loney’s essay “Aspetta” (Travels in Italy) was chosen from among the 4,500 travel blogs submitted by students 13-to-18 from around the world.

Her entry was based on her year in Italy with School Year Abroad.

In addition, she received two one-night family stays at one of the more than 300 Homewood Suites Hotels in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Four students received scholarship money for recent Spring Break in Mission trips thanks to the Woodruff Scholarships and funding from the Samuel L. Westerman Foundation endowment and by Frances Wilkins, widow of Dr. George T. Wilkins ’50. Created in 2007 by the Woodruff family to honor the memory and legacy of Stephen B. Woodruff W’59, ’65, scholarships of $2,500 each were awarded to Danya Lopez Garcia ’12 (Torreon, Mexico) and Tim Jeffirs ’11 (Argos, Ind.) Lopez Garcia used her scholarship for the trip to Italy, while Jeffirs went to New Orleans. The runners-up received a $1,500 scholarship. Caitlynn Fortner ’13 (Dalton, Ga.) used her Wilkins award for the China trip. CMA runner-up Cole

A trio of new students from Linden dorm sport their blazers adorned with the CGA Crest. They were among 95 girls receiving their Crests at the traditional ceremony.

Maetzold ’12 (St. Michael, Minn.) went to New Orleans with his Westerman funding. Winners were selected based on an essay, application, and interview.

Eleven seniors were named to the Culver Chapter of the Cum Laude Society at the Dec. 1 all-school meeting. Those honored for academic excellence were: Mitchell Allen (Lake Bluff, Ill.), Peter Bin (Canton, Mich.), Jonathon Daniel (South Bend, Ind.), Laura Freymiller (Culver), Marisa Guarino (Marietta, Ga.), Cricket Gullickson (Rio, Wis.), Hie Min Han (Seoul, South Korea), Congjie Shi (Shanghai, China), Andrea Simon (Huntertown, Ind.), Jessica Simon (Huntertown, Ind.), and Callie Wilkinson (Marquette, Mich.).

Commandant Col. Kelly Jordan (center) addresses the 18 cadets commissioned as lieutenants to start the second semester of the school year.

Gary Mills photo

Student Notes

Gary Mills photo

Culver

Current

THANK YOU! Culver alumni and friends for your generosity and loyalty

Enjoy the By Example Thank You DVD

The success of the By Example Campaign is one of – if not the – most significant events in Culver history. It is not possible to overstate the impact on the Culver of today and the Culver of tomorrow. Your support has made the difference that allows Culver to face its future with confidence and conviction.

Please take the time to put down this magazine and watch the By Example Thank You DVD that is included. It is our way of sharing some of the amazing success stories and accomplishments that are a result of By Example, as well as a nostalgic and beautiful visit to the school you love. And it will let you know how much each of you are appreciated by all of us – from alumni, parents, and students to trustees, administrators, faculty, and staff.

Thank you.

$376 million in endowment Thanks to your gifts, Culver is financially and philosophically healthy. The final campaign total of more than $376 million makes the By Example Campaign is not only the most successful in Culver’s history but also the most successful fund-raising campaign in the history of American secondary schools.

Thank you.

Trustees and Frank Batten lead by example Former and current Culver Educational Foundation trustees contributed more than $269 million – 72 percent of the funds raised! The late Frank Batten ’45 and his wife, Jane, offered to match $50 million in new endowment money. And the Culver constituency wisely took the Battens up on that amazing leadership challenge to net $100 million.

Thank you.

12,000 donors contribute…

By Example was an extraordinary team effort. More than 12,000 individuals – alumni, parents, faculty, staff, friends, and students – contributed. Your gift today is an investment in tomorrow.

It is an investment that can change a life – a life that can change the world.

Thank you.

…more than 42,000 gifts Culver parents raised over $1 million.

Culver’s faculty and staff contributed almost $200,000. Every gift to the

By Example Campaign is a meaningful gift that has helped to create an opportunity for a student in the classroom, on the athletic field, or in a leadership role.

Thank you.

There is no one involved with Culver that has not been touched or will be touched by your generosity and loyalty.

Thank you.

Haberland photo

Trustees celebrate By Example success, pay tribute to Battens and Hendersons Referring to Henderson as By Example, White said “Jim was the campaign’s spirit, its captain, its irresistible force.”

Celebrated in Culver Alumni Magazine as “ ‘The Face of Culver,’ we know he is its heart as well,” White added.

Under Henderson’s leadership, 12,000 donors and 42,000 gifts resulted in $376 million during the course of an eight-year campaign. It is the most successful fundraising campaign in American secondary education, and it was accomplished amid an economic and stock market collapse that devastated personal, corporate, and institutional investments worldwide.

Jane Batten and her late husband Frank Batten ’45 were honored by the CEF Trustees for their leadership role in the By Example Campaign. With Jane Batten are Head of Schools John Buxton (left) and Chairman Emeritus Jim Henderson W’47, ’52.

“This is a celebration of Culver . . .

You are the proxy for the entire Culver nation,” Head of Schools John Buxton told The Educational Board of Trustees as it convened Feb. 4 meeting in Chicago to formally celebrate the $376 million

By Example Campaign and acknowledge the contribution of two of its key players – Frank Batten and Jim Henderson.

The theme for the evening was one of gratitude, “particularly to Jane Batten for the remarkable leadership that she and Frank provided,” said CEF chairman Miles White ’73.

Jane Batten, the widow of Frank Batten ’45, was a special guest and received a proclamation from the trustees honoring the couple.

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The Battens provided the Batten Leadership Challenge, in which they matched new endowment money dollar-for-dollar up to $50 million. Culver pocketed the full $100 million. The accomplishment was “parless and unprecedented,” Buxton said, describing the couple as “service in tandem.”

“How do you say thank you to a person who has changed the landscape of Culver?” Buxton said.

Saying thank you to chairman emeritus Jim Henderson W’47, ’52 has been an equally daunting task, one that commenced in May 2010 and will culminate in May 2011.

“Think of what this means to our school, to our endowment, our physical plant, our Annual Fund, to our ability to attract the best students and to provide aid to those who need it,” White said. By Example “ensures that Culver, the education it provides and the values it promotes, will be doing its great and good work for many, many years to come.”

For her good work as “a true partner,” Toots Henderson was presented with a hand-painted Picard bowl decorated with mages and symbols of Culver.

With that, White unveiled a large, colorful three-dimensional collage; “one eloquent image, a picture of an extraordinary life.”

The 5- by 4-foot, wood-framed collage was filled with 250 pieces – each piece significant to Jim Henderson and telling a part of his story, representing a memory, a deed, or a relationship. It was a visual journey through the great chapters and themes that comprise the life of Jim and Toots Henderson. It started and ended at the same place – with Culver and with family.

Tributes by Bob Benson ’60 and B.B. Culver III ’58 followed before the crowd toasted Henderson as “the living embodi-

3-D Collage Honors Life and Times of Jim Henderson ment of Culver, with heartfelt gratitude and admiration for your leadership, your mentorship, and your friendship.”

Stepping behind the lectern, Henderson reviewed “a much appreciated yearlong journey” for him and Toots. “I am very fortunate to have been involved with Culver most of my life,” he said, “and after all those years I still get a surge of energy and excitement every time I step on campus.”

“It is a very happy and productive place .… and one of the few schools in the country in charge of its own destiny.”

—Doug Haberland, Editor

There was a lot of finger-pointing at the Feb. 4 trustees’ dinner in Chicago, and it was all at a colorful 5- by 4-foot three- dimensional collage filled with 250 objects representing the life and times of Jim Henderson.

The collage, presented to Henderson and his wife, Toots, by the trustees, was the work of creative artist Lawrence Romorini and researcher Donna Rome with One of Kind Inc. of Silver Spring, Md. From the moment it was unveiled, the collage captured the attention of the room. The Hendersons and everyone else were transfixed by the intricacy of the design, the completeness and scope of the effort, the detail and precision.

Using a variety of sources, Romorini transformed miniaturized photos,

publications, and 3-D items into artwork that honors the past and celebrates the present.

CEF chairman Myles White ’73 provided wonderful insights and subtleties into Henderson and into Culver, Rome said.

Other sources included the website (“a treasure-trove of images”), magazine articles, and the coffee table book “Images of Culver.”

“It was a wonderfully challenging commission that was very inspirational,” said Romorini, who has been creating presentation pieces since 1985. The project was a nine-month process from brainstorming to delivery.

Romorini said in a phone interview he wanted to capture the full commitment of Henderson’s leadership and the “charming roots of Culver.”

On each side of the frame is an engraved brass panel.

One panel contains photos of the CEF trustees Henderson has served with during his 40-year tenure. The other bears photos of the 24 Henderson family members who have attended Culver.

An infantry sword was attached to the bottom of the frame.

“It is a personal museum,” Romorini said.

—Doug Haberland, Editor

Photo courtesy of One of a Kind Inc.

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IN

Brief

Junior Carina Conti (Celebration, Fla.) flies across the stage during a Dancevision concert.

Guest Choreographer Works with Dancevision Dancevison hosted international choreographer Laila Hardman Feb. 13-17.

During her visit, Hardman taught dance classes and set new choreography for Dancevision that will be used for Relay For Life and Spring Parents Weekend performances. Hardman’s credits include being a private dance coach for Justin Timberlake and she has coached several dancers from the hit show, “So You Think You Can Dance.” Hardman started a dance team at The American School in London and won first place for six years in a row at the European Championships.

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Photo by Lew Kopp ’71.

All Roll Calls on Digital Vault Every single volume of the Roll Call yearbook – from 1905 through 2009 – has now been posted to the Digital Vault. There, you can accomplish full-text searching and page-by-page browsing of your high school memories. Browse our collection, search out the names of your friends (or your own), and explore all the Digital Vault has to offer. Access to the Digital Vault is restricted to alumni and requires a username and password.

If you don’t have one, send an e-mail to digitalvault@culver.org or call the Alumni Office at (574) 842-7200.

No Black Stripers in 2010-11 Commandant Col. Kelly Jordan proudly reports that there are no Black Stripers in the 2010-2011 corps! Every single “old

man” has passed his branch qualification tests and is recognized as a full member of his unit. In terms of leader development, Jordan said this is perhaps the most important and impressive result possible, since a cadet must have passed his Boards to eligible to participate in the CMA leadership program.

Choir off to Austrian Festival The Academies Choir has been invited to sing in the Mozart International Choral Festival June 29 to July 3, 2011, in Salzburg, Austria. Twenty-one students and five adults will be attending and work is underway to underwrite part of the cost of the trip In addition to rehearsals and the performance, the trip will include tours of Salzburg, which is Mozart’s birthplace.

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Faculty, Staff & Retiree Notes 2 Awards from CASE The Academies Development Office picked up two CASE V awards for Batten-related programs.

The Batten Leadership Challenge Charitable Gift Annuity Offer, headed up by Director of Planned Giving Dale Spenner, received the Gold Award as the Best Program in Planned Giving. The department also received a Silver Award (small school) for Best Practices in Fund Raising and Development for The Batten Leadership Challenge. The school and Development staff was recognized officially at the CASE V conference in Chicago in midDecember. CASE V is the six-state Midwest region of the Council for the Advancement of Secondary Education.

Material written by Martin Engelbrecht, a master instructor of mathematics, was included in an Algebra 2 textbook recently published by Holt McDougal.

A 25-year veteran of the faculty, Engelbrecht has been a contributing author, content consultant, reviewer/editor, and ancillary writer for mathematics textbooks used nationally since 1997 and authored “Data Analysis with Trigonometry” for the Academies in 1992.

Veteran journalist Mike Petrucelli joined the Development Office Jan. 5 as the Advancement Communications Coordinator. Petrucelli’s writing and web management responsibilities will be divided between the Development and Alumni offices. Petrucelli spent the previous 12 years with the South Bend Tribune/Tribune companies working everything from food and higher education to blog,

features, and a reporter’s beat. He also has had extensive experience with a variety of social media and website/content management. Petrucelli’s son attended Woodcraft Camp last summer and his wife, Amanda, worked there on staff.

Amanda is also a freelance writer and is published in this issue of Culver Alumni Magazine.

Academies historian Robert B.D. Hartman presented an audio-visual look at the contributions of graduates of Culver Military Academy to the World War I and II on Veterans Day at the Academies Museum & Gift Shop in downtown Culver. The program was based on Hartman’s book “Lest We Forget – Culver: Two Great Wars and the Years Between, 1914-1945.” Nearly 3,000 Culver graduates fought in World War I and another 6,000 were involved during World War II.

Theater Returning to Festival The Theater Department has been invited to again participate in The Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, the largest and most prestigious arts festival in the world. Culver, which appeared at The Fringe in 2005, will join other U.S. schools in August 2011 as part of the American High School Theatre Festival.

The students will be performing an original musical comedy written by Theatre Director Richard Coven, with music by Coven and Academies music instructor David Weirich. The show, “Travelers,” was performed on campus in January as the winter play. Students are now raising funds to finance this two-week adventure to Scotland and England. In 2010, the festival drew over 1.9 million spectators.

Photo by Lew Kopp ’71.

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Harkness Learning: Communication in a student-driven environment

By Ed Kelley Humanities Instructor

The transition to a classroom that emphasizes proactive, dynamic learning is a process currently enveloping the mission of the Humanities curriculum at Culver.

Whether it is critical thinking, writing, or speaking, the student as the primary actor in the classroom is fundamental. One principal practice employed by the Humanities Department to cultivate these skills is the Harkness methodology.

Harknessing, developed in the 1930s at Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, N.H., was an attempt to “move away from the traditional model of teaching: teacher lectures information to students, the students copy the information onto paper, and later, the students ‘regurgitate’ the previously instructor-fed information back onto tests and essays.” (Shapiro, Harkness Learning) Once Culver’s former History Department committed itself to developing a Humanities 9 course in 1996, the Harkness approach became a staple for instructors who wished to develop lifelong skills that transcended the curriculum.

Consequently, the methodology has been instrumental in developing the skill-centered humanities classroom. A common homework assignment would be to integrate various primary and secondary resources. For example, a student could be asked to read a chapter on Italian nationalism in the 1930s, examine one chapter from Remarque’s “All Quiet on the Western Front,” and also interpret poems by Rupert Brooke and Jessie Pope.

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Seated around a large, oval table, Culver students come prepared to engage each other with comments, questions, and textual citations from the assignment.

Ideally, the process involves students to a greater degree than they are accustomed.

“They must search for the ideas and information and then wrestle with that which they find. Students who engage themselves with the Harkness class will finish with a sense of autonomy and empowerment, knowing that they know how to learn,” Shapiro wrote.

Accordingly, accurate assessment and feedback is crucial. Students who perform well realize quickly it is what one says and how one supports oneself that garners that coveted A. First-classman Peter Bin, a Duchossois Scholar from Canton, Mich., confirms the challenges presented through the Harkness approach. “I was accustomed to the lecture-approach, and I performed quite well in that environment. Harkness was somewhat intimidating, but it didn’t take too long to see the

Peter, like many of his peers, had a fruitful experience in his Humanities courses.

He became quite comfortable in the skilldriven environment. And more important, he walked away with a confidence to be more proactive directing his own academic progress.

Editor’s note: A member of the faculty since the fall of 1996 Ed Kelley has taught in the ninth- and now 10th-grade Humanities programs. Kelley earned a bachelor’s degree in history at John Carroll University, concentrating on European and Asian histories. A minor in English helped guide him toward the humanities curriculum.

He also earned a master’s in history from John Carroll. Kelley is an assistant varsity football coach and head freshman basketball coach. His wife, Anne (Schneider) is a 1994 CGA graduate and the counselor for Ithaka Dorm. They have three children.

Gary Mills photo.

For years, I thought academic rigor was in direct parallel with excessive amounts of content, and the retention of it. However, through my own professional development as an instructor at Culver, I, like many of my colleagues in the Humanities Department, have directed my attention to more skill-centered lessons, methodologies, and assessments that inculcate the subject matter.

benefits of critically thinking about the topics we studied and discussing them in a public venue. I liked being in charge when I entered the classroom. It made me a more confident student.”

Ed Kelley is one of several Humanities instructors using the Harkness table to promote critical thinking and student involvement.

On Our Way to

Woodcraft Camp’s Centennial Celebration

By Weston B. Outlaw W’95, NB’98, ’00 Marketing Coordinator Culver Summer Schools

& Camps

i

n less than a year and a half, Homecoming and Parents Weekend will be the gateway to the official celebration of Woodcraft Camp’s centennial. Plans are in the works to create a special weekend for all Woodcraft alumni, patrons, campers, and staff. The celebration weekend will most likely follow a similar structure to that of the golden and diamond jubilees held in 1962 and 1987, respectively.

The weekend of July 27-29, 1962, held special events each day. Friday included a performance in Eppley Auditorium (dedicated only three years prior) by Dee Woolem who “demonstrated with live ammunition how he won his reputation as an expert gunslinger.” With 1,450 in attendance, “he executed tricks that had the Woodcrafters bug-eyed.” The performance was made possible by Woolem’s employer, Col. Cass S. Hough ’21, who

was president of the Daisy Manufacturing Company (still in existence today). Culver continues to use Daisy air rifles in camp.

The official ceremony for the 50th anniversary was Saturday on the Riding Hall Terrace before more than 3,500 people. The guest speaker was Frank W. Braden, a Midwest Boy Scout official, who spoke of the camp’s amazing growth and paid tribute to the men who helped make it great. Following this event was the official ground-breaking ceremony of today’s 127-acre Woodcraft campus, which cost the Academy a whopping $800,000 in 1962 currency.

The most impressive event – the Woodcraft Pageant – was Saturday evening on the football field Here, Woodcrafters first sang the “Woodcraft Marching Song,” written for this event by Col. Edward Payson. Bruce Blythe W’46, ’52, who was associated with the Garry Moore television show, narrated and described “a stirring panoply of Indians, soldiers, and woodsmen (who) paraded in colorful period costumes acting out the history of the area and the Camp,” according to the Alumni magazine.

Sunday included a band and choir concert, which included the 107-piece Naval Band and the 84-piece Woodcraft aggregation together on the Eppley Auditorium stage.

Fast forward to 1987 and Woodcraft Camp’s diamond jubilee. The Saturday event included updated re-enactments that covered the history of the last 25 years. “Trails of Adventure” was written and directed by still-current summer employee Dick Zimmerman and again narrated by Blythe.

Other highlights included anniversary patches donated by Dr. Charles E. Hughes III N’60 and his wife, a photo essay by Laurie Porter O’Brien,

a memorabilia display by Zimmerman, and the song “I Can If I Will” by Lyle Whybrew (still a summer staffer).

President Reagan sent a letter from The White House on July 17, 1987, stating “the best test of Woodcraft’s excellence is the lives of achievement lived by those who spent childhood summers there enjoying the delights of nature and learning lessons of character.”

Today, enrollment for Woodcraft Camp stands at 672 campers – 420 boys and 252 girls. As we have noted in the past celebrations, it is the people who make the celebration a success. The Woodcraft Camp centennial celebration will also be the first to have the added benefit of the Internet as a source to invite patrons back to campus.

So, write it down. Add it to your Outlook calendar. Enter it into your Blackberry. You won’t want to miss this!

Photo: The consummate story-teller, Col. Robert Rossow was the director of Woodcraft Camp in 1937 when it celebrated its 25th anniversary.

Nearly 75 years later, the Council Ring is still a major component of a Woodcraft summer.

Culver Archives Photograph.

SAVE TH E DATE Woodc raf

t Ca Centen mp’s nial Celebra tion We ekend In Co njunc Homec tion with om Parents ing and Weeke nd

JULY 2 0–

22, 201 2

culver alumni magazine

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A SEason of unprecedented accomplishment c

ulver Military Academy is now officially on the map in the basketball crazy state of Indiana.

But for the Academies, CMA’s historic trip to the Indiana 3A basketball finals was just the capstone to a full season of team championships and individual laurels. By winning Class 3A sectional, regional, and semistate championships and having a state runner-up trophy in hand, the Eagles officially entered their names in high school record books around the state. And while the dream ended one-game short, the 2010-2011 Eagles will be the team all future CMA basketball teams will be compared to. Not only were they a state finalist, they also set a record for the most wins, going 19-7, on the season.

And, under first-year head coach Mark Galloway, they also came to define what it is to be a team.

“I just felt Coach Galloway really helped bring us closer together as a team,” guard Jermaine Myers ’12 told the South Bend Tribune. “We’ve always had a lot of talent. He just showed us how to use it the right way. I think the more success we had the more fun we had. I’m just sorry to see it end because this was the most fun I’ve ever had playing basketball.”

For Galloway, his first year at Culver was unlike any other.

“As coaches, we can’t say enough about the time, effort, and dedication these kids put forth.

These kids have a lot of responsibilities outside of athletics. I’m just so proud for what they accomplished not only on the basketball court, but in the classroom. They made my first year here one of the most enjoyable coaching experiences I’ve ever had.”

The effort showed. Not only was the tournament run and season record historic, the Eagles carried an 11-game winning streak on their police-escort bus ride to Indianapolis.

Point guard Jermaine Myers ’12 drives for the hoop in the state championship game. Myers was CMA’s leading scorer in the game, during the season, and eclipsed 1,000 points for his career.

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Spring 2011

Garrison photo. culver alumni magazine

15

W

hile the CMA basketball team’s run rewrote Culver history books, other athletes turned in performances that sent ripples throughout the state and even the nation. Some of those included:

to capture the Class 5A state hockey championship.

It was the 21st state title for CMA in hockey and the first time the Varsity had won the title since the Culver teams were reconfigured in 2008-2009.

• Senior Waverly Neer set a national high school indoor record in the 5,000 meters at the New Balance Track & Field Championships in New York. Neer smashed the old time by nearly eight seconds, clocking 16:35.15 on the 200-meter track at the Armory Center.

The New York Armory Center will be Neer’s new running home, as she will attend Columbia University in the fall.

• Kayla Miracle, wrestling at 103 pounds, became the first female in Indiana to ever be ranked (13th). She finished the dual meet season undefeated and didn’t lose until the championship match of the regional.

• Junior fencer Desirae Major won the U20 category in the saber at the Junior Olympics in Dallas. It was the first time a member of a high school team had ever won a national JO title.

• And, swimmer David DeVries ’11 set school records in the 200- and 500-meter freestyle during the sectional.

• The High School Varsity hockey team capped its season with a 7-2 win over South Bend St. Joseph’s

• Culver Girls Academy ended a 14-year drought, winning its first Class 3A basketball sectional title since the Indiana High School Athletic Association went to class basketball in 1997-98.

It was that kind of winter sports season at Culver.

Truly a winter of historic proportions.

Exclamation point!

Forward Juwan Brescacin slams home a dunk shot, providing CMA with the winning margin at the Huntington Semistate. With the victory, CMA earned a trip to the state 3A championship game in Indianapolis.

Courtesy of Grant Munroe '87. www.culverphotos.com.

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Spring 2011

Haberland photo.

CGA celebrates its first Class 3A sectional basketball championship.

Boys Basketball To say the Eagles’ tournament run to the state championship game generated enthusiasm is understating the affect of Hoosier Hysteria. The state championship game was played in Conseco Fieldhouse before a crowd of nearly 18,000 people. A large contingent of fans followed CMA at every stop – and alumni, faculty, and staff filled in for the students when the state title game fell during spring break.

The team had won 11 straight win before losing to defending state champion Washington, 61-46, in the title game.

The tournament run included a rematch victory over Mishawaka Marian, 55-51, in the first round of the sectional, followed by a 66-57 win over South Bend St. Joseph’s in the title game. The Eagles defeated Andrean in the first round of the regional, 61-56, and took the championship over Western, 54-52, when Juwan Brescacin scored at the buzzer.

The team punched its ticket to Indianapolis with a 51-49 victory over Columbia City in the semistate.

During the season two players broke the 1,000-point barrier for their careers. The team’s leading scorer, point guard Jermaine Myers (1,186) broke the barrier in the regular season against Plymouth and forward Brescacin ’11 finished his career with 1,006 points after scoring 12 points in the state

championship game. That moved them into elite company with Jackson Atoyebi ’01 (1,431) and Mitch Henderson ’94 (1,284) as the only four CMA players to break that level.

Girls Basketball Culver Girls Academy broke a 14-year drought with its first sectional championship in the class basketball era, which started with the 1997-1998 season. The Eagles, now in Class 3A, won the last one-class sectional in the spring of 1997.

In the first game of the sectional the girls defeated rival Plymouth, 49-48, when Brenna Newell ’11 (Frankfort, Ill.) hit a 12-foot jumper as time expired. They followed with a 43-24 Shipley victory over New Prairie and then captured a 44-39 overtime win over host Rochester in the championship.

But the season came to an end, 49-46, in the Rensselaer regional when Griffith hit a three-point shot with 2.5 seconds remaining for the win. The girls finished 17-7.

Senior Kylee Shipley (Culver) broke 1,000 points for her career and followed that by being selected as one of Hoosier Basketball’s Top 100 girls.

Wrestling The rise of freshman wrestler Kayla Miracle (Bloomington, Ind.) garnered local, state, and national attention. As the 103pounder’s unbeaten streak grew, many new faces appeared at home wrestling events.

She was featured in the Faces in the Crowd section Sports Illustrated’s Jan. 17 issue.

Miracle also was named the Athlete of the Week by WSBT-TV in South Bend after finishing second at the regional.

Miracle won the Plymouth sectional title with an 11-4 decision, running her record to 36-0. She became only the second Indiana high school girl to win a wrestling sectional title and the first to be ranked when she reached 13th.

She lost for the first time in the regional championship match, 1-0. Her bid to become to first girl to qualify for the state tournament ended when she lost in the first round of the Merrillville semistate, which featured three of the state’s top 10 wrestlers in her weight class.

But Miracle wasn’t wrestling’s only story.

Anthony McHugh ’13 Miracle (Lewis Center, Ohio) lost his first match of the season in the 119-pound sectional championship. He finished second at the regional and third at the semistate, which advanced him to the state meet. McHugh lost an 8-3 decision his first-round match, finishing the season with a 40-4 record.

At 140 pounds, Luther Jacobs ’13 (South Bend, Ind.) also qualified for the semistate with a runner-up finish at the regional after winning the sectional title.

girls Swimming The CGA swimming and diving team finished second at the Warsaw sectional and Michelle Tanke-Juska qualified for the state meet with a win in the 500 freestyle.

Tanke-Juska ’11 (Miami) won the 500 free in 5:28.46. The race highlighted CGA’s depth as Sophia Grazian finished second and Betsy Whitfield was fourth. Culver relay teams placed second in the 200 medley, the 200 freestyle, and third in the 400 freestyle.

culver alumni magazine

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boys Swimming

High School Varsity Hockey

David DeVries and Zach Grant ’12 qualified for the boys state swimming meet with victories in the Warsaw sectional. DeVries ’11 (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.) qualified in the 200 freestyle and the 500 freestyle. His winning time in the 200 free of 1:45.93 set a school record and his 500 free time (4:46.54) DeVries broke sectional and school records. DeVries was so dominant in the 500 that he lapped the field.

In the 100 backstroke, Grant broke one minute (57:48.2) for the first time, earning his first berth in the state meet.

The team finished second at the sectional with the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay teams each placing second.

Culver won the Great Lakes Conference Championship in overwhelming fashion on Feb. 5, becoming the first school to break 100 points in conference history. It was a fitting exclamation point to a season that included excellent showings in the Junior Olympic qualifying event, the Midwest High School Open, and the conference dual meet championships.

In the conference meet, the team captured the men’s overall and finished second in the women’s overall. Five of the six teams placed in the top three and 11 of the 12 individual fencers placed in the top 10 in each weapon.

Top conference performances included John Hayman winning the men’s epee and Desirae Major’s first in women’s saber.

At the Midwest High School Open, hosted by the Academies, Culver won all three of the men’s disciplines and the women’s epee. Both the men and the women finished second overall in the event featuring 343 fencers from 33 high school and club teams from seven Midwestern states.

Seventeen fencers qualified for the Junior Olympics. For more on Major’s national championship, see page 19.

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Spring 2011

U16 Boys Hockey The U16 team finished 27-6-1 after advancing to the Mid-American Districts semis. The team advanced with wins over the Pittsburgh Vipers and Predators and the Queen City Storm. U16 played a national schedule that included trips to Shattuck, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Chicago, and Ontario during the regular season. Highlights include taking three-of-four from the Chicago Young Americans, and wins over Detroit Catholic Central’s JV and the Lansing Capitols.

Photo courtesy of Rona Spano.

Fencing

The High School Varsity hockey team finished the season with a flourish, collecting a state championship trophy in the process and polishing its record up to 29-14-0. The season-ending run included two road wins over Shattuck-St. Mary’s, avenging two early season losses at home, and two victories against De La Salle High School’s purple team.

In the tournament, Varsity defeated Hamilton Southeastern, South Bend St. Joseph’s, and Carmel Gold in Class 5A round-robin play.

Leading the way in the championship contest were Ryan Sete ’12 (Jackson, Mich.) and Clint Zumer ’11 (Chatham, Ill.) with two goals each. In goal, Grant Holler ’11 (Mattawan, Mich.), had 15 saves.

Prep also made it to the championship games in the Cushing Academy Tournament and the Madison (Wisconsin) Tournament.

The team played Shattuck-St. Mary’s at home, losing 5-2 in the first game and tying the No. 1 team in the nation 2-2 in the rematch.

CMA Varsity hockey claims the school’s 21st state hockey crown.

Prep Hockey The Prep team finished at 31-12-3 after advancing to the championship game of its own Midwest Prep Invitational. The Eagles lost, 4-2, to the St. Louis Amateur Blues, the defending champions. En route, Prep posted wins over Upper Canada College, National Sports Academy, and Ridley College.

The Eagles faced many of the same teams in winning the Upper Canada College Tournament over Thanksgiving break. There, the Eagles defeated Ridley, 6-3, in the championship game.

Girls Hockey The highlight of the CGA hockey season was its 2011 Cherry Hills Tournament victory at Traverse City, Mich. The six-team tournament saw the Eagles take a first round win over Thessalon, then knock off the Wolf Pack, Traverse City, and the G-Force. In a rematch of the first game, CGA beat Thessalon, 5-1.

CGA took second place in its CGA Invitational, dropping a 3-0 decision to the Minnesota Thoroughbreds U19 squad in

Gary Mills photo.

the championship. The girls hosted Victory Honda U19 in November, tying both those contests by the same 3-3 score, before dropping two games in Plymouth, Mich., in February.

Waverly Neer runs away from the pack.

Indoor track Neer’s historic run was the news, but she also ran in the 1,600 meters at the New Balance National High School Indoor Track & Field Championships, finishing 11th after her 5K performance. According to the South Bend Tribune, Neer (Russiaville, Ind.) ran 4:53.67 on the 200-meter indoor track at the Armory in New York City. The Indiana outdoor state meet record is 4:49.38.

Neer followed her performance in New York with another record-setting performance in the 3,200 at the Hoosier State Relays at Purdue University. Her time of 10:19 broke the 2008 mark set by CGA’s Alex Banfich ’08, now running at Princeton University.

Desirae Major claims national fencing title a first for high school program at Junior Olympics Academies junior Desirae Major became the first fencer from a high school program to win a Junior Olympics national championship as she captured the 20-and-under women’s saber division Feb. 18-21 in Dallas.

Major, the daughter of Dianna Major of Olathe, Kan., became the first national champion fencer for the Academies. Until her victory, fencing clubs – not high school team fencers – had dominated the JO competition, which began in 1971.

In that final bout, Major had the winning touch taken away on a challenge.

But instead of mentally collapsing, she “refocused immediately and my mental strength pulled me through.”

With the winning touch, Major, 17, experienced “pure joy,” though she didn’t realize the significance of her victory at the time.

Her mental toughness is complemented by “a great work ethic either in the classroom or in the fencing gym,”

said Academies coach Igor Stefanic, who is also Major’s Advanced Placement chemistry instructor.

A member of the Blue Key Academic Society and carrying a 3.9 grade-point average on a 4.0-scale, Major spent the evening after her championship match in the hotel taking an AP Chemistry exam, receiving an A-minus.

Major’s accomplishments on the fencing strip and in the classroom are even more impressive when you factor in that she has spent every weekend since the New Year crisscrossing the United States and even traveling to London for an international fencing competition.

Major spent Jan. 12-13 in Dallas at a nationally-sanctioned event, placing second in the U17 category and in the top 32 in the U20. On Jan. 19-20, she was in Phoenix for an international competition, placing sixth in the U20 category.

The next weekend, she jetted to London for another international competition, placing 16th in the U17 age bracket.

Desirae Major (left) on the attack.

Gary Mills photo.

—Compiled and written by Jan Garrison For more sports information visit www.culver.org/athletics

culver alumni magazine

19

For the Visually Literate the

Huffington Library

By Jack Williams Fine Arts Instructor

Some years, ago, while crossing the academic quad on my way to teach my Humanities class, I noticed several references to Roman architecture in the façade of Huffington Library. Michael Huffington ’65, representing the patrons of our library, noted in an e-mail that he and the late architect Paul Kennon worked together to create a structure that would “offer our students a sense of grandeur in their lives on campus so that they could dream big.” (The Huffington family – Michael Huffington, his sister Terry Huffington SS’70, and their late parents, Roy and Phyllis Huffington – provided the lead gift for construction of the library.)

If inspiring students to reach for the stars was the goal, then Huffington Library remains an unequivocal success because Huffington and Kennon (whom Huffington described as a “brilliant architect”) have given us a brick-andmortar masterpiece that calls to mind some of the most ambitious architectural forms of the ancient world.

Like me, you probably tend to overlook the beauty in your life; but now and then, with a little luck, beauty intrudes and demands attention. So it happened one morning that as I casually glanced at Huffington Library, I finally noticed what appeared to be deliberate references to the Arch of Constantine, circa 315 A.D., and other ancient monuments. Suddenly, the presence of Greco-Roman architectural features seemed so obvious; but why so Gary Mills photo.

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Spring 2011

Gary Mills photo.

Open Book is an Assimilation My lesson plans for Humanities included presentations on ancient architecture, which in part helped demonstrate the Roman proclivity for Greek culture.

For example, the Pantheon, the Roman

iStockphoto

many and with such particularity? What did it all mean? After puzzling over my discovery for a few minutes, I concluded that there’s more to the façade of Huffington Library than meets the eye, and like any good riddle, the clues are hidden in plain sight. The following explains how the content of my lesson plans for Humanities helped me crack this architectural code, which defines our library not as a mere repository of books but – are you ready? – as a temple of learning that asserts the triumph of knowledge over ignorance.

temple to all the gods, circa 125 A.D. (Image 1), borrows certain features from the complex of buildings on the Acropolis in Athens. These deliberate architectural references to Athenian monuments of the fifth century B.C. broadcast the Romans’ claim to be the rightful heirs to the Greek legacy of military victory and divine favor during the Persian Wars.

To further emphasize the link between imperialism and divinity – an ancient version of our own Manifest Destiny – the Romans elaborated

traditional temple architecture by inserting an attic form between the rotunda, the main gathering space of the Pantheon, and the portico. The rectangular attic is a hallmark of Roman triumphal arches, freestanding monuments that memorialized the conquests of the most celebrated

Pantheon, Image 1

both structures combine features of Greek temple architecture with features of Roman triumphal arches.

Arch of Constantine, Image 2

Roman generals and emperors. By blending the attic form of a triumphal arch with the traditional architecture of Greek and Roman temples, the Pantheon helps define Roman identity by asserting military conquest as a religious imperative.

This connection to our Greco-Roman heritage is evidently a Culver tradition; Huffington points out that his lifelong interest in the architectural splendors of Greece and Rome derives in part from his years as a cadet: “My first visit to Europe was as a Culver junior during spring break, and we spent ten days touring Delphi, the Acropolis, and the islands of Greece. I now sit on the board of the Florence Academy of Art and so travel to Italy. The architecture of both countries has always inspired me.”

the form – and the function – of the main stairs from the Temple of Fortuna at Palestrina, circa late first century B.C. (Images 3). This vast Roman complex consisted of four levels linked by monumental stairways, which prepared the worshipper for spiritual communion with the gods by controlling his or her progression from darkness to light, from lower to higher elevations, and from panoramic views of nature to elaborate architectural formations. In this way, the stairways and the ascending terraces physically and psychologically moved the worshipper through a series of controlled sensory experiences.

Shortly after I began presenting lessons on the rise of Christianity within the Roman Empire, I experienced my own Saul-on-the-road-to-Damascus moment with a bit of Mr. Chips thrown in for good measure. Imagine my excitement when I noticed one brisk autumn morning the striking similarity between the façade of Huffington Library and the Arch of Constantine (Image 2), the architectural monument from the late Roman Empire that I had introduced to my students a few days before.

The relative sizes and locations of the central arch and flanking windows of our library, for example, mimic the relationship among the three arches in the Roman structure. Likewise, the circular windows in the façade of Huffington Library echo the location of the roundels in the Arch of Constantine (roundels provide relief carvings that proclaim the emperor’s virtues and military prowess).

Bit by bit, the hidden meaning of Huffington Library began to emerge as I stood silently on the quad. By blending the triangular pediment (a traditional feature of Greco-Roman temples) at the apex of the façade with the attic form of a triumphal arch, Huffington Library embodies the Roman impulse for assimilation that is so evident in the Pantheon. Indeed, despite their distance in time and space, Huffington Library and the Pantheon are inextricably bound precisely because

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Spring 2011

Temple of Fortuna at Palestrina, Image 3

A Communion of the Mind The full impact of my revelation occurred as I stood staring at our library, oblivious to the students who were attempting to negotiate their various trajectories around me as they hurried to their classes. Anyone who has ever accessed Huffington Library via the main entrance knows that he or she has earned the right to enter after laboring to climb those stairs. That’s the point, surely; you know you’re going somewhere particular when you negotiate the twists and turns of the lateral staircase, which I suddenly realized resembles

Entry to Huffington Library is likewise a matter of both physical and psychological sensations. Turning left or right from one set of stairs to the next and ascending from lower to higher levels – movement along the x and y axes – draws attention to the act of entering the library – movement along the z axis. These coerced transitions control the rhythm and the direction of the ascent, and the landing of each set of stairs provides natural pauses that offer increasingly panoramic views of the central quadrangle of the Culver campus. Huffington recently confirmed that he chose this particular configuration

Gary Mills photo.

bad luck in one’s life was through techne, or technological know-how of one sort or another. This lesson from the past remains particularly relevant. Like our cultural ancestors we seek to gain mastery over the power of chance or luck in our lives, and this mastery results from knowledge, which of course Huffington Library offers to one and all. because he “wanted everyone once they got to the top of the stairs to have a chance to turn outward and see our magnificent campus before entering the library.” By thus magnifying the visitor’s progression through time and space, the lateral stairways of Huffington Library encourage a degree of transcendence that may prepare the visitor for an appropriately reverent encounter with the intellectual heritage of Western civilization, for a communion of the mind, so to speak.

Monumental Gift In light of the specific architectural references described, is it really so difficult to conceive the façade of Huffington Library in terms of metaphor? The Pantheon was the Roman temple to all the gods, and the Arch of Constantine celebrated the military victories of Constantine, the first Christian emperor. Seems to me that a building that contains the works of such literary deities as Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Milton and that invites young scholars to come worship at the altar of knowledge appropriately borrows ancient architectural forms that functioned as temples and victory monuments. What better way to sanctify learning than to commemorate the process in brick and mortar as an interior pilgrimage, as a perennial struggle against ignorance that leads to intellectual triumph? Also, the Temple of Fortuna was dedicated to the personification of luck, good or bad. The Greeks likewise personified the capricious nature of fate, which they called Tyche.

For the Greeks, as every Humanities student at Culver Academies knows, the surest means of mitigating the effect of

So on this, the twenty-year anniversary of the groundbreaking of our library, let beauty – and meaning – into your life by enjoying the many opportunities for viewing pleasure that this monumental gift from the Huffington family provides.

Editor’s note: Jack Williams joined the Academies’ Fine Arts Department in 2006.

He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Paier College of Art, a master’s degree in painting from Parsons School of Design, and a master’s degree in art history from the University of Notre Dame. Williams also pursued post-graduate studies at the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts. In addition, he has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in English from Southern Connecticut State University and a law degree from Quinnipiac University. He currently teaches drawing, painting, ceramics, visual literacy, and equine sculpture. Williams has also taught at the college and university levels.

Gary Mills photo.

Feeding the Mind…

In a Digital Age, Huffington Library Remains a Special Place to Study, Learn, and Convene

By Jan Garrison Assistant Director of Publications When the Class of 2010 valedictorian Adriann Negreros (Warsaw, Indiana) graduated, he sent the staff of the Huffington Library a vase of flowers to show his appreciation for all the hours he spent there studying, reading, writing, and doing research.

here.’ While they could be warm and cozy in their dorm rooms, they have bundled up and walked over here in freezing weather.

They have made a commitment to study – and it is a good atmosphere for that.

“It would be interesting to do a survey and see what the GPAs of the students who use the library a lot are against those you don’t,” she added. “This place is usually pretty full during CQ (closed quarters).”

The combination of the architecture, being surrounded by thousands of books, and the quiet nature of libraries in general does make Huffington a special place for many people.

However, in order for it to maintain that aura twenty years after the building’s cornerstone was laid, the library will go through some minor transformations, Freymiller said.

Gary Mills photo.

(Construction on the Huffington Library began in 1991.

The library officially opened in 1993. The library staff is already working on ideas for the twentieth anniversary celebration in 2013.)

It is that kind of reverence many of the students have for the library. Even though nearly everything is at their fingertips in a digital format these days, Librarian Susan Freymiller said many students still enjoy the ambiance that Huffington offers.

“They have a respect for this place,” she said. “They think ‘I should be working

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Spring 2011

Providing a place for academic pursuits is the first goal of the Huffington staff. From seventyfive to one hundred students make use of the library every weeknight. As a school library, it is a place to do research, to access the necessary materials for that research, and to focus on the study of those materials.

But doing research is changing in the digital age. Many of the materials are now available via online databases, which the library provides access to. It is also carrying fewer paper copies of periodicals

because they are available online. And the staff can assist students in finding the necessary material, either online or on the shelves.

Teaching students how to find that material properly is another goal. Digital Citizenship is a major buzzword – teaching students about copyrights and fair use – and a major part of the staff ’s work. Digital Citizenship classes are conducted during the first semester for all new students so they understand how to cite sources correctly and the importance of giving people credit for their works, Freymiller said.

“So many of them come in with that ‘If I see it, I’ll copy it’ attitude,” she added.

“It’s really encouraging to see them understand what intellectual property means.”

Coming from a public library in Nappanee, Indiana, Freymiller has always believed that libraries should be a community gathering place. There should be areas where people can show movies, discuss books, and meet with others.

Huffington Library actually is the community library for many members of the faculty, staff, and their families.

They come for children’s books, to read the magazines and local newspapers, and to check out movies. Students also rely on it to provide their favorite books and movies, too.

Freymiller encourages small groups and campus organizations to meet in the library. Two CMA units are now conducting their meetings in Huffington and the main floor wings will be adapted to allow other small groups to meet in those locations as well, she said.

While the role as a community gathering place will continue to gain importance as the digital transformation continues, Freymiller doesn’t see books turning to

Photo by Lew Kopp W’66, ’71.

dust and blowing away any time soon.

The simple reason is books are not technology dependent.

She tells students to imagine she is holding up a one thousand-year-old book in one hand and a CD of that book in the other. “I ask them to tell me which one they will be able to read in ten thousand years. The technology will have changed several times by then. Someone will have to copy that information each time the technology changes. But you will still be able to open the book and read it.”

And that is why Freymiller believes books – especially fiction and historical non-fiction – will always stay in print.

The sensory nature of holding a book, turning a page, and being able to see that you are halfway through are all part of the reading experience, she explained.

It is just different than reading it off a computer or digital book reader.

Reference material that needs constant updating will move to a digital format because of the convenience, Freymiller added, but she isn’t as sure about textbooks. While going digital would save money, she isn’t sure students would respond to them the same way. The sophomore Humanities classes are experimenting with Kindles and she is curious to see

how students respond to the technology when it comes to underlining important passages or writing notes in the margins.

But, whatever course technology does take the printed word, Freymiller is sure that Huffington Library will continue to thrive because of what it is at its basic level: a place to study, a place to meet, and a place to learn.

Editor’s note: Jan Garrison is the assistant director of publications and has been a staff member of the Communications Department since 2000. His son is a 2010 CMA graduate, a daughter will graduate this spring, and in the fall his youngest daughter will enroll.

Gary Mills photo.

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The Academies as a Mentor in Secondary Boarding Education

I

n the By Example Thank You DVD included with this issue, Academies Head of Schools John Buxton makes the statement that “Culver is the beacon for change in secondary schools in this country.”

• In December 2010, Buxton, MacNeil, and Principal Kathy Lintner made a joint presentation at the TABS conference in Baltimore. The trio spoke on the “Trinity of Sustainable Change: Mission, Program, Evaluation.”

That beacon shone brightly in December 2009 when five Academies’ administrators and faculty/staff members made presentations at The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) Conference in Chicago. The only U.S.-based organization exclusively serving boarding schools and boarding school educators, TABS represents some 300 boarding schools across the United States, Canada, and abroad.

• October 2010, Jordan facilitated a session on the honor system in military schools at the inaugural leadership conference, “Answering the Nation’s Call for Leaders of Character,” at Virginia Military Institute’s Center for Leadership and Ethics in Lexington, Va. Jordan is a 1986 VMI graduate.

As a leader, there is a responsibility to help others succeed

Those five presentations are included in this issue of Alumni magazine for two reasons.

One, the messages remain relevant and important, and they are worth sharing with our alumni constituents. But more significant is that in the ensuing months Culver has continued to cast its light over the boarding school landscape. Culver has positioned itself as a leader in boarding school education and its expertise – in academic innovations, curriculum development, leadership and character, financing and fund raising, faculty evaluation and compensation – is being sought out by national professional organizations representing private secondary education. For example: • At the Association of Military Colleges and Schools in the United States (AMCSUS) annual meeting in March 2011 CMA Commandant Kelly Jordan and Culver’s Academic Dean Kevin MacNeil, Ph.D., led a discussion on character development in academic institutions.

• In January 2011, Strategic Marketing Director Bill Hargraves III ’77 was part of a panel at the ISACS (Independent Schools of the Central States) conference. Hargraves discussed a comprehensive survey of alumni and parents. ISACS is now using the Academies’ survey as a template.

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That Culver’s expertise in a variety of areas is being tapped is a testament to what is being accomplished in the classrooms and across the campus. And that Culver is willing to share what it has learned is only natural.

“The best service for the best leadership school in the country is to provide leadership,” Buxton said. “When a school does something really well, it has an opportunity to make an impact beyond its own campus.”

Buxton has served as chairman of AMSCUS and ISACS. And though it takes time away from Culver, it has also helped to position Culver as a leader in boarding school education.

“All of a sudden, people are getting echoing messages (about Culver),” he said. “People come to Culver because they want to know how to do it. We feel the need to share, and we feel we get it back tenfold.”

Culver people are in huge demand and are being asked to help schools “think through the improvement process,” he said. “We always want people to thrive and to do things well.

“Education has always been a sharing process.”

— Doug Haberland, Editor

“Culver is the beacon for change

in secondary schools in this country.�

All images by Gary Mills photo.

John Buxton

Defining the ‘New Normal’ and Rethinking the Future of Boarding Schools

By John Buxton Head of Schools

A

t the TABS Conference in December 2009 I was part of a panel of experienced heads of school and an executive compensation expert and consultant looking at the challenge of rethinking the future of boarding schools. The presentation was titled “Weathering the Storm,” and it focused on the opportunities and requirements of managing a boarding school for sustainability, now and in the future. We attracted an audience of other heads of school, chief financial officers, and division heads, as well as a few financial aid directors. We had a full house, so obviously this was a topic of intense interest for those charged with the responsibility of planning for their schools.

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Our format was a combination of observations about current trends and questions framed to elicit creative responses from the panelists. We began with the boarding school definition of what the “new normal” means. Everyone writing about the recessionary environment of the last eighteen months (June 2008 through December 2009) has commented that this is not going to be a “reset” scenario. This is a new normal. We will have to do what we were already doing and more with fewer resources. We will not soon be going back to double-digit returns on investments or overflowing wait lists in admissions. We will be looking at a greater demand for financial need from current and new families.

We will not have the luxury of even smaller classes, personnel who are specialists only, or new programming that appeals to the clientele but does not produce additional revenue. This was a sobering discussion for all.

We then moved on to the discussion of whether boarding schools can rely on the current and age-old revenue/expense model. In the old world of secondary education, the revenue formula was simple: Tuition revenue was paid by seventy to eighty percent of the families. The additional tuition discounting (financial aid) was paid for by endowment funds created expressly for that purpose. Add to that revenue stream the proceeds from a robust annual fund. Then add some drawdown from your endowment, and you have balanced the books.

The summer is a time to rest the plant and refresh the staff.

The expense formula is similarly simplistic: Salaries and benefits accounted for sixty percent of the budget, while financial aid and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs – shelter and food – represented about thirty percent. All other programs – academic, athletic, extracurricular – combined to make up the final ten percent.

The problem lies in the rising cost of doing business. The quality bars get raised higher and higher in all areas, and the “arms race” for bigger athletic complexes, better dormitories, nicer science and math facilities, better faculty and staff (higher salaries) continues to escalate. Additionally, the cost of new compliance requirements means more accounting fees, legal costs, and budgets for outside consultants. College advising offices, once staffed by a single faculty member on loan from the English Department, have morphed into centers staffed by three or four specialists, because that is what the best schools do for their families.

So the question of whether this model can be sustained is a pertinent one. The resounding response is “no!”

That said, what are the new normal best practices for schools?

The answers here are not simple. One response is to begin using the summers to generate revenue – reference Culver Summer Schools & Camps. Next, create strategies and programs, the new areas of excellence, to attract more full-paying students.

Utilize your strengths and eliminate your weaknesses programmatically. In other words, do not support programs that do not add value. Then, find creative ways to lower the costs of what you are already doing through third-party contracting, sharing resources, especially human resources in certain specialty areas, and thoughtful cost elimination.

This line of questioning then led to the issue of CEO, or head of school, compensation packages. The news has been full of

criticism of companies, teams, and even not-for-profits paying exorbitant amounts of money to their leaders and leadership teams. How much is the head worth in relation to a teacher, a top coach, or the development director? Can we save money by paying our leaders less? The answer was also a resounding “yes.”

The follow-up question, which is the real question, was, What is the right amount?

Doing More with Less: The real challenge is summed up in this catchy phrase. How does one do more with less? It is hard to do, but it can be done. Culver, for instance, trimmed its spending significantly on three occasions in the last decade to meet economic challenges (2001, 2004, and 2008). Inertia is a powerful force, so every school needs to look carefully at what it is spending and on what regularly to ensure that there is not mission creep. All businesses need to follow this practice, but few do.

‘There is no going back

to the way it was.’

The panel then moved appropriately to the obvious question of where the saturation point price is for boarding schools. All three heads agreed that we had once thought $30,000 was that breakpoint. However, boarding school tuitions have outpaced inflation for all the reasons stated previously. Now there are schools nearing $50,000 a year. Most of the elite boarding schools are charging in the mid-$40,000s. Culver is low at $36,000 (tuition for 2010-11 is now $38,000), still nearly a twenty-five percent discount from its eastern competitors. So the obvious answer is that only the wealthy and the poor can afford boarding schools unless there is significant discounting through financial aid programs and merit scholarships. The colleges have proven that cost-sharing is the only answer once one passes the sticker shock point of “more than most can afford to do.” (Note: Culver’s Huffington and Henderson Middle Income scholarships and the Batten, Duchossois, Roberts, Little, Mexico, and Huffington merit scholarship programs are exemplars in the field.)

The session ended with questions about sustainable draws from endowments, entrepreneurial ideas for cost-cutting programs and ideas, and ways to repurpose ourselves to contain or eliminate costs. All agreed there is no going back to the way it was. Our closing quote was an apt one by Sir Alfred North Whitehead: “The art of progress is to preserve order amid change and to preserve change amid order.”

Editor’s note: John N. Buxton became Culver’s 12th Head of Schools in July 1999. The theme of his tenure has been goals, measurement, integration, and teamwork. Under Buxton’s direction student enrollment and retention have climbed to 15-year highs, while measurements of student achievement have markedly improved. Culver’s Center for Leadership and the Strategic Alliance for Character and Excellence were founded and staffed. The board of trustees, the alumni association, and the parents association have integrated their roles and relationships to form an extension of Culver’s administrative team and efforts in admissions and advancement.

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The Klingenstein Experience is at the Heart of Several Culver Initiatives

By Josh Pretzer Assistant Academic Dean Science Instructor

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A

s a student of science, I am constantly looking to find the best evidence from which to make meaning of the natural world.

When technologies and techniques improve, the empirical evidence collected becomes more sophisticated, and our understanding of how the world works is enhanced. When I decided to enter the world of teaching, I expected to find the same dedication to evidence and creative meaning-making that surrounded me in my undergraduate science education. Only one stop on my initial journey through the private school world seemed to fit this bill – Culver. What set the academic work at Culver apart from other schools was the real dedication to making researchbased curriculum decisions to enhance student learning.

After a few years of boarding school life, I began to look for other groups of people in the independent school community that were also digesting cutting-edge educational research for their students and faculty. Various independent school leaders began to pop up on my radar as people dedicated to improving student learning through the use of innovative and researched methods.

As I learned more about each, I discovered that at the heart of many of these initiatives was the Klingenstein Center for Independent School Leadership headed by the charismatic Dr. Pearl Rock Kane.

As the Klingenstein Center matured, so did its programs. It now supports four programs tailored for independent school members at different stages of their professional journey: new educators, aspiring leaders, current administrators, and heads of school.

Each program integrates the work of current thinkers not only in education but also leadership, business, psychology, and more.

Klingenstein programs serve as learning laboratories by asking participants to digest a plethora of scholarly works, discuss how the theories can inform work at independent schools in general, and apply the research to our current schools’ practices. Academies’ Science Department Chairman Phil Blessman, who has twice participated in the Klingenstein programs, said, “My participation in the Klingenstein programs was especially instrumental in instilling in me a desire to be intentional in curriculum design and to think deeply about student learning.”

‘the Klingenstein network provides both a steady exchange of ideas and a sense of greater professional community which is bound to strengthen all of our students experiences in the years to come.’

The Klingenstein Center is associated with Teachers College, Columbia University, and over the course of its thirty-three years, has earned the reputation as the premier private school leadership program in the country. Its mission is to improve the quality of education by promoting research-based teaching and learning, a dedication to social justice, collaboration, and the use of reflective practice. The leadership parallels between what the Klingenstein Center aims to cultivate in educational professionals and what Culver strives to instill in cadets and coeds hit home for me. And so, over the past eight years, I’ve immersed myself in the “Klingon” culture by participating in and, now, contributing to the Klingenstein programs.

I am not the first Culver faculty member to grow from a Klingenstein experience; Humanities retiree and author Richard Davies, Ph.D., was the pioneer in the 1980s. While at Teachers College, he took on a project of epic proportions – collaborating long distance with Dean of Faculty Kathy Lintner to design a Myth and Literature course. Davies took full advantage of the Klingenstein connections and experienced courses throughout Columbia University’s graduate programs. While it has evolved over the years, the spirit of the Myth and Literature curriculum that resulted from Davies’ fellowship endures today, allowing first-classmen and seniors to reflect on their personal quests.

Having three Klingons in the Science Department (faculty member Lauren Coil-Sherck and myself ), has helped us better shape the Culver science curriculum based on our individual experiences and research in the Klingenstein programs.

My Klingenstein experiences collaborating with leaders from independent schools have allowed me to better understand myself as a member of the Culver community and have brought focus to my work with faculty collegiality. I have found colleagues from all around the world who, like the faculty at Culver, share my science-like approach to the teaching profession. For all of us that have participated, the Klingenstein network provides both a steady exchange of ideas and a sense of greater professional community which is bound to strengthen all of our students experiences in the years to come.

Editor’s note: Josh Pretzer currently serves as the Academies’ assistant academic dean and teaches introductory chemistry. He is a 2008 Williamson Fellow and holds the Eppley Chair of Science. Pretzer earned his master’s degree in Educational Leadership through the Klingenstein Center at Columbia University and currently is the co-director and a lead teacher at the Klingenstein Summer Institute for Early Career teachers. He earned his undergraduate degree at Ohio Wesleyan University and joined the Culver faculty in 1999.

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The Fascinating Complexity of Moral Reasoning in Young People

By Kevin MacNeil, Ph.D. Academic Dean

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Over eighty years ago, a landmark study of thousands of school

children showed that ethical decisions are shaped by circumstance more than anyone had supposed. Children who would never think of cheating on tests had no trouble cheating in sports, for example. And kids who never lied to their teachers would feel no compunction about lying to their parents. As disturbing as these results are in themselves, perhaps more unsettling is the implication that character is not a fixed set of attributes by means of which ethical behavior can be explained after all.

In fact, social psychologists consider it a fundamental error to attribute too much to character and too little to circumstance by way of explaining moral decision-making.

In fact, research suggests that it is often non-moral characteristics of the environment that settle the ethical issues at hand. It is a well-established fact, for instance, that experimental subjects are more likely to help someone who has dropped papers outside a phone booth if they have just found a dime in its coin slot. And far more likely to make change outside a fragrant bakery than an indifferent dry-goods store! These questions are of enormous interest to anyone concerned with the moral development of young people.

play benefactors typically offer about half of what they have.

Is this because it is fair to do so? Well, watch what happens when the rules are changed.

If A earns his position, rather than being randomly chosen, and B must accept whatever A offers, then a bid of less than half is typical. If A is unknown to B, less again. And if A believes he is unknown even to the experimenter, then he is most likely to offer B nothing! Fairness? Reciprocity? Is A determining what B deserves? Or is A settling whether B is someone with whom he shares a common interest? You decide. But it is reasonable to conclude that fairness would lead to the same outcome in all cases.

The reciprocity heuristic is one of the many subconscious rules by which we make the hundreds of split-second decisions necessary to negotiate the everyday complexities of life. Moreover, this simple heuristic can account even for the pleasantly scented decisions of the change maker, for the comforting bakery smell creates a sense of safety and familiarity in which he is disposed to see the stranger as “one of us.” Returning to the Ultimate Game, one might argue that the benefactors, made aware of what has been motivating their behavior, could decide upon reflection to behave fairly. This is an extremely important point. Suffice it to say for now that the sheer number of decisions we are called upon to make each and every day means that reflection in every case is simply impossible.

‘it is often non-moral characteristics of the environment that settle the What, then, can be done by educators? First, we can understand the nature and effects ethical issues at hand.’ of these automatic rules of thumb. Second, Recent research both confirms the work of these ground-breaking psychologists and suggests that the picture is more nuanced than the dismissal of fixed character would allow. And the explanation of what is really going on is fascinating, to say the least. It turns out that two different cognitive systems – one automatic, the other reflective – are at work. The reflective system, self-corrective and rule-following, is the one with which we are perhaps most familiar. But it is the other one, the one that is subconscious and automatic, that has been the focus of critical attention in recent years.

The unconscious system operates according to simple rules of thumb called heuristics, some of which are learned while others seem to be hard-wired. One of these, called the reciprocity heuristic, helps us make split-second decisions about whom to trust and whom to be wary of. It is a simple but powerful, instantaneous but subconscious, decision-making rule by means of which we determine who is “in” and who is “out.” This heuristic has been carefully studied by scholars at George Mason University who have used a game called the Ultimate Game to show that college students who seem to be making decisions based on a shared notion of fairness are really doing something else.

In this game, Player A has $100 to share with Player B. A must announce in advance how much he is willing to share. If B accepts, each keeps the money he has. But if B refuses, each comes away with nothing. While it is reasonable for A to offer no more than a dollar, and reasonable for B to accept, in actual

we can shape them by creating teachingand-learning environments in which our educational values are translated into habitual responses to circumstance. Third, we can emphasize the importance of moral reasoning and the interplay between the automatic and the reflective systems through a critical thinking curriculum designed for all students.

A team of educators at Culver – including Assistant Academic Dean Josh Pretzer, Director of Character Education John Yeager, and me – is currently working on translating this research into sound educational practice built upon the Academies’ historic commitment to “educate for leadership and responsible citizenship in society.” By focusing intentionally on all aspects of character development – moral heuristics, signature strengths, and critical thinking – Culver is poised to become a national leader among independent schools in the area of character education, just as it has been at the forefront of leadership education for many years.

Editor’s note: Kevin MacNeil, Ph.D., joined the Academies’ faculty in 1999 as Director of Studies and was appointed Academic Dean two years later. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Bard College in 1981, a master’s degree in mathematics from Brown University in 1984, a master’s degree in philosophy from the University of Illinois in 1989, and a doctorate in philosophy from that same institution in 1992. He has taught a variety of courses at the college and secondary school levels in humanities, literature, mathematics, and philosophy.

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Understanding Savings and Financial Responsibility Key Factors for Parents and Students in the College Admissions Process – and in Life

By Corky Miller-Strong Director of College Advising

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I

t was late June 2005 and I remember vividly when I first interviewed for the director of College Advising position at Culver.

After I recovered from the sheer beauty of the Culver campus, the interrogation began. One of the first questions from my future supervisor, Academic Dean Kevin MacNeil, Ph.D., was, “Do you know anything about financial aid?” Oddly enough, I knew a great deal. I have always had a tendency to want to know more about subjects everyone seems to want to run from.

The topic of money in any context is one everyone in my profession has wanted to run from for years. I knew I had to learn everything I could about financial aid because I was always keenly aware money for college does not grow on trees and usually affects a student’s ability to further his/her education.

In the fall of 2008, I gave a presentation on the Financial Aid Process to interested families during Culver’s Fall Parents Weekend.

What I usually say at the beginning of this annual presentation was “I am here to speak to parents about their retirement,” and parental listening always seems to pick up appreciably because financial aid and retirement are truly connected.

Just one week after that presentation, I felt like a terrible liar.

The next week the stock market and everyone’s 401k and 529 funds were falling fast with no sign of stopping. Some Culver parents were losing their jobs, their homes, and college funds, and some of our foreign students were also experiencing financial hardship. All this seemed to have happened overnight and I could see the applications for admission and college attendance decisions impacted almost immediately.

Students came into our offices to change their college lists and to look for additional options in addition to the schools where they had already started to apply. We spent a great deal of time on the phone with parents and colleges trying to salvage financial aid opportunities, which were once very possible and becoming increasingly impossible.

Financial aid is also impacted for more academically desirable students: Those students who have taken challenging classes and have excelled receive more scholarships and grants than loans.

This is known as “preferential packaging”; the better the student the better the financial aid package even though the need may be the same as an academically less-qualified student. During the wait-list process, a vast majority of schools are definitely not need blind and are putting as many as five thousand students on a waiting list, a ridiculous number at best. When we continually pester your sons and daughters about grades, test scores, activities, and recommendations we are not just concerned about college admission. We are also concerned about financial aid, scholarships, choices, and opportunities for all Culver students who wish to partake.

What I saw during the TABS Conference with other college advisers, and what I have seen with parents too, is a real concern about putting their financial house in order: Looking at those unopened investment envelopes on the kitchen counter and clueing students in earlier as to the financial status of the family,

‘As a society, we do not spend enough time with students who become eventual employees about saving, retirement, and working hard for what they earn.’

Speaking about the “The Effect of Financial Aid on Admissions Decisions” at the TABS Conference in December 2009 was not your normal financial aid presentation. In the past, TABS was a conference that did not encourage attendance by college advisers from boarding schools.

That year there was a renewed push by TABS to increase this interaction and the conference was also being held in nearby Chicago. While the attendance at this session was not huge, (this occurs at a college adviser’s busiest time of year) the discussion was lively. When I spoke about the relationship between financial aid and the admission’s process, I was not just discussing the family decision but also the decision by the college or university of whether to admit a student or not and how the financial aid package is created. In my many travels this past year to colleges and universities all over the country, the message seems to be the same. Many schools that have always been need blind are now using terms such as need aware and need sensitive. Students who straddle the fence in the admissions process with lower grades and test scores and who are in need of a great deal of aid are getting denied or wait-listed.

not just for college admission but also for their own financial health and mental well-being. As a society, we do not spend enough time with students who become eventual employees about saving, retirement, and working hard for what they earn.

While the essence of what was presented at the TABS Conference was the initial focus of this article, I am more concerned about the financial understanding and education of students, parents, college advisers, college administrators, and the general public – not just in the college admissions process but in the game of life.

Students do not benefit being handed everything. In life, we always appreciate more what we have truly earned.

Editor’s note: Her given name is Deborah, but everyone on campus knows her as “Corky.” Miller-Strong joined the Academies as director of college advising in 2005. A native of Ohio, she holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Bowling Green State University. Prior to coming to Culver, Miller-Strong was a guidance counselor and/or director of college counseling/guidance at various schools in Ohio and Colorado. She also served as special projects coordinator and assistant director of undergraduate admissions at Bowling Green.

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Get SMART Cultivating Student Leadership

by Recognizing Your Own Strengths and Helping Others Find Theirs

by John M. Yeager, Ed.D. Director, Center for Character Excellence

“Y

ou can be just like me,” entices the professional athlete or astrophysicist. No, you can’t. You can’t be anything you want to be.

That’s one of the great myths in education. But when you know and live from your strengths, the things you are good at, you can improve the way you do almost everything – including the way you lead others.

Culver’s student leaders learn to leverage their own strengths so they can better appeal to others in their service of the school mission. Instead of approaching leadership from a “fix the blame/ fix the problem” deficit model of individual and organizational change, Culver leaders identify and activate their own strengths while helping other students capitalize on their assets. Strengths offer the first pathway to greater engagement, greater achievement, and greater well-being in students, as well as our adult mentors.

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Culver’s faculty, staff, and administration are the major models and drivers of the strengths-based approach. To be really conversant with their students’ strengths, caring adults do strengths work in their own lives. In 2006, we ventured into a multi-year process to train adult mentors with sustainable strengths-based strategies to support our students. All matriculating students complete the Values in Action inventory (VIA), which measures strengths of character. Because the VIA uses a classification of strengths and virtues present in each individual, it avoids introducing a deficit model that defines some individuals as having good character strengths while others have bad character strengths. This asset-based model focuses on what is the best in people. Strengths language provides an avenue for teachers, coaches, and students to see themselves at their best and in ways they might otherwise not have considered. Importantly, when groups of people are aware of their own and others’ strengths, it provides a strengths vocabulary common to all.

‘Because her peers see her strength of creativity, she sees herself differently.’

We found that strengths work is most effective in our teachers and students when they draw from an additional strengths framework. For this, we turn to the strengths-at-work set of thirty-four talent themes (Clifton Strengths Finder) found in the book “Strengths Based Leadership” by Tom Rath. While some of the Strengths Finder strengths measure something unique to that test, there is crossover with the VIA strengths.

As a means of learning and putting strengths into action, students are introduced to the SMART Strengths model – ways how to Spot, Manage, Advocate, Relate, and Train strengths in themselves and others.

Spotting Strengths: The better able you are to recognize strengths within yourself, the more aware you will become in distinguishing, acknowledging, and appreciating strengths in others.

Managing Strengths: Your strengths are a family of traits that can be combined, tapped, and promoted for bringing out the best in you and others.

Advocating Strengths: When you put your learning into your own words, you can effectively convey both your strengths and needs.

Relating/Matching Strengths: All people matter! When you are more aware of each other’s assets, you can better relate to them, and in turn, use them to great benefit in every interaction.

Training Strengths: Once you have the tools, approaches, exercises, and techniques to use in helping you spot, manage, articulate, and relate your strengths individually and in relationships, you will want to use them to develop these skills in others.

There needs to be a fit and readiness, so that Culver leaders’ strengths come alive in appealing to other students’ strengths.

Students have to want to apply these skills. Therefore, they must be convinced of their utility and reasonableness.

For example, in one instance rising CGA seniors were invited to share their thoughts on the strengths of their fellow student leaders. Each girl was provided with a copy of the twenty-four VIA strengths and definitions. Then, in groups of six students each, the girls shared what they perceived to be the signature strengths of each other. One girl observed that the majority of people in her group suggested that creativity was one of her strengths.

But she claimed that this trait was far from being a signature strength for her. But each girl shared an example of her being creative – her strength in action. The value of the 360-degree feedback provided her with multiple observations of being creative. Because her peers see her strength of creativity, she sees herself differently. She now owns this strength.

Over the past several years, the strengths language at Culver has become contagious as faculty, staff, administrators, and students share the common language and skills. The epiphanies were real and the strengths message is sticking.

We are actively doing strengths work in the academic side of the house within Humanities, Leadership Education, and Wellness Education classes. More athletic teams are using strengths to set season goals. CMA and CGA employ both the VIA and Strengths Finder 2.0 in their respective leadership programs. The Duchossois and Batten Scholarship semifinalists are presented with a strengths primer during their final interviews.

And each March, some sixty alumni/parents relate and match their strengths with our first-classmen/seniors during Ethics Weekend sponsored by The Culver Legion.

We are also completing the circle by helping parents to match their strengths with those of their children and teachers.

Culver has been transformed in thought, word, and deed by a schoolwide approach to building and leveraging our powers and gifts for good. It is important to remember that the immediate value of identifying, understanding, and acting on strengths originates with the individual administrator, teacher, coach, alumni, parent, and student. Strengths become more valuable and their power multiplies when integrated in partnerships, small groups, and families. Their consummate value comes when they are implemented in our schools and eventually in the workplace.

Editor’s note: A member of the faculty since 2000, John M. Yeager, Ed.D., MAPP, is a nationally known consultant on strengths in schools with over thirty-five years of experience as an educator, coach, professional athlete, and author. As the director of the Academies’ Center for Character Excellence, Yeager has launched a model program on the integration of character strengths among the entire school community. He is a former faculty member in Boston University’s School of Education and senior scholar at BU’s Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character and currently an adjunct instructor in Duquesne University’s School of Leadership and Professional Development.

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Culver

Class News

Class news published in this issue was received and processed as of Feb. 1, 2011. Alumni Class News for the Academies and Culver Summer Schools & Camps are combined under the graduation decade. Names in bold italics designate those who are Summer Schools & Camp alumni.

1950s Scott H. Banning N’55, ’57 of Youngstown, Ohio, graduated from Youngstown State University in spring of 2010 with a Bachelors of Science degree in Applied Science. Scott sings solos at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Boardman in the summer and with the choir the rest of the year.

Glenn F. Bastian W’52, ’57 of Weldon, N.C., visits Williamsburg, Va., annually where he bikes or kayaks with Ted Moreland.

Garrison photo.

Nancy and Robert C. Morrison ’58 have downsized and moved into their new home in LaQuinta, Calif., in September.

After the transition, they are both back on the golf course and leading normal lives.

Sarah Strain-Harris ’93 (above) and William Serne ’68 were among more than 50 alumni and parents who served as table leaders for the Class of 2011 Ethical Decision-Making Symposium March 12.

Strain-Harris manages the protocol submission and review process for the Indiana Clinical Research Center for the Indiana University School of Medicine. Serne, a current Culver parent, is the associate photo editor for the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times newspaper.

Juan M. Fernandez N’57, ’59 of Mexico City writes that his family is involved in sailing because of his summers at Culver.

In December, two of Juan’s grandchildren were members of the five-member Mexican team in the Optimist class world sailing championship for 14-under in Malaysia. The event involved 600 youth from 120 countries.

1960s Garrison photo.

1940s William F. McNagny ’40 of Fort Wayne, Ind., was named the 2010 “Legendary Lawyer” by the Indiana State Bar Association.

The State Bar names one “Legendary Lawyer” a year. Bill said it was a pleasant surprise after 18-plus years of retirement.

He adds that his wife, Joan, received an honorary degree from Indiana Vocational College and also was awarded the Fort Wayne Junior League’s highest honor.

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Albuquerque residents Martha and Henry P. Erwin Jr. ’48 continue to be active vocalists. In July, they spent a week singing with the Berkshire Choral Festival in Massachusetts. In August, Hal messed up his knee at the family cabin near Lake Tahoe. He scheduled his surgery after the first of the year so he and Martha could fly to Rome with the BCF and enjoy the holidays with family in northern California.

Michael J. Green ’60 of Northbrook, Ill., learned the value of life when a recent Lufthansa flight he was on made an emergency landing in Goose Bay due to a passenger having a fatal heart attack.

Fortunately, subsequent trips to Oslo and Warsaw were less eventful.

In January, Louis E. Fazen III W’54, N’56, ’61 was in Beirut awaiting the delivery of his first grandchild. Louis and his wife, Lynn, are both pediatricians with a combined 80 years of experience.

Home is Southborough, Mass., but Lynn is interim dean of a new medical school in Beirut. After a rewarding private practice, Louis has spent the last three years shuttling between hospitals for the Sioux and Assinboine in eastern Montana

Culver

Class News and the Navajo and Hopi in northern Arizona.

FROM THE LEGION PRESIDENT

Perry H. Merry ‘62, of the Law Offices of Paul H. Merry, Esq., Boston, has been named to the Executive Board of the National Employment Lawyers Association. The association, with offices in San Francisco and Washington, D.C., is the nation’s largest organization of lawyers and advocates representing principally employees. Perry is a former General Counsel of the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination and his practice centers on employment discrimination litigation and appeal and general employment law. He also serves on the adjunct faculty of Suffolk University Law School. Perry lives in Wellesley, Mass., with his wife and daughter.

Keep the Annual Fund momentum going

In December, Christopher B. Canlis ’63 and his family, including sons Matthew ’90 and Brian ’96, celebrated 60 years of the Canlis Restaurant in Seattle by hosting a party to honor the people behind local organizations, both well-known and obscure, who were making a positive difference. There were 237 guests and the evening culminated with the family’s announcement that it would be providing $500,000 in charitable donation matches to local non-profit organizations in 2011.

David W. Dabney N’60, ’63 of Libertyville, Ill., continues to work and enjoys trading bonds. He and wife, Lizz, also enjoy their travels.

William F. Lee ’63 spent six weeks in Ghana at the end of 2010 on assignment with UNICEF preparing a situation analysis of Ghanaian women and children. He continues his U.N. consulting work back home in Brooklyn, N.Y. After four years, Culver residents Mary Anna and Richard G. Swennumson W’57, N’60, ’63 have finally sold their house in Logansport, Ind. Downsizing isn’t fun and Dick advises friends and family to get rid of the excess now; enjoy the memories but not the material items and memorabilia.

Urgent! If you have not contributed to this year’s Annual Fund, I urge you to give it serious consideration. The By Example Campaign and the Batten Leadership Challenge drew a record number of donors. But we are currently behind our traditional pace and don’t want to lose the momentum we have built. Your consistent participation remains critical to the Academies.

Your alumni association, which became The Culver Legion in 1916, and the Iron Gate Ceremony are 100 years old.

Our alumni body, you and those who came before you, has played a significant role in the growth and success of our school. We have the oldest endowed scholarship fund, we provide 15 percent of the incoming students (legacies) each fall, and we have arguably the most loyal, talented, and connected prep school alumni body in the country. The privileges and responsibilities assigned to Legion members is long and we will utilize upcoming issues of the magazine and the website to re-educate you and remind you how critical your engagement is to the school.

Are you interested in the summary report the Legion Board recently created in conjunction with school administrators that provides key benchmarking data about the state of the Academies? Let me know at alumni@culver.org and I will gladly send you a copy.

Over 10,000 of you updated and confirmed your contact information with Culver during the 2011 Alumni Directory process. Thank you. Over 2,000 alumni purchased the directory. A July 2011 delivery date is expected.

Closing Thoughts Finally, I urge you to take a look at the Alumni page and Legion page on www. culver.org. We are providing more timely, interesting information that we hope will make it more fun and easier for you to engage with the school and classmates.

We expect a record number of attendees May 18-22, 2011, from the “1” and “6” reunion classes. I look forward to greeting you, especially the members of the Golden Anniversary Class of 1961 and the Silver Anniversary Class of 1986.

Russell W. Sheaffer ’81 Mahtomedi, Minn.

David A. Fricke ’68 has spent his career in the rural electric utility industry, the last 22 years for a software company serving 500 utilities and Telecom companies.

Dave and his wife, Cindy, reside in St. Charles, Mo.

Michael S. Hardy ’68 writes from Stateline, Nev., that his goal is to ski 100-plus days this year. He got 102 days on the slopes last year, with the last day July 2 at Mammoth.

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Class News

W. Stephen Saunders N’66, ’68 of River Forest, Ill., has been named chairman of the board of the Jane Addams Hull House Association. He continues as founding principal of Eckehnoff Saunders Architects. Steve’s twin daughters have graduated from Washington University.

One is headed to veterinary school and the other to a doctorate in biology.

Thomas P. Bleck, M.D. ’69, is the associate chief medical officer, in charge of critical care, at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, and a professor of neurological sciences, neurosurgery, internal medicine, and anesthesiology at Rush Medical College. He and his wife, Laura, have been married two years and are living in Evanston, Ill.

1970s Since 2004, Dr. Paul C. Seel ’72 has served as a medical director at United Resource Networks, a division of United Healthcare, where he has been involved in developing an innovative program managing chronic kidney patients on a national scale. He has more than 20 years of large group practice experience in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Paul graduated from the Dartmouth Medical School (Mary Hitchcock) and holds an MBA from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management.

Stan Mefford W’71, NB ’74 has accepted an adjunct professorship with DeVry University’s Keller Graduate School of Management. Stan will be teaching business administration and project management courses. A resident of Allen, Texas, Stan also has accepted the senior manager position with Ericsson’s North American Supply Chain Division. Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Ericsson is a provider of telecommunications equipment and related services to mobile and fixed network operators globally. Stan is also the incoming CSSAA president.

Sharon and Mark E. Bracich ’76 own and operate San Juan Outfitting from their ranch in the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado (Pagosa Springs).

They both retired from the Air Force in 2006. Mark’s children are also Culver graduates: Jason ’01 of Chaplin, Conn., and Jessica Bracich ’02 of Santa Fe, N.M. Robert R. Stead ’76 of Ada, Mich., has accepted a position as general counsel at Gordon Food Service, Inc., one of his longtime clients. Bob will continue his association with Barnes & Thornburg in an of-counsel capacity.

Four CMA regimental commanders are now attending the U.S. Military Academy. They are, left to right, Charlie Phelps ’08, Tommy Ott ’09, Blake Hunnewell ’10, and Alex Canacci ’10.

1980s Henry G. Burnett ’81 of New York City was nominated as a “best partner” by ATL Career Center. A litigation partner in Crowell & Moring’s International Dispute Resolution Group, Harry was cited as “a stand-up guy who doesn’t take himself too seriously.”

The skiing exploits of Portland, Ore., lawyer Richard H. Rizk ’81 were featured in the Oregon State Bar Bulletin in January 2011. Rich is heavily involved with ski-related activities, and earlier this winter received the Safety Person of the Year Award from the Far West Ski Association, which covers 13 states and 51,000 members. Rich developed a winter safety speaker-awareness series that addressed winter driving and other issues.

Army Lt. Col. G. Wesley Millner Jr. N’82, ’84 has returned from Yemen, where he was working with the Royal Navy special warfare unit within the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defense. As deputy chief forward for G32-Aviation, West was responsible for support of CENTCOM and Gen. Petraeus. The main effort was operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, but also the support for the Saudis, Egyptians, and others in 23 countries. In January, Wes took a position in Atlanta heading up project management for a real estate firm.

R. Douglas Herge ’74 is no longer plant manager at W.C. Russell Moccasin Co. in Appleton, Wis. While there he met both President Bushes, Norman Schwartzkoff, Chuck Yeager, Tom Selleck, NRA directors, and some of the best hunters and wildlife conservationists in the world.

Doug also has gotten back into pheasant hunting in South Dakota.

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Photo provided

Anne Reilly Fahim SS’72, ’74 recently completed design of a four-dimension theater at Madame Tussaud’s in New York City. In 2007, she converted a waterworks building to a performing arts center. She enjoyed visiting with several Culver schoolmates during the year.

Culver

Class News Naval Lt. Cmdr. Ahmed I. Qureshi ’89 of Littleton, Colo., is finishing up his dissertation before a yearlong deployment to Afghanistan in the fall. Irfi is an intelligence officer in the Naval Reserve.

1990s Michael L. Bacino ’90 is a sales associate at Digital Hub Chicago, a provider of offset, digital, and large-format printing. In November 2010, Digital Hub was named the sixth-greenest business in the country

by Green America.

In November, John A. Conlon ’93 coached the East Kentwood boys’ soccer team to its third Michigan Division I championship in four years. John also was named Michigan Coach of the Year for the third time, along with being named the NSCAA State Coach of the Year for the second time. John and his wife, Kelly, live in Byron Center, Mich.

By day, Mike Ellington ’93 is a financial adviser with A.G. Edwards & Sons in Dallas-Fort Worth, but he is also a championship football coach – of the 2010 National Champion Lone Star Mustangs of the Women’s Full Contact Football League. Mike, who played college football at the University of New Mexico, coached youth football for six years before moving to women’s football in 2008, where he has posted an 18-2 record. The team is owned by his wife, LynMarie Liberty-Ellington, who wants her players to be as successful off the field as they have been on.

Rebecca (Sturm) Danehy ’94 and husband Christopher are parents of a son, Brendan, born Jan. 14, 2011. All are doing fine in Greenwich, R.I. Robert N. Walker, M.D., A’91, ’95 has completed his neurora diology fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania.

He and his family have moved to Fishers, Ind., where he has taken a position with Irvington Radiology.

FROM THE CSSAA PRESIDENT Fostering summer alumni, parent participation is a primary goal In my last message, I listed CSSAA governing board initiatives that we are leading directly or aiding in some manner.

One of those is building a comprehensive advancement model involving alumni/ae, Development, Communications, Admissions, and the senior Summer Camp staff to foster greater affinity and involvement from our summer program alumni/ae and parents. The directors will spend April 29 at Culver gaining a deeper understanding of our constituency and then considering ways to encourage your participation.

Here are several upcoming opportunities that may interest you: The All-Women’s Congress - July 16, 2011 All alumnae and those women who have made a difference to the Summer School for Girls, including those women who were part of the girls’ theatre program in the early 1960s and all faculty and staff members who were part of the girls’ school, will soon be invited to Culver for a daylong Congress on July 16. In addition to getting re-acquainted with the school and each other, attendees will learn about the growth of the girls’ programs in the Woodcraft Camp and Upper Camp, the incredible leadership opportunities in and philosophies guiding the Culver Summer Schools & Camps. We will close the Congress by seeking their opinion and input regarding several key topics critical to the mission and future of young women in the summer program.

Homecoming and Parents Weekend - July 22-24, 2011 Over 600 alumni/ae, parents, and friends were on campus in summer 2010, a significant attendance increase from recent years. We believe the schedule we has crafted has something of interest for all generations and areas of interest. Finding area lodging in July remains a challenge, so don’t delay.

SUPPORT One of the tangible ways you express your support for Culver is through giving to the Annual Fund. Currently, only 2 percent of summer-only alumni/ae participate in each year’s annual drive. Surely, the percentage of those who had a transformational experience and wish to ensure that those opportunities for this and future generations is much higher.

Please consider contributing to the Annual Fund. You can designate a gift in any amount for any purpose you wish.

Information about all these opportunities can be found at www.culver.org/alumni.

Philip L. Sbarbaro W’59, N’63 Vienna, Va.

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Class News

Andy Seth ’96 is a finalist for Denver’s Leader of the Year Award. The leadership recognition is sponsored by Channel 9 News, the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, and the Colorado Leadership Alliance. Andy is a managing partner with LotusGroup Advisors, LLC. Andy is also the president and development director for Minds Matter of Denver.

According to This Week in Avalanche Hockey (Jan. 5, 2011), John-Michael Liles ’99 is one of only six U.S.-born defensemen in National Hockey League history to record 30 or more points in his first seven seasons. One of the others is Gary Suter ’82, who retired in 2002 after 17 seasons in the NHL. John-Michael also talked about his playing days at CMA for Avalanche All-Access.

Jonathan F. McDowell N’99 and wife Danielle (Stealy) ’02 welcomed a son, Hunter, to their world on Dec. 18, 2010.

The McDowells live in Indianapolis.

2000s Gabriel I. Froymovich ’00 married Gianna Gennai Davy on Aug. 15 in the wine country town of Healdsburg, Calif., where they live. Gabe recently released the first vintage of his wine brand, Hooper 206. He produces hand-crafted Sangiovese and Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County.

Katrina Hershberger ’00 became Mrs. Lee Hamill on Sept. 25, 2010, in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Katrina now has two stepsons. Brothers Brockton Hershberger ’99, who returned home in August from deployment to Pakistan, and Justin Hershberger ’01 (Charlottesville, Va.) were in the wedding party.

H. O’Neal Turner III ’00 has transitioned from NBA sales to coaching high school seniors through the college selection process as a yield coach for InsideTrack. Upon helping seniors enroll, O’Neal also coaches them through their freshman year of college. In addition, he is a lacrosse coach for a Portland, Ore.,

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high school. O’Neal had been in sales with the Portland Trailblazers since 2007.

Danielle (Stealy) McDowell ’02 (See Jonathan F. McDowell N’99.)

Former Purdue golfer Caroline Haase ’03 has been named assistant women’s golf coach for the Boilermakers. Caroline played four seasons for Purdue, graduating in May 2007 with a classical studies degree and a minor in philosophy. Most recently, Caroline had served as a staff professional at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Capitol Hill in Prattville, Ala. Ryan P. Crimmins ’04 is now working for Marketing Architects in Minnetonka, Minn. Ryan lives in Edina, and spent the last few years as an assistant director of theater and acting.

Avryl A. Klich ’05 is in her first year at the University of Chicago Law School.

Ross J. Schafer ’05 is a first-year student at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry. In 2010 Ross attended the American Student Dental Association Western Regional meeting in pursuit of obtaining a national leadership position in organized dentistry.

2nd Lt. Travis J. Whittemore ’05 has graduated from specialized undergraduate pilot training with the U.S. Air Force in Texas. Travis will end up in Phoenix flying the F-16 fighter jet.

Blake Geoffrion ’06 is skating for the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League. The Admirals are a farm team of the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League. A September article in The Tennessean shared that, after being away from home since entering Culver, Blake was again living at home and enjoying his mother’s home cooking while preparing for his first NHL training camp.

Senior Ashley S. Harper ’07 was the third-string goaltender on the No. 5-ranked Mercyhurst College women’s hockey team. Staying close to the game she loves as an underclassman, Ashley took every rink job she could as part of

her work-study program. That paid off in December 2010 when she was offered a spot on the team when the third-string goalie transferred. Ashley mostly served as a practice goalie, but saw action in the last two minutes of a Dec. 4 game, making a save.

Running for Princeton University, Alexandra M. Banfich W’03 ’08 placed 20th in the NCAA women’s cross country championship on Nov. 22, 2010, earning All-America status. The Tiger runners finished 15th as a team. In the post-season, Alex was awarded Princeton’s Varsity Rosengarten Cross Country Trophy for sportsmanship, improvement, and contribution to the sport and was named captain of the 2011 women’s team.

Nathan A. Dewhurst ’08 was one of three senior assistant captains for the University of Denver men’s hockey team this season.

In early 2011, Dominic M. Panetta ’09 was acquired by the Indiana Ice of the U.S. Hockey League from the Tri-City Storm. Dom spent the 2009-2010 season with the Bismarck Bobcats, who won the North American Hockey League championship. He has a college commitment to Ferris State University when his junior hockey days end.

2010s Alejandro Arroyo Yamin ’10 received the Freshman Rosengarten Cross Country Trophy, presented annually to the freshman member of the Princeton University cross country whose sportsmanship, improvement, and performance has contributed most to the sport.

Defenseman Connor P. Kucera ’10 was team captain for the Des Moines Buccaneers of the U.S. Hockey League for the 2010-11 season. The Bucs coach described Connor as “mature, low-maintenance, respectful . . . prepared to work, and give 100 percent.”

Culver

Class News

With dad in Saudi Arabia, technology brings parents together for daughter’s birth

By Amanda Petrucelli

But he didn’t hold her until she was two months old.

A staff sergeant in the U.S. Air Force National Guard, Walker was stationed in Saudi Arabia when his wife, Tegan (Wraight) Walker ’06 delivered their daughter last August.

Traditionally, active servicemen have found out about the birth of their children via telegram – Tegan’s maternal grandfather was on a battlefield in Vietnam when someone ran a scrap of paper to him announcing the birth of his daughter – three days before.

But not so today.

Brent, a former Woodcraft counselor, was able to witness the entire 26-hour labor and delivery via Skype – a first for St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Plymouth, Ind., according to attending physician Dr. Beth Rutherford.

Tegan, who wore a headset to talk with her husband via a laptop next to her bed, said hospital staff and her family were all talking to Brent like he was there. “He was joking with the doctors and everything.”

Brent had just gotten off a 14-hour shift with the security forces when he was informed his wife was in labor. There were five other men in his unit with pregnant wives, he said, so everyone was very supportive.

Toward the end of the delivery, Brent was able to talk with Rutherford and make critical last-minute decisions.

“I really had the overwhelming feeling of knowing everything was fine because her family was there,” Brent said.

“It’s definitely a marvel just for me being able to be there in every possible way except physically; to basically say, ‘Time out, war!’ ” Rutherford agreed, “Despite the fact that Brent was overseas, there was a lovely intimacy between Brent and Tegan. …

They provided support to one another throughout the process … he really felt present. He could see, he could hear, he could participate in live time.”

Brent said, “I didn’t get to hold her but that’s OK, I had something to look forward to.”

Once Brent’s tour was finally over, Tegan didn’t know exactly when he would walk through the door. That day came in October, and Brent described the moment he came home to first hold his daughter.

“It was dark . . . and I walked into the room and Tegan handed me Zoe and she didn’t say anything. And I was holding my daughter. . . . I was just holding her and she smelled like a new baby. It was so nice just knowing that she was mine.”

Gary Mills Photo

Brent Walker has known his daughter, Zoe, since the moment she was born.

Brent, 26, and Tegan, 23, met at the Senior Ring during the Academies graduation in 2006. Brent had come to campus with a friend. They were married in the Memorial Chapel Sept. 19, 2009, with Alex Girard ’06 and Henry Brun ’05 attending.

Zoe’s godparents are also Culver grads – Ben Nowalk ’07 and Elizabeth Molloy ’06.

“I ended up applying (to be a Woodcraft Camp counselor) and I got her out of the deal, too,” Brent said. He left camp early that summer for basic training, but continued to work as a D6 counselor until 2009.

Tegan worked at Woodcraft during her pregnancy, which helped her stay busy and keep her mind off her husband’s absence.

Brent, Zoe, and Tegan Walker.

Editor’s note: Freelance writer Amanda Petrucelli lives in Plymouth, Ind., and is a frequent contributor to Alumni magazine.

She worked last summer in the dining hall at Woodcraft Camp, where her son was a camper. Her husband, Michael, joined the Development staff in January as advancement communications coordinator.

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Passings

Deaths in the Family

Surviving are two daughters, Greta Berlin ’59 of Bar Sur Loup, France, and Johanna Trickovic ’63 of Orinda, Calif.; a son, Eric ’70 of Oakland, Calif.; nine grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

A daughter, Christina ’60, preceded her in death in 1992. Art Hughes died in August 1973 and was the chairman of the Fine Arts and English departments at the time of his death.

Winfred D. “Chip” Howell, 93, died Nov. 27, 2010, in Birmingham, Ala. Mr. Howell served in World War II, achieving numerous honors as a pilot and squadron commander in the Air Force.

After the war, he graduated from Miami University (Ohio) with a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering. He retired from the military as a lieutenant colonel in 1965 and started a second career as an administrator at Culver Military Academy. Mr. Howell served in various capacities, including assistant to the superintendent, director of purchasing, supervisor of the Uniform Department, and director of aviation before retiring in 1980. He is survived by a daughter, three sons, among them W. Dennis Jr. ’68 of Indianapolis; two brothers, and four grandchildren, including Elizabeth Howell W’92.

••••

••••

Frances L. Quivey, 92, died Jan. 25, 2011, in Rock Hill, S.C. She was a secretary in the Superintendent’s Office from 1976 to 1984 and in the Athletic Department from 1984 to 1988, when she retired. She is survived by a daughter.

Former Academies language instructor Nancy Paffenbarger died Oct. 6, 2010. Ms. Paffenbarger taught Spanish at the Academies from 1980-91. She had worked as a translator in the English Language Acquisition Department of the Mesa (Ariz.) Public Schools for 15 years Two sons survive.

She was an avid reader and a proponent of and contributor to many progressive causes, according to her obituary.

Former CGA adviser and English instructor Barbara E. Hughes died Jan. 25, 2011, in Walnut Creek, Calif. Mrs. Hughes was the widow of longtime English instructor Art Hughes and they were the parents of three children – including one of the first faculty daughters to graduate from CMA in 1959.

Mrs. Hughes was employed by the Academies from 1974 through 1980 school year, retiring as a senior counselor for CGA and a master instructor in the English Department. She was a graduate of Michigan State Normal College (now Eastern Michigan University) in 1938, where she met her husband.

The couple came to Culver in 1945. Mrs. Hughes first taught English and physical education at West High School in Burr Oak and at Culver High School, where she also directed the Parent Teachers Association. Upon her retirement, she moved to East Alton, Ill., living there until moving to Walnut Creek in 1992.

Mrs. Hughes spent 12 years as a volunteer with the Senior Tutor program at Rossmoor Retirement Community, where she resided. The program mentors troubled youth, and she coordinated visits to a youth rehabilitation facility until she turned 91.

••••

How to Submit Your Alumni News For your convenience, alumni class news, address changes, and death notices may be submitted to the Office of Alumni Relations by e-mail, through the website, by fax, phone call, or conventional mail.

All information received by the Alumni office will be forwarded to the magazine editor for inclusion in the next available issue. Deadlines for alumni class news and obituaries are eight-to-10 weeks before publication dates, which normally are in April, August, and December.

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To submit your alumni news: • E-mail alumni@culver.org (this is the preferred method) • Fax (574) 842-8162 • Call (574) 842-7200 • Send your information to the Alumni Office, 1300 Academy Road #132, Culver IN 46511-1291 As you submit your class news, please keep the following guidelines in mind: • Avoid the use of abbreviations, acronyms, and other professional jargon that readers may not be familiar with or understand.

• Culver Alumni Magazine publishes information on new jobs, promotions, awards and honors, interesting accomplishments or events in your life, relocations, marriages, births, and deaths. The magazine does not publish information on engagements and/or expected births, nor does it publish photographs of wedding parties and/or newborns.

• Please include updated street addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses with your correspondence. (Also, you may submit or update your e-mail address electronically by accessing the Alumni E-Mail Directory on the website at www. culver.org.)

Col. Carl Steely to be remembered during Alumni Reunion Weekend M. Ruth Graham devoted to children M. Ruth Graham, 97, widow of Col. Gerald Graham, died Aug. 14, 2010.

A victim of Alzheimer’s disease, Mrs. Graham spent the last seven years of her life at Edgewood Vista in Belgrade, Montana From 1957 until her retirement, Mrs. Graham touched the lives of countless young men, providing a home away from home for the cadets while her husband was director of Culver’s famed Black Horse Troop.

She attended Oglethorpe University in Atlanta until the Great Depression, when she left college to work for her father at Layfield Motors in downtown Atlanta. During that time Mrs. Graham became the national president of Tau Phi, a sorority for business women.

In March 1941 she married Gerald J. Graham, a young Army lieutenant who was a skilled polo player and horseman.

While her husband served overseas in World War II, Mrs. Graham began working with children. She taught at Fritz Orr School and day camp in Atlanta. As the family moved, she was employed as a recreational and arts and crafts director in Georgia and North Carolina.

She is survived by her daughters Gerry Gram ’60 of Bozeman, Mont., and Eley Kuchar ’67 of Crown Point, Ind.; five grandchildren, among them Charles Kuchar ’02 of Atlanta; and five greatgrandchildren.

Her husband preceded her in death on Aug. 11, 2006.

A service of remembrance for former CMA Commandant and admissions counselor Carl V. Steely will be held May 22, 2011, immediately following the 10:30 a.m. Memorial Chapel service. All alumni and friends are invited to join the Steely family for this event during Alumni Reunion Weekend. Col. Steely also will be remembered during the Honor Guard exhibitions and at the reunion parade.

A Marine Corps veteran, Col. Steely died Oct. 5, 2010, in Grand Rapids, Mich., having endured an extended battle with Alzheimer ’s disease. He was buried with full military honors at Quantico National Cemetery in Quantico, Va., on Dec. 10. His son, Chris Steely ’83 of Henderson, Nev., delivered the eulogy, wearing his Marine Corps Dress Blues in his father’s honor.

Col. Steely served more than 30 years at the Academies between 1966 and 1999, holding numerous positions in both the academic and administrative areas. He began his career as a Troop A counselor, was the Black Horse Troop tactical officer, an instructor of biology and astronomy, and served as the Academic Dean. Col. Steely served as commandant three times (1971-75, ’77-78 and ’82-83), was a Development officer, and retired as an admissions counselor in 1999.

Col. Steely graduated from Randolph‐ Macon Academy in 1944 and returned to Kentucky, where he graduated from Centre College with a Liberal Arts degree in 1952. He then studied for three years at Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Ky., an experience his family said would keep him focused in his life’s pursuits.

In 1956, he entered the U.S. Marine Corps’ Officer Candidate School. Col. Steely left the Marine Corps three years later as a captain and began a career

dedicated to the education of young men and women.

Prior to coming to the Academies, he served at the Florida Military School in Deland, Fla., for seven years as commandant as well as a professor of Military Science. During this time he also received a master’s degree from Stetson University and married Joan “Jody” McGregor.

In addition to his work at Culver, Col. Steely taught science part time at nearby Ancilla College and completed the MSBA program from the University of Notre Dame.

His other endeavors included owning and operating Steely Aviation, a flight school and small airplane charter service, in Sanford, Fla. He was an avid snow skier and a member of the American Association for Advancement of Science.

Also surviving are his wife, Carol Sue; three daughters, Catherine Rioux of Granville, Ohio, Victoria Steely of Orlando, Fla., and Elizabeth Swansen, all of whom attended Culver; and six granddaughters, including CGA freshman Meagan Rioux.

Culver

Passings

Death notices published in this issue were received and processed as of Dec. 31, 2010. Full obituaries are limited to those alumni who have died within three years of publication of the next available magazine.

Passings in Review Charles H. Brandt H’30, ’34 (Troop) died June 16, 2009, in Hinsdale, Ill. Philip A. Hatfield W’30, N’33, ’34 (Band) of Kalamazoo, Mich., died Sept. 20, 2010. A graduate of Indiana University, Mr. Hatfield began his banking career in Bedford, Ind. In 1961 he became president of Fidelity Federal Savings and Loan Association in Kalamazoo, retiring in 1981. He had served on the Bronson Hospital board of directors, the Kalamazoo Economic Development Corporation, and the Kalamazoo County Building Authority. A horse lover, he competed on the Quarter Horse show circuit into his 80s. He is survived by his wife, Rosemary; a son, David W’62 of Hastings, Mich.; a daughter, stepdaughter, stepson, two granddaughters, and 12 stepgrandchildren. He was predeceased by brothers Howard N’20 and Frank N’29, ’32.

William B. Boyd W’31 died March 16, 2007, in Leesburg, Va. Survivors include his wife, Mary; three sons, including Michael N’65 of Leesburg, Va., a daughter, 16 grandchildren, and three greatgrandchildren.

Robert J. Moore NB’32, ’33 (Band) of Naples, Fla., and Indianapolis died Oct. 24, 2010. Mr. Moore spent his professional career as president and owner of the R.J. Moore Company, a commercial real estate brokerage and development company, most notably assembling and developing the Park Fletcher Business Park (1962-1993). He was a member of the Society of Office and Industrial Realtors and active in the Urban Land Institute.

In recognition of his professional and civic excellence he was presented the key to the City of Indianapolis by Mayor Bill Hudnut (1991) and the Sagamore of the Wabash by Gov. Evan Bayh (1991). Mr. Moore graduated from Wabash College with a major in botany. After graduation

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he entered the U.S. Navy in 1939, serving as an officer for the Amphibious Force, Land Ship Tanks, in four tours of duty, three in the European Theatre and one in the Pacific Theatre. Surviving are two daughters, Patricia “Pam” Moore SS’65 and Emily Sturman SS’65, both of Indianapolis; two stepdaughters, two grandsons, and four great-grand children.

William G. Wiglesworth Jr. ’32 of Cynthiana, Ky., died Nov. 27, 2010.

Mr. Wiglesworth received a Bachelor of Arts in English from Washington and Lee University. During World War II he served as a petty officer for the Coast Guard at Long Island, N.Y. After the war he operated Wiglesworth Agriculture Services and the Wiglesworth Tobacco Warehouses in Cynthiana and farmed. An avid environmentalist, he was honored by the state Sierra Club and received the Environmental Excellence Award for Heritage Land Conservation in 2000.

He also served on the boards of the Harrison County schools and hospital.

Mr. Wiglesworth is survived by his wife, Martha; four daughters, a son, seven grandchildren, two great-granddaughters, four stepchildren, and nine step-grandchildren.

Edgar L. Ballou ’33 (Co. A) died May 10, 2010, in Storm Lake, Iowa. Mr. Ballou was a graduate of the University of Chicago and the graduate school of banking at the University of Wisconsin.

He began his banking career at Security Trust and Savings Bank as a clerk and rose to chairman of the board in a career that spanned 70 years when he retired in 2007. Mr. Ballou was a World War II veteran, serving in the Navy on the USS Shangri-La in the Pacific Theatre. He is survived by a daughter, sister, four grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

John R. Keck N’34 died Dec. 18, 2009, in Naples, Fla.

Hugh E. Russell W’34, ’38 (Artillery) of Vero Beach, Fla., died Jan. 23, 2009.

He is survived by his wife, Virginia.

Howard P. Wood W’34 of Haverford, Pa., died June 20, 2010. Mr. Wood was a graduate of Haverford College and the University of Pennsylvania. For over 40 years, he practiced psychiatry at Lankenau Hospital. He also was an avid ice dancer at the Philadelphia Skating Club. Dr. Wood is survived by his wife, Anne; a daughter, three sons, and 10 grandchildren.

Gordon Forbes ’36 (Artillery) of Carbondale, Colo., died August 22, 2009. A longtime Aspen and Carbondale resident, Mr. Forbes was an author, decorated World War II Navy pilot, jazz musician, part owner of Aspen’s first Chinese restaurant (The House of Lum), a language teacher, and avid skier and hiker. He is survived by his wife Greta; nine children, 19 grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

Philip A. Legge W’37 of Greenwood, S.C., died April 7, 2009. Mr. Legge received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Case Institute of Technology.

He worked in engineering management before taking the job of assistant to the president at his alma mater. For 31 years, Mr. Legge served as secretary of the Corporation at Case Institute, the first person to hold that position. He worked closely with nine chairmen and six presidents of Case Institute and Case Western Reserve University. He retired in 1989 and was appointed secretary emeritus of the corporation. Mr. Legge served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy during World War II and was a veteran of the Iwo Jima invasion. Survivors include his wife, Phyllis; a daughter, a son, brother, stepdaughter, stepson, five grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and three stepgrandchildren.

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Passings

was a World War II Naval veteran. He retired as president of the Farmers and Merchants Bank in Caldwell, and served as a director emeritus. Surviving are one son, Dr. William NB’67 of Chicago; two daughters, Sigrid Merry SS’74 of Caldwell and Lisa Merry SS’75 of Senecaville, Ohio; and a sister. A daughter, Mikela Merry SS’71 preceded him in death.

William P. Strunk W’39 of Maineville, Ohio, died Dec. 12, 2010. Mr. Strunk was an English teacher and administrator in the Cincinnati Public Schools and also served as principal of Ross High School from 1971 until his retirement in 1985.

He spent many years on the Woodcraft Camp staff. He was a World War II Army veteran. He also volunteered as an elementary school reading and writing tutor for 13 years. Surviving are three daughters, a sister, a brother, Peter ’51 of Cincinnati; 11 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

William H. Goettsche N’40, ’42 (Band) of Fort Myers, Fla., died July 14, 2010.

He is survived by a brother, George ’32 of Fort Myers, Fla., and was predeceased by brothers Roy N’30 and Roger ’34.

George J. Kaelber ’40 (Co. D) died Aug. 1, 2009, in Green Valley, Ariz.

Carson S. Kent NB’40 of Hudson, Ohio, died Aug. 18, 2010. He is survived by his wife, Mary Jean; three sons, a daughter, and five grandchildren.

Harry E. Figgie Jr. N’39 of Hunting Valley, Ohio, died July 14, 2009. He was the founder and chairman of Figgie International, Clark Reliance Corp., and the Figgie Foundation. Survivors include his wife, Nancy; two sons, and seven grandchildren.

Myron E. Merry NB’39 of Caldwell, Ohio, died April 3, 2007. He was a graduate of Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering. He was also a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, where he received a degree in banking. Mr. Merry

E. Rabb Emison N’41 died Sept. 1, 2010, in Vincennes, Ind. Mr. Emison was a graduate of DePauw University and the Indiana University School of Law. He was a longtime attorney in Vincennes and a partner in the firm Emison, Doolittle, and Kolb. Survivors include two daughter, Susan Emison SS’70 of Louisville and Anne Wishard SS’72 of Indianapolis.

Mr. Emison was predeceased by a brother, Tom N’46.

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Alan G. Grant ’41 (Co. D) died Sept.

16, 2009, in Altamonte Springs, Fla. Mr. Grant was a graduate of Harvard and the Harvard Law School and practiced law in Orlando for over 50 years. He served as a paratrooper and officer with the 82nd Airborne in World War II. An avid backpacker and fly fisherman, he spent many summers in Wyoming’s Wind River Range and the mountains of Montana and Alaska. Mr. Grant is survived by his wife, Marilyn; two sons, a daughter, and two grandchildren.

Robert Ingalls Jr. W’41 of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, died Aug. 16, 2008. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Mr. Ingalls received a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and became president of Ingalls Stone Co. in Bedford, Ind. During his tenure, the company provided limestone for the Department of Labor in Washington, D.C., the Columbia School of Law, and the Regenstein Library at the University of Chicago, among others. After the company closed in 1976, he worked in Washington, D.C., inspecting marble for the Hart Senate Office Building. Mr. Ingalls retired to St. Louis, where he did volunteer work with Feed My People and was named Volunteer of the Year in the late 1990s. Survivors include his wife, Mary; a son, daughter, and two grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his father, Robert ’21.

James L. Murray Jr. N’41 of Carmel, Ind., died Oct. 26, 2008. Mr. Murray attended Dartmouth College and Indiana University and served in World War II as a second lieutenant. He made his career in real estate as a broker, builder, and land developer. Mr. Murray was awarded the Sagamore of the Wabash by Indiana Gov. Orr for his work as a commissioner of the Sixth District. He is survived by his wife, Rose; three sons, including Dr. J. Lee N’64 of Houston and Rev. Keith N’68 of Reidsville, N.C., sister, a stepson, stepdaughter, 12 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. A brother, William N’36, is predeceased.

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Robert A. Raeburn W’41 died April 17, 2007. He was the former president of N.S. Meyer, Inc. A graduate of Virginia Military Institute, Mr. Raeburn donated his entire collection of original Civil War paintings to his alma mater. He was a member of the board of trustees of the N.Y. Military Academy. He is survived by his wife, Donna, a daughter, son, four grandchildren, and three great-grandsons.

A brother Richard W’40 is deceased.

Larrick H. Glendening ’42 (Co. A) died March 20, 2010, in Bradenton, Fla. A veteran of the U.S. Army Air Corp during World War II, Mr. Glendening was founder of Microlife Technics, innovators of microbiology in the food industry. He was founder and chairman of Osprey Biotechnics, Inc., an environmental industrial microbiology company.

He was a graduate of Harvard University and past president of the Harvard Club of Sarasota, Fla. He is survived by his wife, Betty; daughter Lauren Danielson ’77 of Snead Island, Fla.; a brother; four grandchildren, among them Jennifer (Glendening) Drew SS’96 and Anya Danielson W’97; and a great-grandson.

J. Curtis McKallip ’42 (Artillery) died Sept. 29, 2010, in Houston. Mr. McKallip started his career as an independent oilman in Midland, Texas, where he worked as a land-lease man for the petroleum industry. As a teenager he joined the Navy and served as a gunnery officer in the Pacific Fleet during World War II. His ship, the USS Carter Hall, was one of the primary amphibious assault support ships in the Pacific. Mr. McKallip later graduated from Rice University and pursued post-graduate studies at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado. Known for his love of the ocean and sailing, he raced his sailboat several times between New Orleans and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. In the 1950s, he raced on a 100-foot sailboat from Florida to Cuba. Surviving are his wife, Geri T. McKallip; five children, including stepson John Tucker N’90 of Austin, Texas; eight grandchildren, and a greatgrandson.

Robert E. Merrion ’42 (Co. B) died Sept. 17, 2010, in Colorado Springs, Colo. Mr. Merrion graduated from Knox College with a degree in biology. While at Knox he was president of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and the quarterback for the football team. He started his entrepreneurial career by owning a lumber yard in Garden City, Kan., and later a hide and wool business in Colorado Springs. He founded Remco Equipment Co. in 1968.

He is survived by a son, daughter, and four grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a brother, James “Greg” ’47.

Albert A. Strouss ’42 (Troop) died Oct. 22, 2010, in New Albany, Ohio.

Dr. Strouss attended Cornell University and The Ohio State University School of Veterinary Medicine. He was a World War II veteran, who enlisted in the cavalry and later became a pilot. He was a small animal and equine vet in the Columbus and New Albany area for 34 years. He is survived by his companion, Sylvia Snabl; two daughters, a son, and five grandchildren. Two brothers, Stanley ’45 and Clarence W’29 are deceased.

R. Lee Winchester Jr. ’42 (Co. C) died Oct. 24, 2009, in Memphis, Tenn.

Daniel A. Hillenbrand ’43 (Troop) died May 17, 2010, in Batesville, Ind. Mr. Hillenbrand was an Air Force veteran of World War II, serving in the Fourth Combat Cargo Unit in the China-BurmaIndia Theater. His decorations included three Bronze Stars, two Air Medals, and the Distinguished Flying Cross. After the war Mr. Hillenbrand joined his brothers in the management of the privately owned Hill-Rom Company and Batesville Casket Company. Mr. Hillenbrand was elected president of the Batesville Casket Company in 1969. The Hill-Rom Company and Batesville Casket merged as Hillenbrand Industries and became publicly owned in 1971, with Mr. Hillenbrand becoming chairman of the board and CEO. During his 31 years in charge, he developed the management team that led Hillenbrand Industries to become a Fortune 500 Company. During his tenure

Culver Passings Racehorse breeder, businessman Frank ‘Scoop’ Vessels ’71

Robert L. Baumgarten ’44 (Co. D) died Feb. 26, 2010, in Winnetka, Ill. He is survived by his wife, Marlene; two sons, and two daughters.

Richard A. Russell N’45 of Holiday Shores, Ill., died March 10, 2010. Mr. Russell was a fourth generation owner and operator of Russell Furniture in Staunton from 1954 to 1994. He was an Army veteran of the Korean War and stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas. He graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a degree in retailing. Mr. Russell is survived by his wife, Shirley; two sons, a daughter, a brother, James N’39 of St. Louis; and eight grandchildren.

William W. Briner ’46 (Artillery) of Cincinnati died Aug. 2, 2010. A Korean War veteran, Mr. Briner held a doctoral degree and was a research microbiologist at Procter and Gamble for 35 years.

Surviving are his wife, Norma; two sons, a daughter, and nine grandchildren.

A former staffer in the Naval School, Robert M. Wells N’46 died Dec. 15, 2008, in Asheville, N.C. Dr. Wells retired in 1999 after 20 years of service from the Veterans Administration Hospital as the chief of psychiatry. He was a veteran of both the Army and the Navy. He was also served for many years on the Asheville (N.C.) Symphony board. Dr. Wells is survived by two daughters, two sons, a brother, Richard W’46, N’49 of Austin, Texas; a sister, 10 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren.

Judson B. Seeley ’48 (Co. A) died Sept. 28, 2010, in Mt. Pleasant, Mich.

Active in the farming community, Mr. Seeley was past president of the National Soybean Market Development Founda-

The career and contributions of Frank “Scoop” Vessels III ’71 (Troop) graced the pages of publications devoted to the equine industry and some of the nation’s major newspapers following his untimely death in August 2010.

Mr. Vessels and a passenger were killed Aug. 11 when his twin-engine plane crashed in Oregon. The pair was bound for Montana from Redding, Calif.

Mr. Vessels was a prominent Southern California breeder of racehorses and the grandson of the founder of Los Alamitos Race Course, according to an obituary published in The Los Angeles Times. He was the owner of Vessels Stallion Farm, his family’s commercial breeding operation in Bonsall in northern San Diego County.

He was a past president of the American Quarter Horse Association and the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association and a member of the quarter horse group’s hall of fame. In 2004, Mr. Vessels received the John Galbraith Award.

Frank Vessels Sr. founded the Los Alamitos Race Course in 1951 on his ranch in Cypress, where he bred and raced quarter horses. His grandson, Frank Vessels III, was born a year later and as a youth became a farm hand in the stock yards at the track. That work also earned him his nickname.

“They gave me a shovel and told me to go to work,” “Scoop” Vessels told The Times in 1997.

The track was sold to Hollywood Park in 1984 for $58 million, and Mr. Vessels took over the business when his mother died in 1992.

Courtesy of Robbi Knudson Photography, Oceanside, Calif.

as CEO, sales increased from $76 million to $884 million. Mr. Hillenbrand retired in 2003. Surviving are his wife, Mary; three daughters, six grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by brothers John, George, and William, all of whom attended Woodcraft.

Since the early ’80s, Mr. Vessels had been in Bonsall running the San Luis Rey Downs Training Center for thoroughbreds as well as a golf course. The Vessels Stallion Farm today is a premier breeding enterprise boasting such outstanding sires as First Down Dash, which won the quarter horse world championship in 1987, and the leading thoroughbred In Excess, according to The Times’ obituary.

Before taking over the family enterprise, Mr. Vessels excelled in a different form of racing – off-road trucks. He competed in the Baja 500 and Baja 1000 desert races among others, was voted the sport’s rookie of the year in 1974 and won a string of off-road class championships in the late ’70s.

He also was among a small group of Southern California truck driver-owners who persuaded NASCAR to add a truck division to its stock-car racing series.

Mr. Vessels’ death also was noted in the October 2010 issue of The American Quarter Horse Journal as “a tragedy for his family, for the sport of racing the fastest horses on earth, and for the entire American Quarter Horse industry. . . . He is survived not only by his immediate family, but also by a widespread family and horseman and – women who built their lives on an industry founded largely by the Vessels clan.”

Speedhorse: The Racing Report dedicated its Aug. 20, 2010, cover to Mr. Vessels and his accomplishments, with a report from his Aug. 16 memorial service at Vessels Stallion Farm.

He is survived by his wife, Bonnie, and three sons, including Frank “Colt” ’12. culver alumni magazine

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Culver

Passings Louis W. Traxler N’49 died July 20, 2010, in Tierra Verde, Fla. Surviving are his wife, Darlene; three sons, among them Paul N’79 of St. Petersburg, Fla., and Louis N’75; a daughter; and eight grandchildren.

Hannah Smith ‘11

Hal B. Hasselbalch N’50 died Dec. 13, 2007, in Lincoln, Neb.

tion, a director of Citizen State Bank in Donnellson, director of Iowa Gateway, on the Board of Directors for Agri Pro Association. He ran for State Senate in 1985. Mr. Seeley is survived by his wife, Wyn; three sons, three daughters, two sisters, 16 grandchildren, and 10 great grandchildren.

E. Brayton Smoot H’48 of Las Cruces, N.M., died July 23, 2009. He earned a master’s degree from St. Louis University and a law degree from Indiana University.

He began his career as a lawyer in 1970, and entered private practice in 1972.

Mr. Smoot served as a public defender in Daviess County (Ind.) and was elected county prosecutor in 1974 and served through 1982. He continued his private practice until retiring in 1999. Surviving are his wife, June, two daughters, a son, and three grandchildren.

John P. Van Abel H’48 of Canton, Ohio died Nov. 7, 2009.

Patrick R. Beck N’49 of Dublin, Ohio, died June 4, 2009. He attended Indiana University and the University of Notre Dame and graduated from Purdue University with bachelor’s and master’s degrees. A chemical engineer, he retired

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from Battelle Memorial Institute and founded a consulting company, Worthington Associates. Survivors include two daughters, four grandchildren, and his companion, Norma Ullrich.

Alonzo H. Boyd ’49 (Co. C) of Cambridge City, Ind., died Dec. 21, 2010.

Mr. Boyd attended Denison University and graduated from Indiana University in 1953. He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean Conflict. He joined his father at Wayne Trust Co. in Cambridge City in 1956, becoming the fifth generation of the family-owned business.

Since 1968, he has served as president and chairman of the board of Wayne Bank and Trust and was fully involved with career and community at the time of his death. Survivors include his wife, Patricia; three daughters, two stepchildren, a sister, and six grandsons.

Tom O’Neall ’49 (Artillery) died Oct. 9, 2010, in New York City. Mr. O’Neall received a master’s degree from Fordham University. He served as a counselor at Gracie Square Hospital and founded community agencies to aid recovering substance abusers and the homeless. There are no immediate survivors. He was predeceased by a brother, William ’36.

Walter P. Simmons ’52 (Co. C) died Nov. 28, 2010, in St. Clair, Mich. Mr. Simmons attended the University of Michigan and The University of California-Berkeley. He began his business career with Welding Sales & Engineering Co. in Detroit. In 1963 he negotiated the purchase of Tuffaloy Products. Mr. Simmons was the recipient of the Elihu Thompson Award for his work as an inventor and engineer. He retired in 1988. An avid outdoorsman, Mr. Simmons sailed in the Port Huron to Mackinac race for 18 years.

He was one of few to earn the Admiral Bayfield Award for circumnavigating all the Great Lakes. Surviving are his wife, Carroll; two sons, including Timothy ’84 of Battle Creek, Mich.; a daughter, and eight grandchildren.

Robert N. Grantvedt ’53 (Co. B) of Yukon, Okla., died Aug. 30, 2010. A graduate of Western Michigan University, Mr. Grantvedt retired in 2004 from Emerson Industrial Automation as a manufacturer’s representative. Surviving are two daughters, a son, and a grandson.

Harry R. Stimson Jr. W’53 of South Bend, Ind., died March 21, 2010. A physician, he is survived by his wife, Nancy; two daughters, a son, and sister.

Robert K. Dillon ’54 (Co. B) of Roswell, Ga., died Aug. 5, 2010. He received a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University, and later received an MBA from Georgia State University. Mr. Dillon was an officer and aviator in the U.S. Army for more than 17 years. He was a veteran of the Vietnam War and was honored with the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart, among many other decorations and commendations. Following his military service, Mr. Dillon worked for Lockheed-Martin until his

Culver

Passings retirement in 2001. Though his career was in aviation, his lifelong passion was model railroading. He wrote for national railroading publications, and was a longtime member and former president of the Illinois Central Railroad Society. He is survived by his wife, Doris; two sons, a daughter, a sister, and six grandchildren.

Donald E. Drew W’54 died April 7, 2010, in Willowbrook, Ill. He is survived by a niece, Kathleen Kaska Perez SS’80, ’83 of Lake Ann, Mich.

George F. Alderdice III N’55 died Feb. 23, 2010, in Everett, Pa. Three children survive, among them George W’84 of Westlake, Ohio, and Erica Birkner W’92 of Everett, Pa. Lloyd A. Lawson H’56 of Cleveland died May 26, 2008.

Roy E. Wood Jr. N’56, ’59 (Co. B) of Urbana, Ill., died Dec. 21, 2010.

Mr. Wood served in the U.S. Army as an intelligence officer during the Vietnam War. He spent his final years training and raising his daughters’ dogs and his own Siberian Huskies, all rescue dogs from PAWS Chicago. Mr. Wood also volunteered at the Urbana Dog Park. Surviving are his wife, Julie; two daughters; two sons, among them Shaun ’84 of Zionsville, Ind.; and two brothers, including James N’56; and a sister.

Patrick L. Fleming ’57 (Co. D) of Kyle, Texas, died Aug. 29, 2010, from a hemorrhagic stroke suffered several hours after a minor car accident. He lived for 16 days after the accident. Mr. Fleming is survived by his wife, Rosalee.

Former CMA Regimental Commander Samuel A. Bloch ’59 (Co. A) died April 7, 2010, in Greensboro, N.C. The former senior captain attended Washington and Lee University and serviced in the U.S. Army. He is survived by his wife, Bonnie.

Stephen W. Wildermuth N’59 of Angola, Ind., died May 6, 2009. Mr. Wildermuth is survived by two daughters, two sons, a brother, and eight grandchildren.

John E. Jackson NB’60 of Cory, Ind., died Jan. 22, 2010. Mr. Jackson graduated from Indiana State University with a bachelor’s degree in education. During his college years, he was a musician with many bluegrass bands. He was an Army veteran of the Vietnam War, and awarded a Purple Heart. Honorably discharged as a sergeant, he returned to ISU and earned a master’s degree in education. He taught industrial arts at Otter Creek Junior High School. Following teaching, he began farming in the Cory area until retirement.

Mr. Jackson served on the board of directors of the Fayette Bank and Trust in Connersville. Survivors include his wife, Kim; three sons, among them Christopher W’82 of Sacramento, Calif., and USMC Lt. Jacob W’00, NB’03 stationed at Quantico, Va.

Celanese Corporation. Mr. Latham was a graduate of the GE Financial Management Program. He founded Computer Systems Consultants (CSC), which develops and installs computerized medical systems. As a youth, he was involved in Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Explorer, earning the rank of Eagle Scout and serving as a scoutmaster in adulthood. He is survived by his wife, Ginny, two sons, among them Thomas W’89, NB’90 of Monroe, Conn.; and a sister.

Raymond R. Latham N’60 of Fairfield, Conn., died June 5, 2010. Mr. Latham earned his undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University in business and engineering and his graduate degree from Syracuse University, where he also taught graduate computer classes. He pursued a career in business with Lennox Industries, General Electric (GE), and

Lawrence S. Dolin ’62 (Co. B) died Nov. 29, 2010, in Cleveland. Mr. Dolin was the owner of the Front Row Theater for 20 years. The theater drew many famous performers to the area and hosted benefits and other events. After it closed in 1994, Mr. Dolin ran Playhouse Square for five years. In 1998, he changed careers and started Noteworthy Medical Systems, which computerizes medical records for

Anthony H. Nash ’61 (Artillery) of Albuquerque, N.M. died Aug. 31, 2009.

A retired Air Force captain, serving 22 years, Mr. Nash retired from the State of New Mexico Land Office in 2005 after 13 years. He is survived by his wife, Judy, and a daughter.

Have you considered a bequest to Culver?

The Eugene C. Eppley Club honors individuals who have made a commitment to Culver through their estate plans, life income arrangements, life insurance, real estate, or retirement plan gifts.

A planned gift, or a deferred gift as they are sometimes called, can be an im-

portant way to help advance Culver’s noble mission. In your own way, giving can come full circle.

Contact: Dale Spenner Director of Planned Giving Culver Academies/ Culver Summer Schools & Camps TEL: (574) 842-8181 CELL: (574) 855-7710 FAX: (574)842-8162 http://www.culver.plannedgifts.org/

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clients around the U.S. He also consulted with Case Western Reserve University Medical School on electronic medical records and taught at Weatherhead School of Management. Mr. Dolin attended Reed College and received his bachelor’s, master’s, and law degrees from Case Western. Early in his career, he practiced law.

Mr. Dolin is survived by his wife, Deedra; two sons, a daughter, sister, and three grandchildren.

William M. Johnson W’62, NB’65 died Oct. 11, 2010, in Speedway, Ind. Mr. Johnson was a Navy veteran of the Vietnam War. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and a master’s degree from Indiana-Purdue University in Indianapolis. He is survived by his wife, Susan; two daughters, his mother, Audna; a sister, brother E. David W’66, NB’69 of Logansport, Ind.; and a grandson.

Jack D. Miller N’63 of Estero, Fla., died Sept. 8, 2010. A graduate of Embry Riddle Aeronautical Institute, Mr. Miller and his wife, Jia, lived on and operated the Flagler County Airport. He taught private and instrument pilot, seaplane, and aerobatics and worked on-call for the Florida Forestry Service. He also flew aerobatic maneuvers in local air shows.

In 1973 he began his career as an air traffic controller in Jacksonville, Fla., retiring in 1999 to Estero. As a Boy Scout, Mr. Miller earned the ranking of Eagle Scout. In addition to his wife, Mr. Miller is survived by a daughter, an adopted son, his stepfather, and three grandchildren.

Robert R. Dovenbarger N’64 died March 23, 2008, in Powell, Ohio. His wife, Karen, survives.

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James R. Heller N’65 of Brownstown, Ind., died Oct. 22, 2010. Mr. Heller received an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy from Culver and Sen. Birch Bayh. He served six years in the Naval Reserves. Mr. Heller attended Milligan Bible College in Tennessee. He worked as store manager of Woolworth’s in Des Plaines, Ill., and later as merchant manager for the Handy Andy Stores.

He also worked as a manager at Wal-Mart Distribution Center in Seymour, Ind., for 15 years. Surviving are his wife, Susan; three children, a stepson, his mother, Mildred Heller of Brownstown; a sister, five grandchildren, three stepgrandchildren, and two stepgreat-grandchildren.

Douglas G. Faulk ’66 (Band) of Danville, Ill., died Aug. 7, 2010. Mr. Faulk served in the U.S. Navy from 1970-75 and then pursued a nursing career. He graduated from Lakeview School of Nursing in 1978 and was employed by the Danville Veterans Administration. He is survived by his wife, Debra; a son, four daughters, and 10 grandchildren.

David W. Kubiak ’66 (Co. A) of Moraga, Calif., died Nov. 17, 2010. Mr. Kubiak earned his master’s degree at the University of Michigan. He is survived by his wife, Sue; two sons, his mother, and two sisters.

Richard B. Wells N’66 died April 25, 2010, in Chesterfield, Mo. Mr. Wells was a member of the Board of Education of Parkway School District for 10 years.

Surviving are his wife, Linda; three daughters, his mother and stepfather, Marilyn and Wilson Whiteside; three sisters, and a grandson.

A former Specialty Camper in the mid’60s, Julia Lathrop died April 13, 2009, in Indianapolis. Survivors include two sons, a brother Steve Lathrop W’56, ’61 of Zionsville, Ind.; two sisters, and eight step-siblings. She was predeceased by a brother, Alan Lathrop W’57, ’65.

Jay H. Allen N’68 of Orlando, Fla., died May 3, 2009. Mr. Allen was a purchasing manager with Federal Home Life Insurance Company. He is survived by his wife, Jennifer; a son, daughter, three brothers, a sister, and a granddaughter.

Steven K. Mamer ’69 (Troop) died Feb. 14, 2008, in Platteville, Colo. Mr. Mamer was a Navy veteran of Vietnam.

He is survived by his wife, Jane; a son, a daughter, brother, and sister.

Donald L. Trites ’70 (Artillery) of Big Rapids, Mich., died Sept. 4, 2010. Mr. Trites worked in the automotive industry for a time before establishing the Lost Mountain Ski and Paddle in Paris, Mich.

In 1978, he and his partner, Don DeWitt, moved into Big Rapids and established The Sawmill Canoe Livery. In 2004, they expanded the business to include the Hersey Canoe Livery. In addition to operating a family business for 32 years, Mr. Trites was a Realtor and listed and sold real estate for 20 years. Survivors include two sons, his father, Robert of Naples, Fla.; two brothers, and a sister.

Patrick J. Kopczynski ’90 (Artillery) died Christmas Eve 2010. He spent his childhood in Saudi Arabia. Mr. Kopczynski is survived by two sons; his mother, Barbara Bain; his father, Edward Kopczynski; and his sisters Andrea Peterson ’92 of Hermantown, Minn., and Erica O’Kief ’88 of Firenze, Italy.

Taylor S. Berry A’98 of Columbus, Miss., died Oct. 27, 2008. Survivors include his parents, Scott and Ruth Berry of Columbus; two sisters, and his paternal grandparents.

Culver

Clubs International FROM THE CCI PRESIDENT Sales Force Seeing Return on Investments One of the most efficient, effective ways for alumni and parents to enhance their Culver Experience and support Culver’s mission is by engaging with area Culver Clubs. Culver Clubs accomplish what reunions and class-related activities cannot . . . friendships across generations with the common bond of our great school and summer programs. Clubs are not all cocktail parties and social events.

As an example, the Greater Lafayette (Ind.) Culver Club is back in business with a local scholarship for Culver students created in their local community foundation and a support network for Culver alumni who have matriculated at Purdue.

A number of clubs, including several in the Far East, play integral roles in our student recruiting process, offer area students encouragement, and create innovative scholarship opportunities.

South Florida Culver Club members gathered in the Winners Circle after the Culver Academies Race on Jan. 29 at Gulfstream Park in Hialeah, Fla. Photo provided.

To be sure, there are fun and, we hope, unique, social occasions filling club calendars. Since my last message over 1,000 alumni and friends gathered to hear John Buxton speak in Detroit and Naples, Fla.; attended equine events in Kentucky (the World Equestrian Games) and on Florida’s east coast; enjoyed the annual Yankee Day in Tampa, Fla., hosted by the Steinbrenner family; New Yorkers enjoyed a respite from December snowstorms with a holiday party; and the Golden Gate Culver Club Old Guard Association memorialized their late founder and former Regimental Commander Lucius Parkinson ’45.

Every volunteer expands Culver’s outreach in ways staff could never accomplish, nor afford. So engage if you have any inclination. It is a gratifying experience.

Kevin Henderson W’86, ’91 CCI President Denver

Left to right, Jimmy Clark W’82, ’87, Wyatt Clark, Miles Clark, Phil Heyde ’01, and Hill Bleakley ’87 at the mid-January Shattuck St. Mary’s hockey game in Faribault, Minn. A small contingent of Culver faithful were on hand for the U16 and Prep games. Thanks to some ‘unbelievable goaltending,’ the U16 Eagles overcame a 3-1 deficit in the third period to claim a 4-3 victory. Photo provided.

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Kososki Brothers Escape Corporate World on Alaska’s Kodiak Island

By Frederick Karst Alaska’s unspoiled Kodiak Island has become an outdoor paradise for two Culver alumni, brothers Trent ’99 and Travis ’02 Kososki.

Whether chasing ibex on horseback in Kazakhstan’s Tien Shan mountain range or bill-fishing India’s Andaman Islands, the Kososki brothers enjoy adventure.

Today the Duke University graduates combine careers that began on Wall Street with a devotion to their family’s Kodiak Legends Lodge.

The lodge offers an extensive and luxurious outdoors experience, Trent said. It operates its own float plane and four boats, providing guests with opportunities for fresh and saltwater fishing, eco-adventures, and hunting.

Trent and Travis were Troopers at Culver.

Trent graduated third in his class and played varsity baseball and football. Travis was class president, battalion commander, and also excelled in athletics.

The Kososkis first visited Kodiak Island in 2006. They immediately were captivated by the remoteness, beauty, and untouched nature of the land. The second-largest island in the United States and a lush, green haven, it is home to the world’s largest carnivore, the Kodiak

Travis ’02 (left) and Trent Kososki ’99 share a love for adventure and Alaska’s Kodiak Island. Photo provided.

brown bear, as well as millions of salmon that crowd its pristine streams each summer and fall. The Kososki brothers recognized a potential for fly fishing, now one of the most popular activities for visitors to the lodge.

The Kososki family’s attraction to the island led them to buy the lodge in 2007.

It is nestled on Uyak Bay in the western reaches of the island.

Travis was the first of the brothers to become closely involved in the lodge.

After a couple of years as a rising star with Goldman Sachs in New York City, he became a pilot and moved to the island. He helped to manage lodge operations while he thought about directing his life along a more entrepreneurial path. He now spends most of his time looking after the family companies in Kazakhstan while seeking new business opportunities in oilfield services, agriculture, construction, and aviation.

Trent, currently more active in the lodge’s operations, has been with Energy Capital Partners, an energy infrastructure private equity fund, since its inception in 2005.

He is a vice president based in San Diego, where he has responsibility for investment origination, execution, and monitoring.

Last fall Trent produced and Culver graduate Zach Shields ’02 directed a documentary film about steelhead fly fishing on Kodiak called “The Kodiak Project” (http://www.thekodiakproject. com/) with a New York Times writer and an editor of Field & Stream as featured personalities.

Both Kososki brothers remain enchanted with Kodiak Island. When not engaged by business commitments, they report they are eager to retreat to remote areas of the island to fly their float plane, experience nature, and recharge.

Several Culver friends were among the Kososkis’ guests at the lodge last year, and they are looking forward to welcoming others when the five-month season opens in June. The lodge has a web site that gives more information about the resort and the Kodiak Island experience: http://www.kodiaklegendslodge.com.

Editor’s note: Frederick Karst is a freelance writer in Culver, Ind., and the former publisher of The Culver Citizen.

And one more thing…

Entrepreneurship fits Rubin to a ‘Tea’ Businessman Ron Rubin’s experiences at the collegiate level convinced him that entrepreneurship needs to be taught at the high school level. And what has been accomplished by Culver’s School for the Entrepreneur convinced the 1968 Culver alumnus that entrepreneurship can be taught at Culver.

With that assurance, Rubin established an endowment to fund The Ron Rubin School for the Entrepreneur. It is the first time The Culver Educational Foundation Board of Trustees has named a specific school after an individual. Rubin is the chief executive officer of The Republic of Tea, a leading purveyor of fine tea.

He also served as adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at Saint Louis University, where he mentored MBA student entrepreneurs.

“I wanted to give Culver students a head start,” Rubin told students, faculty, and staff at an all-school convocation in October unveiling the new name. He has supported the entrepreneur program since it was launched in 2006 and is “proud to have my name as part of this signature program at Culver.”

Rubin calls himself a “Zentrepreneur.

An entrepreneur is someone who builds a business. A Zentrepreneur is someone who builds a business – and a life.”

The Republic of Tea has grown from its founding in 1992 to become the leading distributor of more than 200 premium teas and tea-related items. Republic of Tea products are available at over 20,000 gourmet retailers, select restaurants, and

via a website and mail-order catalog.

Rubin and his company have been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Time, Business Week, Bon Appetite, and other publications.

Known as a progressive, socially conscious business, Rubin is mindful of how The Republic of Tea’s actions impact the greater community, so it actively supports worthy organizations like the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the Prostate Cancer Foundation, Room to Read, and others.

Culver’s School for the Entrepreneur was founded by Humanities instructor Harry D. Frick III as part of the Global Studies Institute. Economics instructor Andy Dorrel became co-director and the program spun off soon after.

The program has made use of the extensive Culver network, Frick said, with students interfacing with entrepreneurs and professors, many of whom are alumni. Students have visited the Stern Business School at New York University, the Arthur Blank Center for Entrepreneurship at Babson College, and the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Phoenix.

Culver alumni and parents also serve as mentors and leaders during the various business competitions sponsored by the Rubin School.

The Ron Rubin School for the Entrepreneur also hosts an annual seminar featuring experts from a variety of backgrounds. New programs include the Innovation Fund, which allows students to apply for funds to help transform innovative ideas or projects into viable or sustainable enterprises; and the Integrated Campus, which provides incubator funds to each academic department that allow students to pursue newly innovative projects, potential ventures, and crosscampus initiatives.

— by Jan Garrison Haberland photo

Austin Welch was the student winner of $1,000 for his entry in the “Inspire Us” video competition sponsored by the Rubin School for the Entrepreneur. Humanities instructor Josh Danforth pocketed $1,000 as the faculty winner.

culver alumni magazine

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Back, Back to Culver Days …

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Spring 2011

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