The Alumni Council invites you to kick off Summer 2023 with four days of fun!
From Thursday, June 8, through Sunday, June 11, the campus is all yours. Your reunion committee has helped the school plan a one-of-a-kind weekend that offers something for everyone. Classes ending in 3 or 8 will celebrate their reunions together and make memories that will last a lifetime.
I want to welcome you home to Mercersburg Academy in June.
The Long Blue Line is very much alive at the ’Burg. Although the campus has changed and evolved over time, the same traditions, values, and mission remain. It’s this remarkable legacy of an extraordinary education that unites us as alumni.
As you plan for your reunion, there are many ways you can invest in Mercersburg’s students, faculty, and staff. Our school is strengthened not only by its rich history but also by our time, talent, and financial support. I hope you’ll help to continue this tradition of participation just as others throughout the school’s 130 years have done.
Sincerely,
Ann Marie Bliley-Ester ’01 Alumni Council President
4 Use your unique registration ID number to register at mercersburg.edu/reunionweekend.
4 Pricing is a la carte and the weekend is designed to be an affordable getaway.
4 Dorm rooms are $100 for a bed in a shared room for three nights or $200 for a private room for three nights. Note: if you’re traveling solo, we will place you in a shared room. Therefore, be sure to share your roommate preferences or upgrade to get a private room. For those bringing a guest, please select “private room.”
4 Families with young children may select the “family-friendly” dorm accommodation, providing a kid-friendly environment.
4 Online registration will close Thursday, May 25. Refunds will be issued through May 15.
Find the lineup of events and a list of FAQs at mercersburg.edu/reunionweekend. The schedule will be updated as programming is added.
4 Don’t miss your class photo and dinner on Saturday—a high point of the weekend.
4 Avoid trekking to a hotel—stay in a dorm so you never have to leave campus.
4 Show off your dance moves on Saturday night with live music by The Odyssey Band of DC.
4 The campus is your playground: take advantage of the Burgin Center for the Arts, the library in Lenfest Hall, the Lloyd Aquatic Center, the Davenport Squash Center, and the Smoyer Tennis Center.
4 Learn from faculty members about Mercersburg’s curriculum and what it’s like to be a student today.
4Celebrate your classmates as they share their skills, stories, and accomplishments.
The Alumni Council invites you to kick off Reunion Weekend on Thursday with a special dinner celebrating alumni, faculty, and staff.
CLASS OF ’32 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD
John Jones III ’73
ALUMNI COUNCIL MEDAL FOR DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT
Betsy Mitchell ’83, P ’15
ALUMNI COUNCIL MEDAL FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE
Richard Helzel ’68, P ’11, ’12
ALUMNI COUNCIL PRIZE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
Kevin Harris ’98
ALUMNI COUNCIL PRIZE FOR SERVICE
Dean Hosgood III ’98
ALUMNI COUNCIL YOUNG ALUMNI LEADERSHIP AWARD
Mary Lancaster Grywatch ’08
FACULTY AND STAFF RECOGNITION
The Alumni Council will honor faculty and staff retirees and those with 25 or more years of service to Mercersburg Academy.
Please see mercersburg.edu/reunionweekend for a full list of honorees.
John Jones III ’73
Betsy Mitchell ’83, P ’15
Kevin Harris ’98
Mary Lancaster Grywatch ’08
Dean Hosgood III ’98
Richard Helzel ’68, P ’11, ’12
Your campus headquarters for the weekend!
This is where classmates will reconnect, visit with faculty, and relax. Plan to bring your Mercersburg memorabilia and Karux for class tent decorations. A panel of judges will award the coveted Class Cup for best tent on Saturday night. Bragging rights are at stake!
Read more about these speakers at mercersburg.edu/reunionweekend.
Friday, June 9, at 11 a.m.
Dean Hosgood ’98
Dr. Hosgood’s research focuses on identifying associations between environmental exposures and adverse health outcomes, emphasizing cancer and gene-environment interactions. He utilizes advanced population-based and clinical-based methods that integrate observational study designs, cuttingedge exposure assessments, and biomarkers of susceptibility (i.e., genetic data) to explain the complex mechanisms underlying tumorigenesis—the formulation of a tumor. Dr. Hosgood’s session will focus on his work in this area and its impact on historically marginalized communities. Dean is an associate professor and the Atran Foundation chair in epidemiology and population health at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, NY.
Friday, June 9, at 3 p.m.
Gabrielle Joffie Richards ’03
LOVE YOUR BODY
Gabrielle Joffie Richards ’03 is brand director for Shapermint, a size-inclusive SupportiveWear brand, and The BodCon—the number one body confidence community in the world. As a licensed body positive coach, she has worked significantly with brands that help empower men and women feel confident within their skin. While in college, Gabrielle noticed a lack of emphasis on body positivity within the fashion industry. This helped pique her interest in owning her narrative and developing an education within the body positive and acceptance space. Gabrielle will present her work and experience in these fields.
Read more about these speakers at mercersburg.edu/reunionweekend.
Saturday, June 10, at 10 a.m.
Recently retired NASA aerospace and pyrotechnic engineer Chuck Gray ’78 worked on the Orion Launch Abort System (LAS), which was part of the November 16, 2022, Artemis 1 unmanned test flight that traveled for 25 days and more than 1.4 million miles around the moon. It splashed safely down on Earth, December 11, 2022. The LAS is designed to protect astronauts if a problem arises during launch by pulling the spacecraft away from a falling rocket. Weighing approximately 16,000 pounds, it can activate within milliseconds. With a motor that generates enough thrust to lift 26 elephants off the ground, it can pull the vehicle to safety and position the module for a safe landing. With the success of this test flight, NASA is now planning for future missions with sustained human presence on the moon and eventual human missions to Mars.
Saturday, June 10, at 1:30 p.m.
Paul Stamets ’73
The recent upsurge in interest in psilocybin mushrooms by the scientific community is attributable to their extensive use throughout history, widespread use today, and increasing number of clinical studies validating psilocybin as a breakthrough medicine. Come learn about the historical use of mushrooms and psilocybin’s potential for neurological health based on recent results on molecular modes of action.
As co-founder and majority shareholder of MycoMedica Life Sciences, PBC, Paul is well positioned with his team to conduct clinical studies based in part on the four U.S. composition patents he recently received on psilocybin discoveries.
John began exhibiting his artwork in 2021 and has since realized increasing success. His solo exhibit, “Abstracts by John McDowell,” has been shown at several venues in the Chambersburg, PA, area, and one piece has been selected for publication by the online international arts magazine, Artistonish , for its February 2023 edition. Most recently, four of his works were chosen as part of the digital exhibit at Booth 107 at Art Expo New York 2023, where they will be offered as large-scale (59” x 43”) digitally-altered museum quality giclée canvas prints.
John describes his artwork as abstract and form shifting. A recent review by Anne Finucane of the Chambersburg Council for the Arts reflects this creative process: “The ink-on-paper drawings of John McDowell are complex and creative. While it is not uncommon to find this medium used to create dense and intricate images, these are varied and creative, combining both geometric shapes and organic forms. The images flow from nearly, but not quite, realistic architectural forms to curving, abstract lines, yielding overall designs that tease the eye and confound the brain.”
A graduate of Hampshire College, John is a self-taught graphic artist who began his career as a rock drummer in his early 20s, touring fraternity houses and clubs with his band in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. He later worked on Wall Street, where he founded his own firm in 1985. In the early 1990s, he was injured in a car accident and found he could no longer work. Therefore, he left New York City and retired to his hometown of Chambersburg, PA, where his ancestors settled in the 1770s.
Geode Sunset
Over Sumatra
To close out the weekend, join classmates on Sunday, June 11, at 10 a.m. in the Irvine Memorial Chapel to remember and reflect on those members of our community we have lost.
100 Academy Drive
c Register online at mercersburg.edu/ reunionweekend.
c See who’s on the guest list.
c Contact your classmates to encourage attendance.
c Make a reunion gift to the Annual Fund in honor of your class.
c Submit a class note for the school magazine.
c Gather photos and memorabilia to bring in June.
Mercersburg, Pennsylvania 17236 Register today using your unique registration ID.
Questions? Email events@mercersburg.edu or call 717-328-6100.
#mburgreunion
