Mercersburg Academy Magazine, Summer 2024

A New Way to Network

Mercersburg Connect is a new online platform for alumni that provides incredible resources, such as an alumni directory, information and registration for upcoming events, and opportunities to update contact information, share alumni news, and engage with classmates.

Because it is exclusively for Mercersburg alumni, registration is required but free of charge.

Volume 50, Issue 2

Editor: Lisa Tedrick Prejean

Contributors: David Bell P ’17, ’18, Debra Collins P ’14, Yule Kwon ‘26, Jack Lewis ’25, Megan Mallory, Tyler Miller, Cody Parks, Jaeyoung (Justin) Oh ’25, Zally Price, Lisa Wei ’26

Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications: Amy Marathe P ’26

Design and Cover Art: LQ Design

Head of School: Quentin McDowell P ’25, ’27

Did You Know?

Stony Batter Players is celebrating 130 years.

Here Comes the Thunder

Commencement

Mercersburg Academy magazine informs and connects our community, fosters belonging and pride, inspires engagement, and celebrates achievement. The magazine is published twice a year by the Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications.

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Alumni correspondence/change of address: alumni@mercersburg.edu | 800-588-2550

Main school phone: 717-328-2151

Read us online: mercersburg.edu/magazine

To receive this magazine exclusively online and to be notified electronically when a new issue is available, email magazine@mercersburg.edu. © Copyright 2024 Mercersburg Academy. All rights reserved. No content from this publication may be reproduced or reprinted in any form without the express written consent of Mercersburg Academy. Mercersburg Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, religion, mental or physical disability, or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its admissions, financial aid, and loans, and its educational, athletic, and other programs.

“Observation must always lead to obligation, which is why our school has made civic engagement a key priority to the learning experience of every Mercersburg student.”

In This Divided and Polarized World, What Will Society Need from Students?

It has always been the role of schools like Mercersburg Academy to best prepare students for the world that awaits them upon their graduation. Historically, this has been measured in traditional terms, such as through college placement, academic achievements, or professional occupations. For example, our lists of notable alumni typically highlight those who have reached the pinnacle of success in their respective occupational, athletic, or humanitarian fields. All of this is indeed important and certainly deserves to be celebrated.

What we do not always actively acknowledge, however, is our other imperative responsibility–to equip our students with the knowledge, attitudes, and attributes necessary to navigate the complicated, nuanced, and ever-shifting landscape of a world that continues to advance at perpetually unprecedented speeds. Mercersburg has never ignored its inherent obligation to identify and address the most pressing societal issues as we help students “develop a determination to lead and serve the world.” Our school’s annals are filled with evidence of Mercersburg rising to meet the social, political, and economic challenges over its 131-year history.

Today is no different. As we peer beyond the textbooks and syllabi of our coursework to ask ourselves what it is that society will need most from our students, it is impossible not to acknowledge the unusually divided and polarized world that they will be entering. Observation must always lead to obligation, which is why our school has made civic engagement a key priority to the learning experience of every Mercersburg student. From understanding political and organizational systems to practicing the critical skills and dispositions necessary to effectively engage as active citizens, Mercersburg is endeavoring to help students see that conflict can lead to compromise, listening to learn is always better than listening to respond, and being uncomfortable is OK (and does not necessarily equate to being unsafe). It is not any school’s job to teach students what to think, but instead how to think and how to participate in productive dialogue and discourse, particularly with those whose views may differ. They will almost always find that they have more in common with one another than they think, and there is almost always a shared desire to serve the collective good.

Sincerely,

Quentin McDowell P ’25, ’27 Head of School

HERE COMES THE THUNDER

The Simon Theatre buzzed with excitement on February 29, 2024, as Mercersburg unveiled the costume for its new mascot, Thunder the eagle. The decision to adopt an eagle as our mascot was a yearlong process that has been met with overwhelming enthusiasm. (Mercersburg’s athletics teams are still the Storm; Thunder is merely a sidekick to visually represent the Storm and the school as a whole.)

After a community-wide vote from among three finalists in 2023, the eagle emerged as the clear favorite, reflecting Mercersburg’s values and personality. Eagles are powerful, resilient, and fearless–and the only birds that intentionally fly into a storm. While other birds hide from fierce weather, eagles use the turbulence to their advantage to soar higher. They are also masters at teaching and nurturing their young.

Thunder has already been incorporated into school activities. Whether cheering on our sports teams, participating in Accepted Student Day, or attending other school events, Thunder will serve as a unifying symbol.

The arrival of Thunder marks a new chapter in the history of Mercersburg, one that promises to be filled with excitement, camaraderie, and unwavering spirit. So, let’s all join together in welcoming Thunder as the newest member of our school community by playing a game!

In this magazine is a hidden Thunder that looks like this icon.

If you find Thunder, use this QR code to tell us where you found it. We will randomly draw 10 community members to win a swag bag filled with Mercersburg items.

Campus Happenings

Black History Month

We celebrated the start of Black History Month in February with Terrance “Munch” Williams, executive director of ProScholars Athletics, a college preparatory program that develops young men for greater academic and social opportunities through sports.

Generosity of Spirit School Meeting

Arshay Cooper was the speaker at the fifth annual Joseph Hilliard Beauregard ’18 Memorial Generosity of Spirit School Meeting in February. Raised on the West Side of Chicago, Cooper led the first all-Black high school rowing team, which inspired his award-winning memoir, A Most Beautiful Thing

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Abdul Dosunmu, civil rights lawyer and movement builder, delivered the Martin Luther King Jr. Day keynote address in January. Dosunmu discussed why he feels Dr. King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech is so impactful. Following Dosunmu’s address, students participated in breakout sessions on service and education, exploring topics such as messages of equality and peace through music, and race in sports, and experiencing service trips off campus. To conclude the day’s events, the school community convened again for a performance by Soul Steps, a professional step group based in New York City.

Blue Review Award

The Blue Review earned the Gold Crown Award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association for the third year in a row.

Cum Laude Convocation

Mercersburg Academy honored 22 members of the Class of 2024 for excellence in academics at the annual Cum Laude Convocation in March. Counselor, author, and musician Dr. Katharine Brooks ’72 talked about chaos theory and how a few moments can change your life.

Jacobs Residency Lecture

Ian Manuel, criminal justice reform advocate, poet, and author, was invited to give the Jacobs Residency Lecture in April. Kaiya Hoffman ’25 interviewed him on stage.

AAPI Heritage Month Speaker

Jillian Tamaki, a CanadianAmerican illustrator, cartoonist, and comic artist, spoke in recognition of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month to share her work and her artistic journey.

Women’s History Month

Connie Wang, writer, journalist, and high school classmate of School Minister Rev. Dr. Will Whitmore, was the featured school meeting speaker for Women’s History Month in March. She talked about the importance of self-expression and how interests can lead to an unexpected career path. Her passion for fashion from a young age developed into a career as a fashion writer that allowed her to travel the world.

Global Travel

Class of ’69 Global Engagement Initiative

Artist and environmental enthusiast Alexis Rockman spoke at the Class of ’69 Global Engagement Initiative Lecture. Alexis is known for shedding light on complex world issues through his futuristic landscapes.

At the end of the school year, our students traveled to the Bahamas (photo at right), France, Italy, and Taiwan as part of Mercersburg’s Global Initiatives. Earlier this year, a group of students and faculty also traveled to Costa Rica for service work over spring vacation.

Retirees

Pen Pal Project

Seniors met with their elementary school pen pals at the end of the school year for an afternoon filled with fun and games.

» History teacher David Bell P ’17, ’18 retired at the end of the 2023-2024 academic year after 27 years at Mercersburg. During the Baccalaureate service, Head of School Quentin McDowell P ’25, ’27 shared sentiments from Bell’s co-workers, ranging from “He’s the most efficient I’ve ever worked with, turning around stacks of essays overnight” to “It is hard to put into words how much I appreciate your expertise, your humor, and your care for all members of this community.”

» Advancement Services Associate Leslie Miller retired at the end of May. She had been with Mercersburg since September 2003. Over her years of service, Miller manually created 5,504 records out of 41,453 constituent records in our database, according to the Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations.

David Bell, Leslie Miller

Will Slater, a former history fellow who is a member of the history faculty, leads a class discussion.

Dean of Academics Jennifer Miller Smith ’97, P ’23, ’24 coordinates the fellows program.

Yonatan “Yoni” Weldeberuk will be one of the new fellows this fall.

Evelyn Bonito, a former math fellow who is a member of the math faculty, works with a student.

Mercersburg Announces Partnership with University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education

Mercersburg Academy is excited to announce a new partnership with the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education Independent School Teaching Residency master’s program.

The program enables aspiring and early career teachers hired through Mercersburg’s fellows program to receive a master’s degree in education while completing an intensive teaching fellowship.

“The University of Pennsylvania graduate school of education is amazing,” said Associate Head of School for School Life Dr. Julia Stojak Maurer ’90, P ’18, ’20, ’22, ’23, ’28, who has benefited from UPenn graduate classes and certificate programs and sees multiple advantages of the partnership, including welltrained faculty and a well-connected network. “Our peer institutions that participate in this program have wonderful things to say about the impact on their community, in terms of growth of their teachers, professional development, and access to the latest pedagogy and research.”

As founding director of the Mercersburg fellows program, Maurer first reached out to UPenn in 2015 to inquire about a potential partnership. The UPenn fellows program was founded before Mercersburg’s program and was inaccessible for additional schools. Apart from the schools that were initially accepted into the program, the opportunity remained closed until recently.

Mercersburg’s selection to the program was based on the school’s record of supporting novice educators through an inquiry-based stance, committing to anti-racism and social justice in education, and engaging in innovative conversations and practices about teaching and learning, according to Charlotte Jacobs, director of the residency program.

For the 2024-2025 school year, Mercersburg hired two fellows, Tara Collier and Yonatan “Yoni” Weldeberuk. They will be enrolled in the UPenn graduate program, which features intensive on-site sessions at the university, in combination with collaborative online learning.

Collier said the fellows program is the perfect next step in her journey.

“Knowing about this program and the new partnership with UPenn, I was immediately interested when I started to explore future options,” Collier said. “This program combines both my love for working with kids as well as my math knowledge. Additionally, Mercersburg’s emphasis on extracurricular activities will allow me to continue swim coaching, which has been a passion of mine for many years.”

Weldeberuk said that in addition to handling dorm duties and advising, he also plans to contribute to Mercersburg by coaching.

“By completing this program, I hope to become the best version of myself as a teacher and as a person,” said Weldeberuk, noting that several of his college professors and advisers recommended looking into schools that offer fellowships. “I aim to grow in various areas, such as content knowledge, classroom management, interpersonal relationships, and confidence.”

Maurer said it is important to note that the UPenn program provides the fellows and mentor

teachers with another kind of professional network: “Our fellows will become part of the greater cohort of all the fellows in the UPenn program. Not only do they have access to learning from our faculty here on campus, but they’ll also have access to a network of educators through our partner schools.”

In addition, cohort member schools will have access to each other’s fellows.

“Not only will we be able to hire our own highly trained and educated fellows, we also will be able to connect with the fellows from other institutions where positions may not be open,” Maurer said. “If one of the partner schools has a fellow and Mercersburg has an opening in that discipline, the fellow could become a candidate for the open position. It’s a recruitment strategy for us.”

Mercersburg faculty mentors will be assigned to each fellow and will attend three off-site professional programs, one hosted on the UPenn campus and two hosted at partner school campuses—opportunities that will enrich veteran teachers who become part of the mentor program.

Dean of Academics Jennifer Miller Smith ’97, P ’23, ’24, who coordinates the Mercersburg fellows program, will facilitate the school’s involvement in the UPenn program.

“Leading the fellows program the past two years has been incredibly rewarding, and I’m excited about this new evolution of the program,” Smith said. “The partnership with the University of Pennsylvania will create additional learning opportunities for the fellows and will allow us to align the work we are doing here with established programming from a premier institution.”

Mercersburg’s fellows program has been in existence since 2016. The program follows a two-year plan that includes regular meetings with the dean of academics, classroom teaching with an increasing progression of responsibility over time, and additional assignments related to boarding school, including cocurricular involvement and residential duties.

When Dr. Renata Williams learned that some students were waiting from the start of school until winter vacation to get a haircut, she wanted to know why.

Williams, Mercersburg’s former director of diversity, equity, and inclusion, listened to students, parents, and alumni. She learned that the students needed access to barbers and beauticians experienced in the styling and cutting of Black hair.

“There was a market need in our community,” Williams said. “After doing a little digging, I figured out that I might be able to help resolve some of that.”

She responded by arranging for barbers and stylists to come to the students, initially in an office adjacent to the Simon Student Center, and then in a newly renovated space in the basement of Tippetts Hall.

The Shop was something parents of color had championed for several years.

“Knowing that there is a place for their child to go is a relief for parents,” said Lucy Short P ’23, who was instrumental in the establishment of The Shop on campus. “Hair is part of who they are. It tells the story of who they are.”

Established in 2023, The Shop at Mercersburg Academy is a hair salon that is open on an as-needed basis. For example, appointments are available prior to prom or other special events.

“The next phase is to nail down when are those key points in time?” Williams said. “Is it senior pictures? Is it after we’ve been in school for about a month?”

Toward the end of fall term last year, Zoluntu Radebe ’25 needed to take out her braids, which had been in place since the summer, three months earlier.

“I am fairly good at maintaining my natural hair, but I ended up losing a lot of it during the next few weeks,” said Radebe, who is from Johannesburg, South Africa. “I think the colder weather temperatures that I wasn’t used to and stress just made my hair fall out. Diving season was coming, and I refused to deal with my hair. I reached out to Dr. Williams, who helped me set up an appointment with a hair stylist the day before exams started. The stylist was really kind and treated my hair with a lot of care, and we had a nice conversation together.”

Jonathan Trichter ’89 said it’s important to have access to trusted stylists and barbers.

“Without a stylist close by who knows how to do hair for a diverse student body, a part of each student’s individualism and self-

expression may be lost,” said Trichter, who purchased the ethnically diverse Astor Place Hairstylists in New York City during the pandemic to keep it from closing.

While the impetus for The Shop was the need for barbers and stylists skilled in working with Black hair, The Shop is open to all students, faculty, staff, and Academy family members.

“If you can help our students who are most in need, it’s generally pretty safe to say that everybody else benefits from that as well. It’s the curb-cut effect,” Williams said. “Typically, if you can cut African-American hair, you can do anybody’s hair. The reverse is not true.”

Kene Olusanya ’24 said he used The Shop several times and appreciated having access to barbers who work well with Black hair.

’26

Emails are sent in advance to alert the school community when a barber or stylist will be on campus. Appointments are made through a Google form, and if time permits, drop-ins are allowed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Kene Olusanya ’24 said he used The Shop several times when it was open.

“It’s efficient for me and usually opens in parallel with when I need a haircut anyway,” said Olusanya, who is from Lagos, Nigeria. “The emphasis on bringing in barbers who are able to work well with Black hair also helps me a lot, especially since we are in an area where that may be harder to find. It is also a good price compared to elsewhere, and I would be saving the cost of transportation as well.”

Costs vary per stylist, who charge customers their standard rates, said Jamar Galbreath ’05, assistant director of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The DEI Office also pays stylists a flat rate to cover mileage for traveling to the school.

The barbers and stylists have been asked not to accept tips so that extra fees don’t prohibit access for those with limited resources.

A MESSAGE OF INCLUSION

Alumni have shared how much it would have meant to them to have a space like The Shop when they were at Mercersburg.

The ribbon cutting for The Shop was held during Family Weekend last fall.

Paula Smith ’83 said a salon that supports and cares for naturally curly and coily hair sends a message about inclusion.

“It signals that there is a place for students who come from an African heritage, that they belong on Mercersburg’s campus, that their unique cultural expression–hair, in this instance–is a valued part of the Academy, that they can bring and be their whole selves, including hair. They don’t have to change or straighten their hair just to feel a sense of belonging at Mercersburg,” Smith said. “I would have loved to have it as an option.”

Smith said that perhaps money could be set aside from donors, which would allow all students to get their hair cared for, even when they don’t have resources to do so.

Last summer, Williams gave a sneak peek of the space to three Black alumni who were on campus for Reunion Weekend.

“They talked about how it was really hard for them, being Black women, at the time,” Williams said. “It wasn’t popular to wear your natural hair, so pressing or having a relaxer was the thing to do.”

Because it was fashionable, Black women would use a flat iron press or a chemical relaxant to straighten their hair.

The hairstyles of the time were difficult to manage, particularly for the swimmers, especially since formal dinner was more frequent than it is today, Williams said. Their peers from other ethnicities didn’t always understand the struggles they faced with their hair.

The hope is that The Shop will be a place where students feel comfortable chatting with friends, faculty, and staff members while partaking of the services offered.

Photo by Yule Kwon

True Blue Students Recognized for Being

A new Mercersburg initiative to reward students for making good choices and living the school mission was launched during the 2023-2024 school year.

With the support of the Office of Student Life, student leaders are recognizing their peers as being “True Blue.”

“A lot of times in our work, it feels like we get focused on the kids who need the support or extra help to address behaviors and behavior management,” said Coleman Weibley, Mercersburg’s former associate dean of students. “This is a way to recognize and spend time acknowledging those who do the right thing and give some incentive to students to be more thoughtful in how they live their lives and how they act as members of our community. Sometimes there are people who are doing the right thing and living our mission, but they just don’t get recognized.”

The mission of Mercersburg is to “embrace the values of hard work, character, and community while learning to balance independence with interdependence and individual humility with collective pride. Students commit to a life of learning, seek to understand the spiritual nature of human existence, and develop a determination to lead and serve the world.”

Chris Howes, former assistant head of school for student life and culture, periodically recognized students who were living the Mercersburg mission, Weibley said.

Last year, the Office of Student Life continued the practice, and this year, Weibley encouraged the Student Council to spearhead a program that formalized the process.

“The Student Council liked the idea of

recognizing individuals through school meetings or lunch announcements. They wanted to find a way to bring some formality to it by collecting feedback from our entire community,” Weibley said.

Student Council President Jordan Yuan ’24 said the awards encourage those recognized and motivate other students to follow with positive actions of their own.

“Bringing these individuals in front of the student body acts as a reminder that there are people who are doing great things,” Yuan said. “The True Blue program is benefiting the community because there are a lot more random acts of kindness around me.”

When Annie Mohr ’26 received the True Blue award during a school meeting, she initially was “shocked” to see her face on the projector screen in front of the entire school.

“Then I felt happy that the school chose me as a representative of the school’s mission,” said Mohr, who makes a point of holding a door, giving a simple wave, or asking how someone’s day is going. “These little things can really make all the difference in someone’s day and make everyone feel included. Being mindful of others, especially in an atmosphere as diverse as ours, enables us to foster a more unified sense of community.”

Shubhlean Kaur ’27 said receiving the award made her feel appreciated. “It definitely was overwhelming, but I felt motivated to continue being a True Blue.”

It helps to be kind when interacting with people you’ve just met, said Edwin Cameron ’27, one of the award recipients.

“Being kind to each other is key for other people to be nice to you back,” Cameron said.

“Kindness always comes back to you.”

In addition to being recognized publicly, students receiving the honor are given a True Blue keepsake pin.

The Student Council likes the “randomness” of the presentations due to the uncertainty of how many or how often nominations are received, Weibley said.

The council meets biweekly and reviews any nominations that were received in between meetings. When they feel there is a worthy nomination, they plan a time to honor that person by presenting them with a pin.

“It’s more than just a pin,” Weibley said. “It’s a recognition of their determination to lead and serve, an emblem of their commitment to our community’s values.”

Mercersburg students, faculty, and staff members can submit nominations through an online portal.

Nomination comments vary from the succinct, “He’s a great prefect,” to long, detailed explanations of why a student is True Blue. The plan is to select a diverse group from those nominated and to honor students for a variety of reasons.

“True Blue allows us to acknowledge and celebrate students who are not just excelling academically but are also embodying the spirit of Mercersburg Academy’s mission in their everyday actions,” Weibley said. “This is being driven by our Student Council to build culture and community and to really celebrate the student members of our community who help embody the spirit of what we want to be at Mercersburg. I love that we’re supporting and promoting a student leader initiative.”

Students who received the True Blue award include:

1 Edwin Cameron ’27, Alexandria, VA

2 Harry Cameron ’26, Carlisle, PA

3 Samantha Chepren ’27, Mercersburg, PA

4 Nick Green ’25, Gilbertsville, PA

5 Shubhlean Kaur ’27, Carteret, NJ

6 Catherine Kidd ’24, Leesburg, VA

7 Annie Mohr ’26, Mercersburg, PA

8 Jaidee Promphan ’25, Bangkok, Thailand

9 Maria Rihn ’24, Stahlstown, PA

10 Adrian Rios ’25, Vega Alta, Puerto Rico

IRVING - MARSHALL WEEK 2024

DECLAMATION WINNERS

» FIRST PLACE AND WINNER OF THE SCOBLIONKO DECLAMATION CUP: Grace Chi ’25 of Palo Alto, CA (Marshall)

» SECOND PLACE: Kaiya Hoffman ’25 of Los Angeles, CA (Marshall)

» THIRD PLACE:

Ingrid Janney ’24 of Brookfield, CT (Irving)

» STRONGEST DECLAMATION TEAM: Marshall (Chi, Hoffman, Keri-Ann Denis ’25 of Arverne, NY, Finn McNeil ’26 of Mercersburg, PA, and Oscar Su ’25 of Hagerstown, MD)

SOCIETY PRESIDENTS

» Jason Jones ’24 of West Chester, PA (Marshall)

» Crystal Yuen ’24 of Lawrence, NJ (Irving)

1,380 605

Focusing

Keri-Ann Denis ’25 and William Tutt ’25 were part of the cast for Alice in Wonderland.

The Spring Dance Concert celebrated hip-hop’s 50th anniversary.

The selection for the Head of School Purchase Prize this year is a 6-by-3-foot

acrylic painting on canvas by Dean Tae ’24 depicting a bright city street that is distorted within the curves of a snowglobe and titled “The Michelin Man 3.”

Yule Kwon ’26 was learning how to use both color and black-and-white photography in “The Leaving,” a photo he took of Leah Willis ’24 in the Burgin Center for the Arts.

Kaori Graham-Myrie ’24 performed during the Spring Music Concert.

on the Arts

COLLEGE ARTS COMMITMENTS

Berklee College of Music

Songwriting and Music Education

DePaul University

Film and Television Production

New York University

Media and Communication

Southern Methodist University

Dance/Earth Sciences

University of Arizona

Film and Communication

University of North Carolina

School of the Arts

Design and Production

Wellesley College

Studio Art

Stony Batter Players presented Ride The Cyclone: High School Edition in February.

“Misuka 1” is an acrylic painting by Indira Moshi ’24.

Sean Qin ’25 received a Gold Key award in the 2024 South Central Pennsylvania Scholastic Art and Writing Awards competition for his photo “The Driver.”

Jordan Yuan ’24 sang during the Spring Pops Concert.

Winter SpringandSports

New School Records, Strong Team Performances Realized During Winter, Spring Sports Seasons

SQUASH

BASKETBALL

In the Davenport Squash Center, Huzaifa Ibrahim ’24 capped off a tremendous career in boys squash by going 14-0 in his senior year and 49-0 for his three years at Mercersburg. For the girls, Indira Moshi ’24 also was undefeated for the season at 17-0 and finished her three-year career with an individual record of 45-2. For the first time in program history, four athletes received All-American honors: Ibrahim, Moshi, Santiago Medina ’24, and Ana Karen Botello Gaytan ’25. Moshi also received the U.S. Squash Scholar Athlete Award. Gaytan, who is from Mexico, received her third national championship. The girls finished the season ranked 45th in the nation while the boys ended up 28th and also won the Mid-Atlantic Squash Organization Tournament for the second straight year.

One of the most successful basketball seasons in recent memory saw the boys and girls teams each post 17-win seasons, with the girls taking second place in the MAPL tournament for the second straight year.

WRESTLING

Four Mercersburg wrestlers–Ethan Shirk ’27, Gavin Boyd ’27, Hayden Shirk ’24, and Luke Hendricks ’24–advanced to the National Prep Wrestling Championships.

INDOOR TRACK & FIELD/ OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD

Hale Field House was the scene for many record-setting achievements from the indoor track & field team. Anne Sehon ’25 broke the school record for girls in the 500m run with a time of 1:22.52 and also set a new record of 2:21.26 in the 800m as she won the MAPL title

meet, in which the girls team placed second overall, Sehon teamed with Adrienne Howard ’26, Leah Willis ’24, and Quinn Nelson ’24 to shatter the school record and win the 4x400m relay with a time of 4:15.12. Charlie Xu ’26 won the boys long jump at the MAPL meet and also tied the school record in the 55m dash with a time of 6.60. Bella Levina ’25 set a new record in the girls pole vault by clearing 9’ 3” indoors, and then went on to set the outdoor record in the spring by clearing 10’ 0” and finishing first at the MAPL meet. Sehon also continued her assault on the record books during the spring season by winning the 800m outdoors at the MAPL meet in a time of 2:18.76 and setting another school record in that event. In the final meet of the season, Sehon and teammates Madison Goodhart ’24, Lilly Killinger ’26, and Ella Blanco ’26 set a new school record of 9:54.25 in the outdoor 4x800m relay at the PAISAA state track meet.

BASEBALL/SOFTBALL

Out on the playing fields this spring, baseball won 13 of its last 18 contests and came within one game of claiming its 14th first-place finish in the MAPL. Both the baseball and softball teams won first-round playoff games in the PAISAA state tournament before falling to the No. 1

College-Bound Athletes Class of 2024

Boston University

Men’s Diving

Bowdoin College

Women’s Swimming

Brown University

Women’s Swimming

Carleton College

Men’s Soccer

Chatham University Baseball

Colby College

Women’s Swimming

Dickinson College

Men’s Cross Country, Men’s Track & Field

Drexel University

Men’s Golf

Mercyhurst University Baseball

New York University

Men’s Basketball, Women’s Basketball

Rutgers University

Men’s Golf

Shippensburg University Baseball

Trinity College

Men’s Squash

Tufts University

Men’s Squash, Women’s Squash

United States Naval Academy

Women’s Basketball, Men’s Swimming

University of North Carolina, Wilmington

Women’s Swimming

University of Rhode Island

Women’s Swimming

University of San Diego

Women’s Cross Country, Women’s Track & Field

Wellesley College

Women’s Cross Country, Women’s Track & Field

LACROSSE

Girls lacrosse had another strong season and won its last four regular-season games. Emerson Lissette ’24 scored more than 100 points (57 goals, 45 assists) during the season and joined the list of athletes who have accumulated at least 100 points in a career. Boys lacrosse introduced the game to several new players and continued to develop a culture of resilience and toughness as a team.

SWIMMING/DIVING

Mercersburg placed second overall at the 2024 Easterns Interscholastic Swimming and Diving Championships, won the 2024 MAPL Championships for boys and girls, and had three swimmers (Ingrid Janney ’24, Matt Beehler ’24, and Crystal Yuen ’24) compete in the TYR Pro Series, swimming’s premier competition for national and international level athletes. Yuen was named an All-American swimmer.

TENNIS

The boys varsity tennis team had a solid spring campaign and a notable win over MAPL rival and perennial league champion Lawrenceville. It was the Storm’s first victory over the Big Red in at least 25 years.

Commencement2024

At a Glance

Mercersburg’s 109 graduates will matriculate at more than 65 different colleges and universities, including Boston University, Brown University, Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins University, New York University, Northeastern University, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Richmond, the University of Toronto, Tufts University, the United States Naval Academy, and Villanova University.

Nora Smith ’24, daughter of Jennifer Miller Smith ’97

Austin Henry ’24, son of John Henry Jr. ’91

Olivia Wetzel ’24, daughter of Heather Gibson ’88, granddaughter of John Gibson ’64, and niece of John Gibson ’95

Felix Kreis ’24, great-nephew of Thomas Heefner ’57

Emma DiLalla ’24, daughter of Ann Marks

DiLalla ’82 and Richard DiLalla ’81

Rafael Agredo ’24, stepson of Bruce Ricciuti ’83

Claudia Weisman ’24, daughter of Harv Weissman ’83

Kaori Graham-Myrie ’24, son of Jamil Myrie ’93

Gigi Devlin ’24, daughter of Peggy Burns ’92

Jason Jones ’24, son of Nancy Gallagher Jones ’86

Norah Copenhaver ’24, daughter of Brent Copenhaver ’79 and stepdaughter of Molly Hall ’79

Valedictorian Salutatorian

Schaff Orators

Andrew Leibowitz ’24 of Whitehouse Station, NJ

Crystal Yuen ’23 of Lawrence, NJ

Georgina Louise Devlin ’24 of Montréal, Quebec

Nathaniel Antonio Pio de Roda Gotera ’24 of Chesterfield, VA

Class Marshals

Dylan Stiffler ’24 of Huntingdon, PA

Nora Jane Smith ’24 of Mercersburg, PA

Senior Class President Commencement Speaker

Sihyeon Bae ’24 of Seoul, Korea

Nancy Abudu ’92, a United States Court of Appeals judge for the Eleventh Circuit

Colleges They Selected

Berklee College of Music

Boston College

Boston University

Bowdoin College

Bridgewater College

Brown University

Bucknell University

Carleton College

Chatham University

Coastal Carolina University

Colby College

Colorado State University

Cornell University

Baccalaureate Speaker

David Bell P ’17, ’18, who retired at the end of the 20232024 academic year after 27 years at Mercersburg

“We must recognize that our unique experiences and diverse talents we’ve cultivated here at Mercersburg equip us with the tools to make a difference.

“

Valedictorian Andrew Leibowitz ’24 of Whitehouse Station, NJ

Dartmouth College

Depaul University

Dickinson College

Drexel University

Georgetown University

Georgia Institute of Technology

High Point University

Johns Hopkins University

Marist College

Mercyhurst University

New York University

Northeastern University

Occidental College

Pratt Institute-Main

Princeton University

Regent University

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rutgers University

Saint Joseph’s University

San Diego State University

Savannah College of Art and Design

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

Southern Methodist University

Temple University

The University of Texas at Dallas

Trinity College

Tufts University

Tulane University of Louisiana

United States Naval Academy

University of Arizona

University of California-Los Angeles

University of California-San Diego

University of Colorado Boulder

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

University of Maryland-College Park

University of Massachusetts-Amherst

University of Michigan

University of North Carolina School of the Arts

University of North Carolina Wilmington

University of Pennsylvania

University of Pittsburgh

University of Rhode Island

University of Richmond

University of Rochester

University of San Diego

University of Southern California

University of Toronto

University of Vermont

Vanderbilt University

Vassar College

Villanova University

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Wellesley College

Wesleyan University

A MERCERSBURG MOMENT

Students experienced an almost total solar eclipse on April 8 when the moon covered 92 percent of the sun in Mercersburg. The next total solar eclipse in the United States will occur in 2044.

LISTENING TO UNDERSTAND

Civic Engagement Initiative Promotes Connection, Comprehension, Cohesion

By Lisa Tedrick Prejean

“Tell me more.”

These three words convey a willingness to understand positions that run counter to our own.

In a society with escalating conflict and declining compromise, these words can provide connection, comprehension, and cohesion.

Yet, how often are they voiced?

As Mercersburg students come of age at a time that is increasingly divided and partisan, the goal of preparing them to lead and serve the world is challenged by a public that has struggled to hear and understand differing thoughts and opinions.

“There used to be a lot more discourse, dialogue, and willingness to hear ideas that were different than the ones we hold,” said Head of School Quentin McDowell P ’25, ’27. “We’re all so busy wanting to talk, no one is actually listening.”

In response to this growing concern, the school has launched a civic engagement initiative.

“We’re observing what the world needs right now,” McDowell said. “We are feeling obligated to respond to it.”

The initiative examines the framework of interaction throughout campus, from classrooms to athletic fields, said faculty member Allison Stephens P ’11, ’13, whom McDowell tapped to chair the civic engagement task force, which was

formed in the fall of 2022 and is deliberately composed of people with varying ages, political and social viewpoints, and roles at the school.

“Everything that we do with students surrounding character-building and communitybuilding has to do with civics because that is about the community we’re creating,” said Stephens, who is head of the history department. “This is really going to be an initiative that defines life at school as we know it–not necessarily in a way that changes everything but one that brings our work into alignment with real goals and intention around the idea of community responsibility and belonging.”

Mercersburg defines civics as the study and cultivation of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes essential to participate as a well-informed, engaged member within a community, a nation, and the world.

While civic knowledge is embedded in much of the history curriculum, the initiative will expand that to areas throughout campus.

“It’s not just teaching American government and democracy in the classroom,” said Assistant Director of Library Services Nicole Brown, civic engagement task force project manager. “It is a way of life. It’s teaching students how to engage with their community, and how to be a member

What is the importance of being civically engaged in your professional or personal community? WE ASKED YOU ANSWERED

“By

touching one life,

you can touch thousands.”

LEIGH TUTTLE ’72

Clinical social worker; self-employed

“Being involved in your community is a calling and responsibility for everyone. Trinity is a mission church and recently opened a nonprofit that addresses social justice causes, including LGBTQ+, climate change, oppressed groups, and poverty challenges. We also are opening a resource and recovery drop-in center for the addiction and recovery community. It will be the second drop-in center in the state of Pennsylvania. Getting back to the basics of church by taking care of the vulnerable of our society is vital to our goals.”

REV. STEVEN C. HUMMEL ’79

Ordained minister, Trinity Reformed UCC - Bloomsburg

During their retreat in Washington, D.C., civic engagement student advisory board members met with Reed Widdoes ’15, second from right, and Sarah Pape ’16, far right, who are both attending law school at American University Washington College of Law.

“Civic engagement in one’s professional community promotes better appreciation of the practical (i.e., sociological and economic) challenges to solving societal problems. Without that engagement, all the best science and engineering understanding may be impossible or difficult to implement. From a personal perspective of someone who retired after 42 years of government and academic research, civic engagement has allowed me to apply a lifetime experience of research and learning to the solution of a major ecological problem in California—restoration of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta—while accommodating California’s water demands. From an almost selfish perspective, it enables this old-timer to remain mentally and professionally challenged. Looking back over the decades, I realize now that all of the civic engagement (serving on committees, advising practicing professionals, developing methods for practical use, etc.) that I participated in along the way contributes to my ability to be civically engaged now.”

THOMAS L. HOLZER ’61 Board member, California Delta Independent Science Board, consultant to the State of California

of a community. It’s teaching them about what institutions and practices support a healthy, thriving community that’s good for all members.”

The initiative is about halfway through a projected three-year rollout period. So far, much of the work has been foundational.

The task force used the Educating for American Democracy Report to build civics standards that were tailored specifically for the composition and needs of the Mercersburg community. They have identified existing opportunities for civic engagement, as well as the need for growth.

“How might we leverage what we’re already doing?” McDowell said. “How might we deepen the intentionality of what we’re doing? What’s missing?”

The task force has worked with the Institute for Citizens & Scholars to align the work being implemented through campus programs with civics opportunities and competencies.

Last fall, Mercersburg welcomed Rajiv Vinnakota, president of the Institute for Citizens & Scholars (formerly the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation), as keynote speaker for Family Weekend.

“We’ve reached out to leaders in different parts of our school community to look at the ways in which our school and its programs are meeting what we’re calling our core competencies for students,” Stephens said. “That’s been really rewarding because we are recognizing the ways in which so much of this work is already happening.”

For example, practices used by the Office of

Student Life to train student leaders align with several of the competency categories. Programs to acclimate new students to the Mercersburg community during Inbound also meet the competencies that have been outlined by the task force.

“We met with Betsy Cunningham, who runs our peer mentor programs,” Brown said. “We asked her, ‘Where do you see these [civic competencies] aligning with your work?’ She said, ‘You know, we’re doing a lot of these already.’”

In the school’s Peer Group and Mentor Leadership programs, students learn who they are in relation to others, said Cunningham, a member of the science department.

“Peer Group is a national program where we model with the leaders different activities that are intentionally designed to help students consider multiple points of view, including their own, and how those perspectives mesh in a small community,” Cunningham said. “The key is the conversation at the end. Talking (and listening) through the activity is really what allows students to grow in their own worldview.”

As a Peer Group leader, a Mentor Leadership group leader, and a member of the civic engagement student advisory board, Dylan Stiffler ’24 said a better understanding of the concept of civics has allowed him to be a more thoughtful leader and helped him connect his roles at Mercersburg to his future.

“I have learned how to be a more engaged community member of my school but also of the world,” said Stiffler, who was captain of the

In April, students learned about the electoral process during a primary watch party.

soccer team and has committed to play soccer at Carleton College in Northfield, MN. “It is something I will take with me to college.”

To prepare for college and their careers, it’s important for students to hear and understand the positions of others, said John Jones III ’73, a former federal judge who is president of Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA.

“We’re going to head for a really dark place if we don’t figure out how to have the kind of public debate that turns into progress,” Jones said. “And we seem too often to have lost the capacity to do that. You can’t really understand how to proceed and make changes unless you understand divergent viewpoints.”

At times, initial impressions need to be abandoned so that informed and valued choices can be made, said Shawn Meyers ’86, president judge of Pennsylvania’s 39th Judicial District Court, who noted that judges wait until they hear all the evidence and arguments before making decisions.

“That’s the idea behind the adversarial process and the judiciary,” Meyers said. “The idea is that hopefully out of dispute will come the ability to determine the truth.”

The goal for the school’s initiative is to assure that all voices are included and appreciated, as they come from different backgrounds, different identities, different perceptions, and different thoughts, McDowell said.

“The magic is when you’re able to get all those things in the room together and have dialogue where the goal is learning and growing and understanding while also maintaining the intellectual autonomy of every student. We shouldn’t be afraid to have open and honest dialogue and discourse, which is often easier said than done.”

The task force is examining four elements of school culture:

» Connection – civic identity, inclusion/ empathy, and community building

» Belief – agency/student opportunity for leadership, shared civic values, along with trust and hope

» Participation – public decision-making, collaborative problem-solving, improving how we govern

» Understanding – critical thinking, interpreting history, how government and political systems work

“We talk about the community being the strongest element of Mercersburg Academy, and I don’t disagree with that, but there are certainly some gaps and ways in which we can build that with greater intention,” Stephens said. “We’ve recognized over the years that we have a community that is very nice to each other but doesn’t really grapple with some of the serious discussions that need to be taking place, that many colleges are having trouble with and that we are having trouble with. That is part of the kind of dialogue we hope to build with each other that is brave and honest and hard.”

PUTTING THEORY INTO PRACTICE

The next step in the process is evaluating civic readiness–the knowledge and habits needed to take advantage of opportunities.

“We’re starting to make a road map for implementation that has what would be a curricular component and will start with students in the 9th grade,” Stephens said. “By that, I mean the academic curricular component, but also a component that starts to infuse these skills and habits into our larger community body.

“We’ve changed a lot in terms of the identity of Mercersburg, in some of those same ways that the country has, and how do we realize that growth and also realize how it might be challenging to some people who are in the community already?”

A democratic society is built on the fundamental need for conflict and compromise, noted McDowell, adding that through compromise, most people will have their needs met.

“The world needs people who can talk across differences, who can listen with the intention of learning, instead of just listening with only the desire to respond,” McDowell said.

The importance of active listening is being promoted through school programming.

The student advisory board hosted a primary watch party in April, during which they provided information about the electoral process.

Preparing for the watch party, especially the educational flyers and information desk planning, enabled Tristan Paulette ’27 to share his civic interests with his peers.

“I have learned how to effectively apply my civic knowledge to different events and activities to spread awareness and to reinforce a stable, inclusive, and thoughtful civically minded

“Public service–whether in the military, government, emergency services, healthcare, or social services–all contributes to a safe and secure environment for our citizenry. Our team works to improve the cybersecurity of our national critical infrastructure so that it is secure and resilient and can support our national security, economic productivity, and public health and safety. With both criminal actors and nationstate adversaries threatening these systems, a significant amount of policy, legislative, and funding work is required, and we contribute to that.”

MARK MONTGOMERY ’81

Senior fellow and director of the Cyber Center, Foundation for Defense of Democracies

“Personal connection, networking, growth.”

SARAH

REED ’98

Self-employed, functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner

“My family has been in Frederick, MD, for four generations–over 106 years— long enough to see dirt roads become highways. Our family business, The Frederick Motor Company, believes in the importance of civic engagement because we truly love our town and the people of Frederick. We believe in the value of community and in taking every opportunity to enrich this special place. We want to see the sense of community continue to grow for generations to come.”

HANNA WARFIELD DIMILIA ’13 Operations manager, The Frederick Motor Company

“Both professionally and personally, the importance of being civically engaged means living for the wellbeing of others. Servant leadership is when you placed the well-being of others as your most important priority, not for your self-satisfaction or glory but because you know the best thing you can impart in others is kindness, respect, empathy, love, etc., because the intangible gifts you leave in others are valuable for the next generations.”

MICHAEL RODRIGUEZ ’97

Senior legal administrator, U.S. Army; Judge Advocate General’s Corps

“If you want the best for your community and you care about the direction the community is headed, then it is incumbent on individuals within the community to be engaged. Having served for 30 years in the military, I’ve always felt a sense of duty to protect the freedoms that come with the privilege of being an American. Remaining engaged in the community is my way of continuing to protect and nurture those values.”

CLAYTON TETTELBACH ’80

Lead pilot, Executive Jet Management

“As a program director at the National Institutes of Health, civic engagement is crucial for several reasons. My work in government provides me a voice in shaping new health research initiatives and supporting important research on brain disorders and disease.”

MEGAN FRANKOWSKI ’01

Program director and team lead, National Institutes of Health

community,” said Paulette, noting that a new, robust Model UN team and debate club have had numerous successes. “Mercersburg is doing a lot more than other schools to prepare our students to be active participants in our political process. I hope we can expand our operations while also welcoming new ideas in the future.”

Other programs on campus initiated by the civic engagement task force have included inhouse training and workshops with organizations that focus on civic discourse.

An active listening discussion encouraged participants to practice hearing others’ perspectives.

Braver Angels, a nonpartisan, national organization that works to bridge the partisan divide, provided a depolarization workshop to teach people how to listen to understand rather than listen to respond.

Participants were encouraged to consider how (and to what extent) they use the four agents of polarization: stereotyping, dismissing, ridiculing, and contempt.

To counteract these agents, participants were instructed to use LAPP (Listen, Acknowledge,

Pivot, and Perspective) skills. The school hopes to continue working with Braver Angels.

LEVERAGING THE LONG BLUE LINE

As part of their work with the school’s task force, students on the civic engagement student advisory board traveled to Washington, D.C., for a retreat, where they met with Mercersburg alumni working in the city to hear firsthand about the struggles, successes, and compromises involved in making democracy work.

One of the alums, Gabriella Bucci ’15, said she “was thoroughly impressed with the natural curiosity and insightful nature of questions that students asked regarding my role in politics and how my experiences might help them in their shaping of civil discourse at Mercersburg Academy.”

Bucci, vice president of communications at AxAdvocacy, said it’s important for students to research what is happening in the world and to consider differentiating opinions and participate in respectful debate.

Student task force members also met with Reed Widdoes ’15, who is attending law school at

Randy Lioz, below, represented Braver Angels, a nonpartisan, national organization that works to bridge the partisan divide, providing a depolarization workshop to teach people how to listen to understand rather than listen to respond.

Director of Campus Safety Skip Sydnor P ’12, right, participates in the depolarization workshop.

American University Washington College of Law.

“Mercersburg continues to impress upon students the importance of thinking meaningfully about how we interact with the communities to which we belong,” Widdoes said, issuing a challenge to students: “Engage with the communities around you and think about the reasons they are structured the way that they are. It’s important to ask why!”

Collin Jin ’25 saw value in visiting with alumni during the trip.

“I realized the collective power of Mercersburg alumni, and talking to them about their jobs and their time at Mercersburg was both fun and inspiring,” said Jin, who is a member of the civic engagement student advisory board.

Madeline Chu ’27 said being part of the advisory board has taught her useful discussion skills and how to form and present opinions respectfully.

“I have not only learned more facts about topics such as the election process but also have become more open-minded,” Chu said. “I can now give better advice to my friends and also more confidently take on conversations with others with strongly contrasting views.”

Stephens wants students to see the idea of

civic engagement as a means to empowerment.

“I hope that they will come to feel like they can make a difference in the world,” Stephens said. “It’s fascinating to me that some of our most engaged students are international students coming from places where they don’t have a civic voice.”

Attorney Josh Bratter ’91, who specializes in international law, presented a virtual session for international students to discuss the stakes they have in the election outcomes here. Even though they are not citizens with the privilege to vote, if they want to attend college or work in the United States or become a citizen one day, they need to pay attention to the election process and how best to plan for the future, he said.

The foundational work is far from complete, but much ground has been covered.

“I hope that people can be patient and understand that our first goal is to look at what we’re doing well, and to really align our vision with what we’re doing well, and of course, to start addressing the gaps in our programming and thinking about where can we be better, where can we improve? That just takes time,” said Brown, task force project manager. “It has tentacles that touch literally every single part of our life on campus and off this campus.”

“We are engaging in our community and public life when we vote, speak at meetings of town council, teach Sunday school and attend church services, send letters on community issues to newspapers, serve on local boards and committees, have dialogue with our neighbors on community affairs, coach a softball team, or join a civic club or organization. We need to be actively engaged in what goes on in our community to know what decisions our local officials are considering about a given issue and to freely use this opportunity to voice our own support or opposition to such undertakings. Through this process, we are politically empowered to have a vote to approve or disapprove what goes on in our lives. This is how our democratic society is maintained, and we preserve our opportunities to make our community the way we want it to be.”

WILLIAM AVERELL ’69

EPA projects planner and grants administrator, Kentucky Division of Water

“Civic engagement is the bridge that connects us with diverse communities, allowing us to better understand and sympathize with the world around us. Whether you’re helping with local campaigns, restocking the shelves at the food bank, participating in a beach cleanup, or serving on a committee, civic engagement keeps the beating heart of our communities alive.”

SHELBY SMITH ’14

Conservation engagement manager, Oregon Coast Aquarium

Civic engagement student advisory board members met with Gabriella Bucci ’15 at the Republican National Committee headquarters while they were in Washington, D.C., for a retreat.

PORTRAIT OF A GRADUATE

Online Portfolios to Connect Accomplishments to Attributes

What qualities are needed to be successful in today’s society? That’s a question Mercersburg has always taken seriously, and over the last two years, the school has considered, researched, and developed a new initiative in response.

The outcome of that work is a Portrait of a Graduate, character traits and competencies that should be evident before students leave campus and venture out into the world.

“It’s incumbent upon us to step back and look at what the world needs of tomorrow’s leaders,” said Head of School Quentin McDowell P ’25, ’27. “How is what we’re doing here reflecting our effort to prepare them for that world and for their responsibility in the world?”

Mercersburg’s Portrait of a Graduate includes these attributes:

» Curious

» Compassionate

» Collaborative

» Autonomous

» Adaptable

» Resilient

» Reflective

» Prepared

The school will begin implementing the Portrait of a Graduate, which coincides with the civic engagement initiative, by helping students

create portfolios detailing their unique gifts and abilities. The process will start in the fall with the Class of 2026. Students will be encouraged to maintain a log of activities, accomplishments, and awards that coincide with the various attributes.

“When we think of a portrait, we think of something that is created, that you’re painting it,” said Kristen Pixler P ’26, ’28, arts faculty member and Portrait of a Graduate task force leader. “It is not something that is predetermined but something you’re developing.”

Students will use an online interface to record and reflect on their activities, schoolwork, awards, and interests. They will be able to include links to documents, photos, and videos, connecting these to the various attributes of a Portrait of a Graduate.

“It gives us an idea of who you are outside the classroom,” said history

teacher Dan Walker P ’19, ’23, a member of the task force. “It gives the full picture. It gives us more of an idea of what you do, and insight to who you are.”

The document can include leadership positions and how leadership is evidenced. For example, a student who is a team captain could share what she did to bring her team members together when they were struggling. She could write a reflection, sharing how she helped the team work through an issue.

Each entry in the portfolio needs to be verified by a faculty or staff member. In the team captain’s case, her coach could be the adult to confirm the collaboration.

Assembling the information can be an affirming process for students and a helpful tool for faculty members who write recommendation letters, Pixler said. Plus, it will prove very helpful when students begin the college application process.

As students meet in their advisory groups and share their portfolios, they also will have a better understanding of each other’s gifts and interests, and will be better able to support each other.

Students can connect up to five items with each of the eight attributes.

“Sometimes you don’t even think about how special the things are that you create, and make, and do, and how the connections that you have, what all of this means long term as it builds,” Pixler said, noting that the goal is not to have five items for all eight traits. “The goal is to show your unique profile of who you are. We hope that everybody gets foundational in all of it, but you’re going to have an ebb and flow.

Somebody might be really, really compassionate, but they might not be as adaptable or autonomous, and that’s human nature.”

STONY BATTER PLAYERS: Staging Stories, Changing Lives for 130 years

By Debra Collins P ’14

Founded in 1894, the Stony Batter Players is the oldest continually active student group at Mercersburg, with a rich tradition of staging stories. Whether realistic or fantastical, historical or contemporary, tragic or comedic, Stony Batter plays, oneacts, and musicals have not only awed audiences but also prepared students and empowered alumni with the essential life skills to develop their own tales.

“Theatre creates an environment for so many wonderful things to happen,” said Matt Maurer P ’18, ’20, ’22, ’23, fall and spring theatre director, “but I think the most valuable takeaway students gain from their theatre experience is confidence, both in themselves and each other. I believe this translates to their professional lives, whether they pursue theatre after high school or not.”

Engagement in Stony Batter and the arts in general develops students’ critical thinking skills, compassion, and creative expression, all of which translate into other aspects of their lives and careers, according to Kelly Dowling P ’21, ’21, ’23, arts faculty member and winter theatre director.

“I’ve found the creation and development of empathy—the ability to understand the motives and actions of others from their particular life experiences and trials—to be a major character-building outcome of participation in theatre,” said former arts director and faculty emeritus Laurie Mufson. “Especially in these divisive times, students also learn to connect with themselves and their inner world. Among all the disciplines, the theatre experience talks to that personal need.”

The arc of friendships that Stony Batter has energized may be, for many alumni, an ultimate good over the ages. For Mufson, A Chorus Line is one of the most memorable and binding due to what she termed “the circle of connection” she shares with Anne Reeder Bertram ’00.

“Anne was Cassie in my first Mercersburg production of A Chorus Line and was one of two choreographers for my final production, 23 years later, of the famed musical,” she said.

The Stony Batter Players has had a long run and has contributed to the personal stories of generations of students and alumni.

Happy birthday, Stony Batter! Break a leg!

“My theatre experience will never be something I once did long ago. I take it with me everywhere I go; it is who I am.”

ANNE REEDER BERTRAM ’00

Stony Batter presents A Chorus Line on an outdoor stage in 2021.

1894-1913

The drama club begins with the mentorship of Camille Hart Irvine, wife of founding Headmaster William Mann Irvine.

In 1899, the club assumes its name, Stony Batter, from the nearby birthplace of President James Buchanan. It presents one, sometimes two productions a year and begins combining productions with the Academy Glee Club. An outdoor theatre is established on campus.

Jack Reilly ’62 (right) as James Dyke, Walter Mitchell ’62 (left) as Warden Holt, and Steve Armstrong ’63 (center) as Father Daly in The Valiant , 1962.

“I remember being cast opposite Jack Reilly ’62 in the classic one-act play, The Valiant. Jack was and is a born-to-be actor, from whom I Iearned much. The experience solidified my love for theatre as an actor, producer, and director. Jack went on to a regional professional career, while I focused my time and talent at the community level.”

WALTER MITCHELL ’62

“Stony Batter helped me socially, boosted my self-esteem and confidence, and helped me academically. After leaving Mercersburg, the performing arts remained a part of my life. I continued to study theatre in college and in graduate school. I am now the chair of the performing arts at Suffield Academy in Connecticut, which is a boarding school similar to Mercersburg. At Suffield, my main goal is to help students find those outlets in the arts and allow them to thrive in this setting. I am so grateful for teachers like Sue Wootton and Laurie Mufson, who always supported my work in the performing arts and believed in me.”

TOM DUGAN ’99

“I played the character of Felix Unger opposite Bennett Madway’s Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple directed by Jay Quinn, who remains a major influence in my entertainment ventures. He had passion. I have since performed in multiple roles in musical theatre.”

JOHN BRINK ’69, P ’11, ’14

The cast of Ingomar in 1894.

Camille Hart Irvine

Brink (seated) as Felix Unger and the late Bennett Madway ’69 as Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple in 1969.

From left are Matt Danziger ’99, Alex Goerl ’99, Tom Dugan ’99, and Jessica Malarik ’99 in the upper-middler one-act Seven Menus

“Mamma Mia was my first show and threw me into an entirely new environment, which I instantly fell in love with. It allowed me to open up and connect with people. By far my favorite memory was the process of getting fitted for and wearing a wedding dress for an entire song and trying my absolute hardest to hold it together when my face was revealed. As a whole, my time with Stony Batter was really just a place to let loose, jump into a different world and character, and make something amazing with other passionate performers.”

“I love the strong sense of community. It is a truly welcoming Performance Group Activity (PGA), and it has fully challenged my theatre abilities in a healthy way while also being a great place to start acting. At Mercersburg, I have been able to showcase my skills in front of the school, get more confident on a stage, and be able to communicate better with others.”

WILLIAM TUTT ’25

1920 s -1930 s

Former Stony Batter students achieve fame on the silver screen, including Jimmy Stewart (1928), John “Nick” Foran ’29, John Payne ’32, and Alfred Alerdice ’35, plus the Broadway actor Sidney Blackmer (1912).

Short directing stints toward the end of the ’20s include Darrell Larsen, faculty 1925-1927, who would become the director of theatre at Franklin & Marshall College.

1936

The Spirit of Mercersburg, a grand outdoor pageant for celebrating the school’s centennial year, is performed during Commencement week.

The Wolves , 1928, Jimmy Stewart (1928) and Nick Foran ’29 (second and third from left in first row).

CHRIS TOMPKINS ’23

Chris Tompkins ’23 in Mamma Mia , 2020.

The Spirit of Mercersburg

William Tutt ’25 in Ride the Cyclone , 2024.

Boys cast in male and female roles for Clarence in 1923.

English teacher Pratt Tobey

1933-1949

English teacher Pratt Tobey serves as adviser, staging productions and drawing audiences from the school and the town of Mercersburg. He also begins introducing dance movements into productions.

“Learning to act taught me about the human experience, grew my empathy, and guided me toward caring about every person I meet… The lessons I learned about character development, emotional regulation, collaboration, and group dynamics still guide me, 20 years later. I did not pursue acting as a career, but the arts have been central to my work in many ways. And, my public speaking skills have translated to success on social media, at conferences, and in sales.”

1950 s

Tobey retires and a succession of Stony Batter directors follows (Joseph Caldwell, Jack Hall, Roger Palmer, Bob Scharmann, Joe Adams ’48, Taylor Camerer, Donald Goodyear Jr. ’52, Al Sugg, and Hampton Abney) and continue to stage a range of classics and contemporary plays.

“I love to act. I love to sing. I love to do all of that. So, it seemed that was the place for me. It meant a lot to me because it was a creative outlet. And, that was the best part of it. You formed a family for those few hours you’re rehearsing. Jay Quinn was my mentor. We used to meet for coffee before dinner at the end of the afternoon and sit around with a bunch of kids and just talk. He would say while we were rehearsing, ‘If it were easier, more people would be doing it.’”

1962

Boone Hall gives Stony Batter a home. Previously, productions were held in a variety of locations, including the old town Opera House (now the Star Theatre), Nolde Gym, Keil Hall, and the Annex (later to become Swank Hall).

Jay Quinn becomes director of theatre and faculty adviser. He stages a wide array of plays while also increasing the number of productions during the academic year. He begins casting girls in female parts and works with Choral Director James Smith to stage musicals.

Boone Hall

MOLLY “MO” GOLDEN ’05

Molly “Mo” Golden ’05 in The Good Person of Szechwan in 2003.

DEBORAH SIMON ’74

Deborah Simon ’74 in Our Town , 1974.

“I enjoyed my role as Johnny Casino in the musical Grease and having to do a super quick one-scene change to be the teen angel in my suspended cloud. As a teacher, I thoroughly enjoyed directing the pit orchestra. All of the bonding with the student actors and the musicians as we were gelling together to create such special art were special moments for me. Collaboration has and will continue to be a major part in my life and profession. Being in groups like Stony Batter helps you learn how to communicate with others and understand different perspectives.”

BRYAN MORGAN ’07, FORMER ARTS FACULTY

English faculty Sue Wootton, director of theatre (1985-1998)

1985

Quinn begins alternating productions with adviser Sue Wootton. Wootton starts the “Class One Act Competition,” giving students in each class the opportunity to select, direct, and produce a one-act play that is judged during an evening competition.

“I wanted to play backing guitar in Godspell’s band, and Laurie [Mufson] told me that I had to audition for the play in order to be considered for the band. Oh, how naive I was! Long story short, I auditioned and ended up getting cast as one of the disciples, not one of the musicians! Laurie knew I was supposed to be on stage!

Stony Batter was one of my first forays into acting. Today, I’m a working voice actor of 14 years, living in Los Angeles. I think acting was always a latent interest of mine, and Stony Batter helped me uncover it.”

GRIFFIN BURNS ’06

Jay Quinn, director of theatre (1967-1985), directing a rehearsal in the 1980s.

Griffin Burns ’06 in Godspell in 2004.

Bryan Morgan ’07 as the teen angel in Grease

1998-2021

Director of Theatre

Laurie Mufson (1998-2021)

Laurie Mufson joins Mercersburg’s faculty as director of theatre and is the Academy’s first academic theatre instructor. She serves for 23 years, producing a wide variety of plays and musicals. During her tenure, she develops Mercersburg’s first academic theatre programs and directs five shows a year, including performances of Shakespeare classical scenes in the Boys’ Garden each spring.

Burgin Center for the Arts

2006

The Burgin Center for the Arts opens, providing two state-of-the art theatre spaces–the Simon Theatre and the Hale Studio Theatre. The first shows are Pride and Prejudice and Grease

Kelly Dowling P ’21, ’21, ’23 joins the arts faculty. She designs technical elements, directs, and teaches academic theatre courses.

2001

Matt Maurer, fall and spring theatre director

2021-2022

The pandemic forces major improvisation for Stony Batter performances. Dowling writes and directs an interactive online production featuring students in five time zones. Maurer directs a radio play of Dracula performed and filmed on the Simon stage and shown in the Hale Field House. Mufson directs The Actor’s Nightmare, filmed on locations around the Irvine Memorial Chapel that premiers in the Simon Theatre–the first use of the space since the pandemic. Mufson retires and her final production, A Chorus Line, is on an outdoor stage in the Boys’ Garden.

2023-2024

As part of PGAs, Stony Batter Players presents three major theatrical productions throughout the year, with Maurer directing the plays and teaching speech, while Dowling directs the musical and teaches Stage Combat, Intro to Theatre, Acting for Film, and Practical Design and Production.

English and arts faculty member Matt Maurer P ’18, ’20, ’22, ’23, ’28 begins directing plays.

2002

Theatre becomes part of the Performance Group Activities (PGAs): Students can perform or participate in tech crew. One musical, two productions, and the One-Act Competition are performed annually. Theatre courses expand and continue to evolve.

2024-2025

Dowling will offer a new course, Advanced Studies: Musical Theatre. Students will select the show, cast it, and decide its performance dates, locations, and times.

Please note that this timeline includes individuals who worked directly with Stony Batter performers. We acknowledge that it is missing the names of many who have contributed to the success of Stony Batter throughout the years. Some include: Jack Hawbaker P ’10, ’14, Jim Brinson, and Bryan Morgan ’07 (music); Linda Hill P ’84, ’86, Jeff Bailey, and Denise Dalton (choreography); Mark Flowers and Julie Maurer ’90, P ’18, ’20, ’22, ’23, ’28 (set design); and Jessica Doubell (technical assistance).

Nicole Hammond ’06, Diane Schrom ’08, Josh Bowling ’08, and Katie Stover ’07 perform a scene from Shakespeare’s War of the Roses in 2005.

Pia Catton ’92, Peggy Burns ’92, Allison Stephens P ’11, ’13

Denise Dupré ’76

Helisha Moore P ’26

Sierra Nixon ’01

Mercersburg Hosts Women’s Symposium in Philadelphia

Mercersburg Academy was proud to host Women in Focus: Unlocking Opportunities Together, the school’s first women’s symposium, April 5-7, at The Rittenhouse, in Philadelphia’s Center City.

The symposium featured three days of personal and professional enrichment, and celebrated the doers, the dreamers, the changemakers, and the world-shakers. Women in Focus provided opportunities to build a network, seek and provide mentorship, experience thoughtful workshops with experts, and have insightful conversations on issues that matter to women. Mercersburg offered the symposium so women could feel empowered to share their stories and unlock their potential. The opportunity allowed Mercersburgconnected women to grow with, learn from, and become inspired by each other.

Women in Focus presented an inclusive and energetic environment so attendees could make strong, diverse connections while gaining tools for personal and professional success. The symposium was co-chaired by Deborah Simon ’74,

Denise Dupré ’76, and Stacie Rice Lissette ’85, P ’14, ’14, ’17, ’23. More than 30 alumnae, faculty, and staff served on the steering committee to help bring the symposium to fruition.

Attendees were given the opportunity to have professional portraits taken and attend informative and motivational sessions. Topics ranged from career strategies to women’s health to financial security.

Mercersburg Chief Development Officer

Carolyn Griffin Yeager P ’20, ’21 envisioned the school hosting a women’s symposium after she attended a conference in 2022. One of the conference sessions focused on the benefits–both for the school and for the women–of nurturing relationships with alumnae.

“Women’s networks typically are smaller by one-third of their male counterparts. There are many reasons for this, but suffice it to say that women network differently, and properly deploying a network is learned behavior,” Griffin Yeager said. “Our base of women needs us to zone in on their particular needs.”

What better way to do that, she thought, than actively inviting them to use their Mercersburg connection as a networking opportunity?

“Our connection through Mercersburg is such a singular one–it exists no place else on earth,” Griffin Yeager said. “It can make a significant difference in women’s access and ability to grow in their careers, leverage business capital, seek mentorship and guidance, etc. We can spotlight women–their businesses and talents–and leverage them. There’s power for our women in Mercersburg being able to do that.”

Women in Focus sponsors included 1953 Tequila, Advocord, Champagne Hospitality, the Class of 1972, the Davenport Family Foundation, Bonnie Devlin, EXCELEVATE Academy, the Lissette Family, Management Strategies, Julie Haller Prentiss P ’20, ’21, Kimball Prentiss ’92, Simon Youth Foundation, Tred Avon Family Wealth, Unity Printing, Washburn & McGoldrick, and the Yeager Family.

Molly Zemek ’94, Karli Richards Stenger ’97, Betsy Mitchell ’83

Nancy Abudu ’92, Angela Killinger P ’26, ’28, Tonya Rutherford ’90

Coming home

The annual Alumni Council awards were presented to alumni for service, leadership, and distinction. From left are Head of School Quentin McDowell P ’25, ’27, Joe Huber ’64 (Class of ’32 Distinguished Alumni Award), Diane Wynter ’74 (Alumni Council Medal for Distinguished Achievement), Alumni Council Vice President Katie Stover ’07, Jonathan Trichter ’89 (Alumni Council Medal for Distinguished Achievement), Jennifer Flanagan Bradley ’99 (Alumni Council Prize for Service), Alumni Council President Jasen Wright ’99, and Faculty Emeritus Thomas Rahauser ’74, P ’05, ’07, ’12 (Alumni Council Medal for Distinguished Service). Receiving awards but not present were Rebecca Lowe ’99 (Alumni Council Prize for Achievement) and Lt. Kathleen Mills Barrios ’14 (Young Alumni Leadership Award).

Several alumni who have received the Class of ’32 Distinguished Award—the school’s highest honor—were present for a photo. From left are Head of School Quentin McDowell P ’25, ’27, Joe Huber ’64, Steve Guttman ’64, James Snyder ’69, and Dick Cass ’64.

$3,227,768

Total Reunion $ Raised (404 Reunion Donors)

Farthest Distance Traveled to Mercersburg: EDDIE KANG ’99 6,858 MILES

Class with Highest Number of Donors: 1999 60 DONORS

Reunion Committee Volunteers: 114

Oldest Returning Alumni: ED FLANAGAN ’54 HERBERT JACOBSON ’54

Class with Highest # of Attendees: 1999 47 ATTENDEES

Class with Highest Amount Raised for Annual Fund: 1974

70th CLASS OF 1954

65th CLASS OF 1959

Front row: Charlie Soule, Barry Dubbs, Hank Bowis, Bob Hunter

Row 2: Jay Genrich, Bob Hecht, Bill Tutt, Jerry Monchik (inset)

Row 3: Head of School Quentin McDowell P ’25, ’27, Phil Saylor Jr., Bert Patterson

60th CLASS OF 1964

Front row: Phil Dunmire, Saylor Zimmerman III, Stew Borger, Rab Summers, Joe Huber, Alan Brody

Row 2: Jim Gibson, Bob Dickey Jr., Ed Sehon, Jim Powers

Row 3: Dave Zimmerman, Dick Cass, Larry Himes, Carson McEachem III, Dow Stewart

Not pictured: Steve Guttman, Evan Novenstein

55th CLASS OF 1969

Front row: John Brink, Tim Flanagan, Bill Edwards, James Snyder, Harry Apfelbaum, Bruce Chamovitz

Row 2: Chuck Barger III, Rich Freedman, Rick Tillmann, James Reibman, Andy Wolf

Row 3: Nat Boyd IV, George Heindel, Wick Merchant III, Scott Finer, Bill Gridley, Paul Bisset

Row 4: Jim McClure, Jim Bell Jr., Dave Hawbaker, Granville Smith Jr., Chuck Grice Jr., Russell Moore, John Groh II

50th CLASS OF 1974

Front row: Bob Naething, Liz Jones, Rick Lansdale IV, Vince Nacrelli, Noel Thomas Tyra, Moira Paddock, Jay Follansbee, Mark Von Lunen

Row 2: Lance Grove, Mike Browning, Richard Patronik, Frank MacDonald, Rich Grace Jr., Tom Rahauser, Chris Fry Tarbox, Bob Wineland, Kevin Brasher

Row 3: Steve Littauer, Al Meyers Jr., Jason Perry, Diane Wynter, Steve Flanagan, Rick Baybutt, Mark Binford

Row 4: Ken Brody, Jim Hayes, John Depman

Keynote speakers Andrew Choi ’99 and Andrew Danziger ’99 presented Heart to Heart.

Ed Flanagan, Herbert Jacobson. Not pictured: Dale Williams

45th CLASS OF 1979

Front row: Abby Taylor Morris, Gretchen Decker Jones, Jen Ruffolo, Andy Findlay

Row 2: Judy Russell Purman, Carol Furnary Casparian, Ruth Quinn, Dave Givens, Lynne Roberts Appleman

Row 3: Doug Corwin Jr., Bill Allen, Garrit Wamelink

Not pictured: Brent Copenhaver, Molly Hall, Lacy Rice III

40th CLASS OF 1984

Front row: Janet Shaffer, Chase Vokrot Poffenberger, Alice Hayes, Ann Quinn, Rachel Haines Bowman, Carolyn Cornish-Alers, Virginia Stern Haviland, Mark Farkhan

Row 2: Tom Hornbaker, Beth Bryant McCullough, Paul Romness, Andrea White Hosbein, Betsy Rider-Williams, Dean Hill, Laura Tyson Ransom, Christian Rubeck

Row 3: Jeff Reese, Sandra Reese, Suzy Sullivan McCabe, Rusty Miskovish, Andrew McCabe, George Thompson, Ralph France III

Row 4: Lee Keizler, Pat Flanagan, Brian Wagner, Dirk Applegate, Kurt Nielsen, Don Lundy, Holly Cellio Rouffy

Row 5: Jim Laingen, John Reading

35th CLASS OF 1989

Front row: Jonathan Trichter, Julie Curtis, Amy Burbank Kelaher, Sunita Jayakumar, Rebecca Rounce

Row 2: John Powell, David Beck, Ames Prentiss, Leo Najera

Row 3: Jim Anderson, Greg Oberfield, Rob Walton, Jamie Carstensen

Row 4: Klaus Ganer, Jake Beck, Ben Tutt, Chris Eldridge

Row 5: Geoff McInroy, Lee Jackson, Stephen Thompson, Heitham Hassoun

Not pictured: Ashley Himes Kranich

30th CLASS OF 1994

Front row: Reema Datta, Chris Jones, Mac Himes, Bebe Lloyd

Adam Baugh, Rich Gwinn, Aaron DeLashmutt

Amira Badawi, Crystal Hatfield Miller, Drew Young, Eli Swetland Jr.

Kirk Preston, Andy Morse, Richard Pastorius, Rob Jefferson, Keith Pulley

Not pictured: Dev Upadhya

James Snyder ’69 and Steve Guttman ’64 present “Where Art and Museums Fit Into Today’s World Picture.”

25th CLASS OF 1999

Front row: Meghan D’Ameilo Watson, Elizabeth Lugnier, Heather Page, Julie Kaufman Nussdorfer, Rache Baird Brand, Jasen Wright, Andy Choi, Maria Jorge, Jenn Flanagan Bradley, Sherette Chambers, Catherine Wahl

Row 2: Molly Messick, Patty Rennert, Alexandra Goerl Rickeman, Tom Dugan, Savina Rendina Cupps, Jonathan Palmer, Aaron Chiu, Greg Rohman, Michael Krell, Aly Woodward Jacobsen, Cara Fraver, Adrian Fang

Row 3: Matt Kranchick, Tim Rappold, Andy Danziger, Patrick Koch, Jaime Pradera-Velasco, Lars Teigelack, Masroor Ahmed, Flynn Corson, Eddie Kang, Tim Hitchens

Row 4: Ben Smith, Eric Kass, A.J. Johnson, Nate Richards, Adam Brewer, Isaac Brody, Luke Swetland

Not Pictured: Sarah Blackburn Brincefield, Eddie Brown Jr., Cassie Hubbard Hill, Emily Miller Joyner, Bob Rarig, Eric Sheffield, Jennifer Barr Weiss

20th CLASS OF 2004

Front row: Marissa Franklin, Allana McPartland Covington, Rachel Gray Jenkins, Katie Keller White, Erica Koch

Row 2: Neysha Pearson, Bryn Crossan Kibler, Eva Miller, Maggie Gindlesperger Smith

Row 3: Stephanie Harris, Brandy Bosta Colbert, Christina Turchi Horstman, Nick Mellott, Kenny Walker, Eric Burkhart

Not pictured: Sarah Olwell Kibildis

15th CLASS OF 2009

10th CLASS OF 2014

Cuzzola, Alex Smadja, Kevin Duda

Row 2: Liz Stern-Green, Grace Caroline Wiener, Sara Carmona Machado, Lisa Grosser, Ayla Mellott, Katie Henderson, Bridget Cranston, Elizabeth Long

Row 3: Richard Grace III, Delaney Taylor, Zoe Alpert, Brad McGhee, Ben Barrows, Tommy Zhou, Alex York, MacKenzie Brink Hickey, Justin Kyner

Row 4: Merrall Echezarreta, Nick Morris, Michael Collins

Not pictured: Madison Nordyke

5th CLASS OF 2019

Members of the Class of 1989 having fun.

Evan Pavloff, Ethan McGhee, Sam Richardson, Ronald MacDonald Not pictured: Annie Birney

Front row: Natalie Burkardt, Melanie Rankin, Elizabeth Martin Stoltzfus, Megan Burke, Seun Kuye, Dikachi Osaji, Altair Dahrouch, Gabby

Front row: Joseph Yonke, Michael Betkowski, Thomas Yonke, Sam Morgan, Wills Boggess, Emma Hicks, Grace Bennett, Olivia Keller

Steve Flanagan ’74 showcased his work.

As is tradition for the Worship and Remembrance Service, the oldest returning alum on campus to celebrate Reunion Weekend leads the congregation out of the chapel. In 2024, that alum was Herbert Jacobson ’54, who celebrated his 70th reunion.

The work of artist Joseph Yonke ’19 was exhibited. A Women’s Entrepreneurial Panel featured Chase Vokrot Poffenberger ’84, Julie Curtis ’89, and Reema Datta ’94.

Artist

Mercersburg Alum Working to Make It Happen IS AN AI BUTLER IN YOUR FUTURE?

By Jaeyoung (Justin) Oh ’25

What will the world look like in 2050? Will there be flying cars, people on the moon, and robot helpers in every home? Although no one knows what the future holds, Allen Ren ’15 is helping build it, one line of code at a time.

After graduating from Mercersburg, Ren received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering from Johns Hopkins University. As a Ph.D. student at Princeton University’s Intelligent Robot Motion Lab, Ren studies mechanical and aerospace engineering, creating robots that will help humans live better lives.

Ren’s focus is on general purpose robots, which will be able to complete tasks based on commands from humans.

“Imagine, 20 years from now, you can go to a supermarket, buy a robot from a shelf, and take it home. Plug it in, put in the battery, and then you can tell it to clean the floor, clean the dishes, and do the laundry,” said Ren, who hopes that this technology will be widely available in the near future. “My best guess is that you can buy one of those (robots) in 15 to 20 years.”

He cites the need for more research on safety as the main hurdle facing developments in the field today.

Ren is working on robot learning, a rapidly growing area of robotics. Rather than coding every action of a robot in a scenario, Ren uses artificial intelligence (AI) so a robot will be able to perform

tasks by learning how humans do them, or learning on its own. Ren also applies AI to simplify the programming of the robots. While traditionally developers have programmed code, robots using AI capabilities can now understand English and, in a way, write the code themselves.

As a graduate student, Ren has published numerous papers in the field of robotics, and has held several internships, including one at Google. After graduation, he hopes to work at a tech company. Compared to university labs, corporate industry labs are capable of creating projects that are more consumer focused.

“We need more people to work on actual problems and make a product,” said Ren, who

plans to have his own robotics startup someday. Ren came to Mercersburg as an 11th grader and soon felt like he was part of “a big family.” He joined the soccer team and helped clinch the Mid-Atlantic Prep League Championship in the 2014-2015 school year. “That was a big part of my Mercersburg experience,” he said. Soccer was a way for Ren to bond with his classmates and balance his student life with athletics. He also participated in Mercersburg’s robotics team and attended the international RoboCup Junior event in 2015. “I grew a lot of interest in robotics through my time at Mercersburg, so I started to do robotics-related research in college right off the bat. I think that had a big impact on me.”

When Ren has free time, he enjoys playing soccer, traveling, and even flying. Ren first dabbled in flight at Mercersburg, where in his physics class he was able to build a remote-controlled plane. Ever since then he has had a passion for flying and is now a part of the Princeton flying club. In 2021, he flew over the Mercersburg campus in a Cessna with his former Mercersburg roommate, Lucas Lu ’16. “We were pretty high up, so no one saw us!”

Dr. Julia Stojak Maurer ’90, P ’18, ’20, ’22, ’23, ’28, associate head of school for school life, remembers Ren as an excellent student with a strong aptitude for coding. However, it was “his strong work ethic coupled with a kind heart” that she remembers the most. Maurer taught Ren

robotics during his time at Mercersburg and guided him to the international RoboCup Junior event in the summer of 2015. “I am so proud of him and couldn’t be happier for his success and what he is contributing to the field of robotics,” Maurer said.

Editor’s Note: Jaeyoung Oh ’25 was an intern for Mercersburg’s Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications during the spring term. He is from Seoul, Republic of Korea. He is founder and president of the Mercersburg Debate Club, Hustle and Bustle editor for The Mercersburg News, a Writing Center fellow, and a Language Media Center ambassador. He hopes to study classics and history in college.

TRANSFORMING LIVES

Former Mercersburg Swimmer Devotes Career to College Athletes

As a swimmer at Mercersburg, Julie Sommer ’90 developed a drive that led to a career of helping value of hard work, teamwork, and mentorship. transformative,” said Sommer, the executive director of The Drake Group Education Fund.

The Drake Group Education Fund educates the public, lawmakers, and higher education

“The organization started out as a movement concerned about exploitation of college athletes in revenue-generating sports,” Sommer said. “These concerns included inadequate academic support, and low graduation rates for athletes in

Sommer was first introduced to Mercersburg while competing at the Easterns Interscholastic Swimming and Diving Championships for another

themselves and how they supported each other. They were just so appealing as a team environment, because they were so supportive of each other and having so much fun,” said Sommer, who later

Hard work in the pool and the mentorship she received contributed to her success in college and beyond.

“I knew I wanted to swim in college,” Sommer said. “I was anxious about the college application process. I remember my first meeting with the associate head of school at the time, Elizabeth ‘Jackie’ Powell. She helped alleviate a lot of the anxiety around it . Having her as my counselor was really one of my most memorable experiences, aside from swimming at Mercersburg.”

Sommer’s journey to working with studentathletes has been a long one, full of uncertainty and learning experiences.

“By the time I was in college, I knew that I was interested in going to law school, but I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do with a law degree,” Sommer said.

After finishing college as a student-athlete at the University of Texas in Austin, she worked in a coffee shop while applying to law schools. She was accepted but decided to defer for one year to work as a sports intern in New York.

“Those early experiences were really invaluable, from the people I met to learning about the work and industry,” Sommer said. “I worked for the foremost gender equity pioneer in women’s sports, as well as the leading sports agents, managers, and lawyers. They were great because I was committed and passionate

about the work and learning from the top people in those internships.”

The Drake Group Education Fund supports college athletes in a number of areas. It was founded 25 years ago as a national think tank, dedicated to academic integrity in college sports, and now works on behalf of college athletes’ rights and protections in many areas, including health and well-being, academic support and graduation rates, financial rights, exploitation related to sports betting, gender equity, and racial and social justice.

“Witnessing all these changes that were rapidly happening in college sports and wanting to be a part of fighting for athletes, that’s what I’m looking to do,” Sommer said. “What drove me here is my passion for college athletics and college athletes.”

Editor’s Note: Lisa Wei ’26 of Princeton, NJ, was an intern for Mercersburg’s Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications during the spring term. She is an editor of The Mercersburg News, a prefect, concertmaster of the String Ensemble, and a Women’s Activist Club member. Her passion for human rights, specifically those surrounding mental health and women’s rights, led her to the founding of PinkCostFree, a nonprofit organization aimed to help improve the accessibility of hygiene products for those in need.

Behind the Mic at the SUPER BOWL

Mercersburg Alum Gains Journalism Experience on Big Stage at Media Week

By Jack Lewis ’25

The year is 2019. Annie Klaff ’20 stands on the soccer field at Mercersburg, unaware that in five years she will be part of the team covering Super Bowl Media Week in Las Vegas.

Klaff earned the opportunity of a lifetime to report from Allegiant Stadium in February 2024 through her connections with the ACC Network, a sports television channel owned by ESPN.

“Before I even arrived, I knew going into it that it was going to be a lot of effort, a lot of time, and a lack of sleep,” Klaff said. “First thing in the morning each day, we would host a live three-hour radio show. Then, for the rest of the day, we were going out to interview players or professional broadcasters.”

Throughout the experience, Klaff had the opportunity to attend press conferences with the teams, speak with athletes on the field, and connect with other reporters and figures in the sports media industry. She also wrote an article for NBC Sports, created video packages, and met notable figures in the NFL.

“Everywhere you looked, you’d see a professional football player or legend of the game,” Klaff recalled in her article for NBC.

As the week ended, Klaff reflected on the highlights of her experience. “It was definitely very busy, but it was extremely cool,” she stated.

For Klaff, working in the communications industry has been extremely rewarding. “I have put in so much effort and dedicated so much time of my college career into making it on air, whether that’s hosting, analyzing play-by-play, or color commentary, I have done it all,” said Klaff. “I’ve really just now gotten to see the reward and see how much I can get out of it for all that I have done.”

Career Beginnings

At Mercersburg, Klaff was a soccer player and assisted in sports media. One of her first experiences was creating and developing @BlueStormReports, Mercersburg Athletics’ official Instagram page. The account is now called @MburgAthletics.

Klaff recalls one of the formative moments in her career path taking place at Mercersburg. Upon discovering that NBC Sports television anchor Rebecca Lowe ’99 was an alum of the school, she was able to reach out to Lowe and receive advice.

“It was amazing to connect with her because it was the first time I had really spoken with someone who’s a professional broadcaster. In addition, she was super nice and willing to help me,” said Klaff. “Ever since then, I’ve been inspired by her and wanted to forge my own career path in sports broadcasting. We still keep in touch!”

For the future of her career, Klaff noted, “The end goal is to be an on-air host or reporter, anything for the Premier League or NFL. I do want to be on camera reporting or hosting. The main thing I hope for is to remain in the sports industry because it really is something that I feel passionate about.”

Editor’s Note: Jack Lewis ’25 of Greencastle, PA, was an intern for Mercersburg’s Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications during the spring term. He is a member of the swim team, serves as an editor for The Mercersburg News, participates in the Quinn-Ferguson Honors Seminar, and is a member of the Green Team. Lewis’ future aspirations include pursuing a college degree in business and marketing.

“I had bought a couch from Fiona Flanagan ’17, and she lived in South Cottage at the time. I rallied all the troops (my freshman friends) to go help me pick it up. There were around five or six of us, and we all had to carry the couch to Fowle Hall.

There’s no elevator in South, and the hallways and staircases are very narrow. At one point, the couch got stuck in the staircase, and we were waiting there for so long, just trying to get it out. There were like seven or eight of us at this point.

Afterward, we all had to lug the couch across the softball field, but it was so heavy.

We just kept taking breaks and sitting on the couch in the middle of the softball field.

It was so funny to sit on a beautiful day with all my closest friends on a couch in a softball field. That would only happen in Mercersburg.”

– Annie Klaff ’20

WEDDINGS

Lori Esposit ’96 married Rob Cullin January 4, 2024, during a family ski trip at Copper Mountain. They recently moved to Fort Collins, CO, and are enjoying being mostly empty nesters.

Dr. Maggie Gindlesperger ’04 and Johnny Ace Smith II were married October 21, 2023, in Montego Bay, Jamaica, surrounded by family and friends. Johnny and Maggie had a civil ceremony in California that was attended by Eric Burkhart ’04 and his wife, Danielle Burkhart, who served as witnesses and signed the marriage license. Maggie and Johnny reside in Los Gatos, CA.

Claire Lazo ’05 married Jonel Romero in a small Halloween-themed ceremony last fall. They live in San Diego, where Claire is a senior manager specializing in Mergers & Acquisitions at Deloitte Consulting.

Cameron Reilly ’10 and Christopher Mlynarski were married December 31, 2023, in Chicago, where they first met. Mercersburg alumni in attendance included Augusta Reilly ’08, sister of the bride; Mary Lancaster Grywatch ’08; Hannah Miller ’10; Jennifer Leahey Romey ’10; Kate Vary ’10; and Anmargaret Warner ’10.

On November 11, 2023, Paige Richardson ’14 married Denver Cordell in the Irvine Memorial Chapel on the campus of Mercersburg Academy.

Madi Johnson ’16 married Alex Kirven in Middleburg, VA, on October 21, 2023. The ceremony was officiated by Mercersburg School Minister the Rev. Dr. Will Whitmore. Beatrice Morrow ’16 and Caroline Brown ’16 served as bridesmaids, while Cole Johnson ’18 served as a groomsman. Other Long Blue Line attendees included Cathryn Perini ’16 and Kate Vela ’16 and current student Lilly Killinger ’26.

Kai Lu ’16 married Shuiping Han in a civil ceremony on July 11, 2023. The couple also had a Western ceremony on September 23 in Hangzhou, where they live, and an ancient Chinese-style wedding on October 2 in Lanzhou, Kai’s hometown.

& BIRTHS

Andy Chan ’10 and his wife, Alison, announce the birth of their second child, Jonah, January 14, 2024.

Leigh Swiger Moynihan ’06 and her husband, Greg, announce the birth of their daughter, Rose Elowen Moynihan, January 17, 2024. Rose joins big brother Iain, big sister Fiona, and big brother Callum.

Mark Ryscavage ’03 and his wife, Lauren, welcomed their first child, Ava May, January 26, 2024.

Paul Suhey ’10 and his wife, Sarah, welcomed a son, Dara Cashel Suhey, on February 3, 2024.

Bailey Blake Weibley ’11 and Coleman Weibley, Mercersburg’s former associate dean of students, welcomed Georgia Ann Weibley on February 16, 2024. Big sisters, Parker and Quincy, are excited to have a new baby to love.

John Henry ’91 and Leigh Chapman announce the birth of a daughter, Elizabeth Gwendolyn Henry, March 28, 2024.

Ryan Colby ’07 and his wife, Karin, announce the birth of a daughter, Liv Brown Colby, April 11, 2024.

Rachel Mallory, associate director of college counseling, and her husband, Steve Milletics, welcomed twin daughters, Penelope Jean and Margaret Joy, November 8, 2023.

Kiersten Bell ’09 and her husband, Navy Lt. Michael Martenak, welcomed sons Elliott Jack and Leo Franklin, fraternal twins, November 24, 2023. Kiersten and Michael are stationed in Monterey, CA.

Submission Deadlineforthenextissueis October4,2024

’55

Reunion: June 6-8, 2025

70 th

’59

Submit class notes via email to classnotes@mercersburg edu or online at mercersburg.edu/classnotes. The submission deadline for the next issue is Friday, October 4. Submission does not guarantee publication.

Mercersburg reserves the right to edit submissions for space or content, and is not responsible for more than reasonable editing or fact-checking.

Selected submissions could appear on the school’s social media channels as well, unless otherwise indicated by the person submitting the information.

When submitting a photo, please provide the highest-quality version possible, and include the names of all persons pictured and their Mercersburg class years. Due to size and quality considerations, some images might not be suitable for print.

Aaron Mendelson says hello to Class of ’55 graduates as they prepare for their 70th reunion in June 2025. Aaron wants to be at the reunion and hopes his classmates will be able to come, too. He shares that his life has taken some turns in the last five years. In June 2019, his wife of 59 years, Cynthia, died. Shortly thereafter, he sold their home and moved to a life-care facility in Longmeadow, MA, the town where he has lived for 55 years. There he met his significant other, Annette Lerner, and they have enjoyed the fruits of a rich and full retirement. He serves on the board of an urban charter school he helped to start, and enjoys spending time during the summer in the Berkshire Mountains attending various musical, theater, and dance venues.

’58

John “Jack” Bennett reports that all is well in Houston, and he welcomes calls from classmates. A graduate of the University of Houston, Jack is self-employed in the financial industry. He and his wife, Joanne, will celebrate 58 years of marriage in August. Their daughter, Erin, is a graduate of Texas A&M and was president of her junior class of 8,000. She is married to Brad Lane, dean of students and football coach at Second Baptist School in Houston. Their granddaughter, Caroline, is considering Auburn or Texas A&M. Their grandson, Bennett, will be a sophomore at Second Baptist School and is an accomplished baseball and football athlete. Their son, Brian, is back in Houston following several years in Naples, FL. “We are so thankful for our many blessings,” Jack wrote.

Alan Wein took emeritus status from the University of Pennsylvania in November 2022, and now is a professor of clinical urology and the director of business development and mentoring at the Desai Sethi Urology Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He sees patients at a satellite site in West Palm Beach and does administrative work at the institute in Miami. He’s very happy to see Mercersburg thriving.

Bob Sze shared that when he came to Mercersburg, he had only been in the United States for four years. He said the escape from Communist China left his parents with little economically. However, his family had American connections in terms of friends and previous teachers, not only from colleges his parents attended in America but also Yenching University in Beijing. After the Communist takeover, many faculty members became professors in American universities and heads of preparatory schools. Robert Clifford ’29, his father’s friend from Harvard Business School who was stationed in Chongqing during World War II, recommended Mercersburg. “The first thing Mercersburg did for me was to make me a serious student. The second thing Mercersburg did was instill in me a sense of fair play. I believe these influences have instilled in me to always treat others with respect. However, no less important is a sense of place. By this I mean the beauty that is the Mercersburg Academy. Every time I come back, the place absolutely takes my breath away, from the playing fields to the chapel. The appreciation of beautiful things and beautiful places I believe led me to pick Cornell University, where I studied electrical engineering, and to Yale, where I obtained a doctorate in physics, and finally after retirement to Harvard for a master’s degree in architecture. Thank you, Mercersburg. You are the beginning that leads to an understanding that learning is probably the most interesting and pleasurable thing one can possibly do.”

Reunion: June 6-8, 2025

After graduating from Mercersburg, Eric Reif obtained both his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Michigan. He then returned home and practiced law for 45 years as a trial lawyer specializing in civil litigation. Following his retirement in 2013, Eric and his wife, Donna, moved to Silverton in Oregon’s beautiful Willamette Valley, which features some 900 vineyards and is an hour from the coast. Eric and Donna live close to their son, Brian, his wife, Sarah, their 10-year-old

’60

65th

and

family

Rache Brand ’99 was attending a work event at the Glass Houses Hudson in New York City when she met the owner Jack Guttman ’65. Jack hosted a NYC Mercersburg event at the Glass Houses Chelsea in January 2024.

John Mattes ’68 is featured in “Lawyers, Guns, and Money,” an explosive podcast on the Iran-Contra scandal. The story follows Mattes as he unravels a web of CIA operations, mercenary intrigues, and White House scandals. It’s a riveting journey into the heart of American covert operations.

Frank Butts ’65 says he was able to attend the 50th reunion and is looking forward to the 60th next year. Since the last reunion, some class members have shared memories and activities with each other via Zoom meetings. Frank also has been able to speak with several classmates as he seeks support for Mercersburg’s Annual Fund. He hopes to see his classmates in 2025. Class of ’65 alums in this photo from the 2015 reunion include, from left, Brian Joscelyne, Bill Thompson, Greg Smith, Larry Mirkin, Jim Porter, Frank Butts, and Richard Stanger.

Robert Walton Sr. ’57

his

attended Mercersburg’s Christmas Candlelight Service and reception in December. Family members pictured include, standing, Leigh Wood ’82, Rob Walton ’89, and Paige Diskin ’86. Seated are Robert and his wife, Mary Ann.

Mercersburg alumni connected in Monteverde, Costa Rica: Andres Gomez Rodriguez ’06, his wife, Mariela, daughter, Lucia, and sleeping son, Alejandro, along with faculty emeriti Frank Rutherford ’70 and Debbie Rutherford.

grandson, Nate, and 13-year-old granddaughter, Eliza. Donna and Eric travel extensively, and Eric serves as the membership director of Silverton Rotary and the director of university support at Willamette University for a 160-member adult education group which hears lectures twice a week during the academic year.

team until his ankle was broken in a game against future Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker and NFL Hall of Famer Jack Ham, according to the Williamsport Sun-Gazette

’68

James Gibson notes that his granddaughter, Olivia Gibson Wetzel ’24, graduated from Mercersburg exactly 60 years after he graduated.

Reunion: June 6-8, 2025

David Norman was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award for exceptional contributions to the management consulting profession and to The Institute of Management Consultants USA.

Joseph Jamison has been elected to serve on the board of trustees of Westmoreland Museum of American Art, a large regional museum near Pittsburgh. His duties will include advising on the expansion of the museum’s collection, which already includes significant works of leading American painters, including Sargent, Cassatt, Homer, Copley, Inness, Beaux, Stuart, Luks, and many highly regarded artists of the present day.

Lou Stanton was promoted to division commander of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Auxiliary Division 10 in a ceremony aboard the USS North Carolina in Wilmington, NC. As division commander, Lou oversees 150 auxiliary volunteers in three flotillas. Lou continues to volunteer for auxiliary activities in the Cape Fear region of North Carolina, promoting recreational boating safety and augmenting the regular Coast Guard as a radio communications watchstander at USCG Station Wrightsville Beach. Lou served more than 22 years active duty in the regular Coast Guard.

of Washington, of which Andy is a long-time member. Andy and his wife, Beth, also received a finalist award in the Americana category for their song “When You Were Loving Me.”

’70

55th Reunion: June 6-8, 2025

IN BETWEEN: Creativity Set Free is a new book by Don Freas that describes his creative process and features 60-plus photos.

’71

At the end of 2023, Paul Dickman retired from Argonne National Laboratory and joined its emeritus program.

’72

Lou Prevost was inducted into the Tioga County Sports Hall of Fame. Lou is a 1966 graduate of Wellsboro (PA) High School, where he played football for three years, was named Back of the Year in 1965, and was voted Most Valuable Player in 1966. Lou attended Mercersburg for one year and was the starting quarterback on the football

’69

Andy Wolf won first place for the song “Vagabond Wind” in the country/bluegrass category of the 40th Mid-Atlantic Song Contest, sponsored by The Songwriters’ Association

Jim Garofalo, DDS, retired at the end of December after more than 41 years in the dental practice he started after graduating from Temple University School of Dentistry. His practice was located in Brownsville, PA, a community in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Along with providing direct patient care in his office, he also was on staff at the local hospital, providing emergency room treatment for dental and facial trauma. His daughter, Ariel Garofalo ’12, DMD, has taken over the practice.

Faculty emeritus Debbie Rutherford shared this photo of a gathering at the Rutherfords’ place in Vero Beach, FL. Pictured: Karen Fredey Rodi ’81, Lynn Brewer Price ’80, Laura Pisano Lyshon ’80, Skip Lyshon ’79, Frank Rutherford ’70, and Debbie.

On his way home from celebrating his son’s wedding in Delaware in the fall of 2023, Eric Scoblionko ’72 visited classmate Peggy Jarvis Ferrin ’72 in Charleston, SC. They took advantage of the historic city’s fine restaurants and enjoyed the harbor tour of Fort Sumter and a stroll along The Battery and Rainbow Row. Eric is an in-demand teacher at Pine Crest and other private schools in Florida while Peggy is a substitute librarian at Porter-Gaud and other Charleston schools.

’73

After 32 years at UPS, Nicholas Baker retired 12 years ago. He enjoys Masonic Order activities, fishing, trap, and sporting clays. He can’t shoot anymore due to various surgeries and injuries, but he still loves watching friends miss! He also spends time gardening and in his shop where he makes custom hunting knives and sheaths. His knives have been used by various groups–the NRA, Whitetails Unlimited, Masonic Council, etc.–which raffle them to raise money for various charities and associations. He takes great pleasure in seeing something he made put a smile on the face of its recipient and be used as a tool to help with outdoor activities where a good blade is needed. He hopes to hear from some former classmates and see them at a future Mercersburg event.

’74

Bob Naething connected with Liz Fulton Jones and her husband, Tom, and their kids in San Antonio, TX, when they came to watch the solar eclipse in April. Bob said it is always fun to see friends from Mercersburg. Last October he retired from the Department of Defense after 44 years, but immediately ended up on many nonprofit boards. He said he has a hard time saying no to “great people doing great things.” He’s on the U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor Convention Committee and is preparing for the committee’s convention in San Antonio: “I am so privileged and honored to host 45 of these amazing heroes for an outdoor party on the first night they are here. All of them have amazing

stories.” Bob and his wife, Cindy, are traveling more since his retirement, both abroad and within the United States. It provides them with the opportunity to visit their 10 grandchildren more often and to see old friends.

’75

Reunion: June 6-8, 2025

50 th

Dave Ditto says he is looking forward to June 2025. He can’t believe it has been almost 50 years since he and his classmates were in high school at the ’Burg. Dave has been retired for five years, and his wife, Debbie, is retiring this year as a fourth-grade teacher in Berkeley Springs, WV. “Our little world here in West Virginia is good,” Dave said. “It will be great to reminisce and catch up with old friends.”

Rick Jenkinson wants his classmates to know that he plans to be at the 50th reunion in June. Will you be there?

Jim Umbdenstock retired on July 1, 2023, after more than 43 years with the electric utility in Raleigh, NC. He hopes to see everyone at the ’Burg next summer.

’80

Reunion: June 6-8, 2025

Bill Mikita ’73 connected with classmate and teammate Larry Bryant ’73. They’ve been friends for 50 years. Bill says: “You wouldn’t know it looking at these two old guys, but we could hoop it up back in the day. Seeing him was good for the soul.” Pictured in a huddle photo from the 1973 yearbook, from left, Larry, Bill, and Coach Wayne Duncan.

45th

While traveling in Florida, Scott Cummings ’71 and Philae Dominick, at left, connected with Phil Dunmire ’64, and his wife, Linda.

Rebecca Peace ’75 sends greetings to her classmates. Her dad, John Peace, a former Mercersburg faculty member, died in 2019 after a full life of teaching, writing, fishing, and jogging. He was known to many Mercersburg alumni as a teacher, coach, or dorm master, but while many students knew him, Rebecca said not as many students knew her mother, Mary Peace, very well. Mary recently died, and Rebecca has been sorting through her papers and photos, which include numerous mementos from her Mercersburg days, underscoring incredible lifelong connections. While Mary never taught at the school–though she did work part time as a nurse at the infirmary–she was part of an active group of faculty wives in the late 1960s through the 1970s as the school gradually became coed. Faculty wives played an integral role in the fabric of the school. Mary was part of Barb Plantz’s team, which baked cakes for students’ birthdays. She also hosted John’s advisees and fencing team members for dinner and shared her kitchen with Tippetts Hall residents. When no one was looking, Cinnamon, the family dog, might have been the beneficiary of some student-baked birthday cake. In Mary’s possessions, Rebecca found correspondence from lifelong friends she made at Mercersburg. Rebecca also found a well-used copy of holiday recipes compiled by the women’s club, including Linda Hill’s pumpkin bread and Gail Bursk’s recipe for Christmas ornaments. Pictured, from left, are Barb Plantz, Mary Peace, and Janice Steiger.

Anthony Tito ’75 recently completed building a 1932 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Sedanca Coupe. The Pocher 1:8 scale model kit is 27 inches long, has 2,100 parts and took nine years to complete. “It was a much more complicated build than I had expected,” Anthony wrote. Each wire wheel alone has 150 pieces. Most of the model had to be built using tweezers and surgeon-style lighted magnifying glass headgear. This kit is Tito’s third Pocher model. His two previous 1:8 scale builds are a Ferrari F40 (completed in 1996) and a Lamborghini Hurcan.

Kim Odgers Phillips ’77 of Fort Worth, TX, visited Suzy Plaster ’77 of Mechanicsville, VA. The two had not seen each other in 34 years. They said it was great to catch up at James Rivers Cellars in Glen Allen, VA, and reminisce on their days at Mercersburg.

Andrew Findlay ’79 shared this photo of the skiing trip he took to Tahoe with his 17-year-old, Addison. Andrew wants other alums to know that Swankies rule.

Rick Jenkinson ’75 was in the Ligonier, PA, area and looked up his classmate Tony Tito ’75. The two got together for lunch.

Mark Pyper ’83 and Rich Katz ’83 connected for some skiing at Alta over the holidays.

Steven Miko Burns ’85 and his wife, Megan, have been living in St. Petersburg, FL, since leaving Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in 2020. He maintains contact with Dave Koch ’85, Stewart Walker ’85, and Dave Smith ’85 as much as possible in between filming, photo, writing, and music gigs.

Andy Choi ’99 connected with Luis Cervera ’85 and Luis’ son, Esteban Cervera Semerena ’18, in Merida, Mexico. Andy shared, “Luis and I are both Fowle men and had Brent Gift as a coach/ teacher.” Andy said he was impressed with Luis’ construction business, Esteban’s software engineering work, and Luis’ friendship with classmate Benicio Del Toro ’85.

From left, Luis, Andy, and Esteban in Merida, Mexico, at what is called the “Biggest Christmas Tree in Southern Mexico.”

JD Koch ’81 is back working for the U.S. Army, supporting live-fire training for U.S. units based with the NATO Forward Land Forces Battle Group in Hungary. JD shares: “Despite trying to retire repeatedly, I keep getting pulled back!” This photo of JD and his wife, Barbara, was taken on the balcony of the Hungarian State Opera House. The building in the background is the former State Ballet School, which was recently renovated and houses the W Hotel. JD, Barbara, and son Tobias will visit the states this summer to see family and friends, and Tobias will attend Mercersburg’s Adventure Camp. JD welcomes anyone from the ’Burg who finds themselves in Budapest to reach out.

Tracy Baker Johnson ’86 connected with several of her Class of 1986 classmates, including Nancy Gallagher Jones, Dina Zimmerman, Jennifer Schlegel, and Sandra Davenport Simpson, at the first Mercersburg Women in Focus event. Tracy said, “It was an incredible event with lots of networking, learning, fun, and energy. Our little group from ’86 had a wonderful time and really enjoyed reconnecting. We now look forward to our 40th reunion and seeing many more of you in 2026.” In photo, Class of ’86 members take a group selfie with Mercersburg Head of School Quentin McDowell. Pictured, from left, are Quentin, Tracy, Sandra, Dina, and Jennifer.

Janelle Cwik ’91 shared that November kicked off a once or twice a month global trip schedule for her in 2023-2024 as she added more material for her second book, Dream On. She made it to Belfast, Northern Ireland, and toured where the Titanic was built.

Geri Mewett ’92 and Megan Gilbert Beck ’94 connected when Megan’s son, Billy (Malvern Preparatory School class of 2026), and Geri’s daughter, Teagan ’27, competed at Easterns Interscholastic Swimming Championship. Geri and Megan swam for Mercersburg Academy at Easterns in 1992. Megan said it was great to catch up and meet Geri’s family. Pictured from left are Geri, Billy, Teagan, and Megan.

Members of the Class of 1995 enjoyed a mini-reunion in Mercersburg when Meredith Glah Coors ’95, P ’25, ’27 was in town for the Winter Student Choreography Showcase and David Ostwind ’95 was skiing with his family at Whitetail Ski Resort. From left, Mercersburg Mayor Michael Pedersen ’95, Meredith, Melissa Glah Orders ’95, P ’23, ’25, and David.

’81

Sisters Suzette Raley Hopkins and Peggy Raley Ward ’85 are pleased to share that they are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their winery, Nassau Valley Vineyards, which has received more than 800 medals in international wine competitions. The vineyard is in Lewes, DE, and they love it when Mercersburg alumni, friends, and family stop by.

’85

Reunion: June 6-8, 2025

40 th

Dan Henderson said he enjoyed meeting with Jason Bershatsky from Mercersburg’s Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations during Jason’s recent trip to Pittsburgh. Dan is looking forward to seeing fellow ’85ers back on campus for the reunion in June. He wonders: “Should we try to get more than eight total hours of sleep this time around? Didn’t think so.”

’89

Lehigh County Chief Deputy District Attorney Heather Gallagher was presented with the Col. John K. Schafer Memorial Award in recognition of exemplary service by law enforcement personnel. This award is presented on behalf of the Lehigh County Chiefs of Police Association and is named in honor of a former Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner who had a 23-year career with the state police. Col. Schafer was appointed commissioner by Gov. Robert Casey in 1987. His tenure was cut short by his death from cancer later that year. This year marks the 37th annual presentation of the award. Gallagher began her career as a prosecutor in 2001 as an assistant district attorney in Philadelphia. In 2008, she joined the Lehigh County District Attorney’s office.

’90

Reunion: June 6-8, 2025

35th

Julio Fabrega recently took on the role of mentor director at XCEL Mentoring in Palm Beach County, FL. He said, “It’s an opportunity that feels like a true calling, blending my passion for guiding youth with a mission to empower them to uncover their fullest potential, and it got me thinking about the incredible network of Mercersburg alumni.” He invites alumni in the Palm Beach County area to reach out if they’d like to become volunteer mentors.

’95

Reunion: June 6-8, 2025

’00

Reunion: June 6-8, 2025

30 th

25th

Justin Johnson recently graduated with an MBA from Columbia Business School and has since expanded his real estate private equity firm, Tidestone Partners. The company specializes in developing build-for-rent (BTR) and for-sale homes across significant markets such as Arizona, Texas, Florida, and North Carolina. While currently based in New York City, Justin plans to move back to Phoenix this summer to oversee an upcoming project.

’05

Reunion: June 6-8, 2025

20 th

Carl Gray returned to his native Lexington, KY, where he is working with his family’s construction, architectural and engineering, automation and process equipment manufacturing firm in strategic development and project management. He looks forward to attending his 20th reunion with classmates in June. When he’s not sending updates about the reunion, he enjoys road rides in the bluegrass and time with his Portuguese water dog, Stevie Nicks.

’07

Beau Briggs is moving back to Palm Beach, FL, from Dallas to join City National Bank of Florida as a senior vice president in corporate banking.

Bobby Tokar is back on the East Coast and looks forward to connecting with his classmates and other alumni. He lives in Delaware, continues to work in branding, and is involved in music production under the name Surftronica.

’08

Andre Watkis and his wife, Raquel Watkis, opened W Experience Counselling and Wellness Services, a psychotherapy practice. They offer services for children, adults, families, and couples.

’10

Reunion: June 6-8, 2025

’13

15th

Lauren Reilly is a self-published author, with her second book, The Wonderful Lady B, Vol. II, due out this year. She is still acting and was recently cast in The Better World, which is set to film in Europe in 2025. Lauren lives in Salem, MA, where she is on the GenPEM steering committee for the Peabody Essex Museum.

’15

Reunion: June 6-8, 2025

10 th

Reed Widdoes received his Juris Doctor from American University Washington College of Law and will be clerking for Associate Justice Christine Donohue on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Reed is looking forward to seeing everyone at the 10th reunion in June.

Kate Bazemore Harrison ’89, second from right, hosted, from left, Mercersburg’s Head Swim Coach Glenn Neufeld, Mercersburg swimmers, Crystal Yuen ’24, Matt Beehler ’24, and Ingrid Janney ’24, along with faculty emeritus and former swim coach Pete Williams, when they were in San Antonio, TX, for the TYR Pro Series swim meet.

Mercersburg alumni had dinner with former teachers in Atlanta, GA. From left, Tearl Bradley ’91; Martha Downer Assaf, former math faculty member; Fred Assaf, former English faculty member; Nancy Abudu ’92; and Jordon Exeter ’07.

Molly Marino Zemek ’94 published her first book titled Decoding Your Emotional Appetite: A Food Lover’s Guide to Weight Loss. The book includes a quiz to help you identify your unique emotional appetite, and describes the tools she teaches her clients in her coaching business. Zemek spoke at Mercersburg’s Women in Focus symposium in Philadelphia earlier this year.

Paulina Jorge ’99 lives in Mexico City with her husband, Fernando, and her children, Sofia, 2, and Fernando, 1. She spends summers in Merida, Mexico, and has been in touch with classmate Yaw Mograbi ’99, who is now living in Ghana.

Jim Kaurudar ’98 visited Anna Wright ’98 for a few days in upstate New York over his birthday. They went to a Syracuse basketball game one night and had lunch the next day with Anna’s brother, Will Wright ’00. Jim and Anna took a photo at the game.

Jasen Wright ’99 and Kira Robles ’98 were in San Diego for a work event. They are in different industries but have overlap and were surprised to run into each other.

of the Class of ’99

Five alumni came to campus for a pickup game with the boys’ basketball team and some faculty members. From left, they are Tad Holzapfel ’09, Jack Yeager ’20, Kevin Harris ’98, Pat Ryan ’13, and Romone Penny ’03.

Members

(Julie Kaufman Nussdorfer, Isaac Brody, Aaron Chiu, Adrian Fang, and Andy Choi) and their families gathered in Virginia at an event hosted by Jean and Andy Choi. Andy chaired the 25th reunion committee and invited classmates and their families for a mini pre-reunion.

Rick Hendrickson, a former faculty member, at right, and his wife, Amy Hendrickson, a former staff member, traveled to Spain for spring break and connected with one of Coach Hendrickson’s former wrestlers, Jaime Pradera-Velasco ’99, at left, in Barcelona.

Jim Bair ’00 was able to connect with classmate Ignacio “Nacho” Fornies ’00 last fall in Rome. Jim said it was great to see an old friend and cool that Mercersburg is everywhere.

Heidi Anderes Hollier ’01 and Jon Palmer ’99 connected at a parent gathering in Denver. Their children go to the same school.

Risa Fujita ’04 and Griffin Burns ’06, who were dance partners when they were in Mercersburg’s 2005 student production of Godspell, were able to connect at Katsucon, an anime and Japanese culture event held annually at the Gaylord Hotel.

Ryan Reid ’05 and Taylor Miller Reid ’05 connected with Pennsylvania State University wrestler Aurelius Dunbar ’20 at a Penn State wrestling match. Later in the season, Penn State won the 2024 NCAA National Wrestling Championship. Aurelius received Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2022 and 2023.

Earlier this year, a group of Mercersburg alumni gathered in Denver. Pictured from left are Shelby Hoffman ’06, T. Jay Gerber ’05, Zander Hartung ’05, Wesley Hartung, baby; Maggie Raymond, partner of Zander; Rachel Smooke ’05, and Jeff Soo, husband of Rachel Smooke.

Lexi

and

Linsey Haram ’06 and Ryan Wilde ’06 connected in Washington, D.C., where they both reside.

Hannah Hassoun ’17,

Sommerville ’17,

Austin Young ’06 recently attended a Mercersburg event in Austin, TX.

Friends and classmates got together for a baby shower for Taria Griffin ’10. From left, Aimee Chase ’10, Andrea Metz ’10, Vita Kalnina ’07, Taria, Cottrell Wise (Taria’s partner), Jordan Krutek Taylor ’10, Carlos Garcia ’10.

Adam Yang ’16, right, who is a third-year student at Harvard School of Dental Medicine, and Mark Vitale, left, chair of the Give Veterans a Smile National Advisory Committee, discussed giving back to veterans at the ADA Dentist Student Lobby Day in Washington, D.C. They joined 1,500 other dentists and dental students to talk about dental issues during the event in April.

’20

Reunion: June 6-8, 2025

5th

Goalkeeper Caroline Kranich was named the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association’s DIII Defensive Player of the Week during her senior season at Washington and Lee University.

Tharit Monsereenusorn, a member of the Allegheny College football team, was inducted into the 2024 National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society.

Jesse Zhang received the 2024 Dean’s Award for Service to the University of Pennsylvania. The Wharton Undergraduate Division grants the awards to recognize outstanding graduating seniors. Award winners are selected by a faculty and staff committee.

’21

Congratulations to Army junior Jack Mowery who was named the Patriot League Men’s Swimmer of the Week. At the Cavalier Invitational, he secured three top-10 finishes. He logged a victory in the 200-yard fly with a mark of 1:46.86 while also posting the top mark in the 100-yard fly time trials, coming in at 49.16. His

Andy Chan ’10 has published a book, Dynamic Balance: Integrating Principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine into Strength and Conditioning. Andy and his wife, Alison, married in September 2019. Their son, Mattias, was born in September 2020, and their second child, Jonah, was born in January 2024. See the baby photo on page 53.

500-yard free time of 4:28.55 landed him in third in the meet, while his 1:38.76 was good for seventh in the 200-yard free.

’23

In his first year on the Haverford College men’s squash team, Francis Betkowski earned a spot on the Liberty League Honor Roll. This was the first conference recognition for Haverford, which recently joined the Liberty League as an associate member for men’s and women’s squash. During the inaugural week of the season, Betkowski played two spots higher than his normal ladder position due to illness and injury within the team lineup.

Together for Their Future

Countless dreams realized, ambitions pursued, and futures shaped within our vibrant community each year would not be possible without you.

Your generosity to Mercersburg’s 2024-2025 Annual Fund has a direct impact on the lives of students, faculty, and staff.

Your gifts help students turn their aspirations into achievements. Whether it’s providing scholarships, enhancing academic programs, or supporting extracurricular activities, your contributions make a difference every day. Make your gift today at

SHREDDED

Makayla Robinson McIntosh ’12 co-wrote, produced, and starred in the feature film Shredded, the story of both her experience as a dancer whose career was upended by a tragic accident, and of director and co-writer Adam Michael’s breast cancer journey. The film intends to let others know they are not alone in their trauma and loss of identity.

Mercersburg Head Golf Coach Doug Smith met William Kendrick ’19 on the Old Course of

for a

Joseph Bucci ’18 is completing his second year of law school at Pennsylvania State University, Dickinson School of Law. Joseph is participating in an internship with Shawn Meyers ’86, president judge of the 39th Judicial District. Joining them in the photo is Diana Sydnor P ’12, a court reporter in the 39th Judicial District. Diana is the wife of Skip Sydnor P ’12, Mercersburg’s director of campus safety.

Mercersburg alumni and friends got together at Joseph Yonke’s art exhibit in New York City in October. From left, Jinwon Ahn ’18, Aaron Zheng ’19, Sebastian Brazhnikov ’19, Josh Woodman, Joseph Yonke ’19, JJ Chou ’19, Gnim Bazim ’17.

Mason Green ’23, a freshman at Williams College, and Andrew Yuen ’21, a junior at Amherst College, faced off in the pool at the NESCAC Swimming Championship meet, held at Colby College in February.

St. Andrews in Scotland

“fabulous day” of golf during spring vacation. They took this photo at the famous Swilcan Bridge on the 18th hole.

From left, Kevin Chen ’21, Jack Kothari ’20, and Leslie Yuen P ’21, ’24 met for lunch and then attended a performance of the Curtis Symphony Orchestra at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia.

Zain Qureshi ’22, a student at the University of Pennsylvania studying healthcare management and policy, recently presented a first-author abstract at the American Heart Association’s National Stroke Conference. The publication focused on healthcare disparities, the Mediterranean Diet, and the importance of lifestyle modifications in stroke prevention.

Anna Bottin ’20, Tess Browne ’20, and Bentley Heminway ’19 recently reunited in Boston and remade an old squash photo. They wanted to share the original and the re-created photo with other alumni. Bentley said: “We are so very grateful to Mercersburg for bringing us together!”

Jade Matthias ’22 and Tag Curwen ’19 swam together at Mercersburg and have continued in their swimming careers at Hamilton College and Pomona-Pitzer, respectively. They competed at the NCAA Division III Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships, where they achieved All-American honors. Jade finished 16th place overall and eighth in the women’s 100-yard backstroke. Tag finished 7th overall in the 200-yard freestyle and third in the 800-yard freestyle relay.

IN MEMORIAM

We express our sincere condolences to loved ones who are grieving the loss of those with ties to our Mercersburg community.

Frederick Warren Coe ’36 June 10, 2023

Robert “Bob” Bast ’41

February 7, 2024

Brother of the late Homer Bast ’32

Richard Harza ’41

June 21, 2019

Former Board of Regents member

John Wellington Jones ’41

April 23, 2020

Alvin Kinsel ’45

January 10, 2023

Earl Norton Fidler Jr. ’47

March 15, 2024

Edwin Lewis Hansen ’47

October 21, 2023

Gilbert Lappen ’48

March 6, 2023

Donald Lockhart Shuck ’48

January 14, 2024

Father of Donald L. Schuck Jr. ’71* ; brother of the late William Shuck ’48; brother-in-law of Walter Burgin Jr. ’53; uncle of Christine Burgin Wegman ’78

* The different spellings of the last names of Donald and his son, Don ’71, are correct.

Timothy Bercovitz ’49

June 21, 2023

Robert “Bob” Crosen Jr. ’49

March 31, 2024

Cousin of the late Joel Warner Jr. ’49

Charles William Kleppinger Jr. ’49

November 28, 2023

Richard D. Koch ’49

February 9, 2024

Edwin John Schmidt ’49

March 9, 2024

Brother of the late Richard Schmidt ’55; uncle of Richard Schmidt Jr. ’88 and Ingrid Schmidt ’96

Albert Eric Bachman ’50

October 27, 2022

Homer Edward Baker ’50

January 1, 2021

Edward Albert Charron ’50

November 20, 2023

George Freeman ’50

July 2, 2022

William Hoyle Hannum ’50

July 11, 2022

Stephen Ian Richman ’50

December 5, 2023

Brother of John Richman ’53

Philip Zuravleff ’50 November 23, 2023

Peter Wheeler Carpenter ’51

November 16, 2023

Son of the late Nathan Carpenter (1923); brother of the late Harry Carpenter ’44 and William Carpenter ’48

Frederick Fowler III ’51

March 22, 2024

Theodore Dillon Griley II ’51

January 10, 2024

Father of Elizabeth Anne “Beth Anne” Griley Rower ’75 and Theodore “Trey” Griley III ’94; brother of the late Michael Griley ’53

Robert Preston ’51 March 28, 2024

Charles Bruce McGranahan ’52 December 31, 2023

James Donald Hillman ’53 October 24, 2022

Harold Brake ’54

January 6, 2024

Former Alumni Council member

Grandfather of Courtney Shreiner ’04 and uncle of Petrina “Trini” Hoffman, former faculty

Richard “Chick” Chakejian ’54

June 12, 2021

Donald Harold Chapman Sr. ’54

March 22, 2024

Robert Lanier Findley ’54

July 16, 2022

George Macpherson ’54

February 11, 2024

Son of the late Dudley Macpherson (1912)

Bruce Kugler Storms ’54

March 29, 2022

Benjamin Cable White Jr. ’54

April 13, 2022

Joseph York ’54

January 7, 2024

James Robert Guthrie ’55

July 15, 2020

Robert William Tull ’55

December 24, 2023

Barron Broadston ’56

December 28, 2022

Samuel Dennis Dinsmore ’56

April 6, 2021

Father of Michael Dinsmore ’85

Samuel Hetrick ’56

February 11, 2024

Richard Elliott Kann ’56

March 4, 2023

Phillip “Phil” Beydler Keller ’56

February 5, 2023

Larry Taylor ’56

November 14, 2023

Father of Jeffrey Taylor ’77 and Abby Taylor Morris ’79

Allan Derrick Williams ’56 February 11, 2024

Alex Buntin Burgin Sr. ’57

February 5, 2024

Brother of Walter Burgin Jr. ’53 and uncle of Christine Burgin Wegman ’78

John Geoffrey Harris ’57

November 22, 2023

John Rufe ’58

November 18, 2023

Son of the late William Rufe (1918) and brother of Hart Rufe ’51

David Niclaes Demarest ’59 December 28, 2022

William “Doc” Greene ’59 October 20, 2023

Brother-in-law of the late Joseph Govi ’50

David Tremain Lambing ’59

November 18, 2023

Brother of Malcolm Lambing Jr. ’52

Stephen McCrady ’59

October 24, 2023

Son of the late James McCrady III ’31 and brother of James McCrady IV ’58

Dave Pfeifer ’59 March 1, 2023

Daniel Ashley Phelps ’59 December 24, 2023

Jonathan Keeler Rice ’59 June 29, 2021

William “Bill” Parke Tranter Jr. ’60 March 31, 2024

Robert “Bob” Carleton Wimer ’61

December 26, 2023

Brother of John Wimer ’61

John Evin Groome Jr. ’62

January 2, 2024

Former Alumni Council Member

Michael Meiselman ’62

October 25, 2023

Brother of the late Theodore Meiselman ’66

Richard Abrams ’64

February 6, 2024

James “Gary” Fritzson ’64

December 14, 2023

William Latta ’64

October 11, 2023

Brother of John Latta III ‘62

Robert Blanford Jr. ’65

November 22, 2023

William “Bill” Enfield Jr. ’65

December 26, 2022

Jacob Garvin Warden Jr. ’65

April 1, 2024

Brother of Steven Warden ’67 and uncle of Natalie Warden Wilmer ’98

James Zeger ’65

December 29, 2023

Former Alumni Council Member

Son of the late Lawrence Zeger ’34; brother of the late Dennis Zeger ’63 and the late Lawrence Zeger Jr. ’68; uncle of Jami Swailes McCall ’86, Andrea Zeger ’90, and Michael Zeger ’96; stepuncle of Seth Fries ’08 and Jacob Fries ’10

Christopher Eisenhart ’66 February 29, 2024

George Ogle ’67

October 4, 2023

John Davis Jr. ’69

November 19, 2023

Nephew of the late John Krebs ’40 and cousin of W.B. Krebs ’69

Joanne Marie Gullett ’73

November 23, 2023

Edward John Finn ’74

July 28, 2023

John Murray Hastings IV ’80

July 16, 2023

Jacob “Jake” Sherman Keliikipi ’86

December 18, 2023

Mark Thomas Driscoll ’88

February 5, 2024

Peter Hort ’89

October 3, 2022

Constandino “Dean” Nicholas Giannaris ’90

April 7, 2024

Brother of Paul Giannaris ’88; uncle of Lydia Giannaris ’22 and Maria Giannaris ’16

Claire Elizabeth Amiel ’07

January 30, 2024

Sister of Marie Amiel ’96

FACULTY/STAFF/FRIENDS

Arthur Price

October 23, 2023

Former groundskeeper

Esther Fay Zeger

October 31, 2023

Former cook and mother-in-law to staff member Michelle Iannazzo-Zeger

Catherine Elizabeth Bradford Wagner

January 26, 2024

Mother of Gregory Wagner ’79, David Wagner ’81, and Brian Wagner ’84 and benefactor of the Wagner Family Scholarship Endowed Fund

Christel Wilson

March 22, 2024

Former secretary

/MercersburgAcademy

Thanks to the efforts of Louisa Gunkelman ’25, the Mercersburg Academy Triathlon returned this year for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. The event included a 400-meter swim and a 10-kilometer bike ride, followed by a 5-kilometer run. Students, faculty, staff, and children all had the opportunity to take part in Mercersburg history.

/MburgAlumni

Leading up to the Kentucky Derby, Mercersburg was proud to share that the author of the Black Stallion series, Walter Farley ’32, worked on the book while he was a student at Mercersburg and finished it while attending Columbia University. It was published in 1941. His son, Steven Farley ’69, co-wrote the final book in the series, and it was published in 1989 after his father’s death. Steven has continued to write several books as part of the Black Stallion series, including The Black Stallion and the Shape-shifter

@Mercersburg

Prom Highlights

Yule Kwon ’26

#BoardingSchool #Mburg #MburgFamily #Prom

@MburgAlumni

Faculty emeritus Jack Hawbaker P ’10, ’14 and his wife, Karen (not pictured), had dinner with Otto ’13 and Ben Bunjapamai ’11. Jack was Otto’s adviser, and they both played in the school band that Jack directed. From left are Otto, Jack, and Ben.

#MburgFamily #MburgAlumni

Be sure to check out these Mercersburg Instagram accounts!

@MburgBurgin

@MburgAthletics

@MburgEngage

@MburgGreenTeam

@MburgSummer @LenfestLibrary

@MercersburgAcademy

How would you do if asked to spell faculty names?

#BoardingSchool #Mburg #Student #StudentLife #Spelling #SpellingBee

/Mercersburg1893

Every year, 10 students are chosen to deliver monologues in front of the entire school as the culminating event of IrvingMarshall Week. Follow them from auditions to their moment in the spotlight.

Chapel Angels Affirm Difference, Attention to Detail

Angelic beings carved from English oak rest atop the choir stalls in Mercersburg’s Irvine Memorial Chapel.

Each of the 16 angels is original to the chapel and has a uniqueness that is celebrated through their varied facial features, hairstyles, and possessions.

“What I find really inspiring about these is this very subtle reminder of difference and uniqueness,” said School Minister the Rev. Dr. Will Whitmore. “When we think of an angel, we tend to think of a being that is very monosyllabic in the sense that it has wings, flies, probably talks in a high-pitched voice, or is something very pure. But, like these elements, what if even the angels have a uniqueness to them like we do?”

The angels most likely were crafted by carvers from Oberbergen, Germany, a city known for intricate woodworking craftsmanship, Whitmore said.

The chapel, which was dedicated in 1926, was designed by American architect Ralph Adams Cram. While Cram worked with skilled craftsmen on many ecclesiastical structures, the exact carver of the choir stall angels remains somewhat of a mystery, according to School Archivist Doug Smith P ’23, ’24. One candidate is Johannes Kirchmayer, a carver frequently used by Cram.

“However, Kirchmayer usually signed his work with a small ‘JK’ initial somewhere on the reredos, but I can’t find it,” Smith said, referring to the ornamental partition behind the altar.

Another carver who could be credited with the work is Alois Lang.

“We have receipts for the wooden pews in the chapel from the American Seating Company, which employed Alois Lang, which would lead me to believe he did the carvings,” Smith said, “but the receipts are just for the pews and not the ornamental carvings around the chapel.”

The angels are referenced during the Christmas Candlelight Service when the Nativity story is shared. The only light during candlelight, other than candles, is reserved for Gabriel, who rests atop the organ. Gabriel was the herald who told Mary she would be Christ’s mother.

“There are so many things in the chapel that have this amazing detail,” Whitmore said. “I think it’s this reminder in our own lives that those details can set something apart in a unique way and provide us with that ability to see what we’ve never noticed before.”

– Lisa Tedrick Prejean

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, TO SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2024