NMH Magazine 2013 Spring

NMH Magazine

13 spring

volume 15• number 1

Northfield Mount Hermon

Between Two Worlds Fatima Saidi ’13 came from Afghanistan to get an education. Her plan: to return home and help rebuild her country.

NMH Magazine SPRING 2013 Volume 15, Number 1 Editor Jennifer Sutton P ’14 Managing Editor/Photo Editor Sharon LaBella-Lindale Consulting Editor Rachel Morton Class Notes Editor Sally Atwood Hamilton ’65 Contributor Susan Pasternack Design Lilly Pereira Class Notes Design HvB Imaging Director of Communications Cheri Cross Head of School Peter B. Fayroian Chief Advancement Officer Allyson L. Goodwin ’83, P ’12, P ’14 Northfield Mount Hermon publishes NMH Magazine (USPS074-860) two times a year in fall and spring. Printed by Lane Press, Burlington, VT 05402.

NMH Magazine Northfield Mount Hermon One Lamplighter Way Mount Hermon, MA 01354 413-498-3247 Fax 413-498-3021 nmhmagazine@nmhschool.org Class Notes nmhnotes@nmhschool.org Address Changes Northfield Mount Hermon Advancement Services Norton House One Lamplighter Way Mount Hermon, MA 01354 413-498-3300 addressupdates@nmhschool.org

NMH

13 spring

volume 15 • number 1

features

18 The Road to Inuvik Parker Peltzer ’12 pedaled 1,200 kilometers from Whitehorse, Canada, to the end of the road.

24 The Boys of Summer It’s baseball season, so Galen Carr ’93 and Buster Olney ’82 are really, really busy.

26 Her Mission: Change Fatima Saidi ’13 wants to get an education—for herself and for all girls in Afghanistan.

32 Iconic Images Photojournalist Brooks Kraft ’82 documents power, presidents, and a country.

36 Remembering Mira Wilson

She led the Northfield School for Girls with a strong hand and an open mind. departments

2 Letters

3 Leading Lines

4 NMH Postcard

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12 Movers & Makers 14 In the Classroom 16 Past Present 42 Alumni Hall 44 Class Notes 96 Parting Words << A tour guide inside the U.S. Capitol rotunda.

See story on page 32.

C O V E R P H O T O : K AT H L E E N D O O H E R TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S P H O T O : B R O O K S K R A F T ’ 8 2 B A C K C O V E R : K E V I N O U YA N G ’ 1 5

LETTERS

COMPLEXITIES OF MOODY

Many thanks to Peter Weis for his balanced, accurate, and lucid description of the Moody legacy in the Fall/Winter 2012 NMH Magazine. Peter has put his finger on the complexities—the ups and downs—of what Max Weber used to call the “routinization of charisma” in connection with the founder’s legacy, and done so better than any other attempt I’ve seen in the 35 years I’ve been associated with the school.

Ted Thornton Retired History and Religious Studies Teacher Northfield, Mass.

NMH AND CHRISTIANITY

I am writing in response to the article “The Moody Legacy: What Does it Really Mean?” authored by Peter Weis in your Fall/Winter edition.

Weis believes that our founder, Dwight Moody, would be happy with the changes that have taken place in the school since his death. Among other reasons, Weis offers this one, “Let’s be clear about one thing: Were he alive today, Mr. Moody would deprecate any efforts to promote his legacy.”

We would all agree that Moody was a humble man who never encouraged a cult of personality around himself, for it was the Lord, not Dwight Moody, whom he sought to glorify. But how

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could Moody not have desired the continuation of his life’s work—teaching the Gospel and bringing people to faith in Jesus Christ?

Although loving one’s neighbor is a central part of the Christian message (and love of neighbor, I am sure, is still taught at NMH today), there is much more to Christianity than the Golden Rule. (I do not count Moody’s prohibition against dancing and card playing, which your author mentions, as central to Christianity; these were minor relics of the times.) NMH has, in fact, decided to reject other, truly central elements of a Christian worldview. So I think it is quite disingenuous to imply that Moody would be pleased with the modern-day direction of the school.

Although there are surely good things happening, let’s be frank: NMH has changed in ways that take it very far away from the founder’s vision.

Linda Ames Nicolosi ’65 Thousand Oaks, Calif.

FAR-FLUNG INFLUENCE

I enjoyed your piece on the Moody legacy (Fall/Winter 2012). What has never been fully recognized, to my knowledge, was the influence of Dwight Moody (perhaps unknowingly) on the New Thought movement in this country and abroad, particularly on Religious

Science, which is my denomination.

(Religious Science is not to be confused with Christian Science or Scientology.

Our churches, which number more than 400, are known as Centers for Spiritual Living.)

When Dwight Moody and his gospel-singing sidekick, Ira Sankey, made a revival pilgrimage to England, they made a deep impression on a Scottish science teacher named Henry Drummond, who started teaching Sunday school and eventually wrote Natural Law in the Spiritual World, which became a controversial bestseller of its time.

That book influenced a man named Ernest Holmes, a philosopher who developed what is now known as “the Science of Mind,” or Religious Science, which teaches us how to use our minds to promote health, harmony, prosperity, and creativity in our lives through spiritually principled thinking.

Holmes’s book, The Science of Mind, has been called one of the most important philosophical works of the 20th century. Norman Vincent Peale credited Ernest Holmes as the source for many of the ideas he expressed in his famous book, The Power of Positive Thinking.

Bill Arrott ’43 Lake Worth, Fla.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? NMH Magazine welcomes correspondence from readers.

Letters and emails may be edited for length, clarity, and grammar, and should pertain to magazine content. Reach us at NMH Magazine, One Lamplighter Way, Mount Hermon, MA 01354. Or email us at nmhmagazine@nmhschool.org.

LEADING LINES

An Extraordinary Gift Jump-starting a new science and technology center

by PETER B. FAYROIAN, Head of School

Earlier this year, I had the honor of announcing to Northfield Mount Hermon faculty and staff in Raymond Hall, and then to our student body in Memorial Chapel, the extraordinary gift of $10 million in cash from Dick Gilder ’50.

(See story on page 6.) Reactions from both audiences were, as you can imagine, uniform in enthusiasm and appreciation, and I was able to capture a standing ovation on my iPhone to send to Mr. Gilder and his wife, Lois Chiles. What I haven’t been able to record is the multitudinous expressions of gratitude bubbling up on campus and from the greater NMH community. I wouldn’t have enough memory on my phone, and I can barely keep up with the congratulatory emails pouring in from around the country and the world.

As significant as this gift is for our school, one particular response from a recent alumna has stayed with me. “I’m delighted to learn of Mr. Gilder’s generous gift,” she wrote.

“Of course we should receive gifts like this.

We’re NMH, aren’t we?”

We are NMH. And indeed, we deserve this kind of support from one proud and passionate member of the largest independent-school alumni body in the country. With our rich 133-year-old history and 30,000 heads, hearts, and pairs of hands out there in the world, NMH stands tall amongst our peer schools, not just because of age and size, but also because these buildings on these hills hold a particular kind of student experience. Our mission of engaging the intellect, compassion, and talents of our students has not changed since Mr. Gilder walked our campus more than six decades ago, even though the shape of our institution has changed appropriately over the years. Most important, NMH remains committed to empowering students to act with humanity and purpose, and Mr. Gilder’s philanthropy, toward his alma mater and elsewhere, serves as testament to that goal.

P H O T O : K AT H L E E N D O O H E R

I’m pleased to announce that Mr. Gilder’s gift will provide our students and teachers with the academic and living spaces they deserve: a science, math, and technology facility that meets the needs of 21st-century learning, and faculty housing that is suitable for families and for interacting with students.

Both of these projects have been part of NMH’s master plan as the school completes its consolidation on one campus.

We look forward to breaking ground

“ Mr. Gilder’s gift will help provide our students and teachers with the best possible tools for learning.” for new housing this summer, while at the same time we will begin the process of envisioning and planning for the new academic building.

The young alumna closed her email by saying that she looked forward to helping with NMH’s efforts in the future. For that, I am grateful. Yes, we deserve Mr. Gilder’s gift, but we have much work to do in order to see his vision—our vision—come to fruition. I ask for your support as well.

I’m excited to join you in the work ahead, which will give our students and teachers the best possible tools for learning, teaching, and living lives with humanity and purpose.

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NMH POSTCARD

H O T O : Magazine MICHAEL DW YER 4 I PNMH

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EN PLEIN AIR Students painting at Shadow spring Lake. 2013 I 5

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A Transformational Gift The Northfield Mount Hermon community celebrated in February when former trustee Richard Gilder ’50 donated $10 million to help build a new science, math, and technology facility on campus. Gilder’s donation is the largest cash gift in NMH history and among the largest cash gifts from a living donor to any New England boarding school in five years.

Head of School Peter Fayroian announced that Gilder’s gift will jumpstart the school’s plan to create a new facility “that will meet the needs of 21st-century, inquiry-based science education.” The $10 million will be invested while the school works with architects to design the project and raises the remaining funds necessary to complete it. The building could cost approximately $50 million.

Meanwhile, the investment proceeds over the next two years will support another priority project for NMH: the construction of faculty housing on campus. “It has been almost 10 years since the school consolidated on one campus, and we still have teachers living five miles away,” Fayroian says.

“That is not meeting the full needs of a boarding school.”

Gilder, whom The Wall Street Journal has called one of New York City’s “most notable philanthropists,” says he made the gift simply because “four years at NMH changed my life and I wanted to repay the school.”

Gilder has supported NMH for decades, serving as a trustee from 1968 to 1976. He has made substantial contributions to the Richard Glider ’50 school’s capital campaigns, lecture programs, and reunion gifts. His last gift came in 2011, when he gave $1 million to the arts and theater program, and asked that the 225-seat theater in the Rhodes Arts Center be named in honor of his wife, the artist and film and stage actress Lois C. Chiles.

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“The most meaningful time of my life was during my years at NMH,” Gilder says, explaining his long-standing support of the school. “It was a wonderful period.”

Gilder, 80, is the founding partner of the New York brokerage firm Gilder Gagnon Howe & Co. LLC, and his innovative philanthropy has enriched New York City institutions for nearly 40 years. He helped establish the Central Park Conservancy, of which he is now a trustee; he also is a trustee of the American Museum of Natural History and the New York Historical Society. He is co-founder of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, which sponsors national educational programs in American history. Yale University, Gilder’s other alma mater, awarded him an honorary degree and a Yale Medal for his service. In 2005, President George W. Bush honored him with the National Humanities Medal in recognition of his contribution to the understanding of history.

Fayroian calls Gilder’s $10 million gift “transformational” for NMH, and says he hopes it will inspire other alumni and parents to support the new projects. “It will have an enduring impact on our science and math program and the students and faculty who benefit from it,” Fayroian says. “This is a new chapter for NMH, and we are excited to begin the work ahead.”

PHOTO COURTE SY OF RICHARD GILDE R

Students perform in the winter dance concert, “Heart and Soul.”

Power Up In October 2011, a snowstorm swept across New England right before Halloween, and much of the NMH campus lost power for two days. Alumni Hall and the O’Connor Health and Wellness Center carried on with backup generators, but classes and many activities were cancelled.

That event set in motion the purchase of “The Lamplighter,” a new 1.25-megawatt, 13,800-volt generator, which arrived on campus in late December 2012. It has the capacity to supply emergency power to the entire campus, according to Devin Lockley, assistant director of plant facilities. “We want to be able to keep students on campus and not upset any of the functions that take place here,” Lockley says.

“This was a great New Year’s present for the school.”

P H O T O : D AV I D WA R R E N

FOR THE RECORD

“ I am a firm believer in living an adventurous life. You might ask for the definition of ‘adventurous,’ but that’s like asking for the answer to a math problem. Those of you who’ve had me in class know that I’m not interested in your answer—it’s your solution I want to see.”

VICKY JENKINS, math teacher and crew coach, spoke at the 2013 Founder’s Day ceremony in February.

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NMH JOURNAL

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Luck, Moody Style This spring, a 90-year-old Northfield Mount Hermon ritual became available to every student who sets foot in Memorial Chapel. The bronze bust of school founder D.L. Moody was permanently installed in the chapel’s northeast corner, so students attending all-school meetings and events have a weekly opportunity to rub Moody’s nose for good luck.

The bust originally was placed in Sage Chapel on the Northfield campus in 1919. In 2002, it was moved to the Birthplace Museum in Northfield, and made occasional appearances in Memorial Chapel for special events such as matriculation ceremonies for new students, Founder’s Day, and the prize assembly at the end of each year. NMH carpenters settled the bust in its new home in April, which allowed student fingertips ample time to make contact with Moody’s nose before finals, as so many of their predecessors have done before.

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Northfield Campus Changes Hands At the beginning of the year, Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., the owner of the Northfield campus, announced that it would give the property to the National Christian Foundation (NCF), a nonprofit charitable organization based in Alpharetta, Ga. The NCF is now spearheading the search for a permanent owner for the Northfield campus.

The NCF, established in 1982, is the largest Christian grant-making organization in the world. It has received other Hobby Lobby properties in the past. “We’re thrilled with the opportunity to further preserve the heritage of the Northfield campus,” said NCF Vice President of Communications Steve Chapman.

In order to focus resources on its educational program, Northfield Mount Hermon sold the 217-acre core campus in 2005 to Hobby Lobby, the arts-and-crafts retail chain based in Oklahoma City. Hobby Lobby’s goal was to donate the property to a Christian educational institution, and it invested more than $5 million to renovate campus buildings.

In the 2005 sales agreement, Northfield Mount Hermon retained ownership of numerous properties on or near the campus. In March, as part of the school’s ongoing consolidation to one campus, the board of trustees listed several of them for sale: The Homestead; Green Pastures; the golf course, including the pool, four houses, and adjacent vacant land; and approximately 22 acres of land just south of the Northfield campus. NMH continues to own 2,000 acres in Northfield, most of which is forestland. The board of trustees is exploring how to best steward Round Top, which is co-owned with Moody’s descendants (the Powell family), and the Birthplace.

Visit www.nmhschool.org/about-nmhnorthfield-campus/northfield-campus-faq.

P H O T O : D AV I D WA R R E N

NMH JOURNAL

P EOP LE WAT C H

Spike Albrecht ’12 (in photo) caused a media sensation when the Michigan Wolverines battled the Louisville Cardinals for the NCAA men’s basketball championship in April. Albrecht came off the Michigan bench to hit multiple threepointers and was named to the Final Four All-Tournament team. The real slamdunk: NMH was the only high school in the country to have players on both teams. Mike Marra ’09 played guard for Louisville, though a knee injury kept him off the court this season.

The historian Dr. Eric Foner, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and longtime Columbia professor, visited NMH in April in conjunction with the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. Foner spoke to the NMH community about Abraham Lincoln, the Civil War, and what he calls “perhaps the most misunderstood of the documents that have shaped American history.”

“The proclamation often disappoints those who read it. It is dull and legalistic; it contains no soaring language enunciating the rights of man…

Nonetheless, the proclamation marked a dramatic transformation in the nature of the Civil War and in Lincoln’s own approach to the problem of slavery…Lincoln asked the nation to confront unblinkingly the legacy of slavery. What were the requirements of justice in the face of this reality? What would be necessary to enable former slaves and their descendants to enjoy fully the pursuit of happiness? Lincoln did not live to provide an answer. A century and a half later, we have yet to do so.”

IDEAS

Dr. Ainissa Ramirez is an engineer, an inventor, a former Yale professor, a TED speaker, and a self-described science evangelist whose mission is to get people excited about science. In April, she delivered the annual “Science for the 21st Century” lecture: “Weird Metals: Science Inspired by Terminator 2.”

After her father was diagnosed with stage-III cancer, Hannah Green ’14 started an outreach group called the Cancer Team, which quickly became one of NMH’s largest and most successful volunteer efforts. Through bake sales, T-shirt sales, coin drives, and a local breast cancer fundraising walk, it raised more than $6,000 for cancer research and for the Baystate Children’s Hospital in Springfield, Mass.

When Matthew Jackson ’03 returned from Afghanistan, after leading more than 100 combat patrols, he wanted to help fellow soldiers with major injuries.

He entered three ultramarathons and raised $33,000 for the Wounded Warrior Project, which supports rehabilitative efforts for veterans injured in the line of duty. “I run the way my buddies served—with determination, tenacity, and purpose.”

P H O T O S , C L O C K W I S E F R O M T O P : D A N I E L L A Z A L C M A N , E R I C B R O N S O N , G L E N N M I N S H A L L , C O U R T E S Y O F M AT T H E W J A C K S O N , B R U C E F I Z Z E L L

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W H O • W H AT • W H Y

The 80-Minute Class More time, more depth, and a better education

Between 10:10 and 11:30 on a Tuesday morning, physics teacher Tabatha Lotze covers a lot of ground.

She discusses the lab reports her ninth-grade students are handing in, goes over the previous night’s reading assignment on Newton’s laws of motion, guides the class through a lab experiment involving toy-like cars traveling different distances and speeds on a ruled track, gives a lesson on the math behind the lab—force equals mass times acceleration—and coaches the students through a few practice problems at the whiteboard.

What’s special about this picture?

For one thing, Lotze spends 80 minutes with this one group of students—almost twice as long as a typical class at other

longer class periods means teachers and students go deeper into a subject every day. Filling a semester with a year’s worth of material makes a class more challenging. Fewer classes each semester enable students to perform better on their homework assignments, and allow teachers to devote more attention to each student.

“A school’s schedule is how we show what we care about,” says Silbaugh, who also is an English teacher. “To build a genuine learning relationship with students and among students, teachers need time. Students get more of us and better of us in an 80-minute class than they would in a 45-minute class.

Teachers are always thinking about the tension between depth and breadth

If NMH’s schedule is so good for students, why aren’t more schools doing the same thing? high schools. And besides physics, these students are taking only two other major courses this semester. This is Northfield Mount Hermon’s College Model Academic Program (CMAP) in action.

Instituted in its current form six years ago, CMAP is a way of scheduling class time to give students more fullcredit courses every year—six instead of the five they would get at many other schools. It’s also a philosophical approach to education, according to Dean of Faculty Hugh Silbaugh. Having

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when they’re designing a curriculum, and this schedule allows for depth, which we think is more valuable.”

In a traditional schedule, the school day is divided up into 40- or 45-minute periods, with five or six classes to study for each night. “That means students are doing a daily triage of what things to do well and what things to do poorly and what things to blow off,” Silbaugh says. “At NMH, students are doing three assignments a night. They have fewer masters to make happy. But we have ambitious students and ambitious

teachers, and the work expands to fill the available space.” CMAP also mimics a college schedule, giving students a clearer roadmap for their post-NMH education.

The question is: If CMAP is so good for students, why aren’t other schools adopting a similar schedule?

“Because it costs more,” Silbaugh says. “If a student takes five classes a year somewhere else and six classes a year here, we pay to staff that sixth class.” And NMH’s classes are small— an average of 12 students in each one— which benefits students but requires a bigger faculty.

There are other trade-offs, too.

Because NMH classes last a semester instead of a year, teachers have fewer nights to assign homework. And the time gap that occurs between classes in which material is learned in sequence—math, for example, or a world language—raises questions about students’ ability to retain material. But teachers plan varying amounts of review time into their syllabi, and, as Silbaugh points out, all schools must deal with the “forgetting curve” of summer vacation.

The bottom line, he says, is that schools are “fundamentally pretty conservative,” and CMAP represents an educational shift. But he considers the extended class time and the greater intensity of academic experiences worth it. “Our goal,” Silbaugh says, “is to provide maximum learning and maximum enjoyment for students and teachers working together.”

NMH JOURNAL

Triple Crowns It was a banner season for three winter sports teams: girls’ alpine skiing (see photo, right), wrestling, and boy’s varsity basketball.

The wrestling team captured its fourth consecutive New England Championship, the first team in the league to do so. The wrestlers went on to the national prep school tournament in Lehigh, Penn., and tied for eighth place out of more than 120 teams. This was the team’s fourth time placing in the top 10 at nationals.

The boys’ varsity basketball team wrapped up the winter sports season with an exclamation point, winning its first National Prep Tournament championship at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Conn. This was NMH’s fourth time at the tournament, in which the top eight prep school teams in the country go head to head. Playing three games in two days, NMH beat its perennial rival, Brewster Academy, 78–73, for the title.

The girls’ alpine ski team crushed the competition in the Mount Institute Ski League (MISL) in western Massachusetts, finishing an undefeated season with a record of 39–0 and capturing the first MISL championship in NMH history. In their final race of the winter, the skiers took four of the top five finishes, including tri-captain Kinsey Crowley ’13, above, who won the race. With an overall record of 48–2, the team had its best season in 25 years.

THE SHOT

F OR THE RECO R D

“ Many athletes would say the best part about playing sports is winning. I used to think the same thing. But after my experience playing with my brothers on the basketball team, I think the best part of sports is seeing yourself and your teammates grow during the course of the season.”

ZENA (KINSLEY) EDOSOMWAN ’13, who spoke at the Winter Athletic Banquet, will attend Harvard in the fall.

T O P P H O T O : R I S L E Y S P O R T S P H O T O G R A P H Y; B O T T O M P H O T O : D AV I D WA R R E N

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MOVERS & MAKERS

Jesse Mayhew ’01, co-founder of CitySprout

Farm to Web to Table

by JENNIFER SUTTON

As a student at Northfield Mount Hermon, Jesse Mayhew ’01 was a selfdescribed “farm kid”: He fed horses, hauled hay, and helped make maple syrup and cider every year. More than a decade later, he’s still ensconced in the world of agriculture, albeit in a more 21st-century kind of way. He’s a co-founder and the communications director of CitySprout, a company that connects farmers and consumers in a new online marketplace for local food. Think Ebay plus Facebook, then add some locally grown tomatoes and a dozen organic eggs— that’s CitySprout.

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“More and more people recognize the value of eating local food in terms of health, the freshness of ingredients, supporting the local economy, and environmental purposes,” Mayhew says.

But making that recognition a reality isn’t always easy. For consumers, farmers’ markets might be inconveniently located or scheduled, and a CSA (community-supported agriculture) program usually requires hundreds of dollars to join. If you’re a farmer, a market means packing up goods to sell on a speculative basis, and running a CSA compels you to spend more time on marketing your produce and less on actually growing it.

CitySprout’s goal, Mayhew says, is to lower those barriers. The company’s website (www.citysprout.com), which launched last year, invites consumers to set up no-cost, online “communities” in their cities and towns; farmers and other food producers are then able to find ready-made markets for their goods. Once a community is established, food producers send out regular group emails that describe the “offers” available—a dozen ears of corn, say, or an heirloom chicken. Community members decide what, if anything, they want to buy, and they make their purchases immediately with a credit card. (CitySprout takes a 15 percent commission on each transaction.)

The farmers pack up and deliver what they’ve already sold, meeting customers at specified locations.

“We’re applying lessons from the tech industry to the slow food and

P H O T O : C O U R T E S Y O F R E P U B L I C A N N E W S PA P E R S J O H N S U C H O C K I

BRIGHT LIGHTS

“ People don’t typically associate technology and social networking with the concept of local food, but we see it as the missing link.” farm-to-table movements,” Mayhew says. “People don’t typically associate technology and social networking with the concept of local food, but we see it as the missing link.”

CitySprout, which is based in Northampton, Mass., currently hosts 260 communities at its website, connecting more than 2,000 consumers with more than 40 food producers.

“We’re trying to grow CitySprout, both as a company and as a network of local-food communities around the country,” Mayhew says. After starting out in Northampton, Cambridge, and Brooklyn, CitySprout zeroed in last fall on Austin, Texas, to test its business model when the growing season wound down in the Northeast. With a year-round growing season and more than 400 small farms within a 100-mile radius, Austin is now home to nearly half of CitySprout’s communities and roughly a quarter of its members.

But that, Mayhew hopes, is just the beginning.

Chinese Grammy for Chung It was while he was a student at NMH that Henry Chung ’95 heard Eric Clapton’s “Unplugged” album and discovered the blues. He picked up a harmonica a few years later, and today is considered one of the top jazz and blues—and gospel—musicians in Asia. Chung’s latest honor: He and his brother, Roger, who live in Hong Kong and perform together as “The Chung Brothers,” won the 2012 Chinese Golden Melody Award (aka the “Chinese Grammy”) for “Best Jazz Artist of the Year.”

Chung first made a name for himself in Washington, D.C., where he attended law school, worked as an attorney, and, at night, played blues harmonica alongside legends such as Joe Louis Walker. He returned to Asia and in 2009, he and Roger released “The Chimes,” the first gospel album made in Hong Kong. Next came “The Chung Brothers Sing the Gospel Songbook of Benjamin Ng” in 2011, which combined jazz, rock, pop, and Christian music in a tribute to the “godfather of gospel” in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong magazine CASHFLOW pronounced the versatile Chungs as “ready to bridge the gap between traditional and new gospel music”….“[as composers] they do not make any distinction between gospel and non-gospel music because committing to a fixed model would limit creativity.”

Everyone Still Loves Lucy Sirena Irwin ’88 has a big mouth.

A big, beautiful, stretchy mouth that she put to good use in her most recent theatrical role as the iconic Lucille Ball in I Love Lucy Live on Stage. The show, which premiered in Los Angeles in September 2011 and recently ended a run in Chicago, honors the Emmy Award-winning television show by recreating the experience a studio audience would have had in the 1950s, with an emcee, two completely reconstructed episodes, and commercial jingles in between.

The Los Angeles Times described the show as “a hilarious real deal.” The Chicago Tribune called Irwin “funny, vibrant, and physically adroit” as Lucy. Irwin, who has appeared in films, television, live sketch comedy, and as multiple voice-over characters in “Spongebob Squarepants,” will next take I Love Lucy Live on Stage to Washington, D.C. She credits David Rowland, the soonto-be-retired director of NMH’s theater program, with getting her started. “He really ignited my interest and passion for theater, so I am eternally grateful to him,” she says.

Sirena Irwin ’88 in I Love Lucy Live on Stage.

PHOTO: ED KRIEGER

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IN THE CLASSROOM

Every semester, history teacher Jim Shea reads and discusses the Declaration of Independence with students in his Government and Civil Liberties class. Then he asks them to rewrite it.

“It’s a brilliant piece of writing,” Shea tells each class. “I want you to think about what Thomas Jefferson was trying to say, and translate those ideas into a dialect or a situation of your own.” The students have two options: re-create the conflict between the Colonists and the British using new words or invent an entirely new declaration of independence between new entities. “There are lots of different ways you can go,” Shea says. “This is your chance to think outside the box.”

VICTOR UDOJI ’14 To remain excited through the long bus rides to basketball games, I listen to a lot of rap music. I also like doing my homework while listening to music because it takes my mind off the length and/or the difficulty of the assignment. But this was crazy. How was I supposed to rewrite the Declaration of Independence? I reclined my bus seat and turned up the music and then it hit me: I’ll write as if the Founding Fathers lived in an urban black community.

Top to bottom: Victor Udoji, Eddie Yankow, Ashley Miles, and Erin Moore.

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See, like when dudes aren’t down with the crew no more, they have to peace out. With their God-given rights, they can live their own life without having to report to the OGs. We all Equal, but we ain’t thinking the same. If you ain’t tryna show love, then we gotta peace out. And everybody has to know what’s up.

Feel me?

By the laws of Christ, we all equal. That’s my right; shoot, I came into the world with my rights. Even if we got beef, you gotta respect my Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness; we all gotta eat, bruh. We gon make a government that respects these laws, and if they don’t do that, then they gotta bounce. Whoever running things gotta make sure we all safe and happy, or they gotta bounce. We all human, and we don’t mess with that dictator, king, queen, ruler crap, nope.

With all due respect, we can’t mess wit y’all redcoats no more; you can’t control free people, that ain’t happening. Y’all been disrespecting our rights for too long. Y’all been forcing it with these pricey taxes on tea. You taking our cotton, tobacco, and we ain’t get nothing in return. We don’t even have a say in the government y’all running. For a long time, we been asking for y’all to respect our natural rights, and to no avail. Your time is up.

It’s more than evident y’all tryna compromise, so we, the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, gon start a revolution to restore the power of the government to the people.

We coming to get our personal rights back that y’all have been violating for too long.

So we declare, as the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, our independence from y’all crazy redcoats.

PHOTOS: GLENN MINSHALL

EDDIE YANKOW ’13

ERIN MOORE ’14

I’ve played two Shakespearean roles in theater productions, and I’ve read Shakespeare in class, too. I used my knowledge of Shakespearean theater—how men played female roles, and how the atmosphere of the Globe Theatre was boisterous—to create an actor’s declaration of independence from Shakespeare himself. I think I got the iambic pentameter nearly perfect! (Excerpt)

Converting the ideals of the Declaration into the modern language of a Twitter feed was challenging for the first few posts, but it became easier as I went on. I tried to summarize the most important concepts of equality and violations of rights. I read each one out loud as I wrote it, being as “valley girl” as possible.

These men, us actors, hereby separate hence.

In unity, life is of such high sorrow That proceeding wouldst blacken our hearts, Vanquish our souls, and furthermore, murder Our joy, and slay our reasons to live on.

Thus we doth present forth our griefs in sooth.

For in the company of truthful men, The sun doth burn brightest and behold: joy!

Though fie upon such paradise. Tis dreamt.

Aye, we but dream so. Pray harken our call.

Lord, we doth speak the selfsame truths of them: Of Shylock, of Juliet and Romeo And akin to Othello, Ophelia plus Lady Macbeth, Hamlet and Caliban.

Doth not your care for these masks include actors?

Good Lord Shakespeare harken anon for we speak!

Aye we speak our words saying nay to yours!

ASHLEY MILES ’14 I love poetry, and I had done a presentation on Walt Whitman in another class. It seemed like the flow and length of “O Captain, My Captain!” could relate to what I wanted to accomplish with the actual Declaration of Independence, so I replaced words and counted syllables, making sure I didn’t lose the essence of the poem. (Verse one of three) O Britain! Great Britain! do you fear our people have won?

For we have weathered through every attack and now there’s a new song to be sung.

The day is clear and the time’s drawing near, the people close to bursting, For you have driven us through the course of events, the time has come and gone for carousing; So now we speak! We owe it! To you!

O world of control and despair!

Where on the land we were born, We follow you? Au contraire.

USA Free of the UK @ColoniesNoMore E’rbody has the right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness! #willsmith #jadensmith USA Free of the UK @ColoniesNoMore All guys are defs equal, and if you’re treated any other way u tots have the right to take a stand!

SPECIALLY if it’s the government.

USA Free of the UK @ColoniesNoMore U really are incompetent #bigword, more soldiers, more taxes, cutting off our trade, btw ur supposed to protect r rights not limit them.

USA Free of the UK @ColoniesNoMore It’s not like we wanna fight. Take it from #Miley, nobody’s perfect, but we need a gov who doesn’t violate r rights e’ry 2 seconds.

USA Free of the UK @ColoniesNoMore We tried to negotiate wit u, we told u how it’s goin’ down. #brotherfromanothermother USA Free of the UK @ColoniesNoMore OMG jk we’re brothers from the same mother!

USA Free of the UK @ColoniesNoMore It’s obvi u can’t play nice!

USA Free of the UK @ColoniesNoMore It’s obvi u can’t be trusted to uphold the needs of the colonies, considering ur approximately 3236 miles away. #smartypants USA Free of the UK @ColoniesNoMore But most of all, it’s obvi we need to take the reins of the pony to get our natural, God-given rights back. #REVOLUTION USA Free of the UK @ColoniesNoMore As of now, consider r Independence declared!

spring 2013 I 15

PAST PRESENT

To Constantinople and Back

by PETER WEIS ’78, P ’13

What do a ceremonial suit of chain mail, a camel’s saddlebag, and a silver loving cup inscribed in Greek—ανηρ τα μεγαλα πραττειν ικανοσ (“A man fitted to accomplish great things”)—have in common? They document the life and career of Frank L. Duley, class of 1893, who came to Mount Hermon from tiny Lanesville, Mass., on the coast near Gloucester, and who, six years after graduating, found himself appointed by President William McKinley to be Marshal of the Consular Court at Constantinople, Turkey.

16 I NMH Magazine

While the title was impressive—the chain mail was a ritual gift symbolic of the position—Duley was destined to dedicate his life’s work not to American interests abroad, but to Northfield and Mount Hermon. He arrived in Gill as a student in 1891 with his head full of Caesar, Cicero, and Xenophon’s Anabasis. He went on to Williams College, and in the spring of 1897, he rejoiced to friends at Mount Hermon about his upcoming appointment to teach Latin at Robert College in Constantinople, observing, “I shall have time to see Europe, and make some progress in eastern languages, especially Modern Greek.”

Two-thirds of the way through his three-year teaching term, he was asked to take on the consular post. There seems to have been little heavy lifting associated with the office, and perhaps this respite was a good thing, because from Duley’s return to the U.S. in 1901 until his death in 1937, he had little time for rest.

Why Duley chose to come back to his native Massachusetts is unclear, but a childhood friend from Lanesville, Blanche L. Steer, may have had something to do with it. They were married

PHOTOS: COURTE SY OF NMH ARCHIVE S

FROM THE ARCHIVE

“ Duley arrived in Gill with his head full of Caesar, Cicero, and Xenophon’s Anabasis. Six years after graduating, he found himself appointed

by President William McKinley to be Marshal of the Consular Court at Constantinople, Turkey.”

on August 21, 1901. By the end of that same month, they had taken up residence at Mount Hermon, and Duley was busy teaching Greek and Latin; he also found time to organize a faculty golf club and set up a “links” on campus. In 1905, coinciding with the birth of their son, a new cottage was provided to the Duleys in the southwest corner of the campus. A Dutch Colonial Revival, it stands at the top of “heartbreak hill” and still bears the name of its first occupants: Duley House.

Duley found campus life inspiring, enough so that he wrote “A Hermon Hymn,” set to the tune of Franz Joseph Haydn’s “Austrian Hymn” and sung for the first time on Thanksgiving Day in 1909. (It can be found in the Northfield and Mount Hermon hymnal, No. 225). However, after teaching on the west bank of the Connecticut River for more than a decade, Duley followed his Mount Hermon friend and colleague, Charles Dickerson, to Northfield. Dickerson had migrated the previous year to take up the reins as principal, and when he had a sudden need for a Latin teacher in 1912, Duley stepped in and began a busy 25-year career at Northfield.

He completed a master’s degree in history in 1915; taught Greek, history, and Bible classes at Northfield in addition to Latin; and at various times headed both the classics and history departments. In 1925, when Dickerson abruptly resigned, it made sense to give the interim position to the man whose life was the busiest, but whose friendliness was noted as his outstanding characteristic. Duley thought he might serve a year, maybe two, but it took three years to find the right principal in the person of Mira Wilson (see page 38), and another before she could come to Northfield. Duley worked tirelessly to ensure a smooth transition, then happily went back to the classroom for eight more years.

Est difficile discedere et vos omnes relinquere. (“It is difficult to leave and to leave you all.”) With these words, Frank Duley retired in 1937. Returning with Blanche to his beloved Lanesville, Duley finally had time to engage in the pastime that previously had filled only a few spare moments—whittling. Sadly, retirement would last only six months.

Duley died December 28, 1937. He was 65.

DULEY’S TREASURES Top to bottom: A chain mail byrnie from Turkey, a camel saddlebag, a silver loving cup given by Mount Hermon students, and a chain mail aventail.

spring 2013 I 17

THE

ROAD

T O

INUVIK

BY PARKER PELTZER ’12 18 I NMH Magazine

P H O T O : PA R K E R P E LT Z E R

A L ONE ON A BIK E IN T HE C A N A DI A N A RC T IC spring 2013 I 19

BY

the time the pneumatic hiss of brakes announced Whitehorse, the Yukon Territory town at the end of the Canada bus line, I had been riding a Greyhound for four days and 6,000 kilometers. As quickly as my stiff legs would allow, I made for the door, then hefted my boxed-up bike onto the cold concrete. In the gray midnight of late summer, I cut away the packing tape I had put on in Montreal; remounted the pedals, racks, and wheels; got the saddle and the bars just right; and then went across the street to a 24-hour Tim Hortons doughnut shop. Waiting for sunup, I stretched out my map.

My plan was to ride the one thin line that was printed in red on the mapâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;1,200 kilometers north to the town of Inuvik, above the Arctic Circle.

First, I would follow the Klondike Highway, then the Dempster, Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s northernmost highway, which connects a strand of small communities to the rest of the continent to the south and to the Beaufort Sea to the north. The road roughly follows the trail once used by Mountie patrols, and is named for their Inspector Dempster, who made the trek many times by dogsled.

I had learned about the Dempster Highway from a friend at Northfield

20 I NMH Magazine

Mount Hermon. The images I found online showed a dirt road shining with recent rain as it pitched down to a twisting river, the far hills blanketed with black spruce and gold larch. My first thought was how remote and alluring it looked, probably the farthest, most challenging place I could bike. I had been looking for an adventure to take on between the handful of jobs I was working in the year before I went to college. Now I knew what I was going to do.

I was not worried about the riding or the distance. When I was a freshman at NMH, Outdoor Program coach

P H O T O : K AT H L E E N D O O H E R

My plan was to ride the one thin line that was printed in red on the map—1,200 kilometers north to the town of Inuvik, above the Arctic Circle.

Steve Allison talked me through the restoration of an aging Raleigh Pursuit.

A month later, with minimal training, I did my first century ride. Since then, I’ve understood how far just a little fitness and determination can go when paired with a bicycle. Motivated largely by the joy I got from riding and fixing bikes, I made plans: In August, I would ride roughly 300 kilometers from my home in Wilder, Vermont, to Montreal as a sort of shakedown, then travel west by bus to Whitehorse. Back on my bike, I would head north and race the end of the seasonable weather to Inuvik.

IN

Whitehorse, I bought bear spray and stove fuel, stowed my bike box with a man I met on the bus, and set out, with a view of frosted mountains and the rushing Yukon River before me. Propelled by a brisk tailwind, I covered 50 kilometers and camped at the bulge in the river known as Lake Laberge, made famous by Robert Service’s poem, “The Cremation of Sam McGee.” The next morning, I passed a sign that said, “You Are Now Leaving the 911 Service Area.”

Four days on the Klondike Highway got me to the Dempster Highway

Junction, where a campground offered washing machines and showers, neither of which I’d used since Montreal.

I was excited to spend the night somewhere besides just off the side of the road, and the prospect of company was good, too, since I had gone a couple of days without speaking anything more than greetings to inquisitive motorists.

In the morning, I continued north, and soon after I passed the foreboding road signs that read “Next Services 379 Km” and “Inuvik 736 Km,” the pavement ended. The highway is dirt because it has to be. Dirt is flexible, and, when laid down thick, it insulates

spring 2013 I 21

My goal for the trip was simple.

Through that simplicity, no matter what else happened, I felt extraordinarily peaceful.

the permafrost below, preventing the road from sinking and shifting. What is good for maintenance, though, can be bad for cyclists and bikes. In dry weather, a passing truck can throw a half-kilometer trail of salty, metallic dust that must be rinsed out of one’s mouth with a drink; when wet, the surface is unbelievably like cookie dough in consistency, making every pedal stroke an effort. It accumulates thickly on bike components, stripping their lube and leaving rust flecks in mere hours.

But in light traffic and perfect weather, I rode without incident into a narrowing cut in the Ogilvie Mountains, heading toward the Great Divide. All day I stayed in low gear and climbed. After a glimpse of the eerie, leaden spire of Mount Tombstone, the rain started, but I figured that if I was biking over the Great Divide, I might as well see some flowing water. A few minutes later, when my wheels tipped back downhill, I did. I made camp at the headwaters of the Blackstone River, in a beautiful trough between mountains, too high up for anything to grow but the red and gold shrubs that spread across the valley floor.

22 I NMH Magazine

The next day, I rode out of the valley through a barren cut in the gravelly mountains called Windy Pass, and the day after that, I climbed Seven Mile Hill, which took me all morning on account of its steep and constant grade. From there, on the eastern edge of the high and wind-buffeted Eagle Plains, I looked out over a dizzying drop and watched a powerful storm roll through the Ogilvie River’s basin below. Near the Dempster’s midpoint, a gray wolf followed me closely for 10 kilometers, until I found a long downhill. During an otherwise slow and muddy week, I crossed the Arctic Circle just before more heavy rain made me dive for my tent.

Some days I rode 120 kilometers, and on others, when there was driving rain and deep mud, I could only manage 30. My goal for the trip was simple: ride to Inuvik. Through that simplicity, no matter what else happened, I felt extraordinarily peaceful.

Every day, I would work toward my goal by riding as far as I could; then I’d make camp, eat my split peas and rice, read one of the books that filled half a pannier, either write a letter or in my journal, and go off into the deep sleep of a bike tourist. There were times when the routine was less idyllic than it sounds; it could get lonely, even occasionally miserable, but even through those hours, it was peaceful.

P H O T O : K AT H L E E N D O O H E R

AS

I descended through the Richardson Mountains, a mounting wind began to dry the road, and a sudden blast of it caught me by surprise on the soft gravel. I was instantly on the ground, sliding with my bike down the hill. When I stopped, my back felt hot. I started coughing. The recognizable scent of peppers was all around; my bear-spray canister had burst when I hit the ground, and I started to feel the effects of capsaicin soaking my new road burn. The dizziness and the broken helmet in my hands told me I also had hit my head.

I got a lift to a highway maintenance camp, where I was examined by the road crew’s EMT; though bruised up, I was fit to ride. I made camp near Fort McPherson and stayed for three days, recovering, waiting for the rain to stop, and running into town to loosen up and call home. An old fellow from a tribal interpretive center—Robert—gave me some smoked fish and vegetables to eat, a welcome change from my usual, and I spent a day reading his books.

Even months after the trip ended, I can reride every kilometer and see the faces of the people I met—every one of them as kind and open as Robert. The few nights I stayed in campgrounds, the other travelers and I would make a fire in the communal

cooking shelter, share a meal, and talk late into the night. Sometimes, motorists would offer me a snack, and later, when I was on my way back to Whitehorse, hitchhiking was easy, too. As I retrace my path, I whisper my gratitude again and again for each meal and lift and place to stay, and each bit of advice or company I received.

I had one additional bit of fortune before the end of the ride. Two days south of Inuvik, just past the Mackenzie ferry crossing, I was pedaling up the road, in the middle—the only travelable lane, since the dirt gets soft and steeply falls away on either side. Consequently, when I passed a shrub and saw a black bear behind it, I was perhaps three meters away from it instead of the one meter that I would have been had the left side

P H O T O : C O U R T E S Y O F PA R K E R P E LT Z E R

of the road been more solid. A second black shape was on my other side—a cub. The cub looked curiously at me, but the startled mother dove for the bushes as I rode away, white-knuckled.

E

ighteen days after leaving Whitehorse, I felt the pleasing tingle of asphalt beneath my tires as I rode into Inuvik. This town of 3,500 people is an impossible-seeming place. Established by the Canadian government to manage and supply the northernmost part of the Yukon and Northwest Territories, the town constructed buildings (as well as the water and sewer lines) on pylons to protect the permafrost. Many are brightly painted—schoolbus yellow, emergency red, and even tropical teal—to force color between the gray sky and brown earth. Milk costs $9 a gallon. Fruit is

affordable only when the fruit truck from Edmonton comes every two weeks. The sun is up through most of June and July, and in December and early January, it does not rise at all.

For three days I stayed in Inuvik, in awe of the challenge of maintaining a town in such a place, but also seeing how the harshness could be compelling to its residents. When it was time for me to hitchhike back to Whitehorse, and there, catch the bus for home, already in my mind was a line from another Robert Service poem, “The Spell of the Yukon”: “I want to go back, and I will.” Preferably, that going-back will be on a bicycle, where there is no windshield, no protective frame, where everything around is absolutely and inseparably part of the journey. [NMH]

spring 2013 I 23

BY JENNIFER SUTTON

t

Boys

of

SUMMER baseball

It’s season, which means GALEN CARR '93 a BUSTER OLNEY '82 are really, really busy.

WHEN GALEN CARR ’93 WAS 7 YEARS OLD, HE CAUGHT A FOUL BALL AT FENWAY PARK IN BOSTON.

he travels around the country and the world, looking for talent to bring back to Boston.

It was one of his first visits to Fenway, Every couple of weeks, he talks Galen Carr more than 30 years ago, yet he tells to Buster Olney ’82, the ESPN the story as if it happened yesterday. baseball analyst who covered the “I’m all suited up, I’ve got my Red Sox Yankees for a decade for The New uniform on,” he says. “The ball comes up off the bat York Times and who now writes for ESPN: The and I stand on my seat. My glove is out, it’s a crowd Magazine and ESPN.com, and is a commentator of hands, and the ball hits the glove. I open it up and on ESPN’s “Baseball Tonight.” Despite the fact there it is—the pearl, sitting there. I turn around and that they work on opposite sides of an industry— see my mom laughing hysterically. She can’t believe it.” baseball management and journalists aren’t always Carr spends most of his waking hours thinking about cozy—Carr and Olney’s common NMH experience baseball. As a special assignment scout for the Red Sox, keeps them connected.

24 I NMH Magazine

P H O T O : M AT T H E W T H O R S E N . C O M

“People who aren’t into will say, ‘WELL, EVERY GAME’S t SAME.’ But every game is completely different. Each game is like a human hand.”

baseball

They return to campus most observer, too, with decades of stawinters to lead the school’s tistics stacked up in his brain, but annual Hot Stove League discusas a journalist, he takes a more sion, in which local baseball fans panoramic, questioning view of waiting eagerly for the coming players and teams. season gather to evaluate teams, “It’s like a chess game—the statistics, and the latest dramas, more information you learn, the which this year included players’ more it leads you to other things salaries, Hall of Fame nominees, you want to find out and underthe questionable merit of onestand,” Olney says. “It might be game playoffs, and performancewhy a particular pitch is thrown enhancing drugs. in a particular situation, or why “Baseball never gets boring,” a decision is made by any given Carr says. “I probably see 130 or team. How does a team allocate 140 live games every year, and money? What are the politics when I’m home, I’m watching involved? Galen mentioned nargames, just like Buster is. Every rative, but soap opera is more game has its own narrative; even like it for reporters who cover if you’re sitting in the same stathe sport on a daily basis. What dium, watching the same two teams for four days in kind of mood is the pitcher in? Does he get along with a row, there’s something incredibly unique about each the catcher? Is the shortstop paying attention? Two setting, each pitch, each out, each inning.” years ago, the Cubs had this terrific young shortstop, “It’s a series of crossroads, constantly,” Olney says. an incredible talent, but during a game, ESPN cameras “People who aren’t into baseball will say, ‘Well, every literally caught him with his back turned as a pitch was game’s the same.’ But every game is completely different. being thrown. He was like a kid looking at flowers in Each game is like a human hand.” the outfield.”

Olney began writing about baseball soon after he Which is just what Carr and Olney once were. graduated from Vanderbilt University, covering They grew up 75 miles apart in rural New the Triple-A Nashville Sounds for the Nashville England—Carr in Walpole, New Hampshire, Banner. From the San Diego Union-Tribune Olney on a dairy farm in Randolph Center, and The Baltimore Sun, he moved to the Vermont. They listened to games on the Times and then ESPN. He also has radio and went to Fenway Park once written two nonfiction books—The or twice a year. “That first time Last Night of the Yankees Dynasty you go into a big league park and and How Lucky You Can Be: The that expansive green opens up—you Story of Coach Don Meyer—and is at never forget it,” Carr says. “And then Buster Olney work on a third. you get to go into a park like that every Carr played baseball at NMH and day. It’s pretty special.”

Colby College, and found his way first Still, when baseball becomes your into an internship with the minor-league Burlington job, you stop being a true fan. “Once I started cover(Vermont) Expos. After teaching humanities at NMH ing sports, that totally went out the window,” Olney for a year and working at Smith Barney in Boston for says. “I don’t care who wins anymore. I just root for another, he joined the Red Sox. interesting stories. But I would love to almost get a Carr is an observer, taking in every detail about a restart button. At some point in my life, I hope that I player; he weighs strengths and weaknesses, speculating can just turn on the television and watch the games and what that player can do for the Red Sox. Olney is an root for teams the way I did as a kid.” [NMH]

P H O T O : N I C O L A S S TA F F O R D

spring 2013 I 25

Her Mission:

Change Fatima Saidi ’13 wants a good education—for herself and for all girls in Afghanistan.

BY M EGAN TADY

O T O : KMagazine AT H L E E N D O O H E R 26PIHNMH

spring 2013 I 27

When 18-year-old Fatima Saidi first encountered the Atlantic Ocean last summer, she was shocked to see so much water in one place.

“I did not think the ocean was this big,” she says.

She was fresh off a plane from her hometown of Kabul, Afghanistan. She had come to the United States to study English at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island, before settling down as a one-year postgraduate student at Northfield Mount Hermon.

While Zahra, a classmate from Afghanistan who now attends St. George’s School, ran ahead into the waves, Saidi hung back at the water’s edge. She wrapped her arms around herself and looked out at the horizon. “I am quite jealous because in some parts of my country, because of global warming, there is no water for people,” she says. “Is it fair, this big ocean that no one is using, only swimming in?

But on the other side of the world, people are dying for a drop of water?”

If Saidi doesn’t dash playfully into the ocean, perhaps it’s because she knows that on the other side of the world, a country is watching her—and waiting for her. Girls and women in Afghanistan have been denied human rights for years, including access to education, and even in today’s post-Taliban regime, going to school remains out of reach and dangerous for many.

By 2007, just 6 percent of Afghan women over the age of 25 had received formal education. According to the United Nations, there were 185 documented attacks on schools and hospitals in 2011 by armed groups who oppose girls’ education. Last fall, a 14-year-old Pakistani girl named Malala Yousafzai was shot by the Taliban after she spoke out in support of women’s education. “There are a thousand Malalas that no one knows about,” Saidi says.

Saidi is one of the lucky ones. Most girls her age in Afghanistan are already married with children. Her own mother was married at 13. Yet her parents made the uncommon decision to keep her in school when she was a young girl instead of pulling her out to prepare for an early marriage. Now she is among a small fraction of young women from her country who are traveling to the U.S. to continue their education. The opportunity is precious, the pressure enormous.

“I’m the first girl in my family to go to school,” Saidi says. But she arrived on the NMH campus last fall with more than a desire to make her family

28 I NMH Magazine

proud. Her goal is to go to college, and then to help blaze a trail toward educational equality for women in Afghanistan. “My mission is ‘change,’” Saidi says. “It is a big word, and I know that I cannot change everything, but at least I can open the way.”

Saidi is the oldest of seven children. In 1997, when she was 2 years old, her family fled their home village of Jaghory in the Ghazni province of Afghanistan to live in Pakistan and avoid the Taliban. In 2005, they returned to live in Kabul. The American war in Afghanistan was well under way, and Saidi spent her teen years watching her country navigate a U.S. occupation, insurgent fighting, and reconstruction efforts.

Fortunately, she was in school— despite the fact that her first suitor had visited the family’s home when she was in first grade. “My father could have easily said, ‘You don’t need to go to school,’” Saidi says. But he had grown up during Afghanistan’s civil war and had lived as a refugee; somehow, that made him choose a different path for his daughter.

“I’m thankful for that decision,” Saidi says. “Slowly, I figured out that girls can be in first position.

Girls can do this. Girls can talk.

School turned me into a very strong feminist.” In 2008, when the Ministry of Education organized a student debate, to take place in front of Parliament on the topic of democracy and Islam, Saidi was the only girl among 10 boys invited to participate.

She won first place.

Her performance caught the attention of a nonprofit group called School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA), which operates a small private school for girls in Kabul, offering them a safe space to study, extra classes in addition to those available in public school, and help in finding

educational opportunities abroad.

In 2010, Saidi joined SOLA, first as a day student and then as a boarding student. SOLA connected her with an American mentor who happened to be familiar with NMH. Saidi captivated the NMH admission committee, according to Dean of Enrollment Claude Anderson, who also is one of her advisors on campus. With a goal of returning to Afghanistan and starting her own business, Saidi viewed a year at NMH as a chance to learn not only about new academic ideas, but also new ways of understanding and interacting with people of different cultures. “One person [on the committee] said she could be president of Afghanistan someday,” Anderson says.

“She was influencing people before she even got here.”

When Saidi arrived on campus, she was in awe. “I never saw so much green in my life. I fell in love,” she says. She is no shy wallflower; as she sinks into a chair in the admission office to conduct an interview for this story, she offers tea as if she owns the place. Her megawatt smile is infectious, and she is quick to exchange hugs with the admission staff.

Before she dives into talking about her life on campus, Saidi wants to discuss Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, which she read in her English class.

“I don’t like this story,” she says.

“How can someone kill themselves for someone else? It is not acceptable.

You are killing yourself for a man?

Why would you do that? You are worth more than that.”

That is how Saidi operates: examining each new idea as if she is trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube. At NMH, she catapulted herself into classes and activities. “I need to see everything,” she says. “I need to know everything.”

She learned how to use a calculator in math class. She ate turkey on

P H O T O : K AT H L E E N D O O H E R

“

I’m the first girl in my family to go to school. I know that I cannot change everything, but at least I can open the way.

”

spring 2013 I 29

Thanksgiving, hurled a bowling ball down a lane, hiked a mountain, and petted a dog—all of which she had never done before. She joined NMH’s Concert Choir, even though, she says, “When I first came here, I didn’t like to shout because I grew up in a country where girls are not even allowed to talk loud.

But now when I go into choir, I shout as much as I can. And I don’t feel bad.”

Coming from an educational background that favors rote memorization, Saidi struggled with concepts such as critical thinking, and with the various technology tools available to students at NMH. “It is like I am in a running match and the other people are so far ahead of me, but I have to run with them,” she says. Yet her mastery of languages is impressive; besides English, she speaks Hazaragi—her native dialect—as well as Dari, Pashto, and Urdu.

At NMH, she began studying Chinese.

Anderson marvels at her open-mindedness. “She says things like, ‘If you’re going to work with people, you’ve got to understand them,’” he says.

“That’s coming from a teenager,” he says. “Sometimes I want to ask her, ‘Who are you?’”

Saidi sometimes wonders that herself. The NMH community was quick to embrace her—“She draws people to her,” Anderson says—and that helped her acclimate. Back in the fall, she made instant friends with her American roommate, who hung an Afghan flag on their door to welcome Saidi when she moved in. Yet fitting in with her peers is often a challenge.

“I’m experiencing two different things that you can’t compare,” Saidi says. “While I’m talking about Afghanistan, I have to think like an Afghan girl.

I should not forget those things. How girls should behave. How a girl should not smile. I have to train myself. On the other hand, I have to be a happy American girl to be accepted in this society, too. I have to push these two worlds to the middle.”

There are some things she just can’t get used to at NMH. “When people eat in the dining hall, they pick up a lot of food, but they never finish it,” she says.

“In the other part of the world, poor people don’t have a piece of that bread to be alive. Some of these things make me think and even cry.”

Sometimes Saidi struggles to convey her perspective to NMH classmates, and it makes her feel lonely and far from home. She gestures to the towering trees on campus. “These trees and I, we have become quite close,” she says.

“I tell them things that people cannot understand.”

One person who does understand much of what Saidi is experiencing is Shabana Basij-Rasikh, the managing director of SOLA, who dressed as a boy to attend school in Afghanistan during the Taliban regime. After the fall of the Taliban, she attended high school for a year in the U.S. through the State Department’s Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program and then went on to Middlebury College. In 2008, while still an undergraduate, Basij-Rasikh founded SOLA with Ted Achilles, an American who had been one of her teachers in Afghanistan. She is NMH’s 2013 Commencement speaker.

This year, SOLA enrolled 25 female students at its facility in Kabul. BasijRasikh believes that an educated workforce is the country’s best hope for overcoming the Taliban and that women can be instrumental in rebuilding the country. Afghanistan is the 16th least-developed nation in the world, according to the United Nations Human Development Index.

Funded by private donors and grants from foundations, SOLA helps its students apply to top high schools, colleges, and universities around the world.

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“They are the future leaders of Afghanistan, who need up-to-date, 21st-century education to be prepared,” Basij-Rasikh says. There are currently 18 SOLA graduates studying in the U.S., Bangladesh, Jordan, and the United Kingdom. The organization strongly encourages its students to return to Afghanistan after completing their studies abroad.

“For [Saidi] to have this amazing opportunity right now and ahead of her is rare and huge,” Basij-Rasikh says. “It’s my hope that she is going to use these skills, knowledge, and education to benefit her country.”

Ask Saidi if she will return to Afghanistan after college, and she beams. “One hundred percent is weak. I want to go back more than 100 percent,” she says.

In her dorm room in Lower South Crossley, Saidi opens her laptop and clicks through photographs of home.

She points to a photo of her youngest sister, whom she affectionately calls “the little devil.” She says her sister is allowed to wear clothing that Saidi could never wear growing up because it wasn’t deemed appropriate for a girl.

Toward the end of her first semester at NMH, Saidi cut her long, dark hair to her chin. “Now I am giving [myself ] a chance of being who I want to be,” she says. “Cutting hair is a small thing, so I told myself, ‘You can do that.’”

She uses Skype to talk with her family and misses arguing with her brothers. “I even miss the war,” she says. “That feels like home. That’s what I grew up with. Sometimes I think I am becoming spoiled to not hear the sound of bullets. I’m afraid to get engaged with this much freedom and ‘good life’ that I will forget.”

Basij-Rasikh thinks Saidi will not forget. “I know that because of her interest and love for her village, deep down inside, she will do

“

When I first came here, I didn’t like to shout because I grew up in a country where girls are not even allowed to talk loud.

But now when I go into choir practice, I shout as much as I can.

And I don’t feel bad.

whatever she can to help her people,” Basij-Rasikh says.

That already has happened within Saidi’s family. “My father is always saying, ‘You changed me,’” Saidi says.

“I don’t know how I did that, but I changed him to be a strong supporter of me. I respect my sister as much as my brother and I’m making sure that now my mother and father are doing that, too.”

Saidi also has contributed to change at NMH, according to Lorrie Byrom, director of the Center for International Education. “She is an articulate Muslim woman who has been helpful in eradicating stereotypes about her faith and her situation as a woman in that culture,” Byrom says.

Still, there are moments when Saidi feels overwhelmed by her mission, or enticed by her friends—like any teenager—to put off studying. “When I am feeling tired about not doing my homework, and thinking that I will do it later and go with my friends instead,” she says, “I tell myself, ‘Fatima, if someone else were here, she could get more advantage of this opportunity, so feel the responsibility.’ That keeps me working.”

Perhaps the thought of her father keeps her working, too. At home in Afghanistan, people ask him, Why did you send her? Why should a girl go to America for an education?

“Most of the time he is just quiet,” Saidi says.

Perhaps, also, the thought of her younger sisters keeps Saidi working—and the thought of other girls in Afghanistan who might follow in her footsteps and pursue their own educations. “I don’t want to be the start and the end,” Saidi says. “I want other Afghans to come.” [NMH]

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P H O T O : K AT H L E E N D O O H E R

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ICONIC I M AGE S

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PHOTOJOURNALIST BROOKS KRAFT ’82 CAPTURES THE MOMENT.

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B RO O K S K R A FT

first began publishing his photographs when he was photo editor of The Bridge at Northfield Mount Hermon. Since then, he has covered seven American presidential campaigns, flown on Air Force One to more than 50 countries, and traveled with Nelson Mandela to document South Africa’s first democratic election. His award-winning images have appeared in TIME Magazine for 15 years, including on more than 25 covers; in The New Yorker, Business Week, The New York Times Magazine, People, The New Republic, and The Atlantic; and in hundreds of publications around the world.

All of Kraft’s accomplishments stem from a singular purpose: “I try to capture the essence of my subject, whether it’s a historical event or a simple portrait,” he says.

Sometimes that means a quiet, intimate approach. Other images require a wider philosophical angle. Many of Kraft’s most notable photographs have to do with the themes of power and patriotism. “When I photograph at the White House,” Kraft says, “I’m interested not just in President Obama, but also in iconic visual symbols of the American presidency, such as Air Force One and the military.”

And in a world so dominated by video, why stay with still photography? “We live in the midst of a constant barrage of moving imagery, where everything seems to change in an instant,” Kraft says. “But a still photograph can capture something special—a personality, or a moment of beauty—that otherwise is fleeting. It gives viewers a chance to reflect on our world in a unique way.” [NMH]

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1. Cadets celebrate at the United States Naval Academy Commencement.

2. An American flag serves as the backdrop for a rally for President George W. Bush in Arkansas.

3. A meeting of the Zionist Church of South Africa.

4. President Barack Obama takes the oath of office in January 2013.

5. Sarah Palin, the former Republican vice presidential candidate and governor of Alaska, stands out at a campaign rally in Lancaster, Penn.

6. Chief Justice John Roberts and his son, Jack, on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court after his investiture ceremony in Washington, D.C. 7. Confession before a Catholic Mass with Pope Benedict XVI at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. 8. Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton.

9. Members of the 101st Airborne Division of the U.S. Army listen to President George W. Bush speak at Fort Campbell, Ky.

To see more photographs, visit www.brookskraft.com.

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A religious scholar who led Northfield with a strong hand, an open mind, and a gentle heart.

Remembering

Mira Wilson

BY SUJEONG SHIN ’79

F

or most people in the Northfield Mount Hermon community today, the name Mira Bigelow Wilson means little, if anything. The principal association may be Wilson Hall, the boxy brick dormitory on the Northfield campus that was built in 1956. But “Miss Wilson,” as she was known, served as the sixth principal of the Northfield School for Girls from 1929 to 1952, and guided the school through years that spanned the Great Depression and World War II. She inspired thousands of young women with her intellect, spiritual sensitivity, and nurturing, open-minded ways.

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PHOTO: COURTE SY OF NMH ARCHIVE S

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“For a lot of people, Miss Wilson was Northfield,” says Sybil Benton Williamson ’52. “There was an aura about her. Though she was calm and gentle, she cut a commanding figure.

She didn’t walk, she strode, and always her Irish setter at her heels.”

While she was deeply committed to D.L. Moody’s vision of providing young people with a Christian education, Wilson also promoted liberal social policies that advanced Northfield with the times. In June, during reunion weekend, the East Dining Room in Alumni Hall (formerly West Hall) will be officially dedicated in honor of her work at Northfield.

Born on January 13, 1893, to the Reverend Frederick A. and Florence (Nason) Wilson in Andover, Mass., Wilson graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Smith College in 1914 and earned a bachelor of divinity degree from Boston University. Following her graduation, she returned to Smith, where she worked almost a decade as director of religious and social work, class dean, and assistant professor of religion and biblical literature.

Wilson came to Northfield at the invitation of Elliott Speer, who at the time led the school’s board of trustees and who would soon take over the headship at Mount Hermon. He was widely respected as a progressive thinker, and in Wilson, he saw a “likeminded spirit,” according to Peter Weis, NMH’s archivist.

Both Speer and Wilson were committed to making Northfield a nondenominational school, as D.L. Moody had originally intended. When Wilson arrived at Northfield in the fall of 1929, students attended Sunday services in Northfield village at the Trinitarian Congregational Church.

“The Trinitarian church is the evangelical arm of Congregationalism,” says Weis. “It emphasized salvation through

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prayer. Speer and Wilson shared the more liberal view that doing social justice on Earth is the true essence of Christianity.” By establishing nondenominational services in Northfield’s Sage Chapel in 1933, Wilson achieved an essential element of Moody’s founding vision.

Wilson also understood the value of a coherent campus community, and took concrete steps to build it. When she arrived at Northfield, some students lived in dormitories, but many girls lived off campus, in several large houses on Highland Avenue. Despite the difficulty of asking people for money during the Great Depression, Wilson helped raise the necessary funds for a sizable dormitory, and MerrillKeep opened in the fall of 1937.

While Wilson was known beyond Northfield as a strong educator and administrator—she was awarded honorary degrees by both Smith College and Wilson College—her greatest gifts to students and colleagues occurred on a personal level. “She had an appreciation of every kind of girl, and she didn’t confine her admiration just to the top students,” says Nancy Edmonton Jandl ’39. “She appreciated each girl for her special attributes, saw that potential and encouraged it.”

For most students, daily chapel was the principal way they connected with Wilson. “Her ‘Chapel Talks’ were amazingly good,” Jandl recalls. Wilson delivered hundreds of talks over her 23 years, and her messages were full of wisdom, practicality, and genuine concern for students.

Consider her words on friendship: “Friendship requires the greatest honesty of which people are capable. No faked emotion ever made a friendship flourish. It is easy to whip up our emotions. We must remember that emotion is always costly of nervous, mental, and spiritual strength. Save

it only for the worthwhile things.

Don’t throw it away on trifles.” And on the opposite sex: “You have good I.Q.’s. Keep the reins in your own hands. Don’t let the Jukebox grinding out ‘I want to love you, I want to love, you, I want to love you’ and nothing else get you down. You wouldn’t stand for…a comparable ‘dumbness’ in any other area of life.”

Wilson related stories from the Bible and other spiritual texts to her Chapel Talks, but her tone was never dogmatic or preachy. As Nancy Jandl puts it, “She was not a narrow-minded

Mira B. Wilson was principal of the Northfield School for Girls from 1929 to 1952. She was committed to D.L. Moody’s vision of providing young women with a Christian education, and also to empowering them: “You have good I.Q.’s,” she told them. “Keep the reins in your own hands.”

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Miss Wilson was not a narrow-minded religious leader. She was spiritual, yes, but so broad-minded, always ready for change and growth.

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PHOTOS: COURTE SY OF NMH ARCHIVE S

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religious leader. She was spiritual, yes, but so broad-minded, always ready for change and growth.”

Like Elliott Speer, Wilson strongly promoted greater interaction between the sexes. To understand the magnitude of this shift, consider this: In 1925, just four years before Wilson’s arrival, dancing of any kind was strictly forbidden at Northfield. The trustees, however, were becoming more liberal-minded. Though they were not ready to allow dancing between Northfield girls and Mount Hermon boys, they voted to permit Northfield girls to dance with one another at social events. Charles Dickerson, then the principal of Northfield, was so

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diagnosed with cancer. In October 1951, she informed the board of trustees that she would retire at the end of the academic year. “That announcement was hard to make,” she wrote. “I felt like a mother deserting her brood.”

Says Sybil Williamson: “I’ll never forget the chapel when Miss Wilson announced that she would be retiring. There was just stunned silence.

Nobody could imagine Northfield without her.” In July 1952, Wilson completed her last day as principal.

Less than a year later, she was dead, at the age of 60.

Not surprisingly, memories of Wilson refused to die. Members of the Northfield class of ’39 created a

these writings published with the title Toward Eternity.

Wilson’s poignant words reveal her spiritual and intellectual curiosity, which compelled her to contemplate the meaning of her illness and the certainty of death. When she writes, “It is not easy to accustom one’s self to the realization that extreme physical pain must be faced,” her restraint only highlights the severity of her suffering. On a day when negative thoughts nearly overwhelmed her, she wrote, “Shepard Thou our thoughts, was the only prayer I could murmur, for I soon saw that I must call a halt to this line of thinking or I should be lost.” Again and again, she finds solace in scripture

Though Miss Wilson was calm and gentle, she a commanding figure. She didn’t cut walk, she strode, her Irish setter at her heels. enraged that he resigned in protest.

A quarter of the faculty, mostly senior members, followed. Under Wilson’s leadership, dances between girls and boys and even Sunday parlor dates all became intrinsic elements of the Northfield experience.

Wilson also had a sense of humor, Jandl recalls. “One of my classmates, Charlotte ‘Chick’ Johnson, came back to Northfield after college to teach Latin, and one day, Chick and another faculty member were sitting on the chapel stairs. They thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun to roll down the hill?’ Down they went, and when they got to the bottom, there was Miss Wilson. They were horrified. They thought, ‘We’re going to be fired,’ but Miss Wilson smiled and said, ‘Oh, I wish I were young enough to do that.’”

Sadly, this vibrant woman never lived to be old. In 1950, she was

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scholarship fund to honor her in a way that reflected her compassion and love for Northfield students. Since its inception during the class’s 50th reunion in 1989, the Class of ’39 Mira B. Wilson Fund has helped more than 2,500 students pay for expenses not covered by financial aid—everything from books, testing fees, and tutoring to warm clothing, sports equipment, and travel fees.

Wilson’s spirit also lives on in a stirring account of her illness that she wrote during the last two years of her life. Having lived with such active and disciplined purpose, Wilson found it impossible not to be useful after her resignation from Northfield. Even as she battled the physical pain of her cancer, she wrote with the hope that her story might “allay…apprehension and anxiety for those in a similar case.”

After her death, family and friends had

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and hymns and the “marvels of the skies and woods and pastures that led me on to their Maker.”

In the last few months of her life, Wilson wrote very few entries. Yet they reveal her strength and the strength of her faith. Just three weeks before her death, which occurred on March 14, 1953, she wrote to a friend: “Although I had expected that my sense of the enduring life of the spirit might easily be worn down by physical pain, I find quite the reverse is true—I never felt more sure that life goes on.” [NMH]

Dedicated Principals In June, NMH will honor Northfield Seminary principal Evelyn Hall along with Mira Wilson, dedicating two dining rooms in Alumni Hall in their names.

Evelyn Hall was 28 years old when D.L. Moody appointed her as Northfieldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s third principal in 1883. The school was 4 years old, with three buildings, meager equipment, and unsettled policies. Hall literally built up the school; she oversaw the construction of a dozen major school buildings, including Marquand Hall, Russell Sage Chapel, and Olivia Music Hall.

Evelyn Hall

During Hallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tenure of nearly 30 years, the student body grew from 125 girls to 460. She welcomed thousands of students to Northfield and saw more than 600 receive their diplomas.

She helped develop Northfield into a premier academic secondary school, insisting, for example, that Greek be added to Latin in the Classics course.

Hall died on April 14, 1911, at the age of 55. She is buried next to Sage Chapel.

PHOTOS: COURTE SY OF NMH ARCHIVE S

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ALUMNI HALL

Reunion: Making Peace with the Past

by LINDA HOFF IRVIN ’67

Reunions are not for the faint of heart. The reality of aging and the passage of time can clobber you over the head. As another Northfield alumna said to me, describing the first view of classmates from long ago: “It’s like a Fellini movie: If you squint, you can sort of recognize who it is.”

Going to reunions helps me integrate who I was with who I have become, like a braid that weaves together the threads of my life, past and present.

Reunions awaken long-dormant memories of the pain and angst of adolescence, but now, with the eyes of the mom I have become, I have the greatest compassion for the teenage girl I was.

A drive down Main Street and around the Northfield campus jostles my memories and they come tumbling out. They begin at Moore Cottage, where I lived as a student for four years. For some time, when Moore Cottage had morphed into a charming guesthouse, I was able to stay there during reunions.

My visits go something like this: I wander the hallways and in and out of rooms and I visualize my dormmates like ghosts, sitting on their beds or at their desks.

This was Karin’s room, I say to myself, remembering the boxes of butterscotch brownies her mother used to send. I visit the bathroom stall where we used to lock ourselves in at night, sitting on the toilet seats and lifting up our feet so we were invisible if a student cop came looking for us on her nightly rounds.

We snarfed down whole gallons of ice cream—snuck out of the freezer—in those stalls.

I visit each room that I lived in and I see myself and my former dormmates, sometimes in our dummy smocks and caps, looking like the downstairs help in “Downton Abbey,” sometimes with Clearasil smeared on our faces and rollers in our hair before bedtime. I remember having visions of beautiful girls from Seventeen magazine dancing in my head, and thinking that I must be the ugliest teenager on the planet.

So I come back to reunions to relive memories of the teenage girl I was, and to remember with others who were on that peculiar and rich journey with me. In her book One Thousand Gifts, Ann Voskomp writes, “Remembering is an act of thanksgiving, this turn of the heart over time’s shoulder…”

Remembering is also a way to find healing. I never will be the perfect girl in Seventeen magazine. And at 63, I’m totally cool with that.

“ It’s like a Fellini movie: If you squint, you can sort of recognize who it is.”

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CALENDAR

May 26 Commencement June 6–9 Reunion 2013* September 7–8 Alumni Council Annual Meeting, Reunion Work Day October 4–5 Fall Family Days

November 11 Bemis-Forslund Pie Race December 8 Christmas Vespers on campus December 19 Christmas Vespers, New York City

*This year, NMH celebrates reunions for alumni whose classes end in the year 3 or 8—notably the 50th reunion for the class of 1963 and the 25th reunion for the class of 1988. Young alumni weekend is June 7­–9, Friday through Sunday.

For information about reunion, visit www. nmhschool.org/alumni-1.

P H O T O : D AV I D WA R R E N

The Mini-Man Society StoryCorps, the national nonprofit that records and preserves the stories of everyday people, operates a recording studio in the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco. That’s where Al Gilbert ’69 and George Chaltas ’69 shared stories about their Mount Hermon experience—a time when they were thrust into what Gilbert calls “a mini-man society.” Like all StoryCorps recordings, their interview is archived at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

Go Team!

Watching an NMH basketball game is always a draw for current students. Now it’s becoming one for former students, too.

This year, when NMH played games in Providence, Rhode Island, and Cambridge, Massachusetts, dozens of alumni joined parents and other fans in the stands.

Multiple generations of alums were represented at the National Prep Invitational at Rhode Island College, as NMH took on St. Andrew’s School, and at Harvard, where NMH’s players squared off against Harvard’s JV team. “Getting together to cheer for the school is a tangible thing,” says Andrew Heist ’06 of NMH’s Office of Alumni and Parent Programs. “And people like to see how the students are doing now.”

ON SPIRITUALITY

What I learned about spirituality came from a Bible teacher named Rev. Judson Stent. In class one day, he explained a state of mind in which people are appreciative. Later, I got an inkling of what he was talking about: It was just before a football game; the leaves were falling, and there were those beautiful mountains surrounding us, and I felt an odd connection with everything. I remember thinking, This must be what Judson Stent was talking about. —George Chaltas

O N R O MA N C E A N D L E T T E R W R I T I N G

My philosophy was, I don’t date—I marry. I had one girlfriend at a time. And when I did have a girlfriend, I remember almost running to the post office at lunchtime. With one girlfriend, we wrote back and forth virtually every day. I’d open the mailbox and this whiff of perfume would come out from her letter. —Al Gilbert If you were really lucky, you’d get the lipstick mark on the envelope.

That was for special occasions only. —George Chaltas

O N “ S I G N AT U R E ” E X P E R I E N C E S

If I had to pick one, it would be Christmas Vespers. I was in the choir.

There was something safe about that concert. It was in the evening, so it was dark and the chapel was candle-lit. It was quiet. The years between 1964 and 1969 were a pretty turbulent time, with the assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., and Vietnam, and our own testosterone raging away. Somehow, at Vespers, all that melted away. —Al Gilbert

For more information about athletic events, visit www. nmhschool.org/athletics.

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CLASS NOTES

VITAL STATISTICS 92 / IN MEMORIAM 94 SHARE YOUR NEWS We’d like to include you in our next issue! Submit a note to: • your class secretary •C lass Notes Editor, Sally Atwood Hamilton ’65

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EDITH BENDER SOUTHWICK 395 N 70th Street Springfield OR 97478-7206

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(B. J.) ELIZABETH JANE SMITH JOHNSON 167 Main St Wenham MA 01984-1446 robert.johnson53@comcast.net

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Since we last had contact, several of our classmates have died. We can expect that our losses will continue at an accelerated rate in the future. As of year’s end, fewer than 50 of the 203 graduates in our class were still living. After a prolonged illness, Ben Gunn passed away last fall. Ben was class vice-president and president of the student council. In the words of Gordon Smith: “He was one of the brightest stars at Mt. Hermon, a highly respected leader, an outstanding tennis player, an all-around standard for the rest of us.” Fred Witzel died on 11/6/12.

Fred was captain of the golf team and was low scorer in every match during his two years at Mt. Hermon. Fred also lettered in soccer and hockey. In recent years, on several occasions, Alice and I had the good fortune to visit Fred and Jamie. Fred was my roommate, and I shall miss him. Ed Searle died on 11/3/12. While at Mt. Hermon, Ed played guitar in the Hermonites. He graduated from the Stockbridge School of Agriculture (Amherst) in ’41.

Ed spent his life farming the land that had been in the Searle family for seven generations.

Will Bartlett came out of retirement last summer, converting his three raised flower beds into the Bartlett Farms and selling his surplus vegetables— mostly cukes, tomatoes, zucchini, and beans—to fellow retirees. He netted $116, which he gave to the Alzheimer’s Association and got his picture in the local paper. Way to go, Will.

Mary and Al Stites have left Costa Rica and returned to Santa Fe, N.M., where they are looking for permanent housing. Al is also looking for office space, another in our class who doesn’t think it is permissible to retire—even when you reach your nineties. It is good to be on Bob Paddock’s mailing list. Bob keeps my box filled with very interesting

P H O T O : S H A R O N L A B E L L A - L I N DA L E

and provocative articles on a wide range of subjects, and I thank him for them.

I hope 2013 is proving to be a good year for you and yours. This column marks the end of 13 years as your class secretary. I thank all of you for your support over the years, and may we stay in touch in the years to come.

Editor’s Note: If you would like to help your class stay in touch and become secretary for the class, please contact Sally Atwood Hamilton ’65 at shamilton@nmhschool.org.

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DORCAS PLATT ABELL 30 Walden Lane Pittsfield MA 01201-1572 sabell3@nycap.rr.com

Recently, I had a nice surprise when Lillian Dawe Allen called me. She still lives in Northfield and has one daughter and four grandchildren nearby.

Her first husband died when her daughter was a 1-year-old, and she has been married 49 years to her second husband. She spoke of the many changes to the Northfield campus, and she is still hoping C.S. Lewis College will buy it.

Louise Pfuhl Darby sent me a card and is still doing well in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Louise and I sat next to each other in chapel all those years ago.

Lucy Christensen Duncan also sent a card with no news, but it was good to hear from her.

Recently Louise Thomas Cooley emailed me.

She lives in Houston with husband Denton, a surgeon who performed the first successful heart transplant in the U.S. and the first successful artificial heart implant in the world. Louise and Denton have five daughters.

I’m slowing down a bit, but hanging in and enjoying bridge several times a week. I am blessed to have a wonderful family and many great friends at church and in Walden Village.

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CARLETON FINCH 612 Rindge Rd Fitchburg MA 01420-1310 zeke137@aol.com

•b y regular mail to: Northfield Mount Hermon One Lamplighter Way Mount Hermon, MA 01354 • by fax to 413-498-3021 •b y email to nmhnotes@ nmhschool.org • Send photos to your secretary, but be sure to put your name/ address on the back if you would like them returned.

• If you send digital photos, please make sure they have sufficient resolution (300 d.p.i. and at least 3 inches wide).

• Color photocopies will not be accepted.

KEEP IN TOUCH Help us save paper AND keep you connected with NMH! Send us your current email address and we’ll make sure to update you via email on major school happenings.

Address updates addressupdates@nmhschool.org NMH’s online community community.nmhschool.org Send us news nmhnotes@nmhschool.org

STAY CONNECTED Facebook www.facebook.com/NMHschool Twitter www.twitter.com/NMHschool flickr www.flickr.com/photos/ nmhphotos NMHSocial www.nmhschool.org/nmhsocial ALUMNI EVENTS www.nmhschool.org/alumni

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CLASS NOTES

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CORA LEE GETHMAN GIBBS 355 Blackstone Blvd, Apt 554 Providence RI 02906-4953 coraleegibbs@aol.com

From the Alumni Office: Sadly, we recently received news that Natalie Fox passed away on 1/16/13 at the age of 87. She was a retired teacher and had lived in Sudbury, Mass., for many years. She leaves George, her husband of 64 years, their 4 children, and 7 grandchildren.

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LOREN BULLOCK 204 Upshire Circle Gaithersburg MD 20878-5234 mlbullock9@gmail.com

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My memory keeps taking me back to our time at Northfield and now we are celebrating our 70th reunion June 6–9, 2013. I plan to attend and would like to see you there.

Although her husband’s health has not improved and she spends many hours coping with health care aides, Ruth Keating Hyde met the new Head of School Peter Fayroian, his wife, and daughter at a lovely NMH Christmas party held at the historic Willard Hotel in D.C. Ruth found him very amiable. Ruth is active in politics and is concerned about the economy and its effect on NMH. Janet Bassett Gretzler lives in Mt. Dora, Fla. Last summer her daughter drove her to Maine. They visited friends and relatives along the way. They met Rosanna Schute ’42 in Maine and enjoyed a visit to the Northfield campus and NMH. Jan is still renovating her 53-year-old lake house. She and daughter Dee started this project three years ago.

Gloria Savcheff Gancarz has agreed to meet me in Hartford and drive to our reunion in June.

Glo is a full-time caregiver to her husband, but her daughter will take over so she can attend. Too many years have gone by since we visited Northfield/ NMH together.

Roberta Burke Burpee, your secretary, went to California in December with daughter Marcia to meet three great-grandchildren for the first time.

Our first stop was Malibu, where grandson Jason Meskiel and wife Natalie live, and we met Strider (6) and Winter (3). We enjoyed a scenic trip up the coast to granddaughter Amy Meskiel Hansen near Palo Alto and met Judah (3). On Christmas Eve, Marcia took me to my first grandson, John Meskiel, and wife Mary, in West Palm Beach, Fla., to meet another great-grandchild, Marina (3). I have two great-grandsons, Tyler (4) and Billy (2), living in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., with son Chip and wife Gena, giving me a total of six great-grandchildren. Needless to say, I had a wonderful Christmas.

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Elizabeth Habif Lusty passed away on 4/28/12.

After Northfield, she went to Oberlin. While raising her family, she worked for Pasadena Community Church and Bay Island Condominium. She managed investments and was affiliated with her son’s nonprofit, The Tracking Project (New Mexico), for over 20 years. Although family always came first, community service was her passion. She served on numerous boards and was a member of Sunshine City Kiwanis, serving as president and treasurer of the Kiwanis Foundation. Betty is survived by her three children and four grandchildren.

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ANNE WEBB BURNHAM 44 River St Rehoboth MA 02769-1314 awburnham@aol.com

We have lost some more good friends. I didn’t report the death of Miriam Allen Aikens on 10/8/11, although she was listed in the vital statistics section of the last magazine. Her love of music, art, dance, and nature were evident throughout her life in all she did. I am sure it rubbed off on her four daughters. I admire those who have been so creative.

Persis MacLean Sterling died 12/13/11. In reading her obituary, I am impressed with her community involvement, being a civil rights activist, involved with recycling, a watershed board, a fair housing association, and the South Shore chapter of the NAACP. She did all this, as well as raising seven children. How did she do it all?

Martha Warren Stevens died 9/13/12. She married a Cornell classmate and had three sons. I knew her well, as she and I lived in Crane while at Northfield. She was an artist and actor and owned a gift shop for many years. Her boys had this to say: “We remember best the warm and cozy home she created for all her family to return to. We forever cherish sitting in her sunny kitchen with a cup of coffee, a plate of homemade cookies, and her undivided attention, telling her our dreams, troubles, and passions. We are all better people having had her love in our life.”

Mary Lighthall Compton, better known as Luke while at Northfield, died on 10/14/12. Those of us who were in touch with NMH knew Mary well as a faculty wife and worker. Mary was a student there for only one year, but she must have liked it, as she and Bill went to Oberlin College and returned in ’57 and stayed until retirement. For a few years, they taught at Anatolia College in Thessaloniki, Greece, where Bill’s father was head of the school. Their three children graduated from NMH. Daughter Betsy ’72 is now on the NMH Board of Trustees.

A wonderful service was held at Memorial Chapel.

Margot Torrey and her four children attended along with many other “fac brats.” I can remember directing a children’s choir for Christmas each year when they were all grade schoolers. Mary helped run a

small dorm on campus, worked part-time, and never missed cheering at a game. The school named the lower soccer fields in Bill and Mary’s honor.

Joann Morse Morse died 10/31/12 in Volcano, Hawaii, where she lived for 60 years. Some of you may remember that for one of our early reunions, because she couldn’t come, she sent orchid leis for each of the class members, which we wore proudly.

She was with us in spirit. Joann owned and managed a number of companies: Scale Models, which were used by architects; an A-frame house construction company; an RV rental business; and a safari tour company, among others. Upon retirement, she and her husband ran a B & B. Last in this long list, we are sad to report that Dorothy “Dimpie” Reynolds Davidson died 12/6/12. She and Bob met at NMH and rarely missed a reunion. She ran The Treasure Shop in Kinderhook, N.Y., for 30 years and was involved in town politics. She was a class leader while at Northfield and served as class president, reunion chair, and class secretary at various times. She never learned the word “no,” which was a good thing for ’44.

We send our condolences to the families of all these dear friends.

I have heard from Mary Alice Cary Shepard, Joan Carter Chevalier, and Bobbie Fink Renfrew, which I appreciate. Thanks. Send me some happy news for the next issue.

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CHARLTON R. PRICE 1501 17th St, Apt 514 Seattle WA 98122-4103 charltonrp@gmail.com

NMH provided lists of MH ’44 people (as of 1/13) supposedly still extant (69) and of those no longer reachable (93). These are amazing totals, considering that this is the 69th year since we first started “on in life through toil and strife.” Pete Leyden hopes and believes that we can and should gather once more, in ’14, for our 70th (yikes) reunion.

You’ll likely get an invitation toward the end of ’13.

Please be available to receive it and to RSVP yes.

Ken Kolkebeck intends to come up from North Carolina to be there. In 1/13 he underwent major heart surgery. After only a weekend, he was up and about. Pete reports: Len Salvatore, onetime hardcharging fullback for our undefeated-untied fall ’43 11, also recently emerged from dreadful medical experiences “keepin’ on keepin’ on.” He’s in assisted living in Florida but went north in hurricane season (to Westchester County, N.Y., not the New Jersey coast) to be near his two daughters.

Please phone (mine’s a cell phone; that’s not long distance for you) or email me to find out if I can reconnect you with a classmate or to give me news to put in this column.

Just as this column was due, word came that Richard Fry (86) died in Gainesville, Fla., on 1/23/13. His distinguished medical practice and teaching career as an orthopedic surgeon was at the University of Florida Medical School, with

CLASS NOTES the Veterans Administration, and in private practice with his wife, Justine Vaughen, also a physician. Dick’s lifelong volunteering and recreations included: attending orthopedist for athletic teams and a ballet troupe, sailing, environmental protection, Boy and Girl Scouts, his home workshop, and his church. He and Justine raised two daughters; they have five grandchildren. Memorably, Dick and Justine were with us for our class reunion in spring ’11.

I hope all NMH people give special regard to the life and work of a most distinguished alumnus, Edward Said ’53. (That’s pronounced ”sigh-EED.”).

Today’s continuing turmoil in the Middle East and ongoing severe challenges for America in the world remind me of lines from our class hymn: “New occasions teach new duties/Time makes ancient good uncouth.” Said always urged that we pay attention to and think critically about America’s international role and responsibilities.

Though he arrived on campus in ’51 from Cairo, Egypt, feeling lonely, homesick, and out of place, he soon was making top grades, playing competitivelevel tennis, and becoming a talented classical pianist, via lessons with Carleton L’Hommedieu ’18.

Little more than a decade later, Edward Said, Ph.D., emerged as a leader on the Columbia University faculty, where today there’s an endowed professorship in his name. Using his lifelong experience in two worlds and his deep research in literature and history, Professor Said showed how uniquely Western conceptions of and beliefs about the Middle East, from the Crusades on, have shaped the West’s attitudes and actions toward the East—with consequences for Palestinians, Israelis, other peoples of the region, and for America.

In his commencement speech at NMH in 2002, he urged that we use the special advantages and meet the special responsibilities that come from having lived and learned at our school. Here’s how he challenged the class of ’02, and, I believe, all of us: “keep careful hold of your capacities for critical thinking, for rational analysis, for resisting received ideas and unexamined dogmas…Your most important possession is your committed critical engagement in our society…only cynicism allows one to sit back and say, ‘oh, well, that’s the way it is’…Human beings make their history…One must always be ready to pay the price for one’s deeply held beliefs.

The saddest thing is not to have any. Do not ever be afraid of the label ‘controversial,’ and do not…give up your …right to use your mind rather than your stomach or your appetite…Too often…we use the word ‘history’ as a synonym for oblivion…‘you’re history.’ Just the opposite…Awareness of history assures us of our humanity, guarantees our life as a republic, ensures our identity…as an essential part of the human march toward emancipation and enlightenment. We still have a very long way to go.”

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ARLENE FINCH REYNOLDS 273 Erie Rd Columbus OH 43214-3600 arlenerey@aol.com

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PETE DEVENIS 9 South Meadow Ridge Concord MA 01742-3000 ingadevenis@aol.com

John Dayton attended NMH as a junior but

returned to Teaneck, N.J., to graduate with his friends. He writes: “That single year at Hermon was a very good year that left me wonderful impressions and memories.” John graduated from the College of William & Mary as a government major and served as class and student body president. He worked most of his life in the Langley branch of the Department of State and served in Jordan, Somalia, Indonesia, Japan, and Washington, D.C. Like our other hunting classmate Bob Buker, John writes: “I was a mighty hunter and slew a great many beasts— two elephants, a lion, and a cape buffalo in Somalia and later a Sumatran tiger. Since my marriage to Julie, I’ve gotten rid of the firearms in favor of cameras and have become a conservationist, birder, and animal lover. In 1950, spooking against the Soviets seemed like a good, virtuous, and even glamorous thing to do. But in retrospect, the 30-year Cold War seems feckless—even pointless. We did not ‘win’ the war—they ‘lost’ it, simply because we were economically and politically stronger.”

Jack Hipps and I enjoy practicing with the soccer ball frequently. Jack came to Mt. Hermon as a sophomore in the fall of ’43 but graduated a year early because we went to summer school. He went on to Vanderbilt and then into the U.S. Army. He later went to the University of Richmond and then on to Duke for some graduate work. He spent most of his career in international work. “Part of that time I worked for Control Data, a large mainframe computer company based in Minneapolis. I worked for them mainly in China and in Southeast Asia.

When the company finally went belly-up, I got into corporate real estate. My wife and I have lived in Tucson for the last eight years but try to get out of here every summer.”

We are grateful to Bob Dorr for a computer disk of pictures of our last reunion. He writes: “Dot and I are still in travel mode. November ’11 we flew to Venice, Italy, where we boarded a cruise ship that touched base in numerous Mediterranean ports, including Israel and Egypt. I was most impressed with the importance of Mt. Hermon in the geography of Israel. It lies in the northern part of the country and is the source of the Jordan River, which flows into the Sea of Galilee and ends up in the Dead Sea. I can appreciate why Moody chose to name his school Mt. Hermon.”

Jack Deveneau attended Mt. Hermon as a freshman and sophomore before returning to Hillhouse High School in New Haven to finish. He toured the U.S. by car with son Lloyd, starting from Albuquerque, N.M. They stopped one night in our home at the end of July ’12 before continuing on a nostalgic trip to Mt. Hermon and Northfield. If any other classmates are in the Concord area, please call us. We have plenty of room for you to stay. Jack was co-captain of the soccer team at Hillhouse and

wishes that his team had played Mt. Hermon. Jack earned a bachelor’s in business administration in night school and worked at the atomic weapons labs for Sandia Corp. and Los Alamos Scientific Lab in New Mexico, New York, and California before retiring in ’91. Jack and I sat next to each other in several classes since the first five letters in our last names match.

Leonard Lundquist passed away on 7/2/12. We extend our belated condolences to his sons David and Scott, as well as to his grandchildren. He retired from Boeing Corporation and was an active member of the Newington Ski Club.

Dean Clarke passed away 8/7/12. He is survived by his son William, daughter Katherine, brother Jeremiah, and several grandchildren and greatgrandchildren, to whom we extend our condolences.

Dean was a veteran of the USN and USAF, serving during World War II and the Korean War. Dean enjoyed motorcycling through the U.S. and sailing on the Chesapeake.

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BETTY BOLGER FLEMING 456 Riverside Dr Princeton NJ 08540-5421 bettyb.fleming@verizon.net

Perhaps we were all worn out by the election and our holiday efforts, since I heard little news from our class members. Connie Callahan Hornickel wrote first and commented that she continues “to be in awe of the great NMH Magazine—each issue is a treasure.” Primarily, she wrote to express her sadness over the news coming out of Newtown, a grief that will be shared by us all, well into the years to come.

Jane Everett Haslun and Bill are still adjusting to their life in a retirement community and are enjoying their new home. They slowly are making new friends, while still being in touch with their Granby friends 20 minutes away. Sadly, we will all miss Bill’s Mt. Hermon news, which he reluctantly gave up due to vision problems. Bill kept in close contact with his classmates, and his columns were always interesting and lively.

Two of our classmates were hospitalized late in the year, but it was remarkable that both messages were so upbeat and optimistic. Paul, the youngest son of Priscilla Adams Moulthrop, wrote midDecember to say that Priscilla was in the hospital with neurological symptoms. No more than 12 days later, Priscilla wrote to say she was home, using a walker in the house and a wheelchair outside. She was happily anticipating a busy Christmas at their home with the family of 17 doing the preparations and cooking. By participating early in the year in a busy program for physical therapy, she hopes to be walking with just a cane by March.

Joan Thompson Baker sent a Christmas card, which mixed her fun and pleasure in the holiday season with her story of ending up in the hospital with atrial fibrillation. “Came home and it flared up again. Back on oxygen, and working hard to get

spring 2013 I 47

CLASS NOTES back to normal, whatever that is.” Her bad news blended in with visits with “delightful nieces, concerts, operas, plays, and hockey games.” As Joan said: “This is a very common happening, nothing unique or distinctive to complain about. I mean, if you’re going to complain—let it be distinctive.”

Finally, Alice Elder Leake and I discovered that we both have a grandchild at Yale. Her grandson, Tim, is a sophomore, who majors in math and belongs to chess, math, and physics clubs. Our Lucy is a freshman, who does not have a clue what her major will be. Meanwhile, she participates in the singing group Redhot & Blue of Yale and is active in Yale theater life. As Alice said: “Imagine, 66 years after we graduated from Northfield that our grandchildren might meet at Yale.” Alice and I are both hoping they will.

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HUGH FINDLAY 500 Ocean St Apt 153 Hyannis MA 02601-4766 hughf@occia.com findlay22@verizon.net

Hi, Classmates: Well, it looks like I am to be your new class secretary. Believe me, I will never do as fine a job as my predecessor, Bill Haslun, and I do appreciate all the great work and writing he has done these past years, but I will do my best to sub for him. However, the only way I can ever be successful is with your help. I need you to feed me the information about what is going on in your lives so that I can report it to one and all.

To start things off, I will give you a short synopsis of what I am doing now, and then you tell me about yourselves so that I can keep the other members of our class up to date.

I still work at our insurance office but on a more limited basis, three to six hours per day. My main duty is as manager of IT for our large computer network. I go to the gym three days a week and work out at home in between, as this allows me to keep my body going after my heart attack. I still sing in the choir, my 62nd year, and do occasional solos, thanks to Al Raymond. My wife, Amelie, and I are approaching 64 years of wedded bliss (?) and we have two great-grandchildren and one great-great. My daughter is now my boss, and I love it. I am mildly active in town politics and am the elected moderator of the Hyannis Fire District. I am still active in the Hyannis Yacht Club, having been commodore, and now work on the race committee, as well as some other committees. I spend a large portion of my life in church work and am still active in many Masonic bodies. All of this serves to keep me moving and young, so I recommend it to all if you can.

My contact information is at the top of this column. I really look forward to hearing from all of you and want to be a part of keeping you in touch with one another.

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JOAN PEARSON TURNER 49 Seymour Ct Concord MA 01742-5753 turnerjoan4@gmail.com

Welcome to all Northfield ’47 classmates. It is my pleasure to take on the job of class secretary from recently retired Cynthia Baldwin Dutton.

Thank you, Cynthia, for eight years of keeping us in touch with each other, especially during the dramatic changes that led to NMH’s move to a single-campus school.

Classmates had a chance to test the waters this past June when we celebrated our 65th reunion on the coeducational Mt. Hermon campus. How was this going to work? It was quickly understood that Northfield girls and Mt. Hermon boys were uniting in our 65th reunions. That was news to me. We girls were housed in a comfortable and spacious infirmary and very gradually became familiar with the impressive Mt. Hermon campus. We also very gradually became familiar with our new brother classmates, who turned out to be a lot of fun.

Diffy Cushman Ransohoff was unable to attend, but sent greetings and news of her Thanksgiving family gathering, which included grandson Will Ransohoff ’10, now at Washington University.

Thanks to all who participated in Northfield ’47’s reunion gift to the NMH Annual Fund. And on that subject, there is a new fund, the Northfield School for Girls Scholarship Fund, initiated by the NMH Alumni Council to help support female students who embody the same spirit exhibited by the young women who attended Northfield School for Girls.

My job as class secretary is to arrange and submit the news of my classmates. Your job is to provide your news and share news of other classmates. For starters, I’m in pretty good health (for an octogenarian), happily living in my dream house on the banks of a gorgeous pond described by Thoreau as Walden’s smaller, prettier sister. I look forward to hearing from you all. Stay in touch.

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family in Ogden, Utah. Dave has continued his editorial duties, most recently on his wife’s biography, Walking My Yellow Brick Road, describing her work at Harvard Divinity School’s Theological Opportunities Program.

John Hall reports from West Virginia: “We’ve slowed down some due to age and infirmities, but keep active in university organizations and travel some—Ontario, Ohio, and Virginia for plays, Pittsburgh for symphony. I am about to teach my 23rd and 24th Gilbert and Sullivan courses for our WVU Life-Long Learning Institute in 2013— H.M.S. Pinafore and Utopia Ltd.” Mr. Donovan would be proud of such a commitment to G&S. It’s never too late to make amends, as Bob Bashian proves. He sent me a package with a note: “The enclosed tumblers somehow left West Hall in 1944, went to West Roxbury…to Westwood…to West Yarmouth and turned up this week in West Hyannisport. All around the ‘west’ but always in Massachusetts and now returned to NMH.” The school archivist has been alerted and by my ministerial capacity, absolution has been granted. Bob also enclosed a contribution to the Annual Fund, but that did not influence his pardon, welcome as it was to our class efforts.

Your scribe will be teaching an adult education course for Adventures in Learning at Colby-Sawyer College this summer on the films of Buster Keaton.

Retirement is a great time to start a new career.

You will note in the back of this magazine the passing of two of our classmates, Richard Bisbee and George Nichols. Thanks to their families for sending us the sad word. R.I.P.

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JAN HIBBS TESTA 1926 Parkwood Dr Scotch Plains NJ 07076-2618 hillbeech@aol.com PHIL BAKER 1900 N Signal Hills Dr Kirkwood MO 63122-6831 bakpn30@earthlink.net

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CHARLES A. KENNEDY PO Box 112 Newbury NH 03255-0112 chask@myfairpoint.net

Roly Coates, our fearless president, reminds us: “gettin old ain’t for the faint of heart. I’m still working in my studio drawing and painting. Had a great studio tour last fall—65 visitors and 16 pieces sold.

I’m now up to 25 cents per hour.” Last January, he and Liz visited St. John, Newfoundland, and then headed south in March to visit friends and classmates for their annual “March Mooch.” He expects to be singing in Sacred Concert this spring, setting a record for participation in that great event.

Dave Gray and Liz left home in Massachusetts in mid-December for a month, visiting their daughter and her family in Scottsdale, Ariz., and son and

From Jan: Some people know how to party and Marge Ingham Stahl Warren is one of them.

She celebrated her 82nd birthday in a hot air balloon over Cappadocia, Turkey. Marge was on a small cruise through the Aegean Islands ending in Istanbul, then went by land to various points in that country. Back in the U.S., she attended the college graduation of two grandchildren and visited four national parks before flying home to Florida. I remember another classmate celebrating her birthday in a hot air balloon when we all turned 40. Can anyone remember who that was?

Joan Clausen Vander Vliet started ’13 off by moving back to Greenfield. After having her possessions in a pod for more than five months, she says it felt good to unpack and downsize. Joan still enjoys her volunteer opportunities. She spent Christmas in New Hampshire with her twin sister,

CLASS NOTES Jane Clausen Drorbaugh ’47, who was recuperat-

ing from heart surgery.

A highlight of ’12 for Lindy Clapp Macfarland was a family roundup in August. All her children, grandchildren, spouses, and significant others gathered to wish her a happy birthday. Lindy is enjoying life at her retirement home near Buffalo, N.Y., where there are lots of activities, good friends, and relief from the day-to-day responsibilities of home maintenance. Her apartment accommodates visiting family and friends, and Lindy enjoys the independence and security. Last year’s health issues have been successfully resolved, for which she is grateful.

Amy Blatchford Hecht says she and Jim took their annual trip with grandsons to Chicago. A highlight was touring the Newbury Library with the curator, who displayed items from the life of Eliphalet Wickes Blatchford, Amy’s great-grandfather and friend of Mr. Newbury. Amy’s interest in marketing tea from Nepal in the U.S., with all profits returning to Nepal, was heightened when her daughter became founder and CEO of Nepali Tea Traders in ’12. Both Amy and Jim continue to be pleased with their move to a senior living complex, where they are making friends and Amy is chair of the health committee.

Jessie Miller Linicus says these years seem to be filled with medical issues, but she was still hoping to spend time in Florida during ’13. Jet will be at reunion in June. Nancy Heflin Johnston is another who plans to attend our 65th. She finds that number hard to believe. I’m sure many of you do. Don’t ever think that our age will prohibit a great party.

We of ’48 will have a sensational weekend, but only if you are there to make the celebration complete.

We’ll have lots of good food, good exploring, good learning, good reminiscing, and plenty of good laughs. It will be grand to be together again. Our campus headquarters will be O’Conner Health Center (no stairs), where student-driven golf carts will be available to whisk us to any campus location.

With your help, this will be our best reunion yet.

A family wedding, a college graduation, several months spent at Hursthill in New York State, volunteering both at her residence and at church, and more performances with The Adorables were all highlights of Joan McCain Hurst’s year.

Marjorie Bowen Hunt started the year in London, where she celebrated Boxing Day with family and managed to stay vertical during an ice skating session. She also survived a week’s worth of self-guided walking tours with her son in Tuscany.

Hurricane Sandy left her with a great collection of downed trees and debris.

Hester Watson Farmer and Bill started the new year with a celebration of their 60 years together, then enjoyed a month at their condo on the west coast of Florida. Summer saw the annual Farmer clan gathering at the Jersey Shore. Hester is experiencing some health issues and writes that family, friends, and church have all pitched in to help.

Husband Bill says Hester is a determined fighter.

Their Christmas card was a delightful photograph of the entire family, all grown up, with the exception of the newest family addition.

Sadly, several ’48ers were not with us this Christmas. Georgina Fierro Kyburz, Cornelia Taylor Anthony, Barbara Zutter Woodring, Mary “Bucky” Taylor Gross, and Elizabeth Schultz Heines have passed on. I was especially close to Georgie, Connie, and Barb, as all three had participated in one or more of the NMH Travellers tours abroad, and Bucky was a friend from East Gould.

Betty was a fellow choir member. We send our love and sympathy to their families. Another intrepid NMH Traveller has also died. Ken McCrocklin, husband of Callie Nakos McCrocklin, will be remembered fondly by all NMHers who traveled with him.

I hope each of you is going to be on campus in June for a glorious celebration of the great class of ’48. And if you can’t make it, remember to send as generous a reunion gift as you can, making it possible for a present or future student to have a reunion of his or her own someday. You may want to send your gift to the Class of 1948 Memorial Scholarship Fund, remembering to so mark your check. I’ve been exhorting you to support NMH for many years now, and I spent a number of those years as national chair of the Annual Fund. The time has come for me to pass on the delightful task of class gift chair to a classmate who enjoys staying in touch with friends of ’48. If you are able to help NMH in this way, please be in touch with me. NMH needs your help, and now, so do I. Your secretary had two notable events. Second great-grandchild, Ella Catherine, arrived and there was a celebration of a 60th wedding anniversary.

On the down side, Hurricane Sandy was hard on us. Trees came down, missing our house by inches, and some of our former homes at the Jersey shore did not survive. Days on end without light, heat, and phone service convinced me that I would never again have any interest in camping. In addition, I now have a health issue, which is taking a good deal of energy to combat. I’m saving enough of that energy, however, to be on campus in June for a great reunion. Join me. See you then.

From Phil: Spoke with Bruce Abele, whose life has included the search for, the ’06 discovery of, and the ’07 confirmation of the discovery of his father’s submarine, USS Grunion, which disappeared in ’42 near Kiska. Far too much detail to properly describe here, but one can access details by Googling 999info.net. Bruce and his brothers have also written Our Search, a detailed summary of the matter. Meanwhile, Peter Stevens recently published Fatal Dive, a commercial book on the subject.

Gordon Benedict and wife Doris live in a condo in Daytona Beach Shores, Fla., but regularly visit their former Connecticut stomping ground. He retired after 37 years in the utility business and lives an active life that includes golf, tennis, and more recently, pickle ball tennis, which uses a paddle-type racket and lighter-weight ball. Gordon and Doris have a son and a granddaughter (14).

Phil Brough lives in Emporia, Kan. He has three children and nine grands, some of whom live as far away as California and Ohio and are engineers, scientists, artists, etc. Phil attended Mt. Hermon for

one year, following an older cousin who had preceded him there. He later went to Penn State.

Spoke with Len Libbey, a retired faculty member art Oregon State in Corvallis. Len has been retired for almost 20 years from the Department of Food Science and Technology. At OSU, he mostly did federal grant-funded research involving trace organic analysis of the aromas in such materials as cheddar cheese, wine, and beer. We were sorry to learn that his wife, Janet, has recently developed several health problems.

Had a nice chat with Hildreth Bailey, who spent a postgraduate year at Mt. Hermon, crediting the experience with teaching him how to study. He then graduated from Clark in Worchester, Mass., and worked in insurance sales until his retirement.

Now living in Naples, Fla., he has been active in the Episcopal Church as a volunteer for many years. He and wife Virginia celebrated their 60th recently and have three children, five geographically scattered grands, and two great-grands.

Reunion news for our 65th, June 6–9, 2013, from our reunion chair Charlie Kellogg—whose theme is for each of us to contact and reconnect with classmates. Owen Sutton, Dave Powell, and Jack Powell expect to be coming to the reunion.

Former baseball major leaguer Dick Hall had a stroke. Although he is doing well, he won’t make reunion. If you haven’t yet thought about coming, please do.

After Mt. Hermon, Al Evans earned a bachelor’s in physics from Yale and a USAF commission. The air force sent him to Ohio State for a master’s in physics and a three-year stint at Wright Patterson A.F.B. in Dayton. Then he and wife Pat moved back East, where he worked at the U.S. Naval Ordnance Lab in Silver Spring, Md., while he earned a Ph.D. in nuclear physics. In ’66, he joined the staff of Los Alamos National Laboratory, from which he retired in ’86, and then took a one-year position with the U.S. Department of Energy in Germantown, Md. He recalls the move to Germantown over New Year’s weekend with Pat, three children, two dogs, a cat, and towing a tent trailer. A Cub Scout son led him to become a Cub master and then a Boy Scout leader for 50 years. In 2000, he moved to Sugar Land, Texas, to be near a son and his family. Pat passed away in 4/12. Al has a great-granddaughter born last year.

Henry Hamlin, a widower for 10 years, moved seven years ago to Ashland, Ore., home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and a big draw for Elderhostelers, now called Road Scholars. He performs with the Siskiyou Singers and with the Rogue Valley Peace Choir. He’s visited Prague, Budapest, and Hiroshima, singing in the latter on the 66th anniversary of the bombing. He went to South Africa with People to People a few years ago. Henry has five children, 10 grands, and three great-grands, all of whom live either in New England or Texas.

He has a pacemaker after a mild stroke two years ago, from which he has recovered. Says he is enjoying life, living large, and having fun.

More from George Lambrakis regarding his energetic life in the international field. He began

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CLASS NOTES with a bachelor’s from Princeton, then a master’s from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and then a Ph.D. from George Washington in ’89. He spent 31 years on assignments in 11 countries with the U.S.I.S. and Department of State Foreign Service. These included the U.S. Embassy in Beirut at the start of Lebanon’s civil war and political reporting from Tehran though the Iranian revolution. He spent a decade setting up international fundraising for organizations, such as Brown University and the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London. He then spent 16 years teaching international relations and diplomacy at Schiller, a private American university in London, and at a number of other universities, including a new American graduate school in Paris that he directed. He retired, except for occasional teaching, in early ’11. He and French-born wife, Claude, live in London.

Although he hasn’t visited NMH, he hopes to do so.

Meanwhile, he enjoys reading class notes and other news of the school and reports that he is focusing on the format for memoirs he has begun to write.

In 10/12, Lucia and Dave Powell moved to a retirement community in Cheshire, Conn.

Dave Keast and wife Estelle observed their 57th anniversary in ’12 and took a trip down the Rhone River last fall. Dave writes: “Visited Lyon, where an old college classmate used to hang out; Avignon, where the Pope used to hang out; and Arles, where van Gogh used to hang out. The trip actually began in Paris, where, of course, everyone hangs out.”

They also visited the beaches at Nice.

From Phil: Sandy and I still live in our own house in Kirkwood, Mo., although we have looked at local retirement places, just in case we get old and have the desire not to mention the pecunia— Mabel Boak would be proud—to move. Please give thought to sending me a note on what is going on in your life: family, hobbies/activities, travel, living arrangements, etc. Long or short, it will be greatly enjoyed and appreciated by fellow ’48ers.

I don’t plan to include ’48 death notices in the future, since they already appear in NMH Magazine.

I do have back issues to ’04 if this would ever be of help to you.

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CAROLYN “CARRIE” NOBLE SANTORO 88 Henry Ave Harrison NY 10528-4421 doncary@optimum.net

Got an exciting email from Mary Bartlett Bunge, who is a professor of cell biology and anatomy, neurological surgery, and neurology at the University of Miami. She writes: “I am still working. It is a big year for me, as I was awarded the Distinguished Faculty Scholar Award at the University of Miami, and we have the go-ahead from the FDA to conduct a clinical trial to transplant autologous (from the same person) Schwann cells into spinal cord

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injury sites. (This was a vision of my husband since ’75, and we finally did it.)” For decades Mary has been working with Schwann cells, which are key for nerve regeneration in peripheral nerves but not normally found in the brain or spinal cord. Mary was recently on a panel to interview Chuck Close, one of the most esteemed American artists, who, despite being a quadriplegic, has continued to be an outstanding and productive artist.

Joyce Neill Heissenbuttel and husband Clark continue to enjoy curling and sailing. Joyce plays bridge to exercise the brain, reads books, and attends all the Falmouth Chorale Concerts. She says that NMH is responsible for her lifelong love of all types of music. She developed a trigger finger—the little finger on her right hand. Although she has had surgery, she can no longer play the piano or organ. They spent three weeks in New Hampshire with children and grandchildren. Joyce now has four grandsons in college—Syracuse, her alma mater; Champlain College; University of Ottawa; and Brown.

We have learned of the death of Patricia Johannsen Edlund on 9/23/12. She was a member of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Towson, Md., where she was the registrar and served on the vestry for many years. Pat chaired the Maryland Episcopal Diocese Companion Committee and made several trips to the companion diocese in Tokyo. In ’01 she received the Bishop’s Award for Outstanding Service to the World.

I would love to hear from any of you during the year to let your classmates know where you are and what you are doing.

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JIM HANCHETT 300 1st Ave, Apt 8B New York NY 10009-1844 jch46@cornell.edu

DAVID DURHAM 149 Ontario St. Honeoye Falls NY 14472-1139 dedur@aol.com

Just in time for Thanksgiving ’12 (that was a bit of a while back, but in good time for this edition) Bill Mellin submitted from Houston, Texas, a Pilgrim’s recipe for pumpkin beer. It involved a fermented “brew of persimmon, hops, maple sugar, and pumpkin. Teetotalers could lop the top off a pumpkin, scoop it out, and fill the shell with cream, honey, eggs, and spices as available. The top was replaced and the gourd buried in the hot ashes of a cooking fire. In due course, it was lifted from the ashes. The custard-like cooked contents were a Plymouth culinary rock star. It’s said colonial barbers might use shells to shape local roundheads’ coifs, leading non-New Englanders to refer to them as pumpkinheads. Pumpkins were staples of 1600s Massachusetts Bay diets. A contemporary versifier came up with the following: ‘For pottage and pudding and custards and pies our pumpkins and

parsnips are common supplies. We have pumpkins at morning and pumpkins at noon. If it were not for pumpkins we should be undoon.’” Thanks, Bill.

Dan Parker (Littleton, Colo.) and wife, Fran, admit slowdowns from health but, says Dan: “I did manage to ski this past winter during my 80th year.”

In the last two years, he has officiated at weddings of two grandnieces. He had done likewise for both brides’ parents, 23 and 29 years earlier. But now, after 54 years, he adds, it is time to retire from further clerical functions.

Topic A in our recent conversations with ’niners has been health. George Evans (Richland, Wash.) stays active volunteering—running a library and a juvenile justice center. After a return to the Hermon hill: “Campus looks delightful. I understand why I liked it in the first place.” Bill Gill (Prescott, Ariz.) enjoys a lengthy retirement in the mile-high Old West heartland. Herb Huene, a relative newcomer to octogenarianhood, is doing fine in Savannah, Ga. Topic B centers on high winds and waves. In Hurricane Sandy’s wake, Jim Lyon (La Canada, Calif.) recalled a challenging trek through the dark streets of Manhattan during a blackout of many years past. He made it from Wall Street to the midtown Summit Hotel. At the hotel, the prospect of a long unlit climb to the room loomed. Candles were available but, sure enough, not enough matches. And yet the goal was attained. Elliott Hale (Oklahoma City) was treated to a tornado, but the local lake water was low, so not so much flooding resulted. Paul Jaques (Meredith, N.H.) noticed “a few limbs down around here.” Harland Williams (Syosset, N.Y.) figures he has been fortunate in terms of weather and health. He says Sandy turned off his lights during breakfast, but he was back on the air in less than three hours. A tree fell and smashed a house across the street. Some folks nearby were powerless for two weeks. He spent three months of ’12 in pulmonary rehab and underwent a corneal implant and cataract surgery. But “I’m still upright and doing things I like to do.” He’s planning to make our 65th. Don Mayhew (Vineyard Haven, Mass.) observed “a lot of damage hereabouts” but was luckier than some neighbors. Harold Fleming (Great Falls, Va.) thinks “we were lucky. We didn’t lose any trees.” And he was regaining strength after medical problems. The Hanchett household in lower midtown Manhattan regained power after four days of candlelit dinners and beneficial exercise ascending to our 10th-floor roost. Before blinking out, the TV showed cars parked on 20th Street floating. Our car is in an underground garage on that street. The salty East River waters didn’t quite reach its entrance.

Grant Law (Scarborough, Maine) had a blast at his 54th reunion at UMass. He submitted that Ken Hungerford was recovering from throat problems and Lee Farwell (Farmingdale, Maine) was in rehab for leg problems. Ken confirmed improvement. Grant himself was looking at an eighth procedure in less than two years. Look for him at our (believe it) 65th in June ’14. A Boxing Day call to Lee revealed: (a) that he was back home; (b) that the leg was growing stronger; and (c) that

CLASS NOTES he had become a Yankees fan (honest). People at the rehab center said he would be remembered.

Like most of us, Lew Downing (North Haven, Conn.) is retired and, he claims: “Not doing much of anything. Just lazy.” But he plays tennis a couple of times a week.

You probably recall Jasper Najarian, a key P.G. member of Jervis Burdick’s ’48–49 basketball team on the way to Brown. We haven’t heard much from him over the years, but some letters came from his Fresno, Calif., dwelling last summer. He reviewed highlights from his past. “I was a student of marginal ability but was able to graduate.” You may not have known that “I was a friend of President Nixon when he was based at Quonset Point Naval Station in 1942.” Later, he got Jasper out of Vietnam, went to China, introduced Title IX for women’s sports, and began arms limitation agreements with the U.S.S.R. “I feel certain that these actions took place on my advice.” There’s more, quite a bit. Jasper writes: “I asked Nelson Rockefeller to locate the U.N. at the end of E. 2nd St., and I think I persuaded him to start up baseball’s Little League.” In international affairs, “I wrote Mussolini in 1938 and asked him to call the Munich Conference. Chamberlain and Hitler, too.” During the Korean police action, “I called on President Truman to carry out a seaborne invasion of the Pusan peninsula.” Didn’t MacArthur have something to do with that? Anyway, “I feel certain my letter to Anastas Mikoyan persuaded the U.S.S.R. to give up on Communism. My parents’ friends seem to know this is true. It seems unfair that I do not get at least some modest recognition.”

You’d not believe how much more. April 1 must be somewhere near.

The Rev. David Durham (Honeoye Falls, N.Y.) “probably will actually and honestly retire this time.

Kathy and I have had a glorious time serving in the British Methodist Church” in the north of England off and on for the past several years.

Bob Grayson (Alexandria, Va.) reports that “Having nothing better to do with my life, I have signed on as a test bed for a half-dozen big-time medical cures.”

Please be well, everyone.

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JANET-MARIE FITZGERALD WHITLEY 6794 Willow Rd Vacaville CA 95687 janwhitley@aol.com

ROBERT C. WHITE 100 Old Amherst Rd Sunderland MA 01375-9558 rcwhite@admin.umass.edu

From Jan: I sadly report the passing of classmate Susan Cushing Rogers on 5/19/12. She was

married 58 years to husband Mark and leaves five children, nine grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter. We will miss Susie at reunions

Katie Jente Siebel is busy with her piano students, their recitals, and jazz festival appearances, winning a variety of prizes. She still sings in her church choir and is involved in church activities and dinner meetings. She belongs to the local chapter of the American Guild of Organists, a church music organization. Katie enjoys their dinner meetings and musical programs. She writes: “We have a local organization that sponsors an international piano competition with major prizes every summer, which brings a week of wonderful piano concerts to our city.” She’s still bird watching and travels around Louisiana with friends, who take her to more distant locations. She continues to play competitive bridge at her local bridge center, which is a branch of the American Contract Bridge League. “The people are pleasant and it is good for the brain cells.” She extends an invitation to classmates to come visit her in New Orleans.

Margaret Brown Fleming sent her annual Christmas letter written by her very literate cat, Maui. He reports he is the only cat left and is lonely but keeps busy taking care of Margie and John.

John has a greenhouse in which he grows many vegetables. Among them were 200 tomato plants last summer. One took on tremendous growth and had to be moved outside. No one could tell them what is was until a Mexican friend came by and said: “I see you have a papaya tree.” Maui talks about the grandkids. Paul still works with Tim as an assistant wrestling coach and is going to college to be an elementary school teacher. Wife Luci is also a teacher. Erik and his girlfriend are in college, too.

He has a job in a preschool and provides respite for a family with two boys with muscular dystrophy.

Brian and Derek are in high school. Kelly is taking a semester abroad at the University of the Virgin Islands. Margie and John are involved in a Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at a school in a private prison in Eloy, Ariz., where California sends prisoners. Marge was put on the board of directors of the school and within a month became vice-president of the board.

Barbara Bolger Collett has five grandsons and one granddaughter, just like I do. Her eldest grandson of Woodlands, Texas, has his PGA tour again at QSchool in 12/12 and will start his tour in Hawaii.

The news she most wants to report is that her twin, David Bolger, will receive an honorary doctorate from Patterson University in New Jersey on 5/15/13.

She is so proud of his generosity, as are all his NMH ’50 classmates. He gave Bolger House in honor of his parents and most recently contributed to the chapel and Ford Cottage. Sister Betty Bolger Fleming ’46 is secretary for her class. She and brother Bill Bolger ’44 both live in Princeton, N.J., with their spouses.

Barbara wishes everyone a healthier and happy year. She still plays golf, enjoys cruising (the Nieuw Amsterdam in 12/12), and bridge.

Nancy Gray Dale writes that three of their grandchildren will enter college this fall, all in excellent colleges. One of the three is doing a gap year, volunteering through “safe passage,” working with poor children in a city dump region in Guatemala.

The two younger ones are doing extremely well.

Toby Cullum Frost reports husband Wesley has Alzheimer’s. She opted to keep him at home, which requires home-care providers 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is financially draining, and she gets no time for anything else, but it is what she wants for him. We send you our heartfelt support, Toby.

Joan Bliss Wilson went to the South Seas on the Paul Gauguin ship to view the total eclipse of the sun on 11/14/12. They visited Fiji, New Caledonia, and Vanuatu (New Hebrides) as well.

Christmas ’12 she went to Cape Town to see a daughter and her family, then flew to Nambia, where her grandson and wife are in the Peace Corps.

Of their eight grandchildren, the oldest married his college sweetheart. The next two are out of college and working. Three are in college, and the last two are in high school. She and Tom are in Hanover, N.H., in a great retirement home, where they are happy. They still have their health and enjoy reading the column to hear about classmates’ activities.

Marion Clausen Gray reports sister Jane Gray Drorbaugh ’47 had open heart surgery in 12/12.

Jane’s twin sister, Joan Gray Vander Vliet ’48, was with her and Marion went after Christmas. The high point of the year was the birth of Marion’s third grandchild in 2/12.

Kitty Lamb now lives in Greenfield, Mass., so is up on NMH news. She’s interested in the Northfield campus. It looked for a time that Grand Canyon University was going to get the property with ultimately 5,000 students. This appalled some Northfield residents, while others saw it as job opportunities. Kitty was torn. However, the university felt that it would not be fiscally sound having to bring the buildings up to their needs. Kitty drives around the Northfield campus often and finds it soothing though forlorn. We all have fond memories of Northfield. It lives forever in our hearts.

Jean Cook Glidden’s daughters want her and Dick to move closer to them, but they are happy in their home in Delaware and plan to stay there as long as possible.

I, Janet-Marie Fitzgerald Whitley, am recovering from the death of my “little” sister to cancer on 12/6/12. She fought a long five-month battle that she knew she could not win. She did it courageously, and with great dignity. We are still putting finishing touches on our new home. This past year saw the fourth generation of Whitleys entering the racing field. Daniel (9) started racing box carts.

His cousin Buck (4) will soon join him. It never stops. I hope you all had a great year. I also hope you are considering coming to our 65th reunion in June ’15. If we don’t get a bunch attending, we will be put in the infirmary. Are you ready for that?

Have a great summer.

From Don: In perspective: The Mt. Hermon campus is 132 years old; this year marks 63 years since “we” left the Hill; our four-year classmates arrived on campus at almost the halfway point in that history; wrap your thoughts around that one.

Facility-wise, the campus is even more impressive than when we walked the paths, and nature’s impact remains as vibrant. Although we’d have difficulty

spring 2013 I 51

CLASS NOTES returning to student status, we are still able to provide support for future generations to enjoy the opportunities that we experienced. By this time, you will have received Mark Jander’s letter of the class’s status in those efforts and perhaps a call from a classmate encouraging your continued support for this meaningful educational enterprise. It is hoped that you will join in with an enthusiastic response to keep the class of ’50 one of the school’s shining lights.

For those of us who called North Crossley home in our senior year, it was very sad news to hear of the passing of Mary Lighthall Compton ’44, who was our housemother and the wife of William “Bill” Compton ’44. Her cheery smile and supportive personality added a human dimension to our busy and challenging days. Bill can be reached at: wrcomp@ comcast.net.

As octogenarians, we hit reassessment points, and usually they include a look at living accommodations, as Ralph “Whitie” Barrows reports. He and Barbara have moved to a retirement community in Williamsburg, Va., which includes golf, bridge, and continued volunteer work. They are delighted to report that a grandson has graduated from Worcester Tech with highest honors in biomedical engineering. While attending a couple of family weddings last summer, they visited Northfield (his hometown) and Mt. Hermon and indicate that it brought back “a lot of good memories.”

Jack and Shirley Forrest Fenner stopped by the campus for the first time since the ’70s and were impressed. They sold their bookstore in Kennebunkport, Maine, and moved to Rotanda West, Fla., but left a daughter living in Wells, Maine, which gives an excuse to go back to Maine, which they loved. Jack says he still plays golf but his scores “have gone south.” He also notes that David Bolger’s name keeps popping up with continued benevolences, and he saw “Dick Gilder and his bow tie on TV.” Both from New Jersey, Jack remembered visiting Faith and me when we lived on Greenwood Lake in New Jersey after I was discharged from the navy.

In keeping with celebrating lives lived, reading the obituaries of John “Jack” King, Orrin Main, and James “Jim” Fisher make it very clear that the Mt. Hermon experience and expectations for a fruitful and giving existence is still very much in evidence. I wish they were available for you to read, but that’s not feasible within our column. Perhaps someday it will be possible for us to refer you to a site where they might be available. Until then, take my word for it—D.L. lives on.

Under Vital Statistics-Deaths in this issue appears ’50 Charles L. Beckley with a list of relations connected to NMH. This falls short of our class vicepresident’s reputation then and now. Our yearbook quote was: “To know him is to like him,” a sentiment magnified throughout his professional career and varied life pursuits. Send me an email request for a copy of his obituary.

Hobby Lobby has donated the Northfield campus to the National Christian Foundation, which is to name an appropriate recipient of the central campus. We all look forward to an educational endeavor, which will carry on the mission exemplified by NMH.

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There is an open, standing invitation from the new Head of School Peter Fayroian to visit campus and have a chat.

The best in the new year from two who are in their 62nd year of togetherness.

51 N

PAT MCCORMICK HOEHING 7125 San Benito Dr Sylvania OH 43560-1129 sylv.snail@bex.net

It was New Year’s Eve day ’12 when I wrote this column. That night, I raised a glass and wished you all joy and peace in your lives throughout 2013.

Charlotte “Charlie” Gulick Hewson writes: “We moved to Harpswell, Maine, two years ago to be closer to our daughters. We are blessed with good health, great friends, and many activities.

We still ski at Sugarloaf most weekends and sail on Casco Bay in summer months. Sorry to have missed the last reunion.”

I received a lovely Christmas letter from Evelyn “Bettsy” Wright Cowling and husband Ellis. They are enjoying the tremendous growth in culture over the 47 years they have lived in Raleigh, N.C. Performances by the North Carolina Symphony, ballet, and live theater have enriched their lives.

Bettsy volunteers with the church library and Habitat for Humanity. Several weeks spent at Chautauqua included time to enjoy relaxation and quiet reflection.

Another Christmas surprise was a note from Nancy Newton Williams ’48 still living in Rowe, Mass. Those of us in South Hall our freshman year remember her as one of our student cops who did such a wonderful job keeping us all in line. We are glad you are enjoying the seasonal activities of skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, canoeing, and gardening.

Marilyn “Skip” Smith Noll and husband Walter traveled to Rome in September, where he was the main speaker at a scientific meeting. A side trip to Milan gave them the opportunity to view Leonardo de Vinci’s famous painting The Last Supper. Most of us only see that in a book. Skip writes that her mother died in 12/12 but had been able to enjoy a large family celebration at her 100th birthday in 2/12.

I enjoyed another trip to Ireland this past summer with Dorothy “Dottie” Halligan ’66, her daughter, and Adrienne “Jonni” Audette Feige.

We organized our own tour and traveled at our own pace to and around Dublin, Kilkenny, the Dingle Peninsula, and Galway. That country just keeps calling us back, rain or shine.

In August our Hoehing family trip to the Rockies near Ft. Collins, Colo., was cancelled due to fires and residual smoke. Ironically, we substituted a week in the Smokies in Tennessee. Our daughter, the self-appointed activity director, had us hiking awesome trails in beautiful state parks.

It will be late spring ’13 by the time you read this.

I hope my wish for joy and peace in your lives has reached you. I would appreciate news. Even little tidbits are of interest to your classmates.

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FREDERICK W. MILLER 479 Carleton Ave Glen Ellyn IL 60137-4705 fwcemiller@sbcglobal.net

Three items of interest from Don Russell in Charlotte, N.C. He and his wife intend to sell their townhome sometime this year and move to a retirement village in Durham, N.C., because their children and grandchildren live in that area. Don retired from Merrill Lynch in ’00 and has continued to live in Charlotte since. Second, their daughter, Janice Russell ’83, is co-chair of her 30th reunion in June ’13. (Don has been co-chair of several of our reunions.) Finally, for those who knew him, Dick Brock ’49, captain of the undefeated Mt. Hermon cross-country team in the fall of ’48, passed away just before Christmas ’12. Don, a three-letter man in cross-country, was captain our senior year.

Al Ormond, wife Kathy, and son Xande traveled from Akron, Ohio, to Wheaton, Ill., in late November to see their granddaughter/daughter, Kelly, compete in a multischool swim meet at Wheaton College. The three visited Fred Miller and wife Carol at their home in nearby Glen Ellyn.

Al is a retired cardiologist. He and Kathy spend winters in Bonita Springs, Fla. Al was a two-year Hermonite, lettered in swimming our senior year, and continued swimming all four years at Davidson College in North Carolina, where his father attended. Fred is a retired journalist.

From Hal Freeman in Wisconsin: “Pam and I will bow to the demands of aging and move to a full-service retirement community in April. We’ve been active there, so it won’t be a difficult transition.”

Bill Butler in Atlanta, Ga., is a sales consultant in the big and tall department of a men’s store. “It is my mission to assist those clients with a 50- to 60-inch waistline to find the perfect tent to present a pleasing picture to the public. You can well admit it is a challenge, but a satisfying one. All I can say is thank you to all those 16-ounce, sugary Big Gulp drinkers, who are keeping me in business. That is my story and I’m sticking to it.”

Flying over Cape Cod at 125 mph sounds simple enough, but it is an unforgettable, almost recordsetting thrill when you are 80 and you take the leap from a small airplane with one of your best friends, who also is 80. That is the brief tale of Leif Carlson

Bob Owen ’51, left, and Leif Carlson ’51 hold the Mt. Hermon banner prior to skydiving over Cape Cod in October ’12 to celebrate their 80th birthdays.

CLASS NOTES

Al Ormond ’51, Kathy Ormond, Carol Miller, and Fred Miller ’51, at the Millers’ home in Glen Ellyn, Ill., last November

and Bob Owen, junior year roommates at Mt. Hermon, who have been good friends ever since.

Bob reports: “In 2011, we agreed a good bucket list item to celebrate our 80th birthdays would be a skydiving day together.

“On a sunny day last October, we each flew up to 10,000 feet, in separate Piper Cub airplanes. With some pushing from the jump master (a 280-pound Brazilian attached to Bob’s back), we leaped into Mt. Hermon history.

“Cape Cod and the Atlantic Ocean rose up before our eyes as we were going 125 mph before the parachute opened, raising us up three stories.

Floating down after that was the fun part. Pulling legs up was important so they would not be broken as we skidded on our tails to a stop on Mother Earth. I truly believe this event has not ever been done in the history of Hermon,” Bob concludes.

Leif lives in Chatham, Mass., which Bob says has one of the best skydiving airports in New England.

Bob has lived in Germantown, Tenn., since ’71.

Both Leif and Bob are three-year Hermonites.

Bob was (is) class president and reported he has a granddaughter at Rice University in Houston and a grandson, who is a plebe at West Point. Leif is retired from real estate endeavors.

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JULIE TAYLOR CLEMENS 2258 Lamberton Rd Cleveland Heights OH 44118-3552 jtclemens@cs.com BRUCE G. HOLRAN 80 Sycamore Dr, Apt 313 Elizabethtown PA 17022-3016 (10/1–5/31) PO Box 293 Lake Clear NY 12945 (6/1–9/30) bruceholran@comcast.net

From Julie: Many holiday letters, emails, and cards included news of the class of ’52. Here are a few of the messages, consolidated due to space. For full class news sent through the NMH e-blast system, make sure your scribe has your email address so that more timely news can reach you between magazines.

Dave and Anne Webb Burnham ’44, our Northfield class teacher, sent a picture from their 6oth anniversary celebration. Thanks for all the times you have shared with us, Anne.

Nan Stewart Roberts and Brad have moved to a managed care facility but have kept the same

email address. They are near family and friends and find the new surroundings comforting. Nan loves hearing NMH news and getting notes and calls from classmates.

Mary Merin Tinkham wasn’t able to make the 60th, but she found Sybil Benton Williamson in Portland, Ore., visiting two daughters who live there. Mary has an active life in the community. She sent news that Carol Kiger Allen’s husband, Leland, died in the summer of ’12 from Alzheimer’s.

Four classmates spoke of their long years in book clubs: Leanna Young Brown says most of the same members are present after 50 years (in New Jersey).

Nan Stewart Roberts referred to her 50 years in the same Connecticut book club last year, and your scribe has been in the same club (in Ohio) for at least 50 years. Ann Washburn Samuels mentioned her book club, but not the number of years. Does that mean that some of us haven’t left the same area for more than 50 years? Can we share some of the best books read recently? Your scribe, Julie, suggests The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund de Waal, an accomplished ceramicist who researches his family history through the passage of a special collection of netsukes (247 small Japanese sculptures) from the early 1800s through WWII. Other classmates have been involved in longtime singing groups, including Lucy Jackson deMonchaux (and Frank), Julie Taylor Clemens (and Drew), Mary Merin Tinkham (and Mike), plus others, certainly. Let us know if you are still singing in a church choir or a community group. Thanks to Al Raymond for teaching us to value the ability to make song during our years at NMH. You will want to be aware that Leanna Young Brown has survived a long year of happenings. She took a granddaughter to a conference in Morocco, spent some time in Aruba with Stan, was saddened by the loss of her daughter-in-law, missed the 60th reunion, and then sold their longtime New Jersey home so that Leanna can move to an apartment in March. She writes: “Suffering from dementia, Stan now resides in King James Nursing Home in Chatham, N.J. He appreciates visitors and cards.”

That’s quite a year, and it ended with Leanna breaking a hip in a fall. She could finally drive again in time for Christmas.

From their Masonic Village home of four years, Bruce Holran and Barbara appear to be very involved and content. Bruce is leading a discussion group on current events and is active on the advisory council and in educational programs. Summers continue to be a pleasure at Lake Saranac in the Adirondacks.

Still active in the world of college counseling, Arlene Bailey Leinbach Prince (in Seattle, Wash.) plans to join a tour of Vermont colleges with a group of counselors next April. At that time she will visit her daughter, Michelle Leinbach ‘85, and family in the Boston area.

A marvelous long letter and page of pictures came from Dottie Peck Foster. Her husband, Stan, plans to retire as professor of global health, and she will end her teaching of ESL. Much of their travel and outreach has been involved with

the Guatemalan Mam Christian Women for Development. They have traveled to Guatemala, helped with relief and rehab after serious earthquake damage, and plan to return next year. To get the whole picture of their tremendous involvement, contact Dottie at dp1foster@menc.net. Part of their summertime is at the Shanti in Northfield, where they hosted some of the 60th reunioners last year.

Marcia Ottey Raushenbush and John took a journey of a lifetime last year to Botswana and South Africa. It included tours of Soweto and the Apartheid Museum and then lots of wildlife in Botswana and a reserve in the Kalahari Desert.

Jan Larson Mikkelsen live in Corrales, N.M., with her husband, John, and pets. Two daughters live in Massachusetts and New Jersey, and her sons are in Virginia and Austria. Jan is a ceramicist and has her own studio . She couldn’t make reunion but wanted all to know that she sent her best (never too late).

Many of the holiday news and letters will be old news by the time this arrives, so much has been edited out. Let’s just say that we enjoy keeping in touch with the NMH classmates who share so much. As Dottie remarked: “As we all get older, we realize how precious our time with each other is, and we pray for health, happiness, and peace in this tumultuous world.”

Questions about the next October minireunion should be addressed to Mel Smith at melskee@ comcast.net. It’s usually the third weekend (Thursday through Saturday) of October.

Take care and keep in touch.

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WILL LANGE 1309 Towne Hill Rd E Montpelier VT 05651-4143 will@willemlang.com ABBY “AJ” NICHOLSON HODGES 2300 Totem Trail Minnetonka MN 55305-2242 ajhodges@comcast.net

From AJ: Our daughter, Betsy Hodges, is in the last year of her second four-year term on the Minneapolis, Minn., city council and is running for mayor in next November’s election. A very busy rest of ’13 is in the offing. Happily it coincides with my retirement from the organic fertilizer business I was part of founding 18 years ago. Morry and I plan a cruise of the Greek islands in April to celebrate.

After 10 years of running a B&B in Amherst, Mass., Merylees “Molly” King Turner and her husband are selling the business and retiring to a smaller house near Amherst College with summers at their vacation home in Calais, Vt. After retiring as full-time organist, June Mellor Newsham sings in her church choir and is a periodic substitute organist in area churches. She also plays for weddings and funerals. This leaves her time for reading, swimming, and traveling with husband, Ed, who has retired from teaching chemistry

spring 2013 I 53

CLASS NOTES at SUNY Oneonta but continues on the board of the Masonic Cardiology Research Group in Utica, N.Y. They have three children: a son, who works for Dow, and two daughters, both middle school teachers. All have children.

Happily, at last news from Lorna Stolzfus Wells, the first since ’52, when she left after junior year to marry Fred Wells, who was with the Foreign Service. At that time, he was serving in Libya. Lorna grew up in Beirut, Lebanon, where her father was president of the American University. She and Fred have lived all over the Middle East and North Africa, especially in Casablanca, with long stints in Washington, D.C. Upon retirement, they lived near Pensacola, Fla. However, Hurricane Ivan wiped out their home, including all family pictures, antiques, and furniture from all of their world stations. As a result of that and an 83-day stint in a motel awaiting clean-up, they decided they needed a different venue. Now they are in Rancho Viejo, Texas.

Unfortunately, Fred has been wheelchair-bound for the last five years, which limits their travels.

They had five children. One son died of a cerebral hemorrhage several years ago. Another son lives in Austin, Texas. A daughter lives in California, and two other children live in Florida. There are many grandchildren.

Carol “Kris” Blomquist Brown died 8/29/12 after a long and difficult illness, which she bore with remarkable fortitude. I knew her well for four years at Northfield and again later on. I also preceded her as class secretary and succeeded her (along with Will Lange) when she became too ill to continue. Written in her obituary in Walpole, N.H., where she and Alex lived for at least 20 years, was something that summed up who she was: “She was widely respected for her versatility, wit, and ability to relate to any person or situation.” She was a writer, a horsewoman, riding to the hunt, and later a competitive carriage driver. After Alex died, she went into the antiques business, later concentrating on paintings when her illness kept her housebound.

She is survived by a daughter, Sydney Durieux, and her husband, her half-brother Jon Blomquist, three stepchildren and three step-grandchildren. It speaks to her love of NMH that she asked that memorials be sent to the school.

Susan Vick died 8/14/12 after a long struggle with COPD. She was president of the Student Council our senior year. Susan went on to Wellesley College and worked many years as a business manager for Lawyers Weekly and then the Cambridge Alternative Power Company. She was active with the Weston, Mass., Democratic town committee, Waltham Alliance to Create Housing, Green Power Farm, the Weston-Belin, Nicaragua, Sister City Project, and various political campaigns. She was married to and later divorced from Peter Magie.

She had four children—one son married Carolyn Knapp Foster’s daughter.

Audrey Rugg Daley died 2/18/12. She married Richard in ’58 and lived in Canaan, Conn., for 40 years before moving to Florida. Before having children, she worked for the Southern New England Telephone Co. When the children were older, she

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began a 25-year career as a legal secretary. The family enjoyed golf and summers on Twin Lakes in Salisbury. She is survived by her husband, their three children, and five grandchildren.

Janet Smith Hoyt died 4/11/12 after a long battle with lung disease. After earning a bachelor’s from Tufts and a master’s from the University of Maine, she taught elementary school, and then gifted and talented students for many years. In her retirement, she worked at the Highwatch Rehab. Center in Freedom, N.H., and at Jeff’s Lakeside Restaurant in Sebago. She enjoyed travel, playing golf and bridge, and spending time with children and grandchildren.

She is survived by five children, seven grandchildren, and two step-grandchildren.

From Will: Thanks for all the news. We really appreciate it.

Bob Hendry writes: “After being a market-maker on NASDAQ for about 40 years, I finally retired two years ago. So I’ve been out on the links almost daily, not getting any better at golf. Still messing with the stock market. Living in Kingwood, about 30 miles north of Houston. Sorry I can’t make the reunion; can’t believe it’s the 60th anniversary.”

Skip Hausamann and his wife, LaVon, stopped by campus on the way to leaf-peeping in Vermont.

“I had a chance to meet the NMH boys’ and girls’ cross-country teams and converse with their coaches.

They seem so young.” Skip and LaVon plan to attend the 60th reunion.

Bob Holton and wife Karen spent three weeks in Italy—a week in Tuscany, exploring Assisi, Pienza, Florence, and other Tuscan towns—a week in Sorrento , touring Pompeii, Amalfi Coast, Capri, and ended with four days in Rome.

Tony Glockler is “well and keeping on keeping on. I volunteer with our EMT squad as an ambulance driver, trustee, and assistant treasurer. Also active in our Presbyterian church, currently a deacon, serve lunch in a soup kitchen once a month, sit on our town’s planning board, and fit in a little tennis. We cruised the inside passage to Alaska and decided, nice as it was, we’re not yet cruise people.”

Charlie Gold has been as active as he’s been silent. Finally checking in: “I volunteer for the jobs that a small town needs doing. Currently that includes representative on the board of the Torrington, Conn., area health district; chair of the finance committee; president of the North Cornwall Cemetery Association; assistant treasurer and fire policeman for the Cornwall Volunteer Fire Department; Republican town committee; member of the church council and assistant treasurer of the UCC in Cornwall; secretary of the board of assessment appeals for Cornwall; and general manager of Cream Hill Farm, of which my brother and I are the principal owners. Around the edges, I find time to play tennis several times per week, visit the doctors that being 76 requires, read a little, and with my wife of 45 years watch our daughters and grandchildren grow. It is a good life and I feel blessed to be able to lead it.”

Peter Bakker’s been missing, too. But this time: “Since I’ve been quiet for the last 40 years, I decided to send this along. I’ve been in the insurance

industry for the past 56 years and president of an agency bearing my name for 38 years. Still work every day along with my wife, Peggy. We’ve been married for 17 years. She was an early childhood specialist; probably explains why we get along so well. I love what I do and am fortunate to have 40 or so people who help me do it. We live in the same 1800 tavern I bought as a ‘fixer upper’ in ’63, which I continue to fix up. Children and grandchildren, mine and Peggy’s, are all doing well. Will try and make the 60th.”

Bob George writes: “We do think of all of you and hope you had a good ’12, are healthy and still keeping the wolf from the door. Sherry had knee replacement that could have gone better, but is healing. I would be a happy camper if I could replace a left shoulder and right knee without surgery, but will live with what I have for the present. We’re off to Palm Desert, Calif., for January through March and will spend the rest of the year here, unless we can rent a place in Shelter Island, N.Y., for October and visit East Coast friends.

Our long-lost classmate Dick Weyte is living in Seattle. He hopes to be going to work for the National Park Service in a couple of months—at age 76—so can’t get time off for reunion.

Jack Peng has good news: His latest checkup with the oncologist was positive, so he and Jane have been traveling—Monterey, Albuquerque, day trips with the local senior center, Pullman, Wash., Lewiston, Idaho, and (are you ready?) Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Athens, Ga., Atlanta, the Cascade Loop Highway, and Mission Bay, Calif. After all that, they had energy to wish us all a happy ’13.

Ida took off for Paris in October, and I joined her about two weeks later in Nice. Had some wonderful hiking on ancient sheep trails in the limestone canyons of Provence, and celebrated our 53rd in St.Guilhem-le-Désert (Google it; it’s beautiful.) Home again in Vermont, I’m looking at two feet of snow outside, with more on the way. Finished shooting our ’13 TV shows and will begin the ’14 season shoots at the end of January in northern Maine.

I’ve received from Gillian the news of Frederick Kumm’s death on 1/ 20/13; the order of service for his funeral; and a bio, which inspired the reaction, “Wow! Who knew?” They were living in Irvine, Calif., at the time of Fred’s passing.

Also, via Bob Chutter, that our classmate Dick Cass has died. I’ll share further news of this when I get it.

Can’t wait to see as many of you as possible at reunion June 6–9, 2013.

Dennis Kelly ’54 and Ginny Reed Fisher ’54 at her home in Vermont in October ’12

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DENNIS KELLY 668 Main Ave Bay Head NJ 08742-5346 dskelly007@gmail.com

BE JAY FROEHLICH HILL 747 Water St Apt 349 Framingham MA 01701-3236 bhill24@juno.com DAN FRICKER 165 King St Waterville CQ, Canada J0B 3H0 dcfricker@hotmail.com

From Dennis: This past September, Fred Rice and his lady friend, Theresa, stopped by to see me in Bay Head, N.J., on their way to Williamsburg, Va., and we had a nice chat on our back deck. Fred is trying to sell his trawler yacht through a yacht broker friend of mine. Though Fred lives in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, he keeps his boat near Theresa’s home outside of Peekskill, N.Y. I had the good fortune to sail on the coast of Maine last summer with a close friend of mine, as I have been doing almost every year since ’72. It is without question one of the most sublime activities in the world. As we came into the Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club to pick up a mooring, there was Marggie Slichter ’84 of the NMH Alumni Office. She was awaiting the arrival of a good friend who was in a major ocean race from Marblehead, Mass. We had a nice chat and she didn’t ask me for a donation.

On 12/12/12, I drove up to NMH for the D.L. Moody luncheon. Unfortunately, it was parents weekend at both NMH and Deerfield, and there was not a room to be had. I thought I would be sleeping on a couch at one of the dorms when I gave Ginny Reed Fisher a call to see if she had any room at her place in West Brattleboro, Vt. She did, and it was good to see her. Her husband and loyal ’54 NMH alumnus Ken Fisher passed away in February three years ago. Ginny lives in her great 1840 farmhouse, and her son and grandchildren live down the road. Ginny is planning to visit us on Hilton Head Island in January.

As some of you know, I live in the little village of Bay Head, N.J., on the Jersey Shore—only 960 souls in this little place. One hundred yards to the east is the great Atlantic Ocean and 100 yards to the west is Barnegat Bay. On Monday, 10/29/12, Superstorm “Sandy” came ashore with a 16-foot wall of water, wrecking most of the town. I took a hit with the loss of two cars, a furnace, hot water heater, and washer and dryer. The good news is that I now had beachfront property, until I hired three guys to help shovel 15 tons of sand off my front yard and out into the street for eventual redeployment back to the beach.

During the next few frenetic days, I had some nice calls from classmates to see if I was OK—I am. My old roommate Ralph Perry called from Pasadena, Calif., and Suzie Craig Hastings called

from Norwich, Vt., along with a call from Ginny Reed Fisher, Stan Peck, Jay Crawford, and Stu Leyden. In fact, when I was talking to Stan on Monday evening 10/29/12, I happened to look out the window and saw three-foot waves of water rolling down Main Ave here in Bay Head. I thought: “Holy smoke—this is not good.”

Dave Simmerer lives in a 1787 home in Hubbardston, Mass., where he has lived for 47 years. Dave has retired from public service to the town of Hubbardston and from conducting fishing and hunting guides in northern Quebec. Dave and his wife now have two great grandkids and travel frequently to Germany. They were also in Turkey, Greece, Egypt, and Bermuda, this past year.

A Christmas letter arrived from my old roommate Dave Jansky, who lives in Sunbury, Pa. Dave had some surgery at the beginning of last year but continues to umpire baseball games, volunteer at the local hospital, and lead hiking tours. He also gets down to UVA in Charlottesville, Va., for the annual Jansky Lectures in honor of his father by the radio astronomy community. Dave also has an unusual hobby of collecting photos of minor league baseball parks as he travels around the country.

I received a very nice Christmas letter from Stu Leyden, a retired Presbyterian minister, who lives in Cummins, Ga., a suburb of Atlanta. Stu was on the varsity tennis team at NMH and still plays tennis with the Super Seniors in his town, even though he has had both knees replaced. Stu is of Scottish descent and informs me that the Scots are about to vote on independence. Stu has written to Glasgow and volunteered to become the new king of Scotland, but so far has not heard anything encouraging. To make up for the disappointment, Stu and his wife, Donna, took a month-long cruise of the Mediterranean.

Ed Sundt writes that he has retired from teaching and has just published a work of fiction titled Children of the Wind. It’s available from Barnes and Noble, as well as on Amazon and the Kindle Nook.

If each of us buys a copy, he can afford to come to our 60th and autograph each copy. Ed’s wife, Ann Newman Sundt, is technically retired but still goes to court in Washington, D.C., one day a week to offer family mediation services.

By coincidence, I received an email from Betty Vermey, who lives in Bryn Mawr, Pa. She has just read Ed’s book and highly recommends it. If memory serves me, I think I invited Betty to come over to Mt. Hermon for a football game sometime in the fall of ’53.

Toni Browning Smiley writes that she is at Penn State for an intensive one-week course on ice cream and is writing a book of ice cream recipes—The Complete Guide to Adult Ice Cream. What an interesting life Toni has. In ’52, Toni invited me to come over to Northfield for a parlor date one Saturday afternoon and like a complete fool, I turned her down because I was too caught up in my studies and too fearful of flunking out of Mt. Hermon.

Marty Sperry Dewey invited anyone in Maui, Hawaii, between mid-January and mid-April to come and visit her. Unfortunately, this issue

won’t arrive until May, but you can reach her at mdewey37@aol.com.

A sad note from Sallie Decker Plummer. Her husband, Frank, passed away recently while hiking in the Adirondacks with their daughter Ellen and some friends. Sallie, in the meantime, has decamped from Keene, N.H., to a retirement community in Blacksburg, Va. Ellen is assistant provost at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. Before she left Keene, Sallie got together for lunch in Boston with Connie Fowler Ludwig, Mardy Moody O’Neil, Sheila CranBarry, and Ingrid Jeppensen Swanson—all great

Northfield babes from the class of ’54.

Suzanne Buckson Crowder sends news that she and her husband, Jim, moved from their home in Cockeysville, Md., about three years ago to a continuing care retirement community called Broadmead, founded 30 years ago by Quakers.

Suzanne retired from a nursing career in ’98 but still uses her skills as a hospice nurse. Suzanne has four children, all NMH graduates.

A note from Nancy Darrah Mooney indicates that she and her husband, Dick, ran a food collection and Christmas gift program for seven formerly homeless families in her neighborhood. Nancy, who lives in Toledo, Ohio, is an avid gardener and president of the River Road Garden Club. She and Dick are trying to downsize and move back East after Dick retires next year. Nancy and I went through grammar school together in Little Silver, N.J., from kindergarten to eighth grade. We were some of the 11 kids from Little Silver, Red Bank, and Fairhaven, N.J., who came to NMH as members of the class of ’53 and ’54. She plans to be back for our 60th.

Gail Schaller Storms, her family, and friends, including Bobbie Helmle Simon, returned to campus for Christmas Vespers. She thought the campus was breathtakingly beautiful and the music wonderful, as usual. Gail lives in Bristol, R.I., the former home of one of the world’s most famous yacht designers—Nat Hershoff, called the “Wizard of Bristol.” Gail wanted to know if I was sailing around Bequia or Mustique in the Caribbean— don’t I wish. Gail is part of the IRS’s VITA program and does taxes for seniors.

Ellen Finch Flewelling, who was born and raised in Northfield, now lives in Camden, Maine.

The highlight of her year was the birth of her fifth great-grandchild. She and her husband have a great enterprise of bird carving and do several birdcarving shows a year. She has directed a bird-carving competition in Belfast, Maine, for the past 10 years.

One of her favorite activities is to go down to the docks in Camden and watch the sailboats come and go. She invited me to give her a call the next time I’m in Camden, so she and her husband can come down and watch me crash my boat into the wharf.

I received a nice card from Phil McKean, who has a place in Claremont, Calif. Phil attends the All Saints Church in Pasadena, Calif., where Ralph Perry sings in the choir. Phil is teaching a course in anthropology at Claremont College, and he skis in the adjacent San Gabriel Mountains. Phil also writes that he has become deacon at the St. Ambrose Episcopal Church in Claremont. In the

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CLASS NOTES summer months, he and wife Deborah Adams McKean ’56 return to their place in Cushing, Maine, so I hope to see Phil and Deborah when I am up sailing on the coast this summer. Phil and Deborah spent Christmas with their son and daughter (both NMH graduates) and their families in Santa Barbara, Calif. We expect to see both Phil and Deborah at our 60th.

Marcia Samuel lives in her grand Victorian house in Hackettstown, N.J. She was expecting to see me at the D.L. Moody reception in New York in January, but I had decamped to Hilton Head Island, S.C. Marcia plays lots of bridge and is another expert gardener, raising prize-winning dahlias. Marcia spent her career with IBM in New York, retiring as an expert computer systems engineer. Marcia went to Bucknell with me, but I didn’t know her then.

Thayer Shafer lives Sheridan, Wyo. He is in good health and has invited anyone traveling West to stop for a visit. Sheridan was voted the best cowboy town recently and was selected by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of the dozen most distinctive places to visit in the country. Thayer plans to be at our 60th reunion, as well as to attend his 55th reunion at UNH this year.

Roger Howard and Suzie Craig Hastings rented another place in Hilton Head, S.C., this year.

She came over, and we shared a couple of chocolate martinis. Her brother, Ralph “Tim” Craig ’50, also has a home at Hilton Head.

I received a nice card from Marjorie Hubbard, wife of our loyal alum Dick Hubbard. Dick passed away about a year ago, but Marjorie always enjoyed the fun we have at our reunions and wants to be kept in the loop, so we welcome her with open arms to our 60th.

I have spoken recently with our old friend Curt Ormond, who lives in Colorado Springs, Colo., and plans to be back for our 60th. Curt still sails his Sunfish competitively every Sunday, as well as runs and plays tennis. He joined a group of NMH grads in Boulder, Colo., for a 5K run recently. Curt frequently goes to the antique auto auctions in Phoenix, Ariz., to engage his hobby of antique autos. He has a 1923 Ford Model T depot hack, meaning a taxi.

I heard from Bob Beavins and Charles Blatchford. Bob lives in Glen Mills, Pa., on the Main Line of Philadelphia, and Charles lives in Fair Oaks, Calif., outside of Sacramento.

Bill Young, who lives in Scituate, Mass., on the south shore of Boston, has developed a unique business in which he infuses microbes in foam rubber and then if you place the foam on an oily or greasy area, the microbes eat the oil. He sent me a piece of foam shaped like a fish, and I put it in the bilge of my sailboat and it cleaned the bilge miraculously. We expect to see Bill at our 60th.

In closing, I want to thank everyone for your contributions to both the general fund and to the McVeigh Scholarship Fund. As you may remember, we set up the McVeigh Scholarship fund at our 40th reunion to honor our great French teacher, crosscountry and track coach, Fred McVeigh. He would be very proud.

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DONALD HILLER 102 Javelin Ct Cary NC 27513-5110 dhiller@nc.rr.com LISA TUTTLE EDGE 1110 Cooperskill Rd Cherry Hill NJ 08034 (11/1–5/31) 180 Main St Chatham MA 02633-2424 (6/1–10/31) etedge@aol.com DON FREEMAN 23 Avery Brook Rd, PO Box 132 Heath MA 01346-0132 d.freeman4@verizon.net

From Lisa: September 30 weekend we enjoyed each other’s company during a minireunion consisting of meals in Alumni Hall; a get-together at Taylor’s Tavern; cocktails and dinner at Myrifield, Margaret and Don Freeman’s bucolic conference center/home in the woods of Heath, Mass.; cocktails at Svein Arber’s; dinner at Wiggins Tavern; a slide show of the 50th; attending classes, the football game, and meeting with Head of School Peter Fayroian. In the English class I attended, the students (and I) sat on huge yoga balls, which the teacher rightly observed forces you to sit up, balance, and pay attention, and at the same time you can bounce and relax. I cannot quite imagine Miss Eva using yoga balls, although Mr. Freeman might have been game. The Northfield attendees were Nancy Jones Cicia, Diane Woods, Eunice Whitney Heinlein, Barbara Zschiesche Cooley, Sylvia Barnard, Mary Senter Hart, and Elizabeth Tuttle Edge. For a video, Google: YouTube and search

NMH Class of ’55 Mini-Reunion.

Barbara Zschiesche Cooley and I arranged for a visit to Russell Sage Chapel, which Hobby Lobby has beautifully restored, using the original plans found in the archives. The plans called for two major stones to anchor each side of the roof, which were missing. Just think, all those years the roof could have fallen in. Hobby Lobby also spent millions to restore the 18th-century organ that had been removed in the 1940s. It occupies the marble arch in back of the chancel behind the altar. The caretaker from Grand Canyon University (GCU) who showed us around said the town had been very unwelcoming. The plans were for a 5,000-student residential campus, which would probably overwhelm East Northfield. Once the university was established, it was to become independent of GCU and acquire a new name more suitable to New England. GCU has declined the offer to take over the campus and on 12/31/12, Hobby Lobby gave the campus to the National Christian Foundation, which will continue the search for a suitable owner.

Sylvia Barnard has self-published a book of poems Trees, which will be distributed to bookshops in Great Barrington, Mass., and Troy and Albany, N.Y. In January, she traveled to Sicily with the

Virgilian Society, and as I write, Sylvia is exploring the temples at Agrigento.

Mary Senter Hart, Dini Woods, and Svein Arber met at the Portland Art Museum this fall to see the Winslow Homer exhibit of Maine paintings.

Mary has moved to a retirement place in Falmouth, Maine. She has a single, free-standing home and highly recommends the move. She also has a fabulous 1755 house (with a 1990 addition) for sale in Damariscotta, Maine. It has a few acres and the best view of the Damariscotta River. If interested, email Mary at msh1755@aol.com.

Mernie Heywood Tedrow and her sisters Harriet “HaHa” Heywood Stambaugh ’45 (Indianapolis, Ind.), Jane Haywood Brown ’50 (Gloucester Mass.), and Margie enjoyed a “sisters’ week” in Williamsburg, Va., this fall. On their way back to Pennsylvania, Margie’s Acura sedan was rear-ended and totaled by an SUV on I-95 near Richmond. The sisters suffered only a few aches and bruises and were able to rent a car to continue on to Margie’s house feeling very blessed.

In ’95, Sally Barlow Jorgensen retired from teaching at the University of Minnesota vet school, where she saw the need to get more minority students interested in science. To that end, Sally has volunteered for 15 years to improve science programs in the Minneapolis public schools. Teachers were avoiding science lessons because the science kits required too much preparation. Sally assembles groups of volunteer seniors and autistic children to pre-tag the kit supplies, so they are ready for the teachers to use. Sally has received a lot of feedback from grateful teachers. In addition, the seniors and children are grateful for meaningful work.

Suzanne Rowan Sachatello and Charles are spending the winter in Fernandina on Amelia Island, Fla., to help care for Sedona, their granddaughter (1 1/2 ), whose parents are emergency room doctors working nine-hour shifts in the island hospital.

Suzanne’s other winter project is researching her mother’s family. Suzanne and Charles will return to Kentucky in April for the summer. They have three married children and three grandchildren, who were all in Florida for the holidays.

Carol Strom Black died on 9/9/12 in Auburn, Ala. She is survived by her husband and three children.

Kay Delle Smith Koch died of breast cancer on 8/26/12 in Manhattan Beach, Calif. Kay Delle graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in journalism. She and her husband, Richard, raised their daughter and son in St. Joseph, Mich., where she volunteered for the University

Ernie Imhoff ’55 with his granddaughter Lillian Imhoff (8) aboard the Liberty ship SS John W. Brown

CLASS NOTES of Michigan Alumni Association and the Monday Musical; wrote a historical narrative of St. Joseph’s waterfront district; and was executive director of the Berrien County Community Foundation. In ’08 she moved to Manhattan Beach to be close to her daughter and grandchildren. She also pursued her interests in architecture, jazz, and the arts. Her obituary noted: “Kay Delle succeeded in living her life to the fullest with grace and elegance despite the challenges metastatic cancer presented. Setbacks were regular, but so was her spirit to fight them off to see another day with family, enjoy another sunset, or dance another beautiful dance.”

From Don Freeman: Svein Arber writes: “At the end of September, 14 ’55ers along with six spouses returned to the Pioneer Valley for a minireunion. We attended Friday classes; met with Peter Fayroian, the new head of school; basked in nostalgia as we viewed our class videos; enjoyed a buffet dinner near the Mohawk Trail, hosted by Margaret and Don Freeman in their 18th-century house; attended Saturday’s football game; and schmoozed over cocktails in Svein Arber’s apartment in Northampton before heading for Wiggins Tavern, where we dined in surroundings that haven’t changed since our student days.”

Dick Fitts reports that he and Sharon are wintering again in Sebring, Fla., and he’s fully engaged with yardwork and other diversions.

Everyone in the family has a New England Patriots jersey with #12 Brady on it, including their grandson, whose name is Brady.

Sad news: Our classmate Dave Ganly died on 8/4/12 in Redlands, Calif. Reverdy Johnson remembers: “Dave majored in architecture at Yale and was also in Army ROTC. He went on active duty at a time when our role in Vietnam was in its initial advisory stage. One of his army buddies from those days told me how Dave got to Vietnam. They were listening to President Kennedy’s inaugural speech and the ‘ask not what your country can do for you’ line struck a chord. Shortly thereafter, Dave volunteered for combat and was off to Vietnam. He had been there about a year when he was seriously wounded by a sniper. Later, he went to law school and served as a federal administrative law judge in San Bernardino. I remember seeing Dave’s photographic work, which was very good. It all fit: macho streak combined with the sensitivities of an artist, encased in a self-effacing persona. No wonder he was such a respected jurist.”

Judy and Ben Lindfors took a 10-day cruise in December to the Caribbean, stopping at St. Croix, St. Maarten, Dominica, Antigua, and St. Kitts.

Peter Whaley, a retired professor of geosciences, has been busy presenting programs on fossils to grade schools, local museums and libraries, and at the Assateague Island National Seashore in eastern Maryland. He and Beryl took eight grandchildren and their parents to Disney World to start ’13.

Our classmate Arthur Goldberg made a major donation of collected artworks to the Rhodes Arts Center for our 50th reunion, and those works were the subject of an exhibition at the center in ’10. In a statement accompanying the exhibition, Arthur

wrote: “Art is a personal balm for soothing the aching fear that one’s life is being dominated by the ephemeral stimuli around us. The act of collecting represents a hope that one voyeur made an attempt to realize truth.”

Dave Guarnaccia reports that, after “flunking retirement,” he is still working for Trinity Industries Leasing, which builds and leases railroad cars for industry. Dave and his family live in Bella Vista, Ark., in the Ozarks. “This town has seven golf courses,” Dave writes, “but I don’t golf.”

Margaret and Don Freeman made a quick trip to England in early December ’12 to help Margaret’s mother, Helen Rawson, celebrate her 105th birthday, complete with a birthday card from Queen Elizabeth II. Hilda and Ernie Imhoff celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at Silver Bay, Lake George, N.Y., this past year with 30 family and friends, including six grandchildren. Ernie writes: “Hilda and I were back at some roots; we camped near the lake as kids before we met. Hilda sings in an excellent 50-member choir in our church and does grandchild-caring duty at times. I’m still an ordinary seaman on our old Liberty ship SS John W. Brown, which just sailed out of Baltimore in its 70th year. This age is long after almost all other steamers become scrap, including another wartime Liberty, the SS Dwight L. Moody.”

Bill Kolb has unretired slightly—he’s now calling on the homebound, doing counseling, co-leading a grief support group, and looking forward to a leadership role in a new Sunday afternoon worship service at the Episcopal church in Memphis.

Ellen and Bob Chapin recently moved into a retirement community, The Chesapeake, in Newport News, Va. Bob writes: “We are very pleased with the outcomes of our decision and life is slowly beginning to settle into a new routine.

Even though we moved only 33 miles, our new neighborhood is terra incognita. We are finding new stores, new restaurants, new concert halls, and other essentials of the good life.”

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NELSON LEBO 1046 Millers Falls Rd Northfield MA 01360-9622 nlebo@nmhschool.org DEBBY ADAMS MCKEAN 633 Leyden Ln #203 Claremont CA 91711 (Oct–May) P.O. Box 137 Cushing, ME 04563.(June–Sep) deborah.mckean39@gmail.com

From Deborah: I begin with news of the death of our classmate Marilyn Stevens Johnson of Ormond Beach, Fla., on 1/10/13. Marilyn spent 20 years as an accountant in hospitals and banking, eventually retiring from May, Zima & Co. as a CPA. She was a former member of the Business and Professional Women’s Club, serving as an officer

and becoming Woman of the Year. She volunteered in the outreach ministries of the Community Methodist Church in Daytona Beach, Fla. Marilyn was predeceased by her husband.

Phil ’54 and I welcomed our daughter, Susannah McKean Nicklin ’87, and her children from England the day after Christmas. Joined by our son, Tom ’84, and his partner, my niece from Connecticut and her family, and Phil’s nephew and family from Los Altos, Calif., we all enjoyed a great reunion, running on the beaches and climbing in the mountains of Southern California.

Recent months have introduced me to new areas of ministry at St. Ambrose Episcopal Church in Claremont, where I have been invited to serve as deacon along with a new priest, who is bringing renewed energy to this congregation after 10 years of ministry in Alaska.

Evie Walsh Stevenson expresses gratitude that Hurricane Sandy passed them by and that she has returned to good health, thanks to “a fantastic caregiving partner,” David.

Pattie Pelton Lanier writes from Florida that ’12 began for her with a trip to Egypt and Jordan with Bryn Mawr alumnae. Her three weeks of visiting classical sites in those countries during a time of relative peace there is now a treasured memory. During the ’12 presidential campaign, she lived up to her ’56 yearbook declaration as an “ardent Democrat” by becoming a team leader responsible for 100 volunteers in conservative Sarasota County, where her hard work paid off in the November election.

Ruth Ann Fredenthal was interviewed in May for three hours by filmmaker Phillippe Ungar for the Panza Collection Audio Archives of Milan. He was commissioned to conduct audio interviews of all important people related to the Panza Collection, such as artists of the collection, critics, and curators.

This was a very moving experience for Ruth Ann, as Dr. and Mrs. Panza had acquired 41 of her large paintings in the ’90s and gave her their full support, love, and friendship. Though Dr. Panza died two years ago, she is deeply involved with the family, and spends a day with them whenever they are in New York City. Ruth Ann writes: “As a result of this interview, an art historian discovered my work online and brought a group of designers to the Villa Panza Museum in Varese, Italy, to use my work as a study project. She bought the documentary and all my catalogues and contacted my European galleries and collectors, with the hope that one day she might like to own one of my paintings—this is all quite incredible.”

Keep the news coming and enjoy the time of your life.

From Nelson: Another of our ’56 minireunions occurred in September at the home of Betsy and Bruce Zimmerli in Falmouth, Mass., on Cape Cod. Approximately 30 Northfield and Mt. Hermon classmates and some spouses attended, and of course a great time was had by all. Rumor has it that there may be a repeat this coming September.

On 12/15/12, the three NMH a cappella singing groups performed at a reception at the Willard

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CLASS NOTES Continental Hotel in Washington, D.C. My source informs me that classmates Steve Clapp, John Pflug, and John Lubetkin attended. Speaking of John Lubetkin, he is at it again as an author. He will be publishing a nonfiction entry next fall, Surveyor, Sioux, and Soldier: Custer and the 1873 Yellowstone Survey, with the University of Oklahoma Press.

A small group of Northfield and Mt. Hermon classmates attended Christmas Vespers on 12/20 in Boston. Prior to the service, the group enjoyed dinner at a nearby restaurant with Head of School Peter Fayroian as special guest of the class.

As I write these notes on 1/3/13, the campus is quiet and covered with about 10 inches of snow.

The low last night was minus 4 degrees. Winter has finally arrived in New England.

Carol and I continue as Northfield residents, although we are thinking of making a move within a few years. We are happy to announce the birth of a Kiwi granddaughter, Verti Feliz Lebo, born at home on 8/29/12 in Wanganui, New Zealand.

Thanks to all classmates who have donated to the Annual Fund. Also, please be aware that donations to the class of ’56 scholarship fund can be made at any time. Please help our scholarship fund to grow.”

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DAVID C WILLIAMS 619 East Side Dr, PO Box 6 Alton NH 03809-0006 revdcwms@metrocast.net

JEANNE SWARTZ MAGMER 12705 SE River Rd Apt 103A Portland OR 97222-9701 jeannemagmer@comcast.net From the Alumni Office: In January ’13, Marshall Greenspan of Fairfield, Conn., was named an IEEE Fellow by the board of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. The grade of Fellow is an important career achievement conferred on individuals who have an outstanding record of accomplishments among

Tom Payzant ’58 and Ellie Watson Payzant ’58 in Maine with Diane and Richard Dennison ’56, Kathe Dennison Chipman ’62, and Jaxon

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fields of interest in IEEE. Marshall, who has worked for Northrop Grumman for more than 50 years, was recognized for his contributions to the design and development of multichannel radar for military applications.

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CLAIRE KURTGIS-HUNTER 7595 Solimar Cir Boca Raton FL 33433-1034 mizzengift@bellsouth.net WILLIAM HAWLEY PO Box 91927 Anchorage AK 99509-1927 hawleys@acsalaska.net

From Claire: First, some sad news: we lost Justine “Juppy” Dakin Shoeplein, who passed away on

Labor Day ’12, following a long battle with breast cancer. Juppy was involved with community affairs and progressive politics in Urbana, Ill., where she lived for 41 years. Active in both national and local politics, Juppy worked on Senator Eugene McCarthy’s ’68 presidential campaign in Wisconsin and Oregon and attended the historic Chicago Democratic National Convention. Justine served as speechwriter and education policy advisor for the first U.S. Secretary of Education during the Carter administration. In Urbana, she was an election judge. Known for her outgoing personality and deep involvement with community, politics, family, and education, she will be deeply missed.

How about this blast from the past? From Hiroko “Hiko” Maki Rokumoto: “A Happy New Year to you all from Tokyo, Japan. I was an AFS exchange student in 1956–’57, living in the newly built Mira B. Wilson Hall. Though I did my graduate work at Berkeley, Calif., in 1965–’67, East Northfield seemed so far away. And during the long years in between, I lost contact with my Northfield friends, so I wrote to the NMH Alumni Office.

Thanks to their help, last September my dream to revisit Northfield came true. I was able to revisit the campus and also be met by a dormmate, Betsy Howlett ’57. We exchanged emails before my trip, and our rendezvous plan was to meet on 9/15/12 in the parking lot of the Northfield campus. It was indeed a great opportunity to be able to walk around the campus with my former dormmate after 56 years. I wish to send my heartfelt best regards to you, my classmates.”

Andy Rogers worked for AFS in New York City for eight years after college and roomed with Gina Lyman. Andy placed many students like Hiko in schools and with American families. Andy is now two years into retirement from her job as founding executive director of the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts in Burlington, Vt. “It is a relief not to have a sizable nonprofit organization on my shoulders, as much as I enjoyed a 30-year run there.” Andy plays tennis, sings in a choir, is on the boards of Vermont Public Radio and New England Foundation for the Arts, plus church committees, and works with Bhutanese Nepali refugees. “I just

discovered that friends of mine at our church were teachers at NMH for five years in the ’70s.” Recent travels included the Galápagos, Morocco, for an International Women’s Forum meeting, and a hike with her book group on the Cotswold Way—100 miles in 10 days bookended by weekends in Bath and London. After having two hips replaced in ’10, Andy says this hike was a particular accomplishment.

Another exchange student, Conny Bais Schreuders, writes that just after she and her husband retired, they downsized to an apartment in Arnhem, Holland. Shortly thereafter, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and after seven years, he passed away last year. Conny reports: “Finding a new balance in life after this loss is not always easy.” She is thrilled with the support of her two children and four grandchildren, who live close by.

Two of Conny’s close friends are Kitty Little King, a hiker and photographer par excellence, and Susie Lawrence Anderson ’59. In the past, Conny and Kitty have taken walking tours through Europe, and last spring, they hiked in Andalusia, Spain. Conny plans to visit New York City and Kitty in New Mexico in May and June.

Audrey Wolff Luth reports that she spent two weeks in the hospital with pneumonia and husband Phillip had a mild heart attack cleaning up their driveway after Hurricane Sandy. Both are fine now.

Astrid Lundberg Naviaux is still busy with real estate work and Rotary and is pleased that the housing market is showing a modest recovery. She volunteers for the Chamber of Commerce and the local Norris Theater. Husband Jacques is in charge of a new engineering plant in Colorado Springs, Colo., that produces contacts for pacemakers and other implanted devices, as well as electric contacts for hybrid and electric cars. Like Jane Hougen Fast, Astrid is involved with family reunions. The bi-annual family reunion this year was held at the Bitter End Yacht Club in Virgin Gorda, BVI, with 33 family members, ages six months to 78 years, attending. In New York City for Thanksgiving, Astrid praised the 9/11 memorial, which she believes is “something everyone should try to see.”

Aloha from Peggy Herron Haring in Oahu, who has joined a community choral society that gave five Christmas concerts over the holidays. Peggy and husband Paul miss the fall, so they repeated a trip to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, in October. “The feast of vibrant colors and the Celtic music in a 10-day international festival is something I highly recommend. On the way home, we caught more

Conny Bais Schreuders ’58 and Kitty Little King ’58 enjoying a paella lunch in Andalusia, Spain.

CLASS NOTES fall color and Paul’s family in Ohio. I’ve been playing Scrabble online with roommate Linda Wharton Babson, who is quite ill. Son Mike Haring ’87 is facing his first year of teaching with a first-grade class in a poor rural school on the Big Island.

Daughter Cathy is wrangling her two lovely, brilliant kids. Between sports, school, and music events, we’re kept busy. Life is good.”

Tom and Ellen Watson Payzant celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on 6/16/12 with friends and Tom’s cousins in Maine, Richard Dennison ’56 and Kathe Dennison Chipman ’62 and their spouses. They celebrated again in August at their vacation home in Oregon with all their kids and grandchildren and longtime friends, including Linda Clifford Rockwell. Tom and Ellie met at a Northfield mixer in ’56, and their relationship continued through college. They also celebrated 50th college reunions this year at Connecticut College for Ellie and Williams College for Tom. Fall ’12 brought their first NMH Board of Trustees meeting with new Head of School Peter Fayroian. That same weekend, Ellie and Tom met with Trinka Craw Greger, John Stone, and Steve and Joan Millett Walker to plan for our 55th reunion. Ellie and Tom attended Christmas Vespers on campus before they headed to Minnesota and Utah to see their children and grandchildren. Ellie writes: “If you have not yet seen the NMH book, Lift Thine Eyes: The Landscape, the Buildings, the Heritage of Northfield Mt. Hermon School, think about getting a copy. It is a beautiful book, full of great pictures and rich text.”

Claire Kurtgis-Hunter’s summer in Nantucket was thankfully undisturbed by major storms and hurricanes. Claire and Paul spent two weeks in Kauai, Hawaii, where Claire has two nephews.

“Kauai is like ‘down home,’ with laid-back villages, farmers’ markets, and street art shows. We were serenaded at all hours by the chickens and roosters that run freely all over the island. We survived the threat of a tsunami, which amounted to nothing, even though everyone was evacuated to higher ground; we reveled in a fabulous luau serving more than 600 people; thrilled to a helicopter ride over the Napali Cliffs and Waimea Canyon; and were mesmerized by a catamaran dinner cruise along the Napali coast.”

Claire learned a bit of hula, swam almost every day, and even got up on a surfboard.

Dana “Dee Dee” Cleary moved just before Christmas from Marco Island, Fla., to Wesley Chapel, Fla. She still has her dad, who is 102, living with her. She’d love to hear from classmates.

Contact me for her address.

Hiko Maki Rokumoto ’58, an AFS student from Tokyo, and Betsy Howlet ’57 outside Wilson

Ladies: Mark your calendars: Our 55th reunion— June 7–9, 2013—is almost here; heed the notices coming your way. Please make plans to be among us. We’ll be looking for you.

From Bill: Norm Barstow writes that now that the 50th reunions of NMH and Brown are behind them, he and his wife have decided to maintain Hartford as their home and Westerly, R.I., as their summer retreat. Norm is still making the annual three-month trek to Bulgaria, but plans to sell in two years. Norm’s youngest is working full-time for Out-of-Print Clothing in New York City. Norm spends his time on “this old house” projects and exercising (some running, biking, and gym time).

He is attempting to stay in shape to keep up with his grandson (8) and for travel. Norm still works part-time in science education, traveling to four science conventions each year and giving a workshop at each. He is off to San Antonio in April.

Nick Chandler and his wife, Betsey, are retired and live in Tewksbury, Mass. They have two grown sons and three grandchildren between them. Nick spent the last 25 years living in northern Virginia, working for large IT companies. Prior to that he was in the U.S. Army for 20 years, did two tours in Vietnam, and retired as a lieutenant colonel. Nick reports that he and Betsey “do the usual retired grandparent things—traveling, visiting family, volunteering, and church. Nick’s lifelong interest in New England–made antique guns culminated in ’10 with the publication of his book, Early American Underhammer Firearms. Nick also dabbles in watercolors and hopes to kick that up a bit in the future Trevor Dupuy remains involved in grassroots politics. He writes that Texas is “survivin’ and thrivin’” and will only get better thanks to the prevalence of common sense and traditional values.

James Hamilton is retired in Wilmore, Ky., where he taught philosophy for 50 years both at Asbury University and as an adjunct professor in seminaries and colleges in Kentucky and Mississippi.

Some of the highlights of his life have been to teach Christianity in the Soviet Union and philosophy in Colombia and Uruguay, to lead a study group to New Mexico for seven years, and to do missionary work among the Navajo people in Arizona. Jim is an ordained Methodist pastor and has served congregations in Indiana and Kentucky, and for the last eight years has been assistant pastor in a Hispanic church. The major highlight in his life was the miraculous recovery from a severe car accident in 2000, where he was pronounced dead at the scene, brought back to consciousness, and taken to the

Steve ’58 and Joan Millett Walker ’58 have a dome house in Bell, Fla. Here Steve applies a protective coating to the house.

hospital with multiple fractures and a brain stem injury. After a month in a coma and daily requests from the doctor that he be removed from life support machines, he awoke and was transferred to a rehab hospital, where he remained for three months.

Several times the family was told that he would not survive the night, and then that he would be a toddler all his life. Ten months later, Jim was back in the university classroom teaching philosophy. Jim and Elaine have five children and 19 grandchildren, and a big house with an open door to friends to come and visit.

Bruce Larsen traveled to Cuba, Burma, Tampa, and Chicago in ’12. He found a sharp contrast between Cuba, which lacks commerce and has many crumbling buildings, and Burma, which is characterized by optimism due to the lessening of despotic controls. Everyone in Burma was friendly and looking forward to a better future. Bruce and his wife celebrated their 70th birthdays in Chicago. Bruce attended the Republican National Convention in Tampa as an alternate delegate. This year he will step down as chair of the Republican Party of Santa Fe County.

John Patten reports that he is vertical, mobile, semiretired, married for 48 years, and that life is good.

Joan and Steve Walker continue working on their new home.

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NANCY BISSELL GOLDCAMP 2002 Chantilly Dr Sierra Vista AZ 85635-4866 ngoldcamp@cox.net

PETER WELSH 10246 Old Shiloh Rd Pefferlaw ON, Canada L0E 1N0 peter@cantope.ca

From Nancy: As always, during the winter it’s great fun to receive cards and letters from our classmates.

Most of the news they bring has familiar themes: times spent with children and grandchildren, family excursions to places far and near, and some medical problems. Emily Smith FitzRandolph had a pretty busy year. Last winter she joined a group sponsored by Heifer International and organized by the Colorado School of Mines on a trip to Honduras; her son Peter and daughter Pamela joined her. On this trip, among other things, she discovered that she wasn’t very strong, so on returning she joined a fitness club and did several months of strength training. On a recommendation from a friend of her late husband, she wrote two book reviews for an environmental journal published in England. She has begun volunteering at a mental health center and at a homeless shelter. She was able to visit her sister, Kay, in Los Angeles before she died, and then went back twice to help Kay’s daughter empty out her house.

David and Virginia “Ginger” McCann Giammattei ended ’11 with a fabulous Royal Caribbean family cruise, starting in Puerto Rico.

The eight of them agreed to lock up all their

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CLASS NOTES electronic communication devices, do all the onshore activities together, and sit down to dinners together that they didn’t have to prepare and the kids didn’t have to clean up. “At the end of seven days, everyone from age 11 to 76 agreed that we wanted to do it again. Most passengers on this ship were part of multigenerational gatherings as large as 30.” In the fall, they were hit by Superstorm Sandy.

“Losing electricity for four days, we survived nicely thanks to our gas fireplace, gas and battery lanterns, and a portable gas camping stove.”

Jim (Honorary ’59) and Barb Mackin Kondras’s annual trip to Arizona around New Year’s saw them visiting Las Vegas, Nev., and “discovering” the Charleston Peak National Wildlife Area just north of Las Vegas. They joined their relatives from Wickenburg for their usual trek to the neighborhood and had a delightful dinner together. In the spring, Jim had his left knee replaced, and the surgery and rehab went better than he or anyone else expected. In July, they traveled to Pagosa Springs, Colo., and saw parts of the southern Rockies that they hadn’t visited before. Most of the time while at home they were the traveling cheering section for their grandson Bryce’s baseball team and granddaughter Jordyn’s fast-pitch softball team.

Chris and Sue Hay Kapsalis had a terrific 11-member family reunion in Florida last spring.

Nancy Johnson spent quite a while early in the year not feeling well, and finally she was diagnosed as being very anemic. That’s all squared away now, and early in ’13 she’s going to have one of her hips replaced. She saw brother Mike Lee and his family in May and spent July 4th with her sister Peggy Lee ’64 in South Carolina.

Bill and I are doing less traveling now, since it’s getting harder for him to move around. I’m doing less traveling as well, since it’s also getting harder for him when I go away. I resigned my volunteer position as Alzheimer’s coordinator for our five-state region of the National Association of Active and Retired Federal Employees. But before I did that, I attended a miniconvention in May in Cheyenne, Wyo., and after it was over I spent a lovely evening with Linda and Dick Barker.

From Peter: I have now used the school’s e-blast a number of times, and hooray, I got the best response ever for this issue—mind that you could always do with more. Kim Boyle, who just had a new furnace installed, was the first to respond.

And then, of course, Dan Waugh, but then a very pleasant surprise from Jim Paterson: “Lest you feel you’re struggling on alone, here is a short commentary from one of the ‘One-Year Wonders.’ fortunate enough to be accepted just for my senior year.” Jim retired from being an airline captain in 3/01. He had been commuting from his family home—a summer cottage for “the rusticators” up from Boston, New York, and Philadelphia—built in 1890 in Five Islands, Maine, on the midcoast.

He is involved with his church, heading its finance committee and later becoming senior warden.

Wife Diane was a German major in college, then a Fulbright Scholar, who lived a year in Vienna for her study. They have used the pass benefits available

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to retired airline personnel for trips to Germany, Austria, Italy, and Ecuador, where Jim lived for the first four years of his life. They also drive to Minnesota, where Diane was raised, usually coming and going through Canada. “We’re 10 years late for our retirement goal of driving across America but haven’t given that up. I guess we’d better hurry.”

Another retired gentleman, Robert Friedman, weighed in. He retired in 5/10, closing his 36-year practice of dermatology in Connecticut. He and Winifred bought a house in Venice, Fla., in a golf country club community near Sarasota, and they now spend November through April there. May through October they divide their time between Storrs, Conn., and their cottage on Pemaquid Point, Maine. They do rent the cottage out, so if you’re interested, contact Peter for Bob’s phone and address. Bob writes: “I go through periods of feeling very content, and at other times I feel a bit bored with Florida, though generally we love it. Mostly we take in theater, symphony, and I take courses all winter at the many educational venues in the area. It has been a huge adjustment for me going from a very demanding tight schedule to being virtually free to do what I want all the time. I have missed medicine considerably and am considering a volunteer position in Venice, serving the indigent population on a limited basis. I am on one local board, which keeps me somewhat busy. I am in very good health and exercise daily, which I think is essential to avoid the otherwise progressive decline in both cognitive and physical functioning. I try to challenge myself with somewhat more-demanding books to keep myself from developing early rot of the brain. My most recent venture was to reread Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, which turned out to be very relevant to our recent election.”

Dick Barker and Linda have been spending the last few winters in Arizona. “What a change after spending all those winters in Wyoming, where summer is great but nine months of winter is just getting a little too tough. Never thought I could abandon the culture of Wyoming, but I’ve discovered that golf beats the hell out of ice fishing. Amazing...you can go cycling every day of the winter around here. Anne and Jim Newmans and Juliane and Neal Ketcher live within an easy drive, and we seem to hang out together quite a bit. We’ll head back North in May.” Dave Brewster chimed in with his annual Christmas newsletter: Nancy and David traveled around the Southeast from Virginia to Florida to New Orleans, then up the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers back to Wadsworth, Ohio. They took several trips to Prudence Island, R.I., and went to Nancy’s 45th high-school reunion in Marion, Va. Dave does occasional consulting work, gardening, playing with wood, and painting odd things. They both are avid readers. “We love being retired together and are both very healthy and in good spirits. Our life together is blessed indeed, and we hope that each of you has been just as fortunate and happy.”

And patience pays off—received the following from our Token Brit—Brian “Limey” Sedgwick: “The thought of you being so lonely without

communication from your classmates apart from some has driven me to just let you know that Jane and I are still above ground and enjoying life as best you can at our time of life. We still play golf, or try, and Jane took on chairmanship of the ladies section of our club, which keeps her occupied, and also is secretary of a region of a national charity, which raises money for disadvantaged children. I’m still on a couple of committees regarding golf, one national and the other regional, which is good fun and keeps you in touch with old friends. We both keep pretty well and are lucky to have our two daughters living within five miles and see them regularly.”

And finally, friend Neville Davison chipped in with a heartfelt thanks much appreciated by yours truly: “After reading the voluminous response from the handful of class members, I would say that we are going to make a reasonable showing in the next alumni news publication. I liked the thoughtful ones that looked back from retirement to the productive years, when, as most of us learned, it was almost impossible to make progress because a thousand other things—obligations, requests, regulations—demanded the attention of our best hours.

It is good to see that you have accomplished something worthwhile. I have viewed close-up your own set of interruptions. Your stamina is an inspiration.

I mean that.”

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HANNAH SIBLEY GRAY 306 Cotuit Bay Dr Cotuit MA 02635-2916 hsgray@verizon.net SARAH MAHONEY RUGGLES 2945 Ash Meadows Blvd Zanesville OH 43701-9795 sruggles@columbus.rr.com AL CHASE 1141 Kumukumu St Apt A Honolulu HI 96825-2645 nmh60uh66@yahoo.com

From Happy: Emily Clifford Jackson completed her fourth summer as innkeeper at the Clifford Country Bed and Breakfast in Vermont. She spent the winter in Granada, Spain, where her son and two grandsons live. Roger and Happy Sibley Gray enjoyed a Baltic cruise during the “white nights” of June—especially the beautiful islands of Copenhagen and Stockholm and the fabulous royal palaces of St. Petersburg.

On a sad note, Diane Jenks Ives passed away on 12/2/12, after a short Illness. She grew up in Greenfield, Mass. Diane spent much of her life helping animals in need. She also was a phonathon volunteer and class chair. She is survived by two children and two granddaughters and her partner, Bill Coughlin. She was predeceased by her husband, Eli Terry Ives.

Susan “Todd” Middleton Tully is still printing photos with a second career on the iMac. “I finally

CLASS NOTES learned to sew Christmas articles. Am still married to Pruit Tully for 47 years. Would love to hear from friends.”

From Al: Al King remains active as a manager of a program called High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas. He administers $3.5 million in federal grant monies to federal, state, and local drug task forces that deal exclusively with illegal drugs and resulting violence in Kansas and western Missouri. Al writes: “It is a great retirement gig (after 30 years with the FBI). I like the money, but I think after one more year I will pull the plug. I want to do some traveling.”

Larry Fullerton is enjoying retirement but says he has less time to himself now than when he was working.

It is much the same for Dennis Walker, who says nothing different or unusual for him and his wife, Sandra, in ’12. “Our health is very good, and we remain busy and active, which we are thankful for.”

Steve Wasnok is thankful to his sister, who gave him one of her kidneys five and a half years ago. Steve writes: “My kidney transplant continues to function well and allows me to do just about anything I wish to do.” Steve went through the Johns Hopkins Incompatible Kidney Transplant Program that allowed him, a Group O recipient, to receive his sister’s Group A kidney, using plasmapheresis to remove naturally occurring antibodies that otherwise would have caused the kidney to be rejected.”

I’m grateful to be around to watch our beautiful grandchildren (8 and 5) grow and develop. They are a source of great joy to me and to my wife.”

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GRETEL PORTER P.O. Box 369 Damariscotta ME 04543 sangam1008@yahoo.com CRAIG WALLEY 573 S 6th St Columbus OH 43206-1272 operacraig@aol.com

From Gretel: Tasting Santa Fe at a minireunion in August, Susan Meader Tobias and Cynthia Van Hazinga joined Marta Weigle, who lives there, and explored from the Pecos historic park to the Chimayo Sanctuary. Marta, just retired from a stellar academic career, knows everything about that old city and everyone in town; she has just published a book, Telling New Mexico, perhaps her 26th book.

None of the three still fits into her Northfield blazer (unlike Lucy Benjamin Hazler). They enjoyed sumptuous meals, a grand performance of Tosca, and many laughs.

Although they live in adjacent towns, Shirley French Kingsbury and Cynthia Van Hazinga can’t seem to get together but meet at the prescription counter at Rite-Aid, where all the ailing meet.

Beatrice “Trixie” Nash Horowitz traveled across the country with her husband and wrote a

book about it, A Year of Days. Google says, “Two people living in a camper for a year can generate a lot of unexpected heat.” Check it out; boost sales.

Jo Dawson Kidder is off to France on a cemetery tour. Husband Rolland Kidder oversees military monuments and cemeteries for President Obama.

Maybe they’ll see Suzanne Rubendall Faudon. In September, they plan a South Pacific cruise. Jo’s 70th birthday will be celebrated in Tahiti. We cheer you on.

Humans must change. Civilians do not need more weapons. When considering U.S. gun reform, the Delhi gang rape crisis—where my granddaughters live—or environmental degradation around the world, be vigilant. Fight the good fight.

Send me your news.

From Craig: Cape Cod is on alert for the return of Pete Johnson to the tennis courts on two new knees. While waiting for tennis weather to arrive, Pete has been working with Carol White Odell and others on conservation projects on the Cape.

Dobbs Hartshorne is still doing wonderful work, bringing classical music to people who otherwise would never hear it, including in prisons and in war-torn areas like Iraq. His organization—Bach With Verse—deserves our support.

Please note the new email address above.

Thanks to all who responded to my e-blast calling for news. What a pleasure it was to hear about the interesting paths your lives are taking. Generally, I would say that the class of ’62 is still aglow with memories of the 50th reunion, eager to keep in touch, and looking forward to another reunion in ’17.

First, a note from reunion chair, Cindy Kidder: “As I suspect it has for most of you who attended reunion in June, for me the weekend has become a bright memory to take out and savor from time to time. It resembles an edited and somewhat jumbled film, with lots of close-ups and long shots, crowd scenes and intimate conversations. Mostly, my mental camera zooms in on individuals—all of you who were there—those who I’ve been fortunate enough to have seen in the years since our graduation, and many more who succeeded in making a 50-year gap seem like nothing. It is a tribute to all of you that we achieved what seemed impossible—we broke the

record for the largest number of classmates returning for their 50th reunion.

“Of course, this was no accident—together with the men of Mt. Hermon ’62, we had the best group of class committee volunteers anyone could wish for. Right from the start, the determination to make this reunion the best ever was strong—as was our commitment to allow every attendee to experience it as they wished without the pressure of too many scheduled events. We achieved our goal of celebrating who we are now, as well as what we have been able to accomplish over the years, a splendid testimony to the schools and the teachers who nurtured us all. Those of you who were not able to attend— you were missed. And you may well have been discussed. You were definitely held in our hearts as dear.

“So now, let’s make a vow to keep the ties we reestablished fresh in our minds. We will reconvene in ’17, but meantime, keep in touch. We’ll be reviving the classes of ’62 Home Host program—more information to follow. Use your invaluable Reunion Yearbook to contact each other (and if you didn’t get one, contact the school for your copy). My best wishes to you all.”

You are invited to email Cindy at lucindakidder@hotmail.com for copies of any of the following reunion-related documents: The memorial booklet—a full list of deceased classmates and comments and reminiscences written by classmates; The full program, including texts that were used at the class memorial service held at Sage Chapel on 6/9/12; The text of Gail Ryerson Parson’s sermon at the Alumni Memorial Service on 6/10/12.

Kathe Dennison Chipman writes: “The months have passed quickly since June, and each of us carries in our hearts warm memories of our 50th reunion—and gratitude to NMH for its continuing presence today.” Kathe’s sophomore roommate, Beth Austin Jester, and husband Leven visited her in October. Beth was not be able to be at reunion but is eager to attend our 55th.

Jean Meyer Martin loved our 50th reunion. She sold her New York City apartment and moved to Longboat Key, Fla. She’d love to see any and all. You can contact her at jmarti4078@aol.com.

Judy Young Townsend writes from Shanghai, where she is head of the Montessori School: “It was so good to be at the reunion. While I was there, my heart moved from bitterness about the sale of the Northfield campus to forgiveness. I remain committed to the ideals and life Northfield helped me create and continue to want that opportunity for other students.” Judy is finishing five years in Shanghai,

Cynthia Van Hazinga ’61 and Marta Weigle ’61 explored New Mexico together.

Cindy Kidder ’62 and Deborah Dain ’62 at the summit of Bandera Mountain, east of Seattle, in August ’12

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SUE SAUNDERS CHANDLER 3/50 Walsh Street South Yarra Victoria, 3141 Australia susanchandler1@mac.com

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CLASS NOTES where she brought Montessori education to the children of this city. She writes: “With Shanghai now the center of the financial world, having parents listen to ideas that are not based on financial gain but are based on peace, responsibility, working with your hands, and the joy of learning have been transformational experiences for them. Every day I realize that this school shares the values of NMH.” Judy’s son Joseph ’98 attended the University of Beijing after NMH and has taken a new job in Hangzhou, a city just outside Shanghai. Judy visited with Jean Meyer Martin in October, when she came through Shanghai on a tour with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and had dinner with two NMH humanities classes in 11/12 during their trip to China. Judy welcomes visits from any NMH alum. “Come before 6/13, as this time I really am going to retire.”

Sherry Brush Geddes had a wonderful time at reunion. Sherry and partner Ted have been remodeling two houses in Northern California, one of which they sold and the other is for Sherry’s daughter. Sherry and Ted hope to move to Belize this summer when their dream retirement home is ready.

Cindy Kidder has had a busy year in Seattle, enjoying her young grandchildren and camping and hiking opportunities. She writes: “This coming June will bring big changes for me—I will be moving back East. Life in a big city just isn’t for me, and now that daughter Emily Wilkins Clark ’97 and family are well settled, I’m eager to get back to my theater/teaching work. I’ve reconnected with colleagues in the Connecticut River valley and have several projects to be working on as a freelancer. I’ll keep you posted about where I wind up.”

Carol Beyer Renwick was delighted to reconnect with classmates at reunion. She and husband Hugh live in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. They love their new life—the culture, the people, the climate, the classes, and the opportunities to volunteer.

They have just taught two courses at the Center for the Development of Anthroposophy and Waldorf Education in Cuernavaca on self-development and the 12 senses, according to Rudolf Steiner. They will be back in New Hampshire in the summer.

Leslie Henchey Kehoe says reunion was fabulous. Diana Adam Home flew from London several days before reunion and stayed with her. “We have seen each other off and on throughout the years since graduation both here in and in England. My husband and Di’s husband got along famously.

Sadly, I lost my husband eight weeks before reunion,

Jock Bethune ’62, Roger W. Smith ’62 , Dick Linthicum ’62, and Bob Seely ’62 gathered to honor Roger’s retirement from Con Edison.

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so having Di with me and looking forward to reunion was great therapy.” Leslie is active in the Hingham Rotary, yacht club, and Citizens Police Academy, and has recently become a volunteer at the Swap Shop at the Hingham Transfer Station.

She works part-time for the Department of Public Works, is part of a weekly bridge group, and intends to return to playing golf this spring.

Oops. Sharon Dennis Elmore’s contact information was mistakenly omitted from the 50th Reunion Yearbook. Sharon, who lives in Madison, Conn., would be pleased to hear from classmates. You can reach her at sharonedelmore@gmail.com.

Nancy Rolfs Scott would like to keep in touch with everyone. Her new email address is nscott82@ outlook.com.

finished reading, it’s time for you to get off your duff and write me some notes—time’s a-wasting.

For those of you who are not digitally connected (we know that you are out there), there are two ways to enter the digital age with your classmates.

First, join the NMH Alumni Community web page at: https://community.nmhschool.org/and second, join the class Facebook page at Northfield Mount Hermon School Class of 1962.

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WILLARD THOMEN 417 Nicholson St Joliet IL 60435-7043 wthomen@stfrancis.edu

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E. SCOTT CALVERT 440 Terrace St Ashland OR 97520-3004 scottcalvert@mac.com

Once again I face a rather meager mailbox of news. A gentle reminder, dear classmates—no news from you, no news from me. That being said, I fall back on my own—greetings from our new digs in Ashland, Ore. We drove across the country, arriving in 7/12. As I write in January ’13, I have returned to downhill skiing after a 15-year hiatus and, so far, have not broken anything. Kori and I have enjoyed the past six months of exploring the gorgeous wilderness, world-class theater, and nascent wine industry in the valley; we have made a good choice.

Roger W. Smith retired from Con Edison in 6/12. No more commuter trains into NYC. Today he and Delores are sorting out next steps.

In 10/12 we received the sad announcement of the passing of Mary Lighthall Compton ’44. We all will miss Mary’s no-nonsense smile and ready ear to hear the adventures of her boys at each reunion.

Jock Bethune represented the class at her service in Memorial Chapel in November.

I know it’s a broken record, but I cannot write what you do not tell me. Want more? In preparation for our 50th reunion, over 60 of our classmates wrote memories and observations for the Classes of 1962 Yearbook. So, there’s an easy way to catch up with 60 peers—just go to https://community.nmhschool.org/Reu2012/1962yrbk and order your very own copy of our acclaimed yearbook—and hurry: there is a limited number of copies. And after you’ve

John Gamel ’63 and Jack Brock ’63 at 12,000 feet above sea level in the Rockies

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DIANE SEWALL CHAISSON 25 Williams Rd N Grafton MA 01536-1237 diane@meadowlarks-farm.net

From Diane: This is the last class column before reunion. I have only a few snippets of news that have been shared this time around, as I’m sure you are saving them for your profiles and for reunion itself. I am looking forward to seeing many of you this June. I have read the profiles that have been filled out and am amazed at the diversity of experiences, memories, and thoughts you have shared. I am also amazed about the similarities that I found.

We were a class that turned to service of others through teaching, social work, library science, religious education, and music. We share ourselves and our talents in our work and in our private passions.

We were taught well by extraordinary teachers and used what we learned.

I know some of you will not be able to make it back for our 50th for various reasons. You will be missed. We will think of you, share stories about you, and send our thoughts and prayers to you.

Please keep in touch.

Bee Rubendall Boster will probably not make it due to replacement/repair surgery on both hips, both shoulders, and both knees over the next two years due to arthritis, which started with her right hip in 10/12. She sends her best to all.

Joan Newman Yanda will not be able to attend because her choir will be going to England that month and attendance at rehearsals is expected. She writes: “I would have loved to be a part of Ruddigore, as I was onstage.”

Margery Atwater Mosher and her husband went to South Carolina at Christmas to visit their older daughter and Ann Morin Levine (Weston/ Hibbard), who lives in Charlotte, N.C. Margie writes: “It was so much fun to see her after all these years. After we relaxed a little, we got to talking and went on for about an hour and a half.”

We are nearing our class gift goal, but there is still time to be a part of it. Every little bit counts. A donation to the NMH Annual Fund can be done online or by check. A gift to the NMH Class of ’63 Scholarship Fund of any amount given by 6/30 will be matched by Rudy Schildknecht. What

CLASS NOTES a wonderful challenge. There is also a Northfield School for Girls Scholarship to be awarded to a girl each year who best represents the spirit of Northfield.

If you are still on the fence about coming to reunion, please do. Even if it is only a day visit, we want to see you. If you can’t, please drop me a note or email to share your news at reunion or in the next issue of the magazine.

From Willard: Men of Hermon, I share Diane’s excellent comments and reflections at the top of this column. Hermon was a unique and special influence in the shaping of our lives, and this coming June we can celebrate and revisit the memories of our shared time together in our formative years. I want to thank all of you who responded with news items for this final column before our reunion.

Last September, John Gamel drove his bike across the country on the northern route to visit his sister in Sonoma, Calif. He then continued through Southern California to Texas and back to Boston via Mississippi, Tennessee, North Carolina, and up the coast. He spent a couple of days with John Brock in Denver.

Bob Haslun recalls that “pretty cool memory” of the tremendous thunderclap at the climatic end of “What Strangers Are These” from our ’62 Christmas Vespers in Sage Chapel. He attributes “almost all of my lifelong love of classical music and theater to Al Raymond and John Williams.” Unfortunately, he and his wife, Ursula, will not be able to attend the reunion, as they will be getting their College Light Opera Company (CLOC) in Falmouth on Cape Cod up and running for its 45th summer season. It is Bob’s 49th season, as his company emerged from the Oberlin College Gilbert & Sullivan Players, which had been on the Cape since ’53. After Oberlin withdrew its support, Bob, who had been with the Oberlin group for five years, started CLOC in ’69. He met Ursula in ’68, and they were married in ’75. They have been running the company together since ’74. Their website will be of interest to many NMH alums who are dedicated Gilbert & Sullivan fans—www.collegelightoperacompany.com.

Bob retired from Oberlin College in ’06 but loves living in Oberlin during non-CLOC months. He’d love to visit with any class members who come to Falmouth in the summer.

Peter Jenks was in D.C. in December and met the new Head of School, Peter Fayroian, and heard the NMH a cappella singers. He stopped to visit Pete Conklin on his way home and encouraged Pete to attend the 50th.

After 32 years as professor and chair of bicultural-bilingual studies at University of Texas at

Ann Morin Levine ’63 and Margery Atwater Mosher ’63

San Antonio, Robert “Leche” Milk retired in 9/12—“semiretired” as he continues to teach parttime. A highlight of his final year was receiving a lifetime achievement award from Bilingual Research SIG of AERA at its annual conference in Vancouver.

This year, he and his wife, Rosa Maria, celebrate their 40th anniversary. They met in Peru during Leche’s Peace Corps days (’69–’72). Rosa has also retired from her career as a bilingual teacher. They have two sons, Roberto and Andy, who co-founded Novica.com and work with artisans around the world. Their five grandchildren keep them young, and they enjoy traveling to Brazil and Peru to visit extended family from both sides. They are looking forward to the reunion.

Bill Utley also remembers the thunderclap and snow from ’62 Vespers. After graduating from Syracuse in ’68, Bill was commissioned into the army infantry. He was with the 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile) in Vietnam (’69–’70) and came off active duty in ’73, staying in the reserves until ’80. Bill attended grad school at the University of New Haven, receiving a master’s in criminal justice in ’76. He served as a special agent and special agent bomb technician with the U.S. Secret Service from ’76–’04, when he retired. He does part-time consulting and training now. Since ’82, he and wife Anne have been heavily involved in maritime and terrestrial archaeology and work for several archaeologists, volunteering at several sites. Bill returned to school for fun and earned a master’s in military history from Norwich University in ’08. He and Anne are huge Disney nuts, and you can find them at Disney World, Disneyland, or on a Disney ship several times a year. Bill still travels a good bit and was in Abu Dhabi on work twice in ’12, Berlin for a conference, Tucson visiting friends, and the U.K. in January ’13 speaking at an archaeology conference.

Rick Watson writes that his book, Slave Emancipation and Racial Attitudes in NineteenthCentury South Africa, was published in ’12 by Cambridge University Press. He just returned from Cape Town, where he participated in a conference about 18th- and 19th-century South African history.

He found the place “fascinating.” While on a layover in London on that same trip, Rick happened upon the grave of Hubert Parry, composer of the music for “Jerusalem,” while visiting the crypt of St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Richard Weisman will be back for the reunion and hopes to play his trumpet for the Sunday chapel service. Rick has been involved with the creation of a sustainable development program at Lehigh and went with students to Costa Rica right after Christmas for the 15th consecutive year to look at how that country manages to stay “green” while growing economically through ecotourism and encouraging local business. He also advises the local chapter of Engineers Without Borders, a group dedicated to sustainable development. Rick hopes to offer a brief lecture on development and facilitate a discussion on the issues at reunion.

Ricker Winsor is in his final year teaching art in Trinidad. His artwork is being represented by the country’s best art gallery—Horizons, in Port of

Spain. His website shows all of his Trinidad paintings. He has been working once again with abstract painting, a world he grew up in but only recently entered completely. Rick has also done a lot of writing these last 10 years. Quite a bit has been published in the web journal “Reflets du Temps” from France. His first book, Pakuwon City, came out a couple of years ago. He still practices his guitar and sings almost every night. He has a YouTube video posted of him getting a boxing lesson from the former amateur champ of Indonesia, Tony “the fist.”

He writes: “It was a lot of fun. I have a deep affection for Indonesia, and I felt that way even before marrying a wonderful Chinese Indonesian woman.

I am very happy that this new world has been opened up for me.” He and his wife will be returning to Bali to start teaching at the Bali Center for Artistic Creativity in July ’13. Rick regrets not being able to attend the reunion. “I still have a strong tie to the school, more than the other places I attended.”

Sadly, I have to report that we have lost another classmate, Edward “Ted” Cole, who passed away 11/8/12 at his home in Lake Bluff, Ill., of prostate cancer. He is survived by his wife, Mary Dallas Cole, and two children. His NMH relatives include his brothers, Stephen Cole ’68 and W. Graham Cole ’61, and nephew Andrew Cole ’12. Ted was a Vietnam veteran, scholar, and an administrator for the Community Church of Lake Forest and Lake Bluff. He attended our 25th reunion.

The melodious strains of our ’62 Christmas Vespers are still singing in my head, while memories of Sacred Concert with “Great Is Jehovah, the Lord” and “Once to Every Man and Nation” will soon take over. June will be here before you know it, and the celebration will begin.

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EASTY (ROBERT) EASTMAN PO Box 218 Shaftsbury VT 05262-0218 rheastman4@comcast.net

PAMELA STREET WALTON PO Box 33 Spofford NH 03462-0033 pawalton@myfairpoint.net

From Pam: Next January I’ll be compiling class notes that won’t be read until after our 50th reunion.

Time flies. Solidify plans now to attend reunion weekend June 5–8, 2014. Otherwise, you will be missed by all of us.

Mardi Drew Keyes (a first-time contributor to class notes) and her husband, Dick, work for L’Abri Fellowship, a residential Christian study community. From ’70 until April ’10, they lived “on campus” (branches in Switzerland, England, and Southborough, Mass.), having students in their home for meals. In ’10, they bought their first home (becoming seniors and grown-ups at the same time.), and became commuters. Mardi now works part-time. Their three grown sons are Chris (a Mass.

spring 2013 I 63

CLASS NOTES State Trooper), Tim (a wildlife biologist/ornithologist who works with shore birds on the Georgia coast), and Ben (a musician, artist, teacher, who with his wife works with them in L’Abri). They are blessed with six grandchildren ranging in age from 2 to 6, and they hope to be at reunion.

Pam Johnson Smith has not been in touch with Northfield friends for many years, but writes that age 65 brought wisdom and more, and she wishes to reconnect and hopes that anyone who visits Mount Desert Island, Maine, will look her up in Southwest Harbor. This former alto, who is now a mezzo, sings in a small community chorus, in a hospice group called Evensong (which sings at the bedsides of folks in their homes, nursing homes, retirement homes, and hospitals), and in a superb choir in St. Saviours Episcopal Church in Bar Harbor, Maine. Her bumper sticker reads: “When words fail, music speaks.” Free time is spent walking in Acadia National Park, reading voraciously, and always trying to live outside her comfort level… she recently traveled to Ecuador as part of the local Hancock Medical Mission. Pam shares her home with a good friend of many years and has two sons.

She and son Benjamin (35) are bound by Words with Friends (a potentially addictive game like Scrabble) on their iPhones. Her elder son, Jonathan, lives in Colorado and is the father of Eli (3). Pam writes: “I continue to work in my private massage practice and have the privilege of working with caregivers who are seeing to the well-being of their loved ones in hospice care. It is work that is profoundly moving and always humbling.”

Another classmate who would enjoy a visit from anyone in the area is Marcia Eastman Congdon in Tucson, Ariz. This past year, she and husband, George, who winter in Arizona and summer in N.H., sold their home in Milford, N.H. Daughter Nancy Congdon ’89, who had been living in the New Hampshire home, relocated to Arizona and now lives only eight miles away. Their son John Congdon ’94, father of Julia (4) and Ryan (8), lives in Worcester, Mass. He recently received the Martin Luther King Chancellor’s award for integrity at UMass Medical School. Marcia continues to crochet for charity and create silver jewelry. George sells his wooden wares at three craft fairs each month.

Marcia and George will be at reunion.

Sue Creasy Case writes from Wisconsin that she is wrestling with when to retire. She is responsible for the multistate bar exam used to license lawyers across the country. Husband, Bob, who retired in ’01 from his career as a college professor, keeps busy gardening and building furniture. Their five grandchildren range in age from 4 to 22. The oldest has graduated from college and is gainfully employed, with benefits, every parent’s and grandparent’s dream come true.

Vivien Gall Gibney, Joanne Westin, Wendy Moonan, and Jean Thompson sent me news tidbits. Vivien and husband Noel are retired, travel often to “escape the dreary, British weather,” and sadly are unable to attend reunion. Joanne has been retired from teaching biology at Case Western Reserve for four years, but she subbed for a semester

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and found it was a luxury to concentrate on just one course. In the summer, Joanne now has time to run a children’s gardening program. Wendy, owning one of the only homes in her Long Island, N.Y., area not to lose electricity during Hurricane Sandy, put up several friends, who stayed six days. Wendy continues to write for Architectural Record and is a consultant to 1stdibs.com, an online marketplace for antiques, vintage couture, jewelry, and real estate. Travel is her middle name—Italy, France, England, and San Francisco were mentioned in her communication. She will be at reunion, as will Jean Thompson. Jean is using retirement to read, to complete quilting projects she began years ago (as well as starting and finishing a few more), to visit family (in person, on the phone, and via the Internet), and to enjoy her pets.

On the winter solstice, Kathy Childs Jones, Kathy Marsh, and Kathy’s sister Dorothy Marsh Haney ’60 met for dinner in Boston and afterward walked to Emmanuel Church in Boston’s Back Bay to enjoy Christmas Vespers. At the church they were joined by Randy and Alison Phillips Cushing.

Randy is working fewer hours for Mass Mutual so that he and Alison can travel; they visited Florida, Honduras, Guatemala, Switzerland, and Puerto Rico over the last year.

Virginia “Weegee” Look Brooks also attended the Boston Vespers and estimated the audience to be 500, considerably more than when she attended several years ago. Weegee is still at Harvard as a major gifts officer, a job she loves, and is a grandmother, which is another job she loves.

Joan Thacher Tiffany’s important personal news is the November birth of her granddaughter, Alden Tiffany Bell, who happens to live down the street from her in Boston.

A recent retiree (September ’12) from HewlettPackard, Faye Lavrakas wasted no time in enjoying the freedom of retirement. Last year she did one of the must-dos on her bucket list. She went to the Santa Fe Opera and Indian Market Week, where she saw Native American crafts from numerous locations; ’13, will include more trips, a visit from Kathy Marsh, and lots of playtime with grandson Jacob (6), who lives nearby. Faye will be at reunion, and you may get a call from her, since she has volunteered to help with preparations.

As a retired educator, I, Pam Street Walton, am giving you an assignment. Your task is to reflect on your Northfield years and the traditions/escapades that shaped your future and/or made you smile. In December, as I listened to Christmas Vespers on the NMH campus, I closed my eyes; I remembered our junior year Vespers in Sage Chapel. “What Strangers Are These” was being sung. There was a long, silent rest just before the final phrase…and then came that clap of thunder. What a remembrance. Now it’s your turn. We need your recollections for our 50th reunion yearbook.

From Bob: Brian Farrell is still in the real estate business in New York City. Brian has been in contact with Chris Van Raalte, who is in San Francisco. If you would like to connect with Brian or Chris you can email Brian at bfarrell@bhsusa.

com. Brian is coming to reunion and is convincing Chris to make the trip East.

J.D. Sloan and wife Carly Wade ’62 have moved to Newbury, Vt. Carly has retired from teaching, but J.D. is still snapping the shutter whenever he can. J.D. has agreed to help me with the reunion yearbook. Thank you, J.D.; other volunteers are needed and welcome.

Charley Mansell and Pam have a new grandson, Miles, born September ’12. Their other two grandchildren, who live in Singapore, were with them for Christmas, so life is good.

Joan Thatcher Tiffany emailed that Dick Trull, Dick Starbuck, and Jim Rubenstein are alive and living in the Greater Boston area. (Come on guys, send me some news before the 50th. It’s been too long.)

By now you have received the yearbook questionnaire and hopefully returned it. We want everyone to contribute. Our website, www.northfieldandmounthermon1964.com, continues to grow. If you haven’t joined, or have had problems, please contact me either by phone, 802-447-0231, email, or snail mail. Communication is the key word for ’13.

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WENDY SWANSON-AVIRGAN 106 Blueberry Dr Stamford CT 06902-1828 wsavirgan@aol.com HENRI RAUSCHENBACH 2 Endicott Lane, PO Box 1064 Brewster MA 02631-7064 henri.rauschenbach@gmail.com

From Wendy: We received sad news in August that Mary Lea Driftmier Zamora died 4/24/12.

Following Northfield, Mary Lea received her bachelor’s in sociology from Boston U. and master’s in nonfiction writing from the UNH. She most recently worked as a prevention support specialist for St. John’s County, Fla., teaching parenting and conflict resolution to families in or near crisis. She had recently served as board member of the Florida Coalition of Peace and Justice, was a member of Catholic Volunteers, co-facilitator for JustFaith at the Cathedral-Basilica, and co-facilitator for JustMatters Prison Reform Module. Deepest condolences on behalf of the class to Mary Lea’s husband, children, and brother.

Linda Ames Nicolosi wrote in December: “The Wall Street Journal ran a most interesting editorial 12/29/12. on the sale of the Northfield campus titled ‘When New England Progressives Won’t Tolerate Evangelicals.’ The Journal says: ‘Once a center of 19th-century evangelism, Northfield, Mass., is unsettled by the prospect of a school with religious aims.’ The author says that the foundation that bought the campus for purposes of donating it to a Christian school—Hobby Lobby—was able to acquire the campus for only $100,000, something I think few alumni knew. But more important, Hobby Lobby has been unable to find a school to donate the campus to, not only because of the

CLASS NOTES repairs and environmental restrictions that would add enormously to its use by a new owner, but also because the town of Northfield and people locally involved with NMH do not want a school in their community that teaches orthodox Christianity.”

Susan Brunnckow Oke’s hobbies include crosscountry skiing, knitting, and shape note singing from the Sacred Harp songbook. Susan and Derry have six grandchildren.

Marcia Franzen-Hintze continues to do translating work and enjoys Nordic walking, yoga, and spending time with grandson Franz Caspar at home in Hamburg, Germany.

From Meredith Gilbert Ellis via Facebook in January: “Life is really good here in the Finger Lakes area of New York. I’m happily married after many years of solo living, now in Trumansburg, a small village northwest of Ithaca N.Y. I’m a hospital chaplain at Cayuga Medical Center, probably the hardest but most rewarding job I’ve ever had. But just in case my last educational venture was not enough (theological school at Boston U. toward a master’s in divinity in ’99 and ordination in the United Church of Christ), I am halfway through another adventure at Syracuse, a master’s in marriage and family therapy, so I can hang out a shingle and do therapy. It’s my retirement plan. Between my experience as a minister and a license as an MFT, I hope to extend my work life part-time for several more years. My husband is a physician and has been the medical director for our local hospice for the last 10 years, after 30 years as a family practitioner. He is also looking forward to retirement, planning to fish and sculpt. We spent a week on St. John in the Caribbean last March and were delighted to have several meals and leisure time with Margaret McGown and her husband, Mark, even attending a St. Patty’s Day parade together. Lots of fun to catch up with her and allow the guys to get acquainted.”

Jacqua Hill Yeomans wrote via Facebook in January that despite undergoing treatments for cancer: “Life is good. Bill and I still live in Arlington (same house, 16 years). He’s a law professor at American University. Our two children are Sam (28) and Gina (24). Sam lives and works close by, so we see him often. Gina is in her first year of law school at Columbia University. We have two mutts, siblings (3), who live with us.

Pam LeClair Rogers writes: “I shared some great moments with Pam Street Walton ’64 and her husband, Ken, while vacationing at Spofford Lake this summer with my family. The big surprise was that, unbeknownst to us, we were renting the lake cottage from Steve Putnam’s family, and we had fun talking with Steve about school and old cars on the cottage porch. Hope to see him and his wife, Nancy, next summer at the weekly classic car event in Westmoreland, N.H. If there are any other NMH old-car enthusiasts in the New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts area, it would be fun to arrange a gathering there. Pam Walton loaned me Jim Ault’s ’64 book Spirit and Flesh and I can’t say enough good things about it. Would love to hear from Judy Leavitt ’64, Sara Davis Lylis ’64, and Pat Ciriello Mould.”

Coco Pratt Cook was sorry to miss our class birthday party in June. She and Warren will retire 10/1 and should have more time to join such celebrations. The farthest east they get now is Auburn, N.Y., where daughter Rachel is company manager for the Merry-Go-Round theater and the Broadway in the Finger Lakes program.

Candace Reed Stern began ’12 with a Road Scholar trip to Egypt. “Richard and I were part of a small but doughty group of nine with a terrific guide—an Egyptologist and veteran of the ’11 occupation of Tahrir Square. We were practically the only tourists in Egypt and had the great monuments of antiquity very much to ourselves.

A highlight was riding mama camels, accompanied by their suckling babies, into the desert in a high wind.” Back in Dallas, Candace met up with Ellen Lougee Simmons when she was in town for a National Trust for Historic Preservation meeting. “We even had a chat with Laura and George W. Bush.” On their way to Castine, Maine, for the summer, Candace and Richard stopped off for a couple nights with Jeanne Moon, who took them to James Madison’s home, Montpelier, where the Thoroughbred Rescue Foundation cares for rescued thoroughbreds. Jeanne is an active volunteer with the foundation. While in Maine, Rachel Rikert Burbank and her father, Carroll Rikert ’34, stopped in for a visit, as did James and Cynthia Gilbert-Marlow. Later in the summer, they visited Ellen Lougee Simmons for tea in Rockport. On the way back to Texas, Candace and Richard stayed in Washington, D.C., with her cousin, Bruce Read ’69. Thanksgiving was in Austin with daughter Caitlin, who is an emergency room nurse in a Level 2 trauma hospital in Round Rock.

Nan Waite enjoyed seeing Calista Chapman Diane and Anne Winter Forsyth at the Northfield School for Girls event in Hanover, N.H., last fall.

Nan also heard from Laurie Highman, who is hoping to attend the 50th.

Stuart Bethune says that by January, 92 classmates had responded that they hope to attend our 50th reunion. Special thanks to Dave Stone and Bruce Johnson for mailing postcards to classmates for whom we don’t have email addresses. Those who hope to attend include Deborah Smith Cole, who is a psychoanalyst at Spurwink in Portland, Maine, Alice Quick Truman, Deborah Silver, Laura Campbell, Connie Comstock Leahy, and Kathleen “Casey” Cooper Lang. Margaret Tillinghast Wright, who lives in Weybridge, Vt., and Laurel Streeter McAvoy are unsure. Those

who do not plan to attend include Bevinn O’Brien, Nancy Neugebauer Kormendi, and

bought their retirement home last summer on the coast of Maine. They’ll be moving in ’14 to Walpole, about five miles south of Damariscotta in the midcoast region. In the meantime, Sally continues to edit class notes in sunny and hot Florida.

From Henri: We have had a busy period of correspondence with and from our class over the past several months. Steve Baldwin lives in West Springfield, Mass., and will never forget the ’65 undefeated football team. Stephen Cook says he intends to share more information in the future.

Erik Carlson lives in Denver, has grandchildren, and is still working in the oil and gas industry. He is involved in planning our 50th. Alfred “Don” Hanssen, who has never written before, sent a lengthy note reflecting on his time in the North Farm House and then his time on third and fourth Crossley. He went to Colgate, even though Mr. (Bill) Compton ’44 told him he wouldn’t get in.

Don has been a teacher and traveled the world extensively. He is retired.

Richard Deroko lives in Los Angeles, where he serves as a docent at the local Japanese garden and rides his bicycle. Earlier in his life, Dick worked on Cape Cod and saw Jon Wetterlow frequently. El McMeen has moved to Huntingdon, Pa. They are downsizing and returning to El’s childhood home area.

Dave Stone presented his complete family with a “retirement” trip (his) to the Magic Kingdom, Disneyworld. (I thought Third South was the magic kingdom.) Rodney Walton sent along a note from Miami reminding me that we wrestled together from ’63–’65. He has had quite a career, ranging from the military (Vietnam) to the practice of law, to teaching military history at Florida International University. He has written a book called Big Guns, Brave Men: Mobile Artillery Observers in the Battle for Okinawa. Tom Robinson-Cox is still sailing and shutter-bugging. He recently was elected Commodore of the New England Multihull Association for the next two years. He and his wife manage the Rocky Neck Gallery, a seasonal artist cooperative on Cape Ann, where they show their work from June to October.

Received some news from Maine. Elias Thomas and his wife have owned and operated Exit Key Real Estate since ’71. He is very involved with Rotary and will lead a trip of Rotarians and other volunteers to India in February ’13 to immunize

Marcia Franzen-Hintze ’65, husband Ulli, and their grandson Franz Caspar

Candace Reed Stern ’65 with Bedouin drivers Hamid and Hassan, and guide Mohammed in Egypt

Jennifer Abbott.

Sally Atwood Hamilton and husband Mark

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CLASS NOTES children and construct a dam in a remote area. If anyone is interested in following these efforts, they can be seen at his website: www.eliasthomas.com.

Finally, we have had our third dinner in our series at a restaurant in Waltham, Mass. Jed Olmstead, Martin Dardani, Christopher Parker, Tim Schivoni, Matt Couzens, Charlie Washburn, John Eagar, Brian Ackerman, our co-host Peter Barber, Henri Rauschenbach, and our special guest, Bob Van Wyck, attended. Our other co-host, Mark Boeing, was stricken at the last minute, leaving an incredible void in the proceedings. There were many facets to this evening. We found out that that Eagar and Barber are both birders. Washburn, who works for H&R Block, made a ruling partway through dinner that the meal was not deductible for any purpose. The three lawyers, like the three tenors, sang about various predicaments in front of judges.

We learned from Matt that growing apples was not easy. Our group psychiatrist, Brian, departed early, leaving us somewhat adrift. And our two doctors, Jed and Mark, ruminated on the changing nature of the practice of medicine. Finally, our special guest, Bob Van Wyck, made remarks about bonds forged at Mt. Hermon that endure, out of context, for long periods of time—like 48 years. There was a moment of semisilence for John Clark, who had indicated that he was going to come. It was thought that perhaps after walking across Canada he was now walking down to Waltham and suffered a snow delay. Finally, we decided that we should do this again.

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MARILYN ATTWATER GRANT 43 Spring St Hope Valley RI 02832-1628 classsecy66@verizon.net FRANK SAPIENZA 425 Washington St, Apt 6 Brookline MA 02446-6128 sapienzafc@cdm.com

From Frank: As I write this, it’s been a busy holiday season. Jim Weiss, Ben Blake, Doug Crapser,

and I attended an uplifting Vespers service at the Emmanuel Church in Boston. The NMH singers and performers were awesome, incredibly talented.

Prior to the event, we had dinner at Papa Razzi restaurant, and following the event, a reception where

we got to talk with Peter Fayroian, the new head of school. Thanks, Jim, for getting us to this event.

Doug is head administrator for a three-hospital complex in the Springfield area, and all of his sons played hockey at NMH. We had fun reminiscing about our days on the pond ice.

News from Yusuf Talal “Tony” DeLorenzo, who has had a most interesting career and travels. He writes: “I’m again planning to repatriate myself, this time from Dubai (after two years) to West Palm Beach, Fla., in September. I’ll speak (with Bill Clinton) at the C-3 Summit in New York in mid-September and at Harvard at the end of October—all on the subject of Islamic finance and Shariah, my field. In my old age, I’m learning Italian and doing a lot of translating. I continue to advise financial institutions internationally, but in a much more relaxed manner. My son, Usama, is heading the ASEAN initiative for SWIFT, the bank code people, from Singapore with his wife, Laena.

My wife, Ayesha, has retired from the hectic world of Beltway contractors to concentrate on her photography. And I very much hope we can join you at the 50th reunion. On our way to visit brother, Gino ’71, in Middlebury, Ayeshi and I visited the campus during summer ’11, and it was gorgeous. For me, the first time I’d seen it since ’66. Salam and best wishes to all.”

Also, Andren Appelquest writes: “I retired from NASA in ’11 for the second time; third time may be the charm. In May and June, I backpacked a section of the Appalachian Trail, Georgia to Tennessee.

Fishing is great here near Galveston, and the cooling weather makes sailing more enjoyable. I still enjoy motorcycle touring and keep the barn full of them.

Our second home is on Summerland Key, mile marker 27 from Key West, and we enjoy the yet unspoiled water, snorkeling, and lobster.”

Looking forward to hearing from more of you.

Right now I’m on my way to ski country.

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DONNA EATON-MAHONEY 97 Gifford St Falmouth MA 02540-3306 dmeato@aol.com DANA L GORDON 106 Westphal St W Hartford CT 06110-1183 mounthermon1967@comcast.net

Cleaning up the last bit of post-45th reunion news, Janet Fleming Mulwitz and husband Paul have

Marilyn Atwater Grant ’66, Jean Penney Wheeler ‘66, Meghan Grant ’98, and her daughter, Aila

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been married 42 years, and their “children” all have four feet and fur. After living all over the U.S. because of Paul’s various computer engineering jobs, they settled in Washington near the Oregon border 20 years ago. They’re mostly retired, but Jan still works a few hours a week at the local yarn shop, teaches knitting, and accepts the occasional interesting commission. Paul built a two-seat airplane, and Jan is excited to be able to fly with him. The 45th was her first NMH reunion ever, and she says it was

a complete joy to see old friends, including her first roomie, Becky Parfitt Kennedy; meeting some of the “boys” for the first time; and seeing Bruce Burnside and Chris Crosby after all these years.

Being asked to call Miss Curtis “Sally” and seeing the Baileys were two other highlights, along with meeting Claire Burnside ’01and Timothy Burnside, Bruce’s daughters. Before heading back home, Jan attended another Northfield reunion of sorts—a family reunion also attended by her mother, Jean Morrow Benson ’44, and her stepmother, Barbara Hodge Fleming ’46. Jan looks forward to our 50th.

About a month before our 45th reunion, there was a special event at another New England secondary school. At the beginning of the ’11–’12 academic year, Jim Clements announced it would be his last as headmaster of Tilton School. On 5/12, appreciative students and faculty surprised Jim and wife Bev by declaring the day in their honor. To mark the occasion, everyone wore specially commissioned gold baseball caps emblazoned with “Clements Day” on the front, and Jim’s motto, “Work Hard, Play Fair, Have Fun” on the back.

In July ’12, Kwasi Holman was named economic development director for Charles County, Md., responsible for managing and directing all economic development activities for the county.

Will Eddy put his acting chops to work in a TV commercial for Long Island Newsday. Sharp-eyed viewers were able to catch him playing a fishing boat captain.

Kirsten Besanko passed along the sad news that cancer claimed the life of Jane Weed on 9/1/12 after a yearlong battle against the disease. Kirsten reports she was fortunate enough to spend four days with Jane in late July and that Jane retained her dignity, sense of humor, intellectualism, and loving, caring demeanor to family and friends. A link to the page dedicated to all deceased members of the Northfield and Mt. Hermon classes of ’67 can be found on our class website at www.nmh1967.com.

Bruce Burnside’s daughter Eyleen presented him with granddaughter Blythe born 9/10/12.

Bruce’s oldest daughter, Timothy, is getting her master’s at Johns Hopkins, while also finishing the collecting stage for the opening of the Afro-American division of the Smithsonian in ’15. Bruce’s first book of poems and short stories, The Artist’s Guest, is a well-dressed hardcover with over 200 pages, offering glimpses into his sense of humor, people’s lives and imaginations, children’s stories for adults, and how love touches us all, with illustrations by Wesley Bates.

The news was mixed from Glenn Schwarcz. The last of his eight children got married and his classleading count of grandchildren has now risen to 28, plus one great-grandchild. Sadly, in ’12 Glenn learned that his wife was suffering from terminal cancer.

The health news was more positive from Ritchie Davis Dow, who successfully completed treatment for breast cancer in June ’12. She and Lance Dow celebrated their 40th anniversary in December, and both look forward to retirement at the end of this year.

Skip Carino has been senior systems administrator and CTO at Frontier Capital Management in

CLASS NOTES Boston, a small, boutique institutional investment management firm, for five years. He’s a grandfather of five, ages 3–13, still plays league basketball two or three times per week, and runs almost a mile five to six days a week to keep the aches and pains at bay. No firm retirement plans yet, but this year Skip hopes to triple the rounds of golf he plays to 35–45 and knock a stroke or two off his handicap. He’d like to make the next reunion and “resurrect the best days of my life—at Mt. Hermon.”

Having retired from law, Martha Ratcliff Rix has returned to school for a two-year program at the Psychotherapy Institute in New York. Marty plans to become a therapist when she completes her psychoanalytically based studies.

Joining the ranks of authors in our class is Claudia Stanley Moose, whose Cooking with Kentucky Bourbon was published in September.

Claudia personally cooked and, we assume, tasted each recipe.

For the first time since resolving in the early ’80s never to do it again, Tony Peters rang in ’13 in Times Square. Fearful that this might be a repeat of the frightening scene 40 years earlier that saw riotequipped police poised to square off against tens of thousands of drunken revelers, Tony reluctantly went along with plans hatched by his wife and some friends, who thought it would be fun to experience New Year’s Eve in NYC. To his great relief, this New Year’s Eve turned out to be much more pleasant and less stressful than his previous outing. Of course, traveling to and from his Connecticut home in a well-stocked stretch limo might have contributed to the enjoyment.

Holly Taggart Joseph and Margaret Maxwell McLaughlin attended the concert presented by the NMH Singers in Washington, D.C., in December.

This is the second year that NMH has sung at the White House. Keeping the spirit of holidays and the school, Becky Parfitt Kennedy and Vin Kennedy, Helen Fowler, Dana Gordon, and Donna Eaton Mahoney met for dinner before attending Christmas Vespers in Boston. Peter Savas and two of his children came for the music and joined classmates at the reception afterward.

Recordings of Christmas Vespers (12/11/66) and Sacred Concert (5/14/67) from our senior year are now available for listening online and downloading on our class’s private Facebook page. If you’re not already one of the 100-plus members, go to www. facebook.com/groups/45325814129/ and ask to join. The music is also available on the class website at www.nmh1967.com.

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KRIS ALEXANDER ESCHAUZIER 49 W Lynne Ave Portland ME 04103-1656 pkeschauz@maine.rr.com PETER L. ESCHAUZIER 49 W Lynne Ave Portland ME 04103-1656 pkeschauz@maine.rr.com

MARK G. AUERBACH PO Box 60784 Longmeadow MA 01116-0784 mgauerbach@gmail.com

Reunion ’13 is just around the corner (June 6–9).

Your committee, including chairs Becky Bright Freeland and Gary Hopson, plus Mark Auerbach, Pam Beam, Steve Cole, Tony Dubois, Kris Alexander Eschauzier, Peter Eschauzier, Dave Hickernell, Nancy Stevens, Ruth Stevens, and Steve Tower, have been planning all kinds of

activities to make this a weekend you won’t forget. A holiday poll on our Facebook page indicates that many classmates are planning to return. Class teachers Jeanne and Dale Conly ’52 have written: “We’ll be there.” We’d be especially glad to see Bob Schwartz, who was struck down by a lifethreatening illness over a year ago. According to his wife, Elizabeth, his goal through his hospitalization, surgeries, and months of rehab is to “show up at reunion ’13.” Paul Haagen and Jonathan Ives will miss reunion, Jon because it coincides with the end of his school year. “I’m the old man on the block, having taught at the same school for 33 years.” Jon’s big news: “I wrote a letter to my college sweetheart, Tempe, whom I’d not been in touch with for over 40 years. After months of phone calls, emails, and visits, Tempe moved here to Montana, and we’re reviving the magic that began 40 years ago.”

Spotted at Christmas Vespers on the NMH campus were Mark Auerbach, Tony Dubois, and Steve Tower. Tony gave Vespers a rave review: “I always enjoy Vespers at NMH. This year was no different. The music program at the school is unmatched.” Bill Newman and his wife, Karen, hosted a Washington, D.C.-area mini–class reunion for classmates. In attendance with their spouses: Fred Cook, Gary Hopson, Don Stanton, Al Dyson ’69, and Alison Ely Barschdorf, along with Rafe Sagalyn, Steve Cone, and Marjorie Swett.

Varney Hintlian has been busy with work, swim-

ming competitively at the master’s level, and serving as a Tufts University trustee, while raising two spirited daughters, Julia (19), a Tufts freshman, and Olivia (15), a high school freshman, since reunion.

He is still involved in developing and investing in commercial and residential real estate as a partner in Prospectus, LLC. “Three years ago, at age 60, I swam at the Master’s National Championships in Atlanta, and in our age group (60–64) placed second in the 400-yard individual medley and 100yard backstroke, and fourth in the 200-yard individual medley and 200-yard backstroke.” He and wife Molly look forward to seeing everyone at reunion.

Eliza Blanchard, a Unitarian Universalist minister, was profiled in an article, “Caring for All Creatures” in UU World. Eliza is a chaplain at Boston-area animal hospitals, helping pet owners cope with the deaths of their pets.

On the mend is Curtis Hansen, who stepped down from a distinguished radio career of 44 years, after developing COPD. Curt jumped into radio at NMH and moved on to various stations in New England as part of the team that founded

several stations in Connecticut. He was national program director for Aurora Communications, and Connecticut/New York operations manager for Cumulus Media’s 19 stations in the market. He says he’s feeling great and is in touch with his freshmanyear roommate, Russ Oasis. Also on the road to recovery is Richard Staples, who had major surgery in November but was back on the ski slopes

by New Year’s as a board member and volunteer for AbilityPLUS. John Paul Maynard established the Central Asia Literary Rediscovery Initiative and hopes to open an office in Tashkent (Uzbekistan’s capital) in ’13.

He continues his work for Harvard University. His book, Planetary Riddles: Poems of John Paul Maynard, was just published by Speculum Publications.

For information: tulku7@verizon.net. Richard Dewhurst is also getting books ready for publication. He has a contract to do three books for Inner Traditions/Bear and Co. Books. The first is written and titled The Great Smithsonian Cover-up. Richard separated from his wife of 27 years and relocated to Rochester, Vt. Arthur Seder has been working as a project manager at Array Marketing, which manufactures store displays and merchandisers and has been living on a houseboat in Port Washington, N.Y., with Virgil the cat. They were in the path of Sandy but on the north shore of Long Island, so survived with only minor damage. Daughter Sara (26) graduated last year from U.N.C. Wilmington with a degree in elementary special education and teaches in North Carolina, in service to her real passion, which is riding horses. Daughter Helen (21) is a senior at SUNY New Paltz, majoring in psychology and performing in the Burlesque Club. “I told her that I fully support her but that she shouldn’t expect ever to see me at a show.”

Nancy Stevens and husband David Williams became first-time in-laws when son Kevin Williams married Jennifer Yaeger on 9/22/12. Nancy writes: “Kevin’s sisters did a reading from ‘Calvin and Hobbes,’ complete with masks. Nieces Pauline Stevens ’07 and Anna Stevens ’09 attended, along with many other family members and friends. I also stopped in Springfield, Mass., this summer to have my now annual breakfast with Mark Auerbach.”

Ruth Stevens will be one of the presenters at NMH Alumni College on Friday, 6/7/13. Her topic: “How to Be Happily, Successfully SelfEmployed.” She’s coming to reunion with Penelope Cowland Hamilton, who is flying in from London for the event. Ruth was named to the board of directors of the HIMSS Media Group, which focuses on how information technology advances medicine and healthcare practices, and also published a new study on the quality of prospecting data available to B2B marketers looking to acquire new customers in tech markets. Classmates with any interest in this “arcane subject” can find the study in the White Papers section of her website.

Steve Tower began his fifth year at Keene, N.H., Sylvan Learning Center. He and wife, Heather Blanchard Tower ’73, frequently attend NMH

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CLASS NOTES music, theater, and dance events, and both continue to sing with Amherst’s Da Camera Singers, under Sheila Heffernon’s direction and inspiration.

Steve is co-chair of the Board of Friends of Schell Bridge, working on getting a definitive engineering study done to estimate the cost of rehabilitating the bridge for a recreational link between East and West Northfield.

Fred Cheyunski writes: “After many engagements as part of IBM (former PwC) and Computer Sciences Corp management consulting groups, I’m continuing with independent contract, writing, and presentation work. My wife, Jeanne, remains active with Southwick, Mass., home lake vacation rentals. We had minimal immediate Hurricane Sandy damage at our Brighton Beach condo. One daughter and son in-law in northern New Jersey (two adopted girls from China), one in Brooklyn, and the third in Singapore (one son) also help us stay busy and young at heart.”

The class was saddened to learn of the passing of two classmates: David Crimmin on 9/14/12 and Owen Morrison on 7/07/09. You can find their obituaries online via Google.

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SUE PINEO STOWBRIDGE PO Box 26 Silver Lake NH 03875-0026 nfld69@aol.com

As I write in early January, days seem a little longer, and we are enjoying pretty good snow cover in central New Hampshire. Judging by the few replies to my email seeking news, a lot of us are at status quo, although more folks have some form of retirement in reports and more grandbabies are on the planet.

Martha Blankinship Ide rejoices in her new adventure of retirement from “active” school nursing. She logged 30 years of serving students of all ages, as well as participating in the state and national scenes in support of professional school nursing practice. Martha and husband, Rob, will celebrate their 40th anniversary in August ’13.

Rob is the Vermont State Commissioner of Motor Vehicles and has no plans for retirement. Their two children, Jake and Betsy, live in Vermont. Jake and wife Amy have daughters Lily (4) and Alice (2).

Martha welcomes visits from classmates at her home on a hill in East Peacham.

Melinda Herron wrote in January when Merinda was visiting her in France for their birthday. Melinda is still an in-house translator at Kohler France and recently joined Kohler’s EMEA Stewardship advisory board. Merinda still has her solo pediatric practice in Atlanta, teaches medical students from Caribbean-based schools, and is enjoying her four grandchildren.

Sue Parker Belcher wrote that ’12 was an emotional whirlwind of a year. She packed up 38 years of marriage and moved to an apartment, quite an adjustment after living in houses since ’76. Simultaneously, she was wedding planning for daughter Becky’s September Nantucket wedding

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to Peter Feen. Her niece and nephew were married the months either side of that in California and Rhode Island. Sadly, Sue’s mother didn’t quite make it to see any of these grandchildren married, having passed away on her 95th birthday in July. They squeezed in a memorial service at King’s Chapel in Boston one week after Becky’s wedding. Then, in October, Sue escaped on a hiking trip in Puglia, Italy, and was “stranded in Rome” for an extra six nights due to Hurricane Sandy. She says it worked for her, as she had never been to Rome. When she wrote, Sue was looking forward to Christmas with Sarah Allen-Oberstein and her mother, Jean Allen—a marvelous chance to catch up with Sarah, who doesn’t often come East from Santa Fe. New Year’s was planned for Charleston, S.C., with five of her oldest couple friends from Ridgewood, N.J., where she lived for 30 years, to ring out whirlwind ’12 and hopefully ring in a much calmer ’13.

Good friends since our senior year as roommates in Hibbard, MarthaJane Peck and I took a break from packing moving boxes September ’12 to catch up on news. She retired in ’04 from her career, starting as a physical education teacher, then working in the early days of computers in the workplace, and eventually returning to teaching. She is fighting an ongoing battle with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis—onset in her 20s and diagnosed in her 40s, which complicated later struggles with breast cancer and MRSA infection acquired during mastectomy. While MarthaJane was battling cancer, her mother died from ovarian cancer; but brightening the picture and drawing the couple to the Olympic Peninsula was the arrival of baby Alexandra, born 6/26/12 to son Jonathan and his wife, Ania.

Husband Rob wrapped up his career of 55 years in church music as the last moving boxes were being sealed; but daughter Sara remains back East, teaching at a private school for emotionally disturbed children in Brattleboro, Vt. She joined the family in Washington for the holidays. After 23 years living on Lake Winnipesaukee, the move to Port Townsend, Wash., was a huge undertaking emotionally and geographically, and there will be news in the future about life in the Pacific Northwest. They love the area, have now bought two acres of land on the north coast of the Olympic Peninsula, are nearly done designing a new home, and hope to be moved in within the year.

Sue Pineo Stowbridge joined the ranks of the retired on 8/1/12, having accepted a USPS buyout offered at about the same time granddaughter Bri was born in May. August was divided between helping MarthaJane pack and helping daughter Jen Stowbridge ’05 find an apartment, pack, and move to Colebrook, N.H., for a first-grade teaching position. Most Sundays now include traveling to Standish, Maine, to stay with daughter Susie Stowbridge Simmons ’02 and family, and providing Monday child care now that Susie has returned to teaching. Otherwise, there is a daily hour walking in the woods and the perpetual effort sifting, sorting, and filling boxes for Goodwill. What a project.

Whether you read this news online or in print, best wishes for a happy, healthy ’13. Please keep in touch, and remember that I welcome news written in the third person, appreciate the inclusion of your full name with your message, and no longer accept lengthy holiday letters requiring heavy editing.

Planning starts soon for our 45th reunion in ’14; it’s time to start sending your suggestions so we can make the next rally in the valley the best yet.

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ROLAND LEONG 55 Kenmore Pl Glen Rock NJ 07452-2013 rl@shotgunreport.com

Here’s a short recap as to why I am writing as your class secretary. At the minireunion in San Francisco last October, I resigned as Annual Fund class chair.

I’ve been in the position since the mid-’90s and haven’t been doing the job properly. With the big reunions coming soon, I felt it best that the transition happen sooner rather than later. I’m happy to tell you that Walter Lowe has accepted the position of Annual Fund class chair. Walt has always helped me with my Annual Fund duties, and I can think of no one better suited for the position. I will help Walt in any way I can to make his job successful. I hope you, too, will support him.

I’m pleased to let you know that I’ve accepted the duties as class secretary. I wish to thank Peter Kropp for his previous terms as class secretary and for the terrific work he’s done for the class.

Now on to class news. On the second weekend of October ’12, 20 Mt. Hermom ’69ers met in San Francisco for a minireunion, which is what our class now calls our off-year informal gatherings. George Chaltas, Edward Craine, Alfred Gilbert, Robert Linderman, Steve Pollock, Robert Steinberg, and Samuel Tobin put together

a weekend program of dinners, meals, and all-day winery tours that was truly memorable. Joining in were Douglas Dunlap, Roger La Hart, John Pape, Peter Farris, Robert Longley, Schelly and Timothy Petumenos, Peter Edwards, Jonathan Strongin, Sheryl and Walter Lowe, H. Benjamin Bullard and his wife, Betty Webster, and yours truly, Roland Leong. For a more detailed report on the Melinda Herron ’69 (standing) and Merinda Herron ’69 in Los Angeles in May ’12

weekend, check out Bob Linderman’s summary and comments by attendees at: https://www.dropbox.

CLASS NOTES com/s/dfyms0o9y52vnet/SF2012MiniReunion.doc.

Pictures from the weekend are at: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/7u7rmunp977pygh/_m8GNWeIsk. Dana Barrows had major left-shoulder surgery in March, and then physical therapy for six months and surgery on the right shoulder in December. He writes: “I know the drill now, so I’ll miss two ski seasons and one and a half golf seasons. I am now training for a 5 km run. I haven’t run since rounding the bases in the trouncing of the class of ’74 on the softball field. I need to trim down a wee bit. But overall healthy, working out training and doing hot yoga. Namaste to all.”

After 30 years in central Massachusetts practicing orthopedics at UMass, Kirk Johnson is closing a two-generation practice and moving to South Carolina, where he has been recruited by Hilton Head Hospital to develop their hip and knee replacement program. “I’m still working but adopting a pace and lifestyle that allows a breath now and then. Y’all come down and visit.”

David West lives in Naples, Fla., and has been an adjunct professor of history at Edison State College for 13 years. Before that, he was in the ski business for 25 years as instructor, manufacturer’s representative, marketing director, ski area manager, and race coach, at Killington, Vt.; Ascutney, Vt.; Heavenly Valley, Calif.; and finally, Mt Hood, Ore., when his knees finally gave out running a slalom course he set for the state high-school championships. David earned a master’s at Long Island University, C.W. Post, in ’90 before moving West and transitioning to teaching. David and his wife, Mary, spend summers in the Adirondacks in Westport, N.Y. Mary is a Yankees fan and David is a Red Sox fan, so “we have our moments. My golf game hovers around a 12 handicap, and I still sing in a choir. That’s me in a nutshell.”

John Fitzgerald writes: “They have now posted a picture on our website, www.conbio.org, and a video on YouTube, of most of the remarks that I made after receiving the annual award from the Endangered Species Coalition. We kept the reception video backlit, but now that they posted a picture, my cover is blown.”

Alfred Gilbert writes: “Our San Francisco and wine country reunion was an endearing reminder of my good fortune of having formed campus friendships over 40 years ago that have become sweeter with time. Unlike many of our generation, who have only the ‘we’ll always have Paris’ memories of meaningful friendships, I’m blessed to be part of

Padriac Steinschneider ’69 holding George’s granddaughter, Anna (9 months), and George Dreher ’69 holding his grandson, Rice (3), in December ’12

my Bay Area band of brothers and look forward to renewing and expanding our circle at the next gettogether—hopefully on Cape Cod.” Those who wish a DVD of Ed Isaacs’s performance at the last reunion ’69 cabaret should email him at EFI@AgapeMail.net.

Charles Kaiser is a union attorney in Denver, “fishing in the summer, and skiing in the winter.

Except this winter. I broke my leg two weeks ago.

So, I guess, trying to catch up on my reading.”

John Barbour is a professor of religion at St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn., where his wife teaches photography. John likes to sea kayak on Lake Superior. He has two sons—one as an immigration lawyer in Minneapolis and one who is canoeing from Minnesota to New Orleans. John will publish a novel in ’13 titled Renunciation, which deals with two brothers involved with new religious movements in the ’70s.

Douglas Dunlap and his wife, Irene Lieban, live in Portland, Ore., where he is a clinical psychologist in the small Portland branch of the state psychiatric hospital and probably won’t retire for a few years.

Irene is a retired neuropsychologist. Douglas is an avid swimmer and works out with a master’s group early in the morning three times a week. “I’ve also become increasingly involved with Buddhist studies and practice. Although it is usually overcast and rainy here during the winter, we also have days like today: bracingly clear, cool, and sunny.”

Richard Stone recently had surgery to repair a hiatal hernia. His stepson got married last summer in Hawaii.

David Lansdale lives in Ecuador and recently helped his mother return to Greece for the final days of her life. His daughter got married in Puerta Vallarta in May, an incredible destination wedding.

Michael Northrop writes: “Roland, the last time I remember you, Judd Stent was yelling at you.” (Secretary’s note: It probably wasn’t the last time, either.)

I also heard from David Young, William Stewart, William Ward, George Dreher, and Charles Andros, who was in Brazil for the winter.

And finally, Bill Bretschger entertained me for a day in December at his club’s Christmas party. Bill and his wife, Suzie, live in Stamford, Conn.

May you and your families have a good year.

Keep in touch, my good fellows. It is good to hear from those of you with whom we had lost touch.

Your classmates are interested in what you are doing.

If I’ve left out one of your messages, please forgive me, and keep the news coming. Thanks.

Rick Stone ’69, wife Elizabeth Cohen, her son, and his new wife on the beach in Kauai, Hawaii, last summer

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DEBORAH PERSONS BROOKE 68 Hidden Bay Drive South Dartmouth MA 02748 dpbrooke@gmail.com

A small group of our class had a semispontaneous brunch reunion on 12/9/12 at a great new restaurant, the Gill Tavern, in Gill between campus and Turners Falls (see the photo.). Mark Andrew was also there, showing great dedication, as he made a round trip between Columbus, Ohio, and Bradley International Airport that day.

We all then proceeded to the Bolger House for a reception and ultimately to Memorial Chapel for Christmas Vespers, where we were joined by more classmates. It was a beautiful service made more enjoyable by the company of old friends. This is becoming something of a growing tradition for NMH ’70, so please let me know if you plan on attending Christmas Vespers in ’13 and would be interested in any pre-Vespers activities with other members of the class.

Katherine Truax Scrimenti writes: “It was wonderful to be able to attend Christmas Vespers.

I so enjoyed reuniting with classmates that I had not seen in 25-plus years. I hope to make it a yearly tradition. My husband commented on how welcoming everyone was, which was so much appreciated.” Katherine and David live in Pittsford, N.Y., and she has a home office from which she manages the East Coast for an electronics company based in Chicago. On weekends she works/plays as an inhome design consultant for Pottery Barn. Katherine has two sons—John, a sales consultant for Verizon in Rochester, N.Y., and Tom, who sells for Paychex in Los Angeles. In October, she flew to LA to see him and connected with Claire Schmidt Jones.

“We spent the afternoon reminiscing at a lovely restaurant in Marina del Rey, looking at old photos of our days in Marquand. In October, Katherine and David traveled to Rome to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary and are looking forward to a trip to Ireland and the Dingle peninsula in ’13.

Faith Baum writes that she and her husband, Ian, live in Lexington, Mass., where she has a small residential architectural practice. She teaches design part-time at Rhode Island School of Design.

Faith is an empty nester, but has mothered “three fabulous sons,” who are all in college. She was recently invited to give a 10-minute presentation to an NMH gathering in Boston about life after NMH. Faith writes: “They were astounded by my

Roland Leong ’69, Bill Bretschger ’69, and his granddaughter, Penelope

spring 2013 I 69

CLASS NOTES Alex Lotocki de Veligost, and Steve Johnson.

Bill Ward ’69 and his sister, Sally Scherer Winter ’73

description of ‘dating’ and letter writing, and tie shoes and single-sex education.”

I recently returned from two weeks in Barcelona, southern France, and Florence with my two 30-plus sons and their girlfriends. It was an amazing opportunity to spend time with them away from our jobs, responsibilities, and all the things that pull at us in our everyday lives.

Many of your classmates’ contact information can be found in the alumni directory under the alumni link on the NMH home page. Go to www. nmhschool.org/alumni and log in to the NMH Community. You can then search the alumni directory. If you don’t find the info you need, contact me directly, and I might be able to help you find a “missing” or “missed” classmate. And feel free to send your news along to me at any time.

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NEIL KIELY 111 Ferry Rd Bristol RI 02809-2902 neil@marketinginmotion.com

The second annual Mt. Hermon ’70 minireunion adventure took place last August in Baxter State Park in Maine. Aptly titled “Turf and Surf,” this year’s adventure included a hike up Mt. Katahdin, as well as a day of whitewater rafting on the Penobscot River. Once again organized by Eugene “Geno” Ward, it was a wonderful opportunity to spend quality time together, enjoying the pristine beauty of this remote area.

This year’s group included four “newbies”: John Gordon, Mark Vokey, Robert Horne, and John “JD” Martin. Repeat attendees included, Ward, Andy Perry, Jake Duvall, Neil Kiely, Mark Carta,

Members of the class of ’70 and friends met for a brunch in December at the Gill Tavern near campus. Left to right: Gail Schaller Storms ’54, Mike Verrilli’s guest, Mike Verrilli ’70, Alex Lotocki de Veligost’ 70, Tom Baldwin ’70, Spencer Burdge ’70, Laurie Reich Kiely ’70, Sue Hurlburt Jacques ’70, Debbie Persons Brooke ’70, Neil Kiely ’70, and Susan Lotocki de Veligost.

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Last year we stayed in fairly rustic AMC huts, but this year we rented two recently built lakeside homes with hot water, beds for everyone, full kitchens, and gas grilles. Jake Duvall, our resident sommelier, ensured that everyone was able to “work hard and play harder.” Gene, who is a real taskmaster on these trips, insisted on a 3:45 a.m. wake-up call the morning of our climb. Organizing a group this size proved challenging, but we left the houses by 4:30, were at the gate to the park when it opened at 5 a.m., and at the trailhead by 5:45. Most of our group made it to the summit of Katahdin, and the entire group was pretty spent by the end of the day.

Carta and Lotocki planned to fly to Bangor the day before the hike, but through a series of cancelled, delayed, and bumped flights, didn’t arrive until midday Saturday. Kudos for their persistence…plus they brought more wine.

On Sunday, we went whitewater rafting on the Penobscot River. We put in right next to the release point, which was a bit harrowing. The river provided lots of excitement and more than a few moments of panic as we went through both Class IV and V rapids. Mark Carta and Neil were tossed from their rafts going through a Class V. As soon as Neil went out, the entire raft flipped in the middle of the rapid. (I’m sure it had nothing to do with the raft’s weight distribution after my exit.)

This separated not only our guide, but John, Steve, Andy, Jake, Gene, and a young woman who was added from the raft. They spent quite a bit of time preparing us for this possibility, so everyone made it through with no more than a few scrapes, bruised egos, and lots of stories to tell.

One of the real joys of this minireunion was the fact that we could sit around at the end of the day and talk about the last 42 years. As usual, our time together went by too quickly. This Labor Day weekend we will embark on our third adventure— ”Pedals and Paddles”: moderate bike riding in western Maine followed by whitewater rafting on the Dead River. If you are interested, email me ASAP to check availability.

Matthew Quint is closing his West Coast public relations firm and will consult for an “interesting semiconductor start-up out of North Carolina.”

Bob Horne has changed schools and is now director of marketing and communications at Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.; 600 students with 150

Members of the class of ’70 gathered for Christmas Vespers. Left to right: Spencer Burdge, Tom Baldwin, Sue Hurlburt Jacques, Laurie Reich Kiely, Debbie Persons Brooke, Mike Verrilli’s guest, Neil Kiely, Alex Lotocki de Veligost, Mike Verrilli, Katherine Truax Scrimenti, and Steve Johnson.

boarding. “I get some of that old Mt. Hermon campus feeling and deal with some of the same issues” we put people through 42 years ago.

Tommy Kastner, MIA for 40 years, writes from Saudi Arabia. His new architectural office is taking shape as the “warm and friendly Saudis seem anxious to be hired and work for an American.” He has been proposed to, but when the agent for the potential betrothed explained that he “would not be able to see her and would be discouraged from talking to her,” he politely declined. P.S. from Tommy— gas is $1.20 a gallon.

Steve Goldstein followed through on what he said he was going to do at our 35th. He has retired and lives on his 35’ trawler/tug named Toot Sweet.

Summers in Annapolis then heads south on the intercostal in October. In winter, you may find him anywhere from Palm Beach to the Keys to Fort Meyers, Fla., until he returns in mid-May. He has had double knee replacement surgery since we saw him but reports: “All in all it’s a pretty good life.”

Richard Girard has retired from a career in submarine engineering. He has returned to the farmhouse in Gill where he grew up—a 1790 structure situated on beautiful acreage. He and his wife, Janet, have established Girard’s Valley View Farm.

They grow and sell vegetables to local restaurants, markets, co-ops, and the general public. He writes: “And at long last, I am getting my pilot’s license and building an experimental plane.” I can’t say I’m not just a little bit envious of the last two classmates mentioned.

Some rather sad news to end on, as we have lost two more of our own. Thomas Hauer passed away on 7/28/12. I have no details. In a real surprise, a healthy Todd Follansbee died unexpectedly on Martha’s Vineyard on 9/14/12. Many of us on Facebook had enjoyed reconnecting with Todd over the last several years. I reached out to his life partner, and she told me that his passing was a complete shock. He leaves three daughters. The family submitted a wonderful obit to NMH. If you would be interested in reading it, I would be glad to email it to you.

I hate to sound like a broken record, but there are still so many of you for whom I have no email address. Please! Be well until next time.

Members of the class of ’70 took a break from whitewater rafting on the Penobscot River in Maine during their minireunion last summer. Left to right: Bob Horne, Mark Vokey, Ridgely Duvall, Andy Perry, Mark Carta, Alex Lotocki de Veligost, Steve Johnson, Neil Kiely, John Gordon, John Martin, and Eugene Ward.

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REBECCA GOHMANN BECHHOLD 4755 Miami Rd Cincinnati OH 45243-4037 rbechhold@gmail.comt

Thanks to all of you who took the time to write.

Love hearing from each of you. I am still an oncologist and hospice chief medical officer, but as an empty nester, spend an embarrassing amount of time playing sports—golf, tennis, and horseback riding. I did add some serious swag to my trophy shelf this summer, probably a lack of competitors, thus leaving the field open for me. Invited to write for a cancer website, so did add that to my duties.

Jane Linker is nearing completion of the renovation of her 1672 house in Richmond, Mass. I suggest she post some pictures on Pinterest so we can admire the results.

Cindy Poole Rowland continues as a professor of communications at Algonquin College in Ottawa, Canada. She is an avid golfer, and she and her husband travel as much as possible. She would like to hear from Amy Lane, as would we all. Anne Nashold teaches art and nature journaling at the North Carolina Botanical Garden and has started painting again, entering shows, and loving it.

Carol Majdalany Williams lives in Litchfield, Conn. She retired from teaching and runs a business with her husband. She also volunteers at an innercity school in Waterbury, Conn., and has completed training to be a literacy volunteer. She has two children, one in med school at Johns Hopkins and one working in Arlington, Va. Debbie Arnold Chavez continues to teach “computer challenged” adults and is looking to finish her clinical nutrition master’s internship. With her last child about to be out on her own, Debbie and husband Raul are thinking of moving West. Music and gardening continue to bring enormous joy to her and her family.

Jean Keiller Crow is retired from nursing and lives in Pennsylvania with her daughter, son-in-law, and three grandsons. She has three more grandsons, courtesy of her son in Virginia.

Ann Macartney owns and operates a year-round cross-country skiing and vacation center in the Adirondack Mountains with her husband—this is their 35th year. Daughter Leila is studying commercial interior design at Pratt in Brooklyn.

Rebekah Drew Guerra is still teaching and relishes introducing seventh and eighth graders to To Kill a Mockingbird. Her youngest child is out of college and planning on grad school.

Marian White Blackwell had a visit from Lauren Jarvi and her daughter, Hillary, at Marian’s home in Harpswell, Maine, last August. They enjoyed hiking, mountain climbing, and fishing.

Sevi Milano loves her life in Coronado, Calif., where she works for Merck selling antipsychotics.

She is running, coaching, and mentoring for marathons with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

She has done 17 marathons so far, including the Athens Marathon with her daughter for the 2,500th

anniversary of the original marathon. Julie Crofoot Simons sends greetings to all and will write more when she gets a handle on her new laptop.

Now that her daughters are both in college, Alison Elliott and her husband are spending more time at their ranch on the California coast, where they watch coyotes and bobcats wander across the frontyard. In January, Alison is returning to Stanford Business School to be the acting director of the Center for Social Innovation for six months.

Her husband, Steve Blank, teaches entrepreneurship at Stanford, Berkeley, and Columbia.

Ellen Bernstein writes: “I am a newly minted rabbi and am now doing life/work coaching and organizational development consulting for nonprofits.”

I am sorry to report the passing of Carole Johnson Priestly on 10/2/12. She leaves two sons.

You will remember she lived in East Gould and went on to Simmons, where she excelled.

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DAVID C. ELDREDGE 311 E 10th St, Apt 1B New York NY 10009-5106 d.eldredge@verizon.net

In an email inquiry about last column’s star Joe Mingolla, Gifford Rogers offers that he is doing some volunteer work with the Detroit Zoo, producing a volunteer recruitment video, and doing general volunteering. He writes, “Tuesday is zoo day (kangaroos in the a.m. and butterflies in the p.m.).

Am having a riot.”

Fairly certain this had nothing to do with our Chuckie P. Zootime days back on the Hill, I nevertheless had to ask Giff what sparked this latest career development. When he retired a few years ago, he started volunteering at a couple soup kitchens in downtown Detroit, was an event host for the Super Bowl, and eventually volunteered at the Detroit Zoo three years ago.

“During a typical week, I’m a host at the Australian Outback Adventure, and I’m a gallery guide at butterfly house, or I walk the zoo as an ambassador. So I’ve got to have working knowledge of kangaroos, wallabies, butterflies, tropical plants, and the zoo in general.

“Due to my production background, I was asked to produce a volunteer recruitment video for the zoo. That’s given me extraordinary access to the zoo, which has been pretty cool. I always loved zoos, but didn’t appreciate all the moving parts to getting that rhino or tiger on display for the guest and keeping it there happy and healthy.

“So, the next time you go to the zoo look for the volunteers. They are your trip advisers and want to make sure you have a terrific time during your visit.

And, as always, support your zoo through donation or volunteering.”

Giff’s end-of-year email inspired yours truly to do some random email blast shoutouts to some toolong-silent ’71ers in search of some more New Year’s, um, inspiration. The responses came fast and furious.

First in—Mike Madigan, who writes: “I am not sure where to begin after 40 years. Life has blessed me with good health, a wonderful family, and a circle of friends I do not deserve. I ended up in Minnesota practicing law. I have been married for 26 years to an amazingly patient woman (Kay Erickson), who brightens every day.” Mike’s vita is distinguished by all the local and state commissions, Supreme Court admittance, and repeated requests for him as featured speaker at beer wholesale/retail conventions. He and Kay spend their free time at their cabin in northern Wisconsin, where they fish, hike, ski, and enjoy nature’s bounty. Mike is an instrument-rated pilot and enjoys flying a very old Piper Archer.

Echoing Mike came this (somewhat surprising, as he was never at a loss for words back in the day) brief response from Matt Gutmann: “Working at Brown University as vice president for international affairs and professor of anthropology, married with lots of kids of various affiliations—out of, in, and about to go to college—and still trying to help stop wars and tackle all manner of inequality.”

And finally, sneaking in just before deadline for this column from Stonington, Conn., comes the following from Marc Ginsberg: “I can’t believe it’s all those years from Mt. Hermon graduation. It doesn’t seem that long ago, but looking in the mirror there can be no doubt. Barbara and I are looking forward to celebrating our 30th anniversary this June. Daughter Elizabeth teaches first grade in the Denver public school system and son Matt lives in New York City and works in finance. I don’t practice law any longer but now serve as a fiduciary for a few families and manage some real estate and business interests. My most interesting project is managing the intellectual property of a deceased author of children’s books, who created a two-dimensional character known as Flat Stanley. Since the author’s death, we have published a number of new titles, licensed a North American tour of a musical, and even have a free app for the iPhone. As I write this, at the end of December, we are preparing for a longawaited family vacation to the Bahamas.”

Speaking of deadlines—by the time you read this, my 60th will have come and gone with a bang (in no small part abetted by Jim Keller ’72 and band) in January. How ’bout the rest of you chiming in on how you celebrated your rite of passage into AARP for the next column? Or at the very least, just pass along an update—or a simple hello.

Mike Madigan ’71, left, piloting his vintage Piper Apache with co-pilot Bob Giardini ’71

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KAREN BESHAR ZAKALIK 397 Woodbridge Ave Buffalo NY 14214-1529 karen.zakalik@gmail.com

TOM SISSON 86 Punchbowl Trail West Kingston RI 02892-1033 1972nmh@gmail.com

Peter Hansen, Jack Henderson, and Dick Taylor were together September 14–16 in Burlington, Vt. They golfed, and later Jack and Dick provided security for the North End Rhythm Kings show, with Peter playing keyboards, to benefit the Sam Spear Foundation. The show raised,$3,500 for donatelifevt.org, a charity that helps people living in Vermont who need organ transplants.

Shirley Klinger enjoyed the class reunion pictures and notes, and hopes to hear from all classmates this year.

Ellyn Spragins writes: “I was very happy to be at reunion, and especially proud of dragging Aimee Philpott back to campus for the first time in 40 years.” Since reunion, daughter Keenan finished Rutgers and found a job within a month.

Son Tucker transferred from the University of Hawaii to Rider University and is studying to be a teacher. “We held a glowing 89th birthday celebration for my father, and a storm-tossed 60th for my husband, John Witty ’70. Hurricane Sandy was not fun, but we have little to complain about compared to other people affected by the storm.

I’m very grateful.”

Jane Backus Gelernter lost her father in September, and after his memorial service at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Jane and husband David headed to Heidelberg, where he was keynote speaker at DAI (German American Institute) in conjunction with meetings run by the John Stuart Mill Institute for Liberty. From Germany, they went on to Florence, where they met their boys for a short holiday. They returned in time to do a load of laundry before Hurricane Sandy left them without power for a week. On December 17, David had his first museum show in New York City at Yeshiva University Museum.

Randy Fox is founder and senior partner of Capstone HR Services, Inc., a consulting firm serving businesses in the greater western Kentucky region, including Evansville, Ind., and Clarksville, Tenn. He has a number of contracts going into ’13 and may have to hire a few associates to keep up with the work. Following the November election, Kentucky governor Steve Beshear named Randy chair of the Bluegrass State Skills Corp. for a term that expires in July ’16.

Peggy Stone writes that after two and a half years of being a lady of leisure, thanks to early retirement, she is back in the fray as interim head of planning at Queen Mary College. The office crunches student numbers and data to do all the statutory returns to the government and to provide management information. Peggy has a staff of seven data

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analysts. Her lady-of-leisure status will definitely be reinstated on 3/2/13.

Loie Williams rowed in the Head of the Charles in October. She loves living in Boston and welcomes anyone to visit. Her son has been on a term abroad in Australia and loves it.

A fall wedding in Los Angeles made it possible for Toby Liebowitz Wolinsky and Dee Dee Higgins Nuanes to get together for lunch in Santa Monica. Toby continues her work at the Rhode Island School for the Deaf. Dee Dee was planning to get together with Sarah Hollman Jennings at her annual Christmas Eve party.

Jeff Kessler and wife Laura became empty nesters this fall when daughter Katharine returned to Colby-Sawyer College and son Philip went off to Kimball Union Academy. However, Jeff and Laura spent many fall afternoons and weekends watching Katharine’s field hockey team and Philip’s soccer team. Jeff’s sister Stephanie Kessler ’73 was elected county commissioner in Fremont County, Wyo., in November.

Jim Keller was sorry to miss the reunion. He took a nostalgia tour through the campuses on his way to Vermont recently. Hurricane Sandy blew out services in his downtown office, and “the frontyard at my place in the North Fork of Long Island got washed out to sea. Minor damage compared to so many others.”

Craig Ward and wife Becky were in Park City, Utah, in December to watch their son, Michael, compete in the Continental Cup. Michael had a career-best finish and was added to the U.S. Nordic Combined team. He’ll be competing in Austria and Slovenia in February ’13. “Since our nest is empty, what better excuse to travel overseas to cheer him on?” Craig’s mother, Rebecca Sparks, a Northfield physical education teacher, celebrated her 91st birthday on 12/29/12. Craig writes: “She has fond memories of Northfield.”

Nicholas Biddle is still savoring the feeling that came with the reunion and finishing up another semester of teaching as winter rolls in.

Milly Scovel Rawlings writes: “Tom’s message about Christmas Vespers brought back such strong memories. It was one of the best nights of the year.”

Milly and husband Peter live in Chattanooga, Tenn., where Milly is in her 27th year on the library staff at Baylor School, 22nd as library director. They have three children— Joan (33), an oncology nurse; Nate (31), a journalist with Time magazine; and Lydia (27) a pre-K special education teacher. Milly’s roommate, Kiki Gallant Scovel, has been married to Milly’s brother Cal for 34 years. Geno Pena and wife Kate have settled in to their new house

Pete Hansen ’72, Jack Henderson ’72, and Dick Taylor ’72

on Cape Cod and are adjusting to life at a slower pace. John Lazarus ’73 invited Geno to their 40th reunion in ’13, which he plans to attend.

A message from Ric Stobaeus always begins with news about his children: Nobuki ’04 is a vet in Mobile, Ala.; Keiko ’07 returned from El Salvador and is awaiting a new Peace Corps assignment; Emiko finished her first semester at the College of Coastal Georgia; and Kenji and Akira are attending Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School. Ric continues preparing veterinary students and graduates for their national veterinary exams. In the fall, he coaches cross-country, and from January to April he coaches tennis at Glynn Academy. When he’s not “working or coaching,” Ric is singing in his church choir and other community chorus groups. “It was wonderful to see so many of you at the reunion. Please find your way to NMH.” Sara Robinson’s professional life is busy, rewarding, and always interesting. She writes: “My Connemara pony, Hideaway’s Irish Eyes (26), and I won the Limestone Creek Hunt Club Hunter Pace Championship last summer. The course is typically over 10 miles of beautiful, varied countryside, with up to 100 jumps. So much fun.”

Four years ago, Rodney Bannwart moved to the Fort Worth, Texas, area, where he works at Alcon Labs, which has since been purchased by Novartis.

He works exclusively on biotech projects on diseases like age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in adults. He writes: “I definitely feel like I’ve really found my professional niche. I definitely enjoyed our 40th reunion.”

Amir Ameri wrote for the first time since graduation. He moved to California in ’72 to go to Stanford and has lived in the Bay Area ever since. He earned a bachelor’s in economics in ’76 and an MBA in ’78, also from Stanford, and has lived and worked in Silicon Valley since. The first 10 years of his career were with Fortune 500 companies (Occidental Petroleum and Castle & Cooke), and then he worked with private high-tech companies. He is now the chief financial officer of Precise Software Solution. He and wife Erika have two daughters, Adriana (28) and Tessa (24). Amir was sorry to miss our 40th and hopes to visit the campus soon. He would love to hear from the old friends and classmates at amir.ameri3@gmail.com.

Hope Kaltenthaler Belanger has worked for the same firm since ’85, responding to U.S. federal government agency requests for proposals. She writes: “Since no requests are the same, it is always

Igor Roussanoff, Oleg Briansky, and Mark DeGarmo ’73 were honored at the opening of the “Enchanted Wanderers: The Unknown Pages of the History of Ballet” exhibit in Moscow last June.

CLASS NOTES varied and exciting. However, as an avid golfer, my big treat is to have played Torrey Pines South Course, walking with a caddy. It was wonderful.

Golf is a fabulous excuse to commune with nature and enjoy all of God’s beauty. It is a heady reminder that life is beautiful.”

Since the last posting, Andrew Howe, who is originally from Jackson, N.H., pulled up stakes from the coast of Maine and moved to the White Mountains. He says: “We’ll keep close ties to the coast, especially in the summer, when we hop onboard our sailboat and go cruising. Hopefully, work schedules will accommodate that plan. But for now, let it snow.” His email has changed to aghowejxn@roadrunner.com.

Robin Smith-Johnson is the newsroom librarian at the Cape Cod Times and teaches in the English department at Cape Cod Community College.

Next winter her first book of poetry will be published by Word Press (an imprint of Word Tech Communications LLC). The publication date is set for 12/13/13.

Jane Hubbard Jennings lives in Port Orange, Fla., with her physician husband of 35 years, Lane.

They have three grown children: Lane Jr., who works in substance abuse treatment; Ethan, who is married, has a child, and works at Michelin Headquarters in South Carolina; and Lauren, an actress who lives in Manhattan. Jane continues to pursue her work as a career artist, working in many media, most recently in fiber assemblages. Her work is in private and public collections internationally.

Tom Sisson writes: “I guess the old-timers who told me the music I was listening to was going to make me deaf were right. After being fitted with stateof-the-art hearing devices, my world has opened up.

If someone you know, tells you to get your hearing checked—do it. You won’t know or believe what you are missing until you can hear again.”

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HEATHER BLANCHARD TOWER 46 Main St Northfield MA 01360-1023 smtower@comcast.net BILL STEWART 28 Wildwood Pl El Cerrito CA 94530-2049 BillStewartNMH73@gmail.com

From Heather: The campus is humming and the arts are flourishing. Vespers was wonderful and we were particularly proud this year as the opening solo was sung by our Thai student. The music was challenging, as always, and they performed it well.

The Nellies and Hogapella were invited to sing at the White House just before winter break and were well received. We have enjoyed music, dance, and theater this year. I am always amazed at the performances. Come back and check it out. As Nancy Norton Monahan said when she went to the Boston Vespers: “I was blown away at how great the

singing/orchestra was; made me very proud to be a part of the NMH community. I never remember anything close to the caliber I heard the other night when I was there.”

I am now the proud parent of two college graduates: Sara ’07 from Gettysburg (magna cum laude, and she delivered a wonderful moment of silence at Baccalaureate) and Chris ’05 from Roger Williams. Sara is living and working nearby, and Chris is home and working nearby. It’s great to have them so close for a change.

Many of you may have heard that Jim Blumenthal succumbed to cancer last fall. He so enjoyed reunion and life, and I was looking forward to seeing him this year. He will be greatly missed.

Mark DeGarmo was honored in Moscow last June at the opening of the “Enchanted Wanderers: The Unknown Pages of the History of Ballet” exhibit at the Bakhrushin State Central Theatre Museum. Photographs by leading U.S. dance photographer Beatriz Schiller of DeGarmo’s work as a dancer and choreographer were featured alongside images of legendary Russian ballet dancers and artists, who developed ballet in the West and made significant contributions to world culture. The exhibit included photographs of Diaghilev, Balanchine, Nureyev, Baryshnikov, Briansky, Arova, Princess Grace of Monaco, and others. This exhibit highlights the life of Dame Sonia Arova, Oleg Briansky and other legendary ballet dancers and choreographers of the second half of the 20th century. A special section is devoted to the work of costume designer Igor Roussanoff and his collaborations with Dame Sonia Arova, Thor Sutowski, Wes Chapman, Mark DeGarmo, and Richard Helldobler.

Reunion is just around the corner, and I hope to see many folks there. Your reunion chairs are working hard to make this a great event. The best part is being together and forgetting about our aches and pains as the years slip away and we are once again on the cusp of great adventures.

Mark your calendars and put in for vacation. See you there.

From Bill: Our Facebook class page now has 102 members and is really helping us plan for our upcoming 40th reunion.

Pierce Campbell writes that he’ll be in Crossley, where music will be provided by the Happy Hoggers Band reunion with Joe Klein, Jamie Voos, Dave Torrey, and Greg Burrill. “We’re looking forward to rockin’ out again and seeing everyone in June. Crossley will never be the same after we’re done with it. Don’t be square...be there.”

Dave King wrote an essay about his adolescent adulation of fellow classmate David Wright (several other friends are referenced but not named) that is included in the anthology, Who’s Yer Daddy: Gay Writers Celebrate Their Mentors and Forerunners, from the University of Wisconsin Press.

Skip Weaver manufactures parts for the King Midget automobile. In October he joined the staff in the automotive program at Seminole State College. Skip lives in Clermont, Fla., and keeps in touch with Cambren Davis and other classmates.

Heidi Haller Groshelle has been living and working in San Francisco since ’80. Since ’95 her work has focused on public relations and marketing for technology companies. She has two sons—Zane (30), who works for Prezi.com as their product evangelist, and Eli (23), who is a student focused on education and is studying Arabic in Oakland, Calif.

Ceramic art is a passion of Heidi’s, and she works in a studio in Golden Gate Park.

Sally Scherer Winter’s son, Charley, graduated from Georgia Tech with high honors in December and is looking forward to attending medical school or graduate school.

David Holleb writes that they survived Hurricane Sandy but had no power for nine days and finally went to a hotel in Scranton, Pa., for two days when the house temperature got down to 49 degrees. He and Regina celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary in Sicily last October. Son Matt recently graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and is now a port supervisor in Brunswick, Ga. Son Peter is a sophomore at the University of Scranton.

Mark Spitzer writes: “I was such a miserable wretch after my parents died in fall ’11 that Kamila got so weary of my constant depression that she told me to go back to work...and spread my joy outside the confines of our home. I am back to being an ER doc in an underserved area of West Virginia, stamping out lives, saving diseases.”

After 33 years of living in New York City, Lisa Stein and her family moved to New Jersey, an hour from the city. Her son (10) plays ice hockey with Old Bridge Junior Knights. “I started late with this family stuff, and the day after Christmas, we added a puppy to the mix. Suburban life all the way now, close to the country and close to the ocean.” Lisa still works as a photographer and hopes to make it to reunion. “Really miss having the Northfield campus part of NMH. My mother, Pauline Alpert Stein ’49, went there, and I lived there in Gould my two years at NMH. Love seeing some of you on Facebook, a great way to keep in touch.”

Tom Schmidt lives on the family farm in Twinsburg Township, Ohio, with his sister, Kris.

He has been a township trustee for 20 years, and coordinates the recently launched Twinsburg Community TimeBank. Tom writes: “Members provide services to one another and pay in time credits instead of cash. It is a great community builder. I am starting work with people in other states studying time banking, alternative currencies, and building community among people, thus being less reliant on government. We have what we need if we use what we have.”

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STEPHANIE LYNN GERSON 672 Old Mill Rd #263 Millersville MD 21108 Stephanie.L.Gerson@gmail.com

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KAREN PERKINS 252 Monte Grigio Dr Pacific Palisades CA 90272 onoclea@verizon.net

Yes, it’s really me in the photo, your class secretary, Karen Perkins. I decided to exchange my photo for something more recent. By the time you read this, I will have traveled in the past six months to Madrid, Rome, London, Paris, and to North Carolina for dinner with my mom on her 80th birthday. And, my son will have graduated from high school. He became an Eagle Scout just last week. My daughter will have finished her second year at Maryland Institute College of Art. Rose Bonomo writes: “I’ve been living in Portland, Ore., since ’93, and spent six months this summer living in New York City and working for Manhattan by Sail. I was able to reconnect with Elaine Monchak ’76 for quite a few dinners and even some tennis.” Rose graduated from Hunter College in ’88, after attending the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and spending six months on the road as Daffy Duck. She lived in New York until ’93, and had worked as a makeup artist in the world of fashion and beauty, and then as a personal trainer for many years. In Portland she has worked as a strength and conditioning coach, an event planner, and head of catering. She had breast cancer in ’05–’06 and is fully recovered. In’09, she had a hip replacement, and then she opened a shop called rosabode, which she had until ’12. Rose has a son who is a sophomore at the University of Oregon and a daughter who is a senior in high school. Rose writes: “Very happy and healthy now and have recently taken up aerial training, so I enjoy life upside down more often.”

Rudi Simpson has made an incredible, brave transition. After 32 years of living in Los Angeles, Rudi and his partner moved to Zürich, Switzerland, his partner’s childhood home. Rudi’s first job after Juilliard and the School of American Ballet was in Zürich with the Zürich Ballet at the Opernhaus Zürich. “I’ve been visiting Switzerland since ’78.

Every year, we tried to spend a couple of weeks here on vacation, so it seemed like a natural at this point in our lives. This has been a dream of mine for many years and we finally decided to act on it. We sold our house and two cars to get here. I said goodbye to my job at CBS television, where I worked for over 12 years as director of photography. One of my last photo campaigns was for a new show this

Veronica Froelich Adams ’75 during her recent trip to Scottsdale, Ariz.

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season ‘Elementary.’ I produced the print ad and publicity photo shoot for the series. I also worked on the original ‘NCIS’ with Mark Harmon and ‘The Mentalist’ with Simon Baker, to name a few.

“I recently received my Aufenthaltsbewilligung [residence permit], so it’s official. I can stay and live in Zürich and begin looking for work. I speak Swiss German, so that will come in handy. If there are any NMHers in Switzerland, please feel free to get in touch. I’m on LinkedIn and XING. I also post photos on Instagram. I love living here and I’m happy to have my four seasons back. We have a beautiful apartment with views from every room.

Some of the homes in our neighborhood date back to the 15th and 16th centuries.” Rudi is in touch with Toyo Obayashi, Hong Chen, and Peter Marcalus.

Rob Brougham attended NMH Homecoming in the fall with his daughter, who is a student at Boston University. It was his first time back in 32 years. “It was more spectacular than I remembered, so beautiful. Didn’t see any other ’75ers, though.”

Rob Farley wrote that after one year of happy marriage, he and Gail are grateful that their girls get along so well. Their youngest is a senior in high school, so they are downsizing two homes into one.

One house is sold and they are trying to sell the second. They plan to stay in New Hampshire.

Bill Gladstone has made an earth-shattering observation, and I believe he will win next year’s Nobel Prize for Alumni Magazine Readers. He writes: “I wonder if other ’75ers are having the same experience I am having with the alumni magazine: It seems that often the magazine is miscompiled, with our class notes appearing in the middle of the magazine, rather than near the back where they belong.” We are always on the lookout for keen observations such as Bill’s.

Peggy Millett Zemach lives in Durango, Colo., with her pediatrician husband and three children. Two of her kids are in college and one is in high school. Peggy is the executive director of the Durango Arts Center.

Peter Crimmin and Ned Perry got together in Portland, Ore., for a week of catching up.

One weekend they drove north to a cabin in the Olympic Peninsula and another they drove to Bellingham, Wash., for a taste of extraordinary crepes. “We reminisced about NMH a good deal and agreed to attend the 40th reunion.”

Elizabeth Armstrong has a Hogger daughter, Rebekah Lofgren ’13, who is scheduled to graduate in May. “We look forward to joining her for graduation in the spring.”

Paul Lessard enjoyed spending time on campus and running in the Pie Race. “I would boast about my ability to still run the race 37 years after graduation; however, there was an alumni participant who is 85. My residential architectural business was busy this year with many projects.”

Tom Clark recently returned from an eight-week trip around the world. He used up his frequent flyer miles to visit Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, Portugal, Hungary, Belgium, Netherlands, Turkey, Thailand, China, and Japan. “I had an amazing time and met

great people all along the way. Going back to work was tough, though.”

Christina Farr Zaharchuk writes: “We have three children between the two of us. Joshua Pasetsky has his own pest control business in Florida.

Sarah Zaharchuk works at Lockheed Martin in Clearwater, Fla., and recently bought her first home.

The youngest, Sarah Pasetsky, volunteers as an assistant basketball coach at Lynn University.”

When I caught up with Veronica Froelich, she was in the East Bay “cat sitting,” San Francisco, that is. By the time we all read this column, Veronica should be in the South Bay or Silicon Valley.

Veronica is working in instructional design.

Finally, I want to remind all of you, my great friends from NMH, to feel free to drop me an email anytime between NMH Magazine issues. I will always save your emails for the next notes. If you have some great photos, or you just happen to think of it, send your information my way.

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SUSAN LORING-WELLS 12 Ames Haven Rd, PO Box 273 Shutesbury MA 01002 susanloring@me.com

JOE MCVEIGH PO Box 883 Middlebury VT 05753-0883 joe@joemcveigh.org

From Susan: In September ’12, my husband and I celebrated 30 years of marriage. We had a wonderful trip to Northern California, where my husband grew up. After dropping our youngest daughter off at Santa Clara University for her freshman year, we spent two weeks in Marin County and a week in Lake Tahoe. We explored backroads on a motorcycle, hiked, kayaked, bicycled, and visited with friends and my husband’s side of the family. We are now part-time empty nesters and enjoying it, though always ready to welcome home our three daughters and our nephew, who has been living with us for six years. Julia (26) lives in Macon, Ga., and works for GEICO; and Hannah (24) lives in Manhattan and commutes to Stamford, Conn., where she works for Viridian as a sustainable project manager. My nephew began his freshman year of high school at the Landmark School in Beverly, Mass., as a boarding student, hence our taste of the empty nest. I continue to weave and teach at my

Joe McVeigh ’76 and former roommate Bob Hodgkins ’76 got together in Boston last August.

CLASS NOTES studio in Leverett, Mass., and ran my first 5K this fall in the Northampton Hot Chocolate Run. Phebe Gregson is sole proprietor and interior designer in Mill Valley, Calif. In her spare time, she does a lot of hiking and swimming and enjoys the benefit of year-round outdoor access in California.

Her husband does architectural work in China and Russia. Phebe usually sees Anne Wenniger, Amy Gladstone-Fischbein, and Elaine Monchak when she visits her daughter at NYU. She recently had dinner with Elaine and Amy in November, and also got together with Elaine in San Francisco last August. Another daughter is a senior in high school and is awaiting acceptances from college.

From Joe: In January ’13. I made my third trip to Saudi Arabia in a two-year period, this time to do some ESL teacher training. It’s a far cry from skiing here in Vermont with my son, Nat (9). Back in the U.S., I’ve enjoyed meeting NMH alums from other classes through singing. In December ’12, I sang in a concert with the Vermont Choral Union along with Rob Liotard ’63. Also in attendance at that concert was Sarah Sherrill ’75. Two weeks later, my wife, Leila, and I sang in the annual lessons and carols service with the Middlebury College Choir together with Emily Jacke ’08. That’s a span of about 55 years’ worth of NMH alumni.

It had been about 20 years since I last saw my old roommate Bob Hodgkins. We got together in Boston last August. Bob is a chaplain in an organization that ministers to seafarers who come into Boston Harbor, often far from home.

Another roommate, the normally reticent Alan Bressler, sent an extensive letter full of news. Alan lives with his wife, Sue, in Billings, Mont., where he works as a geologist and part-time physical training coach at a local gym. In the second role he has been using a series of photos of Frank Shorter ’65 to teach good running form. Alan and sister Kristen Bressler ’71 celebrated the 82nd birthday of their mother, Carol Leighton Bressler ’48, in Pasadena, Calif., in January ’13. He got caught up with Isabel Childs and partner Deb Campbell a couple of summers ago when they came out to hike in the Beartooth Mountains. Alan also reports an email correspondence with former choir director Raymond Harvey, now conductor of the Kalamazoo, Mich., Symphony. Plus, he’s been in touch with former teacher Peter Davies, who lives in the Bay Area with wife Melissa Davie Davies ’75. Alan, Peter, and Melissa have all given up rock climbing for kayaking. In addition, Alan had a visit from former “math teacher and rock-climbing guru extraordinaire” Al DeMaria. Although Al had suffered a serious fall climbing at the Shawangunks in New York a few years back, he is reported to be as tough, fit, and sharp as ever. Over the years Alan has had fortuitous encounters with Andy Shepard (kayaking in the Grand Canyon); Loren Starcher (boating on the Yellowstone and in Idaho); the parents of Ruth Lapin (a wedding in D.C.); and Rich Davis (housemates while at Occidental College). He also recalled a glorious expedition in Lander, Wyo., with fellow mountaineers Pam Banks ’75, Joe Neilson ’75, Chip Lende ’75, and John Nininger ’75.

I, too, had a wonderful reunion after a mere 36 years with Marie Walker Monts in Bloomington, Ind. After NMH, Marie attended Oberlin in the company of Charlotte Bacon Holton and David Caldwell ’75, and then fell in love and followed her husband-to-be, Max Monts, back to Indiana, where they have lived ever since. When she realized that her kids were about to get their college degrees and she still didn’t have hers, Marie returned to school and graduated from Indiana University in the spring of ’12 alongside her daughter, Zoe. Marie works at IU in the international students office.

She is still an active musician. The weekend I saw her, she had a concert singing with Voces Novae, a chamber choir she helped found about 20 years ago.

Along with more conventional venues, they’ve performed at a goat farm, an art museum, a wine bar, and a fire house. The group also produced a CD of lullabies that was distributed to 1,000 families in four countries. You can hear some of their music at www.vocesnovae.org. Marie’s son Wes is a photojournalist in Australia.

Dave Marley is recovering from an operation that left him in a coma in December ’12. Earlier in the year he wrote that one of his companies, Hyperion Systems, had received a grant from the Department of Education to install solar learning labs on 12 school campuses in western Mass., including NMH. Physics and astronomy teacher Hughes Pack has been leading that effort at NMH to help increase student learning in science, technology, engineering, and math through integration of classroom and hands-on experience. “Let’s all work to take NMH off the grid,” says Dave.

Phil Mead works as an emergency room doctor in the Philadelphia area. His wife, Carolyn Fox Mead ’75, and sons Loren (22) and Nick (17) are all rowers. Phil saw Steve Smith at the Head of the Charles in October ’12. Phil misses NMH and rowing on the Connecticut River. His family enjoyed a diving vacation on Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands in January ’13.

Orville Seschillie has lived and worked in Seattle since completing the community-health medicine program at the University of Washington.

Since ’09, he has worked as a physician’s assistant in orthopedic surgery. Before that he worked in addictions treatment with homeless veterans as an outpatient provider. Earlier, he spent five years working for the Puyallup Tribe in western Washington.

Orville enjoys skiing in the Cascades. He stays in contact with most of his First Nations friends from NMH days and manages to make it home to northern Arizona to visit with family at least once a year.

Mark Anair graduated from Boston University in ’83 with a degree in accounting and finance. He lives in Southington, Conn., and keeps busy following the hockey career of his son (10), who has played in tournaments in Edmonton, Toronto, Buffalo, N.Y., and throughout New England.

Jennifer Hankin Bourdain heads the U.S. supervisory analyst team for international investment bank Nomura Securities in New York. She and husband Chris recently celebrated 28 years of marriage and 33 years of being together. Her children

are 22 and 19. The older works as a private investigator and the younger is in college. Her daughter was in Japan during the Tohoku Earthquake in ’11, and her father and brother both died that same year. Travels to Arizona. California, and the beach in Rhode Island have brought happier moments.

Jennifer would love to hear from NMHers local or otherwise and would be glad to connect via LinkedIn. After 18 years in Glastonbury, Conn., Peter Lovell and family moved to Milford, Conn., into a house they renovated. The house and neighborhood managed to weather Superstorm Sandy in October ’12 without too much damage. Peter is general counsel of a reinsurance company in Stamford, Conn. Both of Peter’s children are in college, one at Notre Dame. They rejoiced and commiserated over the fortunes and misfortunes of the Notre Dame football team this past season. Peter’s New Year’s resolution is to do better in keeping up with old friends. To this end, he has been in touch with Adam Saffer and Dean Steeger.

Ken Crabbs now works in the actuarial department of Genworth Financial. Wife Linda continues her work in the United Methodist Church.

Son Christian is enrolled in an International Baccalaureate program in a nearby high school. The Crabbses continue to host international exchange students and are spending an increasing amount of time caring for aging parents.

Melissa Totten is based in the Boston area and operates M+Co, which offers research, writing, and creative services for arts and culture ventures. In January ’13, she took part in a marathon reading of Moby-Dick at the New Bedford Whaling Museum.

She helps maintains a Facebook page called NMH Alumni Concerned About Northfield Campus that often republishes media articles about the future of the campus. Check it out for the latest developments.

Liz McGrath lives in Albuquerque, N.M., where she runs Pegasus Legal Services for Children, a nonprofit agency that provides civil legal services to children and youth. She has two daughters from her first marriage: Hannah (26), a graduate of Wesleyan, and Lucy (22), a recent graduate of Northeastern.

In ’00, Liz married Cameron Ferrante. Since then she has been the proud step-parent to three stepsons: Griffin (19), a sophomore at Tulane; and fraternal twins Quentin (18), a freshman at University of California, Santa Barbara, and Cameron (18), a freshman at Colorado State.

Since completing grad school and serving in the Peace Corps, Alice Payne Merritt has lived in

Marie Walker Monts ’76 and Joe McVeigh ’76 got together in Bloomington, Ind., last September.

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CLASS NOTES Baltimore, Md., working for the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Alice directs international health communication programs in about 30 countries, using modern and traditional communication to help families improve their health in areas such as HIV prevention, malaria prevention, maternal and reproductive health, and tobacco control. Alice and husband Chris enjoy NMH maple syrup every year.

Son Will (21) lives in northern Idaho focusing on permaculture, especially building yurts. Daughter Lily (18) is a freshman at Elon in North Carolina.

“Always happy to hear from NMHers,” writes Alice.

Helen Coons lives in Philadelphia, where she is a clinical health psychologist specializing in women’s health and mental health. She still plays tennis three to five times per week and enjoyed a trip to Nepal in October ’12. Helen was sad to hear of the death of her closest childhood friend and our NMH classmate Russell “Rusty” Lindgren. Helen and Rusty grew up together in Camp Hill, Pa., outside of Harrisburg, where the Coons and Lindgren families did everything together. Helen recalls: “Rusty was a gentle man, always creative, a fantastic skier, and inventor. I will always remember his smile and warmth.”

Russell (Rusty) Lindgren died unexpectedly at his home in Heath, Mass., on 9/3/12. Rusty graduated from Tufts in ’80 with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. He worked for Wang Industries before moving to Brattleboro, Vt., where he started Lindgren Associates and also BioTags, which developed and produced digital and analog wildlife electronic tags for tracking and population studies. He worked for a variety of other technical companies as well. In addition to his work as a technical designer and inventor, Rusty was a proficient guitarist and a creator of electronic instruments and synthesizers. He enjoyed cats, fly fishing, skiing, swimming, and walking. He leaves behind his partner of 21 years, Laura O’Connor, and a son, Jens Lindgren.

As class secretaries we are always delighted to get news from you. It was a thrill to hear from a number of classmates who’ve been quiet for years. How about you be next?

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ANNE HOWSON 85 Sutherland Road #2 Brighton MA 02135-7159 ahowson@rics.bwh.harvard.edu

Pamela Watson-Hogan gained a son-in-law over the holidays when her daughter (25) was married in Boston. Their youngest headed off to Union College, leaving them “somewhat“ home alone for the first time in 25 years. “My parents still live with us, and my husband continues to travel with work that takes him frequently to Australia and New Zealand. We still spend a fair amount of time in the U.K., and I always look to see what NMH London activity is going on. It was so great to see so many classmates at our 35th reunion. More and more classmates are joining us as we spend the weekend renewed by the beauty and energy of a place we so

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love. I encourage all who have never attended to join us—it’s good fun—for the next one.

Jerry Seal ’78 visited Tim Baribeau in the Cambridge, U.K., area in September. Jerry was en route to see his Mt. Hermon German exchange brother. Tim writes: “We had a great time, sampling the local pub real ales, roaring around the countryside in an old MGB, and touring some sites in London. The picture of Jerry and me in front of King’s College Chapel follows our pint and lunch outing in Cambridge that day. Great to have old pals pass through to remember all those fun times and make more of the same.”

Joanie Kaplan Williams has taken the plunge and started her own business with two partners in February. Watercrest Senior Living Group will operate assisted living and memory care communities and also provide marketing, development, and operational advisory services. “Things are very exciting for us, as we have several development partners in multiple states. We are going to China with one of our clients in March ’13 for EB5 financing for their projects.” At our reunion, this was all coming together for Joanie, who writes: “All my NMH friends were very encouraging, so thank you all for that. Will keep you all posted as things progress.”

After reunion last June, Shahrokh Taleghani added a new member to his family with the birth of daughter Lale Aria on 7/24. She joins brother Timur (2 ½). “We are getting ready to move (again) to Istanbul and are looking forward to settling in and staying put for a while. Saying goodbye to New York City and the U.S. will be interesting, but with family stateside, I am sure we will be traveling back at least once or twice a year.” Shahrokh hopes to see some more familiar faces at the 40th. “In the meantime, I guess there is always Facebook.”

Adam Handler of Brewster, N.Y., closed his ad agency of 27 years and is looking forward to new ventures. He sings with an a cappella group called Men Without Instruments. He recently saw Jean Pendleton-Madden, Jeff Aliber, Jon Rubin, and Tufts roommate Bill McKersie. His son is a sophomore at NYU film school.

James Gullickson is “getting older and rounder in Minnesota. New Year’s resolution ’12 not yet realized. Plenty to be thankful for, though: family in good health; work is still fun (how can doing public radio at a university ever be a bad job?). Had some marvelous vacations in ’12 with visits to a tropical rainforest preserve in Costa Rica (zip line ride down the mountain); a couples trip to Memphis, Tenn., that included Graceland and Beale Street (one

Tim Baribeau ’77 (left) and Jerry Seal ’78 (right) in front of King’s College Chapel in Cambridge, England

should never miss the Sun Records or Stax Records tours); capped off by a Panamanian cruise.”

Bob Krey says he might have some news for the next issue.

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CARRIE NIEDERMAN 1021 Arlington St Houston TX 77008 thedoc@txequinedentist.com CATHY ABRAHAM HOPKINS 2590 Centre St RR #1 St. Catharines ON Canada L2R 6P7 cathy.hopkins@gmail.com

From Carrie: Happy to welcome in ’13. The last three years have been tough, dealing with health issues. Finally, I got a diagnosis of chronic Lyme and have been responding well to the treatment. Hope to be back to 100 percent by June, when I trust I will see many of you for our 35th.

We lost a terrific classmate, Gail Osgood, this fall. She lost her courageous and painful battle with breast cancer. Gail was an extremely talented photographer, athlete, and mother who had no fears.

Thanks to her wisdom, I will not look at birds the same way. Heidi Walter Nelson had dinner with Paige Relyea Lehman ’79 and Sarah Heminway ’79 shortly after Gail’s death to honor her.

Meg Largey and her partner CJ visited Guy Clark and his partner Harrison Morgan at their farm in Bullville, N.Y., where they take in rescue horses. Ivanka Maglic ’79 also visited them from Paris in June. Guy writes: “It was great to catch up with some of my NMH girls.” Last summer Guy was featured on a TV show called “Allt For Sverige” in Sweden. The eight episodes are on YouTube and mostly in English. “It was an adventure-based reality show to discover our Swedish roots. Since then, my life has been more crazy than usual, as I became a household name in a foreign country. Now I am doing Swedish TV work, ads and endorsements, interviews, and talk shows. If that isn’t enough, I started my own men’s accessory line called Mr. Guy, which is being sold at places like the Metropolitan Opera Shop in New York City and Nonno in Stockholm, Sweden. Thankfully, my interior design work in NYC has been very busy. I have been featured lately on the NBC show ‘Open House New York.’ If you want to see some of my work, check out this link: www.nbcnewyork.com/video/#./ blogs/open-house/Designer-Living—Park-AvenueDesign-with-Guy-Clark/151384165.”

Rich Miller met Glenn Frey of the Eagles at a fundraiser in New York City recently and spoke to him for 10 minutes. Awesome. Laird Johnson turned Rich onto the Eagles during the fall of ’75 in North Crossley. Wore out their greatest hits record that year. Rich attended a Lucinda Williams concert with Stephanie Ackler ’80. Mark McCormick stopped by to say hello at the Love for Levon benefit. Rich is looking forward to seeing everyone at the reunion.

CLASS NOTES

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PAIGE RELYEA LEHMAN 5236 SW 89 Ter Cooper City FL 33328-5140 paigerelyea@yahoo.com

CARY LIEBOWITZ BONOSEVICH 1972 Littleton Rd Monroe NH 03771-3275 bonosevich@hotmail.com

From Paige: In early September, Gail Osgood ’78, one of my closest NMH friends, lost her battle with breast cancer. We were roommates in Marquand ’77–’78 and remained close through the years. Gail was a professional photographer and lived in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, with her daughters, Lucy and Annie. Gail was a remarkable woman and a true friend. You can honor her with your Annual Fund donation by designating in the special instruction field that you would like your gift in memory of Gail Osgood ’78. The money will go to support NMH’s women’s ice hockey, one of Gail’s many passions. A classmate posted this on Facebook and it really captured Gail: “I remember her as being one of those obviously kind young women, who had a vitality and a kind of directness that spoke to me of a real inner strength and decency. In my mind, she will always be striding fast through the dorm, purposefully, smiling, and talking as she goes.”

Gail and I had hoped to reconnect in Maine while my husband, Charlie, and I were there for a planned trip in late September. I’m pleased to say that a minireunion did occur with Heidi Walter Nelson ’78 and Sarah Heminway. Carrie Niederman ’78 joined us by phone. We reminisced about Gail and her wacky sense of humor and recognized the importance of making the effort/time to stay in touch. To underscore that point, Alison Law Darling ’81 joined Charlie and me for lunch in Kennebunkport—our first visit since I left NMH. The lesson here folks is, stay in touch—reach out, pick up the phone, send an email, stop by, and attend reunions.

Estelle Dorain Burgess writes: “June ’14 is just around the corner. Plan on joining us for our 35th reunion. I know, it is hard to believe so many years have gone by, but I am sure we all look the same, act the same, and take on the world with life and vigor—or at least we think we do. Our daughter, Lindsey ’03, lives in San Diego. She does miss the snow and occasionally wanders back to Vermont.

Our younger daughter, Callie ’04, is a project analyst in Burlington, Vt., and fortunately we are able to see her a little more often. Ray and I are still working hard at multiple tasks related to running a business, and we manage to have a little fun in between with snowmobiling, skiing, and boating. We celebrated our 30th anniversary in July ’12.

And, after all these years, we still manage to be best friends. Hope to see all of you for reunion.”

Ralph Bledsoe lives in Andover, Mass., and teaches multilingual chemistry, regular chemistry, and biology in a Boston public high school.

He will be delivering the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther

King’s “I’ve Been to the Mountain Top” speech at two churches in Andover on MLK/Inauguration Day. He is also writing a screenplay for submission to the Nicholl Fellowship at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He volunteered for state senator Barry Finegold’s and President Obama’s campaigns. His daughter, Naomi, is now at Westfield State University. Planning to attend our 35th reunion, Ralph is also helping the class of ’95 plan its 20th reunion, because he is the class teacher.

Tracy Longacre traveled extensively in ’12: She finished her assignment in Namibia in March, spent three months at an Anglican Franciscan friary in Dorset, England, then walked the 500-mile pilgrimage of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in the north of Spain. She spent July in Italy, volunteering with the Art Monastery project in Labro, Umbria, then three months back in England. In mid-November, Tracy relocated to Cameroon, where she is job hunting in Yaoundé. She’s “wanting to figure out how I can fund work to empower local communities and organizations in doing what they think needs to be done (rather than what Western donors think). Still running, doing yoga, meditating, and delving into things spiritual. Currently initiating a conversation about possibly becoming a Third Order Franciscan (those who follow a rule of life like monks/nuns, but live in the world). My 50th year has been a pretty wild ride and I don’t really have any idea where I am going to land.” You can contact Tracy at tlongacre on Facebook; tel@ telphoto.com on email; @tlongacre on Twitter.

Brad Will writes: “Since moving into our 1900 Victorian in Kingston, N.Y., with fiancée Sari, our whole reality has shifted toward Woodstock, with both Sari’s business and my architectural practice having moved there less than a year ago. Ashokan Architecture & Planning (my biz) is just finishing up construction administration for the 53-unit Woodstock Commons, an eight-year adventure that will begin housing seniors and families in January ’13. Among its pioneering tenants will be my mother. Sari is an ASID interior designer and has also taught at the Academy of Art in San Francisco. Combining our design backgrounds, we are intent on transforming our commercial location—Playhouse Plaza—into a design destination for art, architecture, energy-efficient design, and fine craftsman furnishings.” In the fall, Brad and Sari spent time with family and friends in the San Francisco Bay Area and also discovered the beauty and artful funkiness of Provincetown, Mass. This year they plan to visit Sari’s ancestral home— Helsinki, Finland. Part of her business involves Finnish-designed goods. Brad says it “will be a return trip for me, 30 years after I traveled there on a quest to see and study Finnish architect Alvar Aalto’s great works.”

Singer Melanie Phippard reports: “I was given an invite-only audition to ‘The Voice’ in Los Angeles. I was told afterward that they wanted ‘big voices.’ I understand that. When I open my mouth to sing anywhere, even in super-rowdy pubs, the place goes quiet, so I am not sure why my voice should be any bigger. I released a new video, which

is online at YouTube, called ‘Malibu Barbie.’ Due to early wake-up time for teaching, I don’t play out too much except in the summer, but it is good fun, and the audiences are ever appreciative. I gave a donation in honor of my parents this past Christmas to NMH, as they loved the school, too. I hope to come out to NMH soon to visit.”

Sharon Ultsch is on the final leg of her Peace Corps tour in Ambato, Ecuador, where she has been a teacher/trainer and curriculum designer for the English teacher training program at the university.

She also started a theater group for 11-year-old girls at a local school across the street from where she lives. “We put on a play about Saint Nicolas and the baker’s dozen—you know 13 instead of 12. In Ecuador, when you shop at the open air markets, you develop a relationship with your ‘casera,’ from whom you buy fruits and vegetables. Your casera gives you what is called a yapa, basically a freebie of some kind, in gratitude for your patronage. The baker’s dozen and the yapa are the same idea, which the girls loved learning about. It was a true intercultural exchange and the parents in the audience also appreciated the connection to their own tradition of the yapa. Hasta Pronto and prospero ano to all my fellow NMHers.”

Sarah Dewey is: “Singin’, dancin’, ridin,’ as usual.”

Dave Ehrenthal reflects: “I’m hard-pressed to think of anything interesting to write...still in Winchester, Mass., kids in middle school, wife teaching French at Concord Carlisle High School, running two or three times a week, having a tough time understanding why what’s important to me seems so divergent from the rest of the U.S. population, and wondering when this country finally comes to consensus on the direction if I’ll be an active participant or a marginalized outsider.”

Catherine Johnson Lewis has a son who is a senior in high school this year. “The engineering company I work for is getting involved in the Christchurch, New Zealand, rebuild, and that is very exciting.” Cath is planning a trip to New York and New England in autumn ’13 and would love to see Mitzi Fennel ’80, Tom Caliandro and Jonathan Miller-Lane.

From Caryn: “I am on the computer most

days at home because of a work injury. I had two surgeries on my shoulder in ’11 and have been on disability since. Unfortunately, another surgery is in my future. My husband, Len, is working for the V.A. hospital in Vermont. Son Mike has moved back from Texas and is working full-time for Staples.

Sara has become a nanny and lives in Vermont. Sam, who works for a data entry company, and Lauren, who works for HomeGoods, are sharing an apartment in Vermont. We are lucky we get to see our kids so often.

“Facebook is great for staying in touch; everyday I read something new from so many of our classmates.

Looking forward to another awesome reunion; 2014, here we come.”

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CLASS NOTES

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JACK FARRELL 22314 Cairnloch St Calabasas CA 91302-5873 jack@jackfarrell.org ANTONY PANG 33 Club St 08-14 Singapore 069415 aa1105@yahoo.com LYNELLE KUCHARSKI 94 Cambridge Dr Glastonbury CT 06033-1379 lynelle@lynellekucharski.com

From Kristin Kellom and Jeff Leyden in the NMH Advancement Office: Lee Coykendall hosted the third annual greater D.C. gathering for the class of ’80 at her home in October. The gathering attracted some of the “regulars” and a few new classmates.

Lydia Perry Schodel, Jeff Leyden, Cab Dempsey, Jae So, Sue Gibbs, Mark Sommerfield, and Abby Milager attended. Stay tuned for next year’s gather-

ing. Rumor has it there is interest in a similar gathering in New York City sometime this winter. Also in D.C., Lydia, Jeff, Baman Rusby (whose daughter is Kayla Rusby-Wood ’15), Cab and her sister, Trish Dempsey ’75, attended the NMH holiday reception at the Willard Hotel.

Earlier in the fall, Jim Hurwitz helped Jeff check off one of the items on his bucket list by taking him to a Ray Manzarek show in Mill Valley, where they both met and spent time with Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead.

So following up on that “rumor” previously noted, Jeff and Kristin had hoped to replicate the successful D.C. events with a gathering of classmates in New York City. Unfortunately, the date did not seem to be a good one, but it did spur some messages from folks, among them: Andrea Farrington, Mark Sheinkman, Steve Tager, Chip Kelley, Carlos Cavelier, Bob Ely, Viva Hardigg, Stephanie Ackler, Andy Knight, and Mara Keggi Ford. Lydia Perry Schodel was also hoping to stop

by, as she was in there already for another NMH event. Since then, Stephanie has been in touch with Jeff about organizing an NYC event sometime this spring. Rudy Chan attended one of the NMH fall events in Asia. Carlos will assist with a school event, when NMH travels to Colombia.

While in California, Jeff had dinner with Jack Farrell, Tracey Wagner, and Janet Neuwalder, all

Jack Farrell, Tracey Wagner, Jeff Leyden, Janet Neuwalder, all class of ’80, got together in California in January ’13.

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of whom live within about 40 minutes of each other.

Unfortunately, Doug McIntosh was unable to join them. Later that week, Jeff was in Sedona, Ariz., where he met with former roommate Josh Novick and with Jen Baker Warren ’79.

Kristin heard the good news from Beth Perry that she had gotten married in October—congratulations. Other ’12 holiday greetings came from Melanie Calitri Holden, John Lin, and Jim Mulholland. Jeff also heard from Martha Verrill Schlager prior to a visit to campus; Kristin caught up with her, and they reminisced about long-ago student days and what NMH is like today as a onecampus school.

A nice crowd gathered on 11/30/12 for the opening reception of Sam Pettengill’s photography exhibit in the gallery at the Rhodes Arts Center.

Titled “Spaces Between,” the exhibition featured Sam’s recent work and projects that were part of his MFA portfolio.

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FRANK CHANDLER 20 Overlook Park Newton MA 02459-1344 frankchandler1@verizon.net class of ’81 website: www.nmh81.us

MARINA COLMAN PO Box 3555 Taos NM 87571 marinacolman727@yahoo.com LILIAN BLACKEN HANNAPEL 2809 Parkers Landing Rd Mount Pleasant SC 29466-6743 lxhannapel@aol.com

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SALLY WILLIS PO Box 1456 Frisco CO 80443-1456 willissally@hotmail.com

MICHAEL RICKARD 1470 N Grand St W Suffield CT 06093-2521 mrickard330@cox.net

From Sally: Very quiet on the notes front this time around. I would like to correct something in the previous column. Claire Rodman organized the wonderful memorial service for our classmates at our reunion in June.

Over the course of the summer, I have had the opportunity to do a 10th Mountain Division hut trip with Sarah Meyer Stevens and her family, caught up with Steve Craig at Rocky Mountain NMH Mountain Day, and had dinner with Charlotte Alston Legg and her family during their ski trip to Breckenridge, Colo., at Christmas.

All these events had us talking about many of you and hoping that everyone is well and healthy 30 years down the road. By the time you read these

notes, I will hopefully have caught up with David Whitman in Vail while he is here skiing with his family. I am also gearing up to once again to join Team Brigitte (Katrina Harriman Conde, Andrea Sferes, Charlotte Alston Legg, Lilian Blacken Hannapel ’81) in Charlotte, N.C., for an Avon

Breast Cancer walk. We walk in memory of Brigitte Brown.

David Whitman caught up with Carrie Roantree Ahlborn ’75. He writes that she was in Boston visiting two of her daughters, who are attending college there. ”We had a really nice time reconnecting. I can’t believe we haven’t seen each other for over 25 years. As soon as we saw each other it was like no time had passed, and we took up where we left off. She and her husband recently moved to Las Vegas, where she is now the director of development for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. So far, she is loving living in the desert.”

Vince Connelly is happy to serve as our NMH Annual Fund chair, and he wishes to thank all of our classmates who have generously contributed.

Andy Hewitt commemorated his 50th birthday celebrating all things Andy. An all-day event involving a bit of each—row, swim, run, bike, hike.

Posted on Facebook: Amy Price Lutz and Emily Popper caught up recently in Colorado, 30 years after being roommates at NMH. Please join us on Facebook: NMH Class of 82 page. And definitely make sure that NMH has an updated email address for you. Stay in touch.

From Mike: Claire Rodman writes: “It’s been a busy fall for work, what with all the new financial regulations coming out. And for my sins, my college (Sarah Lawrence) has asked me to be the vice chair of their annual fund, focusing on raising participation among post-coed alums. Just when I think I’m out of volunteering, they keep pulling me back in. Wonderful to see everyone at reunion, and to get Christmas card pictures of ever-taller nieces and nephews. Looking forward to some planned visits to and by NMH friends and will post pictures on our Facebook page when it happens. You are a member of our class Facebook page, of course? Join now if you’re not, and then you can keep up with everyone in between issues of NMH Magazine.”

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ALLYSON GOODWIN 45 Mount Hermon Rd Gill MA 01354-8801 agoodwin@nmhschool.org ANGELA LAMBERT 249 Islington Street, Unit #10 Portsmouth NH 03801 drangela@mac.com

Tim Lam got together earlier this year with a few of his Weston pals. John Yang ’85, Brian Rooney ’82, and Jim Shoemaker had a great time. Tim has

been helpful with NMH admission and advancement projects in Hong Kong. His eldest daughter will be attending college in the States this fall.

CLASS NOTES

Lulu Lason Cannon had a couple of classmate visitors in Kalamazoo, Mich. Stephanie Mayer Wilson flew in from North Carolina and met with Lulu and Chris Davenport, who is a professor at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. They had lunch and enjoyed hanging out together. Courtney Small Francis is on the faculty at Northeastern Illinois University, teaching in three departments: English Language Program, TESL, and social work.

In TESL, she is also supervisor of the TESL Clinical Experience. Courtney was an elementary school principal for seven years on Chicago’s west side and lives in Hyde Park with her husband, three children (18, 11, and 9), and a stepson (20).

Several classmates came to campus in balmy weather in October and ran the Pie Race: David Hiler, Joe Cooper, yours truly, Allyson Goodwin, Per Furmark ’82, and Jamie Bailey ’82. Allyson saw Dana Christensen Thompson and Dave Thompson ’82 at a great NMH event in D.C. in December. Dave is a colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps. Dana is finishing up graduate school at USC with a degree in social work and will work with military families. As a member of one herself, she has moved 12 times. They have three children, Emily, Elizabeth, and Robert. Dave is now stationed at the Naval Shipyard in Washington, D.C., where he is the senior marine adviser for PEO ships.

Leslie Meyer Rayburn has been teaching 20-plus years, mostly in bilingual classrooms, and is now teaching first grade in a dual-language immersion program in San Juan Bautista, Calif. She has dabbled in journalism and photography over the years, is a union official, and has always been very interested in politics. She has two children. Leslie writes that her daughter “takes after my husband with her incredible singing voice. My husband is working on his second CD (check him out at www. craigrayburn.com) California alt-country-rock. Still

love traveling the world, do it when I can. Never can make those dang reunions, as I’m in the throes of report cards and end-of-year mania.”

Lysa Ramos-Smith Curry graduated from Boston University after NMH, and then went to medical school and now lives in San Antonio, Texas.

She writes, “I married Mitch, who was in medical school with me, in ’96, and we have three children: Nikki and Alex (11) (a boy and a girl) and Cooper (5). It has been many years since I have been back to NMH. Hope to make it back someday.”

Claire Johnson-Hurry was sorry to have missed Vera Heidolph’s latest half-marathon run on Grand Cayman, but vows to catch the next one. Bill Schubart, who is now back in Vermont, and Claire have been conferring about attending reunion. The ski racing season has begun again, so Claire will be looking—and cheering—for the NMH racers at mountains around the Berkshires.

Kirsta Schmitt Davey is enrolled in a 20-month, part-time digital photo program at the Center for Digital Imaging at BU with hopes of teaching a middle or high school photo class and shooting portraits. “It is rewarding, humbling, and entertaining to be back in the classroom at age 47. I am also still teaching, but now part-time, at Nashoba Brooks School in Concord as a literacy specialist.”

Kirsta still lives in Groton. Her oldest is a junior at Boston College; her middle one is a junior in high school; and her youngest is in seventh grade. Kirsta writes: “I see Thekla Smith Alcocer ’84 and Sue Leonard Toll ’81 as we play hockey together weekly, and I am in touch with NMH on a regular basis, serving on the strategic advisory committee of the Alumni Council.”

Dave Hiler has a great new venture in Brattleboro called Whetstone Station Restaurant and Brewery: www.facebook.com/whetstonestration. Great food, brew, and atmosphere. Dave and his business partner hatched the idea of an openconcept, industrial-themed brewpub and casual dining spot in ’11. Whetstone features an unparalleled array of unique, rare micro-brewed and international beers complemented by a fresh menu with an emphasis on small plates, comfort foods, and grilled dishes, made using local products whenever possible. Dave says: “I’d like to personally welcome any and all of my NMH brethren to drop in for a beer and a bite (well, alumni only on the beers, anyway). And if you do come by, please make sure to say hello. Cheers.”

Lulu Lason Cannon and Stephanie Mayer Wilson will co-chair reunion with Janice Russell,

David Whitman ’82 and Carrie Roantree Ahlborn ’75 in Boston in late ’12

Doug Werner ’62, Dodd Wragg ’52, and Andy Hewitt ’82 climbed Mt. Soledad in San Diego, Calif., in December ’12 to celebrate Andy’s 50th birthday.

Daniel Kellison ’82, his sister Laura Kellison-Wallace ’83, and David Hiler ’83 last summer on the deck of David’s new restaurant in Brattleboro, Vt.

so expect lots of fun planning and a great time this June 6–9. George Miller posted some of our reunion photos from years past on our Facebook page. If you haven’t done so already, please join our class of ’83 Facebook page at: https://www/ facebook.com/groups/nmhh83. Write in to share what you are up to, and most important: come to reunion; it’s always fun.

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MARGGIE SLICHTER 43 Cleveland St Greenfield MA 01301-1905 mslichter@nmhschool.org

Greetings, classmates. In just over a year, we will be celebrating our 30th reunion. Those of you who have been back for reunions know how great it is to reconnect with classmates and friends. Plan to come back—for the weekend, a day, or just for dinner, but come back. Save the date: June 5–8, 2014.

Rachel Clapham Gambone has started her own business as a professional organizer, ReOrganize with Rachel, LLC. She helps busy families and seniors manage their possessions, paperwork, and time commitments. She custom designs organizing systems and works side-by-side with clients to put them in place, teaching skills as she goes. She and her husband and son live in the Reading, Pa., area, and she continues to enjoy choral singing.

Sue Hill Smith writes: “I enjoyed seeing everyone in the latest NMH Magazine. It’s always fun to reconnect with people. I live in Telluride, Colo., after attending Colorado College. I have lived here for 24 years. Can’t imagine a more beautiful place to call home. I am married with one child, Delilah Raven (11). I have pursued a life full of sports, creativity, and healing. I was a massage therapist for 20-plus years and am now moving into a new life’s journey of homeopathy. I am a certified homeopath and plan for this to be my later life journey. I have continued to create jewelry and am selling my work at various festivals and farmer/craft markets, as well as the Telluride Gallery of Fine Art.” Sue keeps in touch with Jill Peelor Rikkers, who lives nearby and has been a lifelong friend, and Betsy Miller, who lives in Telluride. Sue occasionally talks to John Korhumel ’85, who lives in Seattle. “Love to all of my friends from way back when.”

Sarah Prescott was back on campus for the Pie Race last fall. Sarah always does our class proud, coming in with the fastest time for a women’s

Tim Lam ’83, John Yang ’85, Brian Rooney ’82, and Jim Shoemaker ’83

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CLASS NOTES also love the ease of Facebook for staying connected with Olga Beach Lassalle, Heidi Kronenberg, Eliza Edwards Burden, Molly Greaney, Jill Peelor Rikkers, Marian Crocker Taylor, Inson Wood, Melissa Paul, Lorraine Jones, Sharon Hirsch,

Lulu Lason Cannon ’83, Stephanie Mayer Wilson ’83, and Chris Davenport ’83

master’s pie. Here is the link to her blog, http:// runnersarah.wordpress.com/2012/11/15/122ndbemis-forslund-pie-race-at-northfieldmount-hermon-school-11-12-12/.

Ed Hamilton and Maya Smith were back for the Pie Race. Looks like the race will fall on Veterans Day this fall, so get training and come win a pie.

David Bartley always looks forward to the alumni magazine and reading the class notes from ’84, ’85, and ’86, as he met so many great guys who graduated in those years. David is practicing law and serving his first term on the Holyoke City Council. “It’s been a learning experience; I’ve had some success and had to overcome a couple hurdles but, overall, I’m proud to be a part of Holyoke’s turnaround. I do plan to run for reelection.” He sends best wishes to all—especially to the guys from North Crossley.

Ben Boschen writes from Southern California: “I had the chance to catch up with Jim Caffry while he was attending a seminar in San Diego. It was like picking up right where we left off. I asked him if he wanted to go surfing, and he said he was up for giving it a try. I brought an extra board, and we headed for the beach. He did great for a first-time outing and stood up and caught a wave. It was great to see him. I can’t remember laughing so hard or as much when we were out to dinner that night. Hope to see him next year.”

Congrats to Gigi Haycock. She and Thad Beebe were married in Frisco, Colo., in August. Gigi writes. “We couldn’t have had better weather the day of the wedding. A crystal-clear mountain day.

The party went well into the night, which I know does not surprise you or anyone who knows me.”

Gigi still screens films for the Denver Film Festival, produces corporate events, and does marketing for the French cooking school, La Combe en Périgord.

Melissa Paul also tied the knot recently. Best wishes to Melissa and Pieter Muntendam.

As for me, I am about to celebrate my 10th anniversary at NMH this June. Work is great, and I enjoy connecting with classmates and alumni from all generations of NMH. When not working for NMH, I am usually found sailing or working on my new house in Greenfield.

Last fall I traveled to Asia with the new head of school and was delighted to catch up with Harriet Wilcox and Winnie Tse in Hong Kong and Kwang Hee Lee in Seoul. Rachel Wang is active in the NMH-Tokyo alumni group I am in regular touch with Julie Greaney, Mary Batty, Lea Thompson Emery, and Chris Nagle. I

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and many others.

Be sure to join our class page at: http://www.facebook.com/groups/11499115971/?fref=ts. We need a few good volunteers to plan our 30th reunion.

Please contact me if you are interested.

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JENNIFER BUELL HORSCHMAN Apdo 442-4013 Atenas 20501, Costa Rica jenhorschman@yahoo.com

Hello, classmates. I went in the direction of social media to milk out some news. Enjoy and keep posting.

David Skeeter on Facebook: “Jen, how long have you been doing this for us? My biggest thing is a big thank-you for all of the time and work. We don’t often say it, but we all know that just having that link there—online, in print, via phone, at reunion—helps us maintain a touchstone throughout our lives.”

Jen Buell’s reply to David, “Thanks. You know, I was approached shortly after I descended the stage with my diploma on our graduation day to do this.

Some issues and years are better than others but I keep on keeping on. NMH opened the world for me.”

One special Facebook posting is from Emily Gillen just before her passing on 6/18/12 via her mobile: “I was just thinking of some of the best parts of NMH for me and thought I’d share them with you. First of all, the beauty of the place: I remember the night sky behind Marquand, and the bull frogs making their funny sounds; the trees on the walk from Marquand up to the chapel in the fall, when the leaves were brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows; the beautiful old buildings; the blue sky on a clear, crisp fall day at a football game on the Hermon campus; singing “Jerusalem” in the chapel at the all-school gatherings. So lovely to be a part of that. My crazy Spanish teacher sophomore year. She spoke many languages. She would walk me back to my dorm after class and talk my ear off. Mountain Day every year. Just some thoughts for now. Love to all of you for sharing that experience together.”

Ann Baccari-Steffes ’85, Sarah Morton Driscoll ’85, Cey Onor Cross ’85, and Linda Maddern Leduc ’85 at their annual gathering to celebrate their New England soccer championship senior year.

Ellen McCurtin posted an incredible slideshow of Emily’s life on YouTube.

Stephanie Bennett Vogt and Sue Gentile posted about Whitney Tilson: “Hey ’85ers—great to see the pic of Whitney in the Facebook cover photo of Patriotic Millionaires for Fiscal Strength.

Check it out.” Jeb Berrier said: “That’s our Whitney.”

Ceylan Onor Cross is in grad school to get her master’s in counseling and started a great job as a director at a teenage pregnancy center called Learning Together Program. She also sent the terrific photo of the soccer alumni game reunion at NMH this past fall of Sarah Morton Driscoll, Ann Baccari-Steffes, and Linda Maddern Leduc.

Erik Wagner posted: “David Hicks was found— Julian Dodds, Leo Mascotte, and I had breakfast with him as he blew through New Jersey for a wedding last weekend. He is now on Facebook. Give him a shout.”

Ben Harris and his friend, Scott Haren, were featured in an American Public Media story and podcast “The Two Men and Their One Voice” in May ’12. The two men met in a support group for people living with Lou Gehrig’s disease (also known as ALS) and together began investigating alternative and off-label treatments for ALS. In this conversation, Scott voices the words of Ben, who types them into a computer because he no longer can speak.

They describe researching and making their own medicine and taking it themselves—a do-it-yourself attempt to slow the progression of the disease. You can find it in the archives at http://thestory.org/ archive/the_story_052112.mp3/view.

Randy Gravitz posted a link to Bryan Callen’s new piece titled “Man Class,” which they describe as “the comic discusses being a male species in the 21st century.”

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GEOFFREY LOCKE 19 Whittier St Northampton MA 01062-9722 gwlocke@gmail.com LI LIN HILLIARD HALLY 3584 SW Hillside Dr Portland OR 97221-4102 Lilinhally@hotmail.com

From Geoffrey: Ginny Wasiuk Lay splits her professional life between a private law practice, practicing governmental solutions for an employment defense firm, and a new appointment by the St. Louis circuit attorney’s office as a special prosecutor for the white collar fraud unit. Last summer, Ginny’s daughter, Kate (11), was at the Betsey Cox Camp in Vermont, which is owned and directed by Lorrie Byrom, an NMH history teacher, who was one of the best teachers I had while at NMH. Aliina Laine enjoys staying in touch with Suzy Rudich, Amy Schwartz Saklad, and Jeanne Yee MacNevin and is still reminiscing about our 25th reunion. Aliina has a new radio show in Northampton, Mass., titled “Will Power” in which

CLASS NOTES she discusses life insurance and retirement planning. In fall ’12, Alysa Ray, another Hibbard alum, moved to the Inwood section of upper Manhattan and loves it. She continues to juggle the demands of adjunct teaching at NYU and Hunter College and a private psychotherapy practice.

Katy Shell Virasingh lives in Hyderabad, India. She and her husband recently traveled to Bali, Indonesia. Katy hopes to move to Bangkok, Thailand, to be closer to her husband’s family. Last summer Julia Callahan Streit moved up the Hudson River to Tarrytown, N.Y. She recently visited with Catherine “Cricket” Crawshaw and later with Ali Tenenbaum ’88. In the fall, Patricia McCormick, the author of Arn Chorn-Pond’s biographical story Never Lie Down, visited Julia’s son’s school for a reading of the book. The seventh and eighth graders “were mesmerized” by her lecture, and Julia is now reading this incredibly moving book.

Bruce Mendelsohn and his wife, Heather Johnson, visited Disney World in November ’12.

Bruce remains inspired by his work at MIT’s Gordon Engineering Leadership Program, where he’s advising more students and planning weekly hands-on engineering leadership labs. Will Wear and Laura Bauernfeind Wear moved to Amherst last summer, and they are renovating a beautiful old Victorian house on Lincoln Street. Eileen Pierce recently visited her West Gould roommate Abbe Bartlett Lynch in Seattle, and they were able to pick right up where they left off however many years ago at NMH. Last June, in what has become an annual summer tradition, a group of ’86 women got together again for a minireunion. Bebe Brown, Kendel Leet, and Ina Anderson joined Holly Bachman Bennett at Holly’s home outside of Boulder, Colo., for a long weekend of relaxation and high-altitude high jinx. Highlights of the weekend included a visit to nearby Estes Park and the haunted Stanley Hotel (inspiration for The Shining), a stunning picnic and hike in Rocky Mountain National Park, and—as always—a great deal of late-night slumberparty-style girl talk. This group of Marquand girls is planning another minireunion in Scottsdale, Ariz., during the summer of ’13.

Rachel Meyer ’85 visited Kendel Leet in Jakarta, Indonesia, this past December. They laughed and reminisced about their times at NMH and took a major inventory of the past quarter century since they graduated. They had not seen each other since Rachel’s graduation 28 years ago.

I met up with Kendel twice this past year, once in Northampton, Mass., where Kendel’s mother and brother live, and then in January ’13, I stopped in Jakarta to visit with Kendel before flying on to Bali.

We had a great time laughing, shopping, reminiscing, swimming, touring around the city, eating delicious food, and visiting the Jakarta International School, where Kendel has been a highly respected middle-school guidance counselor for the past seven years. I enjoyed meeting many of Kendel’s colleagues and boasting about Kendel and her NMH days. I also traveled to Bangkok and Phuket, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Bali.

Ellen McCurtin ’85 snapped this new photo of me at the Smith College Botanic Garden last summer. We also met up in Hyde Park, N.Y., in September. We first had lunch at the Culinary Institute of America and then toured FDR’s Hyde Park home. Happy summer, everyone.

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KIT GATTIS PO Box 380234 Cambridge MA 02238-0282 kitnmh@gmail.com www.facebook.com/NMH1887 class of ’87 website: http://nmh1987.org

Hello, classmates. Welcome to 2013, the new Mayan calendar, the Age of Aquarius, and the year of the snake. Leave all that bad stuff in the old time and bring only the good things into our new reality.

I am still dancing, working on my master’s, studying Russian, and broadcasting on the radio and on community television. I’ve also started studying taekwan-do. Maybe I can have a split ready for you for our next reunion. I’m also into onesies and have included a picture of me and my mother in our new Harvard onesies for Christmas.

Don’t forget to check out our class website at nmh1987.org, and you can log in with your Facebook login as well. I’ll be posting class notes there, but you’ll have to be logged in to see them.

There you can also find links to the various NMH and NMH1987 groups and email lists. You can find me at https://www.facebook.com/kit.nmh.

Best of luck to everyone. Here are the notes.

John Bete is an osteopathic physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor. Last year he moved back to his hometown of Centerville, Mass., with wife Robin and their two children. John practices pain management in Hyannis, Mass. He would love to hear from fellow NMHers and on Facebook.

Peter Carlisle has been named the 2012 Executive-in-Residence for the Mark H. McCormack Department of Sport Management in the Isenberg School of Management, UMass Amherst, in recognition of his thought leadership in the management and global marketing of Olympic athletes. As part of the program, Peter spent three days on campus interacting with faculty and staff, gave the sport innovators keynote address— Marketing of an Olympic Icon: Behind the Business of a Global Sports Superstar—and participated in the UMass Amherst libraries’ sport innovation oral

history project. He is only the third executive-inresidence to receive the distinction in the program’s history. He has guided the careers of Olympic gold medalists Michael Phelps, Aly Raisman, Apolo Anton Ohno, Ross Powers, Hannah Teter, Kelly Clark, and Seth Wescott, to name a few.

Christina Wright DeFranceaux and family are leaving Vermont and moving to Boston’s south shore. She’s just finished her master’s degree and plans on finding a superfantastic job in the hospital system as an administrator somewhere in or around Boston. Her daughter, Severin (5), enters kindergarten in the fall. Watching her grow into a beautiful and optimistic little girl is the greatest joy of Christina’s life. She continues to be in touch with Will Sheats, Matty Daigneault, Rich Phillips, Darcy Jameson, Karyn Burtt Banks ’88, and Scott Lehman. They had a blast last October celebrating Rich’s wedding in Gloucester, Mass.

Christina loves seeing all the posts on Facebook and cherishes the long-lasting friendships and connections made at NMH. Jen Pack Kimball is still living with her rock star husband Richard in south Texas. They keep busy with their band Fiskadoro (If you’re in Houston, go see them.) and are looking forward to good stuff in ’13, including spending more time with Katherine McGee Warren and her family.

Liz Hall Olszewski still lives in Wellesley, Mass., although she and her husband, Scott, are considering a move in the next year or two, depending on whether their kids head off to boarding school or not. Liz has spent the past two years transitioning to educational consulting and loves the work.

She finds it purposeful and rewarding and loves to help parents navigate the educational needs of their children. Given that one of her children is dyslexic, she is carving out a niche working with families who have children with learning differences, which makes her work all the more meaningful. She has had a lot of fun touring various independent schools in the Northeast and is continually appreciative of her NMH education. Liz spent a lot of time with Holly Hornor Cleary ’88 last summer, as Liz and her family lived up in New Hampshire for the summer. Liz and Holly had a day at the beach with Cathy Pazuk Naficy ’88, who was visiting from California, including all their various kids.

Liz also sees Darcy Jameson a few times a year, as Darcy still lives in the Boston area.

Kara Connors continues living in the San Francisco Bay Area, working in public health, and is on the board of a community health organization.

Her oldest is approaching high school. She’s been in touch with Jenn Seavey, who helped her youngest with a recent science project. Very cool. Sending love and good wishes to our class in ’13.

Geoff Weed still likes ice cream.

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Kit Gattis ’87 and his mother in their new Harvard onesies at Christmas.

ANNE STEMSHORN GEORGE 10 Fox Chase Lane Durham NC 27713-9458 anastasia.s.george@gmail.com

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CHRIS ROOF 465 Concord Ave Cambridge MA 02138-1217 roofsound@comcast.net JOHN CARROLL Box 4722, One Lamplighter Way Mount Hermon MA 01354-9638 jcarroll@nmhschool.org ETHAN KLINE 61 Ramdsen Rd, Flat 4 London England SW128RA ethankline@gmail.com CARYN CROTTY ELDRIDGE 13 Harvard Rd Chiswick London W4 4EA UK caryn@eldridges.net

From Ethan: Bear Christensen wrote in from

Tulsa, Okla., where he is the corporate compliance officer for Cherokee Nation Entertainment. David Febus went back to school in January ’12 to get his master’s in education from Mercy College in New York. Josh Kirn left the Tilton School after seven years and now lives in Concord, N.H., working for Parker Education and spending more time with his family. He says it was amazing to work as a boarding school teacher like all of those great people he remembers from NMH. Two new arrivals to report this time: Sarah Watson gave birth to Mads Engberg in August, and Ali Watson welcomed Harrison Watson-Gibby in November.

Caryn Crotty Eldridge moved back to London in March ’12 with husband Joe and daughters Caitlin (8) and Taylor (5). This is their third time relocating from the Boston area to London. Hilary Jones Kinney and husband Jeff adopted their son, Jacob, this year and will celebrate his first birthday on Christmas Day ’12. Fellow NMHers who have met him include Abbe Wertz and Yoko Tsukikawa Heukels ’91.

Colleen Nielsen Gibney relocated to Frederick, Md., in December with her family and has started a new position as a technical assistance advocate supporting the U.S. Army small-business innovation research program located at Fort Detrick. She would love to be in touch with local NMH alums.

Tarez Samra Graban moved from Bloomington, Ind., to Tallahassee, Fla., and is enjoying the new

Hilary Jones Kinney ’89 and her husband, Jeff, with their adopted son, Jacob

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interpretation of “fall weather.” She has taken a position in the Department of English at Florida State.

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ROBBIANNE MACKIN 101 West End Ave New York NY 10023-6349 robbianne.mackin@gmail.com TRAVIS LEA 2447 Claremont Ave Los Angeles CA 90027-4601 travislea@gmail.com

KRISTIN STEELE 458 Montauk Ave New London CT 06320-4606 kaste@conncoll.edu TORYN KIMBERLEY STARK 1828 Birch Heights Ct Charlotte NC 28213-4047 torynk@yahoo.com

(University of Chicago Press) and with a co-author, Fighting Foreclosure: The Blaisdell Case, the Contract Clause, and the Great Depression (University Press of Kansas).

Abigail Lechthaler Hurlburt writes: “Three years ago, I moved back to Vermont to be closer to my family. As luck would have it, I met my husband, Russ Hurlburt, upon moving back home. We were married on 11/22/11 but celebrated this past May with friends and family. We had generations of NMHers with us: starting with my father-in-law, Tom Hurlburt ’47, to my sister, Nelia Lechthaler Horikawa ’99. Nelia had a baby, Bea Hana Horikawa, in February. And then the middle-aged group: Sam Krotinger ’89, Brendan Pack, Skye Chalmers ’89, Nick and Tamasin Ballou Kekic, Kate Koletsky Toland, and Andy and Trintje Van Winkle Gnazzo ’91. As always, being with this crew is proof that old friends are the best friends. People don’t really change, and you never get enough time together. I still have my place in Boston and am there regularly for work, but it’s great to be home.”

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From Robbianne: Hello, classmates. I hope every-

one had a terrific holiday season. We have had quite a year in New York City with Hurricane Sandy paying a visit and, as everyone knows, there is a mammoth project of planning and rebuilding that lies ahead. I have been busy balancing raising our family of three girls and two dogs, while establishing my own environmental program evaluation and strategic-planning consulting business. I see Hallie Hobson ’91 regularly and try to see Shirley Eng whenever she is in the country. Our family spent a fantastic long weekend with Jennifer Reck Van Kirk and her family at our home in Quogue last summer. She is doing well and working in Baltimore at her dream job.

While I know Facebook is helpful with connecting and reconnecting with folks, finding news for our class in one spot in the NMH Magazine has incredible value, so I appreciate the response from you all. This is what our classmates reported.

Matthew Williamson shared the birth of his son, David James Williamson, on 11/30/12.

Alycia Cavadi Dow had her first, a baby boy, Hawkins Tracy Dow, on 12/2/12. They live in Boulder, Colo., in the winter and New England in the summer.

Matthew Huisman completed his M.B.A. in July ’12 and joined PetGenius as the program manager. He’s decided to sell his Biltmore condo and is exploring the coasts, Boston and Southern California, as his next home. He writes: “Phoenix has been great, but it’s time to move on for a new adventure.”

Derek Hoff married in ’10 and now divides his time between Manhattan, Kan., where he is an associate professor of history at Kansas State University, and Salt Lake City, where his wife is a professor of psychology at the University of Utah. He had two books published in ’12: The State and the Stork: The Population Debate and Policy Making in US History

DAIRO MORENO 3102 Durand Dr Los Angeles CA 90068-1614 demoreno@post.harvard.edu

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JENNIFER SADULA DE VORE 2830 Brook Dr Falls Church VA 22042-2302 devorejr@msn.com INI OBOT 297 Sickles Ave New Rochelle NY 10801-3700 iniobot@yahoo.com

CATE STEELE HARTZELL 18 Rockledge Ter Chatham NJ 07928-1216 cate.hartzell@gmail.com From Ini: Hope all is well with everyone. In September ’12, Dave Jasper and I met Shanti Prasad ’91 for dinner in Williamsburg when Shanti was visiting from San Francisco. It is always great to have a minirun with NMH peeps.

Alex Shepperd McCann lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with her husband, Kevin, and two sons, Keiran and Patrick. They just spent their

Ini Obot ’92 and Shanti Prasad ’91

CLASS NOTES third Christmas there. Alex started a new job in November ’12 as an investment attraction executive with Nova Scotia Business, Inc., covering clean tech, ocean tech, and life sciences. Kieran is in first grade doing French immersion. Patrick (4) loves Montessori. Kevin became a partner at MT&L Public Relations in Halifax.

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METTA DAEL Box 4804, One Lamplighter Way Mount Hermon MA 01354-9638 metta.dael@gmail.com

Hello from the mountains of Gill. I hope you’re getting excited about our reunion this June. Thanks to a Facebook page recently set up by Molly Goggins Talbot, I’ve heard from a number of folks.

Joung Hwang writes from Korea, where he recently left the world of big law firms and became a law professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) in Seoul. He teaches some basic U.S. law courses in English and more theoretical law and economics courses in Korean. Joung has reconnected with classmates living in Seoul, including Won-Goo Jung and Susie Bae, and attended the reception in honor of Head of School Peter Fayroian, last October. “Thanks to the career change, my schedule has become much more flexible, so if you are visiting Seoul, please drop me a line at jounghwang@gmail.com.”

Monica Santana Rosen lives in Chicago and had her third baby and first girl, Ana, in May. Monica left the Chicago public schools in ’11 and started her own business, consulting in education.

She joined Cross & Joftus as a partner last spring and is building a human resources consulting practice.

Mat Lejeune won a Grammy at the 54th Grammy Awards as one of the engineers on the album “Lonely Motel: Music from Slide” with Steven Mackey, eighth blackbird, and Rinde Eckert.

Lastly, from down under, Annie McCaslandPexton has started her own health and well-being practice in Melbourne, Australia, doing craniosacral therapy, which she says almost no one has heard of, but it’s absolutely brilliant. She’d love to hear from others interested in health and healing (www.melbournecraniosacral.com).

I look forward to seeing you all at reunion. Please check out the class Facebook page at https://www. facebook.com/#./groups/448279075212545.

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NEL ANDREWS 120 S Bouldin St Baltimore MD 21224-2201 nel_andrews@hotmail.com LAURA SNYDER CRAFORD 2015 N Jantzen Ave Portland OR 97217-7812 laurascraford@hotmail.com

From Laura: Greetings from the Pacific Northwest.

I do not have a lot of news to report this time around—my outreach was less than stellar—can I use baby brain as an excuse? My husband Kent and I, along with kids Lillian (7) and Jack (5), welcomed Samuel George (Sam) on 7/31/12. Such a sweet easygoing guy; he must know he is number three.

I continue to work on my master’s in social work and still live on the Columbia River in Portland, Ore. We spent Christmas ’12 in the San Francisco area, and if I had updated my Facebook status while at the playground, I might have been able to meet up with Sophie Middlebrook Hayward at Golden Gate Park. After posting pictures a few days later, she commented that Jack was born on 5/4/12 and is “the best friend big sister Eloise could ask for.”

It does seem that I am not the only one with baby brain. Danielle De Angelis is still practicing domestic law in Winston-Salem, N.C., but has now added a life changer, Juliete De Angelis Sapp, born 10/30/12. “I’m very happy to finally be a mommy.”

Danielle stays in regular contact with Kathy Ownby, who is teaching at a school in Taiwan. Danielle hopes to visit with everyone at our next reunion.

Carol Koldis Foote reports: “We welcomed Augustus Robert Foote on 8/26/12, joining Lydia (6). Life is fairly uneventful, but we know how lucky we are to lead a simple, happy life. I love keeping in touch on Facebook and email, but love in-person visits best. If schoolmates are in the NMH area visiting, I’d love to catch up. Also, I am a member of the NMH Alumni Council, so if you have any interest in volunteering for NMH, please get in touch.”

Mary Darling Montero lives in Miami with husband Luis and two kids—Diego (2) and Lucia (6 months). Mary works very part-time as a psychotherapist and enjoys motherhood the rest of the time.

She recently saw Sarah Spill and her son, Dylan.

From what I can tell from Facebook, the next issue will have more babies to report.

Angela Rini Wilson writes: “I’ll be on Aquidneck Island in Rhode Island at least one more year with my husband, our two sons, and our cats and dogs. We’ve enjoyed being stationed in New England and closer to family. The pace of life here (and less traffic) has been good for us, and the family enjoys school and work more than ever. I’m happy to enjoy having the ocean nearby and being able to smell the roses.”

From Nel: Henry Chung ’95 married May Chan on 12/9/12 at the Kowloon Union Church in Hong Kong, with a wedding banquet following at the Hong Kong American Club. Henry Tan ’96 and Calvin Yau ’96 attended. May is a lawyer at the Italian law firm Chiomenti Studio Legale. Henry shared other amazing news. He and his brother, Roger, known as “The Chung Brothers,” recently received the highest and most prestigious honor one could get in the Chinese music industry—the Chinese Music Award (aka the “Chinese Grammy”).

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AMINA GAUTIER 1219 West Grandville Ave Apt 3B Chicago IL 60664-1925 amina.gautier@gmail.com NICHOLAS VIDA 27 Sachem Rd Greenwich CT 06830

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JON RINI 47 Park Place Cir Unit 39 West Hartford CT 06110-1424 jonathan.rini@dechert.com HEIDI GEIS 2140 Woolsey St Apt B Berkeley CA 94705-1890 heidi.m.geis@hotmail.com

From the Alumni Office: Glenn-Michael Mueller,

who spent his junior year at NMH before returning to Germany to finish school, sends greetings to everyone from Gould, especially Tyler Osmond, Josh Stalls, Mick Rebault, Mike Appleton, and Angus Morrison. He also says hello to international students from the Mt. Hermon campus, including Oscar Jencquel-Bohm ’95, Omar Perez, and David Gomez-Garcia. Glenn-Michael married Nele in a civil wedding in 11/11 and then again in a church wedding in 6/12. Their son, Jakob Emil, was born 12/28/11. The family lives in Berlin, Germany, and Glenn-Michael writes: “You are always welcome to stay with us when you might be around.”

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LAUREL HAVAS 701 St SE Apt 402 Washington DC 20003-4813 laurelhavas@yahoo.com

JULIA COHEN 514 Hale St PO Box 172 Prides Crossing MA 01965-0172 jmacleodcohen@gmail.com

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MATT GAMMON 4653 28th Rd South Arlington VA 22206-4125 mattgammon@aol.com mgammon@wparesearch.com BRIAN PRESSMAN 14007 Palawan Way Apt 311 Marina Del Rey CA 90292-6270 pressman_g@yahoo.com

Thanks to everybody who responded to my request for news. I hope this column inspires more of you to send updates, or better still, to consider coming back to NMH for our 15th reunion this June.

I received sad news from the alumni office that Alan Young-Bryant passed away tragically in

spring 2013 I 83

CLASS NOTES early December ’12, falling from Cascadilla gorge in Ithaca, N.Y. Alan had completed his Ph.D. in English at Cornell in ’11, and since then had been living and working in Los Angeles. He leaves behind many family members and dear friends, and he will be greatly missed.

Lisa Sharma married Will Creighton in December ’11 in Charlottesville, Va. Andy Sabola ’99 was there to see her walk down the aisle. Lisa lives in Washington, D.C., and would love to hear from any NMHers in the area.

Marjorie Rowe writes: “After working as an elementary classroom teacher and reading specialist in Massachusetts for nine years, and following a year of post-master’s study of the prevention of literacy difficulties, I moved to northern Virginia in ’11. I primarily train and coach other reading teachers, but I still get to work directly with some students, so it’s the best of both worlds. Adjusting to life in suburban sprawl has been the biggest challenge, but I am finally starting to feel a bit settled. I love being close to D.C. and all it offers.” Marjorie enjoyed meeting the new Head of School, Peter Fayroian, at an NMH D.C. event, where student a cappella groups performed. There, she ran into several alums, including Liz Clough ’97, who also lives in northern Virginia and recently returned from Tanzania, where she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and scuba dived off the island of Pemba. She saw Matt Erdman ’96, who recently moved back to Maryland from Madagascar, where he served in the Peace Corps, and later returned to work for a company that integrates environmental advocacy and action with public health. He now works for USAID managing three projects around the globe. Ethan Yake ’97 is the deputy director of the White House Visitors Center, and he arranged for the NMH student musicians to sing during the White House Christmas open house and alumni event. Marjorie also saw Stephen Fuller ’58, current trustee and father of our classmate Liz Fuller de Castro. He reports that Liz works in public relations and travels to Paris a couple of times a year. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and two children, Brady and Lauren. Finally, she also saw Lorrie Byrom and Sheila Heffernon, who was there with her husband and her son, Spencer Hattendorf ’08.

Marjorie writes: “It was fun to remind Spencer (in front of Bill Ward ’07) that I used to babysit for him and read him Captain Underpants at bedtime.

He took it in stride.”

Meghan McCoy Cote and husband Lauren moved back to Massachusetts, where he is working at Phillips Andover. “Oh yes, the horror, but we’re enjoying the area and are happy our little one, Zoe (born 12/22/11), will get to grow up in New England. Unfortunately, health problems have kept me from pursuing my residency in pediatrics, but I’m working as a medical writer off and on and am looking at other ways I can use my M.D. We see Juli Wysocki frequently and she’s doing well in New Jersey, finishing up a double residency in internal medicine and emergency medicine.”

Jennifer Nagle writes: “Dressed as Rosie the Riveter (reinterpreted for yoga), I won the 2012

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Halloween costume contest at Bikram Yoga Dupont.

I love grenache and pumpkin pie and live in D.C.” Carolyn Condict Boisvert and husband Ben welcomed Abigail in December ’11. They live in New Jersey and Carolyn teaches third grade. Colin Barringer has worked at Athenahealth, Inc., as a software developer since ’08. He writes: “While at Burning Man in ’10, I learned that love at first sight is, in fact, possible when I met the woman who is now my wife. I moved from Boston, Mass., to Portland, Ore., in ’11 to be with her, and we were married at a small ceremony in Las Vegas in March ’12.” He reports that Lauren Klimoff ’99 also lives in Portland and works at Planned Parenthood, and they occasionally meet for drinks. He has once or twice run into another NMH Portlander—Melanie Sikes Bigalke ’00. Steven Rozenski visits Colin in Portland on a pretty regular basis. Steven finished his Ph.D. in English literature at Harvard, where he is now teaching. Finally, Colin says: “Matt Marlin’s band, Pterodactyl, came through Portland on tour in the fall of ’12. They put on a tubular show as always, and I was delighted to host them while they were in town.”

Anna Works-McKinney recently moved with husband Matthew and son Jordan (2 ½) to Cincinnati, Ohio, where she works as a math teacher at the Seven Hills School. “We bought our first house this spring and are very happy making this new city our home.” Abi Kornet lives in Hoboken, N.J., and for the past five years has been working for the Broadway producers of the Tony Award–winning show Jersey Boys and the upcoming mega-hit Matilda, now playing in London’s West End. She also is a professional ballroom and Latin dance instructor in Long Island, specializing in Argentine tango. She and her dance partner have performed and competed throughout the eastern U.S. and Canada. She hopes to relocate outside of New York City next summer and “would love to reconnect with any alums, near or far.” Her email is abi_kornet@mac.com.

Maggie Burbank lives in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, N.Y., with her husband, Ben Wilkins-Malloy, and their son, Oscar “Ozzie” Burbank Malloy (1). She is a producer at HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.”

Seth Reynolds-Mohler has lived in Portland, Ore., since graduating from Lewis & Clark College in ’03 with a bachelor’s in English. From ’03–’10, he worked as a field instructor with the National Outdoor Leadership School, instructing leadership while teaching rock climbing, backcountry skiing, mountaineering, and wilderness expedition travel throughout the western U.S. He is now a program director in operations for InsideTrack, a provider of student coaching services and success consulting for university administrators and students. In December ’12 he traveled to Myanmar (Burma) to explore the culture, food, temples, and beaches. He writes: “I take full advantage of being in the Pacific Northwest and Portland by eating great food, riding my bike most places, skiing, and rock climbing a ton. I see Oliver Smith ’97 on occasion in Portland and Dan Lannon ’98 is in Seattle. Lots of NMHers have been through Portland—don’t be a stranger

if that’s you anytime soon. I travel frequently to Philadelphia, D.C., and Atlanta for work—hit me up if you’re there.”

Carl Weber lives in downtown Brooklyn with his wife, Jennette, and says he’s looking forward to the reunion. Kate Lowd married Christopher Shaw in Atlanta, Ga., on 11/3/12.

Sallomé Hralima lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., and is chief dream director for the Future Project, where she hires and trains people who are charged with bringing dreams, goals, and aspirations to life in America’s public schools. Previously, as social architect for PlanIt Brooklyn, she produced A Great Day in Brooklyn, a historic photographic memoir shot by renowned documentarian Jamel Shabazz. She also designed and executed a three-day celebration to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Do the Right Thing.

Helen Evans writes: “After living for several years in Boston, I married Miguel Escobar, on the Northfield campus, in ’06. We have lived in central London, U.K., since ’07 and have enjoyed our adopted city and traveling all over Europe. I am an events manager for a London university and have been in the events industry for nearly 10 years. We had a son, Gabriel, born in February ’12, who sadly passed away the day he was born. Recent London occasions like the Royal Wedding, the Jubilee, and the Olympics made a tough time easier.” Happily, Helen gave birth to a baby boy, Victor Gabriel, on January 22, 2013, and both are doing well. Helen hopes to return to NMH in June for our 15th reunion.

Courtney Vearling lives in Northfield and is taking time off from her job as a child protective social worker to raise her son, Sam, who was born in November ’11. She frequently sees Jessie Cooley and her sister, Karin Cooley Sanieski ’95, and catches up with Dan Edwards about once a year when he’s home from the West Coast. Courtney ran into Lynn Steele over the summer and joined her family for a barbecue. Courtney writes: “Before having Sam, I was on quite a travel kick, visiting Iceland, Norway, Puerto Rico, Alaska, and Barbados in short order. I can’t wait to get back to it, but for now I am traveling vicariously through my sister.”

Courtney ran the NMH Pie Race this year with her sister, Claudia Vearling Lawler ’96.

Emily Kolpa completed her medical residency at the children’s hospital in Madison, Wisc., in ’10.

She now works as a primary care pediatrician in Northborough, Mass., where she lives with her husband, Tom Patuto. Her brother, Bryan Kolpa ’01, lives in Japan with his wife and daughter, Julie (1).

Courtney Vearling ’98 and Claudia Vearling Lawler ’96 won pies in the ’12 Pie Race.

CLASS NOTES

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AUDREY KORTE 5 Oyster Ln Warren RI 02885-1522 aekorte@cox.net

MELIA KNOWLES-COURSIN 427 Aaron Cir Durham NC 27713-3201 meliakc@gmail.com MOLLY LOVEDAY 53 Gore St Cambridge MA 02141-1213 lovedaymoo@yahoo.com

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KATHERINE “CRICKET” BORNTRAEGERWHEELER NISBET 15 Allens Rd Southsea, Hampshire, PO4 0QB, UK katherinebw@hotmail.com

Two thousand twelve was a wonderful year, and it was so special seeing everyone at reunion. To those of you who could not make it, I encourage you to come to our 15th.

Alexander Wallace and his wife, Lindsay, have a son, Victor, born on 7/30/12. Alex and Lindsay are still living in France, moving containers of wine for a living and generally enjoying life. Kate Perry still lives in Seattle, where she just opened and is the general manager of Seattle’s first rum bar (www. rumbaonpike.com). She had to learn about rum the hard way—spending July ’12 traveling the Caribbean, getting an education. Her sister, Abby Perry ’05, lives in Seattle now, too. Andy Sabourin married Ashley Maggio on 9/10/11. Andy has his own law practice in Winchester, Mass. Brendan Connor married Keiko Marie Achiwa in Chester, Vt., in July of ’11 near Brendan ‘s hometown of Jamaica, Vt. They live in Park Slope, Brooklyn, N.Y., and are pursuing their careers in finance and food, respectively.

I hope the rest of you are doing well, and please keep in touch.

From the Alumni Office: Anastasia Olynyk was

selected to sing in an Emerging Artists’ Recital with the New York Lyric Opera Theater in 11/12. You can be in touch on Facebook and follow her operatic career at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/ Anastasia-Olynyk/236660719710875?ref=hl.

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JOSH GRUBMAN 14 Deldorf St Quincy MA 02169-1820 joshuagrubman@gmail.com

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DEE GUO 57 ½ East St Vernon CT 06066-3848 deedith@gmail.com MIRA SHARMA 350 Prince Arthur West, Apt 1105 Montreal, QC H2X 3R4, Canada mira.sharma.mcgill@gmail.com

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CHRISTOPHER A ZISSI 3333 Wisconsin Ave NW Apt 203 Washington DC 20016-3872 christopher.zissi@gmail.com

BRENDAN MYSLIWIEC 1207 N High St Unit 2 Columbus OH 43201-5000 brendan.mysliwiec@gmail.com

From Chris: Nicholas Theberge will finish his

JAMIESON BAKER 122 E 11th St Apt 4C New York NY 10003-5358 jamieson.baker@gmail.com

D.D.S. from Stony Brook University in May ’13.

He is planning to pursue further education in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Elissa Thorne Kotler and husband Jonathan welcomed Penelope Susan on 3/1/12.

Laura New lives in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, and is finishing up her Ph.D. in molecular biology at the University of Guelph. In ’12, Laura wrote up some of her research, and it was accepted for publication in November. She spent the summer in Boston doing research at Mass General Hospital but unfortunately didn’t manage to visit NMH. Her divorce from David Graham ’99 was finalized in ’10.

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ANNE MORGAN 76 Lincklean St Cazenovia NY 13035-1031 annelucasmorgan@gmail.com

JANE WARREN 176 E 81st Street 2C New York NY 10028 janelillywarren@gmail.com DANIELA FRIAS 779 Ave E Apt 2 Bayonne NJ 07002-4051 daniela8_5@hotmail.com

From Daniela: David Colt has moved to Oakland, Calif., after a year in San Francisco. He’s working in solar finance in Japan and the European Union, spending his free time enjoying the cuisine of California.

Margaret “Meg” Eldredge lives in New York City, having moved to Brooklyn in July ’12. She is owner of SAPO Design Studio, a do-and-think tank

for streetwear apparel design and production. For the last year, Meg has been singing with the band Von Kraut, a local funk, R&B, and rock band, as one of her other creative outlets. The band plays at NYC mainstays like the Living Room, Arlene’s Grocery, and the Rock Shop. According to Meg: “I’m living a life beyond my wildest dreams.”

Angela Galli graduated from George Washington University with her master’s in criminology in May ’12. She is now in the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Academy and will be graduating as an officer in April.

Eric “Jorg” Jorgenson is a microbiologist at Stone Brewing Co. in San Diego, Calif., and accompanied in travels by loyal companion, Beowoof Carpetslayer, his dog.

John Kim has put a temporary hold on his finance career in New York and returned to Korea to fulfill his two-year military duty.

Yukio Kusada lives and works in Toyko. Jeanne “Niki” LaValle works for my boyfriend’s functional glass company, Hitman Glass, in Los Angeles, learning to blow glass and work with borosilicate glass.

Julia Ledewitz works as the sustainability strategist for the Department of Facilities at MIT, a great fit for her as she graduated from Bowdoin in ’08 with a degree in environmental science, history, and biology. She coordinates all LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certifications for MIT and is a project manager for their energy efficiency program. She was named a Switzer Fellow in ’11, which helped her obtain her master’s in environmental planning from Tufts. Just for kicks, in October she competed in the triathlon event at the 2012 World Championship New Zealand. In her off season, she got back to campus to compete in the Pie Race. Needless to say, she won a pie. Living in Boston, she’s had the opportunity to meet up with many NMH friends, including Courtney Eustace.

Boram Lee lives in the San Francisco Bay Area,

where he has joined a mobile technology start-up, Chartboost. He is responsible for business development and expansion into Asian markets.

Alexandra Livingstone moved to Chicago in October ’12, where she has started a design business.

Check out alexandralivingstone.com.

Brady Loomer graduated with a master’s in education from UMass Amherst in ’11. While completing his degree, he was a teaching intern for NMH’s Summer School in ’10. Now he’s a chemistry teacher at St. Mark’s, a small boarding school in Southborough, Mass., where he also coaches jv

Jonathan and Elissa Thorne Kotler ’01 with their daughter, Penelope Susan

spring 2013 I 85

CLASS NOTES soccer and jv baseball. His greatest news is that in June ’12 he married Katie Sullivan, a pharmacist for Harvard Vanguard. Classmate Callie Burgess was a reader at their wedding and faculty member Charlie Malcom attended.

Cody Lounsbury married Gabriel Roy in August of 2012.

Nathan Louras has started his fourth year of medical school at the University of Vermont’s College of Medicine. He’s shared some awesome pictures of good times with classmates in New York City.

Roscoe McNair recently co-founded Students of Music, an independent music education and management organization that specializes in performing and auditory arts, including the study, training, and playing of virtual and live instruments. The organization is headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., and offers music instruction in string orchestral instruments.

Additional services include training in computerbased DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) platforms, and the production of original music for film, dance, theater, video games, advertising, and multimedia projects. He continues to work full-time as a case manager within the immigration services department of IBM. Saya Namikawa has been performing for children with the Italian theater company Teatro all’improvviso. Her highlight performances in ’12 were at the Luxembourg Philharmonie and in Tunisia. In March ’13, she will be in France and Turkey. If any NMHers are in Europe, she would love to catch up. Email her at teatro.allimprovviso@ gmail.com.

Maggie Politi joined the national tour of Seussical the Musical as Mayzie La Bird. She is excited to be a returning cast member for the Gay Bride of Frankenstein in its New York premiere. This year, be on the lookout for her Verizon, Miller 64, and Power Swab Teeth Whitening commercials. To keep up with Maggie’s amazing acting career, check out www.maggiepoliti.com.

Clifton Porter married Suzanne Malpass on 4/21/12 in Chicago. They honeymooned in Antigua.

They live in Milwaukee, Wis., where he works as a replenishment buyer at Roundy’s Supermarkets.

Scotlan Ryan is a wardrobe stylist in New York City. She recently finished working on an independent film being made in the Rockaway section of Queens, N.Y. She enjoys spending time with classmate Jamieson Baker and talks to Hayley Cutler, Sarah Dunton, and Brendan Mysliwiec daily, whether by email, gchat, or phone. She recently met

up with classmate Matthew Trevithick on his visit home from Afghanistan.

Sarah Simons graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a master’s in social work and is now practicing as a licensed social worker in an outpatient HIV clinic in North Philadelphia. She also finished her first century (100-mile bike ride) in September.

Erica Smith lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., and works at the Churchill School and Center, a school for students with learning disabilities, where she teaches chemistry. This past spring she completed her master’s in adolescent special education and chemistry for grades five through 12. She’s looking forward to taking a trip to D.C. this spring with Courtney Eustace and Julia Ledewitz to visit classmates.

Devyn Stevenson lives in Somerville, Mass. Last summer she left her position as a technical recruiter to pursue graduate school at UMass Boston. She’s in a one-year, teach next year, where she spends the entire year student teaching in the Boston public school district while going to school full-time. She’s working in the North End of Boston, where she’s been placed in a fourth-grade class and has enjoyed the experience so far, especially as she begins to take over teaching. Her long-term goal is to get involved in a program with youth in Boston to promote financial literacy in K–12 education.

Matthew Trevithick has recently finished two and a half years at the American University of Afghanistan and has begun work as the director of communications at a research center in Kabul.

He has published several articles, some of which have been featured in Foreign Policy magazine, and is in the process of publishing a book he recently co-authored.

As for me, I’m living in Bayonne, N.J., with my son David (3). I finished my master’s degree in accounting last fall and work at PricewaterhouseCoopers in the ethics and compliance group, responsible for internal leadership and external regulatory compliance reporting. In my hometown of Jersey City, where my local work office is, I organize our PwC Earn Your Future Program, a five-year program committed to increase financial competency, fill gaps in the education system, and contribute to a healthier economy.

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DONNIE BLACKWELL 40 Passaic Ave West Paterson NJ 07424-2517 ptowndon@gmail.com ARJUN PANT 14 Egmont St Apt 1 Brookline MA 02446-3615 arjunpant@gmail.com

Members of the class of ’04 gathered in New York City: Gabriela Torres, Mohammed “Rumman” Hossain, John Kim, Richard Colligan, Nate Louras, and Katharine Schulman.

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JINGPING ZHANG 1237 HBS Mail Center 500 Soldiers Field Road Boston MA 02163-1741 jingping.ellen.zhang@gmail.com

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LAKOTA COON 67 Coon Holler Lane Castleton VA 22716-2931 wackylacky@gmail.com KATE HAYES 215 E 95th St Apt 22K New York NY 10128-4084 kdahayes@gmail.com

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NAOMI-COLLETT RITZ 60 Merriam Rd Walpole NH 03608-5033 naomi.collett.ritz@gmail.com

LIZ DONALD 1466 Mill Village Rd Craftsbury Common VT 05827-9813 elizabethsdonald@gmail.com From Liz: Rebecca Donald and I quit our jobs in September to move to Craftsbury, Vt., to train yearround with a group of elite rowers as part of the Green Racing Project. We are both looking forward to connecting with NMHers in the area. Let us know if you find yourself in Vermont or if you want to plan a visit.

Congrats to Chris Reid, who married Aleshia Summer in August. Alex Engels, Max Zeitler, Ben Lindgren, Mark McCourt, Noah Saxton, and Wilson Zinnurov ’08 were there to help celebrate. Clive Weeden continues to live the dream;

he is heading to Australia to play basketball.

Faridat Arogundade is studying law at the University of Chicago after spending this past summer working in New York City. I was thankful to hear that her family, who lives on the north shore of Staten Island, was safe and sound after Hurricane Sandy.

I enjoyed catching up with Emily Tisdale and Carly Helmetag at the NMH Vespers alumni reception in Boston. They are doing well, spending time together, and enjoying the laid-back nature of the city. Teresa Le is working at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.

If all continues to go well, she plans to stay in South Africa for the year. She recently connected with Naomi Stewart-Rubik.

Max Zeitler is living in Boston with Alex Engels, working in sales and far surpassing his

monthly sales goals, making him one of the top salesmen at the organization.

After spending ’12 at Morgan Stanley in New York and on the Obama campaign in Las Vegas, Bill Ward is reconnecting with his “fac brat” roots, working in the Advancement Office at NMH. If you find yourself in western Massachusetts, please let him know.

Sheba Wilson is working on her master’s in philosophy at San Jose State University, focusing on inquiries within the philosophy of science, time, and economics, respectively. She’s also co-founder and singer/songwriter for the duet and social

CLASS NOTES

Gigi Haycock ’84 and her husband, Thad Beebe

Henry Chung ’95 married May Chan on 12/9/12.

NMHers at the October wedding of Luke Shulman included Jacob Goldstein ’03, Alison Falb ’03, Allison Boyd ’03, Luke Shulman ’03, Alicia Shulman, and Alexandra Dale ’03.

Andy Sabourin ’02 and Ashley Maggio married in September ’11.

Cody Lounsbury ’04 and Gabriel Roy married in August ’12.

NMHers celebrating at Chris Reid’s wedding included Mark McCourt ’07, Noah Saxton ’07, Chris Reid ’07, Wilson Zinnurov ’08, Ben Lindgren ’07, Max Zeitler ’07, and Alex Engles ’07.

Brady Loomer ’04 and Katie Sullivan on their wedding day in June ’12.

NMHers gathered at Jacob Goldstein’s wedding included Colin Mahoney ’03, Misha Sidorsky ’04, Alexandra Dale ’03, Jacob Goldstein ’03, Kathryn Denslow Goldstein, Jasper Hoitsma ’01, and Luke Shulman ’03.

Kate Lowd ’98 and Christopher Shaw on their wedding day, 11/3/12

Glenn-Michael Mueller ’96, wife Nele, and son Jakob Emil at their second wedding in June ’12.

Brendan Connor ’02 and Keiko Marie Achiwa ’02 married in July ’11.

Abigail Lechthaler Hurlburt ’90 and husband Russ had a family/NMH celebration of their ’11 marriage in May ’12.

spring 2013 I 87

CLASS NOTES movement, Café Girls. You can check them out on Facebook or at Cafegirls.squarespace.com.

Sabrina Savinski moved to Austin, Texas, over the summer and is serving with AmeriCorps.

There are some other ’07 Hoggers down there. She has reconnected with Anna Stevens and Alex Weinstein, who moved there together, and Caitlin Sullivan as well

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EMILY JACKE 33E Taylor Hill Rd Montague MA 01351-9508 emjacke@gmail.com SARAH-ANNE TANNER 9 Moyne Ct Ranelagh Dublin Ireland tanner.sarahanne@gmail.com

From Emily: I write to you in the middle of a blizzard. By the time you read this, I hope your plans to attend our fifth reunion will be solidified. I am looking forward to catching up with everyone.

In most recent news, I had the pleasure of seeing Sarah-Anne Tanner, Julia Mix Barrington, Max Mazzone, Nikki Rossetti, Sarah Heist, Karissa Scano, and an array of alumni from other classes

at Christmas Vespers in Boston in December. The music was excellent, as usual, and we had the honor of meeting new Head of School, Peter Fayroian. I cannot quite believe it has been five years.

Sarah-Anne graduated from Wesleyan last May and is moving to Ireland in January for a year. She hopes to be able to attend reunion. Julia graduated from Barnard last May and is now at Boston University working toward a Ph.D. in literature.

She intends to focus on Shakespeare. Max lives and works as a realtor in Boston. Nikki graduated from Wellesley last May, and then took a cross-country road trip with her dad. She is now doing cancer research at Massachusetts General Hospital and living in Cambridge. She sees Sarah-Anne often and occasionally runs into Emily Tisdale ’07. Nikki hopes any NMHers stopping through Boston will look her up.

Ben Weyers graduated with a bachelor’s in business from UConn last May and now works in Tolland, Conn., at a start-up software company called Geezeo. He loves postgraduate life and looks forward to seeing everyone at reunion. D.J. Radich completed his fifth and final year of Division I college football at Central Connecticut State University, where he was team captain. He is set to graduate in May ’13 with a degree in civil engineering.

I see Jarad Weeks every now and then, as he lives and works in Greenfield, taking a break from school and doing an excellent job of managing his father’s company. He also plans to be at reunion this spring with his bagpipes.

In my own news, I graduated from Middlebury College on 2/2/13 with a bachelor’s in theater with a focus in costume design and an unofficial minor in environmental studies and have no set plans for

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the future yet. I have taken up playing the ukulele and writing radio plays, but I don’t expect to profit financially from either of these activities. See you in June.

From the Alumni Office: Cassandra “Cassie” Taylor is development and program coordinator for

Family Research Foundation, which provides financial relief and support to families fighting cancer.

Last September, Cassie served as the event manager for Cooking Live, New York, a benefit event in which six celebrity chefs prepared a seven-course meal in front of guests. Matt Damon stepped up as a sous-chef to try his hand. The event raised over $255,000 to benefit the foundation.

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ANNA STEVENS 1329 Lapham Bay Rd Shoreham VT 05770-9612 annagstevens@yahoo.com

Much of their time was spent exploring and photographing the ruins of Havana, which have not been updated since pre-Castro revolution days. “Only a 45-minute flight from Miami, it certainly feels like you’ve traveled through a time warp, seeing all the old 1950s Fords and ‘coco taxis’ driving through the city. Cubans are extremely hospitable and thoroughly enjoy sharing a cigar or a juice box of rum while playing music on the malecón with you. The incredible stories (most Cubans were reluctant to share) of both nationalism and resistance toward their country will always be remembered, and the experience in Cuba will be forever cherished.”

From the Alumni Office: Nicoleta Meleca is in grad school in the international management/CEMS program at Rotterdam School of Management in Holland with half a year in Holland and half a year in Belgium. She hopes to return to North America after she completes the program.

10

NMH

GALEN ANDERSON 740 Ostrom Ave Syracuse NY 13210-2942 gjande01@syr.edu ESHALLA MERRIAM PO Box 2545 Brattleboro VT 05303-2545 eshallamerriam@gmail.com FAYETTE PHILLIPS 43 North St Upton MA 01568-1581 fayettephillips@gmail.com

From Faye: Nicolas Ogier and Michael Thorsen will both graduate from the Naval Academy this May and start training to become pilots this summer.

Andrew Taylor is still at Arizona State in his senior year, working as assistant coordinator of basketball technology, his fourth season. During the season, he saw Warren Dunton, Jason Kornfeld, Jerrell and Terrell Williams ’07, Donatus Anamege ’07, Chidera Anamege ’08, Pete McMillian, and Tony Sorci ’00. He just caught up with John Carroll ’89 and some day student classmates over the holidays, including Jack Borland, Parker Cohn, Sam Watrous, and Arlie Cohn.

Katy Stetson and Faye Phillips spent six weeks in rural Tanzania, working for the Maji Safi Group (clean water in Swahili), an NGO dedicated to educating rural Tanzanians about the importance of clean water in hygiene, sanitation, and disease prevention. They created a dancing and singing group for the youth of the village (about 75 children ages 6–16) that incorporates this health promotion material, and the group educates the community about what they learn through community performance. The group is still flourishing and has since doubled in size.

Tara Opalinski spent last summer in Havana, Cuba, studying photography with Kade Krichko ’08 through a Northeastern University program.

ELI SPECTOR 1204 Autrey St Apt 2A Houston TX 77006-6041 elishsp@gmail.com

It is with tremendous sadness that I report that Max Kelly passed away in a car accident in early January.

In light of Max’s tragic passing, let us remember, celebrate, and learn from his memory and the positive energy and spirit he carried.

Paul Kim is a junior at Babson College, concentrating in computational and mathematical finance.

He spent last summer interning as an equity derivatives summer analyst at Societe Generale, and now he is seeking positions in either investment banking or sales and trading. Recently, he has helped start the first professional business fraternity on his campus as vice-president of finance for Delta Sigma Pi. Becca Daen studied in Italy for six weeks in the spring, and then plans to intern at a literary agency for the summer. She is also volunteering at a battered-women’s shelter in Lancaster, Pa., and she continues to swim on the varsity team at Franklin and Marshall College. Erin Cromack was recently inducted into the National Society of Leadership and Success, Sigma Alpha Pi, at UMass-Amherst.

She also coached the NMH track-and-field team in the spring for the third season.

Matt Goode continues to study finance and environmental studies at Gonzaga University while competing at collegiate crew. Rosa Ammon-Ciaglo enjoyed her first semester of junior year at Barnard College. She’s working toward a degree in political economy. She spent the past semester in Dakar, Senegal.

Kyle Matteson enjoys studying applied mathematics and communications at Nyack College, where he will soon complete his degree. Courtney Freese is soaking in all that Florida has to offer.

She just changed her major to art history with a minor in studio art, and she will intern at an art gallery in Orlando for the summer. Fallon Winters interned last summer at UBS in New York City

CLASS NOTES and spent time with Erin Cromack, Erin Marley, Everett Irving, Jeff Arthur, and RJ McFarlane.

She also completed her third season on the field hockey team at Dickinson College and has spent the past semester traveling to Morocco, Spain, and southern France with eight other students, doing research on immigration from northern Africa into Europe. Fallon will be back on the NMH campus in May for the third Winters sister’s graduation. Dat Dang studied abroad in London this past spring and will return to Columbia in the fall to complete dual degrees in philosophy and economics.

As for me, I graduate from Rice in May. At the time of this writing, I don’t know with certainty what I’ll be doing next year, but it will probably involve being abroad in Israel. I hope everyone is doing well and has a great summer.

11

NMH

OLIVIA VAN COTT 43 Cleveland St Greenfield MA 01301-1905 olivia.vancott92@gmail.com

NISHA MALIK 409 Davis St Greenfield MA 01301-1414 nishamalik92@gmail.com

12

NMH PARKER PELTZER 120 Passumpsic Ave PO Box 453 Wilder VT 05088-0453 ppeltzer@gmx.com WILSON JOSEPHSON 50 The Oaks Henniker NH 03242-3450 josephsonw@carleton.edu

From Parker: Our class was still a presence on campus this fall, starting with the birth of Jess the calf on the farm, named for our own Jess Marlor. (I figure it is rare for a class to open its first-ever class notes column with a birth announcement.)

Drew Palmer brought his new a cappella group, Simple Harmonic Motion of WPI, to perform in the RAC. Another of our artists, Wylie Earp, has returned to the NMH stage. While not pickle making in Greenfield, he was cast in David Rowland’s After the Island, a sequel to The Tempest. Wylie has

Jess Marlor ’12 with her NMH namesake

played Prospero in both. In the spring, he plans to volunteer at a language school in Nicaragua.

I’ve been around NMH a lot myself, first coaching with our Outdoor Program, then the Academy at Charlemont’s ski team. One wonderful day for me was when Wilson Josephson visited. We took a walk in the new snow and got caught up. He’s made fast friends with the Carleton water polo and swim and dive teams and even went on a training trip to Hawaii. Afterward, we had lunch in the dining hall with Katie Lindeman and Megan Burns, who were also visiting. Meal completed, the four of us took cookies that Katie had baked and some fruitcakes I had made to students preparing for finals, and then we visited Jess the calf.

While Christmas Vespers was a joy in person and was attended either in the chapel or in Boston by several of us, I reckon it was also a fine time in Atlanta, where Justin Pau and former roommates Elizabeth Schechter and Joanna Pang made dinner and listened to the WNMH version. Not all of us got to experience the service as we hoped, though.

Adam Arsenault scheduled his flight from Iowa as early as possible to be able to catch the Thursday performance, but he was held up by blizzard conditions at the airport.

Finally, I’m glad to announce that the next class notes column will be put together by Wilson. You can reach him at josephson@carleton.edu. Please keep sending any news that you would like to share to either of us, and if you would ever like to write the column, mention that, too. In my mind, it would be at its best with many voices taking a turn.

Stay in touch, and have a great summer.

FACULTY NOTES LYN KELLOM PO Box 1546 New London NH 03257-1546 rbmzkellom@comcast.net

Yet again, there are too many obituaries. Richard Kidder passed away on 8/2/12 in Northfield. At NMH since 1997, Rick was a member of the grounds crew, caring primarily for the athletic fields and facilities, maintaining the ice rink in McCollum Arena, and operating the Zamboni. He is survived by two daughters, Carrie Kidder Bentley ’02 and Katie, and two grandchildren. A coordinator of storeroom materials from approximately 1983–92 Gary Tracy died on 10/5/12. Thomas T. Lyons of Newburyport, Mass., passed away on 10/11/12.

Arriving at Mt. Hermon in 1958, he remained until 1963, at which time he joined the Phillips Andover faculty, where he taught history for 36 years, retiring as a “renowned teacher and mentor.” To those of us who knew the Mt. Hermon Tom, this comment by a colleague years later can come as no surprise: “Taking U.S. history with Lyons was a bit like going over Niagara Falls in a barrel. You had to struggle to stay afloat amid the torrents of information, but

you survived, you never forgot the ride, and you always thought it was worth it.”

The Mt. Hermon chapel was indeed a fitting place for a service “in loving memory of” Mary Lighthall Compton ’44, who passed away 10/14/12 at 86. A member of the NMH community for nearly four decades, Mary was involved over the years in just about every aspect of its life. An effervescent people person, she took a genuine interest in everyone— colleagues, campus children, students, teams, alums.

I can just see her erupt in a whoop of laughter had she heard the many “fac brats” of her own children’s generation reminiscing at the reception over humorous tales about growing up on campus.

Chris Serino died on 10/15/12 at the age of 63.

At NMH from 1988 to 1991 and head ice hockey coach, a colleague said of him; “He was an exceptional coach and person; a good man, taught me a lot in one year.”

Understanding counselor, patient teacher, renewable energy advocate, amateur radio enthusiast, Walton G. Congdon passed away on 12/3/12. A member of the faculty for 38 years, Walt was a mentor not only to students, but also to colleagues. To the Kelloms, he was a valued science department colleague to Dick, a cherished friend to the family for 56 years, and “Uncle Walt” to our children. We will all miss this gentle Vermonter with a twinkle in his eyes and “ayuh” on his lips, as we fondly remember him pedaling that vintage bicycle all around campus.

Antony “Tony” Chastain-Chapman, member of the English department from 1978–99 and its head for several years, died on 1/14/13. Born in England and a graduate of Cambridge University, he went on to earn his Ph.D. in English literature from Kent State University in Ohio. A true Renaissance man, his interests extended beyond the classroom and literature to music, art and antiques, travel, skilled woodworking, and the outdoors.

To end on happier notes. On a pleasant New Hampshire September day, former trustee Barbara Tweedle Freedman ’66 and the NMH Alumni Association hosted “a special celebration and luncheon for the alumnae of Northfield School for Girls—Honoring Our Traditions. As former NSFG faculty, Sally Curtis and I had the great pleasure of joining a sizable group of Northfield alums at Kendal at Hanover. Everyone listened intently as Barbara spoke of her continuing involvement with the school, and then, everyone participated eagerly as Peter Weis ’78, NMH archivist, tickled our memories with Northfield School for Girls trivia. A fun, upbeat gathering.

Fall ’12 found Cynnie and Terry Irwin in western Turkey on a small-group tour, which introduced them to museums, historic sites, art and architecture, cuisine; enabled them to visit with rural Turkish families in their homes; and included a four-day cruise along the Mediterranean coast.

Then, flying to Switzerland, Cynnie visited with her sister while Terry continued on to northern Spain, where he walked the Camino de Santiago, a 495mile pilgrimage dating back to 900 A.D. His solo journey began in St. Jean Pied-du-Port and ended at Santiago Cathedral 33 days later. Bravo, Terry.

spring 2013 I 89

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Keep Calm and Carry On

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90 I NMH Magazine

CLASS NOTES

RETIREES David Rowland

BY SHEILA HEFFERNON, PERFORMING ARTS CHAIR AND CHORAL AND VOCAL DIRECTOR

Louise Lueptow Schwingel

BY DAVID DOWDY, ENGLISH

Consider the letter L. Literate and literature start with it, as do leader and leadership. Likewise, laughing, loving, lasting (as in influence), lofty, lovely, and lively begin with L, all of which are subsumed in one name: Louise. Quite literally, she has become a living legend.

Has anyone read more books than Louise Schwingel—and remembered each one? Not likely. Has anyone (besides her beloved husband) traveled as often as she, or taught in Perth, Melbourne, Tangier, Egypt, Turkey, and Western Samoa?

Who else has played dorm mother to 50 boys for each of 16 years (Wilson Hall, Northfield campus), visited more museums, edited a book by the sportswriter Buster Olney ’82, chauffeured Janis Joplin, been a college cheerleader (North Central, cum laude), attended more plays, landed more deals and discounts, sustained longer friendships, or taught more offspring of her previous students?

No, Louise is singular. Loving students, exhorting colleagues, pats on the arm, shrieks in the classroom, straight talk, sage advice, rip-snorting laughs, high style, classic manners, clear standards, enthusiasm for fine food, enduring faith, and constant generosity characterize her person and have imprinted her character onto the soul of teaching at NMH since she arrived in 1974. Leaving NMH, Louise leaves herself here. We are so honored; we are so grateful.

David Rowland came to Northfield Mount Hermon in 1978 and built what had been an extracurricular activity into a thriving academic and co-curricular program.

Within a few years, he and his students were presenting four major plays a year, plus a One Act Festival. He added new courses to the curriculum—Playwriting, History of Western Drama, Directing, Acting, and Film and Stage—and went from doing all the technical work himself (designing and building sets, designing and hanging lighting, assembling costumes) to convincing the school to add a technical director to the faculty, as well as a costumer. David has directed over 105 plays and 30 One Act Festivals, taken many performances on the road to local schools and festivals, and inspired hundreds of teenagers to fall in love with theater.

Those teenagers are at the heart of everything David does.

A gifted teacher, he tirelessly and patiently nurtures his actors, helping them find their inner voices, take risks, and discover their strengths. Often on closing nights, David can be found at the back of the theater, tears streaming down his face as he revels in the growth that even the most reluctant thespian has attained.

D.L. Moody would have been proud of this man who personifies the school’s vision of education for the head, heart, and hand. David is a brilliant writer; he believes in hard work, especially doing it side by side with his students; and he is a good and kind friend. His love for our school is emblazoned on his upper arm: a tattoo of the Northfield Campus. We are glad that he will not be far away, and we look forward to hearing the familiar sound of David revving up his motorcycle to head out for a ride.

spring 2013 I 91

CLASS NOTES

VITAL STATISTICS Births and Adoptions

’89 Harrison Graham Watson-Gibby to Ali Watson and Graham Curtis Gibby, 11/9/12. ’89 Mathias Walter Engberg to Sarah Watson and Ian Engberg, 8/7/12. ’89 Jacob Kinney to Jeff and Hilary Jones Kinney, 12/25/11. ’90 Hawkins Tracy Dow to Timothy and Alycia Cavadi Dow, 12/2/12. ’94 Augustus Robert Foote to Nathan and Carol Koldis Foote, 8/26/12. ’94 William Jonathan “Jack” Hayward to Boe and Sophie Middlebrook Hayward, 5/4/12. ’94 Samuel George Craford to Kent and Laura Snyder Craford, 7/31/12. ’98 Abigail Boisvert to Ben and Carolyn Condict Boisvert, 12/11. ’98 Oscar “Ozzie” Burbank Malloy to Maggie Burbank and Ben Wilkins-Malloy, 2/12. ’98 Victor Gabriel Escobar to Helen Evans and Miguel Escobar, 1/22/13. ’99 Marion Love Hendrix to Philip and Sara Friedman Hendrix, 6/1/11. ’99 Bea Hana Horikawa to Marin and Nelia Lechthaler Horikawa, 2/12. ’01 Penelope Susan Kotler to Jonathan and Elissa Thorne Kotler, 3/1/12. ’02 Victor Wallace to Lindsay and Alexander Wallace, 7/30/12.

Weddings and Civil Unions

’84 Lesley “Gigi” Haycock to Thad Beebe, 8/12. ’84 Melissa Paul to Pieter Muntendam, 12/23/12. ’98 Lisa Sharma to Will Creighton, 12/11. ’98 Kathalie Lowd to Christopher Shaw, 11/3/12. ’02 Andrew Sabourin to Ashley Maggio, 9/10/11. ’02 Keiko Marie Achiwa to Brendan Connor, 7/11. ’03 Jacob Goldstein to Kathryn Denslow, 7/7/12. ’03 Luke Shulman to Alicia Richards, 10/6/12. ’04 Brady Loomer to Katie Sullivan, 6/12. ’04 Cody Lounsbury to Gabriel Roy, 8/12. ’04 Clifton Porter to Suzanne Malpass, 4/21/12. ’07 Christopher Reid to Aleshia Summer, 8/18/12.

Deaths

’30 Norma Fletcher Oakes, 10/15/12. Daughter of Edgar Fletcher ’02 (dec’d). Sister of Ellin Fletcher Sides ’28 (dec’d) and Harmon Fletcher ’32 (dec’d). ’32 Charles Nielsen, 10/8/12. Brother of Milton Nielsen ’34 (dec’d). ’33 Mildred Klinkoski Englund, 5/18/12.

92 I NMH Magazine

’33 Frances Clifford Schwenker, 12/20/12. ’34 Winnifred Champney Hoyt, 2/11/12.

Grandmother of Chloe Kiblin Paige ’80. ’34 Barbara Starbard, 8/28/12. ’35 Margaret Lanphear Hayes, 2/7/13. Mother of Donna Hayes Kennedy ’59. Sister of Irene Lanphear Thompson ’34 (dec’d) and Shirley Lanphear Lyman ’38 (dec’d). Cousin of Evelyn Lanphear Slater ’38 (dec’d) and Brenda Slater Holske ’61. Aunt of Deane Lanphear ’53, Janice Thompson Butler ’54, Judith Thompson Flemister ’57, and Dennis Lanphear ’61 (dec’d). Great-aunt of Karen Lanphear Malinowski ’77, D. Bradford Lanphear ’79, Kristin Lanphear LaPorte ’82, and Wendy Flemister ’82. Sister-in-law of May Thompson Lanphear ’33 (dec’d). ’35 Phyllis Raymond Newman, 12/21/12.

Mother of Charlene Newman Davis ’59 (dec’d). Cousin of Donald Clement ’33 (dec’d), Edith Lundberg Salisbury ’35 (dec’d), and Marion Lundberg ’39 (dec’d). ’35 William Thorp, 9/26/12. Brother of Frances Thorp Smith ’33 (dec’d). ’36 David Aldrich, 2/4/13. Father of Katherine Aldrich ’66. Brother of Elizabeth Aldrich Newton ’35 (dec’d). ’36 William Sinclair, 1/30/13. Son of William Sinclair ’00 (dec’d). Father of Barbara KrolSinclair ’74. Brother of Robert Sinclair ’35 (dec’d). ’38 John Raschbacher, 10/14/11. ’38 Alice Colson Vautrinot, 2/6/13. ’39 Diane Dissell Brinley, 1/30/13. ’39 Dorothy Walker Crellin, 12/30/12. Daughter of Margaret Quackenboss Lasch ’16 (dec’d).

Sister of O. Fuller Walker ’39 (dec’d) and Howard Walker ’45 (dec’d). Niece of Esther Quackenboss Milligan ’22 (dec’d). ’39 Esther Smith Galbraith, 1/7/13. ’39 Frances Yeames Prickitt, 10/9/12. ’39 Richard Schneller, 2/5/13. Cousin of Marshall Climan ’43 (dec’d). ’39 Howard Whitcomb 9/28/12. Brother of Barbara Whitcomb Brown ’35 (dec’d) and Beatrice Whitcomb Olsen ’35 (dec.d).

Cousin of John Hall ’47. ’40 Janet Nair Adams, 12/3/12. ’40 Allen Arnold, 2/5/13. Father of Deborah Arnold Chavez ’71. Grandfather of Kyler Chavez ’05. Uncle of Kemper Arnold ’67. ’40 Priscilla Alden Cross, 11/24/12. Sister of Florence Alden Sands ’36 (dec’d) and F. Elizabeth Alden Morrall ’38 (dec’d). Cousin of Vernor Schenck ’37 (dec’d). ’40 Robert Devaul, 1/3/13. ’40 Colin Gunn, 9/27/12. Father of John Gunn ’75. ’40 Edward Searle, 11/3/12. ’40 Frederick Witzel, 11/6/12. Father of Frederick Witzel ’68 and Richard Witzel ’70 (dec’d). ’41 Barbara Clement Brewer, 12/29/12. ’41 Marjorie Meadows Francis, 1/6/13. Wife

of Donald Francis ’42 (dec’d). Aunt of Peter Savas ’67. Great-aunt of Elizabeth Savas ’10 and Perry Savas ’11. ’41 Irvin Graybill, 1/2/13. ’41 Richard Gregg, 1/21/13. Brother of William Gregg ’41 (dec’d). ’41 William Moyle, 9/25/12. ’41 William Ordway, 4/11/12. ’41 Charles Snow, 9/2/12. Brother of John Snow ’42 and Gregory Snow ’54. Great-uncle of Julian Snow ’10. ’41 Esther Munroe Swift, 3/10/12. Daughter of Helen Ellicott Munroe ’15 (dec’d).

Grandmother of Katherine Swift Kelly ’95. ’42 Carolyn Cooley, 7/16/12. Cousin of Constance Cooley Teese ’33 (dec’d), MaryLuise Sanderson Semans ’35 (dec’d), and Elizabeth Cooley Leavitt ’41. ’42 William Cutler, 8/23/12. Son of Henry H. Cutler ’12 (dec’d).Grandson of Henry F. Cutler, Mt. Hermon headmaster, 1890–1932 (dec’d), Harriet Ford Cutler (dec’d), and Mabel Learoyd Cutler ’90 (dec’d). Nephew of Christine Cutler Bailey ’08 (dec’d), Conrad Cutler ’11 (dec’d), William Bailey ’13 (dec’d), Walter Seibert ’13 (dec’d), George Heiser ’14 (dec’d), and John Cutler ’20 (dec’d).

Grand-nephew of Bessie Cutler Fisk ’93 (dec’d) and Mary Cutler Ricketts ’84 (dec’d).

Cousin of Leslie Ricketts ’17 (dec’d), Lois Ricketts Ashby ’18 (dec’d), Dorothy Bailey Ahlers ’34 (dec’d), Walter Seibert ’38 (dec’d), Russell Burdge ’40 (dec’d), Conrad Cutler ’40 (dec’d), Olive Ashby ’56, Leslie Ricketts ’60 (dec’d), Lynn Entsminger Lutes ’62, Barbara Burdge Rosenquest ’67, Christopher Burdge ’67, Spencer Burdge ’70, G. Stetson Heiser ’71, Melissa Ricketts ’86, William Ricketts ’88, Daniel Ricketts ’91, Patrick Ricketts ’93, G. Cutler Heiser ’00, and Cameron Heiser ’02. Great-uncle of Christine Luiggi ’03. ’42 Natalie Fox, 1/16/13. ’42 Margaret Mead McCutchan, 8/30/12. Sister of Elizabeth Mead Bolton ’42. ’42 Windsor Phelps, 4/5/12. Brother of Mary Phelps Randall ’42. ’42 George Shelly, 3/6/11. ’43 Barbara Pierce Boucot, 11/9/11. Sister of Cynthia Pierce Fors ’50 and Edward Pierce ’52. Aunt of Belinda Fors Walsh ’82. ’43 Rudolph Brandt, 4/3/12. Father of Lucinda Brandt ’70. Brother of Robert Brandt ’45 (dec’d). ’43 Robert Crosby, 10/29/12. ’43 Elizabeth Habif Lusty, 4/28/12. ’43 W. Lee Perry, 5/8/12. Father of Lynn Perry Martin ’75. ’44 Guy Burr,1/12/11. Husband of Constance Heath Burr ’47. ’44 Mary Lighthall Compton, 10/14/12. Wife of William Compton ’44. Sister of Frederick Lighthall ’48. Mother of Richard Compton ’68, Elizabeth Compton ’72, and Robert Compton ’78. Grandmother of Rose

CLASS NOTES

Jackman Lynch ’00, Martha Compton ’03, and Henry Compton ’05. Aunt of Sarah McLean Gandara ’78. ’44 Dorothy Reynolds Davidson, 12/6/12. Wife of Robert Davidson ’44. Mother of Robert Davidson ’65, Janet Davidson Dinan ’71, and Susanne Davidson Falzone ’74. Sister of Mary Reynolds ’40 (dec’d) and Elizabeth Reynolds Price ’41 (dec’d). Cousin of Zilpha Slosson Erskine ’44 and Cynthia Slosson Emmet ’45 (dec’d). ’44 Richard Fry, 1/23/13. Brother of Louis Fry ’46 (dec’d). ’44 John Kennedy, 12/16/12. ’44 Joann Morse, 10/31/12. Niece of Marion Morse ’15 (dec’d) and Charlotte Morse Bullock ’26 (dec’d). ’44 Elizabeth Gamble Roe, 2/4/13. ’44 Persis MacLean Sterling, 12/13/11. Sister of Florence MacLean West ’47. Mother of Jonathan McClellan ’68. ’44 Martha Warren Stevens, 9/13/12. Cousin of R. David Snedeker ’49. ’45 W. Dean Clarke, 8/7/12. Brother of T. Anthony Wright ’59. ’45 Catharine Rikert, 10/23/12. Daughter of Carroll Rikert ’13 (dec’d). Sister of Carroll Rikert ’34, Naomi Rikert Minott ’40 (dec’d), and Camilla Rikert Bittle ’41 (dec’d). Niece of Derrell Rikert ’11 (dec’d), Reuben Rikert ’11 (dec’d), Emma Rikert Babson ’16 (dec’d), Benjamin Rikert ’16 (dec’d), and George Rikert ’26 (dec’d). Cousin of Gladys Rikert ’38 (dec’d), Carolyn Rikert Harris ’40, Ruth Rikert Greenwood ’42 (dec’d), John Rikert ’45, Paul Rikert ’49, Richard Rikert ’52, and Darrell Rikert ’81. Aunt of David Rikert ’63, Rachel Rikert Burbank ’65, Hannah Rikert Morvan ’66, Jonathan Corson-Rikert ’69, and Rebecca Bittle Johns-Danes ’76. Greataunt of Tryfan Evans ’88. Former wife of Richard Kim ’48. ’45 Nancy Colburn Tigner, 8/14/12. Cousin of Barbara Banks Sequera ’45, Shirley Banks Sloane ’49, Kirstin Sloane Solorzano ’80, and Kellie Sloane ’82. ’46 Barbara Boger Ramsdell, 2/7/13. ’46 Eleanor Carr Burt, 12/15/12. ’46 Alan Cowie, 10/30/11. ’46 Charmian Smith Farquharson-Hicks, 2012. ’47 Harold Bigelow, 2/18/13. ’47 Richard Bisbee, 5/18/12. ’47 Edmund Johnson, 1/3/13. Brother of Ernest Johnson ’38 (dec’d). ’47 George Nichols, 12/3/12. ’48 Georgina Fierro Kyburz, 6/17/12. Mother of William Kyburz ’75 and Mary Kyburz ’76. ’49 Richard Brock, 12/8/12. Uncle of Susan Bridgetts Geraghty ’68 and Mary Bridgetts ’72. ’49 Richard Corlett, 7/16/12. ’49 Ruth Miller Curwen, 12/24/12.

’49 Patricia Johannsen Edlund, 9/23/12. Mother of S. Rebecca Edlund Collette ’72. ’49 John Ritter, 5/14/12. Brother of Henry Ritter ’40 (dec’d). Cousin of Fredrica Allen ’37 (dec’d) and Albert Tomlinson ’49. ’49 Jeannette Shirley Terry, 7/3/12. Sister of John Shirley ’37 (dec’d) and Robert Shirley ’40 (dec’d). ’50 Charles Beckley, 1/22/13. Cousin of Cecelia Roberson Andrews ’66, Albert Dyson ’69, and Shari Fletcher Slate ’90. ’50 Cornelia Keyworth Cheever, 1/14/13. ’50 Paul Gahm, 12/15/12. Cousin of Erika Riddington ’86, Leif Riddington ’89, Lee Abel ’91, Matthew Abel ’91, and Christianna Abel ’98. ’50 Susan Cushing Rogers, 5/19/12.

Granddaughter of Gertrude Brown Cushing ’93 (dec’d). Cousin of Joan Pearson Turner ’47. ’51 Stephen Jones, 12/5/12. Father of Reid Jones ’88 and Graeme Jones ’91. Brother of Pamelia Jones Christie ’54 (dec’d). ’51 Signe Margit “Lill-sie” Russell Knower, 9/13/12. Niece of Charles Anderson’10 (dec’d). ’51 Paula Pedroja Meyers, 1/1/13. ’52 W. Stanley Brown, 1/16/13. Husband of Leanna Young Brown ’52. Brother of Margaret Brown Fleming ’50. ’52 John Gregory, 9/22/12. ’53 Richard Cass, 8/9/12. Grandfather of Tara Cass ’06. ’53 Helen Hsi Ching, 7/3/12. ’53 Audrey Rugg Daley, 2/18/12. Sister of Constance Rugg Booth ’51. ’53 F. Guinness Kumm, 1/20/13. Father of Karen Kumm Redd ’84. ’54 Ann Simmons Lundie, 10/5/12. ’55 Carol Strom Black, 9/9/12. ’55 Kay Delle Smith Koch, 8/26/12. Sister of Emily Smith FitzRandolph ’59. ’56 Marilyn Stevens Johnson, 1/10/13. Cousin of Beatrice Terry Fenn ’32 (dec’d) and Abigail Crine ’65. ’57 Cynthia Henderson Smith, 1/4/13. Sister of Philip Henderson ’53. ’58 Robin Reyes, 10/13/12. Sister of Paul Reyes ’57. ’58 Justine Dakin Schoeplein, 9/3/12. Sister of Robert Dakin ’63. Niece of M. Elizabeth Clark Dakin ’22 (dec’d). ’58 Jon Sherwood, 5/11/12. Brother of Everett Sherwood ’44 and Franklin Sherwood ’49 (dec’d). Stepbrother of C. Robert Brown ’50 (dec’d). ’59 Kingston Smith, 3/5/11. Son of Kingston Smith ’31 (dec’d). Brother of Clinton Smith ’64. Grandson of Oliver Smith ’08 (dec’d).

Nephew of Barbara Smith Evans ’32 (dec’d). ’60 Diane Jenks Ives, 12/2/12. Daughter of Donald Jenks ’34 (dec’d). Cousin of Heslip

Sutherland ’21 (dec’d) and Jane Sutherland Harrington ’54. ’63 Edward Cole, 11/8/12. Son of William Cole ’35 (dec’d). Brother of W. Graham Cole ’61 and Stephen Cole ’68. Uncle of Andrew Cole ’12. ’66 Wendy Borchert Hirtle, 11/16/12. ’67 Carolyn Klyce, 4/9/12. Sister of Richard Klyce ’72. ’67 Jane Weed, 9/1/12. ’68 David Crimmin, 9/14/12. Brother of Peter Crimmin ’75 and Carla Crimmin Pope ’76.

Cousin of Roger Franson ’66 (dec’d). ’69 Ignacio Goldemberg, 6/15/12. ’70 Todd Follansbee, 9/14/12. ’70 Thomas Hauer, 7/28/12. ’70 John Snyder, 1/14/13. ’71 Carole Priestley Johnson, 10/2/12. ’73 James Blumenthal, 12/1/12. Son of Patricia Gorham Blumenthal ’49 (dec’d). Nephew of Howard Gorham ’56. ’76 Russell Lindgren, 9/3/12. Brother of Erik Lindgren ’72 ’78 Gail Osgood Hillman, 9/13/12. Sister of Catharine Osgood-Municchi ’81. ’80 Pamela Combes, 11/5/12. ’80 Anthony Knirsch, 10/7/11. Brother of Charles Knirsch ’76 and Paula Knirsch ’78. ’90 Susan F. Curran, 1/6/13. ’98 Alan Young-Bryant, 12/5/12. Brother of Noelle Young-Bryant Ellis ’96. ’10 Max Kelly, 12/31/12. Brother of Sawyer Kelly ’14.

Deaths—Former Faculty and Staff Harold Bigelow ’47, retired staff, 2/18/13.

Antony Chastain-Chapman, retired faculty,

1/14/13. Father of Sydney ChastainChapman Navarro ’96 and Alexander Chastain-Chapman ’00. Uncle of Daisy Letendre ’09.

Charles Clark, retired staff, 2/8/13.

Walton Congdon, retired faculty, 12/3/12. Father of Nathan Congdon ’79 and Joy Congdon ’81.

Esther Ladzinski, retired staff, 1/31/13.

Thomas Lyons, former faculty, 10/11/12.

Cornelia Ransom, former faculty, 11/27/12.

Christie Serino, former faculty, 10/15/12.

Dean Stevens, former faculty, 11/4/12.

Gary Tracy, former staff, 10/5/12.

spring 2013 I 93

CLASS NOTES

IN MEMORIAM

BY NOELLE ANSON

Walton G. Congdon

Ask Walt Congdon how he was doing, and the inevitable answer was: “Fine as frog’s hair,” said English teacher Meg Donnelly.

Walton Greenleaf Congdon, science teacher extraordinaire at NMH for 38 years, died on 12/3/12, after suffering a heart attack. He was 80.

Born on April 5, 1932, Walt grew up in Arlington, Vt., and spent his youth in physical pursuits, such as swimming, hiking, and exploring his home state. He also discovered amateur radio, which would become a lifelong passion. After graduating from Arlington High School in 1950, Walt went to Amherst College, where he majored in psychology and minored in chemistry and religion, graduating in 1954. He then joined the army for a two-year stint and was assigned to the Signal Corps. He went to Micronesia and, while close to Eniwetok Atoll, witnessed some of the atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons there. He also developed a lasting affinity for the “warm waters and people of the Pacific.”

By the time he mustered out of the army in August 1956, Walt had been offered a job teaching chemistry, physics, and general science at Mt. Hermon School, and he joined the faculty in September. He met his future wife, Elizabeth “Betty” Madden, in

94 I NMH Magazine

1957 at a summer job at an Episcopal conference for teenagers, where they were both counselors. They married in 1958. By 1963, the Congdon family included two children, and Walt was enrolled in a master’s program in the physical sciences at Wesleyan in the summers and earned his master’s in 1965.

In the 1960s and early 1970s, in addition to teaching, coaching, and studying, Walt, now “Mr. C.” to his students, applied his talents to developing a new physical science course for ninth graders as part of a national program; to working on committees focused on the merger of Northfield and Mt. Hermon; and to leading pre- and postmerger committees dealing with academics, school governance, the work program, and discipline. In 1973, he was asked to divide his time between classroom teaching and counseling, which he did for two years.

He then took a year’s leave in 1975–76 to develop a counseling program at Hawaii Preparatory School and moved the family to Hawaii’s Big Island. When they returned, Walt became the first director of the freshman program from 1976–79, after which he returned to the chemistry classroom until his retirement in 1994.

John Rees, who taught across the hall from Walt, called him a “brilliant and thoughtful colleague, always willing to help or consult and never judgmental.” John said that “at times, Walt yelled ‘Eureka’ so loud…that my students and I would literally jump.” David Rowland claimed that Walt had “a voice like Jehovah…and [occasionally] helped out the theater program by providing a most impressive off-stage voice.”

Among his numerous awards and honors were the Elizabeth Howe Rueckert Faculty Fellowship, which he held from 1987–91, and the William H. Morrow Award presented to him by the NMH Alumni Association in 1995.

Walt pursued cycling, canoeing, music, reading, and travel, but the two passions that engaged him the most were amateur radio and alternative energy. He served as president of the Franklin County Amateur Radio Club, taught licensing classes, and led the licensing exam team for years. Antennas and photovoltaic arrays sprouted in his Northfield backyard, and he installed a system at his cabin on the Connecticut River that used water power to generate electricity.

He also volunteered for years as a tour guide for the area’s largest wind farm, in Searsburg, Vt. As colleague Craig Hefner put it: “Walt and Betty’s house in Northfield was off the grid almost 365 days per year. Walt didn’t just talk about sustainability, he walked the walk every day.”

Walt is survived by his wife, Betty; son Nathan ’79; daughter Joy ’81; two grandchildren; his brother, Stephen; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Memorial contributions in his name may be sent to NMH’s Ayers-Gilbert Fund for Sustainability and the Environment, c/o Kristin Kellom in the Office of Advancement, One Lamplighter Way, Mt. Hermon, MA 01354. ♦

Mary Lighthall Compton ’44

Mary Lighthall Compton ’44, assistant librarian at NMH from 1976 to 1991, died October 14, 2012, of a brain tumor at 86.

Mary wore many hats during her long association with the school, including being parent of three NMH alumni, faculty wife, dorm parent, class teacher for MH ’62, tireless reunion volunteer for her class, and friend and mentor to younger faculty and their children.

Mary was born April 20, 1926, in Syracuse, N.Y., the elder of two children.

She grew up in Darien, Conn., where she attended public schools until she came to the Northfield School for Girls for her final year. She began dating her future husband, William “Bill” Compton ’44, when they were college freshmen at Oberlin College, where Mary majored in religion.

They graduated in 1948 and were married August 6, 1949.

After her marriage, Mary joined Bill at Mt. Hermon, where he taught history.

She was thrust into boarding school life as

CLASS NOTES

a dorm parent to more than 100 boys. In 1950, she became the mother of her first son. The family left Mt. Hermon in 1951, spending the next year in Connecticut while Bill earned a master’s at Columbia. They then relocated to Thessaloniki, Greece, where Bill, who grew up in Greece, had accepted a teaching position at Anatolia College, where his father was president.

They stayed for three years, during which time their daughter was born. Mary’s reluctance to live abroad permanently prompted their return to the States, and Bill accepted a position at the Salisbury School in Connecticut. They lived there for two years before returning to Mt. Hermon in 1957.

Their second son was born in 1960, and Mary immersed herself in the traditional roles of mother to three growing children and faculty wife of an up-and-coming teacher/administrator. She was a dorm parent for eight years in North Farmhouse, and class teacher with her husband to the class of ’62. According to Bill, Mary “took a real interest in the students.” She went to endless sporting events on campus, for which she was awarded an athletic letter for being a “varsity-level fan” when she retired. She was also involved in community organizations, including the Gill Elementary School PTA, which she chaired, and the town Democratic Committee. When her children were sufficiently grown, Mary took a part-time position as assistant to the director of student activities at NMH from 1973–1976. She then became assistant librarian, also parttime, and worked in that capacity until her retirement. When Bill retired a year later, the NMH Alumni Association presented them the Lamplighter Award, its highest honor, for their service to the school, at Reunion that year.

The Comptons retired to a house in Northfield but later moved to Beaufort, S.C. There, Mary was active in her church, cofounded a book club for couples, and joined the Beaufort County Democratic Club.

They stayed in Beaufort for nine years, but moved back to South Hadley, Mass., to be closer to their children.

At her memorial service, Dick Peller reminisced about their first meeting, when Mary scolded him for putting his feet on the coffee table in the Beveridge Lounge. Dick’s wife, Mec, was Mary’s supervisor in student activities, and the two families forged a close relationship, with Mary and Bill becoming the Peller children’s honorary grandparents.

According to Dick, Mary was the life of the party, announcing her arrival at Hayden graduation-night faculty get-togethers by laughing uproariously and shooting off a string of firecrackers. On a more serious

note, he added: “Mary was always true to the Northfield Seminary, the Mount Hermon School for Boys, and Northfield Mount Hermon. She was our collective memory, everyone’s mom or grandmom, and she touched the lives and hearts of countless faculty and students.”

Mary is survived by her husband of 63 years; her children, Richard ’68, Elizabeth “Betsy” ’72, and Robert ’78; five grandchildren, including Rose Jackman Lynch ’00, Martha Compton ’03, and Henry Compton ’05; brother Frederick Lighthall ’48; and numerous other family members. Memorial gifts may be directed to the scholarship funds of either NMH or Anatolia College. ♦

Richard Kidder

Richard R. “Rick” Kidder, 54, employee of the Plant Facilities Department at NMH since 1997, died unexpectedly at his home in Northfield on July 19, 2012. Rick was involved in the maintenance of athletic facilities and fields at the school and was well known as the driver of the Zamboni in McCollum Arena during hockey season.

Rick was born May 27, 1958, in Montague, Mass., and grew up in Turners Falls, where he attended local schools and was active in sports.

After high school, Rick worked with Hardigg Industries in South Deerfield, Mass., a company that manufactures plastic items for industry and the military, as a rotocast operator from 1976 until 1997, when he moved to NMH. By then, Rick was married and had two daughters, Carrie

and Katie, who grew up on the family farm in Gill.

At NMH, Rick’s responsibilities centered around the athletic buildings and fields on both the Gill and Northfield campuses. He mowed and maintained athletic fields, set up lines on the fields for various sports, and cared for and maintained the pools and the ice in McCollum Arena. He also plowed roads in winter and mowed lawns in summer, in addition to working with the crew that did all the setup and breakdown for school events, such as commencement and the rope pull.

NMH athletic director Tom Pratt said: “Rick cared about the athletic fields, rink, gym, and pool not because that was his job but because he wanted our students to have top-quality facilities and playing surfaces, and he cared deeply about providing that for ‘the kids.’ Rick was often on the sidelines well after his shift was over. He really liked watching the teams compete.” He also took great pride in his children’s accomplishments—daughter Carrie Kidder Bentley ’02 at NMH and younger daughter Katie, who played on two state championship softball teams at Turners Falls High School and participated in other sports as well.

Rick’s other interests included watching and coaching sports, especially football and basketball; NASCAR; travel with relatives; gambling at Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun; and especially small-scale farming. He donated farming supplies to the NMH Farm Program, asking only that he be allowed to name a future calf after daughter Carrie.

He is survived by daughters Carrie Kidder Bentley ’02 and Katie Kidder; three siblings; grandson Wesley Lahey and step-grandson Matthew Toney-Bentley; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. The family has requested that memorial contributions be directed to the NMH Athletic Department, c/o Kristin Kellom, Dept. of Advancement, One Lamplighter Way, Mt. Hermon, MA 01354. ♦

spring 2013 I 95

PARTING WORDS

A Serious Mistake, A Lesson Learned

by YIFEI GAO ’13

When students speak in Memorial Chapel, they normally do so to share their wisdom or to be praised for their achievement. Either way, they look good. Unlike them, I am here to make a confession.

I have worked hard and stayed up late solely for the purpose of college admission. I have taken every math and science course available at NMH. I have a big dream to become a great, or even the greatest, physicist. For a long time, I thought I could achieve anything.

Last May, my English teacher assigned an optional extra-credit paper.

Initially, I was not going to write it because I was busy preparing for six AP exams. However, only two days before the due date, I realized, after some calculations, that a decent grade on this paper could bring up my average by 0.3.

And if my teacher rounded up to 89.6, I might be able to get an A– instead of a B+. With that motive, I started to draft a paper in a hurry.

Around midnight, I was about to finish the six-page paper, but found one paragraph particularly weak. Maybe because I had been writing continuously for hours, or because I was worn out from those challenging AP exams, or because I was too eager to get that A–, I made a serious mistake. I went online to search for other papers and plagiarized, word for word, three paragraphs from the dissertation of a doctoral candidate at UNC Chapel Hill.

Just one day before summer vacation began, my teacher confronted me. I admitted my bad behavior. I met with the dean and was placed on disciplinary probation (DP).

96 I NMH Magazine

Until I was placed on DP, I had never met any setbacks. I always had been at the top of my class wherever I went to school. I thought I had the ability to achieve whatever I wanted. My ego and my greed for perfection blinded me. A zero grade on my paper, a B– final class grade, and a DP on my record—all my nights of hard work became useless and meaningless. And I had no one to blame except myself.

At NMH, I took as many AP exams as possible and did other unnecessary, stupid things only for the vague purpose of being perfect—in the eyes of my parents, my peers, and college admission officers. What I did not realize was that there is no definition of “perfect.”

“ I went online…and plagiarized, word for word, three paragraphs from the dissertation of a doctoral candidate.”

What I chased after so hard was not worth chasing at all. Ten AP scores, a 3.9 GPA, and a high SAT score do not mean anything if I have lost myself in the middle of it all.

True self-esteem, I started to realize, means not caring whether I get an A in the first place. It means not calculating how much I need to score on the next test to secure my grade average. Despite everything that my upbringing has trained me to believe about myself, true

self-esteem means recognizing that the grades I get—and the awards, and the test scores, and the trophies—do not define who I am.

I now understand how important integrity is for an intellectual scholar, and how there is a difference between intelligence and wisdom. I have always been intelligent, but without integrity, I could never be wise. Without integrity, no matter how hard I work, or how intelligent I am, I will fall down like a tree without roots.

I am grateful that I met this setback, because I have learned an important lesson early in my life: that the ability to rise above difficulty is crucial. With support pouring in from teachers, family, and friends, I am ready to face the world. Now that everyone is aware of my shame, I no longer am afraid of behind-the-back rumors. I no longer need to pretend to be someone great.

I no longer feel humiliated speaking about what I have done. I will set out on a new path, with integrity, to realize my dream of becoming a great physicist.

The best way to make good from bad is to do what I can to prevent others from repeating my disaster— not only plagiarism, but also losing oneself, which is even more important. Recently, I was reading an online magazine and one sentence caught my eye and almost made me burst into tears. It said, “The thing that is really hard and really amazing is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.”

This is an adaptation of a speech Yifei Gao delivered at an all-school meeting.

Giving Back IDENTITY FOUND Some students find their niche at Northfield Mount Hermon on a sports team or in a musical ensemble.

Sung Yun “Yunny” Chung ’13 found hers in an AP calculus class. She started helping her classmates when they got stuck, and eventually, with advanced math skills honed first at home in Korea and then at NMH, she became an official peer tutor. “I’m not an innate mathematician, and I have the experience of really struggling,” she says. “At first, I felt a little ashamed about that, but I began to see that it made me a better tutor.”

Chung was motivated to help her fellow students wrestle with algebra and geometry—and physics and chemistry, too—because she “wanted to be of use to the community,” she says. “When I got to NMH, I was that awkward newcomer who didn’t see where I could fit in. I was a horrible athlete and a horrible singer. But I felt like NMH had trusted my potential, and I wanted to say thank you.”

Chung demonstrated her appreciation even further by donating her tutoring earnings to the NMH Annual Fund. That’s $195 from her junior year—which includes money Chung received from the Mary Peller Math Award—and $200 from the fall semester of her senior year. She pledges that more donations are on the way. “Tutoring has changed me,” Chung says. “It allowed me to find my identity, what I’m really passionate about. I want to pay back NMH for giving me that present.”

Sung Yun “Yunny” Chung ’13

PHOTO: KATHLEEN DOOHER

nd my u o f I H, eally “ At NM , what I’m r ant y identit te about. I w for ol na passio ck the scho ” ba nt. to pay e that prese m giving

NMH

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One Lamplighter Way Mount Hermon, MA 01354

Analogous Colors Self Portrait

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