D EDICATION P ASSION C ONVICTION NE CE SSARY FOR SUCCESS IN
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CONTENTS
4 The Power of Three
8 Sent to Haiti with Love
12 Happy HasHkima Day, Emmaline!
16 GOOD TO THE CORPS
Lower School students play in the new Home & School Courtyard. The courtyard, along with the McAdams Family Circle, was dedicated in October, and was included in the PICTURE THIS Campaign.
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True Grit
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ON Campus
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Fall sports Wrap-Up
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The Art of Forever
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Alumni Events
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Reunion 2011 Recap
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Class Notes
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In Memoriam
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TRUE GRIT Editor Haley
Wilson
ContRibutors
Kathy Boehmig
Lawrence Connolly
Greta Daniels
Sharon Hurt Davidson
Jennifer FitzPatrick
Brian Hultman ’86
Annie Magovern ’12
Winthrop Palmer
Mandi Semple
Susan Sour
Vaughn Wallace ‘08 James R. Wardrop ’57
Haley Wilson Design
Third Planet Global Creative
www.333planet.com
Find Us on Facebook & Twitter Follow @Sewickley on Twitter and join the Academy alumni group on Facebook to stay informed and connected!
Sewickley Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, national or ethnic origin, or sexual orientation in the administration of its educational policies, financial aid program, athletic program,
Dear Readers of Sewickley Speaking,
In the September 14, 2011, issue of The New York Times Magazine, there was a fascinating article exploring a range of traits that independent schools like Sewickley Academy seek to instill in students and how those traits contribute to students’ success both in school and beyond. The educators featured in the article, working with researchers in the field, settled on this list: “zest, grit, self-control, social intelligence, gratitude, optimism and curiosity.” One trait, in particular, was called out for special mention by one of the researchers, who found that “people who accomplished great things often combined a passion for a single mission with an unswerving dedication to achieve that mission, whatever the obstacles and however long it might take. [The researcher] decided she needed to name this quality and chose the word ‘grit.’” In this issue of Sewickley Speaking, we see these traits in action and, in particular, how grit, or that steely determination to persevere especially in the face of significant adversity, has led to some remarkable outcomes. Whether charting new directions and following one’s passions abroad, focusing with conviction on a particular goal, or confronting life-altering personal challenges, the individuals featured in these pages demonstrate an unyielding commitment to using the enormous range of their talents to make a difference. Sewickley Academy has long been a school where the qualities enumerated above have been prized and nurtured. In a world where our public school colleagues are constrained in what they can do to support the full range of their students’ growth, it is a point of pride that we continue to focus great attention on those elements of character that are, ultimately, so important. For our current students and our alumni, the independence we have to nurture zest, grit, self-control, social intelligence, gratitude, optimism and curiosity makes a significant difference in both the short term (outcomes for our students are very impressive) and the long term (the achievements of our alumni continue to amaze). This issue of Sewickley Speaking highlights both. Enjoy!
or any other policy or program.
Sincerely, C Printed on 100% recycled paper that is processed chlorine-free.
Kolia O’Connor Head of School
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ON CAMPUS Across the Pond Thanks to a new exchange program, Senior School students can now study at The Perse School in Cambridge, England. The first group of Academy students will travel across the pond in August to stay with British host families and attend classes at Perse for two weeks. In May, Perse students will spend two weeks in the ‘Burg and attend Academy classes.
“What is special about a Sewickley Academy education? We were taught to think critically, not just memorize and repeat back. We were taught to think for ourselves. We were taught to think above the crowd, and to act above the crowd.” - Dr. James Bower ’80 during his acceptance speech for the 2011 Distinguished Alumni Award
Thinking in Pictures As the Geller Family Educational Speaker, Dr. Temple Grandin, noted author, animal scientist, and one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world, spoke to students in January about overcoming challenges and valuing the different ways people think. She also challenged students to set out to build something meaningful that will make our world a better place.
“He challenges his students to leave their comfort zones, and he holds them to high standards. The result is that students willingly work hard because they know he is there to help them succeed.” - Head of School Kolia O’Connor on 2011 Clark Faculty Chair recipient Evan Kurtz
Confucius Classroom In recognition of its potential as a model Chinese language program, strong local leadership, and global vision for the future, Sewickley Academy was one of 100 schools nationwide and the only Pittsburgh-area school to be recognized as a member of the prestigious Asia Society’s Confucius Classrooms Network.
“For nearly 175 years, students have passed through the doors at SA receiving a first-rate education and the skills they need to live lives of engagement and success. Your gifts have made sure that legacy will continue—and for that you should be most proud.”
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- Trustee Lisa Giusti to the newly inducted members of the Society of 1838 in Honor of Lifetime Giving and the Pillars Society in Honor of Legacy Giving
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The Power of Three They say things happen in threes. Good, bad, or indifferent, there is something about the grouping of three that suggests a bigger meaning than the three occurrences considered on their own. The following story of perseverance and hope demonstrates the power of three that presented itself at Sewickley Academy earlier this year. More to Live For is an inspiring and educational documentary film about bone marrow cancer. In the film, three courageous individuals, 15-time Grammy-winning saxophonist Michael Brecker, entertainment executive and founder of The Love Hope Strength foundation James Chippendale, and Olympic hopeful Seun Adebiyi, share their individual battles with cancer and journeys to find bone marrow donors. In October, this film, with special guest Seun Adebiyi, was part of the Sewickley Series. This event brought together another three individuals who share a very powerful bond – a first-hand understanding about the fragility of life and the roles we play to persevere, spread awareness, and give the gift of life.
Meet Seun Adebiyi Seun was born in Nigeria and immigrated to the United States with his mother in 1987. Throughout his teen years, Seun excelled at swimming, and at the age of 12, ranked in the top 16 in his age group. Twice, Seun missed his opportunity to swim in the Olympics for the U.S. In 2000, he suffered a back injury that left him unable to compete. In 2003, he traveled to Abuja, Nigeria, to compete in the All-African Olympic trial games. Seun missed the 50-meter freestyle qualifying time by .12 seconds.
After leaving the hospital, Seun returned to Salt Lake City in July 2010 to resume skeleton training. When he visited Sewickley Academy in October 2011, less than two years after his transplant, one would never have guessed that Seun had been so close to losing his life. At the same time, one could tell that Seun’s will to live and succeed had been tested and strengthened. While on campus, he shared with Middle and Senior School students a message full of hope and potential: “Never let reality get in the way of your dreams.”
In 2009, Seun started a comeback with another Olympic goal – to be the first Nigerian to ever compete in the winter Olympics. While training in his new Olympic sport, skeleton, and about a week after turning 26 and graduating from Yale Law School, he was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of leukemia that caused both lymphoma in the lymph system and fibrosis in the bone marrow. With a marrow transplant, Seun had a 60 to 80 percent chance of survival. Africans are genetically more diverse than Caucasians and only have a 17 percent chance of finding a bone marrow donor. Faced with those odds, Seun traveled to his country of origin to organize a bone marrow drive, where his likelihood of finding a match was greater. Nigeria did not have a bone marrow registry and so Seun, with the help of DKMS, the largest bone marrow donation center in the world, put together a labor-intensive grassroots effort to add more than 300 Nigerians to the international bone marrow registry. Despite his efforts, Seun did not find a match. With time ticking away, he underwent a stem cell transplant in February 2010. During this procedure, all of Seun’s cells – healthy or otherwise – were wiped from his body through chemo and radiation in order to receive new cells from a newborn baby’s umbilical cord blood. While undergoing intense radiation therapy, Seun’s strength and will to live were tested more than ever before. He watched the 2010 Olympics from his hospital bed.
Middle School students were inspired by their time with Seun, getting pictures and autographs from him. Olivia Ryder ‘18 said, “I learned so much from his speech, and it really taught me to enjoy every moment because you never know when something could go wrong. It also taught me to keep trying and to never give up.”
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Meet Robin Ruse-Rinehart Barris ’73
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they told me they were there to ‘pick up an angel.’” She was impressed that such a complex process – from the registry list to the testing, to the procedure and donation, to the transferring of blood to another part of the world – could be conducted so well by such a vast network of people who work to save lives each day. Though Robin later learned that her recipient didn’t survive her battle with leukemia, she would “donate again in a heartbeat,” and she continues to spread awareness about bone marrow donation through her work with the National Marrow Donor Program.
Meet Dr. Dave Parda Robin Ruse-Rinehart Barris ’73 (left) and Seun Adibiyi (middle) shared their bone marrow donation/transplant stories with Senior School students like Duncan MacDougall ’12 (right), who later organized a blood and bone marrow drive on campus.
When Robin Ruse-Rinehart Barris ’73 received her summer 2011 issue of Sewickley Speaking, she immediately connected with the More to Live For event. Living in California and a bone marrow donor herself, she couldn’t believe the coincidence that she was going to be in Sewickley at the same time as Seun’s visit and film screening. She contacted the school, and plans were made for her to be a part of the event to share her experience as a donor. More than 15 years ago, Robin registered to be a bone marrow donor after reading a story in the paper about someone in need. A few swabs of the cheek later, Robin was on the list but didn’t hear anything until 10 years later when she received a call that she had been identified a match. Many more months went by before she went in for further testing, which proved that she was, indeed, a match. Though the identity of the marrow recipients and donors are kept confidential until a year after the transplant, Robin peeked at her file during an appointment and learned that her recipient was a teenage girl in Brazil. For the months leading up to the donation procedure, Robin felt pressure to be extra careful with herself. “I wanted to wrap myself in bubble wrap,” she said. Robin knew her recipient’s immune system was weakened just as Seun’s was before his transplant. If something happened to her, the young girl in Brazil didn’t have a chance at survival. Robin underwent a successful donation procedure in 2006. In October, she shared with Senior School students the ease of the process. “The National Bone Marrow Program sent a limo service to my home the morning of my donation,” explained Robin. “And
Dr. Dave Parda is a parent at the Academy and an oncologist at Allegheny General Hospital. He has dedicated his life’s work to cancer awareness and improved cancer care and has his own personal story to share about how he and his family have been impacted by cancer. Seun, Dave, and Dave’s wife, Rhonda, were able to come together on October 21 to share their unique stories with one another, furthering their mutual goal of strengthening cancer awareness and support. Dave’s first experience with cancer was not through medical school but nearly four decades ago when his 12-year-old sister, just a year older than Dave, was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia. Dave explained that, at that time in the early ’70s, cure rates were only one to two percent, and community resources were limited. “It was terrible to see my sister suffer like she did, but she and the many other bald-headed kids in the cancer ward gave me an early view of the incredible bravery and power of the human spirit,” says Dave. “It inspired me to improve cancer care and to focus on things that matter.” “Experiences like these lead many people into the field of oncology and help the best health care professionals keep sight of the individual patient, their family, and their communities of support,” says Dave. “Similarly, Seun courageously shares his personal story to increase awareness about bone marrow donation. In doing this, he recognizes the humanity beyond the disease and found great healing and strength in the face of toxic treatments and an uncertain future. Those of us who care for cancer patients are amazed and inspired each day by the strength and courage of our patients.” The Sewickley Series brought together three inspiring individuals who chose to persevere, save, and heal. Seun, Robin, and Dave are a collective testament to the power of three.
With the simple swab of your cheek, you can become part of the National Bone Marrow Registry. Visit www.marrow.org/join to learn more.
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FALL SPORTS WRAP-UP CROSS COUNTRY With the largest number of participants in recent history, the varsity cross county team had a banner year with runners medaling at the Central Catholic Invite and the Red, White, & Blue, and earning the first gold medal in school history at the WPIAL championships. Pieter Hansen ’15 finished first in every dual race for the team. Jack Keller ’13 improved throughout the season to finish as the No. 2 runner. Caitlin Bungo ’12 captured a gold medal in the WPIAL championships with a dramatic finish; and Tori Pawk ’13 improved throughout the season to finish as the No. 2 runner. Girls’ Soccer (13-5)
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The varsity girls’ soccer team captured the WPIAL section championship with a record of 10-2, finishing 13-5 overall. The Panthers defeated Seton LaSalle 2-0 in the first round of the playoffs before falling to eventual PIAA finalist Springdale in the second round. Caitlin Bungo ’12, Kylie Harris ’12, and Nudge Vaccarelli ’12 earned All-Section honors. Caitlin and Nudge were also named to the AllWPIAL girls’ soccer team. Boys’ Soccer (15-6-2) The boys’ varsity soccer team played well into November, advancing to the PIAA semifinals. Finishing the season with a 15-6-2 record, the Panthers finished third in the WPIAL playoffs to earn a berth in states. SA defeated Brockway 3-1 and OLSH 3-0 in the first two rounds of the PIAA playoffs, the latter in front of an impressive turnout of students and adults from the Academy community. Andrew DiNardo ’12, Hamilton West ’12, Teddy Zierden ’12, Max Proie ’13, and Steven Munn ’14 were selected for the All-Section Team. Andrew and Teddy were also named to the All-WPIAL boys’ soccer team.
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Field Hockey (3-9-1) The varsity field hockey team improved greatly throughout the season, as the young, inexperienced team registered a tie with Peters Township, a near upset of WPIAL champion Shady Side Academy, and several good section wins in the month of October. Alexis Bosilovic ’13 was selected to the All-WPIAL field hockey team, and Lauren Gohh ’12 and Rachel Yung ’12 were named honorable mention.
3 1. Charlie Sutherland ’12 gains possession of the ball to fend off the opponent from Avonworth. The boys won the game 2-1. 2. In the game against Greensburg Central Catholic, Rachel Pregel ’12 passes the ball out of the defensive end, while Hayley Oliver-Smith ’14 looks to assist. 3. Alan Hurbi ’12 tees off at Allegheny Country Club.
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Boys’ Golf (14-0)
Girls’ Golf (3-9)
The varsity boys’ golf team captured a WPIAL section championship with a 14-0 record en route to a silver medal in the WPIAL championships. In the WPIAL semifinals, the Panthers finished first out of nine schools before shooting a school record total of 406 in the championship. Keenan Hickton ’14 was selected player of the year in the section, as he earned medalist honors in the section individuals, team semifinals, and team finals. Charlie Carbeau ’12 earned a berth in the WPIAL individual championships, and he and Jordan Milo ’13 shot low rounds in the team playoffs.
The varsity girls’ golf team, with just one senior, demonstrated much improvement throughout the season. In fact, at the end of the season, the team shot 196 versus Blackhawk, which was the team’s lowest score. Micaela Becker ’13 was the No. 1 player on the team, narrowly missing a berth in the WPIAL individual championships. Though this is only the third year of the girls’ golf program, there is much excitement about the potential for next year’s team.
The Perfect Season
By girls’ tennis team co-captain Annie Magovern ’12
The 2011 girls’ tennis season was definitely one for the record books. We finished the regular season undefeated in our section. Then in a remarkable WPIAL and state championship tournament playoff run, not a single SA player lost a match. We were the first Sewickley Academy girls’ tennis team to win the state championship! While this unprecedented record is impressive, what was even more exciting was the dynamic of the team.
preparation for the big match. Each of these activities brought us together in unspeakable ways, which only made the state championship victory that much sweeter. After the whole experience, we decided that one team photo couldn’t capture all the precious memories, so we each created a photo album that we could hold onto and maybe even share with our grandkids one day. With the title, Sewickley Academy girls’ tennis has now made its mark in school history. I know my teammates and I will look back not only on the achievements, but also on the great memories we shared together along the way.
Before any given match, the No. 3 singles player could be seen eating 10 chocolate-covered strawberries in two minutes while the No. 2 doubles team would be joking about getting matching fake tattoos to “intimidate” their opponents. The No. 1 doubles team is huddled together discussing strategy and hairstyling tips, while the No. 1 singles player speaks to her grandfather on the phone in Chinese, and the No. 2 singles player laughs hysterically with teammates about the video they made for French class. Each player brought something unique to the team, yet somehow we came together to form a cohesive unit, or perhaps more accurately, a family. It is difficult to pinpoint the day we started to feel like a family, but the sisterhood started to evolve during the extra team-bonding activities that took place after practice or on weekends. As co-captain, I was responsible for planning and sometimes hosting these events, which I never imagined could be so fun! In August, the entire junior varsity and varsity teams came to my home for a preseason potluck. The next event was a varsity team dinner, where we played guessing games over pasta in my dining room. Soon after we had a sleepover at the other captain’s house, where we ate a home-cooked meal and huddled together while watching a horror movie. Finally, the weekend before we headed to Hershey for states, we went out for a night of pizza and pedicures and got panther paws painted on our toes in
The state championship girls’ tennis team gathers after the assembly to celebrate its success. Holding the trophy are captains Caroline Ross ‘12 (left) and Annie Magovern ‘12 (right).
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Sent with Love to Haiti
Alfred is an orphan at EBAC Orphanage, where 85 children ages 4-21 live and go to school.
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John Peter, an orphan at IDADEE Orphanage, enjoys some special time on the rope swing with his house father, Vilbran, who grew up in EBAC Orphanage.
Lower School teacher Kathy Boehmig comforts 2-year-old Loveka, an orphan in Haiti.
In October, Lower School teacher Kathy Boehmig visited Haiti for seven days as the recipient of the Sculley Sabbatical. Most of her time was spent in two orphanages, teaching in the school and spending time with children, teachers, and leaders. She explains, “My heart was broken by the conditions I saw. But when one’s heart gets broken, it is also opened. My heart was warmed and filled up by the love and joy of the children, the resilience of dedicated people with a vision and a dream, and the hope, inspiration, and thoughtful reflection that followed.” This is her story. The small plane bumped along the runway. A wrecked old plane sat beside the crumbling tarmac. We grabbed our luggage and headed into the one low building that was the entire airport in Cap Haitien. Cap Haitien is nestled in the mountainous tropical terrain on the northern coast of Haiti, near the bay where Columbus first landed in the West Indies, the island of Hispaniola. Scrambling into a rusted-out school bus, we made our way through the crowded streets of a city that has swelled to bursting since the January 2010 earthquake, which devastated and tore apart the southern part of this already stricken nation. Along washed-out, pot-holed roads, motorcycles roared with entire families on them, pick-up trucks packed with passengers swerved across the road, women walked past with oversized loads on their heads, men shouted, watched, and called
out to each other. A few flimsy boards made a hut, where a family sold small cans of charcoal. Trash was everywhere. The stench of open sewers and garbage filled the hot, humid, noisy air. Haiti, just 600 miles from Miami’s coastline of five-star hotels and restaurants, stands as a stark reminder that not everyone in the world lives the way many Americans do. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and is also one of the poorest and least developed countries in the entire world. The nation has struggled with constant political upheaval, health crises, an annual barrage of hurricanes, and the worst earthquake in the region in more than 200 years. The average Haitian earns little over $1 per day and more than 80 percent of the people live in poverty. We turned on the rutted, dirt road, passed through an iron gate, and children were
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suddenly everywhere – running, calling, observing with watchful eyes. We had arrived at EBAC Orphanage, where 85 children live and go to school. They are safe here – safe from the dangers of the street, from the ravages of hunger, from the empty, destructive patterns of idleness. As we stepped off the bus, they thronged around us with smiles and welcomes. Suddenly a hand slipped into mine and dark, beautiful eyes looked up at me, “Will you be my friend?” He was 10. His name was Alfred. EBAC Orphanage is the other side of the hard story of Haiti. It is the story where children, ages 4-21, have been rescued and provided for, not only in the physical needs of food and shelter and a safe place to live. They are also being educated through a curriculum that requires self-initiation in reading, researching, and learning concepts necessary to pass into higher levels. Children of varying ages
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Sent with Love to Haiti [continued] help each other achieve these goals. They are taught to honorably better their minds, discipline their time, and learn a difficult curriculum. Most of all, at EBAC Orphanage, the children are surrounded by love. It flows out of God’s love for them. It returns in love for God and love for each other. They are family. Older orphans mother the younger ones, washing their clothes, and fixing their hair daily for school with beautiful ribbons and braids. My days in Haiti were spent teaching in the EBAC school, mostly in the kindergarten and first grade. Each morning before classes began, all the school children gathered in a small room, packed in on long, low benches, to sing morning songs together in Creole about hope and joy. Their exuberant voices filled the air. I spent time not only with the children, but also with two Haitian women – teachers in training – who also act as mothers for many of the younger students. They needed encouragement to work through new ideas about engaging young children in interactive learning and using stories to connect lessons.
On the last day, as our team piled into the truck to leave, he was nowhere to be found. As we were waving goodbye to the crowd of children, my eyes searched for his sweet face. And there he was, back by the old tree, just watching sadly. He raised his hand in a small wave, I blew him a kiss, and my heart broke. So what do you do with a broken heart? You think about why you Each day at EBAC, older orphans mother the younger ones, feel so broken. You remain open washing their clothes and fixing their hair with beautiful ribbons and braids. so that you can be filled up. You write letters and send small gifts like paper and books and birthday to respond in practical ways that make a cards. You hold these children close to difference. your heart. You hope to return again soon simply to be with them. And you marvel at Children at the Academy are already writhow these children can break your heart ing letters to children in Haiti, making and at the same time fill you up with so connections as children with children. much joy and love and sweetness. Ideas are brewing about sending school
In the midst of unthinkable and enormously difficult circumstances, they have joy. Not joy from things, but true joy found in the deepest parts of the heart. They bring you intangible gifts by their love for you, for they immediately break down your barriers and The vision for my jump straight into time there was not “You marvel at how these your soul. It is to do the work for out of brokenness children can break your them. Haitians want heart and at the same time that strength and to own their work hope come. Reand their dreams. fill you up with so much joy silience and triThey want caring and love and sweetness.” umph are facts of friends to come life here. Smiles alongside them in are on their faces. support and connection. Days in the EBAC And they force a white American woman school were all about encouragement. to reflect on many things. “Can I call you Mom?” Alfred asked a few There is a growing design for ways that days later. “Of course!” I said. He smiled. Sewickley Academy can connect and And he waited for me every day outside my dorm. He walked me to my meetings and met me afterwards. He sat with me at recess, ate dinner with me, listened to stories, joked with friends, leaned on my shoulder, and showed me how he could do flips and backbends. The day before I left, he asked me for my pocket flashlight. I gave it to him.
remember these special souls who work so diligently to hold on to their hopes and dreams, through resilience, courage, and strength in the midst of great odds. Perhaps we can dream larger than we imagined to encourage and support their educational needs. May compassion and love for these children deepen us and call us
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supplies, books, or making picture frames for new-found friends. It’s already begun with the children. A story is told among the orphans that there is a tree in Haiti, right near the airport. It’s called the “Forgetting Tree.” It’s said that many friends come to Haiti and that they are loved. But when these friends fly over the “Forgetting Tree,” they soon forget – forget their friends, forget what they saw, forget what they learned, forget to come back, and they just go on with their lives. It is a sad tree. But it does not need to remain a sad tree. I must not forget. At Sewickley Academy, we must not forget. We must remember. And it’s already begun with the children. See more of Kathy’s photos and hear EBAC orphans in song at www.sewickley.org/ebac.
The Sculley Sabbatical, established in 1997, provides support for one faculty member each year to undertake enriching global travel so they may, firsthand, come to understand other cultures.
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By Senior School teacher Lawrence C. Connolly
Its name comes from the Greek ephemeros, “lasting only one day.” But in spite of that, Ephemera, the Senior School arts magazine, has been thriving for a quarter century. In that time, it has won dozens of top awards while showcasing nearly 1,000 original works of art, poetry, and fiction – all of it created, selected, edited, and published by the students. Student-driven arts magazines have been part of Academy life for nearly as long as the Senior School itself, beginning in 1967 when Dr. Mary Robb founded The Tentative Essential, a magazine that she described as a showcase for material “selected, edited, and arranged by the students.” From its humble beginnings as a clasp-bound collection of poetry and prose, The Tentative Essential eventually began adding works of graphic art before giving way to Portfolio, which debuted in the mid 1970s and continued until the first issue of Ephemera arrived in 1985.
Larry Connolly, Jakob Goebel ’13, R.Y. Kopf ’12, Andrew Hennion ’12, and Michael Sutton ’12 (not pictured) perform at Ephemera’s 25th Anniversary Celebration during Reunion Weekend.
Advised by Jeffrey Schwartz, Ephemera started its life as a digest-size magazine that honored Dr. Robb’s vision of a student-produced publication. Nevertheless, as had been the case with its predecessors, Ephemera’s typesetting and layout were handled by professional printers, a policy that continued until the early 1990s, when desktop publishing put another facet of magazine production into student hands.
English Department Chair Dr. John Murphy (Ephemera advisor from 2001-2007) to Mrs. Victoria Polinko, who served as one of the founding advisors of Portfolio before moving on to advise Ephemera from 1998 until her retirement in 2006. In her concluding remarks, Mrs. Polinko told the audience, “Not one day goes by when I don’t wish that I could still be teaching here.” Then, gesturing toward a group of students who sat listening attentively to her words, she added, “Just to see that look! See! That look right there!” She paused, her voice full of the love that helped make the magazine the success it has become. “I love that look!”
In the years that followed, new advancements in affordable color printing paved the way for Ephemera’s first full-color cover in 1993 and interior color pages in 1994. Of course, the magazine was also showcasing superior content – poetry and prose that regularly earned top honors from the National Council of Teachers of English, Pennsylvania School Press Association, and American Scholastic Press. By the mid 1990s, the magazine had certainly arrived at a pinnacle of success. Nevertheless, advancements continued.
Reflecting on her years with the magazine, Mrs. Polinko said, “Before the show, I was recalling all the trials and tribulations, the computer crashes that so often happened, the late drafts that never seemed to come in on time. All of that was tiring and frustrating, and I loved every minute of it because when you make something, when you make art and you publish it, it’s forever. That’s what we wanted to do with Ephemera, and that’s obviously what you’re still doing with it: taking that which would have disappeared and making it permanent, so that you can look at it again, remember it exists, and love it all over again.”
In the fall of 1997, while the Academy broke ground on a major redesign of the campus, the Ephemera staff began breaking new ground of its own by holding the first Ephemera Live! Describing the event in an Ephemera editorial, Managing Editor Alison D’Amato ’98 wrote:
We decided that the magazine needed a live forum for some of the work that we had been receiving. “Ephemera Live!” was born, an eclectic gathering of writers, musicians, actors, and artists eager to present their work[…]. The staff felt that it was a huge success, and we sincerely hope that next year’s staff works to keep this event alive and thriving.
“What is being created at the school is just amazing. I think it comes out of love. You just love that story, that song, that painting, that pottery – whatever it is, when you find that thing that you love and make it happen. Love makes things happen.” Today, the love and accomplishments continue under the direction of Ms. Jennifer Salrin, who became advisor to the magazine in 2008 and is currently working with the staff to assemble the 2012 issue of the enduring magazine with the ironic name.
Indeed, the event lives on, continuing every year since, and this year becoming the venue for the magazine’s 25th anniversary celebration held in the Gregg Theater during Reunion Weekend. For the event, the lobby outside Gregg became a gallery of student art, greeting those who braved the rain to attend the evening of performances culminating with a special tribute by
Clearly, Ephemera is not just for a day. It’s forever.
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Happy Hashkima Day,
Emmaline! By Brian Hultman ’86
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March 2 is a special day in the Hultman household. It is our Hashkima Day. Never heard of such a day? Neither had I until the spring of 2004. Our odyssey toward Hashkima Day began 22 months earlier. Our first child, Emmaline, was a mere 8 weeks old when she lost consciousness in my wife’s arms. It was May 31, 2002; a nightmare day we will never forget. Baby Emmaline had been projectile vomiting for several days, but we were told by our pediatrician that it was most likely just “typical infant fussiness.” Something inside of us knew that our baby was not well.
were beginning to feel optimistic. Across the ICU, we saw them approaching, heads down and unable to look us in the eyes. My wife grabbed my arm in fear as Dr. Brockmeyer had a solemn look on his face I will never forget. He wasted no time telling us, as gently as he could, the news that initiated a journey that would change our lives forever. “Your daughter has a brain tumor. It’s cancer.” The news was hard to comprehend. How does an 8-week-old have cancer? While in utero, Emmaline had developed an “angry,” aggressive, massive brain tumor called Glioblastoma Multiforme. Her treatment options were limited to a resection surgery and chemotherapy. Because of her young age, radiation was simply not an option. It was our oncologist’s recommendation to undergo two rounds of chemotherapy to try to get the tumor under control and then attempt a resection surgery.
We raced to the doctor again, but this time you could see the concern and urgency on the faces of the entire medical team. After an emergency ultrasound and MRI, the three of us were life-flighted to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City. We were told that Emmaline was experiencing significant inter-cranial pressure that had caused her to lose consciousness and was now threatening her life. Emmaline was immediately rushed into surgery at the hands of an amazing neurosurgeon, Douglas Brockmeyer. Following hours of surgery, he told us that she had suffered a massive bleed that was probably the result of a vascular malformation, but he could not be sure. A new MRI showed an abnormality in the left side of her brain that was causing extensive swelling and severe compression of the right side. Tissue samples were sent to the lab and would be able to tell us more in time. He urged us to stay by her side in intensive care and to “ just try to get her through the night.”
Once Emmaline was stabilized, we began her chemotherapy treatments. They entailed three-to-five day hospitalizations with a recovery period of a couple of weeks. Things went fairly well until just before her resection surgery. She experienced complications with additional head pressure that resulted with an extended hospitalization in the immunocompromised unit with other hematology/oncology kids. It was a particularly stressful time for several reasons. Obviously we were worried about Emmaline’s immediate health. Her immune system was depleted by the chemotherapy placing her at risk for an uncontrollable infection. We also had her major resection surgery coming up in a week or so that was absolutely critical to our plan of attack.
Needless to say it was an emotional challenge. My life up to that moment had followed a fairly typical road map: high school, college, law school, job, marriage, new home and most recently, our first baby. This kind of thing was just not supposed to happen. It was not part of the script. This only happened to other people who you heard about through a friend of a friend, something that you saw on television or read about on the Internet. Suddenly, I was living it.
Wendy and I preferred not to leave the hospital and chose to stay in Emmaline’s room with her. As do most people who have spent significant amounts of time in the hospital at a loved one’s side, we developed something that the staff called hospital psychosis. Lack of sleep, worry, hourly patient checks by the nurses, and morning rounds by the doctors all add to the stress of a prolonged hospital stay.
“My life up to that moment had followed a fairly typical road map ... This kind of thing was not supposed to happen.”
The next couple of days were fragile, but Wendy and I became focused. Friends and family descended upon the hospital to give emotional and moral support. What were supposed to be proud and beaming grandparents saw their grandchild for the first time in the ICU with IVs, pumps, and a ventilator. Still no one was able to pinpoint the problem.
The days began to blend together. I did a lot of thinking and rethinking of the same issues. Did we pick the right treatment? Is now the best time to have the surgery? When is her immune system going to bounce back?
Our perfect baby girl was fighting for her life night after night. We did not leave her bedside, singing songs, reading children’s books to her, and praying that this nightmare would end.
I remember sitting in our hospital room one afternoon in late July. Emmaline was napping, Wendy was reading, and I was just sitting, simply spending some time in thought with my eyes blankly
On the morning of June 4, 2002, the surgeons were making their rounds. Emmaline’s brain bleed seemed under control and we
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Happy Hashkima Day, Emmaline! [continued] Unable to stop perseverating about my own cluelessness, I interrupted the silence of our room, “Wendy, have you ever heard of Hashkima Day?” As I asked the question, I looked up and was surprised to see tears streaming down my wife’s face. “Brian,” she said flashing a smile from under her tears, “They are singing ‘Happy Last Chemo Day.’” Over the next couple of days, Wendy and the nursing staff had quite a laugh over my mistake. She loved telling the story to anyone who had not already heard it, and the nurses and oncologists all found it very amusing. In a place where smiles were rare, but certainly needed on occasion, the power of the story was that it always made someone grin, even if just for a moment. Emmaline’s surgery the following week went incredibly well, and we continued with monthly hospitalizations for her chemotherapy for a total of 22 months. The words the nurses sang that day were so precious. They represented everything we were trying to accomplish. A simple song reflected the end of another child’s treatment as we stood at the beginning of ours. It gave us hope that completing our journey could be achieved.
Brian Hultman ‘86 and family (with grandmother Nanta) in August 2011. Emmaline (right) shaved her head as part of a Relay for Life fundraiser.
gazing at the floor, head in my hands. My thoughts were interrupted when I heard a massive group of nurses gathering just outside our door as they prepared to walk into the next room.
While you are fighting together with someone who is in treatment for cancer, those words are all you ever want to hear. They become your solitary goal. Not just for the obvious reason that they represent the end of treatment but, more importantly, because reaching that day and that moment would mean that at least our daughter had an opportunity that too many of the kids we got to know during that time never had.
Suddenly, the hospital’s low drum of incessant background noise was pierced by the simplest of cheerful songs. Through the wall, you could just make out their words as the nurses began singing, “Happy Hashkima Day to you,” to the melody of the traditional birthday song. Hashkima Day? What in the world was that? My best guess was that it was some kind of religious holiday that I had never heard of before.
Being “off-treatment” would have its own unique challenges and stresses but we were desperate to just have the chance to have those kinds of problems. Many of Emmaline’s fellow patients never got to that point because of recurrences or treatments which were ineffective against their cancers.
“A simple song reflected the end of another child’s treatment as we stood at the beginning of ours.”
I confess. Spending several months in Salt Lake City was a cultural eye opener for me. I was exposed to things during that summer that I had simply never been exposed to before while growing up in Pittsburgh. For example, earlier in the month there had been a Native American dancing celebration on the roof of the hospital for a Native American child who had passed away. Utah had just celebrated Pioneer Day, a holiday that commemorates the Mormon pioneers’ discovery of the Salt Lake Valley. I had also met several families of Polynesian descent who had children in the hospital.
Finally, the day had come for Emmaline’s last dose of chemotherapy on March 2, 2004. We returned from our MRI to a hospital room that had been decorated with balloons, streamers, and a cake. All of our favorite nurses from the nearly two years of treatment were crammed into the small room ready to celebrate. The banner on the wall read, “Happy Hashkima Day, Emmaline!” The chorus began when we entered. I’ve never heard a sweeter song nor cried happier tears.
Hashkima Day. What could that possibly be?
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Emmaline and sister Audrey lead the survivor lap at Teton County’s Relay for Life.
Update: Wendy and I still return with Emmaline to the halls of Salt Lake City’s Primary Children’s Hospital every 12 months for a checkup MRI and an annual visit with several physicians who have become friends over the years.
Armstrong Foundation’s LiveStrong team. For the past eight years, I have ridden in a bike race called LOTOJA, which is a fundraiser for the Huntsman Cancer Institute. Emmaline has become a fixture at Teton County’s Relay for Life event each year by leading everyone on the survivor lap. For this past year’s event, she raised money by selling snow cones throughout the summer with her team, “Shaved Ice for Shaved Heads,” and ended up shaving her own head as part of the effort.
In 2009, Emmaline’s oncologist gave our family the fantastic news that Emmaline had successfully reached the critical five-year milestone for cancer survivors. She delivered the words in the midst of a group hug with tears streaming down her cheeks, telling us that Emmaline’s story served as a bright vision of inspiration and hope that the medical staff used to get through the difficult times.
As she approaches her 10th birthday this April, Emmaline remains a symbol of strength and courage for her community of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and a role model for her younger siblings, Audrey (6) and Bennett (19 months). For Wendy and me, she represents faith in the idea that miracles do happen.
As a family we continue to honor the cancer community by participating in national and local fundraising activities. In 2006, Wendy and I ran the NYC marathon as part of the Lance
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GOOD TO THE CORPS As students at SA and around the nation prepare for life after graduation, thoughts often turn to college, grad school, internships and careers, marriage, family, and so on. Life, however, doesn’t always follow that clear path. The life of Caroline Lord MacKenzie ’62 has not followed the typical trajectory and that is just the way she likes it. Caroline has lived in Italy, Singapore, and Belgium, worked at the San Diego Museum of Art and the U.S. State Department, coached tennis, and even sold shoes. Most recently and perhaps most impressively, Caroline is completing a three-year volunteer project with the Peace Corps in Luhansk, Ukraine. As Caroline tells the story, it all started during her daily two-hour commute through Los Angeles when she heard an interview with the Peace Corps director, Aaron Williams, on NPR. “The director was making a pitch for what are known as ‘senior volunteers.’ He was explaining that the Peace Corps needed more volunteers with actual experience as opposed to the more common applicants who are straight out of college and have little to no professional skills. I thought, ‘Hey, I can do that!’” Caroline completed an application and went back to her normal routine. Before she knew it, she was attending recruiting events in Southern California, meeting people from the program and getting excited about the prospect of volunteering overseas. She says, “The hardest part was telling my boss of seven years about the opportunity, but her response was, ‘Caroline, this is you.’”
Caroline Lord MacKenzie ‘62 is completing a three-year volunteer project with the Peace Corp in Ukraine.
As a senior volunteer, Caroline’s options for placement in the Peace Corps were limited. “At first, I wanted to be placed in Nicaragua or Southeast Asia, but my age was an issue for both programs. So I had to ask, ‘Where am I young enough to volunteer?’” she laughs. The answer was Eastern Europe. Ukraine is the largest Peace Corps post on the globe with over 400 active volunteers living and working there at any given time. Caroline is posted in Luhansk, a smaller city in the Russian-speaking part of Ukraine.
rights, and written grants for additional funding for the organization’s many initiatives. However, much to her surprise, Caroline feels that her biggest impact at the organization has been through her weekly English classes and art therapy sessions. She meets with a group of students ages 6-30 every Friday for a weekly English class in the local library, the only facility in the area that provides access for the disabled and can accommodate her classes. Teaching a group with such a range of ages and disabilities can prove to be a big challenge for any teacher, but Caroline understands the value of the sessions even with these limitations.
Caroline’s service is with the Association for the Young Disabled of the Eastern Donbass-East Region, Ukraine. This 7-year-old organization strives to improve living conditions for disabled individuals, supports legislation that will protect the rights of the disabled, and provides support services to individuals and families with a variety of disabilities and needs. Caroline’s role in the organization has taken many shapes since she first moved to the country in April of 2010. She has participated in city-wide conferences centered on issues for the disabled, given presentations on the American Disabilities Act and American standards for access and individual
“The Peace Corps is a way to see the world, one person at a time.”
“When I first arrived, I asked if I could split the students into different groups by age, but my colleagues just looked at me and said, ‘Caroline, this is the only time we can get them here.’ Transportation is so difficult for many of the students that our driver needs to go and pick each of them up individually,” she explains. While Caroline is teaching, the families of the students meet with the organization’s directors to learn more about legislative actions and
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how they can continue to fight for the rights and needs of their children. Limited resources are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the challenges of improving the lives of the disabled in Ukraine. The young nation is still struggling through growing pains and cultural barriers. A suspicion of outsiders, accompanied by a real desire to lead their own lives, creates interesting challenges for Peace Corps volunteers like Caroline. “The Ukrainians are tired of being told what to do. They were tired of the Soviets telling them what to do and they are tired of Western nations telling them what to do. They want to run their own country, but they are still a young nation, and there are a lot of snags in their systems and methodology. Schedules are often changed at the last minute. Things you were Caroline (back left) enjoys a tailgate picnic with her colleagues, spreading out their treats on the van’s promised one day may not be wheelchair ramp. there the next. We are planting the didn’t expect, however, was how much the experience would organizational seeds. We may not be able to effect real change while change her as well. “I’ve always thought I was a self-confident we are in this country, but we can hope that some of the tools we are person, but the Peace Corps has really shown me what type of providing will benefit them in the future,” Caroline says. person I am. I now know that I can be a rock. I can be tolerant The Peace Corps, at any age, is not a vacation. It is one of the most and patient.” She continues, “I have a lot of friends here that challenging jobs that an individual can sign up for; however, as cannot tolerate when things don’t go according to plan, whereas Caroline notes, there are moments that make the whole adventure I am able to go with the flow and make things work.” worthwhile. “There are days when you ask yourself why you are “I am really glad to be doing this. It is a way to see the world, one person at a time.” While Caroline’s path has taken her all over the world and into many different careers, her passion for helping others has always shone through. Her commitment to the people of Luhansk is both an inspiration and a wonderful example of Sewickley Academy alumni carrying on the mission to serve the greater good wherever life may lead, no matter your age.
doing this, but on such days I always think of Gala.” Gala, a student in Caroline’s English class, is 18 years old and is now attending Taras Shevchenko National University. She suffered from polio among other disabilities and works twice as hard as every other student to climb the stairs of the university every day and attend classes. One day Gala told Caroline that she hoped to follow in Caroline’s footsteps and become a teacher herself. Additionally, because of the advocacy of Caroline’s organization, the local university has vowed to become more accessible to disabled students. “Change is coming. It’s just slow,” Caroline says, her voice full of hope. Caroline is a big part of that change in her local community in Luhansk. She has made a positive impact on the lives of her students, her colleagues, and even her fellow Peace Corps volunteers. What she
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Ways to Get Involved (From Near or Far)
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Alumni Events
It is true that life after SA graduation just gets busier and busier. We have families, careers, hobbies, and packed schedules, but if you are not connected with the SA alumni community, you are truly missing out on some wonderful experiences! Here are a few simple ways that you can connect with SA no matter where you live: Show your school spirit. Wear your SA gear or simply wear red and black! SA alumni t-shirts and sweatshirts are available for purchase at alumni events or through the alumni office.
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Use the alumni directory. Update your contact and professional information in the online alumni directory and connect with fellow SA alumni living in your area or working in your industry. To access the alumni directory, log onto our Alumni Portal (www.sewickley.org/login). Host Students for Their senior projects. Sign up to host a Senior School student during his or her senior project (formerly known as the May Program) and give soon-to-be alumni a sneak peek into the professional world.
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Be a mentor. Sign up for the new Alumni Mentorship Program which pairs young alumni with established alumni in their area. Come back for the 175th Anniversary and Reunion Weekend! This fall, the Academy will celebrate its 175th anniversary, and festivities kick off during Reunion Weekend on October 5-6. If you have not been back to campus since graduation, this is the year to make the trip! Mark your calendars, request that vacation time, and join us for a weekend of history, family-friendly activities, and celebration! - Amy Muse Lang ‘80 Alumni Council President Want to learn more about these or other ways to get involved? Contact the alumni office at 412-741-2230 ext. 3044 or alumni@sewickley.org.
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The well-attended alumni hockey game presented an even match-up of young vs. “experienced” players. The savvy experience of the grizzly elders started out strong and resulted in a few quick goals. The young squad responded with a few quick goals of their own, but at the end of two periods it was: Young Guns-3, Elders-8. As the old bones began to tire from too much time sitting in cubicles, the young squad began to chip away at the lead. Stalwart goaltending by Nicholas Batyko ’00 sealed the deal for the elder statesmen by stopping a late flurry of excitement. When the buzzer sounded, the final score was 8-7.
2. Members of the Class of 2006 Samyika Jain, Allison Quinn, and Kevin Navikas celebrate at their five-year reunion over Thanksgiving weekend. 3. Will Athol ’11 and Sam Brown ’05 celebrate the season with other alumni at the Alumni Holiday Party.
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Reunion 2011 WRAP-UP On Friday, September 30, SA alumni returned to Sewickley Academy to kick off Reunion Weekend with cocktails in the Hansen Library. For many, this marked the first time they had returned to campus since donning white dresses and blue blazers for Senior School graduation. The Senior School chamber singers made a surprise appearance and serenaded guests with the SA alma mater. Alumni then enjoyed dinner and dancing at the Edgeworth Club with music provided by Lisa Baker Seymour ’77, Henry Seymour ’75, and their group, Family Affair. On Saturday, many alumni braved the unseasonably wet and cold weather to return to campus for a bloody mary breakfast, campus tours, and an afternoon barbeque. While the campus has taken on a new shape over the years, alums found that much of what they remembered and enjoyed has remained the same.
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These events were complemented by the induction of our newest Distinguished Alumnus, Dr. James Bower ’80, and Ephemera’s 25th Anniversary Celebration.
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1. Spanning the generations, Paul Kappel Sr. ’71 and Paul Kappel Jr. ’06 celebrate their corresponding reunions.
4. Classmates Lowell Dexter ’61 and Susan Stalling Depree ’61 look through their yearbook from 1961 at the cocktail party on Friday night.
2. Classmates and friends Amy Ruscitti O’Leary ’01, Alison Theis Dolan ’01, Alexandria Gilkey ’01, Holly Seifert ’01, Rebecca Oliver ’01, and Fraser Seifert ’02 tour the campus.
5. Dr. James Bower ’80 received the 2011 Distinguished Alumni Award during Reunion Weekend in recognition for his work as a medical researcher and educator at the Mayo Clinic and for his extensive involvement in the foundation of a neurology residency program in Ethiopia. Pictured here, Row 1: Patricia Gordon Cooklin ’83, Mollie Fitzgerald ’81, Kathy Atwood ’83, Amy Simmons Sebastian ’80, Rebecca Moseley ’66. Row 2: Lowell Dexter ’61, Margot Moyles Curran ’80, Dr. James Bower ’80, Amy Muse Lang ’80.
3. The Class of 1981 takes a walk down memory lane during their campus tour and viewed archival photographs on display.
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Reunion 2011 WRAP-UP [continued]
’61 ’66 “In just a few magical moments it was yesterday, just like it was before.”
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- Jonathan Beales ‘71
Class of 1961 – 50th Reunion Hugh Nevin, Sally Fowler, Susan Stalling Depree, Marty Mann, Lucy Eynon Whitin, Lowell Dexter. Class of 1966 – 45th Reunion Row 1: Jack Liggett, Diane Beales Lobaugh, Deborah Means Grenert. Row 2: Madeleine Lord, Rebecca Moseley, Manly Applegate, William Coyle. Class of 1971 – 40th Reunion Row 1: Jon Beales, Peggy Berg Anderson, Virginia Booth Morrow, Kathy Angevine Burneko. Row 2: C.B. Hays, Andy Gould, Reed Schroeder, Mary Carroll Weiss Ryan, Leslie Freeble Morgan, Steve Paleos, John Means, Jeff Beales.
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Class of 1976 – 35th Reunion Row 1: Liza Thornton, Melinda Kammerer McGuigan. Row 2: Anna Singer, Suzanne Genter Friday. Row 3: Mary Odom, Charles Ross, Jamie McElman. Row 4: Linda Hedin, Cricket Gordon Pylman. Row 5: Judith Mikita, David Gerard, Caroline Roberts Wentling. Class of 1981 – 30th Reunion Row 1: Mimi Ross Blank. Row 2: Suzanne Masri, Leslie Lewis. Row 3: Mollie Fitzgerald, Hilary Rose. Row 4: Jen Friedman Bailey, Molly Hays-Jette, Chris Nard. Row 5: Mary Jean Foy Bretton, David Soule. Row 6: Bill Stevenson, Don Spalding, Jon Fox, Mark Melodia.
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’86 ’76 ’91 Class of 1986 – 25th Reunion Standing: Dennis Kelley, Jennifer Clement Morin, Carolina Caletti Knight, Trish Elliott Marcrum, David Oliver, Chris Scioscia McLean, Kimberly Urban French, Seth French, Director of Advancement Sharon Hurt Davidson. Seated: Bobby and Shadley Gordon with their family.
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Class of 1991 – 20th Reunion Row 1: Kim Stuart Disque, Lauretta Matthews Ross, Ashlee Gregg Rooney, Tricia Wittekamp Danko, Elizabeth Wiegand Wentz, Linde Geissler Riley. Row 2: Michelle Cokrlic Denk, Dana Brandys, Joanne Hannaway Sweeney, Ryan Riley. Row 3: David Beecher Brauer, Jay Lorch, David Iranzo, Joseph C. Stone.
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Happy 175th, Sewickley Academy! SA will celebrate its 175th anniversary next year, and alumni will be kicking off the year-long party at Reunion Weekend on October 5-6, 2012. The weekend will include: • Founder’s Day activities with the entire SA community • Annual Reunion Gala • Special campus tours • SA history • And more! Visit www.sewickley.org/175 to learn more. To help plan your class’ reunion party or to find out more about the reunion/anniversary planning, please contact Greta Daniels at gdaniels@sewickley.org or 412-741-2230 ext. 3044.
The Sewickley Academy Archive Needs Your Help! We are expanding our displays for next year’s 175th Anniversary Celebration and need your help to complete the SA story. Would you loan or donate your SA memorabilia for the anniversary display cases? We are looking for items such as: • SA apparel (letterman jackets, jerseys, t-shirts) • Old report cards • Class pins or rings • Pennants • School projects • Dried graduation bouquets Please contact Susan Sour at ssour@sewickley.org to find out how your SA memorabilia can be a part of this display!
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CLASS NOTES
1957 Sewickley Traditions, Anne Smith Vanderwolk ’37 lives in Pinehurst, North Carolina, and the late Anne McKnight Murdock ’37 lived in Sewickley. The story of the friendship of the three Annes, which crosses decades of adventures, families, and travel, is a heartwarming example of what lifetime friendship with Academy classmates can mean. They sorely miss “Mick.”
Former faculty members Mary Nichols, Ann deChambeau, and former Head of Senior School Jim Cavalier got together in Naples, Florida, last winter.
1936 Caroline Craig Sutton ’36 is now living in a retirement community called Jefferson’s Ferry on Long Island in New York. Her daughter, Ann, is a biology professor at SUNY Stony Brook and lives only 15 minutes away. Her daughter, Judith, writes and edits cookbooks in New York City. Caroline still makes a few toy ferry boats in her free time.
1937 The “three Annes” have been friends since kindergarten at the Academy, 84 years ago. They gathered in November for a final reunion with much reminiscing and laughter. Anne Blair Bauer ’37 lives in Sewickley and owns
Anne McKnight Murdock ’37, Anne Smith Vanderwolk ’37, and Anne Blair Bauer ’37 celebrated a friendship of 84 years in November.
1941 Evelyn Forcey Gosko ’41 writes, “Hard to believe only six of us remain. Flirted with a reunion this year, but not on my agenda. Please get in touch with me, ‘Cissy’, and we can see what we are all doing, maybe even pull together a reunion. I have two homes, one in Minneapolis and one in Key Largo, Florida. My husband and I are celebrating our 64th year together. My email is cgosko@aol.com for any classmates trying to get in touch!”
1955 Joan Foedisch Adibi ’55 and husband Siamak had a wonderful trip to China recently. They have had a very busy year enjoying their grandchildren, including their daughter’s recent twins. They split their time between their home in Pittsburgh and their home in Chappaquiddick, Massachusetts.
Mark your calendars for your 55th class reunion - October 5-6, 2012. Contact your class agent, Jamie Wardrop, at jwardrop@ sewickley.org or 412-741-6060 for more information and to volunteer to help plan the reunion festivities! Jamie Wardrop ’57 writes, “I am still enjoying work in the Academy’s art department as the Senior School photography teacher and the school photographer. I continue to be the ‘grinch,’ hiding away in my barn with my dogs and antique fire engine collection. In spite of my ‘grinchiness,’ I have been blessed by two great-nieces and a great-nephew from brother Bill’s (’55) daughter Elizabeth ’91, and sister Nina’s (’62) daughter Georgiana. The little tikes are awfully cute and fun to play with. I would love to hear more from old buddies in the Classes of ’56, ’57, and ’58 like Chris Hutchinson ’57, Dick Hull ’57, Dick Sentner ’57, Pete Amerman ’57, Dave Gibson ’58, Nancy Gardner ’57, Chan Lewis ’57, Craig Wilson ’57, Kay Graham ’57, and Freddie French ’57 – all of whom should be writing in and letting us know what they have been doing lately besides planning their trips to our big reunion in 2012. With lots of time to plan it, we should be able to get a really big group back here. Last reunion, in 2007, though a
The Adibi family gathered at the Edgartown Yacht Club last summer. Back row: Siamak Adibi, David Teoste, Jennifer Adibi Teoste. Front row: Joan Foedisch Adibi ’55, Elise Adibi, Axelrein Teoste, Camron Adibi.
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Jamie Wardrop ’57 with his greatniece, Vivien Norina Giancamilli, and one of his dogs. Jamie is looking forward to a great turnout for the Class of ’57 reunion in October 2012!
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A Sort-of Cinderella Story Siovhan (Norris) Christensen ’02 landed her first role in Europe, albeit unconventional in form. Last December, the expat who has been living in Denmark a little over a year, played Cinderella in Copenhagen Circle Theater’s Cinderella. The play, done in typical British pantomime, was an attempt to bring a popular British holiday tradition to Denmark. Siovhan exSiovhan (Norris) Christensen ‘02 (left) and plains, “In the U.K., there her pantomime “Prince Charming.” is a tradition where the whole family goes to see a pantomime each Christmas. In America, it’s much like going to see the new Hollywood holiday blockbuster or your town’s production of The Nutcracker.” As evidenced by the nearly sold-out audiences each night, the city of Copenhagen seems ready to adopt this tradition as its own. The show featured all of the beloved characters from the classic fairy tale, but also many musical numbers, modern references, and, as is typical of pantomime, plenty of drag. Fun for the whole family, the musical comedy encouraged audience participation – booing when one of the evil characters appeared on stage, and cheering when the hero or heroine appeared. “It was a very funny show, especially since the two ugly stepsisters are played by men,” she laughs. Siovhan feels like she’s living a fairy tale of her own, as she pursues her passion for performing. “I was pretty much born to be a performer. My parents made sure that I was involved in many things while I was growing up. But nothing was as exciting as performing. I’ve always loved it.” After graduating from The Theatre School at DePaul University in 2006, Siovhan spent the next few years pursuing her acting career, both in Chicago and Los Angeles. In 2007, she met her own Prince Charming, Copenhagen-native Bjork Christensen, and the two were wed in the summer of 2011.
small group showed up (much to my personal offense), we all had a really fun time and good party (many thanks to the Class of 1962!).”
1958 John Culbertson ’58 and his wife, Laurie, spent time in Wyoming with classmate Elsie Oliver MacKenzie ’58 and their respective families last August. John and Laurie went on to visit with Tonny ’58 and Trudy Oliver Hetherington ’60, David ’58 and Leslie Gibson, and Jane Paffard Nichols ’58, in Washington state. All attending made total fools of themselves, which is what you do with old friends. A mutual promise was made to do this more often.
1959 Susan and George Craig ’59, along with their children, Nancy Craig Garvey ’84 and Jim Craig ’86, hosted the 52nd Annual Turkey Bowl at their property on Merriman Road in Sewickley. The Turkey Bowl brings together generations of Academy alumni and people from the local community to celebrate Thanksgiving with the annual football game, hot dogs, and great fellowship. Nancy participated in the Turkey Trot run in Pittsburgh that same day, and is an avid runner and skier.
She does not take for granted the education received at the Academy. “I’m simply grateful for the arts program at SA. I was so well taken care of, and allowed to be the theater geek that I am.” She adds, “Not every school has such a developed performing arts program. In fact, here in Denmark very few schools have a theater program at all.” Luckily, she has found one of those schools and is currently teaching theater and directing the spring play at the Østerbro International School. Siovhan says, “I so enjoy introducing children to the world of theater and watching them discover that their imagination has no limits.” Unlike Cinderella, Siovhan’s dreams don’t stop at “happily ever after” in the arms of her prince. She hopes to one day start her own theater company that produces work with which the multicultural citizens of Copenhagen can identify. Undoubtedly, she’ll need no fairy godmother to make that wish come true.
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John Culbertson ’58, Jane Paffard Nichols ’58, David Gibson ’58, and Elsie Oliver MacKenzie ’58 reunited in Washington in August. John writes, “Elsie is photoshopped in and probably would have been embarrassed by the rest of us had she physically attended!”
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Nancy Craig Garvey ’84, George Craig ’59, and Nancy’s husband, Mike, celebrate the 52nd Annual Turkey Bowl.
Marty Mann ’61, husband Don Baier, and toy poodle Teddy have begun the next phase of their lives in Providence, Rhode Island.
Lucy Eynon Whitin ’61 at the top of Cuttyhunk Island off the Massachusetts coast. She and her husband sail to the island every year on their boat.
Emerson Wickwire ’59 writes, “We recently sold our Sewickley house and have relocated to our winter house in Florida. We are looking for and will likely end up with smaller quarters in Sewickley, but for now Florida is our permanent home.”
as it’s possible – maybe in 1.5 years! Business trips to London and Japan spiced up the early and late summer, and visits with stepdaughter Grace in Oakland, California, and mother Liz in Maine were most enjoyable.”
We live on the east side and enjoy both a neighborhood and city atmosphere. Love New England and the convenience to Maine and Martha’s Vineyard!”
1960 Sarah Fisher ’60 writes, “I continue my job as head of painting conservation at the National Gallery, savoring the fascinating paintings we work on and the beautiful surroundings. My husband, Derek Webber, continues as a consultant in the space tourism business and would like all of you to include a nice suborbital trip in your vacation plans as soon
1961 Tingle Culbertson Barnes ’61 and her husband, Richard, spent time at the Bitterroot Ranch in Wyoming again last spring where Tingle got some experience with herding calves on horseback! Additionally, the Culbertson and Barnes families got together for a mini-reunion over the summer. Marjorie Mann ’61 writes, “Don and I moved to Providence, Rhode Island, in September.
The Culbertson and Barnes families got together for a mini-reunion over the summer. Front row: John ’58 and Laurie Culbertson, Richard and Tingle ’61 Culbertson Barnes. Back row: Paul and Lolly Culbertson Errikson, Langley Barnes, Libby Culbertson Ernharth and Johannes, Emily and Crossan Barnes, plus grandchildren.
Charlotte Yost Robertson ‘61 and her husband, John, vacationed on Maui in November with Stephanie Rice Ellis ‘62 and her husband, Michael. Charlotte lives in Juneau and is in the process of moving to Chicago. Stephanie lives on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. Charlotte and Stephanie spent 1968 in Paris together and were roommates in San Francisco for a couple years in the late ’60s. Lucy Eynon Whitin ’61 retired last spring after 32 years as librarian for Westborough Town Library in Massachusetts. Her husband,
John Robertson, Charlotte Yost Robertson ’61, Stephanie Rice Ellis ’62, and Michael Ellis catch up in Maui.
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CLASS NOTES 1967 Harry, also recently retired as a newspaper editor for the New York Times Co. Their son, Hank, is an artist and owns a bar/restaurant in Newport, Rhode Island, and their daughter, Kate, is an engineer for a biomedical company in California. Their first grandson, Bode, was born on the day Lucy retired, and their second grandson, Tyler, was born November 1. “Life is good!”
1962 Mark your calendars for your 50th class reunion - October 5-6, 2012. Contact your class party coordinator, Stephanie Rice Ellis, at kauaistephanie@aol.com for more information and to volunteer to help plan the reunion festivities! Frank Brooks ’62 and Nina Wardrop Brooks ’62 proudly and thankfully announce the birth of their first granddaughter, Vivien Norina Giancamilli, born to Georgiana Brooks Giancamilli and Andrew Giancamilli on February 10, 2011, and the safe return of their son, Capt. Daniel Leet Brooks, USMC, from Afghanistan and his third tour overseas. The Brooks’ are looking forward to their big reunion in October 2012 and hoping the whole class will attend!
This Thanksgiving, Elizabeth Fleming Frost ’62 met Carol Ranson O’Keefe ’62 in Agora Hills, California. Elizabeth writes, “We attended her second granddaughter’s first birthday party. Great to get filled in on her upcoming church medical trip to Uganda and reconnect with her grown children, Peter and Elizabeth.” Peter Erskine ’62 and Stephanie Rice Ellis ’62 got together for lunch in Prescott , Arizona, in November. “We both look forward to returning to Sewickley for our 50th reunion next October!”
1966 Nancy Bennett Haynes ’66 is especially proud of her daughter Inslee’s success as a designer. Washingtonian Bride & Groom magazine chose her as Editor’s Pick for bridal portrait commissions, and she has done the artwork for a new Jacques Levine slipper design called the Inslee. Check it out at www.inslee.net. Fred Everett ’66 recently launched a new Internet company that buys and sells special vehicles for people and companies. He is hoping that this venture will help filmmakers acquire period vehicles for film and TV productions.
Nina Wardrop Brooks ’62, Capt. Daniel Leet Brooks, USMC, Vivien Norina Giancamilli, Georgiana Brooks Giancamilli, Andrew Giancamilli, and Frank Brooks ’62.
Mark your calendars for your 45th class reunion - October 5-6, 2012! Contact your class party coordinator and host, Dingy Hays, at cmhays@comcast.net for more information about the festivities and to help plan the class party!
1968 In October, Alice Marks Tiernan ‘68 completed an epic 2,400-mile bicycle trip in memory of her sister, Molly Marks Sparks ’56, who lost her battle with pancreatic cancer last year. Alice’s solo, self-supported journey took her from the Canadian border north of Seattle, Washington, along the Sierra Cascades bike route down the spine of Washington, Oregon, and California, finishing up her ride in Surprise, Arizona. Alice used this trip as a means to raise awareness and funds for cancer. You can read her blog and relive all her adventures at http://cycleak.com/bike-shop/newsarchive/alice-tiernan/.
1969 Sandy Wick Ruggiero ’69 writes, “It has been a year of intense life events for my family. My father died on Good Friday followed by my mother three months later. Both were 95, so in addition to my three sisters and me, their
Peter Erskine ’62 and Stephanie Rice Ellis ’62 meet up in Prescott, Arizona.
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Nancy Bennett Haynes ’66 is proud of her daughter, Inslee, who has done the artwork for a new Jacques Levine slipper.
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Making the Cut 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren are all left with wonderful memories and strong role models. Then in August, my older daughter was married to a very warm-hearted man, a forester. They have settled in Vermont. In October, my older son married a girl whom he has known since first grade. She teaches science at Wellesley High School. To make time for all this activity, I retired from full-time teaching this year, and Gary has cut back to a four-day work week. The free time is incredibly precious, and I have enjoyed my new ventures of singing with the church choir and making wedding quilts. Warm greetings to all my SA classmates.”
1970 Deb Canter ’70 writes, “Still trying to be retired but I find myself busier than when I was as an air traffic controller. I spent the summer teaching MSF classes (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) most weekends. I found a few days to ride my horses, but not enough. My target shooting activities were almost non-existent as most weekends were taken. Since January my embroidery business (www.barnthreads. com) has slowly been improving the bottom line. I work out of my house and have been growing slowly by word of mouth and limited
Matt Gardner ’04 is remembered fondly by his teachers and college counselor as an excellent student who made a positive impact on Sewickley Academy. Whether he was mastering math concepts in AP Calculus with Ms. Bowers, participating in a Wall Street Club meeting with Mr. McGinn, or making future plans in a college meeting with Mrs. FitzPatrick, Matt displayed his trademark determination and optimism. Upon graduation, Matt took his exceptionally quick wit and discerning intellect to the University of Florida where he went on to earn a degree in engineering and aerospace studies.
Matt Gardner ’04 on the wings of an F15E-2.
During his time at Florida, Matt was enrolled in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), which allowed him to not only earn his degree and study in Morocco, but also compete for pilot training in the U.S. Air Force. Based upon his excellent academic performance, physical fitness, and performance at ROTC boot camp for officers, Matt was selected for pilot training. He is quick to praise his ROTC classmates at the University of Florida as six of the 11 were chosen for the training, whereas nationwide, the acceptance rate is only 20 percent. The first stop on Matt’s training journey was Columbus, Mississippi, a small town with a military base where Matt learned to fly the T6. After six short months with the T6, it was time for another evaluation. Matt passed with flying colors and moved on to fighter pilot training. The next aircraft for Matt to master was the T38. During his six months in the air on the T38, he flew at Mach .9 (almost breaking the sound barrier) and crossed the country several times, even stopping in Pittsburgh to visit family. The highlight of T38 training is the Introduction to Flying Fundamentals where pilots learn how to attack and drop bombs at unbelievably high speeds. Matt and his fellow T38 trainees were evaluated, or “racked and stacked” in their words, to determine who among them would be chosen for the next stage – elite F15E training. Matt made the cut again and was elated to be chosen as one of three pilots to go on to F15E training which began on June 21, 2011. What made the day even more exciting is that his second daughter was born the day before on June 20. Upon completion of his F15 training, Matt and his family will move across the pond to an air base near Cambridge, England, for the next three years. During the next phase of Matt’s career, he will be deployed for six months at a time, and he expects that he will be flying missions in Afghanistan in 2012. While it will be hard to be away from his wife, Jeane, and his daughters, Ainsley and Myla, Matt looks forward to putting his elite training to use. God Speed, Matt!
Deb Canter ’70 with her motorcycles.
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CLASS NOTES advertising (mostly Facebook and Google). Any Academy alumni interested in ordering custom embroidery can get a 15% discount by using “SA15” when you place an order. Ask Scott Ferguson ’70 how he liked his custom Jades hat from last year’s reunion!”
1971 Jonathan Beales ’71 writes, “Relocated back to Atlanta, Georgia, from Cincinnati, Ohio. Loving life and smiling. My son, Jamie, is a freshman at Ohio University. My daughter, Grace, is a barista at Starbucks here in Atlanta.” Joanne Groshardt ’71 wrote and produced a feature film, Safe Word, which will be available on DVD in 2012.
1972 Mark your calendars for your 40th class reunion - October 5-6, 2012! Contact your class party coordinator and host, Meghan Wise, at wise@zklaw.com for more information about the festivities and to help plan the class party!
1975
1977
John A. Macdonald ’75 successfully defended his dissertation in October 2010 and was awarded the Doctor of Missiology Degree from Fuller Theological Seminary this past June. He continues to teach at Trinity School for Ministry and was promoted this year to associate professor and named head of the pastoral studies department. John’s daughter, Parry ‘06, is engaged and will be married in Sewickley on August 18, 2012, and John’s son, Timmy ‘11, is a freshman at Wheaton College.
Mark your calendars for your 35th class reunion - October 5-6, 2012! Contact your class party coordinators Elisa Cavalier (elisacav1@ gmail) or Rusty Scioscia (rusty@airview.com) for more information about the festivities and to help plan the class party!
1976 In June, an accident while horseback riding landed Charlie Ross ’76 in the hospital for almost two weeks. He sustained four broken ribs, a ruptured and removed spleen, and a series of strokes. He was in four different hospitals and finally ended up at the University of Utah where a trauma team took care of dangerous internal bleeding, and a neurological team installed a stent in his right carotid artery which put blood back into his brain. Despite not being expected to survive, the tireless advocacy of Charlie’s wife, Bo, ensured that Charlie was able to receive the medical care he needed, and he is now making a full recovery. He was even able to attend his 35th reunion this past October.
Rody Nash ’79, Fred Benz ’79, and John Atwood ’79 snap a group shot during a four-day motorcycle ride through the Sierra Mountains of California.
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Tim Hastings ’77 became a grandfather in October 2011, when daughter Kim ’02 and son-in-law Keith Knuppel welcomed their first child, Macie, into the family. Mary Hays ’77 is a part owner of Unique Pizza & Subs, located at 1314 Duss Avenue in Ambridge. She recently visited with classmate Jim Angel ’77 and his sons. “We had a wonderful time catching up. I had not seen him since graduation in 1977!”
1979 Fred(dy) Benz ’79, Rody Nash ’79, and John Atwood ’79 went on a four-day motorcycle ride in the Sierra Mountains of California. Fred writes, “Great riding, great friends and incredible scenery – it doesn’t get much better.” Fred also reports that he completed a month-long motorcycle journey through Argentina and Chile earlier this year in celebration of his 50th. For those interested in reading about his adventure, go to www.travelpod.com/travelblog/fbenz/1/tpod.html.
Andy Kendrick ’80 plays golf with his son, James (15), near their home in Santa Barbara, California.
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1981 Mimi Ross Blank ’81 writes, “Great time at the reunion! The Class of ‘81 had the biggest turnout and teetered on the very brink of too much fun. Can’t wait to do it again in 2016!”
1982
The Singing Sours – Pete ’80, Callie, Gwen, and Beth – rehearse for one of the many musical productions in which they are involved.
1980 Andy Kendrick ’80 and his family moved to Santa Barbara, California, a year ago. Peter Sour ’80 lives in Marietta, Ohio, with wife Beth, and daughters Callie (21) and Gwen (14). They are all active in musical productions: Pete as music director, Beth in lead roles and vocal coach, and Gwen in singing roles. Callie most recently sang the role of Violet in the show, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Pete is also choir director and organist at a local church.
Mark your calendars for your 30th class reunion - October 5-6, 2012! Contact Kate Poppenberg Pigman (pigpophouse@verizon. net)or Alyson Barker Korman (alybarker@ yahoo.com) for more information about the festivities and to help plan the class party! John Moyer ’82 writes, “After 30 years, our high school band, The Defectives, reunited for a jam session. Karen Gray ’82, Jon Fox ’81, David Soule ’81 and I managed to entertain a packed game room the day after the Class of ’81 reunion gala. It was great fun to be together again after so many years. I’ve been working locally on a Tom Cruise movie after taking time off this summer to be home with the family. Hayden ’13 and Grady ’14 are working hard as Academy students in their junior and sophomore years. I was fortunate to be a part of the first season of the HBO series Boardwalk Empire, but being away for eight months proved to be a bit long. My work in New York continued with I Don’t Know How She Does It, The Sitter, The Avengers, and The
Jamie McElman ‘76, Jennifer Friedman Bailey ‘81, Charlie Ross ‘76, Mimi Ross ‘81, Sarah Ross (Charlie’s eldest), Cecily Ross (Charlie’s youngest), and Dave Gerard ‘81 gather before the Reunion Weekend festivities begin.
Good Wife. I spent the spring in Boston for the Kevin James comedy, Here Comes the Boom. With the tax incentive in place in Pennsylvania, I hope to be around here for some time, as productions are looking to begin through the summer of 2012. Keeping my fingers crossed!”
1984 Giselle (Moreno) Leonardo ’84 is the chairman of the board of directors of Global Pittsburgh. She works primarily as an international arbitrator handling high-level dispute resolution among multinational corporations and other international entities.
1985 Kemp Fuller ’85 won the 2011 Long Range Regional Championship held at Tulsa’s Red Castle Gun Club in Oklahoma last October. The two-day match draws the best longrange shooters from the central U.S. to shoot both a 1,000-yard and a 600-yard stage. Kemp competes in the Palma class where all competitors must use the same ammunition type and iron sights. Mary Gott ’85 writes, “As the last of the autumn leaves fell in Sewickley, my son, Nicholas, and I hit the road for one last college trip to Colorado. Fondly remembering
David Soule ‘81, Karen Gray ‘82, John Moyer ‘82, John Fox ‘81, and John Dury ‘82, revive their band, The Defectives, with a jam session during Reunion Weekend.
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CLASS NOTES Mr. Cav’s pearls of wisdom, I let go. Nicholas graduated high school in December. He attended an experiential learning U.S. high school in Costa Rica. Pura vida! Bitten hard by the entrepreneurial bug, I pursue my plans to open an upmarket canine boarding, training, and day care facility. Chasing my dream!”
1986 Carrie Zuberbuhler Kennedy ’86, and her husband, Kevin, now live near North Park and are happy parents to Grace (10) and Meg (8). “We became friends with Paul Swann ‘83 and his wife, Christine, several years ago because our daughters are in the same class at North Allegheny. At their recent Halloween party, I introduced myself to a woman because I thought she looked familiar, and it ended up being Jennifer Duker ’84. She didn’t realize Paul was an SA alum because she had only met Christine! It was a ‘small world’ moment, made even more fun because Paul was dressed as Ozzy Osbourne and Jen was wearing a long black hippie wig. Hopefully, Jen’s brother, Danny ’86, will come next year; he was my sophomore prom date!”
1987
1992
Mark your calendars for your 25th class reunion - October 5-6, 2012! Contact your class party coordinator and host, Matt Straka, at mattstraka@yahoo.com for more information about the festivities and to help plan the class party!
Mark your calendars for your 20th class reunion - October 5-6, 2012! Contact the alumni office at alumni@sewickley.org for more information about the festivities and to help plan the class party!
1988 Fraser Zimmerman Traverse ’88 visited Leslie Sweet Crye ’88 in Atlanta to celebrate Leslie’s birthday in mid-November. Fraser’s girls, Maggie (9) and Jane (2), had a ball with Leslie’s daughters, Tyler (11) and Teagan (8), and her twin boys, Trevor and Tanner (18 mos.). Jake Traverse (7) stayed home with dad, Brad. Fraser and Brad are based in Washington, D.C., and have an online business that provides job leads on and off Capitol Hill (www.bradtraverse.com). Leslie is working for a private investor. The weekend featured Teagan’s soccer team in the city tournament, Leslie’s tennis team in the city finals, and a cupcake celebration of Jane’s second birthday!
1989 Jessica Handy ’89 recently relocated to Santa Monica, California.
Randy and Jen Kitt Urbano ’92, along with sons Riley and Aidan, welcomed Quinn into their family this fall.
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Heather Gibson ’92 is living in Orlando, working at the University of Central Florida as the marketing director for the theater department. “Anyone want to come see a show?” Jen Kitt Urbano ’92 writes, “Quinn joined older brothers Riley and Aidan on October 27, 2011.”
1993 Kristina Fausti ’93 was married to Shahriar Broumand on September 30, 2011, at the Pittsburgh Opera. “We had a wonderful weekend showcasing Pittsburgh’s beauty and history for our family and friends who traveled from around the world to celebrate with us.” On March 10, Jonathan Glance ’93 and his wife, Jody, welcomed Elizabeth Jane Glance to their family. “Now 8 months old, we are settling into a routine that thankfully includes sleeping through the night. Jody completed her medical training this past summer and is now an associate professor of medicine at UPMC Western Psych. I continue to grow
Kristina Fausti Broumand ’93 married Shahriar Broumand on September 30, 2011, in Pittsburgh.
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Elizabeth and Julie, children of Jonathan ’93 and Jody Glance.
Preston Hoffman, son of Eric and Erin Condon Hoffman ’94.
Brooks Edward Oreshack, son of Kurt and Bridy Oreshack ’95, was born in August.
the family architecture business and even completed a small project at the Academy. Working with fellow alum Tim Hastings ’77, we completed a small addition to the Lower School at the new bus entrance.”
Sarah Seltzer Gran ’94 and her husband, Duane, welcomed Matthew Jordan to their family on May 20, 2011. Zachary (5) and Maria (3) are excited about their new sibling.
Timothy Howe ’97 and his wife, Kristen, recently moved to Shanghai, China. “We are enjoying our new life adventuring around mainland China and would love to hear from any SA alumni who are also living or traveling here.”
1994 Erin Condon Hoffman ’94 writes, “Riley is excited to announce the arrival of her little brother Preston Edward-Joseph Hoffman on October 7, 2011. We feel very blessed and hope everyone had a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season!” On a recent trip to Pittsburgh, Alison Skillington Campbell ’94 met up with former faculty member Larry Hall for some food and libations before heading to the Steelers/Ravens game.
1995 Kurt and Bridy (Condon) Oreshack ’95 welcomed their son, Brooks Edward Oreshack, on August 17, 2011.
1997 Mark your calendars for your 15th class reunion - October 5-6, 2012! Contact the alumni office at alumni@sewickley.org for more information about the festivities and to help plan the class party!
Alison Skillington Campbell ’94 and Herr Hall gear up for the Steelers game.
1998 The Japanese Garden in Long Beach, California, was the setting for the marriage of Lauren Cox ’98 to Tyler Rawlins on February 12, 2011. It was a fabulous sunny afternoon for an outdoor wedding. Lauren graduated cum laude from Vanderbilt University and Tyler graduated from Valdosta State in Georgia. Tyler works in the video game industry, making him the perfect match for Lauren, who
Lauren Cox Rawlins ’98 and husband Tyler Rawlins at their February 2011 nuptials.
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CLASS NOTES currently works as executive assistant to the CEO of deviantART.com in Hollywood. They live in Studio City, California, with their cat, Scamp. Lauren spent a year teaching high school English with the JET program in Yamanashi, Japan, and her love of all things Japanese made their wedding venue the perfect choice. Among the wedding party were groomsman and brother Captain Ryan Cox ’01 and bridesmaid Kameron (Scotto) McConnell ’98. Tracy Johnson ’98 writes, “2011 has been a busy year! After four years, I left the Dannon Company and took a role as senior marketing manager at American Express, working on membership rewards. And more recently I got married! I married Scott McKinney on November 5 in Naples, Florida, and was happy to be joined by Katie Joy Rosinski ‘98, who was my beautiful matron of honor, Lisa Goldstein ‘98, who was a stunning bridesmaid, Catherine Brown ‘98, and Micah Graham (QV ‘98), who were both looking great as always.”
1999 Jason Glance ’99 recently moved to New York City to continue his career in mobile marketing as the marketing manager for Netbiscuits. He writes, “Netbiscuits enables
James Christian and Thomas William were born in June to Brian and Laurel Weller Noe ‘99.
Marlowe Rose Cotariu, daughter of Heather Cotariu ’01 and her fiancé Joey Yow.
you to develop, publish and monetize crossplatform mobile sites and apps. Our world leading cloud software platform serves the mobile internet services for premium online, media, and retail companies such as eBay, Universal Music, MTV Networks, HSN and Axel Springer, as well as leading agencies such as SapientNitro, Publicis, Razorfish, and Ogilvy. Globally, Netbiscuits processes more than 8 billion mobile page deliveries for its customers each month. Founded in 2000, the company is in the USA, Germany, UK, Singapore, and Australia.”
Michael Mele ’99 writes, “I recently accepted a new position with TDC InStore as director of business development. My wife, Kara, and I will be staying in the New York City area and are always looking for SA alums to connect with, especially during football season. Please reach out to michaeltmele@ yahoo.com.”
Jim Leety ’99 and his wife, Jessica, welcomed their second child, Jackson Philip, on August 11, 2011. All are doing well.
Laurel Weller Noe ’99 and her husband, Brian, welcomed twin boys, James Christian and Thomas William, on June 26, 2011. Lauren Shuty ’99 recently accepted a new position as a teacher in the Keystone Oaks Public School District in the South Hills of Pittsburgh.
Lisa Goldstein ’98, Micah Graham (QV ’98), Tracy Johnson ’98, Katie Joy Rosinski ’98, and Catherine Brown ’98 at Tracy’s wedding in November. Ryan Cox ’01 shares a quick kiss with his bride, Melissa Walley, amongst the sabres at their November 2010 wedding.
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2001 Heather Cotariu ’01 and fiancé Joey Yow (SA’s theater director) welcomed daughter Marlowe Rose Cotariu into the world on November 9, 2011. Captain Ryan Cox ’01 married Melissa Walley on November 6, 2010, in a formal military ceremony at University of Pittsburgh’s Heinz Chapel with the reception at the Carnegie Museum Hall of Architecture. Ryan, who graduated from the University of Colorado, is an aviator on the B-52. Melissa graduated from Texas A&M and is a middle school special education teacher in Shreveport, Louisiana. They bought a home at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, where they live with their cat, Emo, when Ryan is not deployed. He volunteered and was deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan, and has also been deployed to Guam twice. The wedding was attended by many SA alumni. Included in the bridal party were best man Nick Mross ’01 and groomsmen Andrew Coleman ’01 and Nick Smyth ’01. Ryan’s sister, Lauren (Cox) Rawlins ’98, was a bridesmaid. Among the sabre bearers were his father, retired Lt. Colonel Frank Cox, and his 90-year-old grandfather, retired MSGT John Bond.
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2002
Mark your calendars for your 10th class reunion - October 5-6, 2012! Contact the alumni office at alumni@sewickley.org for more information about the festivities and to help plan the class party!
Lisa Bevevino ’02 is finishing her doctorate in medieval French literature from The Ohio State University. She married Aaron Wenzel in July 2011 in Meadville, Pennsylvania, and the two are teaching English to students at the Université de Rennes in France this year. They met at Ohio State when Lisa was completing her master’s in French literature, and Aaron was completing his doctorate in Greek and Latin.
2003 Kacey Wells ‘03 and Bobby McAleer were married August 20, 2011, in St. Michaels, Maryland.
2004 Michael Drain ’04 and Morgan Hawkins Drain ’04 are excited to announce the addition of a beautiful baby girl to their family. Emory Sofia was born on September 1, 2011, weighing in at 6 pounds 8 ounces, and measuring 17 3/4 inches. “We could not be happier parents!”
Lisa Bevevino ’02 and Aaron Wenzel celebrated their wedding with several members of the SA community. Back row: Brett Fulesday ‘99, Tom McGuire ‘02, Jackie Grimes ‘04, Chris Anderson (former math teacher). Front row: David Bevevino ‘06, Julie Bevevino Fulesday ‘99, Lisa Bevevino ‘02, Aaron Wenzel, Cindy Bevevino (assistant to the head of school).
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Emory Drain, daughter of Michael Drain ’04 and Morgan Hawkins Drain ’04.
Jared Weber ’04 works full time as a nuclear automation engineer for Westinghouse in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. He is also a first lieutenant (combat engineer platoon leader) with the Army National Guard (as a reservist). Earlier this year he was assigned to attend the Army’s Engineer School, based in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. He graduated near the top of his class from the Army’s Basic Officer Leadership Course, qualifying him as a U.S. Army Combat Engineer. From there he attended the U.S. Army Sapper Leader Course. Less than five percent of all soldiers in the U.S. Army are authorized to wear the Special Forces, Ranger, or Sapper Tabs. Sappers are now recognized as the cutting edge of our nation’s sword, and are experts in all aspects of mobility, countermobility, and survivability on the battlefield.
Bobby McAleer and Kacey Wells McAleer ’03 at their August nuptials.
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CLASS NOTES 2005
2007
2011
Sam Brown ’05 worked as a freelance model in Tokyo and had a solo art show in a Japanese gallery exhibiting his original art. He traveled to mainland Asia where he worked for a short period of time as an English teacher and as the art director of a Chinese music video. Sam traveled to Southeast Asia and performed as a traveling fortune teller, reading tarot cards in English or Japanese for travelers and locals. Sam also told fortunes and busked on a short trip around New Zealand. In Australia, he worked for 1-800-Got-Junk? and made small reliquaries from discarded possessions. Sam now is back in the USA where he is working for Starbucks, singing the blues in Millvale, and planning his next adventure.
Mark your calendars for your fifth class reunion - October 5-6, 2012! Contact the alumni office at alumni@sewickley.org for more information about the festivities and to help plan the class party!
Dartmouth freshmen Will Athol ’11 and Will Hogan ’11 have continued their athletic traditions on the Dartmouth rugby team.
2006 Alexandra Bellay ‘06 recently completed her first semester as a master’s candidate in the security studies program at Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. She is concentrating on international security with an interest in South Asia and hopes to travel to the region this summer to continue her study of Hindi-Urdu.
Will Hogan ’11 skirts defenders on the rugby pitch.
Jeff Dwulit-Smith ’07 graduated last spring from Case Western Reserve University with a biochemistry bachelor’s with honors and a nutritional biochemistry and metabolism bachelor’s. While pursuing his undergraduate degree, Jeff earned fellowships with three major scientific arms of the federal government. He is now working at the National Institutes of Health with the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, investigating the structure and dynamics of the membrane bound human cannabinoid receptor 2 (hCB2). After finishing this post-baccalaurate fellowship, Jeff plans to enter a doctorate program in biophysics with a concentration in multifaceted protein structure determination.
2008 Kendall Weir ’08 writes, “Enjoyed coming home to Sewickley for Thanksgiving break and reconnecting with all my SA friends! I am currently on the job search as a senior at Hamilton College, graduating in May. Go Panthers!”
Ken Johnson ’11 and his parents had a wonderful reunion with Tom Droney ’10 and his parents at the basketball game of Davidson vs. Duke on Duke’s campus in November. Kenny is having a great year at Duke, and Tom is playing well for his team at Davidson!
WHAT IS NEW WITH YOU?! Just married? Found a new job? Started a business? Took an exciting trip? Met up with an old friend from your days at SA? Whatever your news, we want to hear it! Submit your news at www. sewickley.org/classnote.
The Class of 2011 gathered at a holiday party after their first semester of college to catch up and see old friends.
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IN MEMORIAM
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As of January 12, 2012
ALUMNI Marjorie “Marnie” Brown Jump ’33
school at the Sewickley Presbyterian Church and reading to students at the Edgeworth School. In addition, Anne volunteered countless hours at various non-profit organizations both in Sewickley and Englewood, Florida, where she and Bill lived for many years. Anne was also an entrepreneur. With the help of her husband, she successfully operated two children’s clothing stores, one in Sewickley and the other in Englewood. Anne is survived by her children, Anne Cameron Murdock ’68, Charles McKnight Murdock ’70, and Mark Richardson Murdock ’74.
Marjorie “Marnie” Brown Jump ’33 died peacefully in Denver, Colorado, on June 23, 2011, of natural causes at the age of 92. With her husband, Laurence A. Jump, she founded the Arapahoe Basin Ski Area in 1946. She was inducted into the Colorado Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame in 2000. After attending the Academy, she graduated from The Ethel Walker School and Bennington College. She was a lieutenant in the Navy during World War II, serving as a communications officer in Hawaii. After the war she moved to Colorado where she was an avid skier and industry pioneer for over 40 years. After her husband’s death, she retired to Vail, Colorado, where she was active in community and veteran’s affairs. She is survived by her children, Patricia McCray, McCleane Brown Jump and his spouse Sloan, and Alice K. Jump, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.
Elisabeth “Betty” Mason Brown ’40 Elisabeth “Betty” Mason Brown ’40 passed away at the age of 85 on July 31, 2011, at her home in Redding, Connecticut, after a brief illness. An avid volunteer and community leader, Mrs. Brown served as a trustee of the Village of Scarsdale, New York, from 1979 to 1983. She attended Sewickley Academy, Northfield Seminary for Girls, now Northfield Mount Herman School, and Wellesley College. She and Raymond D. Brown Jr. were married in 1947 and moved to Scarsdale where they raised their five children. Mrs. Brown is survived by her children, Carol Laufer, Leslie Palmieri, Alison Brown, David Brown, and Blakeley Crevoiserat, their spouses, nine grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Marian Edwards Mukerji ’34 Marian Edwards Mukerji ’34 passed away on November 1, 2011. She was born near Pittsburgh and graduated from Swarthmore College after the Academy. She married Kenneth C. Cox and had two children, Douglas Edwards Cox, now deceased, and Marcia Cox Vaughey. Her husband, Kenneth, died in 1980 after 40 years of marriage. In 1984, she married Dhan Gopal Mukerji II and moved to Paris, France, where Dhan led a consulting company until his retirement. Marian approached life with a strong sense of personal responsibility and used her significant abilities as a leader in a wide range of community service organizations, including the Women’s Auxiliary of Sewickley Valley, Friendship House in Pennsylvania, and The Presbyterian Church in Sewickley. Marian is survived by her daughter, Marcia C. Vaughey; spouses of her children, Hanley B. Cox and John C. Vaughey; her stepchildren; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Frederick “Fritz” Alexander Cooper ’52 Frederick “Fritz” Alexander Cooper ’52, professor emeritus, Department of Art History, University of Minnesota, died on September 25, 2011. He taught at the university from 1971 until his retirement in May. He was also Mellon Professor of Classical Studies at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Greece, from 1982-1985. He lectured and published widely. He is survived by his wife, Helen Bradley Foster; daughters Laura A. Cooper and Georgia Margaret Cooper and her husband Shane Thomas; step-children Heidi Foster Griebel, and Charles George Griebel IV and his wife Molly Cole; nine grandchildren; and siblings, Susan C. Anderson ’49, Elizabeth C. Biele, and Charles A. Cooper.
Barbara Bray Ketchum ’36 Barbara Bray Ketchum ’36 passed away on October 20, 2011, at the Wake Robin retirement community in Shelburne, Vermont. She was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on April 27, 1921. She grew up in Sewickley, and in addition to the Academy, she attended The Madeira School and Sarah Lawrence College, where she studied modern dance and later performed with Martha Graham’s dance company. She graduated from Sarah Lawrence in 1968 and later became a member of the board of trustees. Mrs. Ketchum and her husband bred registered Polled Hereford cattle on their farm in Dorset. Later she also raised registered Romney Marsh sheep and Nubian goats. She received an “Outstanding Conservationist” award in 1986.
Marilyn “Penny” Nichols Call ’58 Marilyn “Penny” Nichols Call ’58, born November 30, 1942, passed away August 26, 2011, after a courageous battle with cancer. Penny was the daughter of the late Cliff Nichols, former head of school at Sewickley Academy, and Barbara Nichols. During her career, Penny was known to many area home buyers and sellers as the realtor extraordinaire. Penny was respected for her strong work ethic, determination, diligence, courage, and resilience. She was loved for her feistiness, quick-witted sense of humor, intense loyalty, generosity, and mischievous sensibilities. Penny had the unparalleled ability to share her strength and perseverance with those around her. Survived by her children, Chris Call and Bobby Ritchie; four beloved grandchildren, sister Sandy Slaminko ’61; sister-in-law Linda Karanovich; good friend Linda Beegle; along with many nieces, nephews, friends, and family she held close to her heart and truly adored.
Anne McKnight Murdock ’37 Anne McKnight Murdock ’37, wife of the late William Richardson Murdock, died November 13, 2011. Born and raised in Sewickley, she was a graduate of Sewickley Academy, The Madeira School, and Pine Manor Junior College. Anne participated in Veterans Day programs at the Academy for many years, in memory of three close relatives killed during World War II. Anne’s interests included tennis, traveling with family and friends, and supporting the Pirates and the Steelers. She was an avid reader whose love of education led to teaching Sunday
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S EW ICK LEY
IN MEMORIAM
SP EAK IN G
WIN TER
2012
As of January 12, 2012
FRIENDS OF THE ACADEMY Janet Pease Moore ’59
Dr. George E. Riegel III
Janet Pease Moore ’59 died on August 23, 2011, in Tarboro, North Carolina, from complications of brain cancer. In 1944, Janet was born in Hanover, New Hampshire. She spent her childhood in Sewickley, and then graduated from The Baldwin School and Mount Holyoke College. First based in Washington, D.C., and later in Atlanta, Janet spent her career serving in the Department of Labor as a policy analyst. Her passion and expertise was in the area of making quality education widely available. Janet was a serious amateur photographer, winning awards for her work, as well as inspiring others to display their own work. After retiring to Charlottesville, Janet and her husband were active members of the Charlottesville Camera Club. Janet is survived by husband Wes; sister Marcia Pease Lebhar ’69; step-daughter Amy Moore Taylor; and her nieces and a nephew.
Dr. George E. Riegel III, former school physician, passed away on October 19, 2011, at age 92. His medical training began at the Army Air Force School of Aviation Medicine, Texas. He then returned to HQ AAF Proving Ground Command, Eglin AFB, FL, Medical Administration, in charge of the Flight Surgeon Dept. until the end of World War II. He was a member of Organized Army Reserve during the Korean War, serving active duty on the neurology staff at Walter Reed Hospital. He then commanded a special forces unit until the end of the war. He conducted a family practice in Sewickley until the end of 1974 when he joined Dravo Corp., retiring in 1984 as medical director. He was a member of Doric Lodge F&AM and Gorgas Lodge Consistory, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, and the Edgeworth Club. George is predeceased by his wife, Elizabeth, and is survived by his children, Elizabeth A. Riegel, Susan Price, and Stephen Riegel ’76.
Jonathan Harrington Gordon ’60
FAMILY OF ALUMNI
Jonathan Harrington Gordon ’60 passed on December 24, 2011. Born in Pittsburgh on June 30, 1944, he was an Army veteran and a graduate of Lake Forest College, where he majored in political science. He was a real estate agent with Prudential Preferred Realty, a member of the Zoning Committee of Osborne, the Sewickley Cemetery Board, and the PA Realtors Association. Mr. Gordon enjoyed reading, gardening, traveling, and spending time outdoors. He loved to be with his grandchildren, who referred to him affectionately as “Gramps.” He was an auto enthusiast and he loved smoking his Camels. He is survived by his loving wife, Mary Schneider Gordon; his children, Jonathan Blake Gordon, Mary Beth Davis, Linda Ulizio, James Smith, Dianne Doran, Richard Doran, and Sandra Moore; two brothers, Gordon Gordon ’49 and Maitland Gordon ’51. Mr. Gordon was predeceased by three brothers, Laughlin ’55, William Alexander ’52, and Charles Gordon ’58.
William S. DIEtrich II
Father of Anne Elizabeth Diemer ’00 Charles H. Fletcher Jr.
Father of Susan Fletcher Eddy ’67 and Charles H. Fletcher III ’74 Matthew “Mac” Prine
Father of Margaret “Peggy” Prine Joy ’70 and Martha Prine ’75 Fred Sharp
Father of Kimberly Sharp Fierst ’69 and Lisa Sharp Hord ’72 Kay Symons
Wife of former faculty member John G. Symons and mother of Lee Rae Matthews ’79, Karen Logie ’80, Susan L. Stafford ’85, and Jean K. Moore ’87
John K. Nakajima ’95
Adda Swartz
John K. Nakajima ’95 passed away on November 9, 2011, after being recently diagnosed with leukemia. He is survived by his beloved wife, Katherine Peak Nakajima; his children, Joseph Y. and Kira M. Nakajima; his mother, Martha Y. Matushka, and his brother, Dr. Mark Y. Nakajima ’96. John was predeceased by his father, the late Rev. Joseph K. Nakajima.
Mother of Dustin ’00 and Breann ’02 Swartz Christine Wick
Mother of Christine Wick Sizemore ’60, Laura Wick ’62, Wendy Wick Reaves ’68, and Sandra Wick Ruggiero ’69 Jean Butterworth Wickwire
Mother of Ward Wickwire III ’57, Emerson Wickwire ’59, and Peter Wickwire ’68
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How I Give Back:
Name: Sarah Weber, Class of 2012
Volunteering at the Center for Hope in Ambridge
Arrived at SA: Grade 7 Favorite class:
Involved in: JV Tennis (captain), Varsity Lacrosse, Yearbook (editor), International Affairs Club, Model UN, and Key Club
Modern History of the Middle East
Greatest impact:
Global Studies program uncovered passion and direction for college and beyond.
Turning Point:
Plans after graduation:
Eighth grade trip to Spain opened the doors to discovering different cultures and people.
Colgate University, major in international relations, join the Peace Corps, then on to graduate school
Annie Gensheimer Photography
“I have grown from a student who did not understand the value of putting forth my best effort, to a person who has realized potential that I never knew I had.� Your gift to the Annual Fund will support Sewickley Academy students like Sarah through the development of innovative and transformative programs, professional growth of outstanding faculty and administration, renovation and maintenance of state-of-the-art classrooms, studios, and laboratories, and so much more.
Please make a gift today. www.sewickley.org/givenow
NON PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE 4%-( PITTSBURGH, PA PERMIT NO. 4123
315 Academy Avenue | Sewickley, PA 15143
Join the Team! Show your Panther Pride and buy a brick to support The Athletic Fields Campaign - a campaign to build premier athletic field facilities for Pre-K-12 physical education and athletic programs.
For a gift of $500, your message will be permanently inscribed on a brick next to the fan seating area on our newly completed turf facility on Frick Field. Alumni from Classes 2007-2011 may purchase a brick for $100. To order your brick, please visit www.sewickley.org/athleticfieldbrick.
Orders for bricks will be accepted until April 1, 2012. As part of The Athletic Fields Campaign, Frick Field has been transformed into a premier synthetic turf facility for all ages and sports.