Mercersburg Magazine - Spring 2009

MercersburgA magazine for Mercersburg Academy family and friends V O L U M E 3 6 N O . 1 S P R I N G 2 0 0 9

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My Mercersburg Story By Jennifer Brallier ’09

In just a matter of days, I will be a Mercersburg alumna. I came here a kid, and I am thrilled to be leaving as a mature young woman, steeped in the wonderful values of this great school. Thanks to Mercersburg, I have the skills and self-

My thanks to all the Mercersburg alumni who contribute to the Annual Fundso that students like me can have the exceptional academic experience thatwe all know as Mercersburg.

Jenn: Marshall Society Officer Basketball Captain Soccer Captain Lacrosse Player Peer Group Leader Burgin Center Usher

Create the next Mercersburg story.

participate in a total educational experience that teaches them to be leaders in the 21st century.

Today, your Annual Fund gifts underwrite the educational experience for every student. Your support ensures that the best and brightest, regardless of their economic resources, can attend Mercersburg Academy. Create the next Mercersburg story by making your gift today at www.mercersburg.edu/giving or 800-588-2550.

V O L U M E 3 6 N O . 1 S P R I N G 2 0 0 9 A magazine for Mercersburg Academy family and friends

Mercersburg

From the Head of School 2 Via Mercersburg 3Arts 28Athletics 30Anniversary Reunion Weekend 32Alumni Notes 33

Mercersburg magazine is published three times annually by the Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications.

Mercersburg Academy 300 East Seminary Street Mercersburg, Pennsylvania 17236

Magazine correspondence: [email protected]

Alumni Notes correspondence: [email protected]

Alumni correspondence/ change of address: [email protected]

www.mercersburg.edu

Where Are They Now?

You Should KnowEarlier this spring, Mercersburg broke ground for a new synthetic-turf field to serve as home for the Blue Storm’s field hockey and women’s lacrosse teams. It is hoped that the field, which is sched-uled to open in time for the fall 2009 field hockey season, will be the site for many more celebrations like this one; at left, Gussie Reilly ’08 gives sister Cammie ’10 a victory ride following a 2008 lacrosse win over Lawrenceville. Photo by Dave Keeseman.

1,050 WordsHappy feet: a glowing review. Page 8

Where Are They Now?Find some good ’Burgers on this map of Mercersburg alumni hot spots. Page 12

Mercersburg ProfilesWith Anniversary Reunion Weekend approaching in June, reconnect with and meet a selection of alumni from this year’s reunion classes. Page 14

My SayAutumn in India: the School Year Abroad experiences of Frank Rutherford ’70. Page 44

Editor: Lee Owen

Alumni Notes Editor: Natasha Brown

Contributors: Natasha Brown, Shelton Clark, Tom Coccagna, Marshall Daniels ’08, Spencer Flohr ’10, Phil Kantaros, Matthew Kearney, Tom McCarthy ’08, Susan Pasternack, Jay Quinn, Frank Rutherford ’70, Dom Schrader ’00, Lindsay Tanton, Wallace Whitworth

Art Direction: Aldrich Design

Head of School: Douglas Hale

Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications: Wallace Whitworth

Assistant Head for External Affairs: Mary Carrasco

Assistant Head for Enrollment: Tommy Adams

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Photo credits: p. 2 Chris Crisman; p. 3 (statues) Mariah Blake ’09; p. 4 (Nye) Ha Lam; p. 5 (Kearney) Crisman; p. 6 Lee Owen; p. 7 Clete D. Johnson, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence; p. 14 courtesy Rob & Karen Marston; p. 15 Ryan Smith; p. 17 courtesy Matt Jackson/Court Shreiner; p. 18 courtesy Deirdre Marshall; p. 19 courtesy Isaac Brody; p. 20 Smith; p. 22 courtesy John Rodgers; p. 23 Clayton CameraCraft; p. 24 U.S. Chamber of Commerce; p. 26 courtesy Pete Williams; p. 27 Mercersburg Academy Archives; p. 28 (Imler) Smith, (Kwak/Nam) Stacey Talbot Grasa; p. 29 (top) Bill Green, (bottom) Owen; p. 30 Phil Kantaros; p. 31 (top, bottom right) Trent Grogan ’09, (bottom left) John Hutchins; p. 32 (top) Green; p. 44 courtesy Frank Rutherford.

Illustrations: cover: Jane Sanders

F r o m t h e H e a d o f S c h o o l

New Roads to a Familiar Place

When I first saw the title of this issue of the magazine—“Where Are They Now?”—I was immediately reminded of Jon Kabat-Zinn’s book, Wherever You Go, There You Are. His book is about the Buddhist practice of mind-fulness: wherever you may go in life, regardless of the path, you are truly

there (at your destination) if you are fully present in mind and spirit. Variations on this same theme abound, of course, in other religious traditions and in other writings.

Sometimes a well-worn path may take a detour of only a few hundred feet, not miles, and in doing so change one’s perspective entirely. Take, for example, our revitalized Quad. Much has changed with this handsome revitalization, but let me assure you, it’s still the Quad you know and love—different yet the same. In addition to a new Irvine Memorial, as well as new lights, guttering, paths, trees, and topography, the Quad’s drive-way also has a new traffic pattern. For 12 years now, when I have needed my car at work, I have driven from North Cottage directly past Lenfest onto the Quad’s drive and into a parking space opposite my office in Traylor Hall. But the new traffic pattern doesn’t allow me to take that route any more, because traffic can no longer cut through at the Lenfest Hall entrance to the Quad. So this fall I found myself taking a new path to my parking space—a path that now takes me down McFarland Road, then behind North Cottage, Main, Swank, South Cottage, and Keil, then onto the Quad driveway, and from there to my space.

While only a slight departure from the previous much-trav-eled path, my new route reminds me that even small changes in our daily paths have a way of shaking things up, usually for the better. I see more often now a less-observed part of the Mercersburg campus—the same one that was the setting for the stunningly beautiful photograph on this year’s holiday card. Suddenly for me the same old drive is not the same old drive. Life has shifted, and I have had to shift with it. Yet I am mindful that in spite of having to yield to what this new path requires, it still takes me to that blessed patch of terra firma—my place on the Quad.

For me this experience is emblematic of the Mercersburg way. The personal paths of our alumni crisscross the globe countless times each year, as they have for generations. But thanks to the eternal values instilled by this great school, we have an eternal inner compass, which—regardless of our life’s path—always brings us back to our blessed place on the Mercersburg Quad.

Wherever you go, here you are.

Douglas HaleHead of School

The personal paths of our alumni crisscross the globe countless times each year, as they have for generations.

MercersburgA roundup of what’s news, what’s new, and what Mercersburg people are talking about.

Dates to Remember

May 7 Dedication of Irvine Memorial/Quad

May 8–9 Board of Regents Spring Meetings

Jun 5 Baccalaureate, 7 p.m.

Jun 6 Commencement, 11 a.m.

Jun 11–14 Anniversary Reunion Weekend for classes ending in 4 and 9

Sep 8 2009–2010 Opening Convocation

Moore Jr. ’47 in the Hall. Carr’s son, Alain ’62, and granddaughter, Elyse ’07, later followed him to Mercersburg.

Michelet, the 1930 winner of the Headmaster’s Prize who later became a Rhodes Scholar, represented—both at Mercersburg and at Dartmouth College—“the highest in attainment in scholarship and athletics,” the News wrote. His death from pneumonia in March 1934, during his senior year at Dartmouth, merited a story in Time magazine.

During his two years at Mercersburg, Michelet lettered in football and track, was a member of the Cum Laude Society, and earned the McLaughlin Prize on the

Schedule subject to change; for a full and updated schedule of events, visit www.mercersburg.edu

On an October afternoon in 1936, eight years after the death of Mercersburg’s first headmaster, Dr. William Mann Irvine, the entire school was present on the lower Quad for the dedication of the Irvine Memorial. There, Headmaster Boyd Edwards and Coach Jimmy Curran unveiled a memorial plaque to Dr. Irvine, accompanied by three-foot bronze statues of a pair of distinguished alumni: two-time Olympic gold medalist Bill Carr ’29 and the late Robert Michelet ’30.

The images of Carr and Michelet were chosen to represent “the best types of American boyhood,” according to a 1936 story in the Mercersburg News. “The general effect of these two figures, one lithe and graceful, the other sturdy and confident… [gives] tangible expression of what the fine school means to her sons and to the whole nation.” Noted Philadelphia sculptor R. Tait McKenzie created the statues and plaque; he was present at their unveiling along with Michelet’s father, Simon, and Carr.

Carr won his gold medals at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, setting two world records in the process. He ran the 400 meters in 46.3 seconds, and also was a member of the U.S. 4x400m relay team. In an athletic career cut short by a car accident, Carr never lost a race longer than one lap.

Carr, who died in 1966, was inducted into the USA Track & Field Hall of Fame in December 2008. He joins fellow Mercersburg alumni and Olympic gold medal-ists Ted Meredith ’12 and Charles

A Tale of Two StatuesCommencement stage. At Dartmouth, he was Phi Beta Kappa, an All-Eastern foot-ball player, and president of his class all four years.

In 1930, Edwards remarked (propheti-cally, as it turns out), “If ever there is a bronze statue made of a typical Mercersburg boy, I’d like Bob to be the model.” Today, the Robert H. Michelet Prize for achievement in scholarship, character, and school spirit is awarded to one Mercersburg senior each year. The award states that Michelet’s career at Mercersburg and at Dartmouth “was almost ideal in its quality and influence.”—Phil Kantaros and Lee Owen

I N S I D E M E R C E R S B U R G

Mark your calendar for the rededication of the Irvine Memorial May 7, 2009. The dedication

celebrates the completion of the revitalization

project for the memorial and for the campus’

central Quad as a whole. More information is available at www.

mercersburg.edu/quad.Michelet Carr

4 M E R C E R S B u R g M A g A z i N E S P R i N g 2 0 0 9

Featured speakers on campus during the fall and winter terms included Naomi Shihab Nye (Ammerman Family Lecture), Paula Lawrence Wehmiller (Fowle Scholar-in-Residence), and Gary Marcus (Jacobs Residency Lecture).

Nye, an American-born poet and author of Palestinian heritage, gave a talk in October titled “The Power of Language.” She has spent three decades traveling the world to lead writing workshops and inspire students of all ages, and uses her writing to attest to our shared humanity.

Lawrence Wehmiller, the inaugural Fowle Scholar-in-Residence, spent three days on campus in November prior to her presenta-tion as part of a Friday school meeting. An Episcopal priest, educator, and author, she describes herself as a “sojourner, storyteller, and dream-bearer.”

Marcus, a professor of psychology at New York University and director of the NYU Infant Language Learning Center, spoke in February on the topic of his most recent book, Kluge: The Haphazard Construction of the Human Mind.

Additionally, organist Haig Mardirosian presented the semiannual Hendrickson Organ Recital in January in the Irvine Memorial Chapel. Mardirosian, who has been a concert organist for 42 years and has been heard on the BBC and National Public Radio, also serves as senior vice provost, dean of academic affairs, and professor of music at American University in Washington.

James “Ted” Meredith (1912), the first Mercersburg athlete to win multiple gold medals in a single Olympic Games, was post-humously inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in November. Meredith, who qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team while a student at Mercersburg, set a world record in the 800-meter run and also earned a gold as a member of the U.S. 4x400m relay team at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm.

Meredith was one of 12 inductees; the group also included Pittsburgh Steelers legend Franco Harris and former major-league p i tcher Pete Vuckovich. Meredi th, who di e d i n 1 9 5 7 , was prev ious ly e n s h r i n e d i n t h e U S A a n d P e n n s y l v a n i a Track & Fie ld Halls of Fame.

In November, two Mercersburg students and four faculty and staff members worked on a home construction project for the ABC tele-vision show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in nearby Quincy Township, Pennsylvania. ABC broadcast the episode in January.

The Mercersburg group included stu-dents John Draper ’09 and Mark Herring ’09, faculty members Gonzalo del Real, Trini Hoffman, Quentin McDowell, and Jo Wrzesinsky, and staff member Kim Palmer. McDowell, Palmer, and Wrzesinsky work in

Mercersburg’s Office of Summer Programs, del Real teaches Spanish, and Hoffman serves as director of student activities on campus.

The project ran November 8–17 in Quincy Township, an area of Franklin County approximately 20 miles east of Mercersburg. The home was built for members of the Drumm family, which manages a Little League organization for special-needs chil-dren. Two of the Drumms’ three children have been diagnosed with autism.

Eight students from Colegio Alemán de San Felipe in Chile spent the month of January at Mercersburg as part of the second-annual exchange program between the schools. In August 2009, a group of Mercersburg stu-dents will join faculty member Alysia Oakley for a return visit to the school, which is approximately 60 miles north of Santiago.

“The exchange between our schools is symbiotic,” says Will Willis, director of inter-national programs, who was part of the first Mercersburg group to visit Chile for the exchange last summer. “Both schools benefit twice a year—whether by offering students the ability to enrich themselves and improve their language skills through an immersion experience, or by hosting students who can share their home culture with the whole school community.”

Eighty members of Mercersburg’s ninth-grade class wrapped more than 1,000 Christmas gifts for needy local children in a single night as part of the Santa’s Toy Box program in December. The Rotary Club of Mercersburg sponsored the program, which provides toys, clothes, and other gifts to more than 160 children in the Mercersburg area. The student wrappers were assisted by Rotarians and youth from nearby St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Nye

’Burg’s EYE VIEW CAMPUS NOTES

Meredith

M E R C E R S B u R g M A g A z i N E S P R i N g 2 0 0 9 5

She Thinks It’s Fallingby Matthew Kearney

She wakes in the gray of a window,Forgetting it was the treesShe needed names for;By herself in the purpling room,Her veins are closed to the soundsShe craves. She gets out of bedOn two vacant legs—It should have been different.Perhaps, if she were naked and translucent—But those days are gone foreverNow—detached like retinas—blinded.The birds have nowhere to perchAnd to flit. She hears the dustIn the shadows of the room. She knowsThe calling of other days and answers—Those answers echo back in redsAnd browns and empty. Like an attic,She has ideas about the world outsideDifferent from the way it was or is,But the far-fetched flatness of themCan’t abide too very long.She grasps the nothing she has To offer as she touches the nothingThere is to hold her. Something is likeThis, she thinks it’s falling.

For the second consecutive year, Mercersburg magazine earned a CASE District II Accolades Award. The publication, which is produced by the school’s Office of Strategic Marketing & Communications, garnered a Silver award in the 2009 competition, and is the only independent-school magazine in the Mid-Atlantic region to capture awards in each of the past two years.

CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education) is the international association for advancement and communi-cations professionals in education; District II includes approximately 250 indepen-dent schools in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and portions of Canada and the Caribbean.

A S E L E C T I O N O F P O E T R Y

Matthew Kearney has served on the Mercersburg faculty since 2000, and has been chair of the English department since 2004. He has twice been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, and is the author of three volumes of poetry: Going Native, Somewhere Torn, and El Mundo Como Otro Mundo.

CORRECTIONDue to a mistake on our part, an error appeared atop Douglas Hale’s “From the Head of School” column in the winter 2008–2009 issue. The headline should have read "The Art of Listening" rather than "The Art of Leadership," as printed. Mercersburg regrets the error.

MercersburgVOLUME 35 NO. 1 S PR I NG 2008

A magazine for Mercersburg Academy family and friends

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Powerand Politics

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Electoral fever gripped the Mercersburg campus long before anyone cast a vote in the historic 2008 general election. Two bipartisan events—an issues forum and a formal debate—were held in the fall with a goal of generating and encouraging discus-sion and education surrounding important political topics.

“We want the focus to be on the issues, not on the personalities of the candidates themselves,” said faculty member Allison Stephens, who joined fellow faculty member Phil Kantaros and staff member Georgina Cranston in helping to organize the events. “The goal for each of our student represen-tatives is not to beat their opponents, but to present the issues in a way that will educate us all.”

The issues forum, held in the Edwards Room of Keil Hall, might be best described as one part carnival and a couple parts stump speech. It featured a number of tables with students defending their views on a particu-lar hot-button issue (health care, war in Iraq, the economy, oil/energy policy). A gong announced to attendees when it was time to move to the next table.

The debate, held closer to Election Day, pitted two groups of three students from both sides of the political spectrum against one another in a spirited discussion in the Simon Theatre.

Look for coverage of several winter and spring events—including Irving-Marshall Week 2009, the April visit of world-renowned composer Philip Glass, the Stony Batter Players production of Brigadoon, and winter sports news.

Coralie Thomas ’09 and Jack Oliphant ’09 argue their positions surrounding government’s relationship with the economy.

Choosing SidesIN

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next

On Inauguration Day, the regular class schedule was adjusted to allow members of the school community to view inaugural proceedings from several locations across the campus.


For the past five and a half years, David Hill ’09 has participated in exercises and training with the Civil Air Patrol, the civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force. Last fall, he learned he would receive the General Carl A. Spaatz Award, an honor bestowed upon a mere one half of one percent of cadets participating in the program. The award is given for excellence in leadership, character, fitness, and aerospace education. On January 26, Hill, of Shepherdstown, West Virginia, was in Washington to be officially honored by Senator John D. Rockefeller IV and Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito. While inside the Capitol with a group that included 14 members of his squadron from Martinsburg, West Virginia, Hill was approached by several aides to President Barack Obama, who was in the building meeting with members of Congress. The aides asked if Hill would mind if Obama presented him with the award. “It was a thrill,” Hill says. “It’s a pretty big honor to get the award, but to have the president give it to you during his first week in office is even more of a thrill.” Hill, who is trained in search-and-rescue, hopes to serve as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, and specifically as a member of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps.

A PRESIDENTIAL PRESENTATION

President Barack Obama with David Hill ’09 (at Obama’s left). Surrounding Hill and Obama are several members of Hill’s Civil Air Patrol squadron.

South Africa: Expedition flag displaying the country’s number of AIDS-related fatalities

Kenya: Locals in traditional clothing greet team vehicles

Dom Schrader ’00 [Mercersburg, winter 2008–2009] was part of a team led by German extreme-sports athlete Joachim Franz that climbed 20 of the highest peaks in Europe and Africa last fall as part of Cape2Cape, an expedition from the North Cape of Norway to Cape Town, South Africa. The journey marked the start of the World AIDS Awareness Expedition (WAAE), with a goal of summiting the tallest peaks in 200 countries to raise awareness of and fight the spread of HIV and AIDS, which continue to plague all regions of the globe. Schrader reached the summits of each country in Scandinavia, his home country of Germany, and several peaks in Africa. Take a peek into the trip through these snapshots; to read an essay from Schrader, visit www.mercersburg.edu/magazine.

On Top of the WorldPHOTOS By UwE FISCHEr | TEAM JOACHIM FrANz

The WAAE is looking for volunteers willing to climb the highest peaks in their home countries. For more information, visit www.waae.de or contact Schrader at [email protected].

FIN

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Ay TO THE TOP

Egypt: Schrader (above and left, wearing blue bandanna), several team members, and their guide atop Mount Catherine

Tanzania: Meeting new friends on the road

Denmark: Schrader carries the Danish expedition flag in his backpack during a run

Finland: A snowstorm as the team readies to climb the Halti



1,050 Words The shoes of Kayleigh Kiser ’11 glow as she performs a clogging solo as part of the Fall Dance Concert [page 28] in the Simon Theatre. To create the effect, Kiser’s shoes were painted fluorescent yellow and the stage was illuminated with only a black light. Photo by Ryan Smith.

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With upwards of 12,000 living Mercersburg alumni in all 50 states and nearly 80 countries around the world, you’d need a pretty big map to find everybody. so with that in mind, we offer this listing of the 40 cities with the largest concentrations of ’burg alumni. For purposes of this map, individual cities were not combined to form metropolitan areas. (The possibilities are endless; a different mix can be created altogether by adding new York and brooklyn, or Washington to its Virginia and Maryland suburbs, or even Mercersburg to chambersburg and greencastle.) On the following pages, reconnect with a variety of Mercersburg alumni from several of this year’s reunion classes—plus one member of the class of 2009. (and don’t forget anniversary reunion Weekend is June 11–14, 2009.)

Where are They now?

Seoul

New York 259Pittsburgh 256Washington 186Mercersburg 159Chambersburg (Pennsylvania) 153Hagerstown (Maryland) 144Baltimore 95York (Pennsylvania) 87Alexandria (Virginia) 81Philadelphia 73Chicago 69Lancaster (Pennsylvania) 68Bethesda (Maryland) 64Harrisburg (Pennsylvania) 63Houston 62Brooklyn (New York) 61Frederick (Maryland) 60Greencastle (Pennsylvania) 59Los Angeles 57Seoul (Korea) 57Arlington (Virginia) 55Seattle 54Waynesboro (Pennsylvania) 54Charlotte (North Carolina) 52San Diego 52Atlanta 50Richmond (Virginia) 48San Francisco 47Wilmington (Delaware) 47 Austin (Texas) 46Charleston (West Virginia) 43Miami 42Raleigh (North Carolina) 42Allentown (Pennsylvania) 40Camp Hill (Pennsylvania) 40State College (Pennsylvania) 40Dhahran (Saudi Arabia) 38Reading (Pennsylvania) 38Tucson (Arizona) 38Winchester (Virginia) 38

dhahran


Karen McDowell ’79 grew up in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, 140 miles north-east of Mercersburg. Rob Marston ’79 spent his youth and adolescent years in seven different countries as the son of a Foreign Service officer.

One day, their paths crossed in Ford Hall on the Mercersburg campus.

“I remember being in line for lunch, and I ended up standing in front of or behind him,” Karen remembers. “When he intro-duced himself as Bob, I looked at him and said, ‘You don’t look like a Bob. You look like a Rob.’ And from that day on, that’s what I’ve called him.”

Over the next two years, the duo grew closer and could often be found playing racquetball on the old squash courts. Years later, as their son, Chris ’07, walked across the Commencement platform, the Marstons became Mercersburg’s first double-legacy family—the first husband-and-wife couple to see their child graduate from the Academy. (Susan Hobbs Nelson ’77 and John Nelson ’77 are set to become Mercersburg’s second double-legacy family next spring, when son Nathaniel ’10 graduates.)

Following their graduations, Karen and Rob stayed in touch on and off through-out college. “I received my Navy orders to go out to California, and I told her, ‘If you ever come out to San Diego, I’ll take you to dinner,’” Rob says.

He soon made good on his promise; Karen was stationed at Vandenberg Air Force Base, five hours north of San Diego. Rob proposed five months later.

After three decades of friendship and mar-riage, the couple can be defined by their phi-

lanthropy and service to the country, their communities, and their alma mater. Karen worked for three years in obstetrics and gyne-cology for the Air Force and as a civilian. She was elected to Mercersburg’s Board of Regents in 2002, and serves on its Admission/College Counseling and Academic Policy/Campus Life committees.

Rob was a surface warfare and naval intel-ligence officer for almost 25 years, with nine years of sea duty. He retired as a captain in 2007, and today teaches high-school social studies in Manassas, Virginia. While stand-ing in front of a class is a big change from Rob’s decades of military service, he sees it as the perfect transition to civilian life.

“A lot of kids will never get the opportu-nity to see what I have, living in seven dif-ferent countries and traveling the world my entire life,” Rob says. “I view teaching social studies as an opportunity to help young minds think about their future, our global diversity, the strengths and values of our democracy, and how solutions are created by being positive, inquisitive, persistent, and team-oriented.”

Their Mercersburg sToryOn a visit to the Mercersburg campus while Chris was in eighth grade, the family discov-ered that although many beautiful new build-ings were in place there, the school’s values and vision to prepare students for college and life had not changed. Chris decided that he,

too, wanted to have his own Mercersburg experience.

“If you ever run into someone that went to Mercersburg, you can have hours of con-versation, even if you didn’t attend at the same time,” Karen says. “All of our stories are the same, because the school hasn’t really changed all that much. It’s still a place where you build special friendships—a place that prepares you for life.”

This theory has been tested time and again. In summer 2001, Rob was an intel-ligence officer on the USS Constellation with fellow alumni Tony Calandra ’84 and Jim Laingen ’84. “There was an instant bond between the three of us,” he says. “These weren’t only my shipmates and pilots coming into the aircraft carrier’s intelligence cen-ter—these were Mercersburg alumni.”

Many of the same faculty members from the Marstons’ tenure as students are still at Mercersburg, and some of their fellow class-mates have since joined the faculty. Karen’s first year on campus coincided with the arrival of Debbie Rutherford, now Mercersburg’s associate head of school. Other familiar faces on the faculty include Debbie’s husband, science teacher Frank Rutherford ’70; Dean of Students Tom Rahauser ’74; and science teacher David Holzwarth ’78.

The faMily legacyThe Marstons say they didn’t set out to become Mercersburg’s first double-legacy

B y N a t a s h a B r o w N

in a seriesFirst

Chris ’07, Karen ’79, Rob ’79, and Bryan Marston

Meet the Marstons, Mercersburg’s first double-legacy family

M e r c e r s b u r g M a g a z i n e s p r i n g 2 0 0 9 15

family. “We were just happy that Chris had an opportunity to go to school there, and that he wanted to go and he was enjoying it,” Rob says. “And I think it was always Jack McDowell’s ’56 dream to have one of his grandsons go to the school. That was more special to us.”

The late John “Jack” McDowell, Karen’s father, served on the Board of Regents from 1983 to 2001. He was the first Mercersburg alumnus whose life-time giving surpassed $1 million. In 2002, the school established the McDowell Society in his honor to recognize donors whose cumulative gifts equal or exceed $1 million.

As alumni whose ties to Mercersburg are just as strong today as they were in 1979, the Marstons have carried on the family legacy by volunteering and giving back to the school—just like Jack McDowell. Karen works behind the scenes as a Regent to ensure that Mercersburg remains a world-class boarding school. Both Karen and Rob are members of the Head of School’s Circle of the William Mann Irvine Society, a recognition for leader-ship donors at Mercersburg.

Since 2004, the Marstons have also been active members of Team in Training, the fundraising component of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

“Mercersburg was a unique opportu-nity and a place to grow, learn, and get prepared for the next phase of my life,” Rob says. “It was my first American school, and the first time that I’d ever lived in the United States. Everything about it was pretty special and neat once you got over the initial, ‘Hey, I’m in boarding school and away from home.’ We’re fortunate that Chris was able to experience the gift that Mercersburg offers.”

Today, Chris is in his second year at Villanova University; the Marstons’ younger son, Bryan, will enter Syracuse University in the fall.

Danny Quinn ’09 hopes to become a Navy SEAL. So it’s no surprise that he’s already a decorated athlete in the water.

Quinn, one of six members of this year’s senior class who came to Mercersburg through the school’s long-standing ties with the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation, will swim for the varsity team at Annapolis next winter. He, along with fellow Foundation student Trey Gregory ’09, is a member of Mercersburg’s Mid-Atlantic Prep League and Easterns-champion 200-yard freestyle relay squad (other team members include Nick Thomson ’10 and Nikolai Paloni ’11).

Approximately 75 students from across the nation are spending a year as post-graduates at Foundation-affiliated preparatory schools or junior colleges this year. Of that number, Quinn is one of just three students to earn an honor scholarship (from the Navy’s Society of Sponsors).

“We’ve been really proud to have Danny in our program,” says Capt. Edward Wallace, executive director of the Naval Academy Foundation. “He’s the kind of guy we hope all our students are like in terms of being motivated, enthusiastic, and willing to experience new environments to broaden their horizons before they come to the Naval Academy. Certainly, Mercersburg has been a great expe-rience for him.”

A native of Queenstown, Maryland, Quinn swam with the Naval Academy Aquatic Club beginning in the sixth grade. He later moved across the Chesapeake Bay to Annapolis, where he attended St. Mary’s High School—one of the USNA’s top feeder schools. Last year, Quinn turned down offers to swim at Penn, Johns Hopkins, and Army in favor of Foundation sponsorship for 2008–2009 and an ensuing appointment to Annapolis as a member of its Class of 2013.

“I’m really attracted to the idea of going to a great school, swimming on a great team, and being able to serve my country afterward,” Quinn says. “I couldn’t see myself going anywhere besides Annapolis.

“Here at Mercersburg, there’s a big leadership component. People look up to you, which is fun—of course, that will all change in a couple of months at the Naval Academy. But there’s a serious emphasis on academics and athletics here, and swimming-wise, I’ve gotten a lot better. That’s important to me.”

The Naval Academy Foundation has sent several students to Mercersburg each year since 1976. Notable recent Foundation alumni with Mercersburg ties include Jade Baum Dunivant ’03, who served as brigade commander her senior year at Annapolis, and current Naval Academy midshipman Fleet White ’08, the Blue Storm’s record holder in the 400-meter hurdles.

In addition to Quinn and Gregory, members of this year’s senior class under Foundation sponsorship include Billy Abrams ’09, Erin McKenna ’09, Jordyn Nicholl ’09, and John Richey ’09. —Lee Owen

Full Speed Ahead

Danny Quinn ’09


How much did Matt Jackson ’04 and Court Shreiner ’04 enjoy Automotive Physics, a directed-study class they took at Mercersburg their senior year?

Five years later, they spend much of their free time building, fixing, and adjust-ing engines, transmissions, and every other part of their racecars—in addition to spring and summer weekends, when they can be found speeding around dirt tracks and road courses in support of their burgeoning racing dreams.

“Honestly, [the class] didn’t feel much like school to me, because it was what I would have been doing in my free time anyway,” Jackson says.

Jackson and Shreiner each balance long hours in the garage with successful jobs unre-lated to cars—Jackson works in real-estate finance for Vornado Realty Trust in New York City, while Shreiner is a project manager for Charles E. Brake Company in St. Thomas (near Mercersburg).

Both were students in Mercersburg faculty member Jim Malone’s inaugural Automotive Physics course in spring 2004. Last summer, Malone worked as a crew member for both Jackson’s and Shreiner’s racing teams; in effect, the teacher became a student. And he loved it.

“One of the best possible rewards for a teacher is to be able to learn more about a subject you’re passionate about from your students,” says Malone, the head of Mercersburg’s science department and a faculty member since 1987. “I was able to learn things from them in a field where I once taught them. As a teacher, it doesn’t get any better than that.”

“hooked” oN carsJackson races a Mazda Miata in the Spec Miata class of the Mid-Atlantic Road Racing Series (or MARRS), which is organized under the Sports Car Club of America.

You’re not likely to find many Ivy League graduates driving racecars, but Jackson (an alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School) has been interested in racing for a long time. After his parents allowed him to drive his car on the track at Summit Point Motorsports Park (near his home in West Virginia) as a high-school graduation present, he was—in his words—“hooked.”

“I couldn’t sleep well for nights after that because I kept replaying laps around the track in my head,” he says.

That summer, before he left for Penn, Jackson started working for Meathead Racing, a team that builds and races Miatas. In 2006, he took the plunge and decided to build his own track-ready Miata out of a used car he had purchased from one of the team members. “After having a roll cage installed, I basically stripped the car in its entirety—removing the entire drive-train, suspension, and braking system,” he says. “From there I cleaned everything and replaced all the parts as needed.”

The process took about a year’s worth of weekends and school breaks, and was com-pleted in April 2007. “For the most part,” Jackson continues, “I tried to figure every-thing out myself, so I would be more famil-iar with the car when I needed to repair it in the future.” Good thing, too—Jackson’s engine blew up in his fourth race during the 2007 season.

As he was reconstructing the engine, Jackson thought Malone would enjoy hearing about his experiences on the track; Malone responded that he would love to help Jackson with his rebuilding project. “He actually came to my parents’ house over winter break to help me assemble the engine and help with some other projects on the car,” Jackson says.

Malone also volunteered to work as a crew member for Jackson at his races during the summer 2008 season. “I usually did all the preparation and repairs myself in addition to driving, so having his help was great,” says Jackson, who improved from the bottom half of the standings to the top five in a 40-car field. “I owe a lot of my improvement to Mr. Malone’s help, and had a great time working with him.”

a family BusiNessAlso that summer, Malone ran into Shreiner, who was working on a project installing new sewer lines for several faculty homes on the Mercersburg campus. Shreiner told Malone about some of his racing experiences, and Malone volunteered to work on his crew as well.

Shreiner races tube-chassis, full-bodied racecars in the Limited Late Model class, and can frequently be found competing at dirt tracks like Hagerstown Speedway or banked-clay ovals in Path Valley, Pennsylvania, and Cumberland, Maryland. “What excites a lot of people about dirt racing is that you turn right to go left, so you’re basically power-sliding through the turns,” Shreiner says. “And on tacky tracks, not only are you sliding

By Lee OwenWheels inMOTION

two alumNi craNk thiNgs up iN BusiNess aNd oN the racetrack

Court Shreiner ’04 working on a car

through the corners, but you do it on three wheels—with the left-front wheel in the air.”

A 2008 graduate of the Pennsylvania College of Technology (where he also played baseball), Shreiner and his father, Curt, handle all the building and maintenance for his car. “The first year I raced, I had four wrecks—and I bent the frame of the car in three of those,” he says. “Most of the other incidents that I’ve had involved sheet-metal damage, bent bumpers, and bent or broken suspension pieces. It all may seem minor, but it all costs money to replace, so you try not to mess anything up.”

It seems natural that Shreiner’s racing team would have a strong family compo-nent, given that he spends his days working for a company named for his great-grand-father, Charles E. Brake, who founded the company bearing his name 85 years ago. Today, Shreiner’s grandfather, Harold Brake ’54, serves as the company’s chair-man; Harold Brake is a former member of Mercersburg’s Alumni Council and has been named one of Franklin County’s most influ-ential businesspeople.

“One thing about working for a family business is that when you’re working on a project, you’re always looking for ways to

improve productivity, to cut back on costs, and to reduce waste,” Shreiner says. “My perspective has definitely changed from just working to get the job done to getting it done while trying to save money and increase production.”

applyiNg classroom techNiquesJackson insists the course he and Shreiner took from Malone taught them about more than just cars (or science); rather, partici-pants learn how to tackle complex projects

and build the confidence to face daunting tasks.

“To most people, an engine is an incred-ibly complicated piece of machinery with hundreds of parts,” Jackson says. “It’s true that an engine is complex, but it can be broken down into a number of more manage-able systems, and Mr. Malone showed us this in a hands-on way. I think this idea is appli-cable to almost any situation in life—and it’s one of the most important and useful lessons I learned at Mercersburg.”

Matt Jackson ’04 with Jim Malone


he phrases “plastic surgeon in Miami” and “mother of six” bring to mind dif-ferent mental pictures, but it’s rea-

sonable to deduce that either would require enough time and energy to be a full-time job.

Deirdre Marshall ’79 is living proof that one person can do both, and with a sense of mission and purpose.

In addition to running a highly successful Miami surgery practice, Marshall has trav-eled as far as Vietnam and South America to offer professional expertise in support of medical missions and organizations like the Child Foundation and Smile Train. On these trips, she frequently performs cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries, along with pro-cedures dealing with burns and deformities of the hand. Marshall’s husband, Anthony Wolfe, is also a plastic surgeon specializing in craniofacial surgery, and has joined her in a working capacity on many of the trips.

“I have wanted to be a doctor since I was nine,” Marshall says. “Both of my parents were doctors in Morgantown, West Virginia. I grew up at a time when it was amazing to be a doctor; my parents loved their jobs, and their patients loved and respected them.”

When Marshall was in eighth grade, her parents packed up the family for a sabbatical year in Oxford, England. “The public schools in England are probably on a level with the private schools in this country,” Marshall says. “We got so far ahead—a grade ahead academically—that my parents weren’t going to send my brother [Stephen ’77] and me back to public school. My parents are from Belfast, Northern Ireland, and my mother went to boarding school during World War II. I think my parents had friends whose children were at Mercersburg or were going to go there.”

Marshall adds, jokingly, that boarding school “had always been a threat: if we didn’t behave, we were going to get sent away to boarding school like she did.” Stephen is now an attorney; the siblings’ younger brother, Ian ’81, also became a doctor before he passed away in 1994.

At Mercersburg, Marshall found her way not only academically but athletically. “Even though I wanted to be a doctor, Mercersburg forced me to be exposed to everything else and not just have a one-track mind,” she says. “I swam, I ran, I played field hockey. My adviser was Wirt Winebrenner ’54, and he was heavily focused on English and the literary arts.

“I didn’t just do science and math, which was good because it didn’t push me into the scientific field; it just confirmed that I wanted to do that. But it forced me to get outside that box and do everything else.”

Marshall’s time in England whetted her appetite for travel; while at Mercersburg, she studied abroad for a year in Rennes, France. Later, as an undergraduate at Yale University, she spent her junior year in Paris with Columbia’s Reid Hall program.

Thanks also to Mercersburg, she decided to pursue a less-conventional major—at least for a pre-med student. “I majored in French because I wanted to spend another year abroad before I got totally sucked up into

medical school and residency,” Marshall says. “My parents suggested it too, because they had always traveled a lot. Mercersburg allowed me to take enough AP courses that I could still do all the pre-med courses and a French major in four years.”

After Yale, Marshall enrolled in medical school at Stanford University. “I assumed I would do what my father did—he was a car-diologist,” Marshall says. “I really related a lot to my father, and I have a lot of similarity to him in my personality. I think that as a kid, if you like and admire your parents, you think that maybe you’re going to do what one or the other of them does. But my father didn’t really do sports; I played a lot of sports and was very active. To me, surgery is the more physically active side of the medical profes-sion. I like surgery because it’s a physical job; you use your brain and you use your hands. It’s very physical and very creative in a dif-ferent way than internal medicine.

“My adviser [at Stanford] was the head of plastic surgery, so I got exposed to that very early. Part of it also is that my mother’s a pathologist. Pathology is the study of abnor-malities and diseases; I realized that you could actually see those things and correct them physically with plastic surgery. So it’s not just the aesthetic part of it; the recon-structive part of plastic surgery was really interesting to me.”

For Marshall (who received Mercersburg’s Distinguished Alumni Service Award in 1999), the most fulfilling part of her job is being able to improve a patient’s physical and emotional outlook, leading to elevated quality of life for both the patient and the patient’s loved ones. “It could be a facelift,

Better LifeOPERATION:

By SheLtOn CLark

Deirdre Marshall’s work touches the faces of many

L

“if you can change and improve

something and make the person happier

and healthier, that’s what’s most

rewarding.”—Dr. DeirDre Marshall ’79

T


it could be a rhinoplasty, it could be fixing something aesthetic or cosmetic that may change a person’s behavior [for a lifetime],” she says. “If you can change and improve something and make the person happier and healthier, that’s what’s most rewarding.”

istening to Isaac Brody ’99 tell a story is to know how it feels to get lost in a good book on a cold, rainy day. Storytelling comes easily to this multifaceted alum. Brody

is descriptive, compelling, warm, and intrigu-ing as he discusses travels to Swaziland with his

father, Alan ’64, and his current passion: filmmaking. Brody’s first trip to Swaziland at age 20 was the catalyst

that set his passion and career in motion. Traveling with his father, who has worked for UNICEF since 1984, Brody was shocked to discover the degree of devastation caused by HIV and AIDS; he immediately saw the disease’s debilitating effects on Swaziland’s society. “Seeing this face-to-face was something entirely different,” he says. Brody was so pierced by the expe-rience he felt moved to do something — but what? “I went back to Tufts where I was in my second year, quit the a cap-pella group I belonged to, took a job at a local TV station, and started teaching myself filmmaking.”

Though he says filmmaking did not come naturally to him, Brody was consumed by it for the next several years. “Film felt like the best way to combine my music and writing talents,” he says. “And for me, film feels more powerful than writing. Part of the appeal is that I can show things exactly as I see them—there is a responsibility in deciding what to show.” His expe-rience in Swaziland continued to motivate and inspire him. “I thought to myself, I have to make these movies so moving and so heartbreaking, so people can feel what I feel,” he says. “I could not ignore my conscience.”

One of Brody’s movies is a little gem called Sipho and Joyce,

S EAS O N E D TRAV E L E R I SA AC B RO DY K N OWS TH E POW E R O F C I N E MA

Worlds on

FilmBy LindSay tantOn

a 27-minute, heart-wrenching docudrama that explores the daily lives of two AIDS orphans in southern Africa. The film played at the 2005 Boston International Film Festival and the 2005 Zimbabwe International Film Festival.

Now in his final semester of the graduate film program at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Brody is keeping an open mind. Filmmaking and the teaching of filmmaking is his admitted career path, but he finds his genre of films chang-ing and evolving. “I just completed a dark romantic comedy called The Raffle, which I consider to be very personal,” he says. The short film deals with a couple that decide to break up amicably. “When I look back, with Sipho and Joyce I was reaching out; with The Raffle, I was reaching in.”

Brody discusses his Mercersburg experience with famil-iar ease. By the time he came to the Academy as a 16-year-old, he had lived a somewhat nomadic life, trailing his father’s UNICEF career to Iowa, Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkey, and China. “The stability of one place was a very important element for me,” he says convincingly. “Having stability is what allowed me to work hard and finish what I started. I learned this from athletics, my teachers, and my classmates, who were best friends and family to me.”

Brody chuckles while remembering some of the “crazy stories” he wrote in his creative writing classes. “It sounds cliché, but Mercersburg was where I felt I could stretch myself and explore possibilities,” he says. Feeling nostalgic for a moment, the world-traveling filmmaker on the rise pauses before he says with conviction, “My talents were nurtured at Mercersburg.”

In recent years, Marshall has found it increasingly difficult to travel on mission trips due to demands associated with both family (her six children range in age from 3 to 14) and the continued building of her medical practice. However, Miami’s con-

stant influx of foreign citizens—especially those in need—allows her to continue to help many that have not had access to first-class medical care. “So I feel like that part of the desire to go and do things like that is satisfied,” she says.

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ike so many Mercersburg students of his era, Sonny Parsons ’59 was a regular customer at Jack McLaughlin’s Drug Store down-town. Parsons and his classmates frequently enjoyed a dish of

ice cream, a flavored Coke, or a game of pinball at the establishment—which was part pharmacy, part soda

fountain, and part lunch counter. Little did Parsons know he would one day own the place.“Jack had the most wonderful fountain you could ever imagine,”

says Parsons, who teamed with business partner Anthony Colangelo to buy the store in 1975 following the death of McLaughlin, its proprietor and namesake and a member of the Academy’s Class of 1924. “He put a lot of his pharmaceutical knowledge into making all kinds of syrups and drinks—cherry, chocolate, sarsaparilla, you name it—and he did the same with his ice creams. They were deli-cious, and can’t be compared to anything.”

Parsons was working in nearby Waynesboro as a pharmacist for Thrift Drug, a regional drugstore/pharmacy chain, when McLaughlin died and his store came up for sale. Parsons approached Colangelo,

who held the same position at the Thrift’s store in Chambersburg, about the venture. Today, the store is known as Modnur Pharmacy; a second Modnur store can be found in St. Thomas, and a third (which still does business under the McLaughlin’s name) is located over the mountain in McConnellsburg.

The sale meant Parsons, a graduate of Juniata College and the Philadelphia College of Science and Pharmacy, would move his young family down Pennsylvania Highway 16 to the place he called home for three years as an Academy student. At the time, Parsons and his wife, Carol, had three children; the youngest was a one-year-old girl named Emily. (Remember the name; more on this part of the story later.)

As the family settled into its new home across North Main Street from the store, Parsons and Colangelo moved the store in a different

direction—both figuratively and literally. With more of a focus in the pharmaceu-tical area and success in what Parsons calls the “out-front business”—cosmetics,

By Lee Owen

Sonny Parsons ’59 with daughter and Mercersburg faculty member Emily Howley

The Best Medicinetown and gown connections abound for pharmacist sonny parsons

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health and beauty aids, and other departments independent phar-macies are best known for today—and with the ultimate goal of moving the store into a location large enough to serve its growing customer base, the soda fountain disappeared.

The store moved from its original location at 15 North Main (now home to the James Buchanan Hotel) to a building on the town square, then back down the street and finally to its pres-ent-day location next to Jane’s Market northeast of downtown Mercersburg proper.

“It was a hard thing to do,” Parsons says of the decision to phase out the fountain. “This was where people came to have their morning coffee. If you wanted to know anything that was going on in town, this is where you came to find out. It was better than any newspaper. But, by 9 a.m., the store was empty; people had all left to go to their workplaces.”

As regional and smaller chain pharmacies are bought out by larger chains—not to mention the expansion and growth of big-box retailers with pharmacies like Wal-Mart and Target—Modnur and stores like it have found a niche with customers looking for per-sonal service from a pharmacist.

“What I’ve found is that you can practice your profession here the way it should be practiced,” Parsons says. “I have a lot of time for relationships with patients. I’ve been in this town for three gen-erations; I know grandparents, parents, and their children. At the chain stores, people just come and go; there’s no interaction, and they’re more interested in production. We have two pharmacists [on duty] in the store; one of us can be serving customers at all times while the other fills your prescription.”

Want another reason to do business with your local pharmacist? In a pinch, he might be able to help when your child gets sick and needs a crucial medicine on a holiday. (Try convincing the big-box pharmacist to open up his store on Christmas morning.)

This summer, Parsons will make the extremely short trip to the Academy for his class’s 50th anniversary reunion. And as excited as he is to see old friends, he can visit one familiar face on campus anytime he wants, and only needs to walk into a Lenfest Hall class-room to do so. His daughter, known today as Emily Howley, is in her ninth year teaching history at Mercersburg.

“It was really nice growing up here,” says Howley, the third of five grown Parsons children. “I was excited to come to work here, and I think Dad was happy when I got the job here, too.”

Given the history connecting her family with the school, it’s fitting that the Howleys’ first home when Emily joined the faculty was in Main Hall, where her father had lived as a student more than four decades earlier. (She and her husband, Tim, have since moved to another home on campus with their two children.)

“It’s wonderful that she’s teaching here,” Parsons says. “I knew Mercersburg would be a good match for her and would give her fulfillment. In a way, she has a similar relationship with her stu-dents as I do with my patients at the pharmacy.”

From the TopJohn Rodgers—a leader in his field—helps others get there, tooBy tOm COCCagna

it somehow seems appropriate that in 1988, when John Rodgers ’79 was the wrestling coach at Mercersburg, he was grappling with a life-changing decision.

He could stay at the Academy, secure with a steady income in the teaching and coaching positions he had held since 1984. He could then continue to build his wrestling program and immerse himself in assembling a compre-hensive summer-camp program.

Or he could leave for something a little more precari-ous; a job whose income was dependent on how well he could convince people to take advantage of his product—in this case, Dale Carnegie Training.

“It was a very challenging decision,” Rodgers says. “There were so many positive things to be involved in at Mercersburg. When I chose to leave for a straight-commis-sion sales job, some faculty members took me aside and asked, ‘Are you really sure about this?’ It was a pretty big step, but I was confident it was the right fit for me.”

The words “right fit” turned out to be an understate-ment. Rodgers quickly made an impact as a Dale Carnegie instructor, and today he is one of the company’s top fran-chise owners in the world. He is a member of the exclusive Dale Carnegie Millennium Club, meaning his franchise has been ranked among the top 20 in the world for the past six years.

Companies work with Dale Carnegie Training to help their employees improve skills in leadership, sales, customer service, presentations, and many other areas. By “connecting proven solutions with real-world chal-lenges,” according to the company’s official website, “Dale Carnegie Training is recognized internationally as the leader in bringing out the best in people.”

When it comes to motivating people to become better at their jobs, Rodgers is one of his company’s best. But it all started very innocently.

“If you had told me in 1985 that I would be consid-ered a top-level Dale Carnegie trainer and a sought-after speaker,” Rodgers says, “I would have said, “Interesting, but not possible.’”

continued on page 22


In 1985, when Rodgers was teaching history and political science, he was searching for a way to help make his presenta-tions more dynamic. His father, John Sr. (then a member of Mercersburg’s Board of Regents), suggested that he take a Dale Carnegie course.

“I thought he was crazy,” the younger Rodgers says with a chuckle. But he and two other faculty members, Mark Welker and Kathy Kunkle, joined a class that John’s father was teaching in nearby Waynesboro.

“His father was an excellent instructor and a very inspiring guy,” says Welker, who now has a doctorate and works for ExxonMobil in Baytown, Texas. “I do recall John being very excited about it.”

The fundamentals of the training course stuck with Rodgers. In 1987, Bill Spinazzola, a former franchise owner, approached Rodgers about exploring a career with Dale Carnegie Training.

So as Rodgers went through the next school year, the opportu-nity kept churning in his mind. If he were to stay at Mercersburg, he realized, he would become heavily involved in summer camps, including the chance to host one associated with Iowa State University’s prestigious wrestling program.

The tug of the Dale Carnegie program, however, was too hard to resist, and he and his family headed north to State College, Pennsylvania, where Rodgers became a sales representative for Dale Carnegie.

“I could have used my entrepreneurship in running the summer camps,” he explains, “but in sales, I could be in a position where I could impact a greater amount of people.”

Rodgers became a certified instructor in 1989 and began piling up awards shortly thereafter. “The last time I ran into John was in 1990, when I just happened to see him on a street in State College,” Welker remembers. “I could tell he was excited about his job, that he enjoyed Dale Carnegie, and that things were going really well.”

So well, in fact, that Rodgers became general manager of a fran-chise in 1996 before buying his own in 2001. In 2005, he received the Board of Directors Silver Award for having the No. 2 franchise in the world. He owns franchises in Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, and Las Vegas.

“What I find most rewarding is helping companies realize significant changes in profitability through their people.”—John Rodgers ’79

“John is one of the shining stars among our 160 worldwide fran-chisees,” says David Fagiano, chief operating officer of Dale Carnegie & Associates. “His commitment to quality, customer service, and the founding principles of our organization has given him a leadership role in our global network.”

Debbie Rutherford, associate head of school at Mercersburg, is not the least bit surprised by Rodgers’ success. She saw him mature as a Mercersburg student and grow as a faculty member.

“John was always positive, nice to everybody, and he always put his heart in everything he did,” Rutherford says.

As Rodgers enters his third decade with Dale Carnegie, his enthu-siasm never pales. Even with a downturn in the overall economy, the company continues to boom. Dale Carnegie Training has franchises in all 50 states and more than 75 countries, and employs more than 2,700 instructors. According to the company’s website, approximately 7 million people have completed Dale Carnegie Training.

“The exciting thing about Dale Carnegie professional devel-opment is that all people can benefit,” says Rodgers, whose son, Sam ’11, is nearing completion of his first year at Mercersburg. “In a down economy or an up economy, people are always interested in investing in professional development for their employees—whether in personal skills, leadership skills, or how to deal with stress.”

A group of Mercersburg students benefited from two seminars Rodgers conducted for them several years ago—an abbreviated youth program that simulated the Dale Carnegie leadership-development program.

“He didn’t have to come back and do it for the kids, but he did,” Rutherford says. “The program got good reviews. He is so energetic and has charisma. He’s real—and the kids relate to him because he’s so positive.”

Rodgers maintains a positive outlook during the most trying of cir-cumstances. He conducted an interview for this story while stuck in traffic on a Milwaukee highway in zero-degree January weather. Most of his travel isn’t that extreme, but in adhering to the Dale Carnegie philosophy, you make the most of what you have.

“What I find most rewarding is helping companies realize signifi-cant changes in profitability through their people,” he says. “At the Detroit airport one time, a guy stopped me right in my tracks just to say ‘thanks.’ That’s special.”

continued from page 21


orge Vargas ’84 recalls his first meeting with Jose Alonso ’84 at a gathering during Inbound, Mercersburg’s orien-tation program for new students.

“I was standing by myself, getting ready to meet people, and I heard Jose and this other guy—it was [future Academy Award–winning actor] Benicio Del Toro ’85—speak-ing Spanish,” says Vargas. “Beno was also in our Inbound group. So they were talking, and I’m listening to them. I’m just sitting there watching them, and I had this smirk on my face. They turn around, look at me, and say in Spanish, ‘You speak Spanish?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah.’”

“After that, we became really good friends,” Vargas says. “I lived in Swank Hall, and Jose lived in Fowle Hall, but I ended up being his roommate by the end of the year. This was in 10th grade, and we’ve been friends ever since.”

Friends then and now—and currently at the top of the letterhead at Alpharetta, Georgia–based ForgeHouse, a security-guard software company. Alonso started the company and serves as its chief operating officer. After the company found investors, Alonso hired Vargas to be ForgeHouse’s chief financial officer.

“We always got along, except for one or two incidents,” Alonso interjects, eliciting a knowing laugh from Vargas—“some more fun than others.”

As with many enduring friendships, Vargas and Alonso have very different personalities. “He was the smart one,” Alonso says.

“I plan things—I’m methodical,” Vargas explains. “I have to know what I’m doing before I get into something, and Jose is more like, ‘Oh, I’ll figure it out when I get there.’ At Mercersburg, he was always up to some scheme.”

The difference in their personalities—Alonso uses the phrase “yin and yang”—gave them an inkling that they would someday be in business. “We kind of balance each other,”

Back in BusinessBy SheLtOn CLark

Longtime Mercersburg friends reunite in the corporate world

Vargas says, “and that’s why we would be great together.”

Both men grew up in Miami, but Vargas’ father had worked for Aramco, the national oil company of Saudi Arabia (now known as Saudi Aramco). “Mercersburg did a presenta-tion in Saudi Arabia, and I remember seeing it and noticing how beautiful the school was,” Vargas recalls. “When I got home that day, I told my parents, ‘I know what school I’m going to.’ My dad wanted me to go to an all-boys school, but I said, ‘No, I’m going to Mercersburg.’ And my dad’s very much that whatever he says goes.

“It was really funny, because until the day we got to Mercersburg, he was still saying, ‘You know, you should have gone to the school I told you about.’ When we got to Mercersburg and saw the school, he said, ‘This is amazing. This is a great pick.’ Ever since, he has said what a great school I went to.”

Like their personalities, the two have dif-ferent backgrounds. Vargas is of Colombian descent; Alonso is of Cuban descent. Vargas’ father had worked in the oil industry his whole career, while Alonso’s father had been an entrepreneur, first in pre-Castro Cuba and then in Miami.

“As we were growing up, I stayed with Jose a lot on vacations,” Vargas says. “I would hear these stories [from Alonso’s father, also named Jose] about how he started his company. So his father was the one that kind of inspired me to want to start my own company, and for Jose, it was natural.”

True to pattern, their paths af ter Mercersburg were quite different. Vargas earned an engineering degree from Vanderbilt University, worked in an engi-neering firm for four years, and then studied entrepreneurial finance at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. Alonso enrolled at Catholic University before finishing at Samford University. He did everything from detailing cars to directing a janitorial service

before finding a niche running a security-guard company.

All through the years, they had kept in touch, getting together at least once a year and occasionally kicking around business ideas.

“Jorge was working in Atlanta for an engi-neering firm,” Alonso says. “He told me, ‘Come live in Atlanta when you graduate.’ I get there, and six months later, he leaves me and goes to L.A. So I swore that I would pay him back.”

Alonso had come up with a concept for computer software that would help manage issues in his security-guard company; every-thing from uniforms to employee turnover. He turned to Vargas, first to see if Vargas knew of a programmer who could develop the software. After Vargas directed him to a programmer, ForgeHouse secured investors, took the company public, and found itself in need of a CFO.

“Where money’s concerned, you want to make sure you can trust the person and make sure they’re honest—that’s very important,” says Alonso. “There’s only one person that came to mind—my mom, but she didn’t take the job.” (That draws another chuckle from Vargas.) “So I gave it to Jorge.”

In the company’s early days, ForgeHouse hoped to gain a client for its OneVision software that was among the top five in the security-guard industry. Indeed, ForgeHouse landed a contract with Securitas, the largest such firm in the country.

“We’re changing the way the security-guard industry does business,” Alonso says. “We found a lot of pushback initially, but now all the other security-guard companies are beginning to say, ‘Wow, this is the future. We need to go there.’”

JAlonso (left) and Vargas


mm: when you hear “mercersburg,” what images

come to mind?

Josten: For me, Mercersburg was a founda-tion, and not simply in the sense of learn-ing; rather, it was a foundation for my future. Coming from a New Jersey public-school system, I had some early struggles that could be fairly described as catching up to the level of performance expected at Mercersburg.

Mercersburg enables a student to learn how to reason, how to think, and how to exer-cise good, sound, solid judgment. I found that in my freshman year at Harvard, I was far better prepared than my classmates in many of my courses; in some cases, I had studied the issues my junior and senior years at Mercersburg. So that gave me a real edge as a freshman, [which is normally] an awkward, nervous period for many people.

MM: Ultimately, why did you decide to come here?Josten: Camden, which is right across the Delaware River from Philadelphia and near my hometown of Pennsauken, was one of those places during the riots of the late 1960s where half the city burned down. I came home one day knowing that I wanted

to get out of there and go somewhere else. My parents kind of chuckled, “How are you going to do that?” I said, “I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out.”

I had been swimming in AAU leagues since I was 7. At a number of AAU swim meets, which had people from all over the country, I met a few people. I knew one other person going to Mercersburg. So I decided to apply, took a trip, and got accepted. It was late in the summer. I needed a scholar-ship—my parents could not afford to send me to Mercersburg. So the school literally called an alumnus who had some wealth and explained my situation. He was not a swimmer, but had always been interested in the swimming team—and, long story short, he said he’d sponsor a scholarship for me.

I was extraordinarily fortunate that I was able to make that transition and extraordi-narily lucky to be able to go to a school like Mercersburg.

MM: What was it like going from public schools in Camden to Mercersburg and then on to Harvard?Josten: You have to appreciate that [the period including] my last two years at Mercersburg

and first two years in college was a very unset-tling time. Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy were assassinated while I was at Mercersburg, and the protests surrounding Vietnam were ramping up. That spilled over into Mercersburg in some sense, and defi-nitely into my first two years at Harvard.

They had to actually close Harvard in the spring of my freshman and sophomore years due to riots; the ROTC building was burned down, and the administration building was taken over repeatedly. I lived in a building where the first two floors were the president’s offices, and the third, fourth, and fifth floors contained dorm rooms. There were many days that it was simply impossible to get into my dorm due to the surrounding protests, or tear gas, or police.

mm: give us some insight into what you do for the

Chamber, and why it is such a good fit for you.

Josten: We’re a national organization that represents the interests of the business com-munity before the three branches of govern-ment. My role deals more specifically with the executive branch; I manage a number of divisions—one dealing with tax and eco-nomic policy, another dealing with labor and employee benefits, immigration policy, health-care policy, pension policy, and work-place policy. Another division deals with the environment, energy, technology, and regulatory policies. There is also an inter-national division that focuses on interna-tional policies, specifically trade agreements and international tax treaties. And lastly, a congressional and public affairs division,

interView By waLLaCe whitwOrth

Capital Gains:A conversation with Bruce Josten ’69

Bruce Josten ’69 is the United States Chamber of Commerce’s executive vice-president for government affairs. Josten serves as the organization’s principal liaison to the White House and Congress, and is a frequent commentator on national legislative, political, and economic issues affecting the business community. Roll Call named him one of the 50 most influential Washingtonians in electing congressional candidates.

A native of Camden County, New Jersey, Josten was an accomplished youth swimmer who spent three years at Mercersburg before graduating from Harvard University. Read on for more about his on-campus experiences during the turbulent 1960s and an inside look at the Washington of today.


comprised of individuals who spend most of their time on Capitol Hill, working with other outside interest groups to form and forge coalitions of interested parties around issues.

We also engage with the election process for members of Congress. We don’t get involved with presidential elections, but we do get involved in congressional elections. Those are the different playing fields of responsibility that funnel up to my desk.

MM: 2009 is a very different kind of year, because we are mired in a fairly nasty recession, we have two wars that continue to roll on, and we have a brand-new president and his brand-new admin-istration. How do these factors affect the mission of the U.S. Chamber and American business in general?Josten: It’s a dramatic effect. We’ve gone through a globally integrated, first-in-a-lifetime collapse of the financial system. The global integration worked quite well for some time—for individual Americans, American business, the American economy, and other economies throughout the world. You’ve heard a lot recently about “systemic risk.” What we’ve all learned is that when a major component of that integrated finan-cial system (in this case, the credit area) col-lapses, the entire system is brought down. And that’s the definition of systemic risk.

Add to that a once-in-a-lifetime, never-happened-before national decline in housing values—probably the single major “what if” that nobody ever predicted and no one expected. On the heels of the financial-credit crisis, this has fueled the deepest recession since the Great Depression, and a ratio of debt-to-GDP of 350 percent. (To put that into perspective, 350 percent is the highest ratio here in a hundred years, and exceeds the ratio during the Depression itself—250 percent.)

We have an economy largely fueled by consumption, meaning the two necessary bookends are credit and confidence. And clearly, in today’s economic environment, we do not have very much of either. That leaves us with an American public weary of its recent past—in terms of the economy and

some other issues—and wary of its future. Also, we are probably seeing—for the

first time—a global economic recession. Between exports and imports, 30 percent of the American economy is in international trade; 57 million Americans have jobs that are tied to trade. Companies have an inter-est in selling their products and services to the roughly 96 percent of the world’s popula-tion that does not live in America—a group which is grappling with its own recessions. So that’s a major wet blanket hanging over the economy today.

We just finished a national election where the Democrats bulked up their majorities in both chambers and a newly elected President Obama took over. A recent Gallup poll puts his approval rating as the highest (78 percent) of any president in modern history. Expectations are stratospheric; he has the weight of the world’s problems resting on his shoulders. Beyond our own domestic and economic challenges, he’s also taking over one of the toughest in-boxes in terms of foreign policy of any president in the last 55 years.

So we’re looking at Washington, D.C., as the last hope, because it is a federal gov-ernment entity that can jump in and try to stimulate the American economy. The Federal Reserve has pretty much fired every gun it has in terms of monetary policy to help jump-start the economy. We’ve already had an Emergency Economic Stabilization Act enacted into law in the last Congress, the $700 billion Toxic Asset Relief Program (TARP).

Right now [in January], I am in the throes of working with this Congress on an eco-nomic stimulus package to try and spur economic growth, to stem future job losses, and hopefully to help create some jobs—and to put into place some sound spend-ing measures to create a better platform for the American economy to run on once it recovers.

So I think it’s fair to say that the business of the United States is very Washington- centric. In many ways, you can say that Washington is the center of the American business universe.

mm: imagine you’ve been asked to speak to

the mercersburg student body and to give your

thoughts on what young people must learn

and know to be successful. what would you tell

them?

Josten: If you’re going to be successful, both personally and in your career, you have to invest in yourself. By that, I mean you have to invest the time and the effort to broaden your knowledge scope. Don’t get cubbyholed into one view of the world, as I fear many Americans do today—where one newspaper or one TV show offers its slant, and that’s all you take in.

Be open to ideas that are counter to what you appreciate or even believe in. Learn to understand opposing points of view. Look around before you take action and move, much like your mother did when you were a little kid crossing the street.

Next, learn as much as you can along the way. In a knowledge-based world, we are becoming a knowledge-based economy. Previous generations held one to four jobs over a lifetime; current generations, accord-ing to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, are changing jobs eight to 12 times over a life-time. That means you are forever going to be exposed to the need to learn new skills and have different levels of understanding.

Employers are increasingly—and the world is increasingly—in need of people who can think and can exercise good, sound judg-ment, which takes us back to the point I was making about my education at Mercersburg. And you can’t do any of that unless you expose yourself to conflicting ideas and then learn from them.

Ultimately, every individual has to be confident in himself or herself. If you aren’t, then you probably lack some respect for yourself. And if you don’t have confidence and respect for yourself, it will be very dif-ficult to have respect for and confidence in other people.

Learning is an ongoing process. It never stops. And certainly it is not going to slow down in the foreseeable future.


Editor’s note: John Macionis ’34 is one of the greatest swimmers in the illustrious athletic histories of both his alma maters—Mercers-burg and Yale University.

At Mercersburg, he was part of two record-setting national interscholastic relay teams with Bob Johnson ’35 and the late John Hartlein ’34 and John Thomas ’34. Macionis swam at the 1936 Summer Olympic Games in Berlin, winning a silver medal as part of the American 4x200-meter freestyle relay team, and later captured back-to-back individual NCAA championships (1937 and 1938) at Yale in the 1500m freestyle.

Today, at age 92, Macionis resides near Philadelphia and is Mercersburg’s oldest living Olympic medalist. He served as an official at the Eastern Interscholastic Swimming Championships for more than 50 years, and swam daily into his 90s.

As part of their senior project, Blue Storm swimmers Tom McCarthy ’08 and Marshall Daniels ’08 interviewed Macionis about his memories of Mercersburg and of the Berlin Olympics. On the 75th anniversary of his Academy graduation, we present some of his recollections.

Mercersburg, 1933–1934Macionis initially came to Mercersburg from Central High School in Philadelphia. “I had to take all the College Board subjects,” he recalled, “and I flunked them all. No one at Central had even heard of the College Boards.”

Young John, however, had no difficulty in the swimming pool. Through the Big Brothers Swimming Association, the gifted athlete earned a spot in the Amateur Athletic Union Championships, an event that would

By SpenCer FLOhr ’10

Two stories from Mercersburg’s oldest living Olympic medalistAccounts

Eyewitness

change the trajectory of his life forever. “[Big Brothers] paid my way to the Chicago World’s Fair, where they held the National AAU Championships,” he said. In addition to the nation’s most talented swimmers, the event also attracted coaches of note—includ-ing “King” John Miller, then Mercersburg’s head swimming coach.

Recognizing Macionis’ ability, Miller app roached h im abou t coming to Mercersburg. Macionis described the vivac-ity with which Miller recruited him as “[being] hit over the head.” Nevertheless, as John was the son of working-class Lithuanian immigrants, it seemed that boarding school would not be a feasible option for the young athlete.

“I was able to go to Mercersburg because the people at Big Brothers thought I was a good kid,” Macionis said, “and the head of

the board, who was a Princeton man, said it would be wonderful if someone from Big Brothers went to a good college. So they came up with $200 for Mercersburg”—a gen-erous gift by Great Depression standards.

“The minimum [needed for tuition] at Mercersburg was $400,” he continued, “but John Miller talked to the headmaster [Dr. Boyd Edwards] about my background.” Because Dr. Edwards was so impressed with Macionis, the fee was reduced, and Mercersburg secured one of the greatest ath-letes in its history.

For Macionis, life at Mercersburg was demanding, but rewarding. Of particular note—again, given that this was during the Great Depression—was the dining hall cuisine. “I think I ate $200 worth of food in the first month,” he recalled.

Other than food, his life consisted solely

Macionis (second from left) with Marshall Daniels ’08, Tom McCarthy ’08, and Mercersburg Head Swimming Coach Pete Williams


of swimming and academics. “I was on the fourth floor of ’Eighty-eight Dormitory by myself. John Miller wanted me to have nothing to do but study—and I studied.” When asked how he spent his free time, Macionis responded, “All I did was study. I was just happy to study. I didn’t mind as long as I got good grades.”

While at Mercersburg, Macionis planned to continue competing for Big Brothers, until a failed hitchhiking attempt put an end to those plans. “I hitched home to swim, and the next morning, I hitched back—one time,“ Macionis said. “I ended up walking from Greencastle to Mercersburg [approxi-mately 10 miles].”

Macionis’ need to hitchhike was one of the many scourges of the Depression to which Mercersburg was not invulnerable. “Mercersburg didn’t come close to having a full class [that year],” he said, “because many people didn’t have the money.” As a blue-chip athlete, Macionis was heavily recruited by many colleges, including the University of Michigan and Rutgers University. “But when I had a chance to go to the ’Burg and make Yale,” he recalled, “I said, ‘To heck with Michigan or anybody else.’”

On his official visit to Yale, Macionis met Robert Kiphuth, the Elis’ swimming coach and his future coach for the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. Kiphuth was adamant about protecting his young prodigy from the poaching of rival schools; he even had Macionis stay at his home, away from the unshielded dormitory. “I was really gung-ho for Yale after that,” Macionis said.

Macionis left Mercersburg after his one-year stint prepared for college and filled with great memories. When asked about his tran-sition to Yale, Macionis wryly responded, “Because of studying at the ’Burg, I just coasted through.”

berlin, 1936After an eight-day trip via ship to the Olympic Games, Macionis suddenly found himself with more spare time than he planned—he developed an ear infection, and was told not to swim the 400m freestyle. However, the setback didn’t stop him from enjoying some of the finest entertainment Berlin had

to offer: Kiphuth, his coach, arranged for Macionis to obtain a ticket to the opera.

Wishing to give outsiders a good impres-sion of the Third Reich (at the urging of the Nazi government), the citizens of Berlin were happy to assist Olympic athletes when-ever possible. “I didn’t know how to get to the [opera house], so I saw a bus and stopped it,” Macionis remembers. “The driver, seeing my Olympic Shield, let me on. When I showed him my ticket, he raised his hand, turned around, and spoke to the passengers in German. Ignoring his route, the driver turned the bus around and drove me straight to the opera house.

“When I got there, the concierge came and looked at my ticket. He took my hand and led me to a seat in one of the loges, the most expensive seats in the hall.” Macionis’ companions in the loge were equally genial; one who spoke enough English to converse with the young athlete asked John if he was hungry. “What swimmer isn’t?” Macionis replied. His new friend led him downstairs, “where there was a deli that was better than anything in New York. I got a plate and filled it with bratwurst, liverwurst, and potato salad—you name it. It was wonderful!”

His meal was, shall we say, interrupted. “I was there in the loge eating my kartoffel-salat, and the next thing you know, I hear ‘Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil!’” he recalls. “I looked and saw everyone in my box and everyone below [in the auditorium] standing up with their arms out. I asked, ‘What happened?’

and turned to see Adolf Hitler acknowledg-ing the crowd just two loges away.”

Macionis, still sitting and still unsure of how to react to the situation, was promptly accosted by two German Brownshirts, lifted to his feet by his arms, and told, “Everyone stands for the Führer.”

The swimmer had a second notable encounter with Hitler at the Olympic Stadium. Before the event finals, Hitler was escorted into the vicinity of Macionis by a stately retinue of military officials and German storm troopers.

“After the race had started,” Macionis remembers, “a girl walked by me and the Brownshirts and went right up to Hitler. Then she grabbed Hitler by the neck and kissed him on the mustache. The Brownshirts grabbed her by the arms and lifted her away as she shouted, ‘I kissed him! I don’t care! I kissed him!’ I thought, ‘My God, I can’t believe it.’ I tried to see Hitler, but the Brownshirt knocked me out of the way. I almost fell down [because] he hit me so hard!”

Over dinner that night at the Olympic Village, Macionis relayed his eyewitness account of the incident to a German athlete. As Macionis struggled to contain his laugh-ter, his German colleague’s face turned white as he shook his head and said, “No. No. No. Not funny. Not funny.”

Contributing: Marshall Daniels ’08, Tom McCarthy ’08, Phil Kantaros, Lee Owen

Macionis (front row, second from left) with the 1934 Mercersburg swim team

Dates to Remember

May 2 Spring Music Concert, 8 p.m.

May 3 Stony Batter Players present Classical Scenes, 1:30 p.m., Boy’s Garden

May 23 Spring Dance Concert, 8 p.m.

May 30 Senior Art Show opens, 7 p.m., Cofrin Gallery Senior Production, 8 p.m.

Arts

Events in Simon Theatre unless otherwise noted. Schedule subject to change; for a full and updated schedule of events, visit www.mercersburg.edu

Clarinetists Jae Nam ’10 and Daniel •

Kwak ’11 were selected for District Band.

The group is chosen from schools in

the Pennsylvania counties of Franklin,

Cumberland, Dauphin, Lebanon, and Perry.

Kwak was also chosen for Pennsylvania’s

All-State Band.

Seven members of the Concert Band •

participated in the Franklin-Fulton County

Band Festival in January. The group included

Kwak, Soo Yeun Sim ’09 (flute), Michael

Lo ’09 (alto saxophone), Alex Somers ’11

(trumpet), Kareem Hannoun ’09 (baritone

Fall Dance Concert directed by Denise Dalton

Ariel Imler ’09 performing the Denise Dalton–choreographed Savage Rapture

Choreography:

Dalton, Annette

Hull ’11, Michael

Khamphasong ’10,

Makayla Robinson ’12.

Additional featured

dancers: Ariel Imler ’09,

Maryjane Clark ’10,

Kayleigh Kiser ’11, Paige

Seibert ’11, Shayna

Rice ’11, Emily Bays ’10.

saxophone), Nathaniel Bachtell ’11

(percussion), Ed Michaelson ’09 (percussion),

and Adam Chilcote ’12 (trombone).

The Academy’s String Ensemble, under the •

direction of Michael Cameron, performed

at the annual Christmas Candlelight

Service with the Chorale; the group also

contributed special music for a Community

Gathering program in November.

Look for coverage of the Stony Batter •

Players’ production of Brigadoon and other

winter arts events in the next issue of

Mercersburg magazine.

MUSICAL NOTEBOOK

Kwak Nam

Dates to Remember

May 2 Spring Music Concert, 8 p.m.

May 3 Stony Batter Players present Classical Scenes, 1:30 p.m., Boy’s Garden

May 23 Spring Dance Concert, 8 p.m.

May 30 Senior Art Show opens, 7 p.m., Cofrin Gallery Senior Production, 8 p.m.

Arts

Events in Simon Theatre unless otherwise noted. Schedule subject to change; for a full and updated schedule of events, visit www.mercersburg.edu

Julie Garlick ’10, Joanna Kessler ’09, J.B. Crawford ’09, and Britta Sherman ’10 in Arsenic and Old Lace

Stony Batter Players: Arsenic and Old Lacedirected by Matt Maurer

Chorale directed by Richard Rotz

Selected cast

Abby Brewster: Julie Garlick ’10

Rev. Harper: Chris Roden ’10

Teddy Brewster: Ed Cezniak ’09

Martha Brewster: Joanna Kessler ’09

Elaine Harper: Britta Sherman ’10

Mortimer Brewster: J.B. Crawford ’09

Jonathan Brewster: Andrew Reynolds ’09

Dr. Einstein: Evan Rose ’10

Included among the group’s several fall and winter performances was a taped appearance as part of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day programming on NBC25, the local NBC television affiliate for Hagerstown, Maryland.

Dates to Remember

May 9 Golf at MAPL Championships (Blairstown, New Jersey)

Track & field at MAPL Championships (Lawrenceville, New Jersey)

Baseball, men’s tennis, softball at Blair, 1 p.m.

Men’s/women’s lacrosse at Blair, 2 p.m.

May 13 Pennsylvania Independent Schools State Track & Field Championships (Pottstown, Pennsylvania)

May 19–23 Pennsylvania Independent Schools State Baseball Tournament

Athletics

Schedules are subject to change; for updates and results, visit www.mercersburg.edu

Men’s Cross CountryCaptains: Mark Herring ’09, Ellis Mays ’10, Nebiyu Osman ’10Cross Country Award (most outstanding runner): OsmanCoaches’ Award (most improved runner): Adam Wechter ’09Charles R. Colbert ’51 Award (sportsmanship): MaysHead coach: Matthew Kearney (1st season)MAPL/state finish: T-3rd/6thHighlights: Osman and Mays were named All-Mid-Atlantic Prep League after finishing second and sixth, respectively, at the MAPL Championships; in the process, Osman posted the fastest time ever for a Mercersburg runner at the MAPL meet… Osman placed sixth (good for first-team All-State honors) and Mays took 17th at the Pennsylvania Independent Schools State Championships, which Mercersburg hosted… Herring and Wechter were four-year letterwinners… Jae Nam ’10 represented the Blue Storm on the inaugural Academic All-MAPL team.

Women’s Cross CountryCaptains: Sarah Duda ’10, Stephanie Seibert ’09Cross Country Award (most outstanding runner): Mackenzie Riford ’11Coaches’ Award (most improved runner): Julia Simons ’10Charles R. Colbert ’51 Award (sportsmanship): DudaHead coach: Betsy Willis (6th season)MAPL/state finish: 5th/6thHighlights: Riford and Abby Colby ’12 each earned second-team All-State and first-team All-MAPL honors… Colby placed 11th and Riford was 13th at the Pennsylvania Independent Schools state meet, while Riford took fourth and Colby fifth at the MAPL Championships… Riford has been named All-MAPL in each of her first two seasons with the team… Riford, Colby, and Deborah Adjibaba ’11 swept the top three places to help the Storm win at Hill in a dual meet… Duda earned Academic All-MAPL honors… the team’s top five runners all return for next year.

Field HockeyCaptains: Annie Birney ’09, Coralie Thomas ’09Field Hockey Award (most outstanding player): Cammie Reilly ’10Beck Field Hockey Improvement Award: Anmargaret Warner ’10Becki Peace ’75 Field Hockey Award (most inspirational player): BirneyHead coach: Gretchan Chace (4th season)Record: 11–4–1 (2–3 MAPL)Highlights: The team set a school record for most victories in a season, and has won 21 games the past two years… Reilly and Arcadia Hartung ’09 were named All-MAPL… the [Chambersburg] Public Opinion named Birney first-team All-Area, while Hartung, Reilly, and Amelia Goebel ’09 earned honorable-mention honors… Thomas and Andrea Metz ’10 were selected Academic All-MAPL… Birney and Hartung were four-year letterwinners… Jane Banta ’11 notched three shutouts in goal and posted a 63.6 percent save percentage… Birney and Jane Eder ’10 tied for the team lead with 10 goals and four assists apiece… 11 of the 13 players on the team scored at least one goal.

FootballCaptains: game captains selectedFootball Award (most outstanding player): Trevor Smith ’09Coaches’ Award (most improved player): Charlie Fitzmaurice ’10 Head coach: Dan Walker (6th season)Record: 2–7 (1–4 MAPL)Highlights: First-team All-MAPL selections included Smith and Jordan Jefferson ’09; Curtis Feigt ’09 and Bubba Harris ’09 earned honorable-mention honors… Smith and Feigt made the Public Opinion first-team All-Area squad, while A.J. Firestone ’10, Paul Suhey ’10, and Matt Young ’10 were named honorable mention… Smith threw for 1,456 yards and 11 touchdowns; Jefferson caught 31 passes for 489 yards and four touchdowns, and tallied 40 tackles and three sacks on defense… Feigt, who has committed to West Virginia, had 36 tackles, four sacks, and five pass breakups… the Storm dropped three games (St. Albans, Lawrenceville, and Kiski) by a total of four points, and beat Peddie for the first time since joining the MAPL in 2000.

Fall Varsity Athletics Roundup

M E R C E R S B u R G M A G A z I n E S P R I n G 2 0 0 9 31

Dates to Remember

May 9 Golf at MAPL Championships (Blairstown, New Jersey)

Track & field at MAPL Championships (Lawrenceville, New Jersey)

Baseball, men’s tennis, softball at Blair, 1 p.m.

Men’s/women’s lacrosse at Blair, 2 p.m.

May 13 Pennsylvania Independent Schools State Track & Field Championships (Pottstown, Pennsylvania)

May 19–23 Pennsylvania Independent Schools State Baseball Tournament

Athletics

Schedules are subject to change; for updates and results, visit www.mercersburg.edu

Men’s SoccerCaptains: McArthur Gill ’09, Tad Holzapfel ’09Men’s Soccer Award (most outstanding player): Tim McHale ’09Coaches’ Award (most improved player): Matt Timoney ’11 Schweizer Cup (hard work/determination): GillHead coach: Quentin McDowell (1st season)Record: 9–5–2 (2–1–2 MAPL)Highlights: The team posted its best-ever MAPL mark, and was ranked as high as No. 1 in the tri-state area by the [Hagerstown] Herald-Mail… the team outscored opponents 17–2 during a 7–0–1 stretch; included in that period was its first-ever win at Hun and a shutout of Martinsburg, then ranked No. 16 nationally and No. 1 in West Virginia… McHale and leading scorer Joey Roberts ’11 (nine goals) garnered All-MAPL honors; both were also Public Opinion All-Star selections, and Holzapfel and Timoney were named honorable mention… McHale and Holzapfel played in the Four Diamonds All-Star Game… Gill and Timoney earned spots on the Academic All-MAPL squad… eight of the team’s nine victories were shutouts.

Women’s SoccerCaptains: Jenn Dillon ’09, Alicia Furnary ’09, Paige Harry ’10Women’s Soccer Award (most outstanding player): DillonCoaches’ Award (most improved player): Hannah Miller ’10 Hendrickson-Hoffman Coaches’ Award: FurnaryHead coach: Jason Bershatsky (1st season)Record: 8–10–1 (0–5 MAPL)Highlights: The team exploded out of the gate, outscoring its opponents 13–0 en route to a 5–0 start; Rachael Porter ’09 recorded five shutouts in goal… Dillon, who led the team in scoring, was named All-MAPL for the second straight season, and also earned second-team All-Area honors from the Herald-Mail… Dillon and Furnary were four-year letterwinners… Harry, who played every minute of every game, and Porter represented the Blue Storm on the Academic All-MAPL team.

Women’s TennisCaptains: Lena Finucane ’09, Valerie Garcia ’09, Lucia Rowe ’09Women’s Tennis Award (most outstanding player): Nikki Wolny ’11Coaches’ Award (most improved player): GarciaHead coach: Mike Sweeney (5th season)Record: 7–3 (2–3 MAPL)Highlights: Wolny, who played #1 singles for the Blue Storm, was named first-team All-MAPL; she compiled an 8–3 overall record (3–1 against MAPL

competitors), and beat three regionally ranked USTA opponents… Finucane (#2 singles) and Garcia (#3 singles) and the doubles team of Wolny and Finucane also garnered honorable-mention All-MAPL honors… Finucane was 9–3 overall and Garcia 10–2 overall during the year… the team captured the State College Invitational in September, and finished the season with back-to-back 7–0 sweeps of Bullis and Peddie… Finucane and Rowe were four-year letterwinners… Soo Yeun Sim ’09 was named Academic All-MAPL.

VolleyballCaptains: Whitney Clark ’09, Anika Kempe ’09Erin Carey Memorial Volleyball Award (most outstanding player): Taylor Riley ’10Coaches’ Award (most improved player): Clark Head coach: Kylie Johnson (1st season)Record: 16–12–3Highlights: Riley earned first-team All-Area honors from the Public Opinion… she tallied 255 kills, 173 digs, and 61 aces, and had 12 double-digit kill matches… Sarah Kolanowski ’10 was named to the paper’s second team… The Blue Storm won the Mercersburg Invitational for the third straight year, defeating Scotland (twice), St. Andrew’s Episcopal [Potomac, Maryland], and St. Maria Goretti without dropping a game… Riley was named the tournament’s most outstanding player; her sister, Cree ’08, earned the same honor last season… Kempe joined her on the All-Tournament Team, and also earned special recognition as a scholar-athlete.


AnniversAry reunion Weekend

Connect the past, present, and future • June 11–14, 2009

If your class year ends in 4 or 9, celebrate your five-year anniversary reunion with fellow alumni, faculty, and students in June. During weekend events, connect your past Mercersburg experiences with the Mercersburg of today, and create relationships that will last a lifetime.

Thursday, June 116–7:30 p.m. Casual, relaxed dinner in Ford Hall with classmates and guests. After dinner, join Mercersburg family and friends for a great time at Flannery’s Tavern on the Square.

Friday, June 1210–11 a.m. and 2–3 p.m. “Faculty Connections” Don’t miss these stimulating discussions with faculty.

Noon Lunch in Ford Hall

4–5 p.m. Alumni Focus Groups Here’s your chance to have an impact on important school programs.

5–6 p.m. Reception for Mercersburg Class Agents and Reunion Volunteers at Landis House

6–8 p.m. Outdoor Soirée, New Orleans Style Get out your dancing shoes and enjoy a delicious meal, music, and a Mercersburg party!

8–10 p.m. Class Activities Individual class activities, including a post-dinner reception for the Class of 1979.

All day Friday and Saturday Legacy Camp Children ages 7 and older can create their own Mercersburg memories.

Saturday, June 138 a.m. Morning Warm-up Join us for yoga, an alumni run, or a round of golf at Whitetail Golf Resort.

9–10 a.m. 50th Anniversary Reunion Breakfast with the Head of School at North Cottage

9:30–10:15 a.m. Student Discussion Panel Up-close and candid student conversations—you ask, they’ll talk!

10:30–11:15 a.m. Mercersburg Admission Have a family member or friend interested in Mercersburg? Here’s the chance to get an insight into the admission process.

11:15–noon School Update What’s happening and what’s to come at Mercersburg? Head of School Douglas Hale shares the Academy’s plans.

10:15–11 a.m. and 2–2:45 p.m. Discover Mercersburg Tour the historic district with faculty.

12–2 p.m. All-Alumni Awards Luncheon in Ford Hall Keynote Speaker: Keith Ferrazzi, author of Never Eat Alone and Who’s Got Your Back?

12–4 p.m. Individual Class Activities

6 p.m. Class Dinners with Class Photos

9 p.m. All-Class Dance Party with live entertainment

Sunday, June 148:30–10 a.m. Breakfast in Ford Hall

10 a.m. Anniversary Reunion Weekend Chapel Service

See you in June!

www.mercersburg.edu/[email protected]

800-588-2550

REGISTER NOW


’35u Bob Johnson203-248-7834

’37u Ed [email protected] Bob [email protected]

David Robertson’s wife, irene, died June 26, 2008.

Bob Smith’s wife, Dorothy, died november 8, 2008.

’38 Charles Lloyd writes, “i now have four great-grandchildren. They live in the atlanta area, where i spent Thanksgiving.”

’40 Howard Price, his wife, anita, and brother, Richard ’49, attended the wrestling alumni and parents party for rick Hendrickson in June. Howard lived in the philippines for 50 years; he now lives in Toronto.

’43 Kendall Gustafson reports that his wife of 59 years, Julia, died October 29, 2008, after 14 years battling alzheim-er’s disease.

’44 christine Jenkins, widow of Paul Jen-kins Jr. and mother of Paul III ’80 and James ’81, died December 4, 2008.

’45u Lew [email protected]

’46u Dick Hoffman859-846-5512

’47u Harry McAlpine703-893-3893

Daniel Miller writes, “i just returned from a trans-atlantic crossing on the Voyager. earlier this year, i crossed from Vladivostok to Moscow on the Trans-Siberian Express, a two-week adventure. all the best for 2009.”

’48u Hugh [email protected]

James Pfautz writes that he is deeply honored to have received the 2008 alumni council achievement award, presented during alumni Weekend. “Thank you most sincerely for your notification and another opportunity to visit this truly magnificent acad-emy, which has been in my thoughts and heart for 60 years.”

’49u Bill Alexander740-282-5810

’50 u Ed Hager [email protected]

’52 David Genter and his wife, anne, joined Dick Thornburgh ’50 and Gerry Lenfest ’49 for the dedication of the Visitors center at gettysburg in september.

Arno Niemand will be inducted into the national Wrestling Hall of Fame this June in stillwater, Oklahoma. arno is the 2009 recipient of the Order of Merit, presented to an individual who

Alumni notes

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Jus Livingston ’44 (second from right) and Bill Lawrence ’48 (far right) enjoy the Loyalty Club Candlelight Service Weekend Reception at The Mercersburg Inn with (from left) Claire Meocouch and Bill’s wife, Jane.

Charles Lloyd ’38 with great-granddaughters Francie, Claire, and Susie Carson.

has made a significant contribution to the advancement of wrestling, other than success as an athlete or coach. arno wrestled collegiately at cornell university, where he led the big red to a third-place ncaa finish in 1953. He has supported wrestling through-out his life, and in 2008 received the FiLa gold star, which is the highest award given to an individual by the world governing body of wrestling. arno has been a supporter of the rick Hendrickson Wrestling Fund and the Fred r. Kuhn scholarship Fund. He has been ceO, president, and chairman of niemand industries and body bar sys-tems since the 1960s, and joins Larry Sheridan ’51 in the national Wrestling Hall of Fame.

’53 in October, John Ross and his wife, DeeDee, hosted a mini-reunion for several members of the class of 1953 at their home in south Lake Tahoe, nevada. Carol and Howard Abrams, Jan and Peter Burwell, Mim and Hank Burhans, Marijane and Don Harper, and betsy and Bill Draper attended and participated in the well-orga-nized activities the rosses planned, which included cruising Lake Tahoe, visiting famous Virginia city, and a round of golf—but most of all, sharing Mercersburg memories.

’54 u Jack [email protected]

Bob Leekley’s wife, Lee, passed away July 29, 2008. bob lives at a retirement/assisted living community in carlsbad, california.

’55u Richard Zirkle703-502-6996

’56 u Dave [email protected]

’57u Alex [email protected] Bob [email protected]

’58 u Guy [email protected] u George [email protected] u Steve [email protected] Ross [email protected]

u Jim [email protected] u Bill [email protected] u Alan [email protected]

Ross Lenhart retired as executive vice- president of stein communications. in his career in educational marketing, ross has worked with more than 140 universities, colleges, boarding schools, and educational associations from the stein headquarters in atlanta. He has written many articles (including “bo and i go Home again” for the winter 2005 issue of Mercersburg) and has lectured extensively on branding and marketing for nonprofit organizations. ross was director of admission for Marietta college from 1968 to 1973. He served on the board of trustees of the atlanta college of art, and is an emeritus trustee of Marietta college and a life trustee of the georgia Foun-dation for independent colleges. He and his wife, Kathy, have moved from atlanta to pawleys island, south caro-lina (ross’ birthplace).

’59 50th Anniversary Reunion

June 11–14, 2009

u Clem [email protected]

Carson Higby-Flowers ’01 to Adrienne Herr-Paul ’01, January 20, 2009.

Matt Levantovich ’95 to Tara Disbro, December 6, 2008.

Justin Smith ’03 to Noelle Bassi ’02, September 20, 2008.

FacultyJason Bershatsky to Angela Wood, January 1, 2009.

Marriages

A Class of ’53 mini-reunion in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Back row (L–R): Howard Abrams ’53, Hank Burhans ’53, Bill Draper ’53, John Ross ’53, Jan Burwell. Front row: Marijane Harper, DeeDee Ross, Carol Abrams, Betsy Draper, Mim Burhans, Don Harper ’53, Peter Burwell ’53.

The wedding of Lindsey Coates ’99 and Alexander Brown, October 11, 2008.


’61u Bill [email protected]

’62 u Jon [email protected] u Jack [email protected]

’63u Gene Homicki [email protected] Dave [email protected] u Paul [email protected]

Richard Loebl was inducted as a Fellow of the american college of employee benefits counsel. Fellows are selected by the organization’s board of gover-nors based on significant contributions to the advancement of the employee-benefits field. richard, who can be found in the 2009 edition of Best Law-yers in America, practices employee-benefits and executive-compensation

law in the new York office of epstein becker & green.


June 11–14, 2009

u Mike [email protected]

Mike Radbill recently honeymooned in the caribbean. as class secretary, he encourages his classmates to return to campus in June to celebrate their anni-versary reunion.

’65u Jere [email protected]

Richard McCombs writes that he is rarely in the u.s. these days, and is tem-porarily living in London. His company, Mba polymers, is expanding in europe (and specifically, the united King-dom). richard travels quite a bit and spent time in china last fall; he can be reached at [email protected].

Gordon Hughes ’66 (right) with Tom Motheral ’67 at the Cleveland Skate Club during a party honoring Gordon for three decades of distinguished service to the Cleveland Clinic, where he was an ear surgeon.

Anniversary Reunion WeekendJune 11–14, 2009

Celebrating reunion classes ending in 4 and 9Register now—online or by phone

www.mercersburg.edu/alumni [email protected] 800-588-2550


’66 u Stan [email protected]

Gordon Hughes is now with the national institutes of Health in Wash-ington. He is an administrator of clinical trials that investigate new treatments benefiting one or more of the niH’s mission areas: hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language.

’67 u Allan [email protected] u Ed [email protected]

in July 2008, Tony Trenga was nomi-nated by president george W. bush for a federal judgeship in u.s. District court for the eastern District of Virginia. Tony was confirmed by the senate in sep-tember and received his commission in October. an attorney who has spe-cialized in litigation and trial practice, Tony was most recently with the Wash-ington law firm of Miller and chevalier, and is a Fellow of the american college of Trial Lawyers.


June 11–14, 2009

u Harry Apfelbaum [email protected] Rick [email protected] u Dick [email protected]

Tim Flanagan and his band, bob’s Your uncle, were featured in a recent article in Wilton magazine. Tim plays bass for the group, which formed three years ago. He was also featured in the irish Legal 100 in the October/november issue of Irish America. Tim is a partner at the law firm of cullen and Dykman in brooklyn, new York; he handles com-mercial, construction, and insurance-liability claims, and has extensive trial and appellate experience in these areas. He has also handled numerous medi-cal malpractice claims and served for three years on the Malpractice preven-tion committee of the church charities Foundation, which owns and operates hospitals and nursing homes through-out the new York area. Tim is an active member of the brooklyn and new York state bar associations, as well as the association of the bar of the city of new York, where he has served on vari-ous committees throughout the years.

Hyde Laughed in His Face, a painting by nicholas africano, now hangs in the burgin center for the arts and is a gift of Robert Lehrman.

’70 u Paul Mellott [email protected]

’72 u Tom [email protected] u Eric [email protected]

’73 u Joe Lee [email protected]


June 11–14, 2009

u Kevin [email protected]

’77Bruce Leighty writes, “i have been remiss at not passing along the sad news of the death of my wife, gwen-dolen, to my friends and acquaintances

from school. i met gwen in college and we married in 1984. On november 6, 2005, gwendolen lost a nearly five-year battle with cancer. she showed remarkable strength, courage, and grace throughout the struggle, and is still greatly missed by friends, family, and colleagues. Our children, alison (10) and carl (15), are adjusting as well as can be expected, although sig-nificant dates and milestones are still tough. We have deliberately pushed to move forward, and together, we are establishing a new, but different, family. i continue to work on conserva-tion and science projects in the Wash-ington, D.c., area, and am currently working with the american institute of biological sciences. should you be in the vicinity, please feel free to visit. i hear Washington has some interest-ing sites to see, but without visitors, all i get to are the kids’ soccer games.”

’78 u Heidi Kaul [email protected]


June 11–14, 2009

u Carol Furnary [email protected]

’81 u Dave [email protected] u Greg [email protected]

’82 u Todd [email protected] Duncan [email protected]

’83 u Mark [email protected] u Bruce [email protected]

My Secret Life as Peanut, a children’s book co-authored by Todd Friedman and his wife, Megan, was published by Wild icon publishing group. a por-tion of the book’s proceeds support Operation Kindness and the Humane society of broward county. For more information, visit www.curiouscalico.com.

Shawn Stouffer Rodrigues received Licensed professional counselor (Lpc) status, and is going into private prac-tice at the east Valley naturopathic center in Mesa, arizona. as she builds her private practice, she will continue

Tim Flanagan ’69, a member of the Irish Legal 100.

’68 The new england institute of art hon-ored Barry Marshall with the 2008 norm prescott service to the com-munity and college award. The award recognizes barry’s work with naked ear records—and his tremendous amount of industry contacts, which have translated into jobs for audio students. barry is an associate profes-sor in the school’s audio department.

Mark your calendar nowJune 20International Parents EventNanjing, China

September 25–27Family Weekend

October 16–17Alumni Weekend

December 12–13Loyalty Club Christmas Candlelight Service Weekend

December 13Christmas Candlelight Service

MOR E I N FORMATION:

www.mercersburg.edu/alumni

[email protected]

800-588-2550


to work as a crisis and trauma thera-pist at eMpacT suicide prevention center, and will also continue to see clients in equine assisted psychother-apy (a collaborative effort between a licensed therapist and a horse profes-sional working with clients and horses to address treatment goals).

’8425th Anniversary Reunion

June 11–14, 2009

u Rachel Haines [email protected] Ann [email protected]

Ann Quinn was recently elected to the alumni council, and serves as co-chair for its communications Task group.

’85 u Susan Corwin [email protected]

Keith Lutman attended the Demo-cratic national convention in Denver as a barack Obama delegate. “because Virginia is a battleground state and supported senator Obama so strongly, we got pretty good seats; we were right behind the illinois delegation,” he writes. “it was incredible to be part

of history. Michelle Obama was as elo-quent a speaker during her surprise appearance at the LgbT delegate lunch as she had been the night before for the entire nation. Hillary clinton was pow-erful in her evening speech and classy with her surprise ending of the formal roll call and endorsement of Obama the next day. bill clinton was in his element and showed that he’s still got it. being at invesco Field with 80,000 people to watch Obama give his accep-tance speech is an evening i’ll always remember.”

Tim O’Brien is the national coach at nitro swimming in austin, Texas. nitro swimming just completed a $4.5 mil-lion, privately funded aquatic center; see pictures at www.nitroswim.com.

’86Julia Clark MacInnis, a photographer based in alexandria, Virginia, was featured in the Washington Post in september for her volunteer work with now i Lay Me Down to sleep, a non-profit organization that is available to photograph, at no charge, images of babies who have passed away or are unlikely to live more than a few hours or days. For more information, visit www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org.

’87u Kirsten Dryfoos [email protected] Louis [email protected]

Jennifer Litton Ross writes that her father, Jason, passed away peacefully september 5 at Holy spirit Hospital in camp Hill, pennsylvania, where he prac-ticed for 37 years; a memorial site has been established at jasonlitton.com. “While we sat vigil in his hospital room,” Jennifer writes, “we were blessed with many visitors who had been touched by my father either personally or pro-fessionally. i want to thank you all for your supportive words, thoughts, and

To Alison Garner Louie ’84 and her husband, Michael: a son, Cameron Robert, March 22, 2008.

To Gregory Oberfield ’89 and his wife, Allyson: a daughter, Ashley Taylor, August 21, 2008.

To Barbara Barroso Pahud ’93 and her husband, Dominique ’93: a daughter, Laila Amelie, September 29, 2008.

To Maria Bolona ’01 and her husband, Jose Antonio Lince: a daughter, MariaLeo, November 1, 2008.

To Wendy Emerick Rauhut ’01 and her husband, Anthony: a son, Aaron Christopher, September 19, 2008.

Jonathan Michael, son of Julia Kaufman Nussdorfer ’99 and her husband, Michael, born January 21, 2008.

Taylor Calhoun, daughter of Alexandra Classen Lonergan ’94 and her husband, Bob, born August 6, 2008.

Faculty To John and Susan Hutchins: a daughter, Elizabeth Campbell, January 7, 2009.

To Nate Jacklin ’96 and his wife, Lindsay: a daughter, Hailey Ann, January 17, 2009.

To Lee Owen and his wife, Lindsay: a son, Dalton McClain, November 11, 2008.

Births

Keith Lutman ’85 (right) with Haven Barnes ’96 at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver.

Professional triathlete Haven Barnes ’96 returned to campus in December for a visit with Mercersburg’s winter track & field team and coaches. Pictured (L–R): David Holzwarth ’78, Haven, Beth Rawley ’97, David Grady, Peter Kempe.


prayers throughout this difficult time.” (Jennifer’s brother is Peter Litton ’84.)

Andrew Westfall lives in Lusaka, zam-bia, with his wife, adrian, and their children, isaac (8) and charlotte (2). andrew is the lead analyst for the cen-ter for infectious Disease research in zambia (www.cidrz.org).

’88 u Susie [email protected]


June 11–14, 2009

u Zania Pearson [email protected] u Ames [email protected]

’90u Treva [email protected] Kim Lloyd [email protected]

’91u Helen Barfield [email protected] Laura Linderman [email protected]

Jay Sternberg writes, “i got married, bought a house in bethesda, Mary-land, and have been traveling a ton for work—it’s been a whirlwind of activity that is starting to slow down a little.”

’92 u Emily Gilmer [email protected]

Julie Davis Harada is managing editor of the Law Review for 2008–2009 at the university of baltimore. after graduat-ing from union college in schenectady, new York, Julie worked as an editor for several years at Myu research in Tokyo, Japan. she lives in baltimore with her husband, goro, and their cats, Leo and Jack.

’93 u Danielle [email protected]

Andrew Johnson is an alumnus of the united states naval academy. He served in the navy for eight years, graduated recently from The Ohio state university’s Moritz college of Law, and now lives near Minneapolis.


June 11–14, 2009

u Tim [email protected] u Rob [email protected]

’95Matt Levantovich and his fiancée, Tara Disbro, attended the wrestling alumni gathering for rick Hendrickson. Matt and Tara were married in December; they live in urbana, Maryland.

’96 u Lori Esposit [email protected] Geraldine [email protected]

Jennifer Mast has been promoted to senior manager for partnership mar-keting with condé nast publications in new York. she lives in Manhattan.

’97 u Emily [email protected] Chris [email protected]

Gretchen Warner married robin Laqui in March 2008 in Yosemite national park. both gretchen and robin are graduates of Virginia Tech; gretchen also has a master’s in chemistry from the uni-versity of Virginia. gretchen and robin live near Los angeles, where robin is an engineer for Honda racing and gretchen teaches at a private school.

’98 u Liz [email protected] Dean [email protected] u Beth Pniewski [email protected]


June 11–14, 2009

u Jenn [email protected] Jess [email protected]

Lindsey Coates married alexander brown October 11, 2008, in Ocean city, Maryland; the couple lives in McLean, Virginia. Members of the bridal party included Lauren Coates ’03 and Lau-ren Caitlin Malone Fisher ’00. Other Mercersburg alumni in attendance were Lindsey’s father, Raymond Coates Jr. ’67; her uncle, Randy Coates ’68; and

her cousins, Charles Coates ’63 and Alex West ’98. alex and Lindsey hon-eymooned on the Hawaiian islands of Kauai and Maui.

Nicole Johns’ first book, titled Purge: Rehab Diaries, is forthcoming from seal press and scheduled for an april 2009 release. The book is a memoir about the author’s struggle to overcome buli-mia and her time in residential treat-ment. nicole wrote the book to give hope to others with eating disorders and to dispel some of the myths sur-rounding eating disorders. nicole has been in recovery since 2005, and can be reached at [email protected].

’00 u Kevin [email protected] u Taylor [email protected] Andrew [email protected]

’01 u Ann Marie [email protected]

Maria Bolona lives in guayaquil, ecua-dor, with her husband, Jose antonio Lince, and their two children—a son, 3-year-old antonio, and a newborn daughter, MariaLeo. Renata Yannuz-zelli, who also lives in guayaquil, is MariaLeo’s godmother.

Ben Larson [Mercersburg, winter 2008–2009] is a graduate assistant for the football program at Louisiana Tech. in December, the bulldogs won their first bowl game since 1977—a 17–10 victory over northern illinois in the independence bowl.

in november, former Mercersburg run-ner and faculty member Emory Mort

[Mercersburg, winter 2008–2009] won the gazette stockade-athon in schenectady, new York. The race is one of the oldest major 15-kilometer competitions in the nation. emory completed the course in 47:52 to win the event by almost a minute over his closest challenger.

’02 u Noelle [email protected] u Bryan [email protected] u Liz [email protected] u Ian [email protected]

’03 u Nate Fochtman [email protected] Jenn [email protected] u Jessica Malone [email protected] Vanessa [email protected]

Lindsey Brown is in law school at Washington and Lee university.

Emory Mort ’01, winner of the 2008 Stockade-athon.

The O’Malley family at the annual Summer Send-Off party they hosted for Mercersburg students and families in Hagerstown (L–R): Neil, Kathleen ’12, Rhonda, Tara ’07, Connor, and Mary ’06.


Nate Fochtman is happy to announce his engagement to gina D’aquila. The couple plans a July 4 wedding in the irvine Memorial chapel, with the rev. paul galey officiating.

Jessica Malone, who holds a bachelor’s degree in geology from the university of Michigan, researched lakes in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of antarctica for her master’s thesis. she graduated in December and is interning with a major energy company before planning to head overseas to help solve global water-contamination issues or envi-ronmental problems associated with extraction and production of natural resources.

Anjuli Pandit [Mercersburg, winter 2008–2009] received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and international studies with a concen-tration in Middle eastern affairs from the university of Miami. she is living in india and just signed a one-year lease; her new mini-studio is across the street from the home where Mahatma gan-dhi lived in Mumbai. “i think 2009 will be an auspicious year,” she says.


June 11–14, 2009

u Katherine [email protected] Nick [email protected]

Zac Hilton is in graduate school at rens-selaer polytechnic institute.

Matt Jackson [page 16], who works for Vornado realty Trust in Manhattan, would like to hear from other alumni

involved in racing ([email protected]).

Yeshe Wingerd will study guitar this year in sevilla, spain.

’05u Carl Gray [email protected] Zander [email protected] Alexis [email protected] Tammy McBeth [email protected] Nick [email protected]

Jamar Galbreath attended the wres-tling event honoring rick Hendrickson last summer. He is studying creative writing and afro-american studies at allegheny college, and worked in tal-ent recruitment during the summer.

Carl Gray was in Washington for the summer; he worked for senator Hil-lary clinton and then interned at a lobbying/consulting firm. He returned to sewanee in august.

Intrepid Descent, a skiing documen-tary produced by Zander Hartung, was shown in the burgin center for the arts’ simon Theatre in January. in 2008, the film was screened at the boston Museum of Fine arts, the Martha’s Vineyard international Film Festival, and the stowe Mountain Film Festival.

Cara Leepson studied abroad in Flor-ence last fall, and is finishing her senior year at Lynchburg college in Virginia this spring. she is head coach of the varsity women’s lacrosse team at e.c. glass High school in Lynchburg.

’06 u Joy [email protected] Jonathan Wilde [email protected]

Jarvis Hodge, a running back for the Western athletic conference-cham-pion boise state football team, played in eight games for the broncos in 2008. boise state was one of two major- college teams to enter the bowl season undefeated; the broncos fell to Tcu in the san Diego county credit union poinsettia bowl.

Teddy Zimmerman earned his real estate license this past summer and worked for penn national. He spent the fall semester abroad in spain.

’07 u Xanthe [email protected] Chuck [email protected]

Alex Appleman worked with Mercers-burg summer programs this year. He attends rensselaer polytechnic insti-tute with fellow alumni S.J. Weisberg, Gavin Templer, and Matt Spencer ’06.

Chuck Roberts helped the columbia university Model un team win best small Delegation honors at george-town university’s national collegiate security conference in October. chuck was the only freshman in his commit-tee (central america-eu Free Trade negotiations) and the only first-year best Delegate award winner from columbia at the event. chuck and Lenny Langenscheidt live across the hall from one another in John Jay Hall at columbia; both took gap years abroad

after gaining admission their senior years at Mercersburg. chuck plans to focus on political science, while Lenny will major in mathematics.

Joe Sturm published his first book, Counting Clouds; to preview the book, visit www.wordclay.com.

’08u Benjamin [email protected] Jeff [email protected] Peter [email protected] Lauren [email protected] Chris [email protected] u Taylor [email protected] Hannah [email protected] Ethan [email protected]

Faculty/ Former Faculty

Taylor Camerer left the family farming business several years ago to become an ordained minister; in september, he was installed as pastor of the green-castle presbyterian church on West baltimore street. Larry Jones, Taylor’s former colleague and Mercersburg’s current school minister, gave the ser-mon at Taylor’s installation. Joel Chace’s (b)its has been released as part of the Meritage press “Tiny books” series. all profits from sales of the book will be donated to Heifer international. additionally, country Valley press has published Scaffold, another collection of Joel’s poetry.

The Mercersburg area chamber of commerce named faculty emeritus Don Hill its 2008 business person of the Year.

Zander Hartung ’05 during the shooting of his documentary, Intrepid Descent.

Cara Leepson ’05 and Irene Macias ’06 in Rome.


’23Eugene L. Sander, November 3, 2001.

’27Arthur Glenn Andrews, September 25, 2008. (’Eighty-eight, Mar-shall debater, track, Class Day Committee) At the time of his death, Glenn (age 99) was the oldest living former United States congress-man. A graduate of Princeton University, he was a banking and advertising executive before running an unsuccessful campaign as a Democrat for a seat in the Alabama House of Representatives in 1956. He switched political parties and won election in 1964 to the 87th U.S. Congress. In 1970, he was appointed by President Rich-ard Nixon as a federal trustee in bankruptcy court, where he served until his retirement in 1985. He was preceded in death by his wife of 61 years, Ethel Jackson Andrews, and a daughter. He is survived by two sons, five grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

’31 John K. Hughes, September 14, 2008.

’32Donald A. Colvin, October 13, 2008. (South Cottage, Marshall, Stony Batter, Glee Club, choir, Marshall Orchestra, KARUX, News Board, swimming) Don graduated from Princeton University in 1936 and became an American citizen in 1941. He was a veteran of World War II, serving as a volunteer ambulance driver with the American Field Services attached to the British 8th Army and U.S. 5th Army in Europe and North Africa. He served four months at Anzio Beach-head in Italy, and helped to evacuate the Belsen concentration camp in Germany in the last weeks of WWII. He spent most of his business career with the advertising agency Ketchum, MacLeod & Grove, retiring in 1980 as senior vice-president. Survivors include his wife, Ruth, a stepdaughter, two grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

David M. Myers, November 22, 2008. (South Cottage, Irving, cheer-leader, basketball, baseball, News Board, Stony Batter) Dave gradu-ated from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science and studied at Duke University. He was the owner of the David M. Myers Funeral Home and Furniture Store and the former Mingle House Hotel in Newport, Pennsylvania. He was preceded in death by his wife, Bettie, and is survived by two sons (David ’59 and Jack ’61), a daughter, six grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.

obituaries’33

Albert H. Eidam, December 13, 2008. (Marshall, News Board, soccer, baseball) Al graduated from the Wharton School of Busi-ness at the University of Pennsylvania, and competed at the 1938 National AAU Championships in the two-man bobsled; he also competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials in the same event. He was an aerial photographer for the Marine Corps in World War II; following the war, he took over the family business, Eidam Cadillac, in Hazle-ton, Pennsylvania. Survivors include a son, two daughters, and five grandchildren.

’34 George H. Weiler Jr., November 13, 2008. (’Eighty-eight, Irving, Cum Laude, Stony Batter) George, a former class agent, was a tireless and highly successful fundraiser for his alma maters, Mercersburg and Yale University. He served as a naval lieutenant commander in World War II. George was director of public relations for Pfizer in New York City and was vice-president of the Pfizer Foundation, a philanthropic arm of the company. After retirement, he became public-relations director for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and later directed public relations and development programs for the American Lung Association and the National March of Dimes Foundation. Because of his enthusiastic efforts as a class agent and his exceptional fundraising talent, the Class of 1934 led the way in participation, year after year. He truly saw blue out of one eye and white out of the other. Survivors include his wife of 67 years, Jeanne Carol Brumbaugh Weiler, two sons, three daughters, and nine grandchildren.

’35Robert F. Harkins, September 14, 2008. (Irving, Glee Club, soccer) Bob graduated from Lafayette College. His professional career began with Montgomery Ward and was interrupted by World War II. He served as an officer aboard the USS Newcomb in the Pacific and participated in operations at the battles for Saipan, Palau, Leyte, the Philippines, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. After the war, he found success in a career with a number of hardwood-flooring businesses. He was preceded in death by his wife of 49 years, Louise Graves Harkins, and is survived by a daughter and a grandson.

George H. Johnson Jr., October 12, 2008. (Marshall, soccer, bas-ketball, Memorial Committee) George earned a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University, where he was captain of the soccer team. During World War II, he served as a radar officer in the Pacific aboard a heavy cruiser. A month after the atomic bombing


’40Charles K. Wolfe, September 28, 2008. (Marshall, Glee Club) Charlie was retired from the practice of internal medicine in Kenilworth, Illinois.

’42 Alan R. Ford, November 3, 2008. (South Cottage, Marshall, Class Prophet, El Circulo Español, swimming, baseball, Concert Band) Alan won a silver medal in the 100-meter freestyle at the 1948 Summer Olympic Games in London, and was the first swimmer to break the 50-second barrier for the 100-yard freestyle (swimming’s equivalent of running a sub-four-minute mile). He held numerous national and world swimming records during his prep and university years. Alan graduated from Yale University with a degree in mechanical engi-neering in 1945, and served as a Navy ensign in World War II. He was elected to the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1966. In his professional career, he designed and supervised the building of oil refineries and food-processing plants, as well as petroleum and chemical-storage facilities in the United States and abroad. Survi-vors include his wife of 63 years, Beverly, a daughter, three sons, seven grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

Walter O. Lowrie, December 10, 2008. (South Cottage, Marshall debater, Chemistry Club, band, Radio Club president, librarian, base-ball, track, wrestling, swimming, Laticlavii, Rauchrunde, Blue and White Melodians) Walt earned a degree in aeronautical engineer-ing from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and was a B-17 pilot during World War II. He joined what was then Martin Marietta in Baltimore in 1948 and was transferred to Denver in 1956. He was a scientist and project manager for the two Viking landers that Lockheed Martin sent to Mars in the 1970s. In addition to the Viking project, he was program manager of the Titan intercontinental bal-listic missile and later vice-president of Martin Marietta’s space and electronics product division. NASA awarded him its Distinguished Public Service Medal in 1977. In 1982, he was transferred to Orlando, where he was president of the Science Center, a public facility for a myriad of science subjects. Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Dottie, a son, two daughters, and three grandchildren.

’43Richard F. Saylor, May 19, 2008. (Marshall) Survivors include his wife, Virginia Kulp Saylor, two sons, and several grandchildren.

’44John E. Ruch, May 25, 2008. (South Cottage, Irving, Glee Club, Les Copains, Radio Club, Gun Club, football, baseball) A graduate of Princeton University, he served in the Navy during World War II. He made a career in banking. Survivors include a son, a daughter, and five grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife of 44 years, Elaine Harper Ruch.

of Nagasaki in 1945, he accompanied four admirals on a tour of the city and described the experience in a letter to his father. “The incredible and ever-inspiring part of the entire scene was the unbe-lievable fact that all this didn’t happen over a period of months or days or even hours,” he wrote, “but in one fleeting second.” George joined Albert M. Greenfield & Co. in 1939 as a sales associate. After the war, he became vice-president in 1952 and was president from 1968 until his retirement in 1980. During his career with Green-field, he brokered sales of several landmark buildings. Survivors include his wife of 68 years, Elizabeth Fisher Johnson, two sons, and four grandchildren.

John S. Shirk, April 1, 2008. (Marshall, Senate president, News Board, Press Club president, The Fifteen, Les Copains, Stony Batter, track, wrestling, football, Commencement speaker, Cum Laude) John graduated from Princeton University and served with the U.S. Navy in World War II. He spent more than two decades in man-agement with American Airlines, and had a correspondingly long career in community activities.

’37George W. Conover, August 8, 2008. (Marshall, cheerleader) A graduate of Rider University, George served on the boards of Horizon Bancorp and University Medical Center at Princeton. Sur-vivors include his wife, Rosann; brother, Walter ’43; and nephew, Mike ’65.

Paul E. Rogers, November 2, 2008. (Irving, swimming) Survivors include his wife, Edwina Crist Rogers, two sons, two daughters, and six grandchildren.

’38Thomas C. Cochran Jr., September 12, 2008. (South Cottage, Mar-shall, Stony Batter, Gun Club, wrestling, baseball, football) Tom was a graduate of Haverford College and later attended Harvard Business School. Following the end of World War II, Tom returned to Harvard before enlisting to serve in the Navy. He received his M.B.A. in 1946, and then went on to earn a degree from the Uni-versity of Michigan Law School. In 1956, Tom joined Koppers Com-pany of Pittsburgh, and in a period of 19 years served as senior vice president, secretary, and general counsel. He was predeceased by his brothers, Wilson ’28 and Charles ’29. Survivors include his wife of 58 years, Helen Kent Cochran; two sons, including Tom ’68; a daughter; and four grandchildren.

’39 Herman E. Sander, September 2, 2008. (Irving, soccer) He attended Franklin & Marshall College. He was a chemist for several com-panies, including Baker Chemical and ALPO Pet Foods. Survivors include his wife of 66 years, Marie, three daughters, two grandchil-dren, and a great-granddaughter.


’46Howard Cohen, October 2, 2008. (Main Annex, Irving, News Board, The Fifteen, Chemistry Club, El Circulo Español, Les Copains, Chess Club, Camera Club) After graduating from Princeton University, Howard enlisted in the Army and served as a lieutenant and forward observer in Korea from 1951 to 1953. With his brother-in-law, he co-founded CapCo, a Baltimore-Washington area development com-pany, in 1957; the company was dissolved in the late 1990s. Howard, who held a master’s from Johns Hopkins University, was a member of the Baltimore Museum of Art’s Accession Committee for the Arts of Africa, the Americas, and Oceania. He maintained a strong inter-est in modern and contemporary art and donated several works of art to Morgan State University and the Baltimore Museum of Art. Survivors include his wife of 46 years, Jane Whitehouse Cohen, two sons, two daughters, and a grandson.

’47Graham Courtney, January 3, 2008. Graham graduated from the University of Pittsburgh, and was an Army veteran of the Korean War. He was a retired manufacturing representative. Survivors include his wife, Nancy Patterson Courtney; brothers, James ’48 and William ’49; a brother-in-law, John Howell ’51; and a son, two daughters, and 10 grandchildren.

’48Herbert C. Lebovitz, September 17, 2008. (South Cottage, Marshall, El Circulo Español, Laticlavii, Chemistry Club, Chess Club, Stamp Club, Cum Laude, Higbee Orator) Herb earned a bachelor’s in phys-ics and engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an M.B.A. from Boston University. He was past president and treasurer of Modern Transfer Company in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and a former member of that city’s planning commission. Survi-vors include his wife, Martha; two sons (including Peter ’72) and a daughter; and nine grandchildren.

John Perkins, September 5, 2008. (’Eighty-eight, Marshall, El Circulo Español, Glee Club, Gun Club, football, swimming, track) John grad-uated from Rutgers University and served in the U.S. Navy Reserve. He was CEO of John Perkins Industries and Perkins Enterprises. Sur-vivors include his wife, Lorita, three daughters, and a son.

’49León Febres Cordero, December 16, 2008. (’Eighty-eight, Marshall, El Circulo Espa-ñol, soccer) León was president of Ecua-dor from 1984 to 1988 under the banner of the conservative Social Christian party. He also served as mayor of Guayaquil (Ecuador’s largest city) from 1992 until 2000. His party controlled a third of the National Congress’ 100 seats—enough to guarantee him a virtual veto over leg-

islation. He was the indisputable leader of the country’s right for half a century. After leaving the presidency, he dominated Ecuador’s con-gress and courts until failing health forced his withdrawal from poli-tics in 2002. Included among his survivors are several Mercersburg alumni—two brothers, Nicolas ’51 and Agustin ’62; three nephews, Jorge Gilbert ’81, Nicolas Cordero Febres ’81, and Ricardo Romo- Leroux ’97; two nieces, Maria Nevarez ’01 and Ana Nevarez ’07; and a great-nephew, Jaime Puig ’94.

’50 John T. Rightor, October 21, 2008. (Keil, Irving, El Circulo Español, choir, Glee Club, Caducean Club, Stony Batter, football, wrestling) John earned a bachelor’s degree from Lafayette College and a medi-cal degree from Jefferson Medical College. He practiced medicine in Oil City, Pennsylvania. Survivors include his wife of 51 years, Helen Louise Sheriff Rightor, two sons, three daughters, and four grandchildren.

Thomas K. Singer, September 30, 2008. (Marshall, track) A busi-ness and finance major at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, Tom fulfilled his ROTC commitment and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force upon graduation. In 1986, he retired as president and CEO of Kaiser Alu-minum International Corporation in Oakland, California. Tom was active in retirement as a trustee of the Nature Conservancy’s Central and Western New York Chapter for 10 years. Survivors include his wife, Jacqueline, a son (Mark ’76) and four daughters, seven grand-children, and a cousin, Dunn Idle ’45.

’51Gary A. Bush, February 26, 2008. (Irving, choir, track, Gun Club) Gary studied English and journalism at Penn State University, and began his professional career as assistant advertising manager for Aber-crombie & Fitch in New York City. He later worked in advertising and sales promotion with the Remington Arms Company. Survivors include his wife of 23 years, Wendy Morgan Bush, a daughter, two sons, and five grandchildren.

Donald G. Mitchell, October 4, 2008. (South Cottage, Irving) Don graduated from Penn State University, and was director of Children and Youth Services of Clearfield County [Pennsylvania] until he retired in 1984.


’53William B. Bowman, August 8, 2008. (South Cottage, Irving, KARUX Board, El Circulo Español, football, baseball, track) Bill attended Lehigh University and served in the U.S. Army. He was the former owner of Bowman’s Furniture and was a real estate agent. His wife, Shirley, preceded him in death. Among his survivors are a daughter (Amy Bowman Heller ’81), a brother (David ’55) and a sister, three grandchildren, and two nieces (Rebecca ’83 and Jennifer Bowman Forslund ’90).

Frederic F. Klein, July 28, 2007. (’Eighty-eight, Marshall, Concert Band, Blue and White Melodians, Assembly Orchestra, Class Day Committee, football) Fred served with the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. His great interest was always music, especially jazz, big bands, and later rock ’n’ roll. Survivors include two sons, a daughter, six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

’57Edward B. Holschuh Jr., November 6, 2008. (Marshall, Glee Club, Octet, Les Copains) Ed graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson Uni-versity, and spent much of his business life in nursery sales and gardening. He was predeceased by his father, Edward Sr. ’29; survi-vors include his former wife, Betsy, two sons, a daughter, and four grandchildren.

’58Richard M. Beatty, October 26, 2008. (South Cottage, Irving, El Cir-culo Español, KARUX Board, Stamp Club, football, basketball) Dick was a life member of the Ohio State University Alumni Association, and was owner/operator of Werkheiser’s Hardware in Chester, West Virginia. He is survived by his wife, Norma, a son and daugh-ter, and two grandchildren.

’62Frank E. Weise, November 11, 2008. (Keil, Irving, Caducean Club, Christian Service Group, Electronics Club, News Board, soccer, cross country) Frank was a graduate of Lehigh University and a retired executive known for his success in restoring profitability to falter-ing companies. After a 25-year career with Procter & Gamble in Ohio, England, and Belgium, he was appointed chief financial offi-cer and senior vice-president of Campbell Soup. He later headed Campbell’s bakery division, which included Pepperidge Farm and Godiva Chocolatier. From 2004 until his retirement in 2007, Frank was an operating partner of J.W. Childs Associates, a private equity firm, and was chairman of the board of Cott Corporation, a Canadian producer of sodas. Survivors include his wife of 43 years, Deborah Dunstan Weise; a son and daughter; and five grandchildren.

’63David B. Hogue, October 8, 2008. (Main, Marshall, Les Copains, Jurisprudence Society, Chapel Reader, Stony Batter, Christian Service Group, wrestling) David graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, served in the U.S. Marine Corps, and settled in Denver. He was a stockbroker with Boettcher & Co. and then Solomon Smith Barney, where he was vice presi-dent of investments. Survivors include his wife, Susan Hook Hogue, and two sons.

’64James I. Applebaum, May 27, 2008. (Main, Irving, Class Secretary, Laticlavii, Chemistry Club, Music Appreciation president, Cadu-cean Club, Stony Batter, Glee Club, soccer, wrestling) A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Jim was a systems analyst for Ernst & Young in New York City. Included among his survivors is a nephew, Stuart Jaffe ’89. [Editor’s note: Mr. Applebaum is not related to current Mercersburg faculty member Jim Applebaum.]

’68Craig D. Walmer, November 16, 2008. (Marshall, Russian Club, Coin & Stamp Club, Chess Club, cross country, track, wrestling, fencing, Rugby Club) Craig was a graduate of Millersville Uni-versity, and was employed by Camino Real Foods until retire-ment. He was preceded in death by his wife, Jennifer Gantz Walmer, who died in 2002; survivors include a son and two grandchildren.

Former faculty/staff/friendsHilde Hensing Hill, widow of former Regent Samuel S. Hill ’18, July 2, 2008. Born in Rotterdam, Hilde was active in the Dutch resistance against the Nazi occupation during World War II. Following the war, she immigrated to the United States and worked for the Dutch Embassy in Washington, where she lived for more than 50 years.

Patricia Burnside “Pat” Post, staff member and wife of faculty emeritus Phil Post, January 11, 2009. Pat was an assistant librar-ian at Mercersburg from 1983 until 2005, and was the mother of two daughters and Mercersburg graduates: Elizabeth Post McKelvey ’82 and Rebecca Post ’87.

Janet G. Shaffer, housekeeper (1973–1988), December 16, 2008.

My Say

Why would you leave your job of 32 years and your wife of 29 years to take a job teaching in India for five months? Adventure? Midlife crisis? To see the world? I imagine people were questioning my motives when they found out I would be gone for the first half of the 2008–2009 school year.

The streets do not act as boundaries separating people, but more as connectors linking them together.

Frank Rutherford ’70, who teaches science and serves as director of instructional technology, has been a member of the Mercersburg faculty since 1976. He returned to Mercersburg in late December; for more on his adventures in India, visit web.mac.com/frunner/India/Blog/Blog.html.

On August 1, I began my temporary stay in Visakhapatnam, a sleepy port city of 1.5 million people located halfway up the eastern coast of India. School Year Abroad (SYA) had opened its fifth campus there, and I would be teaching environmental science and economics and advising a group of students.

India’s streets are its social and commercial lifeblood, with sounds and smells acting as the indicators of daily routines or the signals of special events like religious festivals or community events. Each morning, the local vegetable vendors would chant their calls for the day’s goods as the milkman milked his cows. One morning, the smell of curries and onions drifted up to the apartment. As I gazed below, a tent had been erected and a large pot (one meter wide) was perched on bricks over an open fire. Under the tent, people were chopping brightly colored vegetables and spices. Today must be a community feast, I thought.

When I needed my shirts ironed, I simply walked about a hundred meters up the street and dropped them off at a small booth, where an always-smiling young man loaded his iron with hot charcoal and pressed my shirts for a few pennies apiece. While waiting for the school bus in the morning, I would sip my hot chai, which had been prepared at the small cart across the street; if I was hungry, I could also buy some freshly steamed idlis (which are small cakes made from rice and lentils, and a popular Indian breakfast staple).

Each day there is the same, yet different. Walking down any street involves dodging street vendors’ carts, dogs, cows, people, and motor scooters—or construction materials like sand, bricks, or metal rebar that are dropped onto the streets. Men and women in brilliantly colored saris carry the loads on their heads to construction sites, since manual labor is so much cheaper than buying machines, and it is an easy way to reduce the pool of surplus labor.

In some ways, the life of the city was organized chaos. It was hard for Westerners to move at their frenetic pace while the Indians moved at their inefficient pace. Luckily, there were only a few Westerners in Visakhapatnam to disrupt the ebb and flow of Indian life.

By Frank Rutherford ’70

Rutherford waits for a morning bus with SYA student Molly Hayes

A street dinner during the Ganesh festival

My Mercersburg Story By Jennifer Brallier ’09

In just a matter of days, I will be a Mercersburg alumna. I came here a kid, and I am thrilled to be leaving as a mature young woman, steeped in the wonderful values of this great school. Thanks to Mercersburg, I have the skills and self-

My thanks to all the Mercersburg alumni who contribute to the Annual Fundso that students like me can have the exceptional academic experience thatwe all know as Mercersburg.

Jenn: Marshall Society Officer Basketball Captain Soccer Captain Lacrosse Player Peer Group Leader Burgin Center Usher

Create the next Mercersburg story.

participate in a total educational experience that teaches them to be leaders in the 21st century.

Today, your Annual Fund gifts underwrite the educational experience for every student. Your support ensures that the best and brightest, regardless of their economic resources, can attend Mercersburg Academy. Create the next Mercersburg story by making your gift today at www.mercersburg.edu/giving or 800-588-2550.

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Mercersburg Magazine - Spring 2009