sewickley speaking winter 2010

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SEWICKLEY SPEAKINGT H E M A G A Z I N E O F S E W I C K L E Y A C A D E M Y



Arts Hall of Fame Inductee Garner Tullis ’55 donated his painting, Salmone, to Sewickley Academy.

S E W I C K L E Y S P E A K I N G W I N T E R 2 0 1 0

EDITOR Haley Wilson

CONTRIBUTORS Julie Bevevino ‘99

Lawrence Connolly

Sharon Hurt Davidson

Jennifer FitzPatrick

Larry Hall

Winthrop Palmer

Mandi Semple

Susan Sour

Haley Wilson

PHOTOGRAPHERS Mandi Semple

James R. Wardrop ’57

Haley Wilson

DESIGN Richard A. Hooper

Third Planet Communications

www.333planet.com

Sewickley Academy does not discriminate on

the basis of race, gender, religion, national or

ethnic origin, or sexual orientation in the

administration of its educational policies,

financial aid program, athletic program,

or any other policy or program.

C Printed on 100% recycled paper that is processed chlorine-free.

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A MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL | LETTERS 1

MS. LINDA BOWERS: 2009 CLARK FACULTY CHAIR 5

FALL SPORTS WRAP-UP 6

PANORAMA: AN INTRODUCTION TO CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY 11

EPHEMERA: THE ACADEMY’S ARTS MAGAZINE 16

PICTURE THIS CAMPAIGN CELEBRATION 19

WELCOME TO GRETA DANIELS | ALUMNI PORTAL 22

REUNION 2009 – A WEEKEND TO REMEMBER 23

SAVE THE DATE – REUNION 2010 26

ALUMNI EVENTS 27

CLASS NOTES 28

IN MEMORIAM 37

THE SKINNY ON HEALTHY EATING

ARTS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS : A SCULLEY SABBATICAL EXPERIENCE

MIKE FINCKE ‘85

CONTENTS

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A MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

LETTERS

Dear Readers of Sewickley Speaking,

A great meal may be characterized by a balance among complemen-tary flavors, textures, and colors that brings out the unique qualities of each element, from the tender vegetable, to the perfectly sautéed scallop, to the refreshing chilled Chardonnay.

Please think of such a meal as a metaphor for this issue of Sewickley Speaking. While we actually do feature the work of Skinny Chef Jennifer Iserloh ’90, we also have an article about a recent visit to campus by Mike Fincke ’85, NASA astronaut and recently returned commander of the International Space Station for Expedition 18 (in space the food is decidedly not gourmet). But in keeping with the idea of mixing ingredients in new and interesting ways, we also feature our inaugural Arts Hall of Fame inductees, who have suc-ceeded in mixing all sorts of different media in different fields to stimulate, provoke, challenge, and entertain.

How extraordinary that our school should nurture, embrace, and celebrate such a rich variety of talents over such a diverse range of disciplines. This, I believe, is actually one of the great strengths of Sewickley Academy. We are not a school whose graduates can easily be picked out of a line-up or identified by their adherence to one idea or another. Rather, our students and graduates reflect the rich variety of the human experience, of the limitless possible ways of being and interacting with the world and with others in the world.

We should all be immensely proud of the many different things those in our community are doing, and in this issue of Sewickley Speaking, we take a moment to revel in the life banquet of which our alumni partake!

Sincerely,

Kolia O’Connor

I want to applaud the choice of Karen Coleman and John Symons as 2009 Faculty Emeriti Inductees. Karen Coleman taught one of my favorite classes, Conversational French. When I visited Paris in 2004, much of it came back to me, and I had great fun speaking to the locals. John Symons taught me Algebra 3/Trigonometry and Review Math for the SATs. In 2002, in order to obtain certification for teaching in public school, I had to pass a comprehensive math exam. Thanks to Mr. Symons, I passed the exam with flying colors!

Laura MacLeod ’75 New York, NY

How terrific it is to have an established venue for honoring those teachers whose history with the SA community is far-reaching! Though I was familiar with all the inductees, my memories reverted back to third grade with Mrs. Nichols (Doll). She was the first teacher to break from the traditional layout of desks in rows. Change was a constant in her class-room as we arranged the furniture into creative clusters regu-larly. Most importantly was her gift for gently encouraging the best in each of us.

Suzanne Genter Friday ‘76 Sewickley, PA

I had the immense privilege of being taught by three of the most recent Faculty Emeriti; alas, I did not take French long enough to experience the wonders of Dr. Coleman. Interest-ingly, “emeritus” originates from the Roman military tradition referring to a soldier who had “served his time honorably.” Without a doubt, all of the new Faculty Emeriti served their time more than honorably.

Leslie Lewis ‘81 Sewickley, PA

2009 Faculty Emeriti Inductees (Summer 2009)

Love it? Hate it? Read it?We would love to hear what you think about this Sewickley Speaking. We may edit your letters for length and clarity, but please write!

Haley Wilson Sewickley Speaking 315 Academy Avenue Sewickley, PA 15143 [email protected]

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THE SKINNY ON HEALTHY EATING

Jennifer is the founder of Skinny Chef Culinary Ventures, a blooming culinary business with multi-media appeal. She is a highly favored writer at Self Magazine and Yoga Life and has shared her expertise on health and cooking on the Today show and CBS. As the recipe developer for Joy Bauer’s Food Cures and Jessica Seinfeld’s Deceptively Delicious, Jennifer continues to guide families toward health, showing them that healthy cooking can be fresh and fun.

During her two-day visit to the Academy, Jennifer shared nutrition information, healthful tips, personal stories, and great recipes! Over 120 members of the community came to the Academy on the evening of November 17 to hear Jennifer’s presentation on nutrition and living a healthy lifestyle. After her talk, guests enjoyed a reception that featured her very own recipes, including the favorite recipe of the evening - Blueberry Cobbler with Yogurt Topping (see ).

On November 18, Jennifer shared stories on how to pursue a career in the food industry with Middle and Senior School students. The last portion of her vis-it was a cooking demon-stration with Academy faculty and staff, where she provided the nutri-tion profile of the “Fab Four” vegetables (see Page 4) and cooked them in delicious ways for everyone to taste.

Jennifer’s cookbook, Secrets of a Skinny Chef, publishes in March 2010. For more healthy living tips, recipes, podcasts, and web-casts, visit www.skinnychef.com.

Skinny Chef Jennifer Iserloh ’90

Sewickley Academy was honored to welcome Jennifer Iserloh ’90 back to campus as part of the 2009-2010 Sewickley Series and as the 2009 Sector Speaker.

K I T C H E N R E F R E S H

Jennifer’s food philosophy focuses on healthy cooking

at home. “By creating meals in your own kitchen, you

control the quality of the ingredients and the quantity

of sodium, sugar, and saturated fats,” says the Skinny

Chef. “Home-cooked meals are tastier and less ex-

pensive and also allow for portion control.”

Over time, your favorite home-cooked meals become

less about cooking and more about celebrating tradi-

tions with your family. It’s a way to “fall in love with

food again.” And that is exactly what the Skinny Chef

helps families do. She demonstrates easy techniques

and tips to get back to the traditions of cooking.

Jennifer encourages families to start with small

changes, like a mini kitchen makeover of your pantry,

fridge, freezer, and countertop. The following pages

offer a few simple changes you can make in your

kitchen that will improve the way your family eats

and thinks about food.

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FACT: THE AVERAGE AMERICAN EATS 3,790 CALORIES A DAY. 3 ,500 CALORIES = 1 POUND OF FAT.

• Swapoutsodium-heavycannedsoupsforlow sodium chicken and beef broths and beans.Youcanmakehomemadesoupswithyourownhealthyingredients.

• Jarredsaucesareloadedwithhighfructosecornsyrupandsugar.Replacethemwith alow sodium tomato paste,anexcellentandinexpensivewaytoaddbigflavorto manydishes.

• Adddifferentsizecans of peeled tomatoestoyourpantry.Cannedtomatoesarea freshandhealthyadditiontoanykindofsouporItaliandish.

• Popularcerealsforkidsarealmostalwayshighinsugar.Awaytoreducethesugar andaddnutritionisbymixinghalfoftheregularstore-boughtcerealwithhalfrolled whole oats.

• Whole wheat bread crumbsareagreatadditiontoyourpantry.Youcanbakechicken nuggets in thewholewheatcrumbsandcreateakid-friendlymeal fullofhealthy proteinandfiber…andstillmaintainthatyummynuggetcrunch!

• Reducetheamountofbutterinmacaroniandcheeseforyourkidsbyaddingsome frozen pureed squashinstead.Itmaintainsthecheesycolorbutallowsyoutoreduce saturatedfatandaddbetacarotene.

• Packagedchickennuggetsandfishsticksarefullofsodium,transfat,andsugar. Pre-cooked frozen shrimpisanexcellentreplacement–justrinseinwarmwaterand makeskewersforaneasydinner.

• You can make an easy homemade pizza by keeping a frozen pizza shell in your freezer. All you need is some part-skim mozzarella and canned tomatoes for toppings.Thisflavorfulandhealthfulpizzabeatsexpensivetakeoutanynight!

• Ahealthyandtastyalternativetoicecreamisfrozennon-fat Greek yogurt pops. Justmixtheyogurtwithpowderedsugarandfreshorfrozenfruitinsmallcups,add apopsiclestick,andfreeze!

• Twotablespoonsofheavycreamisabout10gramsoffat,soswapoutthefullfat creamforhalf and half.

• Aglassof2%milkisonly3gramslessfatthanwholemilk,sooptforskim milk.

• Dairyproducts,especiallycheeses,arefullofcalciumandprotein,buttheyarealso highinsaturatedfats.Alwaysbuythereduced fat versions.

• Replacehighfatporkbaconandslicedturkeymeatwithturkey baconandturkey bolognatoachieve0gramsofsaturatedfat!

• Switchceleryforbroccoli.Onecupofbroccoligivesyou200%ofvitaminCandishigh incalcium.

• Reachforthemustardmoreoftenthanketchup.Atablespoonofketchupequalsa teaspoonofsugar.Ifyouloveketchup,createlittlecontainersofittogoalongwitha meal,usingonly2 tablespoons per serving.

P A N T R Y R E F R E S H

F R I D G E R E F R E S H

F R E E Z E R R E F R E S H

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• Countertopsnackscanimproveyourhealth!Changeoutawhiteprocessedcracker for a whole wheat cracker, served in a portion-control container like a muffin wrapper.

• Replacewhitecornchipswithmultigrain or whole grain tortilla chips,whichcontain alotmorefiberandnutrients.

• Fillcandydisheswithdried fruit.

• Chocolate covered-fruit is a tasty and healthy snack for your family. Melt dark chocolate chips–whicharehighinantioxidants–inskimmilkandthendipthefruit. Rollinchoppednutsorcrushedgrahamcrackersforanaddedcrunch.

Alwayshavethesefourvegetablesinyourpantryorfridge.Theirnutritionalprofile gives you the most bang foryour buck in terms of vitamins andminerals.

1. CARROTS

2. SPINACH

3. SWEET POTATOES

4. BROCCOLI

NOTTOOSWEET,NOTTOOTART,BERRYCOBBLERISTHEPERFECTENDING

TOASUMMERBARBECUEORINDIANSUMMERMEAL.(SERVES8)

1cupfat-freeGreekyogurt2T.confectionerssugar2pintsfreshblueberries2tsp.orangezest2T.lightbrownsugar2T.groundflaxseed1T.wholewheatpastryflour

Topping1/2cupoldfashionedoats1/2cupwholewheatpastryflour1/2cuppackedlightbrownsugar1tsp.bakingpowder1/2tsp.groundcinnamon1/2tsp.groundcardamom1/4tsp.salt1/3cuptrans-fatfreemargarine,chilled2tsp.icewater

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, mix the yogurt with theconfectioners sugar. Refrigerate until ready to use. Place the blueberries,orangezest,2T.brownsugar,flaxseed,and 1T.flour ina largebowl.Mixwelltocombine.Transfertoan8x8-inchungreasedbakingdish.

Placetheoatsinafoodprocessorandpulseuntilachunkyflourforms.Addthe wheat flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, andsalt to the food processor bowl and pulse 2-3 times to combine. Add themargarineandicewater,thenpulse7-8times,untilpea-sizecrumbsstartto form.Donotovermix.Sprinkle thetoppingover thefruitandbake35to40minutes,untiltheberriesarehotandthetoppingiscookedthrough.Topwithyogurttopping.

COUNTERTOP REFRESH

THE FAB 4BLUEBERRY COBBLER WITH YOGURT TOPPING

MOST FAST FOOD MEALS ARE HALF,

IF NOT ALL, OF THE SODIUM YOU SHOULD

HAVE IN ONE DAY - 2,300 GRAMS. MOST

FAST FOOD BURGER MEALS ARE 1,500

GRAMS OF SODIUM, WHILE CHICKEN

MEALS CAN BE UP TO 2,200.

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Each September at the Opening Assembly, one teacher receives the Academy’s highest honor – the Clark Faculty Chair. This year, Senior School mathematics teacher Ms. Linda Bowers became the seventh faculty member to receive the remarkable honor. The award, which honors Ham Clark’s 15-year tenure as headmaster and Ceci Clark’s many contributions to the life of the school, is given to a teacher who displays a mastery of sub-ject, a love of learning, leadership, and a commitment to the com-munity. Though Linda was absent from the assembly recovering from surgery, the honor held no less significance for her. “When Mr. O’Connor and Dr. Buterbaugh called me, I was totally over-whelmed and unbelievably honored. It was very emotional for me – I cried on and off all day!”

The award is fitting for Ms. Bowers, who unabashedly admits that teaching is her life. “I love my students. As they progress into young adulthood, their maturity and curiosity make them such a pleasure to teach, and I live for it. They are the reason why I have been doing this for 33 years.” This passion for teaching quickly made her one of the finest teachers at the Academy since her move from Mississippi seven years ago.

During her free periods, she routinely meets with students to provide extra help or guidance. Her love of math creates excite-ment for the subject, and her upbeat nature cheers students on as they study parabolas, cosines, and derivatives. Linda attends vir-tually every play, athletic contest, and special program involving her students, who know that her dedication to them extends well beyond the classroom. She has earned the trust of her students and is a confidant to many. “My favorite moments with students are the one-on-one conversations where the student just needs someone to listen to them and not judge.”

Linda has also quickly become a leader among the faculty. She has contributed significantly to the professional life of her col-leagues as a member of the pilot program that developed the new Professional Development and Evaluation Plan for faculty, as a member of the Compensation Task Force, and now as a leader of the New Employee Mentoring Program. Her own professional development is enriched by her role as a table leader for the grad-ing of the College Board’s AP exams. She has also made it a pri-ority to keep up-to-date on the latest technologies to enhance her teaching.

The Academy is privileged to honor Linda’s many contributions to our school. She certainly lives the words of our mission to “in-spire and educate” students and has touched the lives of her stu-dents and colleagues.

MS. LINDA BOWERS: 2009 CLARK FACULTY CHAIR

Ms. Linda Bowers became the seventh faculty member to receive the Clark Faculty Chair.

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FIELD HOCKEY

This year’s field hockey team stayed in the hunt for a WPIAL playoff berth up until the last week of the season. The final overall records of 6-9-2 and 5-7-2 in the section included a dramatic 1-0 Games Day victory over Mt. Lebanon as Clayton Morris ’11 sent a shot into the goal with two seconds left in the game. Goalie Rachel Kaye ’10 had an outstanding season and was selected to the All-WPIAL Team. Jul Tehovnik ’10 and Colleen Compliment ’11 were recognized as Honor-able Mention All-WPIAL. Next year’s team will be led by a strong group of returning players.

GIRLS’ GOLF

For the first time in school history, the Academy fielded a girls’ golf team. It was a successful season as nine girls competed at the ju-nior varsity level. The team won the first-ever match versus North Allegheny as Lindsay Curran ’13 shot a 51 in the nine-hole match at North Park. Micaela Becker ’13 had a consistent, good season for the young Panthers. Aja Happel ’11 continued her excellent play as she qualified for the WPIAL Individual Championships for the second straight year by shooting an 88 at Hickory Heights. Christina Giusti

’10, Meredith Kendall ’10, and Eleanore Marsh ’10 provided leader-ship and spirit in our historic first season as we prepare for varsity competition next year.

BOYS’ GOLF

The boys’ golf team broke a number of school records en route to the first undefeated regular season, 15-0, in school history as the Pan-thers captured a fifth-straight section championship. The team set a new course record at Allegheny Country Club by shooting a 181 in a match versus Deer Lakes. Ian Bangor ’10 and Chris Weir ’10 were se-lected as Co-Players of the Year by the WPIAL. In the WPIAL Semifi-nals, the Panthers shot the low round of 404 led by Jordan Chang ’10, Ian Bangor, and Chris Weir shooting in the 70s. In the WPIAL Cham-pionships, SA finished second by two strokes to Bishop Canevin. Ian Bangor, Chris Weir, Jordan Chang, Trey Carbeau ’10, Joey Manzinger

’11, Will Hogan ’11, and Charlie Carbeau ’12 averaged lower than 40 strokes per nine holes.

GIRLS’ TENNIS

The girls’ tennis team finished with an overall record of 20-3 and 12-0 in the section en route to the second-straight section and WPIAL Championship. Logan Antill ’12 captured the section singles championship and advanced to the WPIAL Singles Championship before falling in the finals. Aimee Fadden ’10 and Caroline Ross ’12 captured the section doubles championship and also advanced to the WPIAL Doubles Championship before falling in the finals. In the PIAA Singles and Doubles Tournaments, both Logan and our dou-bles team won their first round matches before being defeated in the

The girls’ tennis team captures their second consecutive WPIAL Championship.

Jul Tehovnik ’10 steals the ball from her Aquinas Academy opponent. This year’s team finished the season with a section record of 5-7-2.

The 2009-2010 boys’ golf team poses with their second place trophy after the WPIAL Team Championships.


FALL SPORTS WRAP-UP

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second round. In the team championships, the Panthers met Quaker Valley in the WPIAL Championships. SA was victorious 3-2 as the #2 doubles team of Lizzie Miller ’10 and Madeline Moersch ’11 won a three-set match. The team won the first two matches of the PIAA Tournament before losing to eventual state champion Harriton 3-2. With a strong team returning next year, the Panthers are looking forward to defending the WPIAL Championship.

CROSS COUNTRY

The girls’ and boys’ varsity cross country teams were a cohesive group that had a nice mixture of experienced and young runners. Led by JT Ahearn ’10, who qualified for the PIAA Championships for the third-straight year, the boys’ team had a number of close meets including a one point win over Avonworth in which fine performanc-es by Ian Carroll ’11, Billy McCormick ’11, Tripp Bly ’11, and Jalen Lee ’13 pushed us to victory. The top runner for the girls’ team was Tori Pawk ’13 who, along with Lauren Gedeon ’13 and Simran Saron ’12, were guided by the leadership of Lyssa Bantleon ’10, Emma Jordan ’10, Krista Kohler ’10, Abby Larsen ’10, and Adara Maroon ’10.

GIRLS’ SOCCER

An amazingly consistent effort throughout the season produced an overall record of 15-4-1 and a section record of 9-2-1. Led by Casey Ross ’10, Maddie Sproull ’10, and Chloe Zomnir ’10, the team com-peted with intensity and poise despite the youthful age of the squad. Highlights of the season included a 1-0 overtime victory on Games Day versus Quaker Valley on a long shot by Chloe Zomnir, a 3-2 win against Mt. Pleasant, and a 2-0 shutout by goalkeeper Erin Keller ’11 versus Seton-LaSalle. The Panthers defeated Neshannock 3-1 in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs before losing to eventual WPIAL champion Springdale in the next round. Chloe Zomnir and Nudge Vacarelli ’12 were selected to the All-WPIAL Team and, along with teammate Maddie Sproull, were chosen All Section.

BOYS’ SOCCER

With the vast majority of the players who contributed to the state championship team having graduated the past two years, expectations were low for this year’s team. However, in an early October game against WPIAL and PIAA champion Seton LaSalle, Ben Brown ‘11 scored on a cross from Kareem Termanini ‘10 in second overtime for the victory. When the Panthers won at Bish-op Canevin 2-0, SA was crowned section champions! In the first round of the WPIAL playoffs, the team defeated Beaver County Christian 2-0. An overtime loss to Springdale in the next round of the playoffs did nothing to mar the regenerative efforts of this team. Mark Zindren ’10 was selected to the All-WPIAL Team and goalie Albert Civitarese ’11 and Mark were chosen All Section.

Tripp Bly ’11, Jalen Lee ’13, Ian Carroll ’11, and Billy McCormick ’11 warm up for the WPIAL Cross Country Championship.

Team Captain Chloe Zomnir ’10 splits the Montour defense with a pass to her teammate. The Panthers won the game 3-2.

In the section game against Seton LaSalle, Sameer Rustagi ’11 and Robert Nogay ’10 work together for the win. In double overtime, the Panthers sealed the victory against last year’s WPIAL and PIAA champion.


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THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS: A SCULLEY SABBATICAL EXPERIENCE

Middle School teacher Michael-Ann Cerniglia’s Sculley Sabbatical journey across the Middle East was one that took her “through aromatic, labyrinthine souqs, from hilltops capped by crusader castles, and across deserts to the ancient land of the Fertile Crescent.” She experienced first-hand the culture and people of places that few Americans ever visit. The following is her personal account.

Saudi boys head home from school for noon prayer time with books wrapped in prayer rugs.

Bedouins lead their camels among the ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra, which was an important stop along the trade routes from Asia and Europe.

engaged in informed my teaching in valuable ways. However, what was lacking was a direct experience with the region.

Seven years later, in December 2008, I had the rare opportu-nity to travel to Saudi Arabia with a group of 25 U.S. educators. The study-tour, sponsored by Saudi Aramco, the Saudi Oil com-pany, took us across Saudi Arabia from Dhahran, to Jeddah, to Riyadh, where we learned about the science, history, and culture of the Kingdom. We shared meals with male and female university students, professors, doctors, reporters, and busi-nessmen, experiencing free and open dialogue about culture and politics. I had anticipated guarded and cautious interaction, supported by a unified voice. What I discovered was a very private society that values close personal connections, yet strives to learn about the world beyond its borders, values differences of opinion, and is as politically and socially diverse as we are here in the United States.

Before I went to the Middle East, I was cautioned about violence and instability. The reputation preceding the region seemed insurmountable. I worried how I could leave my family, how I could risk my security, how I could think myself so brave. I also wondered what it would mean to come back with a different story about this region: one that spoke of people, not policies; of history, not headlines. Perhaps I could prove that by temporarily stepping outside my own cultural comfort zone and journeying beyond my fears, I just might discover something more mean-ingful. And yet, as much as I prepared myself, I never could have imagined how far this journey would take me.

My interest in the Middle East began eight years ago. Following the events of September 11, and only two months away from teaching modern Middle Eastern history, I became acutely aware of the importance of teaching this region with objectiv-ity and sensitivity. I committed to seminars at Yale University and attended lectures from experts in the field. The dialogue I


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However, I knew that Saudi Arabia did not represent the Middle East as a whole—it was only one piece of the puzzle.

The Sculley Sabbatical offered me the chance to return to the Middle East and ex-plore Syria and Jordan in the summer of 2009. The beauty of the Sabbatical is that I was able to research these countries and design excursions that aligned with my personal interests, free from the confines of a large tour group. It was a journey that took me tripping over history and through the aromat-ic, labyrinthine souqs, from hilltops capped by crusader castles, and across deserts to the ancient land of the Fertile Crescent.

In Syria, my husband and I began with sev-eral days in Damascus. As one of the old-est continually-inhabited cities in the world, there were endless opportunities to explore history. We walked through the Old City, touched giant stones from the Roman Temple of Jupiter, visited Islam’s Umayyad Mosque, and followed Paul’s conversion on the bibli-cal “street called Straight,” from St. Anania’s house to the very wall of the city where he escaped persecution.

From Damascus, our driver, Jihad, drove us north to Krak des Chevaliers, one of the best preserved Crusader castles in the world. The views of this lush and hilly region from atop the castle towers and the grand and shad-owy halls were remarkable; quite possibly one of my favorite sites. Our guide grew up in the local town, used the castle as his child-hood playground, and shared stories in the English he learned by watching Arnold Schwarzenegger movies.

From Krak, we headed to Hama, a small conservative city famous for its noorias (Roman water wheels). As we walked through the town, we were approached by strangers eager to talk; they knew we were foreign and wanted us to share our perspective and experiences. One man literally pulled us by the hand into a nearby shop and in-sisted that he host us with tea and conversation.

Moving on to Aleppo, we connected with Bushra Halimeh, a relative of the Sewickley Termanini family. We climbed the highest tower of the citadel just as the call to prayer began and a cacophony of sound from every mosque in Aleppo echoed around us. We then met up with Bushra who took us through the ancient Aleppo souq, which has continuously run since medieval times, before bringing us to her home where her mother cooked a delicious, traditional Syrian meal.

We then made a day trip across the Syrian Desert past Bedouin tents and bee hive houses to Palmyra, an ancient city and valuable


stop along the trade routes from Asia and Europe. I have seen Roman ruins from Britain, Spain, and Rome, yet Palmyra is quite possibly the most impressive site I’ve seen. It pops out of the desert, seemingly from nowhere, and there are few tourists. Walking through it, if you pause and glimpse through the colon-nade, you will see Bedouins in traditional dress, leading camels behind them. It’s easy to imagine that it’s 2,000 years ago. The surreal sense of history is unsurpassed.

From Palmyra, we traveled across the border to Jordan, from where my husband returned to the States and I continued on my own with a private tour. I travelled south to Bethany, the bap-tism site of Jesus on the Jordan River, and I also took a swim in the Dead Sea.

The following day, I visited Um Qais, where I looked down upon Israel, the Sea of Galilee, the Golan Heights, and Syria. It was such a beautiful view that it was hard to imagine the violence and boundaries that shadow its history. From there, we visited

This ancient Aleppo souq in Syria has continuously run since medieval times.

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THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS: A SCULLEY SABBATICAL EXPERIENCE [CONTINUED]

This oud player accompanies a Bedouin desert lunch of coal-fired, cinnamon-infused chicken and grilled vegetables.

Petra’s Treasury is a beautiful and unique example of ancient Nabataean architecture carved into the soft pink sandstone.

traditional evening of Bedouin dancing, music, and food with Hassan and Taher—who had now become good friends. Late that evening, I checked for scorpions before settling into my desert tent for the night.

In a region that is often feared and overlooked by the West, I found a treasure. Beyond the historic value, my most remark-able moments came from the never-ending hospitality of the Arab people. One of my favorite moments came as I walked alone along a road in Petra at sunset. Just as I thought to my-self, “How sad to be here alone,” a Bedouin family rushed from their porch to call to me, “Chai! Tea! Chai! Come, come!” Unfor-tunately, I had to decline, as I was expected someplace within 10 minutes. Yet, only five minutes later, another Bedouin family did the same thing. I thought to myself, “You can’t be lonely in the Middle East.”

In the coming years, I look forward to sharing this journey with my students and opening their hearts and minds to similar ad-ventures. Perhaps they too will realize that what may seem lonely or frightening at first glance can lead to their most en-lightening and life-changing experiences.

the Arab castle of Ajloun, and then went on to Jerash, one of the best preserved Greco-Roman cities in the world. I was again amazed at the peacefulness and expansiveness of this archeo-logical site. My guide, Hassan, was from Jerash and was kind enough to take my driver, Taher, and me to his home to meet his family. No visit is complete without tea and fruit, and I learned that the hospitality I experienced in Saudi Arabia and Syria is a unifying cultural trait of the Arab people.

Finally, I was on to Petra — one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Built by the Nabataeans, Petra is a beautiful and unique example of ancient architecture. Petra’s Treasury, made famous in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, is just one of the many buildings carved right into the soft pink sandstone. It is one of the most beautiful architectural creations I’ve ever seen. However, it was clear that tourism has quickly modernized the local Bedouin community in ways that have changed their tradi-tional culture; competition for cheap souvenir sales begin with “Indiana Jones Snack Shack” at the entrance and last through streets lined with young peddlers who haggle as well as their elders in the ancient souqs. My moment of peace came in the evening, in a desert cave. Hassan arranged for a friend to take me into Wadi Musa, to eat a traditional Bedouin style meal, with a Milky Way Rainbow moving overhead and coyotes howling across the sands.

My final 24 hours in Jordan were spent in the Wadi Rum desert. An afternoon driving over moon-like terrain was followed by a


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How much do you remember from the mythology unit you took at the Academy? Do you recall how King Minos hired the brilliant architect Daedalus to design a labyrinth to imprison the bull-headed Minotaur? And how the young hero Theseus bravely volunteered to go inside that labyrinth to kill the beast?

What you may not remember is how Ariadne, the princess who had fallen in love with Theseus, offered him a ball of yarn before he en-tered Daedalus’ maze so Theseus could unwind it as he walked in and then follow it back out. “This was one of my favorite details in all of mythology,” says Carrie Zuberbuhler Kennedy ’86. “I love the simplicity of her solution, how the yarn gives Theseus the confidence he needs to accom-plish his mission.”

Not many people know that Ariadne’s ball of yarn, called a ‘clew’ in Old English, was so connected with this myth that it came to sym-bolize anything that helped solve a problem. Over time, the spelling of the word changed to ‘clue.’

After Carrie wrote her first book, Panorama: An Introduction to Classical Mythology, she started considering names for her new pub-lishing company, and Ariadne’s gift came to mind. “The book itself is a ‘clew’ for students and interested readers, a resource that makes the complicated subject of mythology easier to navigate,” she explains. “So Clew Publishing sounded just right.”

Carrie began organizing and writing her book during the years she taught English at the Academy. Frustrated with materials that were either too watered-down or too dry and difficult, she decided to try and develop a more accessible resource that put mythology in his-torical context and also celebrated its timeless relevance.

“It [mythology] is everywhere,” says Carrie. “The names for busi-nesses and sports teams; terms in every field of science; allusions in music, literature, plays, movies; everyday vocabulary and phrases. It remains one of the most culturally important subjects, and the beauty is that it’s a lot of fun, too.”

A very early version of Carrie’s book was used in Grade 8 classrooms for several years, and Carrie continued to work on the project after leaving the Academy to start a family. “I then somehow managed to get my husband involved,” she laughs. “We now say we are the proud parents of two daughters and one book.”

Her husband, Kevin, is currently the creative director and vice presi-

dent of Mizrahi, a marketing communications firm in Pittsburgh. He designed Carrie’s 240-page book using over 100 color photographs and 100 etchings, and his layout allows Carrie’s interesting sidebar text to run alongside the myths and histories.

Panorama succeeds as both an engaging read and an informative ref-erence guide, and it has received positive reviews by teachers, pro-fessors, homeschoolers, and general readers. Award-winning text-book writer Joy Hakim called Carrie’s book, “A teacher’s and learner’s

treasure.” And Dr. David Sansone, head of the classics department at the University of Illinois, wrote, “The organization and style are superb and while the information is never oversimplified, the whole book remains very accessible.”

Panorama is available at select bookstores and on Carrie’s site, www.clewpublishing.com.

PANORAMA: AN INTRODUCTION TO CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY BY CARRIE ZUBERBUHLER KENNEDY ’86Head of Middle School Susan Sour reviews Carrie Kennedy’s first book, “Panorama: An Introduction to Classical Mythology.”

Carrie Zuberbuhler Kennedy’s first book, “Panorama,” is an engaging read and an informative reference guide on Greek mythology.


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ARTS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

This October during Reunion Weekend, five alumni were recognized as the first inductees into the Arts Hall of Fame: Garner Tullis ’55, Katherine Clarke ’70, Jim Caruso ’76, Anna Singer ’76, and Greg Nicotero ’81. Whether they were inspired by the passionate teachings of Mario Melodia or by a class trip to the Carnegie Museum of Art, all five have uniquely distinguished themselves in the world of the arts.

A noted bronze sculptor, and master painter, Garner Tullis received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Uni-versity of Pennsylvania and a Master of Arts from Stan-ford University. He traveled extensively throughout much of Europe upon winning a Fulbright Award. In 1972, he founded the International Institute of Experimental Printmaking where he collabo-

rated with hundreds of other painters and sculptors throughout the years. As the first recipient of the Ralph T. King Award for outstanding contributions to print-making of the Print Club of Cleve-land, Cleveland Museum of Art, he previously taught at Bennington College; California State College, Stanislaus; University of California, Berkeley; University of California, Davis; and Harvard University. He has worked extensively as a visit-ing artist in Australia, Europe, and South America. He has had solo exhibitions at the Cleveland Insti-tute of Art; the National Museum of Art, Belgrade; the Martha Jack-son Gallery, New York; and numer-ous other galleries and museums. His art currently hangs in the Cleve-land Museum of Art; the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the San Francisco Museum of Art; the Philadelphia Museum of Art; and numerous other well-known public and private collections. Garner currently resides in the unspoiled countryside of Pietra-rubbia, Italy. In May 2009, a major exhibition of his paintings from 1991-2009 opened in Urbino, Italy.

GARNER TULLIS ’55

Here is a look at a day in Garner’s life.

5:00 AM Wake up and fix a couple of espressos. I then take my two miniature long-haired Dachshunds, Maya and Montu, up the mountain for a walk.

7:00 AM Go shopping for fresh meat and then cook it for the dogs. They are my salvation and spirit and are always at my feet or at my head.

Since the cold and ice have set in, I order more hardwood to stoke the fire, which I light in the morning and burn all day. It is below zero this morning, but the fire keeps us warm in our 15th century farmhouse.

8:30 AM Before breakfast, I read Te Tao Ching, the Koran, and engage in metaphysical meditation.

9:00 AM Enjoy my breakfast of sausage and eggs, and then go back to bed with the dogs.

10:30 AM After resting for a while, I dress for the cold and get into the car with the dogs and go up high in the mountains. They look like bunnies jumping in the snow.

12:00 PM Home again, I fix my daily Japanese lunch – sushi and soba noodles. During different stays in Japan, I learned to cook from friends.

1:00 PM I sit down to write emails and letters. I also spend time reading long letters I receive from former students. I spend the next one to two hours writing sincerely to them about my life and the art world.

2:30 PM I begin to draw. I think and meditate and cen-ter myself. I always start with the idea that I am not here for myself. I know that God will take care of me and take care of my hand – that is how he creates.

7:30 PM Tonight I have invited friends over for dinner. I will enjoy their company in front of the fire, as we listen to all kinds of music. These are special moments

– we were not born to just live here alone.

11:00 PM At the end of the day, I can say that I don’t care about mate-rial things. I care about remaking the history of art – growing from the new things that come into my mind when God takes my hand. My fa-ther taught me that the most important thing is not material or money, but is learning how to live in a world of ideas. I’d like to think I am an intellectual, but I am probably more primitive.

Tullis’ studio in Pietrarubbia, Italy.

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J IM CARUSO ’76

Cast Party has seen its share of celebrities, including Martin Short and Late Night with David Letterman’s Paul Shaffer.

Jim Caruso recently made his Broadway debut alongside Liza Minnelli in “Liza’s At The Palace!,” which after a three-year in-ternational tour, received the 2009 Tony Award for Best Special Event, and is currently running on PBS. As a veteran of the Academy stage, he credits the late Mario Melodia as the inspir-ing force behind his decision to attend Sewickley Academy. This multi-talented song-and-dance man has won six MAC Awards and two BackStage Magazine Bistro Awards for his nightclub work, starring in sold-out shows at Bird-land, The Oak Room at the Algonquin Hotel, and The Russian Tea Room. He has performed at Carnegie Hall three times, once backed by the New York Pops, once in an evening hosted by Mi-chael Feinstein, and once in concert with Rosemary Clooney. As the founder of the nationally-acclaimed, award-winning vocal and comedy trio, Wiseguys, Jim performed for President Clinton’s First State Dinner at the White House, as well as concerts at the United Nations and in Central Park. He has also produced talk and entertainment programs for E! En-tertainment Television and Fox TV, and his radio show, “Here On Broadway,” was honored with a Summit Award.

When not on the road singing and danc-ing in “Liza’s At The Palace!,” Jim produces and hosts the Broad-way at Birdland concert series, as well as Jim Caruso’s Cast Party every Monday night in New York City. Both events have been heralded with honors, including the New York Nightlife Award and the Manhattan Association of Cabarets Award. The Broad-way at Birdland series has focused its spotlight on well-known performers like Chita Rivera, Maureen McGovern, Lucie Ar-

naz, Jeff Daniels, and Tom Wopat, as well as up-and-comers and theatrical composers. Cast Party has also seen its share of celebs, including Liza Minnelli, Tony Bennett, Shirley Bassey, and Jon Bon Jovi, all of whom are apt to take a turn entertain-ing the crowd at the grand piano of the historic music room.

Here is a look at Jim’s life on one of those manic Mondays.

8:00 AM Jim rises and immediately crawls to his coffee maker for much-needed caffeine. Decides to cook and microwaves a PopTart. Feels sense of accomplishment.

9:00 AM Checks email. Checks Facebook. Checks Twitter. Checks MySpace. Checks voice mail.

9:15 AM Naps.

10:00 AM – 3:00 PM Sits at desk and writes press releases, books talent, and sends con-tracts for upcoming shows. Forgets to eat lunch.

4:00 PM Cabs to Birdland for tech rehearsal for Broadway at Birdland concert. Introduces extraordinarily gifted and celebrated Broadway performer to talented sound and light techni-cian. Reassures said performer that they have not made horrendous mistake by deciding to book solo concert. Provides hot tea, honey, lemon, throat lozenges, warm towels, and pro-fessional advice to said performer. Oversees

run-through of show.

6:00 PM Changes into producer outfit (fedora, overcoat thrown rak-ishly over shoulders, sunglasses).

7:00 PM Introduces packed house to Broadway performer, who dazzles the crowd with onstage savvy, witty banter, and brilliant vocals.

8:30 PM Oversees after-show press interviews, photographs, fans. Provides performer with stiff martini.

9:00 PM Starts taking names on sign-up list for Cast Party, the open-mic portion of the evening.

9:30 PM Welcomes several hundred people with a peppy song, ac-companied by Cast Party Symphony Orchestra. Does five minutes of ‘Host Chat’ a la Dave Letterman, explaining that the crowd is about to witness performances by “some of the most talented people on the planet. Also…other people.” The laughs abound. Among many oth-ers, Jim introduces an up-and-coming country star, an Oscar winner, two Tony nominees, a folk legend, and a Long Island housewife who has written a song about pollution.

1:00 AM Cast Party comes to an end, as does Jim’s sense of humor.

1:30 AM Jim and friends retreat to nearest 24-hour diner to re-live some of the more unique moments of the evening, as well as ideas to end global warming, starvation, and Lady Gaga.

Derek Storm/Retna Ltd.


As a world-class singer, Anna Singer’s artistic development takes its roots in her involvement in theater and music at Sewickley Academy. Crediting teachers such as Mario Melodia, Carol Duffus, Michael Knaub, and Larry Hall for their inspiration and guidance, she received her Bachelor and Master of Arts in vo-cal performance from The Peabody In-stitute of the Johns Hopkins University. She recently sang in the east coast pre-mier of Ricky Ian Gordon’s The Grapes of Wrath with Pittsburgh Opera, and in the Netherlands for the 50-year cel-ebration of the Singer Museum, and the opening of the newly built L’Orangerie. Anna has performed with numerous op-era companies throughout the world and sung the lead role in shows ranging from Tosca to The Consul. Also popular on the concert stage, Anna made her Carnegie Hall main stage debut with the Manhat-tan Philharmonic. Anna was awarded First Prize at the Center for Contem-porary Opera Vocal Competition, the Palm Beach Opera Competition, and the Dicapo Opera Theatre Vocal Com-petition. In addition, she won awards and grants from the Minna Kaufman Ruud Foundation, the Bel Canto Foun-dation, and the Puccini Foundation, and was also a finalist in the Luciano Inter-national Vocal Competition. Currently residing in Pittsburgh with her husband Don, Anna serves as WQED-FM 89.3’s music programmer and mid-day host.

ANNA SINGER ’76

Here is a look at a day in Anna’s life:

5:00 AM Wake up and feed the four cats...they really are hungry! Then go back to bed to try to catch a few more winks.

6:00 AM Morning ablutions and then cof-fee!! I then feed and take care of Sammy, our Moluccan Cockatoo, and Zulu, our African Gray Parrot.

7:15 AM Leave the house for WQED in Oakland where I program classical music for the radio station that will play from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM.

10:15 AM Head to the studio downtown in the Cultural District where I will broadcast live on WQED FM 89.3 from 11:00 AM-4:00 PM.

5:00 PM After wrapping at the studio, I head to rehearsal for L’Incantesimo by Monte-mezzi, a passionate tale of magical medieval romance. The opera will be performed at the Carnegie Museum over Valentine’s Day weekend.

7:30 PM Choir Night! Enjoy rehearsal with the Sewickley Presbyterian Church choir where I’m a soloist and section leader.

11:00 PM Collapse into bed because it all begins again at 5:00 tomorrow morning!!

Anna currently works at WQED-FM as music programmer and mid-day host.

Anna’s musical ability developed through her involvement in the arts at Sewickley Academy. Here, she plays Marian in “The Music Man” in 1976.

ARTS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES [CONTINUED]

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Born in Pittsburgh, Katherine, or Katie, as she was known in her Academy days, graduated from Mt. Holyoke College and Yale University Drama School, where she received her Master of Fine Arts in 1978. She received critical acclaim for an extensive acting career that included numer-ous credits on Broadway and in regional theater, movies and television. Her roles on Broadway in-cluded Titanic, Strange Interlude, The Marriage of Figaro, and Arms and the Man with Kevin Kline and Raul Julia. She also appeared in the U.S. premiere of Timberlake Wertenbaker’s play, Our Country’s Good, at the Mark Taper Forum and in the West End premiere at the Garrick Theater. Katie starred in the American premiere of David Hare’s play, Plenty, at Chicago’s Goodman Theater and performed in the Broad-way musical for two years. She starred in the cult classic movie Drag-onslayer opposite the late Sir Ralph Richardson, and had recurring television roles on Northern Exposure, Matlock, and Law and Order. Prior to her passing in 2004, Katie found a special joy in teaching her craft to students of all ages at the University of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Musical Theater.

As a multiple award-winning spe-cial makeup effects artist and direc-tor, Greg began his career under the tutelage of director George Romero and effects master Tom Savini in Pittsburgh. He credits former song and dance teacher Mario Melodia and several creative writing classes at the Academy for encouraging his creativity. He and his business partner, Howard Berger, formed The KNB EFX Group in 1988 to provide makeup and other special effects for the screen. The com-pany’s work is featured in films such as Dances with Wolves, The Green Mile,

Inglourious Basterds, Sin City, Army of Darkness, Transformers, Spy Kids, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, and Pulp Fiction, and television staples such as Deadwood, 24, and Law and Order. Greg won an Emmy for Outstanding Visual Effects for the mini-series DUNE in 2001, and his company won an Academy Award for Best Makeup for his work on The Chronicles of Narnia in 2005. His work has received praise and accolades from directors such as Frank Darabont, Ste-ven Spielberg, Robert Rodriguez, and Quentin Tarantino. His talents also include animatronics, storyboarding, photography supervision, prosthetics, and 2nd Unit Direction that can be seen in his expanding body of work.

KATHERINE CLARKE ’70

GREG NICOTERO ’81

…A wonderful friend and classmate of mine - a really delightful, optimistic and cheerful person. My clearest memory of her was as Marian in “The Music Man” on the Edgeworth Club stage. She was perfect; so talented with her beautifully clear so-prano voice, and her terrific acting ability. I wanted to be just like her!

- PEGGY PRINE JOY ’70

Katie was so beautiful yet she never let her beauty define her. She was so much more. She was so accomplished, brilliant, and the nicest, kindest person that anyone could meet. She taught me a lot about how to live one’s life in a state of grace.

- SUSAN SWANSEY MCGAUGHEY ‘70

…Katie was such a stand-out academically, musically, and was, even at that tender age, very self composed and self assured…She was one of those in our class who used her talent and education in ways of which we can all be proud.

-MARK MACWILLIAMS ’70

Greg’s special effects work has received praise and accolades from directors such as Frank Darabont, Steven Spielberg, Robert Rodriguez, and Quentin Tarantino (pictured here).

On the set of “The Green Mile”, Greg (left) serves as special effects makeup supervisor.

REMEMBERING KATIE


EPHEMERA: THE ACADEMY’S ARTS MAGAZINE

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looked amused. We boarded the bus quickly, taking two seats side by side.

“So where did you work before Guru?” “At the National Bank in Washington, D.C.” She smiled proudly.“Oh, wow! So what brought you to Pittsburgh?”“My husband. He goes to school at West Virginia University.” “So you live here while your husband goes to school down there?”“Yes.” She adjusted in her seat to better face me. “He drives an hour and a half in the morning and an hour and a half home in the night.”

“Are you serious?”She nodded.

“And when you lived in D.C., how long was the drive then?”“Oh, he did not drive to D.C. from West Virginia every day then. Only on holidays.” I was having difficulty comprehending her living situation. “How long have you two been married?”

“It will be two years in a month.”“And did you live in D.C. before you were married?“No,” she said, laughing. “I lived in India.”“So, wait, you’ve lived in the United States for less than two years?”“Yes.”“Well,” I sputtered. “Welcome!” “Thank you!” she said, allowing her suppressed laughter to bubble to the surface.

“So how did you and your husband meet?”“Well, he lived here and was busy at school, but he wanted a wife. He told his parents, and they talked to my parents. I met him two weeks before our wedding!” I stared politely for lack of anything to say.

Each year, time and talent is poured into the Senior School arts magazine, Ephemera. The robust magazine features not only a collection of the best art and literature produced by Senior School students, it is also an entirely student-produced publication. In its 24 years of existence, the magazine has made quite a name for itself, garnering many state and national awards. In fact, the 2009 edition received a gold rating from the Pennsylvania School Press Association, and was selected as one of only a select group of arts magazines to receive First Place with Special Merit from the American Scholastic Press.

Enjoy the following two selections from the 2009 Ephemera: On A Bus and Therefore I Am.

ON A BUSBy: Kate Meakem ’10

The 77B was late. I adjusted a piece of hair that had become glued to my face and dug through my purse for my wad of crumpled bus route maps. The bus should have arrived at 5:00, but as I scanned the Baum Boulevard traffic, I saw only a line of cars backed up for blocks, drivers waiting anxiously to hit the gas when the light turned green. I checked around to see if anyone else was waiting. A young Indian woman bustled out of the office building where I worked, looked anxiously both ways, and then walked over to stand next to me. She wore a black, knee-length tunic, which I would later learn was called a kameez, with jeans and sandals. Between her eyebrows she wore a bindi to signify her marriage and her Hindu faith.

“Excuse me,” I said. “Do you know if the bus is usually this late?”“Oh, I am not sure, but yesterday it came at twelve after five.”“Oh good! I was getting really worried.” An awkward silence ensued as we both stared down the road. “So, do you ride the bus every day?”

“Well, yesterday was my first time, but I will be! It was my first day working here.”

“Oh really? Today was my first day! Where do you work?”“At Guru.com,” she said, as if everyone knew what that was.“Oh,” I nodded, acting as if I knew what she was talking about. “I’m interning at College Prowler.” I tilted my head toward the building behind us. She shot me a blank look.

“You may have seen it. It’s on the third floor in the corner, with the neon orange walls....”

“Ah, yes! That office is next to Guru!”“No kidding. So where did – Oh, look! I think that’s our bus!” I tore through my purse to find my bus pass, dropping my maps, my book, and an umbrella I had been carrying. My office neighbor, having already pulled her pass neatly from a backpack pocket,


17

Appearing on the 2009 “Ephemera” cover, “Therefore I Am” was awarded Best Cover Art by the American Scholastic Press.

“And he was so charming!” she said, clapping her hands together.Throughout the rest of our bus ride, she described to me her three-day wedding. Her friendliness astonished me. Not only was she teaching me information about Indian culture, but she was also giving me a look into a personal part of her story, her marriage, before I even knew her name! Feeling uncomfortable that she was telling me all of this when I had not yet introduced myself, I abruptly extended my hand. “I’m Kate.”

“Ket?”I repeated my name, slowly.

“Kate. I’m Nithya.”“Nidea?”She repeated her name, slowly.

“Nithya.” And as our hands pumped up and down, and toothy grins flashed across our faces, we became bus-riding friends. For the rest of the summer, Nithya and I would wait for the bus each afternoon with anticipation, complaining if we got the bad driver (who obeyed traffic laws and got us stuck in traffic for up to an hour) and cheering when we got the good driver (who was not afraid to use the bus’s size to intimidate other vehicles). I would tell her about selling college guidance books to bookstores, and

she would tell me about solving glitches in programming code to make sure Guru.com ran smoothly. Each day we revealed a differ-ent part of our stories. When her two-year anniversary came, she said that her warranty was up.

“What do you mean?” I asked.“When you get married, husbands come with a guarantee to be especially nice for two years. After that, no more!” I told her that someone who worked with computer code all day would put a warranty on her husband, which made us both laugh.

Squeeeaaaakk thud whoooossshh! Bus 16A rolled to a stop. It was the second and last bus on my journey home. Having left Nithya behind on the 77B, and having no constant companion on this part of my trek, I made sure to bring a book along to read. I had mastered the art of discouraging those who might try to sit next to me. When the bus crawled to a halt, I would continue reading for the first few moments as if my book were of superior interest to any prospective seatmate. Then I would glance up at the newcomers, careful not to make eye contact, before looking back down at my book. It was a delicate balance – showing that I was in no mood to make friendly conversation but making it known that anyone who sat down would not go unnoticed. Maybe it was mean, but it was an art that everyone who frequently rode the bus practiced.

On this particular day, I looked up from my book to see a lone man boarding the bus under the overpass across the parking lot from PNC Park. Glancing at him, I wouldn’t have been surprised to learn he had slept in a cardboard box the night before. He had long, knotted hair pulled back into a low ponytail, a two-week-old beard, clothes that were both oversized and mis-matched. I dropped my bag into the seat next to me: occupied.A few minutes after the man had sat down, a ringtone sounded, and from the depths of his coat he pulled out a silver flip phone.

“Hello? Yes... Sure... What? NO! You tell him I am not speaking with him again. He already has his answers... Look, it’s fairly simple; they just can’t go running around saying stuff like that... Why? Why? Because we are not a utopian society – that’s why! People do bad things! The proof is in the number of guys down at the Allegheny Jail right now!”

I sat frozen in my seat two rows in front of this man who spoke so passionately about…whatever it was. He might have been home-less, or he might not have been, but the guy knew what he was talking about! For the next hour he continued to lecture over the

THEREFORE I AMBy: Genny Luo ‘09

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phone, quoting the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, the social contract, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Voltaire, among others. When he quoted C.S. Lewis, the person on the other end of the conversation must have objected, because the man said,

“You bet I just busted a Narnia! Hey, I’ll quote C.S. Lewis when I want to! He had some powerful things to say!” As I sat there, book limp in my hands, gaze glued to a faint reflec-tion of the man in the window, I wished that he had sat next to me. I had allowed my prejudice to rob me of what could have been an interesting and beneficial conversation. I wanted to ask him questions about his ideology and how he had come to his conclusions. Though I’m not sure I would have agreed with his politics, his fervor made me curious, and I wanted to learn more. I had judged the man to be uneducated and uncaring. He had proven me wrong, and, without even knowing it, he had taught me an important lesson: judging others is a greater reflection of the critic’s ignorance than of the victim’s character.

I couldn’t believe it – a girl my age was on the bus! She was sitting in one of three seats that ran parallel to the aisle, so Nithya and I sat next to her. We started off the conversation as any good conversation with people you have just met on the bus should start – with introductions and a relatable topic. My choice of preference: food. After kicking it off with our favorite pizza brands, we moved on to our dislikes of milk.

“Well, I’m lactose intolerant,” I said with a grin. “So I’ve always had a really good excuse for not drinking milk...if it’s not chocolate, that is.”

“Ew! I’ve never drunk milk my whole life. It’s gross. But I try to make my son drink it every day because he’s so little and all. But he just throws a fit. He’s a bad kid. He don’t ever listen to me.”I had no idea what to say. A woman sitting behind us leaned forward.

“Wait. You mean to tell me that you have a kid?”“Yeah, a three-year-old boy. He’s terrible.”“And how old are you?” The beads on the ends of the woman’s braids seemed to patter together for emphasis.The girl sat up straighter. “Twenty-one.”She had a petite frame, bedecked in jean capris and a white tank top under which she had rubbed glittery lotion. She wore little make-up other than some heavy blue eye shadow, mascara, and Hello Kitty lip-gloss. I would have pegged her for nineteen, tops.

“So, where are you headed?”“Down to the jail to visit my boyfriend. I’ve been on this god-damned bus for two hours already, and if we don’t get out of this traffic soon, I’m gonna miss visiting hours.” The woman behind us leaned forward again. “What’s he in for?”

“There was a warrant out for him cause he didn’t pay a bunch of fines. There’ll probably be a warrant out for me soon too.”

“Why?”“Same thing.”“What’s the fine for?”

“Driving after I got my license taken away.”“Well, if you can’t pay your fine, you should just go on down to the courthouse and appeal to the judge. He’ll give you time.”

“Yeah, I know. I just don’t feel like it.”“Don’t feel like it? You got a three-year-old son, and you don’t care if you go to jail? Is your boyfriend your baby’s father?”

“Yeah–”“And how do you expect that baby to be raised if both his parents are in jail?”

“Well, I don’t know. I guess my mom would watch after him. He’s such a bad kid though I–”

“Listen, honey. It is not your mom’s responsibility to raise your kid. You decided to have him. You’ve got to raise him. I suggest you get your life on track. I dated lots of guys that wound up in jail, and they be tellin’ you they’re sorry and that things will change when they get out, but really, all they be wantin’ is to control your life.”This whole time neither Nithya nor I had moved. This was com-pletely foreign territory for both of us, and neither of us seemed to know what to say.

“Hey, honey! You sayin’ you need to get down to the jail?” the good bus driver yelled back to the girl.

“Yeah, but I’m probably gonna miss visiting hours.”“Why don’t you just hop off here and walk. It’s about twenty blocks, but it’s gonna probably be faster than me drivin’ my whole route to get there.”

“You’d better run,” said a man in the corner. “You’ve only got twenty-five minutes left.”

“Okay! Thanks so much!” And with that, the girl tucked her rhinestone-studded purse under her arm and took off down the street in her platform flip-flops. The whole bus watched her go, the woman behind me shaking her head until the girl was out of sight. I turned to look at Nithya who mouthed, “Wow.”

“You know my brother-in-law works down at the jail,” said the man in the corner, “and when the inmates get out he always points up at the window and tells ‘em, ‘We’ll leave a light on for you’ ‘cause most of ‘em just wind up back there in the end.”

I have always wondered if that girl made it to the jail on time, just like I have always wondered if she appealed to the judge. Sometimes too, I wonder about the latest philosophies of the man whom I had dismissed as a shadow, but who shone like the flash of a camera, burning a bright mark upon my memory. Often I find myself wondering about Nithya – about her life in America or her husband’s “warranty.” Then, I have to wonder if life isn’t just a bus. Some people ride with you for an entire route, and some just for a few stops. Few are who they seem to be, and many are more. But all have their stories, all have their dreams, and all have their destinations. Maybe some will even share them with you.

EPHEMERA: THE ACADEMY’S ARTS MAGAZINE [CONTINUED]

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With dedication, compassion, and grace, the leadership of the PICTURE THIS Campaign successfully raised $17.5 million for endowment and Phase I of the master plan.

On December 10, we came together to celebrate this tremendous accomplishment and to thank everyone involved, from volunteers to donors. Hansen Library provided the perfect setting with twinkling lights and stars, the Chamber Singers performing from the loft, and Annie Magovern ’12 entertaining us all evening on the piano.

Head of School Kolia O’Connor kicked off a brief program which included remarks from Board Chair Glenn Buterbaugh and Campaign Chair Amy Sebastian ’80. While thanking Amy for serving as the Chair of the Campaign, Glenn shared the following:

“Our school could not possibly be the place it has become without the efforts and generosity of Amy. Her leadership of the PICTURE THIS Campaign has been a model for all of us. Amy has the ability to make people feel welcome, al-ways offering support to someone in need, and not hesitating to cultivate the connections that make all of us a unified whole under one mission. This powerful gift has been integral to the suc-cess of this Campaign.”

Also recognized for their extraordinary contribu-tions to this effort were Campaign Vice Chairs Jeff Lenchner ’77 and Nancy Means ’72. Amy Sebastian’s remarks included the following:

“It has been a privilege to serve as chair of the PICTURE THIS Campaign with Jeff and Nan-cy. I was incredibly inspired by the generosity of the people who served as volunteers and those who gave with huge hearts. It takes an enormous effort to accomplish what we have so far with the Campaign. This success is directly related to our volunteers, our mission, and the generosity of our community.”

The entire campaign cabinet, honorary chairs, and Phase I co-chairs received heartfelt thanks and applause from all.

PICTURE THIS CAMPAIGN CELEBRATION

Dave Becker, Susie Keller ‘88, Chris Keller, Sue Roberts, and Gail Becker celebrate the success of the PICTURE THIS Campaign.

Lauren McLeod, Gretchen Hansen, and Francye Kinney enjoy conversation during the celebration.

Al and Mary Barbour chat with Margot ‘80 and Greg Kurran.

Campaign Chair Amy Simmons Sebastian ‘80 and Vice Chairs Jeffrey Lenchner ‘77 and Nancy Sproull Means ‘72 led the Campaign with dedication and enthusiasm.

Campaign Chair Amy Simmons Sebastian ´80

Honorary Campaign Chairs Nancy Hansen G. Watts Humphrey, Jr. Hugh W. Nevin, Jr. ‘61 David and Paula Sculley Alden H. J. Sector Mr. & Mrs. Richard P. Simmons

Campaign Vice Chairs Jeffrey Lenchner ´77 Nancy Sproull Means ´72

Campaign Cabinet William H. Brown, Jr. Glenn A. Buterbaugh, M.D. James Cavalier Ron Gebhardt Margie Shields Gilfillan Lisa Giusti Gretchen Hansen Craig Kinney ‘77 Amy Muse Lang ‘80 Amy Marsh Douglas B. McAdams Joseph W. Nocito, Jr. ‘89 Kolia J. O’Connor, Head of School Christopher Pappas Bob and Joan Peirce Terry Rafalko Gil Smith

Phase I Co-Chairs Mary Barbour Tom Jones ‘85 Doug McAdams Michael Pawk Mary Weber

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MIKE FINCKE ’85: A HARMONIC RESONANCE OF THE HEARTby Senior School English teacher Lawrence C. Connolly


While serving as commander of the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Colonel Mike Fincke ’85 spoke to Academy students in March 2009 as he orbited 213 miles above the Earth. In November, safely returned from six months in space, Colonel Fincke interacted with students again, this time in person.

At lunch with Senior School students, Colonel Mike Fincke ’85 recounts his six months as commander aboard the International Space Station.

It’s late morning on a sunny Friday in November, and Mike Fincke ’85 has just concluded a presentation for Lower and Middle School students in Rea Auditorium. Now he and eight Senior School students are sitting down to lunch in the Boyd Room of Hansen Library.

One of the students wants to know how old Mike was when he knew he wanted to be an astronaut. Mike answers quickly.

“Two years old,” he says, and begins recounting his earliest memories of watching the first moon launch on television. He also remembers how at age five, during the flight of Apollo 17, he felt a sense of wonder when he looked up at the moon and thought, “There are people walking up there!” He knew then that he wanted to be one of them.

Even though moon landings ended with Apollo 17, Mike’s dream persisted and was soon given new life when he learned about Skylab, NASA’s first space station. As he recalls, he was then in fifth or sixth grade, and there was an article in the Sunday supplement of the Pittsburgh Press. Mike tells the students, “I read that magazine cover-to-cover.” And then, a short time lat-er, when Mike received his acceptance letter from Sewickley Academy, his first thoughts were: “Wow! Their science pro-gram is so good! I’m going to learn everything there is about Skylab.”

Of course, there was a lot of basic science to learn at first, but Mike embraced it, studying hard and benefiting from the careful guidance of one of his favorite instructors – Dr. Susan Zawacky.

“She came to the Senior School the same year I did, and I was always very impressed with her. She’s still one of my favorite teachers.”

Dr. Zawacky remembers Mike as being one of her best science students, but she was at first concerned about his desire to be-come an astronaut, since it then looked as if the space program was winding down. Telling the story now, she recalls, “All I said was, ‘Okay, Mike,’ because you don’t want to argue with someone about their dream.”

Under Dr. Zawacky’s guidance, Mike began setting his sights on Cornell University in the hopes of studying under Dr. Carl Sa-gan. “Sagan had this really cool TV show,” Mike says. “It was called Cosmos and was about exploring space, and Cornell had

a mechanical engineering programming where I could study aerospace. Those were the things I wanted to do!”

Nevertheless, when Mike discovered that the freshman science textbooks at Cornell were the same ones he had already used in his Academy science classes, he enrolled instead at MIT, where he graduated in 1989. More studies followed: aeronautics and astronautics at Stanford, planetary geology at the University of Houston, and Japanese at El Camino College. He also studied Russian as an exchange student while enrolled at MIT.

The hard work paid off. Mike became an astronaut in 1996, and eight years later he began serving his first mission aboard the International Space Station.

21

Mike assures the Senior School students that they, too, can achieve their dreams. Indeed, after spending barely an hour with them, he has a sense that they are already on their way.

But what happens when idealized dream becomes hard real-ity? Jerome Watts ’13 wants to know if Mike ever feels anxious about traveling through space. “Did you ever feel scared at any point?” he asks.

Mike responds quickly, easily: “No.” “Ever afraid?” “No, not afraid.” Jerome pushes on. “Nervous?”

“No,” Mike says. “They train that out of us.” Then, to prove the point, Mike offers a harrowing account of his most recent re-turn from space.

“Coming back is a bit tricky, especially in a Soyuz.”

The Soyuz is the Russian-built re-entry vehicle that Mike rode back to earth at the end of his most recent mission.

“You’re going 17,000 miles per hour when you hit the atmosphere.” He is talking faster now, clearly enjoying himself as he relives the adventure. “The atmosphere is what slows you down, and it heats up and ionizes into a big plasma flame ball. I got to sit in

a window seat on the way down and watch the spacecraft melt around me.” He pauses for effect. “It’s supposed to melt. That’s how the heat shield gets the energy away. So the space ship is melting around me and the fireball is inches from my nose. It’s not scary, but I’m thinking ‘Boy, I hope this works.’”

“And then, after the fire goes away, the windows start to crackle because the plastic-based spray-on coating starts to melt. Then the parachute comes out and you know you’re going to land softly. But if the parachute doesn’t come out, that’s not a good thing.”

The students are hooked, each hanging on Mike’s words, imag-ining the experience with him. For the moment, it’s as if the Boyd Room has vanished, replaced by the close confines of the Soyuz vehicle. Each listener is strapped in, waiting for the chute to open.

“There’s a backup parachute,” Mike says. “And you’re hoping that one of the two parachutes is going to come out, and you really hope it’s the first one because it’s a little bit bigger. That’s the nervous part. Because on the way up you only have eight-and-a-half minutes to get up there, but on the way down it takes from 35 to 40 minutes from when you first touch the atmosphere until you’re back on the ground.

“So as you’re falling you’re saying, ‘Ok, where’s the parachute, where’s the parachute – ah! There’s the parachute.’ Then after the parachute deploys, we just giggle.”

And now Mike returns to his initial answer. “It’s not frightening,” he says. “There’s no point in being afraid or in panicking. But things do go through my mind – because I have a lot to come back for.”

Mike and his wife, Renita, have been married for 10 years, and Mike speaks of their relationship as if he still finds it too good to be true. “I never thought I was going to get married. I figured I was too busy for that and no one would ever find me interesting, but it turns out I met the right person.”

Mike and Renita have three children, with the second being born while Mike was aboard the International Space Station.

“That’s the toughest part of this job. It’s so easy to fly in space compared to having a stable, warm, loving relationship.”

But Mike seems to have found the balance. “You get to a place where there’s a harmonic resonance within your heart. And that’s what I wish for everybody – to find that spot where you’re supposed to be, where you find that joy in your life. It’s not a feeling of karma, but you just know that you’re doing something that you really want to do.”

The conversation ends with Mike announcing that he has to leave for another function, a meeting with another group of stu-dents eager to hear his stories. But before he leaves, he offers a few words that capture the tone of the hour-long conversation.

“Carpe diem,” he says. “Seize the day!”


Colonel Mike Fincke ’85 presents the Academy with a plaque that holds a flag that was flown aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour.

WELCOME TO GRETA DANIELS, DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS

HAVE YOU LOGGED ONTO THE ALUMNI PORTAL YET?

Hundreds of your former classmates have already logged on to update their contact information, share news about their lives, and network with one another. Use the username and password information we sent you in February to login to your own personal and class pages. Your fellow alumni are eager to hear from you!

If you have questions about your username and password, please contact the Office of Alumni Relations at [email protected] or 412-741-2230 ext. 3044.

THROUGH THE NEW PASSWORD-PROTECTED ALUMNI PORTAL, YOU ARE ABLE TO:

UPDATE

• Maintain and update your secure personal information• Select certain profile information to be “published” in the online alumni directory

• Post Class Notes

COMMUNICATE

• Email your classmates and friends directly• View and share photos• Read Class Notes

NETWORK & CONNECT

• See what’s going on at Sewickley Academy• Register for alumni events• Search the directory for your classmates and friends• Network and make connections when moving or job searching

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Greta Daniels joins Sewickley Academy as the new director of alumni relations. Her advanced language skills in Russian and French were help-ful in her role as an international exchange pro-gram administrator for CDS International in New York City, where she worked for the past three years. Much of her work focused on re-cruiting and alumni coordination of highly suc-cessful international programs.

Aside from her professional experience with alumni relations, she has been closely involved in the creation of a new alumni organization for

New York University’s fencing team. As a student-athlete at NYU, Greta served as the captain of the Men’s and Women’s Fencing Team for three years. In 2002, she achieved the title of UAA Women’s Foil Champion. In addition to fencing at NYU, Greta also earned a bachelor’s in Russian studies and linguistics, and a master’s in Russian and Slavic studies.

While in New York City for the past eight years, Greta volunteered for the Celebrate Brooklyn Summer Concert Series and was a member of New York Road Runners. She is currently training for a triathlon with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training. She looks forward to working with the Academy alumni community.

Save the Date! The Office of Alumni Relations

will be traveling to these

areas this spring:

BOSTON

APRIL 6-9

WASHINGTON, D.C.

APRIL 28-30

NEW YORK CITY

MAY 4-6

Additional information on

receptions to follow. If you

would like to meet with Greta

while she is in your area,

email [email protected]

or call 412-741-2230 ext. 3044.

On October 2 and 3, Sewickley Academy hosted Reunion 2009 for all alumni as classes ending in ’4 or ’9 celebrated mile-stone reunions. Over 200 alumni returned to Sewickley for this weekend. On Friday, the inaugural members of the Arts Hall of Fame were inducted during an assembly with the Middle and Senior Schools. That night at Allegheny Country Club, alumni enjoyed a special performance by Jim Caruso ’76 (accompa-nied by Joe Negri), and Anna Singer ’76 (accompanied by her husband, Don Kortlandt).

On Saturday morning, alumni enjoyed campus tours, Garner Tullis’ paintings in the Campbell Art Gallery, and the archival photo and memorabilia display. The weekend concluded with individual class parties.

A special thank you to all alumni who encouraged their class-mates to attend, hosted parties, and worked to continue the bonds of friendship first created on campus.

REUNION 2009 – A WEEKEND TO REMEMBER

23


1

3

5

2

41. Members of the Class of 1969, Sid Henderson, Nancy Stevens, Joanie Parker, and Harold Bittner, discuss the Academy’s strategic plans with Head of School Kolia O’Connor.

2. Elena Rockman-Blake ’84, Aimee deChambeau ’84, and Giselle Leonardo ‘84 purchase Academy apparel.

3. Barb Lantzsch Roche ’73, Sally Brettholle Sailer ’73, Howison Schroeder ‘74, Peter Stenson ’74, and Laura Dunbar Doty ’74 attended the annual party at Allegheny Country Club.

4. Phil Coburn ’89 takes his family, including mother and former trustee Ann Coburn, on a personal campus tour.

5. Beth McCloskey Wood ’89, Tina Donley Shambaugh ’89, Jessica Handy ’89, and Amy Symons Hughes ’89 relive their Academy days.

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REUNION 2009

CLASS OF 1959 – 50TH REUNIONRow 1: Margie Shields Gilfillan, George Craig. Row 2: Anne Gwaltney Peck, Stephanie Gerard, Bonnie Roberts Davies, Penn Willets Fullerton, Herbert Marks. Row 3: William Chapin, Anne Liggett Rinzler, Anne Frothingham Cross, Christina Mitchell Bascom, Laurie Wheeler Brown.

CLASS OF 1969 – 40TH REUNION Row 1: Cherry Semple White, Kim Sharp Fierst, Sally Willets Nichols, Nancy Stevens. Row 2: Wally Yost, Curt Schurman, Penny Williams Rudder, Harold Bittner. Row 3: Joanie Parker, Richard Hefner, Hap Paffard Wertheimer, Bill Pearson, David Nimick, Garth James. Row 4: Chip Copper, Peytie Wendt Berry, John Barr, Sid Henderson.

CLASS OF 1974 – 35TH REUNION Row 1: Jaye Moyer, Anne Guernsey Barnes, Laura Dunbar Doty. Row 2: Drake Roberts, Susan Williams Benford, Connie Wood Spencer. Row 3: Fred Meissner, Peter Stinson, John Fenner, Henry Shenk.

IMPRESSIONS FROM REUNION 2009 What a class we have even now...40 years later!! Lots of us were able to make it back to spend the weekend together. What touched me the most is how much we still matter to one another. We are not that involved in each others’ lives now except mostly by emails. But for me, our relationships carry a space that is unique in my heart. We sure missed those of you who couldn’t make it back and hope you will be with us the next time.

JOANIE PARKER ’69


’59 ’74

’69

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CLASS OF 1979 – 30TH REUNION HELD IN JUNERow 1: Susie Rose, Alden Sector, Mary Nichols, Vicki Polinko, Larry Hall, Judy Lackner, Jim Cavalier, Al Dugan, Tom Smart, Jerry Smith, Gillian Goern, Michael Knaub. Row 2: John Edson, Heather Huff, Carol Hays McLaughlin, Johnna Malarik Chicots, Petra Koenig Wells, Leila Gould Oliver, Lisa Gebhardt Turner, John Atwood, Maggie Minnock Rose, Peggy Erb Bailey, Charles Baltic. Row 3: Peter Standish, Ron Heurich, Bill Hallett, Amy Baribault Powell, Rob Kaveny, Craig Clark, Tom Braunlich, Whitney Snyder, Stephen Scioscia, Rody Halcomb Nash, Dave Freeman, John Levis, Fred Benz.

CLASS OF 1984 – 25TH REUNIONRow 1: Richard Skirpan, Giselle Leonardo, Eric Pettus, Nancy Craig Garvey, Miles Smith. Row 2: Jennifer Duker, Karen McConomy Bugos, Tim Gordon, Anne Hutchinson. Row 3: Chas Tiernan, Maria Gaydos, Katy Zuberbuhler Klaber, Robert Kopf.

CLASS OF 1976 – 33RD REUNIONRow 1: Anna Singer, Lydna Metzger Nabors, Jim Caruso. Row 2: Suzanne Genter Friday, Robert Thomas, Linda Hedin, Liza Thornton, Mary Odom.

CLASS OF 2004 – 5TH REUNIONRow 1: Morgan Hawkins Drain, Michael Drain. Row 2: Jared Weber, Peter Dimmick, David Quinn.


’76

’84

’79

’04

26


SAVE THE DATE – REUNION 2010, OCTOBER 1 & 2

It’s never too early to start thinking about Reunion Weekend on Friday, October 1, and Saturday, October 2. Classes have already begun planning their class events!

We need your help to make Reunion 2010 a success! If you are interested in serving on a reunion class committee, or would like to host a class party, please contact Greta Daniels, director of alumni relations, at [email protected].

Check for Reunion 2010 updates and more information at www.sewickley.org/alumni.

Celebrating Class Years Ending in ’0 or ’5

’55

’75

’80

’90

’95

’70

’55: The Class of 1955 performs “Hansel and Gretel.” ’70: The fourth graduating class of the Senior School, the Class of 1970, congregates for their last class photo.’75: Stars from the Class of 1975 are cultivated in the dance studio. ’80: Kate Dresher poses with members of the Class of 1980. ’90: The Class of 1990 celebrates Halloween. ’95: The Class of 1995 enters nursery school with teachers Susie Dugan and Liza Sipe.

ALUMNI EVENTS

27


1 2

4

6

3

51. Alumni parents gather with their Academy students at the Alumni Family Reception in December. In total, 48 Academy alumni send their children to their alma mater.

2. Tom Jones ’85, wife Courtney, and children Mary ’17, Katie ’19, and Jack enjoy the Alumni Family Reception.

3. Academy alumni and staff gather before the Steelers game at the alumni tailgate.

4. The annual Alumni Hockey game occurred on November 24 at the RMU

Sport Center. Nearly 20 alumni returned to battle the current hockey team. Our alumni quickly took the lead and managed to hold it throughout the entire game for the win of 8-6.

5. Erica Miller Clark ’89, Darcy Van Kirk Ochs ’89, Jennifer Markus ’89, Tony Renda ’89, Amy Wells Schultz ’89, and Maggie Kopf ’91 celebrate the holiday season back on campus.

6. Tina Smith ‘01, Robert James ‘85, Ellen Goehring Skirpan ‘85, Larry Hall, Rodney Skirpan ‘85, and Giselle Leonardo ‘84 are the last to leave the Alumni Holiday Party.

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1969Margaretta Oliver Caesar ’69 writes, “Many changes: sold our beautiful home of 30 years in the mountains and now live in the ‘big city’

– Morrison, Colorado, population 472! Two of our three kids just got engaged to wonderful people, and we’re thrilled. I retired from 27 years of teaching to pursue a full-time career as an artist. Even in this economy, I am doing well, which is encouraging. Brew continues to remake fixer-uppers into treasures. Life is good!”

1970Scott Ferguson ’70 described his recent travels. “2009 welcomed a visit from Thomas Harvey Mann ‘70 and a second trip to New England for visits with Deb Gray ‘68 and Doug Rice ‘70 and family. Daughter Caer is enrolled at The School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and son Niall will perform again in NYC this coming spring after debut-ing at Carnegie Hall with the Santa Monica High School Chamber Orchestra last Easter. Looking forward to our 40th Reunion in 2010! Arglac anyone?”

1962Carol Ranson O’Keefe ’62 recently visited classmate Caroline Lord MacKenzie ’62 at her vacation home on Oahu in Hawaii! “We had a fantastic time together, going to the beach, gardening, shopping, eating, and just relaxing and sharing old times. In September, my son, Peter, and his wife, Jamie, and my granddaughter, Kaya, were here in Sewickley for a visit. It was good to see them. Kaya is 8 months old now and of course, quite the cut-est granddaughter!”

1968Lucy Amerman ’68 recently made a ca-reer change. “After years as a lawyer and corporate executive, I went back to school to Princeton Theological Seminary and Oxford University in the UK, and after a few years in a church in Virginia, I am now the rector of Trinity Episcopal Church here in Buckingham (Bucks County). It has been a wonderful journey, and I am having a great time.”

John (“Horgy”) Morrow ’68 and Virginia Booth Morrow ’71 are the proud grandpar-ents of Chase John Augstin.

1934 Betsy Rainbow Morse ’34 writes, “I am still volunteering at Rochester General Hospi-tal plus Rochester Garden Club and Smith College Club. I am about to turn 90, and I am fortunate to have my four sons and families in Rochester. Four of my grandchildren are col-lege graduates, three are in college, and the youngest is a freshman in high school.”

1952Frederick K. Trask III ’52 informed us that his wife of 43 years, Melissa, died in July 2007. In January 2009, he married Jane (Penny) Jackson, a woman he has known for over 50 years.

1960Carol Holliday Blew ’60 shares, “I was in the Class of 1960 - K-2 only because we then moved away. My first day as a freshman at Smith College I ran into Susan Richardson

‘60 from my Sewickley class, and we still re-membered each other! Still recall Mr. Nichols’ wonderful greeting in the hall every morning.”

Carol Holliday Blew ‘60. Carol Ranson O’Keefe ’62 and Caroline Lord MacKenzie ’62 in Hawaii.

CLASS NOTES

29

1971Jonathan Beales ’71 shares, “I’m getting closer to Sewickley. Since graduating from Syracuse, I’ve lived in seven different places. Currently, I’m residing in Wyoming, Ohio.”

Kim Partenheimer ’71 shares, “I have been working on the Ben Sawyer Bridge Rehabilita-tion project in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, since September 2008. The assignment started out as part-time, so I planned on making the 200-mile commute as needed. When the contractor submitted a schedule to complete the bridge work in 18 months instead of 30 months, part-time became full-time. It didn’t take long for the commute to take its toll. I was finally able to move my family from Myrtle Beach to Charleston in June 2009.

Our two sons, Kyle (17) and Korey (15) went from a school of 52 students to a high school of 3,288 students. Surprisingly, the boys made the adjustment quite well. One of our daughters, Julia (29), has lived in Mt. Pleas-ant for about three years so she was very pleased to hear about our move. Our other daughter, Jennifer (35), and her family still reside in Richmond, Virginia.

LIFE LESSONS FROM THE FARM AND THE CLASSROOM

Hoophouses, tillage tractors, and irrigation plans are on the mind of Megan Osterhout ’02 as she enters her second year of owning and operating Green Peak Farm in southern Vermont. Green Peak Farm functions as a CSA (Com-munity Supported Agriculture) where members get a share of the harvest each week, vegetable por-tions that typically feed a family of four.

As a student at Sewickley Acade-my, Megan never imagined becom-ing a farmer. She loved coming to Sewickley for the diversity of its ideas, people, and backgrounds, as well as for the independence it allows stu-dents. She credits a long list of her teachers, family, and friends as making the difference between what became her dream and what is now her reality. After graduating from Middlebury College in 2006 and teaching for a year, Megan followed her love of growing food to Oregon where she worked on two different CSA’s, both of which helped prepare her for her current venture.

On Green Peak Farm’s website, Megan eloquently describes the mentoring she received in the farming world: “I’ve been really fortunate to have appren-ticed with some incredible, ingenious, inspiring, and uncontrollable farmers who sing hymns amidst the bean trellises, teach eighth-graders how to cas-trate and dock tails of three-day-old lambs, weave pack baskets out of wild-harvested willows, round down at the market register, squish-test peonies like a lover, drop a tree on wedge, and grow some of the most beautiful veg-etables I’ve ever seen.”

Ultimately, Megan is interested in sustainability. “Sustainability,” she is learning, “is a dynamic and slippery concept.” “The footprint of the farm,” she explains, “is tiny, relatively. Half of last summer I didn’t even have a car, and made things work via bike! Beyond the obvious ideas of a long-term, environmentally-sound land and water ethic, encouraging biodiversity of species and feeding soils instead of simply feeding plants, a business must be financially solvent, viable in its community, have a necessary and well-mar-keted product, and still manage to pay its taxes on time. And, if I don’t love what I do, the center of the dream falls apart.”

During the academic year, Megan teaches upper-level Spanish at Stratton Mountain School. She finds teaching and farming thoroughly related. “I’d like to think that in both vocations I’m helping to raise bright young bodies to realize their full potential. Kids often have better stories, but vegetables taste better,” she laughs.

The day-to-day jobs are clearly different, but similar in nature. Both, Megan explains, involve “developing a work ethic, planning into the future, being prepared, being responsive when the preparations fall out the window, and constantly trying to problem-solve with what you have, when you have it, where you are.”


Megan and her dog, Burt, walk the fields on Green Peak Farm.

Scott Ferguson ’70 and Deb Gray ’68 meet in New England.

Jane Klonsky/Yellow Dog Productions.

30


Jay writes, “John and I only live about two hours apart, so we decided to try to get together monthly, meeting half-way in Fred-rick, Maryland. It’s been great getting back together again! It seems as if our friendship has pretty much picked up where we left off.”

1975Laura MacLeod ’75 and her program, TALK IS CHEAP! Acting and Dance Activities for Groups, were featured in the Sewickley Herald in August. She writes, “I combined my training/experience as a professional dancer and actress with social work model for groups. I continue to do commercial print work and can be seen in the photo on the home page of gamunex.com. I visited Jeff Lenchner ‘77 last spring, when he helped me redecorate my apartment by offering the services of his store, Today’s Home. My apartment looks great!”

1976Liza Thornton ’76 recently started a new job at the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children as a horticulture therapist.

1973John Stoeckle ’73 and Jay McKain ’73 have been close friends since Middle School. After graduating, they kept in touch over the years. John and his wife recently moved to the Harrisburg area, and Jay’s family lives in Clifton, Virginia. John and wife Lila have two kids, John and Carly, who are both married. John and his wife live in Philadelphia where John studies medicine at Temple Medical School. Carly and her husband live and work in Lexington, Kentucky. John ’73 is senior pastor at First Alliance Church in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He has also served churches in Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania, Melrose, Mas-sachusetts, and Frankfort, Kentucky.

Jay and Miriam have three kids, Jack, Kristy, and Michael. Jack is a freshman at Lynchburg College, and Kristy and Michael are both in high school. In September, Jay celebrated 30 years as a pilot with United Airlines. He flies to various cities in Europe, Russia, the west coast of the U.S., and frequently works on special assignments at United’s Flight Train-ing center in Denver. Both Jay and John’s wives are currently pursuing their master’s degrees.

We are really enjoying the charm and charac-ter of Charleston. We hope we can stay until Korey graduates, but my current assignment only takes me through next summer. Since graduating from Sewickley Academy, I con-tinue to migrate south. It sure gets hot here so I hope our next move is to cooler climates.”

Mary Carroll Weiss Ryan ‘71 writes, “It has been a great 2009 for us. Bill and I celebrated our fifth anniversary in May. My daugh-ter, Whitney (29), just earned a master’s degree from John’s Hopkins University; my step-daughter, Elizabeth (29), just passed the Maryland bar and was married also to a lawyer in September; my son, Spencer (25), graduated from Roanoke College and has just returned from a great trip all through Europe with his train pass; and my step-son, Will (25), is a researcher at T. Rowe Price in Baltimore. We have also had great times with Missy Steers Wilich ‘72 and Lisa Sharp Hord ‘72 and their children in Florida, while visiting my sister, Kathy Weiss Anderson ‘62.”

Laura MacLeod ’75 runs a session of TALK IS CHEAP!

Annie Baltic, daughter of Charles ’79, got a lead role in an off-Broadway musical holiday production in NYC.

Lila and John Stoeckle ‘73 meet Jay ‘73 and Miriam McKain for lunch in Maryland.

CLASS NOTES

31


1979Charles Baltic’s ’79 daughter, Annie (8), was cast in a lead role of Lucy in an off-Broadway musical holiday production of Pucelandia in NYC.

1981Rev. John F. Harrison ’81 just released his first book. “It is a financial planning and money management primer based on biblical prin-ciples. Entitled Making Mammon Serve You: A Biblical Manual for Money Mastery, it draws on my knowledge from two lines of work: cer-tified financial planner and ordained minister. Now that this two-year project is finished, it’s nice to come up for air again. I would love to hear from old friends at SA who haven’t found me on Facebook yet!”

1982Ralph DeStefano ’82 is a clerk in the ware-house at UPMC Passavant Hospital, in the North Hills of Pittsburgh. He has been there since 1991.

PJ Freshwater ’82 writes, “After 16 years of teaching in law enforcement, this year

The children of Carrie Zuberbuhler Kennedy ’86 and Katie Zuberbuhler Klaber ’84 gather together at Thanksgiving.

marked two significant events. Under my direction a new instruction team was formed and adopted Reality-Based Training for all of our Use of Force training. This paradigm shift took nearly 10 years to implement, but with the support of a visionary captain, resources have been allocated and our first sessions have been highly successful. Secondly, our department has implemented a series of new defensive weapons technology, and I have been tasked with developing and implement-ing all the training with a staff I mentored. I am very pleased to see these long-awaited changes and to be a part of improving the law enforcement services for the people of Tompkins County, New York.”

1984Lara Straka Williams ’84 and husband David welcomed their third child on October 21. Jake Burrill Williams joined big brothers Max (4) and Benjamin (2). “Sorry to have missed the 25th reunion, but I look forward to the next one!”

Karin Swann ‘85, Jon Rubenstein, and their sons, Charlie and Benjamin.

1985Karin Swann ’85 is living in Berkeley, Califor-nia, with her husband, Jon Rubenstein, and their twin boys, Charlie Baker Rubenstein and Benjamin Swann Rubenstein, born July 17, 2009. Ehren Jordan ‘85, and Anne Marie Failla Jordan ’85, owners of Failla Wines, re-cently visited Jon and Karin at their ranch in Anderson Valley, bringing their two daughters, Audrey and Vivian. Alison Greene ‘85 also visited Karin when she was in town for Jane Reynolds’ ’85 wedding.

1986Carrie Zuberbuhler Kennedy ’86 and Katie Zuberbuhler Klaber ’84 got together with their parents and families for Thanksgiving. See the picture below of their children, Grace (8) and Megan (6) Kennedy, and Sam (14) and Duff (11) Klaber.

1988Katie Heagy-Glass ’88 writes, “We were so excited to welcome a new baby boy into our family. Benjamin joined us on May 21. Older sister Rebecca is really proud! Rebecca started Kindergarten at the Academy this

32


Benjamin and Rebecca Glass, children of Katie Heagy-Glass ’88 and Bryan Glass.

George Long ’88 receives a congratulations from “Jeopardy” host, Alex Trebek.

“GOT SOAP?”

Graduating a semester early from college to “relax” before medical school sounds luxurious. After all, college life is hec-tic. With classes, activities, and prepar-ing for graduate school, sleep deprivation becomes the norm. But for Vishnu Patel ’06, college life was even busier than one would expect as he also spent 50 hours per week as director of a local ambulance company. When Vishnu realized that he was on track to gradu-ate early, he was excited to have a chance to concentrate on just one part of life – directing the Cornell University Emer-gency Medical Services (EMS) – which he has been doing since January 2009.

While studying toward his undergraduate degree, Vishnu began volunteering for Cornell EMS. He was one of the youngest members of the EMS squad, but this was nothing new for Vishnu. During his senior year at Sewickley Academy, Vishnu became a certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) in Sewickley. While most of the other EMTs were adults with full-time jobs and families, Vishnu was studying for his Advanced Placement exams between emergency calls!

This fall, Vishnu and his fellow EMS volunteers recognized a crisis at Cornell. In the first three weeks of school, there were over 700 confirmed cases of the flu. Together with Cornell’s Environmental Health and Safety Department, the emergency responders came up with a plan to manage the spread of in-fluenza on campus. Vishnu remembers, “Not all students were taking good hygiene to heart … too many people were opting for hand sanitizer over the better option of hand washing, so we began a campaign to promote good hy-giene.” The original idea was to have 60 t-shirts printed with the words “Got Soap?” for EMS staff to wear on campus for one day. The administration at Cornell University loved the idea so much that they increased the number of shirts to 1,500 and had them printed within 24 hours. Members of Vishnu’s team plus student life staffers, dining hall employees, resident advisors, and selected professors were chosen to wear the shirts on September 18, 2009. As the university was printing shirts, Vishnu was negotiating with the Marietta Soap Corporation which graciously donated 6,300 bars of soap.

As the volunteers stood in high-traffic areas wearing their shirts, local media outlets picked up the story – first, the local radio station, then campus report-ers, followed by the Ithaca Journal and ABC News from Syracuse. By Mon-day, a picture of Vishnu donning his “Got Soap?” shirt and holding fistfuls of soap was on the splash page of CNN’s Health section. What a fitting way for Vishnu to leave his mark!

Vishnu credits the Academy with giving him self-confidence and drive, and his experience in Mr. Perdziola’s Grade 8 math class was particularly inspiring. “Mr. Perdziola went above and beyond the definition of his job to make sure the people around him succeeded, and I was one of those lucky people. He gave me the gentle push I needed to take the next step in my academic career.”

Vishnu Patel ’06 distributes bars of soap to Cornell University students. His efforts were part of the “Got Soap” campaign that he started to combat the influenza outbreak this fall.

year. We couldn’t have too many years go by without a Heagy at school!”

On October 21, 2009, George Long ’88, ap-peared on Jeopardy. After a slow start with the button, the three-time champ missed the question and George showed his prowess in German by coming up with the correct answer. From then on there was no stopping him. However, in spite of a huge lead at Final Jeopardy, George came in second.

Karen Provost Riegert ’88 and her husband Jamie, along with Elizabeth (12), Philip (11),

CLASS NOTES

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James Peter Kenny, son of Brendan and Sarah Brackin Kenny ’91.

Jane Anne Traverse, daughter of Brad and Fraser Zimmerman Traverse ’88.

dissertation is titled “Uncertain Times: Im-migration Policy, Practice and the Resolve to Make America Safe in the 21st Century.” Cur-rently, she is a senior research associate at Brandeis University and a researcher for the Weatherhead Center at Harvard University.

1993David Street ’93 shared his recent travel plans with us. “Went to Germany this summer. My best man is German, and his daughter is

my godchild. Also visited Max Schneider who stayed with us for one school year through AFS.” David also visited with Marc Berger, who did the German exchange trip with Larry Hall in 1991. Marc teaches English and geog-raphy in Munich.

Anthony Suber ’93 and his family visited the Academy over the summer and received a personal tour from Larry Hall.

Kenneth (9), and Suzanne (7) welcome Jose-phine Claire into the family!

Jane Anne Traverse was born to Fraser Zim-merman Traverse ‘88 and husband Brad in November. “Her siblings Maggie (7) and Jake (5) were not allowed to visit her in the hospi-tal due to H1N1 regulations, but she has been a big hit since arriving home. Grandmother Missy Ratcliffe Zimmerman ‘60 tended to the whole flock for about two weeks.”

1991Sarah Brackin Kenny ’91 and her husband Brendan are happy to announce the birth of their son, James Peter, born on October 3.

Katy Aloe Ratkovich ’91 and her husband Clark announce the birth of the third little miracle, Joshua Clark. Joshua arrived two months early on April 30 and weighed 2 pounds, 9 ounces. ”He continues to amaze his Mommy and Daddy daily and his two older brothers Paul (6)and Lucas (4) can’t wait until he can join them in their daily adventures!”

1992Melissa Barnett ’92 earned her doctorate in sociology from Florida State University. Her

Anthony Suber ’93, wife Jamila, and two daughters enjoy their tour of campus.

Clark and Katy Aloe Ratkovich’s ’91 children, Joshua, Paul, and Lucas.

CLASS NOTES

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1994Eric and Erin Condon Hoffman ’94 are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Riley.

1995Kurt and Bridy Condon Oreshack ’95 welcomed their daughter Vivienne Debra Oreshack on September 23, 2009.

Ebony Wilson ’95 writes, “In February of 2009, I accepted a position at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Florida, as a counselor. I am working with students who are struggling in college either academically or emotionally. I am also given the oppor-tunity to teach. The counseling position is a faculty tenure track position so I have been given the opportunity to do many things out-side of just counseling, including chairing our United Way Campaign this year. My daughter, Aset, has joined a cheerleading squad and they have been doing well in all the competi-tions they have participated in this season. She still keeps in touch with a few of her SA classmates. Tiran, my son, is playing soccer and both are doing extremely well in school. We are all happy with the move even though it was a big change for all of us. It has worked out better than expected.”

1996Susan Wiegand Brown ‘96, and husband W. Scott ‘95 proudly announce the birth of their daughter, Madeline Campbell Brown, on June 29, 2009. They are currently residing in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Shelley Harris McRae ’96 married Sean McRae on June 13, 2009, in Denver, Colorado.

1998Ryan Heddleston ‘98 lives in Dallas as a real estate broker/investor and has been married

over three years. He and his wife are expect-ing a daughter in April.

Kate Moore Norris ‘98, her husband Sean, and their two cats live in Manhattan where she is pursuing art, having just received her Master of Studio Art in painting. She also works part time at Calvary St. George’s Church and enjoys working on book projects with her husband such as, “Judgment and Love” and “Two Words.”

Vivienne Debra Oreshack, daughter of Kurt and Bridy Condon Oreshack ’95.

Riley, daughter of Eric and Erin Condon Hoffman ‘94.

Sean and Shelley Harris McRae ’96. Sean and Kate Moore Norris ’98.

CLASS NOTES

Madeline Campbell Brown, daughter of Susan Wiegand Brown ‘96 and husband W. Scott ‘95.

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for Bank of America, and Marty works for Transamerica Reinsurance.

Michael Mele ‘99 was married on July 11, 2009, in Baltimore, Maryland, to Kara Cristaldi. David (DJ) DiMarco ‘99 and Adam Bender-Heine ‘99 were part of the wedding party and other SA attendees were Nicole Pessolano ‘99, Jeff Sward ‘99, Amanda Novissimo Goforth ‘99, Catherine O’Hara

‘99, Kyle Baughman ‘00, and Ashley Hopkins Baughman ‘02. Ham and Ceci Clark were also in attendance.

“Kara and I moved in October 2009, away from Dallas to just outside New York City into Jersey City, New Jersey. Kara is an architect for Perkins + Will in Manhattan, and I am now director of accounts for an advertising agency, LG&P Group. We would love to con-nect with old SA grads in the area!”

Nino Pavkovic ‘99 sent a message through Facebook: “I am ecstatic to report that I will be getting married on December 26 in Bardstown, Kentucky. Secondly, I am thrilled to announce that the two of us will be return-ing to Pittsburgh as I just accepted a position at Heinz World HQ in their strategic and financial planning department. I will also be pursuing an MBA part-time at either Tepper School of Business at CMU or Katz School of Business (University of Pittsburgh).”

2000Jed Edson ’00 married Kayte Zumberge of Houston, Texas, on August 8, 2009, in Jackson Hole. The couple currently lives in Seattle, Washington. His brother Bryan Boatner ’93 and sister Katey Edson ’98 were both in the wedding.

1999Wesley and Melissa Park Brooks ‘99 are pleased to announce the birth of their son, Owen Scott, on October 7, 2009. They are currently residing in Sewickley. Melissa works as a nurse at Magee Women’s Hospital and the Children’s Hospital, and Wes is a Systems Analyst at WHEMCO, Inc.

Amanda Novissimo Goforth ‘99, husband Marty, and 2-year-old daughter Grace, wel-comed Henry Charles Goforth on November 12, 2009. Amanda and Marty reside in Char-lotte, North Carolina, where Amanda works

Michael Mele ‘99 and Kara Cristaldi were married on July 11, 2009.

Amanda Novissimo Goforth ‘99 and her family welcomed their new son, Henry, on November 12.

Michael Edson, Jr. (son of Mike Edson ’80), Jenny Edson Scott ’49, Tucker Edson ’46 and Kris Edson ’72.

Bryan Boatner ’93, Kayte Zumberge, Jed Edson ’00, and Katey Edson ’98.

Owen Scott Brooks, son of Wesley and Melissa Park Brooks ’99.


2002Amy Aloe ‘02 writes, “I’m currently living in Pittsburgh, finishing up my last year of a master’s in genetic counseling. I’ve started looking for jobs in my chosen profession, so hopefully in the next Sewickley Speaking I’ll have an update as to where that search has taken me.”

Robert Woods ‘02 received his MBA at Cor-nell University in 2009. That same year Alec Shannon ’05 received his bachelor’s degree, also from Cornell. Robert is employed with BlackRock Investments, and Alec is currently serving in the Peace Corps.

2003Lauren Connolly ’03 and Chris Moore ’03 were married on August 15, 2009, at Sewick-ley Presbyterian Church. Sewickley Academy attendants included Heather Cotariu ’01 and Class of 2003 classmates: Erin Ingram, Laura Pelton, Peter Fedyshin, Ashu Jain, David Flaherty.

2004Paul Thomas Beattie ’04 married Amy Lee, whom he met and graduated with at Emory University, on August 8, 2008. They are cur-rently teaching English at prestigious private schools in Korea.

Kate Heryford ‘04 transferred to Pitt her sopho-more year, went on Semester at Sea with Mark Mulshine ’05, with whom she shared a job for a year. She majored in non-profit management; worked for a small consulting firm for a while; then for Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation (a CDC) working with at-risk youth education and empowerment, and now attends the University of San Francisco for a master’s in international and development economics.

2005Mark Mulshine ‘05 went to Pitt after SA; ma-jored in urban studies and economics; went on Semester at Sea in spring 2007; and spent his entire senior year at the London School of Economics. He graduated magna cum laude from Pitt and just got a job with BNY Mellon as a corporate actions senior specialist.

2007Liz Kerr ‘07 was one of 12 students of the Class of 2011 inducted into the University of Chicago Maroon Key Society, the College’s honorary society. Members of the Maroon Key Society are third- and fourth-year students in the College invited to serve as an advisory committee to the dean of the college. Selection is based upon academic achieve-ment and a distinguished record of student leadership on campus. Last winter, Liz was selected to complete a semester abroad in Cape Town, South Africa, studying under Drs. John and Jean Comaroff, London School of Economics. Curriculum focused on African history, politics, and cultural anthropology.

Kate Heryford ’04 and Mark Mulshine ’05 are proud Pitt alumni.

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Lauren Connolly ’03 and Chris Moore ’03 were married on August 15, 2009. Sewickley Academy attendants included Heather Cotariu ’01 and Class of 2003 classmates: Erin Ingram, Laura Pelton, Peter Fedyshin, Ashu Jain, and David Flaherty.

Alec Shannon ’05 and Robert Woods ’02 congratulate each other on their respective graduations from Cornell.

CLASS NOTES


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I N M E M O R I A M As of December 31, 2009

COLIN FAWCETT WISE ’07

Colin Fawcett Wise ’07, beloved son of Meghan ’72 and John Wise ’72, passed away on September 3, 2009. While at the Academy, Colin was an outstanding defenseman on the lacrosse team and earned the distinction of National Merit Finalist. Throughout his youth, Colin was an accom-plished downhill ski racer, ranking second in the state in 2004 and going on to the Junior Olympics. Colin was a junior in Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University. Colin will be deeply missed by his mother, father, and brother Bryan ’05; uncles Michael Fawcett, Martin ’70, Tim and Peter ’74 Wise; aunts Deborah Fawcett, Penelope McDermott ’69, Sally, and Nancy Wise; loving cousins, Courtney Fawcett, Madeleine Fawcett, Peter McDermott, Andy McDermott, Caroline Wise, Chris-topher Wise ’09, Adele Wise, Mary Helen Wise, Katie Wise, Jennifer McDermott, and Nathan McDermott.

FRIENDS OF THE SCHOOL Dominick “Lefty” Spinelli, former member of the Academy’s main-tenance staff, died on September 23, 2009. Born April 25, 1926, in Sewickley, he was the beloved husband of 34 years to Louise (Paff) Spinelli. He was a member of St. James Church of Sewickley and its 55+ Club and the music ministry. He enjoyed golfing, gardening, bowling, and playing his harmonica.

FAMILY OF ALUMNI MILLYANN CANTRELL BARNHORST Mother of Elizabeth Barnhorst Eastman ’78

MARGARET BEALES Mother of Diane Beales Lobaugh ’66, Jefferson ’71, and Jonathan Beales ’71

THELMA EVANS BRETTHOLLEMother of Sally Brettholle Sailer ’73

MILLIE BUTLERMother of John T. Butler ’70

DAVID MACKENZIEHusband of Elsie Oliver MacKenzie ’58, father of Hector ’86, David ’88, Rosanna MacKenzie Wyche ’93, Margaret MacKenzie Chantry ’93, and grandfather of Joseph ’20 and Jack ’23 Wyche

PRISCILLA (DAMON) REED MARSHALL Mother of former Alumni Coordinator Gretchen Burnham and grandmother of Chris ’96 and Steve ’98 Burnham

GRANT MCCARGOFather of Diana McCargo Swift ’76, Heather McCargo McNiff ’78, Grant McCargo III ’80, and Thomas W. McCargo ’82

GEORGE OLIVERFather of Charles Oliver ’58, Constance Swanson Oliver ’68, and Margaretta Oliver Caesar ’69

CONRAD SCHUETTEFather of Kimberly Schuette Mahan ’85

ELIZABETH KUNDICK SCIOSCIAMother of John ’77, Elizabeth ’80, and Dan ’83 Scioscia

ALUMNI VIRGINIA JONES BENNETT ’30

The Office of Alumni Relations recently learned that Virginia Jones Bennett ’30 passed away on August 24, 2007.

JOSEPH DAWSON DURY, JR. ’38

Joseph Dawson Dury, Jr. ’38 died November 6, 2009. He graduated from The Hill School and Kenyon College. His business career concen-trated on finance, product development and marketing. Memberships include The Sewickley Valley Historical Society, The Scotch-Irish Society, The French Huguenot Society, Train Collectors Association, the Model Railroad Club and the Beaver-Lawrence Railway Historical Society. He was a past member of both The Allegheny Country Club and the Edgeworth Club. He is survived by his wife, Margaret Watson Dury, and son, John C. Dury ’82.

CONSTANCE BRAY ’53

Constance Irwin Bray ’53 died peacefully at home on July 10, 2009. She graduated from Ethel Walker School and Vassar College. Her jobs in New York included work at Viking Press, Little Brown, Lindblad Travel, and The Frick Collection. Connie and husband Steve founded Chocolate Lace Co. in Bethel, Connecticut, which they ran until Steve’s death in 2005. An accomplished equestrian in her youth, Connie became a yoga practitioner and an enthusiastic participant in a variety of demanding dance classes in Westport.

ALINE J. MASSEY ’59

Aline J. Massey ’59 died on August 25, 2009, in Boston. She received a bachelor’s degree from Smith College in 1966. After working as an economist for banks in Melbourne, Australia, and New York City, Aline earned a master’s degree in college counseling and student development from Hunter College of the City University of New York. She worked for Batterymarch Financial Management, Inc. from 1975 to 1982 when she joined the Interactive Data Corporation. At the time of her death she was a senior products manager. She is survived by her mother Leslie G. Massey, sister Daryl Bladen ’62, and son Christopher Koda-Massey.

WILLIAM A. TAUSKEY, JR. ’67

William A. Tauskey, Jr. ’67 passed away on January 23, 2009. Beloved husband of 20 years to Marcy (Donhoffner) Tauskey; loving stepfather to two daughters; proud step grandfather to his grandson; son of the late Margaret and William A. Tauskey, Sr.; and brother of the late Peggy Tauskey. He was the owner and operator of Combustion Service & Equipment in Ross Township and was dedicated to his employees, their welfare, and his business.

AIMEE (ROBIC) BRASHEARS ’90

Aimee (Robic) Brashears ’90 of Lansing, Michigan, died August 5, 2009. She was the beloved daughter of John and Christine Robic, and Marianne Robic; loving wife of Michael P. Brashears; loving mother of Hannah, Grace, and Caroline; stepmother of Marcus; sister of John (Heidi) Robic, Timothy (Anna) Robic, and the late J. David Robic; daughter-in-law of Marilyn Brashears, and James Brashears; sister-in-law of Cheryl Malone, Christine Brashears, and James Brashears. Aimee attended Wellesley College in Massachusetts and then gradu-ated from Azusa Pacific University in Southern California. She was an avid supporter of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The Art of DanceAttack TheatreMarch 5 at 7 pm | Rea Auditorium

Through a combination of dance, original live music, and multimedia and interdisci-plinary art forms, Attack Theatre, along with members of the La Roche College Dance Department, will celebrate movement and music through a dynamic performance for the community.

Everyone is invited to a gallery exhibi-tion at Sweetwater Center for the Arts from 5 to 7 pm on March 5 preceding the performance.

Taylor Mali is a teacher and poet. Generally considered to be the most successful poetry slam strategist of all time, Mali spent nine years in the classroom teaching everything from English to SAT preparation. He is a native of New York City and a vocal advocate of teachers and the nobility of teaching. Through poetry and the art of the spoken word, Mali will celebrate teaching with us through a dynamic and unique community performance.

A Celebration of TeachingTaylor Mali April 13 at 7 pm | Gregg Theater

A L L S E W I C K L E Y S E R I E S P R O G R A M S A R E F R E E A N D O P E N T O T H E P U B L I C .

For more information and to register, please visit www.sewickley.org/sewickleyseries.

Sewick ley Academy315 Academy AvenueSewick ley, PA 15143


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