Courage on the CourtPage 55

Kindred CampersPage 14

Digital MusicPage 26

A Sense of CityPage 21

HarnessingCleveland’sFuturePage 28

StaffEditor

Kathleen C. Kenny

Associate Editor

Kathleen McDermott

Contributing Writers

Nicolene Emerson

James C. Farrar ’59

Mary Kate Farrar Vega ’93

Kathleen C. Kenny

Kathleen McDermott

Bridget McGinty ’02

William Seetch

Arlene Smith

Thomas Zeit ’88

Editorial Assistants

Bernadette Coffey

Corinne Dodero ’02

Norm Friedman

Colleen F. Kiely ’96

Matthew LaWell

Bridget McGinty '02

Arlene Smith

Holly Yotter

Photography

John Bashian ’78

Neal Busch

Nicolene Emerson

James C. Farrar ’59

Mark Most

Kevin Reeves

Michael Spear

Design/Production

Canale Studio, Inc.

Printing

Oliver Printing

Director of Institutional

Advancement

Colleen F. Kiely ’96

Director of Development

James C. Farrar ’59

Director of Annual Fund

and Constituent Relations

Mary Kate Farrar Vega ’93

Breaking Breadfor Honduras

Page 34

Dear Parents,

We send this magazine to college-age graduatesat their parents’ homes. Please forward this to

keep your son or daughter informed about GA.

Sponsored by the

Congregation of Holy Cross

Notre Dame, Indiana

Features

Wish You Were Here . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Alumni Junction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Get Set – Go! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Kindred Campers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Speaker Series

Confronting Eating Disorders . . . . . . . . . . .16A Lesson of Forgiveness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17Child Soldier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Unmasking Motherhood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Campus

Time Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20A Sense of City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21District Dynamo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Picture Perfect; Mathematically Sound . . . . .23Interpreting Science through the Arts . . . . .23Research Recognition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24Surfing the Science Waves . . . . . . . . . . . . .24Best Laid Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Delving into Digital Music Making . . . . . . .26Mastering Mandarin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27Harnessing Cleveland’s Future . . . . . . . . . . .28Beam Me Up, Scotty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29Family Folklore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30BioBlitz Marks Earth Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31Caring for Young Kenyans . . . . . . . . . . . . .32Headed to History Day Finals . . . . . . . . . . .33Breaking Bread for Honduras . . . . . . . . . . .34Connecting the Dots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

CO N T E N T SGilmour Magazine

Alumni

AlumNews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36Lancer Spotlights . . . . . . .36, 37, 39, 41, 44, 46Alumni of the Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Lancer Athletics

Spicer Retires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49Career Capstone: 500 Wins . . . . . . . . . . . . .51Changing of the Guard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51Simon to Coach Varsity Football . . . . . . . . .52Media Favorite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53Courage on the Court . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55On the Fast Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56Urban Recognized as Scholar-Athlete . . . . .56

Memorial

Brother Anthony Jorae, C.S.C. . . . . . . . . . . .57Murlan J. Murphy, Sr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58James Riccardi ’51 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59Anne O’Donnell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59Robert Spisak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60Gilmour Extends Sympathy to Families . . . .61

4

F e a t u r e

Gilmour alumni living and working abroad are making

their mark all over the globe – and furthering their lifelong

education along the way.

by Tom Zeit ’88

Dublin, Moscow, Cairo, Hong Kong, Melbourne –

did you know how far GA is extending its

influence? Gilmour has always attracted students

from all over, but the school has also been sending its

graduates to all corners of the world as professional success

and personal adventure drive them to faraway locations.

Leaving the comforts of home can be a daunting and risky

move, but it’s a mark of distinction for many of our alumni.

There’s a lot to be learned from such a bold move, and

here’s the opportunity to absorb

a little of the experience

secondhand and vicariously

enjoy the journey at the

same time.

A sense of adventure

Although most of these

alumni were lured abroad by

specific work opportunities,

they see the attractions of

living outside the U.S. as

abundant. For many, the

Wish You Were Here

cultural experience alone is irresistible. Take Paul Gismondi

’73, an investment banker who moved to London, England,

“on a bit of a whim” in 1986 and took advantage of the

booming financial services industry there. “I marvel at the

sense of permanence and

resilience one feels here,

despite all the wars and

disasters, especially in

the British countryside,”

he says. “In our village

medieval church, for

example, you can

almost touch the

generations of people

who have lived in this

place.”

“So much energy,

so much going on,”

says Ken Winter ’89,

another Londoner

(since 2004) and a

development manager

for a software company.

“So many different cultures

living here – with every kind

of market, food, restaurant, music, and theater – all so

densely packed and easily accessible.”Tom Berry ’88 and familyTreviso, Italy

Ken Winter ’89 and wife ShannonLondon, England

5

Tom

Berry ’88,

who recently

moved to

Treviso, Italy,

to be a vice

president

for Tecnica

Group outdoor

goods, loves “la

dolce vita – the gracious people and their fantastic food and

wine,” in addition to the diversity of the region. “There’s

no single Italy,” he says, “but rather a collection of unique

regions, each with their own customs, cuisine, and dialect.

People here are Trevisani first and Italians second.”

“I love that Europe is so small (relative to the U.S.),

diverse, and easy to travel around,” comments Marta

Lewandowska ’97, a doctoral student in Basel, Switzerland.

“Switzerland is a gorgeous country that’s very well-placed,

and I really enjoy that

although people here

work hard, they take

their vacation seriously.”

Business consultant

Liz Watts Lee GO ’80

finds something similar

in Melbourne, Australia,

where she’s been since

Marta Lewandowska ’97Basel, Switzerland

Liz Watts Lee GO ’80 with familyMelbourne, Australia

Fun factsWe asked these alumni about the biggestsurprises – and the things they still don’tunderstand – about their adopted foreignlocations. Some of the results couldform a bizarre, but handy, travel guide.

“The Irish seem impervious to cold. Just thisweekend it was 50 degrees and people were outin flip-flops and short sleeves. It’s shocking. Also,it’s a challenge to remember that, in general, if anIrish person is making fun of you,that means he or she likes you.”—Sara Ruiz-Ware, Dublin, Ireland

“I’m always baffled by howclean and pretty it is everywhere.Certainly this is due to various laws;following any sort of public eventthe streets are quickly cleaned andall trash disappears without a trace.And there are flowers everywhere!I’ve never seen cities and townsplant and maintain so many flowersas I’ve seen in France and Switzerland.”—Marta Lewandowska, Basel, Switzerland

“Separate hot and cold water faucets.Why would you ever want to have ahot stream and a cold stream at thesame time, when with a combinedtap you could have it cold, hot, oreven warm?”—Ken Winter, London, England

“I don’t know why people here thinkI shouldn’t have an American accentanymore. Australians say I sound American,and Americans say I sound Australian.”—Liz Watts Lee, Melbourne, Australia

“Radicchio di Treviso. Ourtown is preoccupied with thisbitter, red-leafed vegetable.When it’s in season, it’s allradicchio all the time, andit provides for the town’smost important celebration:the Radicchio Festival.”—Tom Berry, Treviso, Italy

Marta Lewandowskaand Sara Ruiz-Ware ’97

Ken and ShannonWinter

Tom Berryand family

6

Wish You Were Here(continued)

F e a t u r e

1996. “The quality of

life here is fantastic,”

she says. “There’s

a great life-work

balance.”

One of the

greatest benefits of

submerging yourself

in another culture

is the sense of

discovery it

provides, especially

when it upsets your

preconceived notions,

according to Chris Rhode ’93. A director of business

development for News Corp. who moved to Moscow with

trepidation in 2006, he reports, “Moscow is an incredibly

vibrant and electric city. The quality of life is quite high and

very comfortable – people don’t wait in lines for bread. It’s

an expensive city, and Russia is experiencing growing pains

as it tries to evolve from its communist legacy, but I feel

privileged to be here while it’s going through this transition.”

Last fall, Lee Mazanec ’81, a senior manager for an HR

firm, moved to Cairo, Egypt, “a 24-hour city that combines

the activity of New York, L.A., and Chicago all in one.” He

says, “The population bulges to 20 million during the day,

but the everyday pace of work is much more relaxed than

in the West. It’s the constant buzz of the call to prayer and

the mishmash of traffic – with taxis, donkey carts, and

scooters – that gets your blood pumping. I’m still wary

of driving a car on my own in this city.”

Energy and diversity . . . they’re common discoveries.

“Everything moves so fast here, both in and out of the

workplace,” says Diana Sankovic ’94 of Hong Kong, where

she moved in 2006 as a vice president with Deutsche

Bank AG. “People living here really need to readjust from

this pace whenever they leave the city. But the ‘expat’

community is so vibrant and enjoyable that many people

never return to their home countries.”

No place like home

Although a few of these

alumni have made their

permanent home in a new

country, most plan on moving

back to the U.S. before long.

Family and friends are

typically the strongest draws,

but you might be surprised at

the other things people really

miss about their homeland.

“Good customer service,”

says Winter. “The relative

lack of air pollution,” says

Sankovic. “Cavs basketball,”

says Berry – and Mazanec

similarly misses following Cleveland

and Ohio sports. “Snow,” says

Gismondi, “not just a few sprinkles, but a real storm.”

But many of the most sorely missed items have to do

with the incredible abundance in America that most of us

take for granted: thousands of choices in grocery stores

(Rhode); big breakfasts with pancakes, eggs, and bacon

(Berry); good Mexican food and the ability to get things at

almost any hour of the day (Lewandowska); and our wide

variety of microbrewed beers (Winter).

Chris Rhode ’93Moscow, Russia

Lee Mazanec ’81Cairo, Egypt

and optimistic

my American

compatriots are –

doubly so for

Clevelanders.”

Echoing that

sentiment, Rhode

says his new

awareness of

the hardships

endured by the

average Russian

helped him to

realize that the U.S. is “really one of the greatest countries in

the world,” something he took for granted while living here.

Sankovic adds, “I deeply appreciate the concept of civil

liberties and the relative openness of the U.S. “I always did

appreciate what we have, but even more so as I travel to

other countries and see how the majority of women in the

world are imprisoned by their societies or religions in so

many ways and dimensions.”

But like anyplace else, America’s flaws become just

as apparent as its strengths. The stereotype of “The Ugly

American” is alive and well outside our borders, reports

Cheney. “I’m always proud to be an American first,” he says,

“but I’ve seen these stereotypes – the arrogance and sense

of entitlement, the lack of respect for other cultures – come

to life right before my eyes, and it’s appalling.”

“The U.S. is really ignorant about the rest of the world,”

Lewandowska concurs, “and this becomes more apparent

each time I return to the U.S. The rest of the world knows

so much about American society and culture, but

Americans barely realize there’s more of a world out there.”

Winter suggests that the average Brit seems to know

more about America than we ourselves do. “A couple of

weeks ago, a random guy in a pub started a debate with

me on whether or not allowing a filibuster in the Senate

is a good idea. And I have many similar stories.”

“At the same time,” Lewandowska adds, “I’ve come

to appreciate, even if I don’t condone it, the American

attitude of doing whatever you want whenever you want.

Sometimes you have to break the rules. I may be doing

everything wrong here in Switzerland, but that’s okay

with me.”

7

Diana Sankovic ’94 Hong Kong

Despite the diversity found in many of the world’s

metropolises, the diversity found right here at home – an

American abundance of a different kind – can also be

missed. That’s what happened to Fred Cheney ’91, who has

been in Calgary, Canada, for almost a decade. “There’s

much other diversity here,” he says, “but I really miss Black

American culture. There’s none like it anywhere else in the

world, with its own culture, language, history, and identity,

and it’s something Americans should be proud of.”

Separation can have other surprising effects. Says Sara

Ruiz-Ware ’97, a strategist for Google who moved to Dublin,

Ireland, in 2007: “It’s strange to be away from the cutting

edge of what’s going on. More and more of the inside jokes

of popular culture are going over my head. I’ve always

been so informed culturally, and although I’m in an English-

speaking country that’s close to the East Coast, I feel like

I’m on another planet sometimes.”

A different view

When these adventurous folks went abroad to learn about

the rest of the world, it’s unlikely that many of them thought

they’d learn something new about the United States. But

sometimes a little distance can give you a surprisingly clear

view – both good and bad – of our society.

“Cleveland is such a beautiful landscape to live and

play in,” says

Mazanec. “You

forget how easy

it is to drive 15

minutes to the

Metroparks, play

a round of golf,

and then dash

into Little Italy

for a heaping

bowl of

homemade

pasta.”

Adds

Gismondi: “I

really appreciate

how lucky,

resourceful, Fred Cheney ’91Calgary, Canada

F e a t u r e

8

These graduates cited a wide variety of benefits of theirexperiences at Gilmour and Glen Oak as being particularlyvaluable to them in their international adventures.

“Intellectual curiosity,” offers Tom Berry ’88. “Gilmour does a great job of exposing its students to a wide variety

of subjects and influences, and the classical liberal arts education, in turn, fosters both curiosity for, andappreciation of, the larger world and all its diversity.”

“Glen Oak exposed me to lots of peoplewith different views and upbringing,”according to Liz Watts Lee ’80, “all of which have held me in good stead in such a culturally diverse place.”

“There’s no question that the sheer depthand quality of the teachers I had made all the difference,” says Diana Sankovic ’94.

“I was a boarder, and that certainly helpedme to learn how to sink or swim in an independent and self-reliant way,” claims Paul Gismondi ’73.

“I’m still friends with a number of peoplefrom my class who are also travelers andwhose adventures push me to exploremore,” says Marta Lewandowska ’97.

And Lee Mazanec ’81 believes that “a solid perspective on theworld comes from your faith,which was reinforced by the curriculum and the stewardshipof the Brothers of Holy Cross.The formative years at Gilmour gave me an open mind andheart to enjoy every minute of my journey in life.”

Ruiz-Ware has learned a lot about the importance

of strong social benefits. “Before leaving the U.S., I was

fairly content with my social protection, but after five

years in Europe I feel like I was truly naïve. It’s not

perfect here by any means, but when I look to the

future I realize that I’d rather live in a place where I

can go to a doctor no matter what, where I’ll be

protected if I lose my job, and where my kids can go

to university and I don’t have to start saving for it now!

There are great things about living in the States, but

we’re so business-centered that I don’t think people

are cared for well enough.”

Perhaps Winter sums it up best: “People throughout

the world admire the ideals America stands for,

especially the idea that you can achieve anything with

enough hard work and determination. But at the same

time, we can learn heaps from the rest of the world.”

As Gilmour alumni continue to spread out across

a shrinking globe, it’s worth acknowledging what

valuable ambassadors they are, for they represent all

of us, at the Academy, in the Cleveland area, and

across the nation. And we’d be wise to remember

how everything we do – from educating students,

to conducting business, to maintaining personal

relationships – can have an effect we can’t possibly

foresee or even measure.

“It’s become apparent to me,” Winter concludes,

“that in the U.S., across the board, we do most things

right, and we do a lot of things very well. But we don’t

do anything perfectly, so we should at least examine –

and hopefully learn from and implement – the good

things that others are doing.”

Diana Sankovic

Liz Watts Lee

Lee Mazanec

The Gilmour Legacy Wish You

Were Here(continued)

9

Reconnect with classmates, seek new career opportunities, post resumes, and get the inside

track about working in a given company or profession.Alumni, take heed of the famous Beatles refrain.Gilmour has just launched a tool to help you do all of this and more.

Gilmour Connect, the Academy’s new alumnionline community, will amp up alumni’s chances to network and mine new resources in today’s strugglingeconomy. They will be able to upload resumes and

share ideas about professional development.College students searching for internshipsand summer jobs or newgraduates entering the

job market can interact with alumni for leads. By now,Gilmour graduates have already been deluged with postcards, email blasts, and other notifications about thisnew opportunity. “The online community will captureall 4,500 alumni in one place so they can search, find,and connect with one another,” notes Mary Kate FarrarVega ’93, Gilmour director of alumni and constituentrelations.

Facebook, Flickr, MySpace, Twitter – there’s a wholenew world of social networking sites alumni frequent.When Gilmour was scouting for a designer for GilmourConnect, it selected a company that could tie theGilmour site to Facebook. “This allows users in througha backdoor,” says Holly Yotter, Gilmour database andweb communications officer. Facebook and GilmourConnect work in tandem to create a seamless transitionfrom the Facebook pages to Gilmour’s alumni onlinecommunity, says Assistant Headmaster Todd Sweda.“Hopefully, it will become second nature when alumniare communicating with their friends on Facebook to

jump over to ouronline communitysite,” he says.

Gilmour gainstoo, by keepingapprised of alumni’swhereabouts. “Ouryounger alums are much more transient, so thisalumni online

community will provide a constantly updated profile page, home address,and email address, so alums can be in touch with eachother – and Gilmour can remain in contact with them,”Farrar Vega says. Alums can post class notes to shareinformation about families and careers, upload photos,check the online directory to reach classmates, sign upfor alumni association events, and make plans with thoseattending Gilmour events.

Gilmour expects this new online experience will bepopular with its graduates. Last year, Kathy Kenny,Upper School English instructor and director of publicrelations and marketing, set up a group page for alumnion Facebook. More than 1,500 Gilmour alumni havejoined the page so far.

Alumni, who want to register for Gilmour’s onlinecommunity, can visit www.gilmour.org, click on“Alumni” then “Alumni Community” click on “RegisterNow,” and follow the simple instructions on the page.

“It’s up to alumni now,” Farrar Vega says, “to activateGilmour Connect to take advantage of its benefits andtools.”

Facebook is a registered trademark of Facebook, Incorporated

Alumni Junction “Get back.Get back.Get back to where you once belonged.”

10

F e a t u r e

While families stock up for Thanksgiving,Gilmour Academy’s bold new Athletic Centerwill be open for business as winter sports

return to campus in a big way. November 13 is the scheduled completion date for Gilmour’s spectacular gymnasium and natatorium.

“I had the opportunity to walk through our newAthletic Center and the view one gets in the gymnasium is awesome,” says Gilmour Headmaster Brother RobertLavelle, C.S.C. “It is shaping up as an exciting structureand it will enhance the programs Gilmour has to offer.”

The project is part of the $20 million PROMISE AND

RENEWAL: The Capital and Endowment Campaign forGilmour Academy. To date, 68 percent of the capital campaign funds have been raised to support the AthleticCenter and to increase endowment.

Gilmour is gearing up for its dazzling new AthleticCenter that depicts the dynamics and energy of theGilmour athlete. Its state-of-the-art gymnasium will featurea basketball/volleyball court, which will accommodate two practice cross-courts and seating for 600 fans. Theeight-lane concrete-and-tile natatorium will be a faster pool for competition and include a special instructionalpool shallow enough for smaller children. Both the gymand pool will make it easier for one-on-one coaching.

For a while, it seemed that Panzica Construction justcouldn’t catch a break. For starters, January was “the second snowiest month ever recorded” in Cleveland,according to the National Weather Service as reported inThe Plain Dealer. “We got snow early in the season andit kept snowing,” says Brother Charles Smith, C.S.C.,Gilmour’s physical plant coordinator. “We also had someof the coldest weather we have ever had.” It was -13degrees on January 16, the coldest day in Cleveland in 15years.

Enclosing the building in this kind of weather was nosmall feat. Getting the walls up, the windows in, and theroof on was a huge job. “There were many days when itwould have been treacherous to try to do any roof work,”Brother Charles says. “The temperatures were freezing, yet the workers were installing windows and the coldmade it difficult to set heavy mortar properly,” he adds.The workers used tents and heaters, so they could continue to set the mortar.

Panzica faced other formidable construction challenges,such as joining many diverse materials at different anglesand curves. “While the design of the Athletic Center creates a unique and magnificent building, we faced moreobstacles working out the details of how everything fitstogether than we would with a more basic structure,” saysAshley Lanphear, Panzica project manager. Problems withthe foundation also needed to be addressed, BrotherCharles says. Some of the foundation from the originalgym and pool were inadequate for the new AthleticCenter, and workers had to do additional excavation with the old Rockne Gym foundation.

After the gymnasium was enclosed and the slabs were poured for the concrete floors, the natatorium wasenclosed so the pool could be excavated. Workers waited to dig the hole for the pool, so that it would notinadvertently fill with water that would have to be pumpedout, Lanphear explained. “Logistically we needed to fill inthe old pool to allow a flat and stable surface for thecranes to set the steel,” she says.

To stay on schedule, more crews have been added.While construction is being finalized, the finish work –painting and installing floors, doors, hardware, and interiorglass – is under way. In the coming months, the crew will outfit the building with sports equipment, windowtreatments, shower fixtures, and other accessories. They

GET SET–GO!

also will complete the mechanical, electrical, and plumbingwork. During the summer, the Rockne locker rooms willbe renovated, with landscaping and paving around theAthletic Center to follow.

“The furniture and carpeting have been selected aswell as the linoleum for the corridors for the lobby,”Brother Charles says. The flooring is durable and easy toclean and the fabric for the upholstery in the studentlounge will wear well.

Brother Charles has been working with DevelopmentDirector Jim Farrar ’59 to select historic photos of Gilmour for Heritage Hall. This area will be used to display the trophies and memorabilia of winning athletes, teams, anddistinguished alumni, and to recognize victors in speechand debate, drama, and other competitions. The AthleticCenter will feature athletes in action.

“It will be a very functional and attractive building,”Brother Robert says, “without being extravagant.”

Architect’s Notes

A gateway into Gilmour’s campus – that’s how Peter Bolekviews Gilmour Academy’s new Athletic Center. The gymnasium reflects the dynamics of basketball players inmotion. With its curving roofs that move back and forth in a linear motion, the natatorium evokes swimming laps in apool. Bolek is principal of Holzheimer Bolek + MeehanArchitects, the firm that designed Gilmour’s Athletic Center.

From Bolek’s vantage point, the clean lines of the AthleticCenter’s exterior metal panels and the smooth face of themasonry embody the athletic action inside. At 12,000 squarefeet, the new natatorium is almost double the size of the original and at 16,400 square feet, the gymnasium also isalmost twice the size as its predecessor.

Bolek points out some other key features:

• The gymnasium’s arena-style seating with unobstructed site lines

• Gym bleachers that retract to create a performance stage• Ample bleacher seating for the natatorium with views

from lobby• Multi-functional lobby to accommodate crowds and

events• New lockers for the natatorium; refurbished locker

rooms in the Rockne Building• Concession area with accessibility from main lobby

and gym • Café-style seating in the gym’s east concourse on a

deck above the bleachers• Glass walls throughout that let visitors see activity in

all three venues – gym, natatorium, and fieldhouse• Dividable classroom with room-darkening shades

and projection• Aerobic workout space with stationary bikes and

elliptical and rowing machines above the coaches’offices

• Enhanced Wi-Fi technology throughout for communication, display and presentation, game record keeping, lighting and building systems,and sound systems

• Heritage Hall that showcases Gilmour teams and school history.

11

Jim Farrar ’59 and Headmaster Brother Robert Lavelle, C.S.C., lead hard hat tours for the Class of 2009

A Rousing Endorsement

Deanna Carlson Ness ’95 knows firsthand howimportant athletics can be in shaping students’

lives. As a Gilmour senior, she captained the GirlsVarsity Basketball team, of which she was a memberfor four years. Ness also played volleyball two years,taught swimming lessons at Gilmour’s Day Camp, andwas a Gilmour lifeguard.

“Basketball and swimming have been integral partsof my life,” Ness says. “To see Gilmour updating tostate-of-the-art facilities is exciting to students, alumni,and the community,” says Ness. Married to Scott Ness,a Lutheran minister, the couple lives near Columbusand has three children – Ethan, Elanna, and EmeryElizabeth.

Ness has fond memories of Gilmour – Vern Weberleading the pep rallies and the packed stands for Lancerbasketball games against Hawken. “Gilmour is a placethat formed much of who I am today,” she says. “It iswhere I married and it is a place where I still visitwhen we come back to town. It is a special place thatI want to continue to see succeed for many years tocome.” By supporting Gilmour financially, Ness feelsthat she is able to reconnect to these experiences andensure that current and future students will have thoseopportunities.

The alum has contributed to the new AthleticCenter because she believes her Gilmour educationhelped her to gain knowledge and wisdom andprepared her for life. The Academy also is whereshe learned the value of teamwork, cooperation, andhard work. “It is these lessons that have led me tocontribute to this project,” Ness says. “Updating theathletic complex will enhance Gilmour’s ability to

continue to mold and form student-athletes.” Thissupport also coincides with her belief that educationand learning are not just reserved for the classroom,and that athletics enhance student life by involvingstudents in a world beyond themselves.

Contributing to Gilmour is her way of saying thankyou, Ness notes. The amount one gives – whether it isa little or a lot – makes no real difference, she believes.“What is important is that the alumni are able and willingto join together and support our school,” she says.

Ness is enthusiastic that her gift will be stretchedfurther by matching funds. Last year, the Fred A. LennonCharitable Trust began to match campaign gifts dollar-for-dollar up to $250,000 from graduates of Gilmour Classes1988-2008. “The Lennon challenge is an incredibleexample of faithful and generous giving that has been setfor all of Gilmour’s alumni and friends,” says Ness.

Even though 14 years have passed since Nessgraduated from Gilmour, she is still committed to itsmission, which she regards as a holistic pursuit ofexcellence that makes Gilmour shine as a place oflearning and education.

F e a t u r e

12

“The Lennon challenge isan incredible example offaithful and generousgiving that has been setfor all of Gilmour’s alumniand friends,” says Ness.

Scott and Deanna Carlson Ness ’95with Elanna, Ethan, and Emery Elizabeth

13

Heading west on Cedar Road toward Gilmour, FaithPescatore looks to the right at the light dancing off

the reflective roof of the Academy’s bold new athleticcomplex. “You can see the sprawling Athletic Centerand a cool view of the rest of the school,” Pescatoresays. “Sports and physical fitness are a huge part of achild’s education.”

Part of the Parent Division Committee for PROMISE

AND RENEWAL: The Capital and Endowment Campaignfor Gilmour Academy, Pescatore and her husband, Gary Schambs, are longtime supporters of the GilmourCommunity. “We believe in giving back locally becausethat is where you see the most results. When you give to a local nonprofit organization, you can meet its leaders and see its mission accomplishments right in your own back yard,” Pescatore says. “We could see the facility and knew where our dollars were goingand that they would not only support our daughter, butthe other students who will use the complex.”

The Gilmour parent thinks that the new AthleticCenter will increase student pride and may attract children to participate in sports who aren’t ordinarilyinterested. She also is enthusiastic about the new gymnasium, Heritage Hall, and the student lounge. “It will be great to have a gathering place for studentswhen they finish practice,” Pescatore says.

Her daughter, Skylar Schambs ’14, who was 3 years old when she began Gilmour’s Montessori program, swims competitively, so the whole family was excited at the prospect of a new natatorium. Her husband practiced in Gilmour’s old natatorium asan Orange High School student in the late 1960s, sothey both knew the old pool needed to be replaced. The natatorium’s special instruction pool for youngerchildren is a plus, Pescatore notes. “The earlier you canget kids in the water the better,” she says. “Swimming

is something you can do your entire life to promote fitness and health.” It also offers life lessons aboutteamwork, time management, and competition andhelps children face their fears, she maintains.

The Gilmour mom is impressed that the Academyis always looking to be at the cutting edge and that it is committed to offering students the finest educationavailable. She accepted a role with the capital campaign wholeheartedly. “When you really believe in something, you want to send the message to otherparents and encourage them to give back,” she says.

Pescatore understands that in the current economicclimate people are careful about making investmentsand in considering where their money will best bespent. “I believe it is in the school, the education it offers, and in the endowment, which the capital campaign supports. It is really the best investment youcould ever spend,” she says. “I used to tell everyonethat Gilmour was a top-notch school even before theathletic complex was being built. The new AthleticCenter puts it over the top.”

Gary Schambs, Skylar Schambs ’14, and Faith Pescatore

Straight Talk from a Donor

When erstwhile students salt away their textbooks for the summer and put aside their thirst for learning, wouldn’t it be great to

offer them exciting camp experiences that challenge theirminds? Enter Gilmour’s Weekly Camps, targeting specificinterests. This year, several favorites like the Harry Potterfilm class and the digital music camp were back, and newtheme camps were added.

So your child wants to be the next Rachel Carson orAl Gore? “Calling All Nature Lovers” was just the ticket as campers immersed themselves in studying plants andanimals. Their daily excursions took them to Holden

Arboretum,ClevelandMetroparks North ChagrinReservation,Euclid CreekQuarry, theMayfield VillageWetlands, and the Great BlueHeron Rookery in Chardon.Campers collectedspecimens and

created art piecesfrom them; plant vegetables, herbs, and flowers; and evenmade a Japanese Ikebana sculpture. They also went bird-watching and kept nature journals. Says Mary BethHayes-Zatko, camp instructor and Gilmour Montessoridirectress, “More and more research indicates the need to reacquaint children with nature and outdoor activity.”

At “Black Holes, Time Warps, and T. Rex” camp,grade school youth learned faux science from the

real thing as they exploredthe future of the universe and the bombardment of asteroids. Theyresearched, designed, andbuilt starships; constructed a Mars habitat; and investigated the cataclysmthat ended the reign of the dinosaurs.

For those with an artisticor literary bent, several other new camps suited theirfancy. Dancing the day away kept campers fit as theydeveloped body rhythm, balance, flexibility, body alignment, and kinesthetic awareness. The children practiced yoga and did daily Pilates as they encounteredjazz, hip-hop, ballet, and modern dance. Future mediamoguls thrived at “What’s the Scoop?” camp and createdtheir own news magazines. With Gilmour camp as their

Kindred Campers

Kindred Campers

F e a t u r e

14

beat, they reported on events and prepared articles forpublication while honing journalistic skills – writing,reporting, editing, photographing, even using computersfor layout.

Move over Batman and Spiderman – competition iscoming from campers who enrolled in “The Art of ActionFigures” when they designed and built their own toys asthey sculpted in polymer clay, made flexible joints, and created expressive features for their characters. Thoseinterested in documenting family vacations, athletic feats,

or school events signed on for a digital scrapbookingcamp where they learned toframe images, arrange themon pages, and apply specialeffects and techniques.

“Creators, Charactersand Conflict in Movies”developing an original storyline and characters in film production – was acontinuation of last year’s

“Harry Potter: The Missing Scene.” Other moviemakersexplored Cleveland destinations and made a video of theirexcursions. Stage performers learned to act in ensemblesand individually at theater camp as they also made costumes and sets. And youngsters made their own cameras, took photos, and discovered the magic of thedarkroom process in photography camp.

What does it take to “Be a Digital Rock Star”?Campers found out firsthand when they composed and performed original music using the latest software.According to Gilmour Music Instructor David Kilkenney,who talked with teachers from similar digital music camps,“they said that ours was way more advanced and fun.”

So your child wants to be the next

Rachel Carson or Al Gore? “Calling

all Nature Lovers” was just the ticket

as campers immersed themselves in

studying plants and animals.

15

16

S p e a ke r S e r i e s

E d u c a t i n g t h e H e a r t :

A Moral CompassG i l m o u r A c a d e m y S p e a k e r S e r i e s

CONFRONTING EATING DISORDERS

One veteran in the battle against eating disorders inyoung people refers to their mindset as “magical

thinking.” The rationale is “I can control what I eat and what I don’t eat,” says Trisha Gura, a science writerand specialist on eating disorders. “They feel like theyhave control over everything even though they don’t.”

Gura has firsthand experience with eating disorders. As a teen, she was diagnosed with anorexianervosa (refusal to eat, resulting in severe weight loss)when her weight dropped below 90 pounds. Withtherapy, she has “recovered and gone on with life.”Gura, who has a Ph.D. in molecular biology fromNorthwestern University, says her interest in the issue is both personal and professional. She is the author of “Lying in Weight: the Hidden Epidemic of EatingDisorders in Adult Women.”

When she visited Gilmour Academy, Gura met with students, faculty, and parents. With the students,Gura focused on body image and self-esteem, includingbehaviors such as dieting and exercising to achievebody image ideals touted by the media. Throughworkshops, she engaged students in deconstructingmedia images of celebrities and athletes, role playing,and exploring the value of physical activities such assports, dancing, and breathing exercises.

The author met with faculty to help make themmore aware of eating disorders as they emerge andways to prevent them. She described who is at riskand behaviors that characterize eating disorders, which in addition to anorexia include bulimia nervosa(binging and purging). Gura also discussed binge eating disorder, which is related to compulsive eatingbehavior.

In talking with parents, she presented a primer ofwhat eating disorders are and why some children areprone to them, reassuring parents that they are not atfault, but that “biology, culture, and circumstance allintersect to create a problem.”

Formerly a reporter for the Chicago Tribunecovering medicine and science, Gura emphasizes

that “Eating disorders are not about eating or weight.You have to be born a certain way to get an eating disorder,” she says. A profile of someone at risk wouldbe a perfectionist and overachiever who does not liketo make mistakes, and who works hard and worries alot, notes Gura. She pointed out that researchers aresearching for a gene that might be linked with eatingdisorders and have found mutations, or differences inthe brain, that might be a clue.

As part of her presentation, Gura highlighted warning signs – concealing eating habits, refusing to eatwith others, and making frequent trips to the bathroomafter eating. She urged parents to “have an open dialogue with your kids even if they ask you personalquestions about yourself. You need to be willing toopen up about yourself and discuss your own attitudeabout weight and body images.” She warned againstnagging and badgering children about what they eat,and how much they exercise and compromising theirprivacy.

“Don’t try to fix their problems,” she says, pointingout that part of self-esteem and turning away from negative coping behaviors requires parents to step aside and let children fix problems while perhaps brainstorming with them about strategies. Parents who are concerned that their child might have an eating disorder should “do something sooner ratherthan later,” Gura says, “because successful treatment is much harder with adults. Make them feel good not just about their bodies, but the kind of creativeendeavors they might want to undertake.” She recommends focusing instead on who they are and what they are doing that is positive.

Gura’s visit was part of a series of family workshops and lectures called Educating the Heart: A Moral Compass, supported by the family of MichaelPender, a 1990 alumnus who died the following year.His family established the speaker series in Michael’smemory.

17

Itmight be hard to fathom how a 7-year-old Sudaneseboy could be torn from his family and survive the

atrocities of a 10-year captivity, and still find it in hisheart to forgive, but Francis Bok is no ordinary man.The author of “Escape from Slavery” addressed GilmourAcademy Middle and Upper School students earlier inthe school year about his book, a summer readingassignment for the students. Described as a “modernslave narrative,” the book tells of Bok’s years in captivity at the hands of Muslim farmers and about his escape to freedom. In addressing the Gilmour students, “he encouraged the (Gilmour) community to keep hope and faith when all seems lost,” notesBobby O’Brien ’10 in The Lance.

In 1986, Bok’s Arab captors swept him up during a raid in the marketplace near his village in southernSudan while he was selling his mother’s eggs andpeanuts. The terrorized child watchedmen, women, and children beingslaughtered by the militia including ayoung girl who was shot in the headbecause she could not stop crying afterseeing her parents shot.

Bok was taken by horseback tonorthern Sudan and was forced intoslavery. He tended goats and cattle,slept with them in a shed, and had minimal contact with people. He triedto escape twice only to be beaten andhave his master threaten to kill him. “I told myself thatI would rather die than be a slave because I hated theway they treated me and the other slaves,” Bok says.

In captivity, he recalled the kindness and compassion of his parents. “My father used to carry me on his shoulders when he would visit friends,” the young man remembers. One of eight children, Boksaid that his father called him “tall man.” He told hisson that he had to have a dream, and when he grewup he would “do something a tall man could do.”

His mother, who taught him about religion, used tosay, “Francis, when you are alone God is watching you

A L E S S O N O F

Forgivenessand when you arewith others, God isalways in between.”He believes that itwas through God’shelp that he was ableto finally escape.

As a teenager, Bokfled to Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, and spent three years in prison and refugee camps before reaching Cairo. With the help of the United Nations,Bok came to North Dakota in 1999. The followingyear, he testified before the Senate Foreign RelationsCommittee becoming the first escaped slave ever to doso. Now an anti-slavery activist in Boston, Bok speaksto various groups on behalf of the Sudanese. Despitethe horrors and deprivations he has known, he does

not hate his captors. “God preachesabout how we should forgive. I ammore with living peace, reconciliation,and forgiveness,” he says.

Francis Bok knew nothing of theslavery that had existed in the UnitedStates until he had been in this countrya year and met Civil Rights leaderCoretta Scott King; he cried when he watched “Roots” noting, “Slavery is all the same. It doesn’t matter whereit happened or to whom. When you

are a slave you don’t have freedom.” The activist met President George W. Bush at the

Sudan Peace Act signing ceremony and told him of theplight of his countrymen. “The president is the onlyone to help bring peace in Sudan,” Bok states. Theactivist is enthusiastic about the historic changes takingplace in the United States. “This is a great moment for black people all over the world to have the firstAfrican-American president of the United States. I hope he will be able to bring peace to Darfur.”

“Slavery is all the same. It doesn’t matter where ithappened or to whom.When you are a slave youdon’t have freedom.”

Francis Bok

Instead of playing dodge ball like many Americanchildren, Loung Ung was trained to sidestep strafing

bullets as a child soldier in Cambodia during thegenocide inflictedby Pol Pot andthe Khmer Rougeregime from1975 to 1979.Two millionCambodiansdied includingher parents,two siblings,and 20 otherfamily members.

Now a humanrights activistliving in the

United States, Ungrecently discussed

her experience with Gilmour Academy Middle andUpper School students. She focused on her secondbook, “Lucky Child,” which contrasts her life in America

with that of her oldersister, Chou, whoremained in Cambodia.The book wasrequired readingfor Gilmour students.

When Ung firstreturned to Cambodiain 1995, the contrastbetween the twosisters’ lives wasdramatic. Chouwas in an arrangedmarriage. She livedin a village with no

electricity, running water,or doctors to assist with childbirth, and Ung wanted totell her sister’s story.

Daughtersof a Chinesemother andCambodianfather, thesisters spenttheir earlyyears inPhnom Penh, where their father was a governmentofficial before Pol Pot. In her memoir, “FirstThey Killed My Father: A Daughter of CambodiaRemembers,” the author narrates what her life was likeas her family and country were torn apart. When herfamily was forced to flee the city, her mother separatedfrom 5-year-old Ung and her other children because asorphans they would have a better chance of survival.

“During those four years, Cambodia was like aprison; we were made to live in villages more akinto labor camps,” she notes on a website calledCambodian Tales. “I had to learn to cheat, steal, fight,and kill to survive.” But it was not the physical trainingthat was so hard; it was the emotional training andbrainwashing. Ung explains that for many years shehas been on a “journey of learning to trust that peopledon’t want to harm me.”

When Ung was 10, she fled to Thailand with herbrother, Meng, and his wife, Eang, and lived in arefugee camp before coming to the United States. Thefamily had been able to raise funds for only three ofthem to leave Cambodia. Recalling the day she leftChou in Cambodia, she says, “The last image I had ofmy sister was her face crumbling into tears. I was onmy brother’s bicycle, and as we peddled away, ourhands were separated. “I was selected because Iwould have the most years to take advantage of theU.S. education system.”

Ung lived with Meng and Eang in Vermont andlater earned a baccalaureate degree in political sciencefrom St. Michael’s College. She and her husband, Mark,Priemer live in Shaker Heights.

Child Soldier

S p e a k e r S e r i e s

“I’ve had the

chance to do

something that’s

worth my being

alive.”Loung Ung

18

Loung Ung and Cindy Sabik

19

The world is full of women blindsided by the unceasing

demands of motherhood, still flabbergasted by how a job

can be terrific and torturous, involving and utterly

tedious, all at the same time. The world is full of

women made to feel strange because what everyone

assumes comes naturally is so difficult to do – never

mind to do well.

Anna Quindlen

Many moms can identify with the thoughts PulitzerPrize-winning columnist Anna Quindlen suggests

in her take on motherhood. In February, the LowerSchool began hosting a five-part series of free one-hourseminars to help mothers develop life management and coping skills geared to the daily challenges ofmotherhood. The seminars were designed to get mothers to reconnect with who they are and becomebetter mothers. The family of Michael Pender ’90 fundsthe series.

Lower School moms signed up for the initial seminar, “Renew, Refresh, Rediscover You,” presentedby psychologist Sharon Nittinger. It explored ways tobalance responsibilities, restore self-worth, and sheddestructive attitudes. “Children change you; there is nodoubt, and that is good,” she says, adding that womendo not need to lose themselves in the process ofbecoming a mom.

Specializing in training and development, Nittingercombines academic research with real-life solutions inher seminars and workshops. She holds a master’sdegree in psychology from Loyola College in Marylandand one in management from the University ofMaryland. She sees herself more as a coach than anexpert. During her March seminar, she focused oninner dialogue, or self-talk as she calls it, and examinedfaulty thinking and beliefs that can strip moms of theirself-worth. “Self-talk determines how you feel becauseyou feel how you think,” Nittinger says.

Nittinger, who has two children, hopes to helpmothers gain understanding and insight. Her motherhood seminars are based on her book,“Rediscovering the Person You Lost: A Workbook for You.”

Other discussions featured in the series addressedmarriage and communication with spouses, managingguilt and undue expectations, and the importance oftime management.

Unmasking Motherhood

Though Ung once felt her sister led alife of deprivation, she no longer views itthat way. “Chou is happy and healthy, and is a grandmother surrounded by sonsand daughters, aunts and uncles, and agrandmother,” Ung says. “She lives life fully in her way, has her own business, and lives off the land.”

During her visit to Gilmour, Ung told thestudents they were attending a phenomenalschool. “We all have secrets, pain, and trauma, and it is important to have someoneto talk with,” she says. “Being at a schoollike Gilmour, you have teachers who arethere for you, who will listen, and whowant to see you succeed.”

As spokesperson for the Campaign for a Landmine-Free World, Ung travels internationally talking about critical humanitarian issues. She feels that she has the opportunity to “redeem” herselfwhen she talks to others about genocideand says, “I’ve had the chance to do something that’s worth my being alive.”

“The last image I had of my sisterwas her face crumbling into tears. I was on my brother’s bicycle, and as we peddled away, our hands were separated.”

Loung Ung

Loung with Ryan Shepard ’11 and Caton Gomillion ’11

20

“KAIROS.” In Greek it means “the right or opportunetime,” or “God’s time.” To Gilmour Academy

students who have completed the four-day KAIROS retreat, it means evenmore. KAIROS is close to their hearts; it spiritually exposes their core.

Described as intense, individual, mysterious and contemplative,KAIROS is based on Christian theology especially as it relates to Christiancommunity. It centers on prayer, the sacraments, participation indiscussions and exercises designed to keep its lessons alive throughoutone’s life. The retreat is offered three times during junior year at theJesuit Retreat House.

KAIROS focuses on the revelation of God’s love for each personthrough the people and experiences a person encounters

in life. It also integrates the idea that through thegift of the Holy Spirit, man is able to “go forth andproclaim this love.” Wayne Lobue, associate inPastoral Ministry and Student Life, has helped tooversee the development of this special retreat.

During talks and discussions on differentthemes throughout the retreats, 12 student leadersand nine adults, pose the kind of profoundquestions to the participants that young peopleask themselves about life, God and faith. “For thejuniors who make the retreat, the days spenttogether listening to the talks and sharing allowthem to see that they are not alone with theirquestions on their spiritual journey,” says Bob Beach,

a religious studies instructor at Gilmour.Following each talk, students break into small groups to share their

own faith journey as it relates to each topic. Students are encouraged tolisten carefully and to talk openly as they seek to find God in their familiesand in one another.

During one part of the retreat, the group speaks of God’s love, which ayoung person learns first through his or her parents. This is incorporatedinto the closing ceremony in Our Lady Chapel, where students share whatthe KAIROS experience has meant to them and talk about those who havesupported them throughout their lives and at the retreat. This reflectioncorrelates with one of the program’s goals for each student:to appreciate not only his or her own value, but also that of

parents, relatives, and friends who make the student’s lifemeaningful.

Although KAIROS retreats are held all over the world now,the first retreat in the United States was in 1976 in Illinois. SinceGilmour began its own KAIROS program during the 2000-2001school year, it has offered the program 20 times. Beach waspart of a collaborative effort made up of members from thereligious studies department and the pastoral ministry teamthat initiated the KAIROS program at Gilmour. “We knew of aKAIROS program at a local Jesuit school and asked if a few ofour students could attend their retreat with the idea of havingthem become the first student leaders for Gilmour’s KAIROS,”he explains.

Students are encouraged to

listen carefully and to talk

openly as they seek to find

God in their families and

in one another.

C a m p u s

Students who complete KAIROS as juniorsvolunteer to lead the retreat their senior year. Lobuesays that it warms him to see the seniors practice talks,help each other as they struggle to pull together theirmessages, and organize many retreat details.

“The primary responsibility is to have juniors trustus as leaders and trust their peers,” says John King ’09,rector for the February retreat. “Without trust, theretreat doesn’t take full shape.”

Tommy Hallal ’09, also a student leader at thatretreat, was intent on sharing what he learned atKAIROS “. . . so that others may gain a newperspective on living and understanding their livesby helping them grow and become more insightful.”

Although the students must make up the workthey missed during the retreat, they come away witha feeling that it was a most worthwhile experience,says Brian Horgan, director of the Upper School. Hebelieves that KAIROS fosters a greater peer network.“I know for a fact that the older students who lead theyounger ones through the KAIROS experience becomeconfidants for them,” he says.

Madison Mawby ’09 saw her KAIROS experienceas an opportunity to relax and contemplate what isimportant to her and how she could improve her life.“My relationship with God was strengthened to a levelI didn’t know was possible,” the graduated senior says.According to Lobue, the faculty who assist with KAIROSalso attest to the power and mystique of the retreat.

For one Gilmour teacher, who was part of the firstKAIROS retreat as a student, the memory remains vivid.“I will always remember KAIROS as one of my mostdefining experiences and one that truly molded myheart,” says Coreen Gorbett Schaefer ’02, now aninstructor in English and creative writing at theAcademy. “I left the retreat feeling closer to God,my classmates, and my teachers,” she recalls. “It isamazing to me that after almost 10 years, the studentsstill feel that same energy.”

Urban Plunge sounds like a dive into frigidwaters to usher in the new year. At Gilmour,

though, it refers to an immersion experience forjuniors who delve into the possibilities and plightof Cleveland’s inner city.

Urban Plunge is part of the junior-levelreligion curriculum that focuses on social justice.Some participants spend a portion of the day on awalking tour of historic Ohio City, one ofCleveland’s oldest and most ethnically-diverseneighborhoods, led by a resident of the CatholicWorker house, which is affiliated with the socialreform movement.

“The goal is to get students out into our owncity to see for themselves some of the issuesinner-city residents face,” says Sal Caruso, aGilmour religiousstudies instructor.Poverty, hunger,homelessness, andgentrification aresome of the issuesthe students confrontduring the UrbanPlunge experience.

Caruso notesthat Ohio City, onCleveland’s NearWest Side, has a“densely populatedset of social serviceagencies.” Gilmourstudents visit severalof the agencies tofind out how they assist the neighborhood and toexplore volunteer possibilities. They also examinehow the neighborhood is changing and its impacton some of the poorest citizens who are beingdisplaced.

Another group of the Urban Plunge studentsspend time at Gilmour’s partner school, St.Adalbert, tutoring elementary school students,working with them on study skills, and assistingwith music and gym classes. “The intention,”Caruso says, “is to broaden our students’ horizonsand perspectives about Church involvement inpromoting social justice in the city.”

A Sense of City

21

Trevor Landgraff ’10

22

Forensics is a perennial Gilmourbright spot over Cleveland’s long,

gray winters. This winter, the school’sSpeech and Debate Team topped 23 competitors to capture its 21st

consecutive Ohio High School SpeechLeague’s Northern Ohio DistrictChampionship. Three Gilmour students were named district

champions during the competition:Brooke Marie Jarvis ’10 and Taylor Seay ’10 in the Duo Interpretation category,and Natalie Pike ’11 in Humorous Interpretation. Their performances earnedthem the right to compete at the state tournament in March.

Once again, the team was primed for victory thanks to driving force Gay Janis, Gilmour’s speech and debate coach for 22 years. Inducted into theOhio High School Speech League Hall of Fame at the state tournament, Janishas been instrumental in Gilmour’s team ranking in the top one percent ofNational Forensic League (NFL) chapters.

Three Gilmour students qualified for the state competition in the U.S. Extemporaneous category: Alec Janda ’10, Bobby O’Brien ’10, and Lexi Antunez ’10. Alexandria Pilla ’09 earnedenough points to compete in Original Oratory;Kristin Vaughn ’09 and Pat Fagan ’10 were namedalternate qualifiers in Duo Interpretation, and Ali Lencewicz ’11 was an alternate qualifier inOratorical Interpretation. Casey Weinfurtner ’11and Liz Coerdt ’11 advanced to state to compete in Dramatic Interpretation, while Kenzie Alexander ’11 was named an alternate.

Because of their ranking in the district competition, Nick Pilla ’10 and Peter Neundorfer ’10 qualified for HumorousInterpretation; Chelsea Myles ’11, Marshall Drew ’10, and Antunez advanced inStudent Congress. Alternate qualifiers in Congress were Will O’Brien ’09 andAllie Kasuboski ’11.

The Gilmour team made a strong showing at the state tournament and finished fifth in cumulative sweeps out of 70 schools participating. At state,three Gilmour students – Jarvis, Seay, and Pike – merited the right to competein the National Forensic League National Tournament in Birmingham,Alabama, June 14-19. Antunez took first place at the NFL national StudentCongress qualifier and will join them. Seay took second place at the Sons of the American Revolution Oratorical Contest and competed in the state tournament.

Antunez finished second of 148 competitors in Student Congress, andMyles was a semifinalist in that category. Pike and Alexandria Pilla were quarterfinalists in Humorous Interpretation and Original Oratory, respectively.

Based on their performance at state, Alexandria Pilla, Antunez, Myles, and Pike earned the right to compete in the National Catholic Forensic LeagueGrand National Tournament May 23-24 in Albany, New York. Nick Pilla,Neundorfer, and Weinfurtner qualified as alternates.

Gilmour’s Speech and

Debate Team captures

its 21st consecutive

District Championship.

DistrictDynamo

C a m p u s

Brooke Marie Jarvis ’10 Taylor Seay ’10

Natalie Pike ’11

23

Interpreting Science Through the ArtsWhen it comes to interpreting research, Gilmour

Academy students have a proven flair forexpressing science through art and writing. ElizabethBeam ’09 won the Best of Show Award in the literarycategory in the Cleveland Clinic’s “eXpressions: theIntersection of Art and Science” exhibit. The studentearned three blue ribbons for her poems titled“Collecting Echoes” (also Best of Show), “The Heart of the Matter,” and “Seeing Via Sound.” Out of six blue ribbons given for writing, she won three, plus amonetary award.

“The intersection of science and creative writing isfascinating because writers have to make decisionsabout the balance of logic and art, making sure to give proper credit to both,” says Coreen GorbettSchaefer ’02, Gilmour English instructor. “Usually students see non-fiction and fiction as two separategenres, and here we see them working together.” Indescribing Beam’s entry, Schaefer says Beam wroteabout high-resolution ultrasound “using poignantmetaphors, fresh imagery, and high-level lyrical strategies to describe the procedure, not only as a scientific breakthrough, but also as medical art.”

More than 40 schools from across Ohio and Floridasubmitted nearly 600 works of art and writing for the

competition. Beam’s work was exhibited atthe InterContinental Hotel along with otherhonorees.

The exhibit showcasing the artistic andliterary interpretations of research relates to a summer internship in which studentsworked alongside renowned Clinic physiciansand researchers. Then other students createdartwork and literature based on the interns’ projects.Blue ribbon entries received $100; red ribbons, $75;white ribbons, $50; and honorable mentions, $25.

Three Gilmour students were honored for works on the same theme: Samantha Klonaris ’10 received ablue ribbon for a photograph showing the value ofconsuming less animal fat in reducing cholesterol;Rachel Noall ’10 won a red ribbon for her short storyand honorable mention for a photograph on the topic;and Samantha Johnson ’09 won honorable mention forher painting, “The Transparent Reality of Cholesterol.”Paige Kepich ’10 received honorable mention for herjournal entry of a woman with kidney cancer, while a mixed media sculpture depicting the interior of coronary arteries earned Alyssa Trebilcock ’10 a red ribbon.

Move over Ptolemy, Pythagoras, and Euclid. Somepretty heavy competition is headed your way.

Three recent Gilmour Academy seniors walked off withBest of Show in the first Cleveland Clinic eXpressionsMath Program and were recognized at a reception atthe InterContinental Hotel. Through their projects, students showed the role mathematics plays in scientificresearch and the art and writing mathematics inspires.

The team of Jamie Bergsman ’09, Brock Raffaele ’09, and Stephen Seliskar ’09 used advanced mathematics todiscover why a piece of art is pleasing to the eye.They analyzed how different frequencies affect the way a graph is viewed, converted the information intobinary language, and created a mathematical model fortheir project called “Interpreting Mathematical Data inDifferent Mediums.”

Picture Perfect;Mathematically Sound

A second group of Gilmour students earned a RedRibbon award for their project entitled “The HiddenBeats of Life.” They applied math to literature by linking it to the rhyme scheme of a poem, and tiedmath to art by designing a piece based on the amountof time a child spends in the womb. The students in the group were Hannah O’Donnell ’09, RaysaSylvester ’09, Lana Azem ’09, and Kelsey Rodgers ’09.

The award-winning projects were featured in aneXpressions Math Program booklet and each groupreceived a monetary award. Gilmour students have wonBest of Show in all three categories – art, writing, andmathematics – since the first eXpressions program threeyears ago.

Elizabeth Beam ’09

Her pursuit of germs has earned recognition forKelly Hurless ’07, who will be a named researcher

in an upcoming issue of Biochemistry. Now a rising junior at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, she participated in research to investigate the mechanism of resistance to antibiotics at the LouisStokes VA Medical Center in 2006 and 2007 as aGilmour student and graduate.

Hurless was part of Gilmour’s Catalyst Program,which unites students with professional mentors fromindustry, academia, hospitals, and government to gainreal-world research experience. Through the one-semester science elective, Catalyst students spend atleast four hours per week doing authentic research thatculminates in a symposium emphasizing the importanceof disseminating results.

Research Recognition

Surfing the Science Waves

“Catalyst prompted my urge to continue myinvolvement in research during college,” Hurless says.“I learned complex processes andprocedures and the importance ofdedication and perseverance.”

Hurless continues to work withRobert Bonomo, a physician andsection chief of infectious diseasesat the VA Center, during the summer. He has offered the internthe opportunity to work on hisresearch at St. Edward’s under the guidance of a microbiology professor who will serve as hermentor. She is majoring in biologyand premed at St. Edward’s, and plans to attend medical school.

24

C a m p u s

Instead of squandering the summer before his senior year

with frivolous pastimes, GilmourAcademy’s John Coyne ’09 toiledaway in a chemistry lab atCleveland State University analyzing alpha particles in the atmosphere. It paid off inJanuary when he saw his namepublished in The Journal of

Molecular Modeling, a peer-reviewed science journal. “I wanted to learn if alpha particles could form

bonds with other molecules during their short lifetimes,” the Gilmour graduate says. Coyne used molecular modeling for the task. The work is basicresearch – knowledge for its own sake – as opposed toapplied research, which could lead to new products orinventions. “It was pure research to help us understandthe world better and could potentially help scientists inthe future,” he says.

Coyne was part of Gilmour’s Catalyst Program,which unites students with professional mentors from

industry, academia, hospitals, and government to gainreal-world research experience. David W. Ball, a CSUchemistry professor and Coyne’s mentor, explains thatthe student’s work indicates that it is possible for analpha particle to make a chemical bond with small molecules. Even though the research may only havelimited implications in our own atmosphere because ofits abundance of gas molecules, it could be significantin interstellar space.

“An alpha particle can bond to a molecule and create a long-lived species,” Ball says adding thatastronomers might be able to detect properties of thespecies. The scientist praised Coyne for his “very highlevel of aptitude, confidence, independence, and maturity in his work.”

The graduated senior lettered three years onGilmour’s Varsity Golf team and finished ninth in thestate tournament last fall. He also played on theLancers Varsity Basketball team, was National HonorSociety president at Gilmour, and was a writer for theschool yearbook. Coyne intends to study finance atBoston College.

All dressed up with no placeto go. That sums up the

Class of 2009’s service project for their last day as Gilmour students. Team Gilmour was all set to team up with theRemote Area Medical (RAM)Ohio brigadeto provide freehealth care for thousands

of uninsured and underinsured peoplein the community at the CuyahogaCounty Fairgrounds on May 2 and May 3. The historic event would emulate the hectic pace of “M*A*S*H,”with doctors, nurses, dentists, X-ray technicians, pharmacists, optometrists,EMTs, social workers, and lawyers alluniting to offer their services.

The Class of 2009 was excited to be the only pre-event volunteers not part of the health care/socialservice network. With their special Gilmour t-shirts, they were all prepared to provide labor and set up the day before the event.

Then the swine flu outbreak foiled the plans.Government health officials feared that the virus might spread to the mass of people, many with healthproblems, gathering for the event.

For several months, Gilmour students and teachershad been working with Hands On Northeast Ohio, anonprofit action center, which managed the volunteersand arranged the logistics for the RAM Ohio event. For the relief organization RAM, which began bringingemergency clinics to the Amazon jungle and adapted

the program for the United States in 1992, the Clevelandeffort would have been its first urban expedition.

Senior class president Billy Urban ’09 notes that thestudents were dedicating their final community serviceproject to Headmaster Brother Robert Lavelle, C.S.C., and Brother Ken Kane, C.S.C., Upper School scienceinstructor. They are celebrating their 50th Jubilee asBrothers of the Congregation of Holy Cross.

“The seniors agreed that thisextraordinary community collaborationwould be a wonderful way to finishtheir days at Gilmour,” says SeniorAdvisor Kathy Kenny, an Englishinstructor in Gilmour’s Upper School.“They were honored to be a small part of this project.”

Kate Madden, coordinator of Handson Northeast Ohio, addressed Gilmourstudents at convocation in April. She

asked them to raise their hands as high as they couldand then a little bit higher. “This just shows that there isalways a little bit more that you can give,”Madden said. She added, “This is whatthe senior class decided to do. Theyare giving up part of their last day ofschool to help us in this huge effort.”Urban presented Madden with a $500donation earned by the graduating seniors from Gilmour’s football concessions.

At commencement on May 24, Zac Ponsky, executive director ofMobileMed1 RAM Ohio, again recognized the Class of 2009 for their commitment to the medical brigade and the community.

“The seniors agreed that thisextraordinary communitycollaboration would be awonderful way to finish theirdays at Gilmour.”

Kathy Kenny

25

Best Laid Plans . . .

26

Itis hard to imagine whatMozart would have made

of David Kilkenney’s musiccourses. They are paperless,with everything composedon computers. Now in theirfourth year, Computer Music

I and II are open to Upper School students, and in thecatacombs of the Kelley Middle School, digital reigns.A dead giveaway: The Yamaha digital keyboards.

Kilkenney, a music instructor for all three Gilmourschools, explains that the electric keyboards can beconnected to software. When he assigns projects, he isable to work with students by placing the informationon his computer screen on top of theirs to exchangeideas. Students who have never read music are readingand composing in their very first class, and all projectsand assessments are done on computers.

“Usually, music classes start with three notes andbuild from there over several weeks,” says Kilkenney,“but we start with the basics of how to read and writemusic.”

Kilkenney began playing trumpet in fifth grade andhas been passionate about music ever since. TheGilmour teacher earned a bachelor’s degree in musiceducation from Cleveland State University and is working on a master’s degree in music technology atIndiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

The computer music sequence is so hot that it hasa waiting list. Currently, 27 Upper School students areenrolled in the courses, which cover all types of music– classical, electronic, live recording, soundtracks, andpopular music. “It is an exceptionally popular course,”says Brian Horgan, Upper School director.

Speculating on reasons for the courses’ popularity,Kilkenney says, “Students are so involved with technology that they can easily relate to the courses,”adding that current students have heard compositionsfrom previous students and that word of mouth hasdriven them to the digital music program.

“I took the course as an introduction to the computerized recording and live audio aspects of music production,” states Leo Sideras ’10.

C a m p u s

Delving into Digital Music Making

Each 90-minute class devotes a half-hour to theory– musical notes, rhythm notation, chord structure, andmusical terms and symbols. Students work on projectsand assignments the rest of the time. They composetheme music for Gilmour’s digital documentary class,create compositions based on a single word thatdescribes the composer, develop music for jokes with sound effects, and complete an original composition – their choice of genre – using everythingthey have worked on in class.

Producing a musical score might be the order ofthe day as students digitally record and edit their ownmusic tracks using the keyboards. “It’s a different kindof music course that goes beyond just note names andtime signatures,” says Matt Stouffer ’10. “We learn howto build a song from the ground up, composing ourown unique scores and expressing ourselves in waysthat I didn’t know were possible.”

The courses offer students a way to express theircreative ideas, Kilkenney says, and for technically savvystudents to get involved with music and the arts. “Ilearned to use many techniques and tools, and to usecomplex programs,” Sideras says. “It is an exciting,fun, and interactive course and is great for learning toproduce music.”

The equipment is top-notch too. The computersare equipped with a double monitor, allowing composers to use multiple programs simultaneouslyand creating countless advantages of the software.Students apply M-Audio preamplifiers with condensermicrophones to boost sound, and they use professionalstudio headphones and speakers. The major pieces ofsoftware are Musician and Aurila for theory, Sibelius fornotation, Audition for live sound, and Reason for digitalinstrument sound creation.

“Computer music has probably been the most influential course I have taken,” says Stouffer. “It hasturned music from a hobby into something that I amconsidering for a career.”

Kilkenney wants his students to take away a solidunderstanding of different techniques, strategies, andways to compose. He says, “My hope is that they willgain a stronger appreciation for music and the processit takes to create it.”

27

Gilmour students are heeding the Chinese proverb,“Be the first to the field and the last to the couch,”

as they wrestle with more than 3,000 Chinese symbolsin their endeavor to learn Mandarin Chinese. One ofthe world’s oldest languages, it is tough to learn, butthe students are persevering to prepare for what hasbeen dubbed the “Chinese Century.” Gilmour beganoffering Mandarin Chinese at the beginning of the academic year. The idea originated with Upper SchoolDirector Brian Horgan, who says, “We are sure the program will grow in the next two years.”

Mandarin Chinese is the official language on mainland China, explains HongZhang, instructor in Mandarin Chinese atGilmour’s Upper School. She has taughtlanguages for 20 years – Mandarin for 12 –in the United States, China, Japan, andCanada. “Most Chinese only speak Mandarinwith outsiders,” says Zhang, who is fromHarbin, China. Mandarin is her native language; she also speaks English and Japanese.

Unlike English, which uses an alphabet, Mandarinrelies on ideographs. “The writing characters arederived from many different signs, symbols, and drawings,” she says, adding that variations in tones can alter the meaning of a word.

About 50,000 students are learning to speakChinese in U.S. schools, compared to 110 millionChinese students who are learning English, according

to the People’s Republic of China Ministry ofEducation.

Zhang believes thatanyone who is preparedto invest the time andeffort can masterMandarin. She contendsthat students can learn 900Chinese characters in twoto three years of intensivestudy – enough to read aChinese newspaper.

Pinyin, a system to write Chinese signs and symbolsusing the English alphabet, has made it easier for thosewho speak English to learn Chinese. Zhang uses thistool when she begins teaching a class. By the end ofthe school year, the Gilmour students were able to recognize 200 to 300 Chinese characters. They wereable to understand all phonetics, the four basicMandarin tones, the sounds and structures of dailyvocabulary, and grammar.

During the two-semester class, Zhang covers the basics of language and culture, and works with students to increase their language proficiency and

cultural understanding through a variety ofactivities. She employs audio and video aids and integrates Chinese traditions such as eating moon cakes for the Moon Festivalin autumn and dumplings, which are thoughtto bring good luck, for the Chinese NewYear. The students study the Chinese Zodiac and write essays on The Great Wall and

the Forbidden City, and share them in PowerPoint presentations.

Zhang also incorporates the “5 Cs” in her class –communication, culture, the connection betweenMandarin and other disciplines, a comparison of similarities and differences between Mandarin andEnglish, and community – expanding Mandarin beyondthe classroom.

Zhang is intent on guiding her students in ways to bridge their lives at school with the real world. If Gilmour students are to compete successfully in a global market and cope with diversity in their owncountry, they will need to learn a second and even athird language, Zhang believes. With four out of fivenew jobs linked to foreign trade, today’s students will need skills that will allow them to connect withthose who do not speak English, and the U.S. StateDepartment views Mandarin as a crucial language tolearn. “In the 21st century, we must interact more thanever with other countries and cultures,” Zhang says.“Multi-language skills are a key condition for ournation’s success.”

“Be the first to thefield and the last to the couch.”

Chinese Proverb

MASTERING MANDARIN

28

When 12 students from Gilmour Academy’sClass of 2009 called on Cleveland MayorFrank Jackson at City Hall late last year to

learn what they can do to help stem Northeast Ohio’sbrain drain, the mayor made his case for Cleveland’sfuture. Following his remarks on “What Cleveland Has to Encourage Youth to Stay – Cleveland’s PotentialGrowth and Development,” he fielded questions fromthe Gilmour students. Hannah O’Donnell says that themeeting with the mayor “allowed us to find out what’sgood about Cleveland from the source.”

The students had prepared questions that focusedprimarily on the challenges Cleveland faces in its current economic situation, and steps that can begin to help the workforce and to foster economic development, according to Gilmour Social StudiesInstructor Arin Tait. They also toured the mayor’soffice and the City Council chambers.

“I think the students were surprised how much of a politician the mayor is and were not sure that theirquestions were really answered, but I found him to bepretty direct for someone in his position,” she states. “I think they were able to use some of his insights asthey developed their website.”

The Gilmour students created a multimedia website on “Why Cleveland, Why Now?” It promotesthe city’s assets to thwart the exodus of college-educated young people from the city. The studentsstudied dynamic areas like Tremont, Ohio City,University Circle, and East Fourth Street.

Harnessing Cleveland’s Future

C a m p u s

Tait says the students learned to integrate research,collaboration, and communication skills with theories ofurban geography and location theory, economics, andpolitical science. “Understanding the field of urbanstudies engenders civic engagement, which makes for better democracy,” she says. “The students are preparing themselves to be consumers of local currentevents and active participants in their communities.”

The meeting with Cleveland’s CEO is part of a$2,500 grant from the Ohio Historical Society through a program called Congressional Academy for LocalHistory and Civics. Tait applied for the grant and,along with three members of the Class of 2009, participated in a five-day seminar at Ohio University onthe state’s history and the development of democracy.“The grant money is to create a lasting historical orcivics-related resource on a local topic,” the teachersays. “We chose to focus on civic engagement inCleveland.”

According to a 2007 report by the U.S. CensusBureau, Ohio is below the national average in people25 and older with baccalaureate degrees. As noted by Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown in a recent op ed published in The Plain Dealer, “Nearly one-third ofgraduates leave the state to find work. This brain drain leaves Ohio employers struggling to fill thousandsof jobs each year.” Retaining educated youth could be the key to securing tomorrow’s entrepreneurs andcreative talent for the area.

29

It’s up and running! Gilmour Academy now boasts anew radio antenna on top of a 27-foot tower over

the student center in the science building. The 30members of Gilmour’s Amateur Radio Club, call signND8GA, can transmit and receive messages three timesas far as they could before. “This directional beamantenna has tripled our ability to hear other stationsand to transmit to other stations,” says Brother KenKane, C.S.C., Upper School instructional support andclub moderator.

Since Gilmour alum Matt Loretitsch ’96 used the initial contact with the new antenna to contact a stationin Germany earlier in the school year,Gilmour students have transmitteddirectly over the air to Greenland andstations in the United States, includingStanford University in California.Loretitsch, a technician with BirdElectronics, was active in Gilmour’sAmateur Radio Club as a student.Gilmour students who participate in the club learn the technical aspects ofradio communications, participate incontacting stations, and prepare asradio communicators in the event of an emergency.Those taking physics benefit from live demonstrations

of amateur radiocommunicationswhen they studywaves and electromagneticradiation.

Talk aboutrecycling – 10bleacher boardssalvaged from the old LancerGymnasium support the

free-standing tower assembly on the roof. The towerdoes not penetrate the roof and can be raised when the roof is being refinished, according to Brother Ken. The galvanized steel antenna has three long, carefully-spaced poles mountedparallel to each other, butattached perpendicularly to acentral 12-foot beam.

“The longest of the three elements is almost 27 feet andthe entire array has a rotatingdiameter of about 30 feet,” he

says. The tri-bandbeam antenna isdirectional androtatable, and cantransmit on threedifferent parts of the radio spectrum. A rotator controller similar to that usedwith a rooftop home antenna can turnthe new beam antenna 360 degrees. “We can point it in the direction wewant,” the Gilmour moderator states.“This both focuses our own signal and

allows us to hear better in that direction.” Several local amateur radio operators were

instrumental in getting the antenna up and operating.Bob Winston, an attorney, donated the antenna; Bob Leskovec, a retired commercial broadcast engineer, constructed the tower; Jeff Covelli, a retired radio manager with Dominion East Ohio, mounted the beamon the tower; and Gary Zimmet, a supervisor with theFederal Aviation Administration in Oberlin, which oversees air traffic control, lent the rotator controller.Other adult volunteers provided similar assistance.

Delighted with the new antenna, Brother Ken says,“Our students have never worked the world on a beambefore, so things certainly will become more excitingnow thanks to the generosity of our club benefactors.”

Beam Me Up,Scotty

“This directional beam

antenna has about tripled

our ability to hear other

stations and to transmit

to other stations.”

Brother Ken Kane, C.S.C.

Jamie Austin ’09, Brittany Gazdag ’09 and Megan Schaefer ’09

Gilmour Middle Schoolers took a cue from PresidentBarack Obama in connecting with their family

history. Obama tracked his own path from his father’slife in Kenya and his mother’s youth in Kansas in hishistoric address in 2004 at the Democratic NationalConvention. Although the students are

not writing theirmemoirs yet, they discoveredhow to use census records, neighborhoodmaps, and newspapers toresearch theirpast in a project called “MyPersonal History.”

“Students often forget that it is not just famous world

figures who shape history, but they, themselves, and their families,”

says Social Studies Instructor Rachel Handy. “At thispoint in their lives, they are looking for something tokeep them grounded and searching for a sense of whothey are and where they come from.”

The students did a lot of genealogy and census legwork at the Western Reserve Historical Society asthey learned to use primary and secondary sources.Before selecting a relative to study, they had to ascertain that the subject was available to interview, or that someone else could provide insight into that person.Handy noticed early on that theproject made students more willing to talk with relatives theymight not speak with on a regularbasis. The project engaged themin a greater dialogue with theirparents and siblings, and led tomore discussion around the dinner table, she says.

Family Folklore

C a m p u s

Gilmour’s young sleuths sought birth, marriage, religious, military, and death records; report cards;diplomas; newspaper clippings; and personal belongings such as medals and badges from wars,clothing, and pictures. The rationale was that the

artifacts would support a profile thatidentifies family values, culture, language, religion, education, marriage and children, military service,career, travel, and death and burial.

Students tapped into “the institutional memory” of different generations in the family to discover if the subject was involved in majorU.S. historical events, for example,

natural disasters, wars, migration, or important discoveries. One of the most important aspects of theassignment required them to analyze why they admiredtheir subject, cite life lessons they had learned, andaddress the person’s legacy. “The goal is to help bringhistory alive, to find out how their relative participatedin real history, and to understand how events in historyrelate to their own lives,” Handy says.

The individual projects were showcased throughdocumentaries, computer-based presentations, film and video presentations, or three-panel displays at an exhibit in the Middle School in May.

Handy recognizes that Middle School is a crucialtime for students. “They are coming to an age whenthey are experiencing changes socially and emotionally,and are constantly looking for reassurance from adults

and each other,” the teachernotes. “This project helpsthem find out who theyare, where they comefrom, and why they dowhat they do. Most important, it gives them a sense of self, which can reassure them whentimes get tough.”

“Students often forget that it is not just famous world figures who shape history, but they, themselves, and their families.”

Rachel Handy

30

Ecosystems, erosion, biospheres, and ecologyare now more than catchphrases for 31

Gilmour Academy seventh graders who swarmedover Orange Community Park getting up close and personal with flora, fauna, and fungus. Theirmission was to create a database of everything that moves or grows in the park for the MiddleSchool’s inaugural BioBlitz, a bio-survey of adefined area over a specific time span. The students spent the school day identifying birds,worms, trees, shrubs, aquatic invertebrates, andamphibians to enhance a nature trail in the park.

“Their work is part of an effort to create trail signage with brief, easy-to-read information and possible posters for the park’s kiosks,” saysJennifer Ault, a science instructor in Gilmour’sMiddle School.

Experts from Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Botanical Gardens helped students identify and collect specimens, and community volunteers assisted with feeding birdsand insects. Once the Gilmour students collecteddata and gathered samples, they prepared a reportsuggesting how to present the information to thepublic. The Gilmour students planned to makethis an annual Earth Day project.

BioBlitz Marks Earth Day

31

CARING FORYOUNG KENYANS

Meredith Panzica will be puttingher money where her mouth is,

both literally and figuratively, when itcomes to teaching children in Kenyathe fundamentals of reading, writingand arithmetic. More important, shewill be showing those children thatpeople on the other side of the worldcare about them.

Panzica, a Lower School religioninstructor at Gilmour Academy, willspend 12 weeks in Western Kenya, living and teaching in the rural villageof Kabula at her own expense as partof a program called Volunteer Kenya. The grassrootsorganization pairs volunteers from the United States andCanada with local teachers in Kenya. It also includesother projects that focus on health care and enterprisedevelopment for women. “Any time you are exposed todiversity,” Panzica says, “it helps you grow as a person.”

A 1999 Gilmour graduate, Panzica will live in a mudhut and sleep on a bunk bed. She will spend her daysand nights without running water and electricity. From

October through January,she will teach at EpicoJahns Academy, a localschool near the border of Uganda that enrollsabout 320 students.Kenyans are eager tolearn about Western culture, she says. “Whensomeone tried to teachthem to make pizza, they were enthralled.”

Kenyan students atthe school learn English

from the time they are in Kindergarten, which means that,other than having to pick up a few phrases in Swahili,language barriers shouldn’t be a problem. The culture,however, might differ from that in the United States. “I cannot wear anything sleeveless or above my knees,and if I travel to a Muslim area, I must cover my head,”Panzica says. Kenya is primarily Catholic, though Panzica will be teaching in a Christian community. An Episcopalian minister runs the school.

Volunteers stay in a family compound that includes the schooland eat meals with Kenyan teachers.“The students eat lunch with us,”Panzica says. “For some it is their only guaranteed meal of the day.”Westerners are often challenged by the country’s casual pace.

Why is Panzica doing this? “I feelthat I have been very blessed and that I should use these blessings to help

others,” says Panzica, who has workedas a teacher at Gilmour since 2005. Sheis no stranger to working with “children

who go without” as she calls them. After receiving herundergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame,Panzica signed on for Notre Dame’s Alliance for CatholicEducation program. The university’s graduates teach fortwo years at Catholic schools with minimal resourceswhile they earn a master’s degree. Her first teachingposition was in Brownsville, Texas. Despite language differences – the native English and the increasingly more and more native Spanish – people there were welcoming, she says. “It is a very close culture and they accepted me as one of their own.”

As a graduate of Gilmour and Notre Dame, Panzica is grounded in the Holy Cross tradition to create “a morehumane and just society.” While she is in Kenya, shehopes to visit the Holy Cross mission in Nairobi, which iseight hours away by bus. She says she might try to goon safari and do a little white water rafting on the Niletoward the end of her stay. But education remains thepurpose of her journey. “From what others tell me, volunteering in Kenya getsunder yourskin andbecomes a part of whoyou are,” she says.“You become connected to it and youalways want to go back.”

C a m p u s

32

Meredith Panzica ’99 strives for spiritualitywith her students at Gilmour

History Day Finalists

Adocumentary on evolutionist Charles Darwin

and an exhibit on aviator Bessie Coleman

earned two Gilmour Academy sixth graders a spot

at the National History Day finals in College Park,

Maryland, June 14-18.

Ryan Seibert’s documentary “Charles Darwin:

Reluctant Revolutionary” was one of two finalists

selected out of 22

from the junior

category.

Janae Johnson

advanced to

finals for her

exhibit on

“Bessie Coleman:

Amounting to

Something.” Her

project was one

of 70 individual

exhibits in the

junior category.

The students

competed in the

National History

Day state competition in Columbus in April.

Gilmour student Jack Gallagher was named an

alternate in the individual documentary area for

work on anti-crime activist John Walsh. Ryan Dyke

and Tom Negrelli received honorable mention for

their group exhibit “Jackie Robinson: Grand Slam

for Civil Rights.”

The 2009

participants

focused on

the theme

“The Individual

in History: Actions and Legacies” in their

documentaries, exhibits, and performances that

showcased a historical topic and its significance

to society and history.

“The theme this year explored individuals who

are passionate about a cause and who nudge history

forward through their actions,” says Carmel Fantelli,

Lower School humanities instructor. “Their fervor

and life’s work become a catalyst for events to

unfold in history and ignite change.”

Eleven other Gilmour students earned the

right to compete at the National History Day

state competition in Columbus: Sami Ascha and

Max Hanson, Les Paul;

James Herten and Joseph

Young, John Glenn;

Melissa Bilitz and

Lauren Massaad, Ruby

Bridges; Andrew Gallagher,

Eugene Odenbrett, and

William Velotta, Thomas

Edison; and Nia Everett

and Megan Porter,

Florence Allen.

Janae Johnson ’15

Ryan Seibert ’15

33

C a m p u s

34

Developing a flair for global fundraising might be aplus as Natalie Hunt ’04 revs up for a career in

international administration. Although Hunt will soonbe off to graduate school at the University of Miami inFlorida, she has been focused on planning a benefit toaid the Honduran Children’s Rescue Fund. Hunt andher mother Maria are co-chairpersons of the Benefit for Sociedad Amigos De Los Ninosscheduled for Friday, August 28, atthe home of Umberto and MaryellenFedeli. Their daughter Diana is a 2005 Gilmour graduate and a “regular” with Gilmour’s Honduranmissions.

Hunt found that she and Diana Fedeli, who just earned herbachelor’s degree from LoyolaUniversity in Chicago, share a passion for the plight of Honduranchildren when they volunteeredwhile still Gilmour students for the

school’s humanitarian mission toHonduras. Both havereturned to thatcountry severaltimes as studentsand as part of the Academy’sAlumni Honduras Mission. Since 2001, when Gilmour first sent volunteers to Honduras, the school’sparticipation has grown from seven people to 230.

“I think Mr. and Mrs. Fedeli have also become passionate about the Honduran project seeing Diana’senthusiasm,” Hunt says. “Through their generosity insupporting the ministries of Sociedad Amigos, the program has been able to grow significantly.”

This will be the third year that insurance executiveUmberto Fedeli has hosted the benefit at his Gates Millshome, which features a trattoria that seats 100 people.The event will feature top-notch cuisine and fine wines.All proceeds from the dinner will benefit the Honduranpoverty relief program for Sociedad Amigos. Last year,

the Fedeli benefit raised almost$100,000 for the Reyes IreneValenzuela Training Center forteenage girls to prepare them forwork and college. Funds from hisprevious benefits have aided the Santa Rose de Lima Medical Center,which serves 60,000 people in thecommunity.

Those interested in learning moreabout the event can contact NatalieHunt at novanatalie@gmail.com.

Breaking Bread for Honduras

Natalie Hunt ’04 with her angels

Tiho!

Vanessa Vacante ’05 and Diana Fedeli ’05with new friends

35

Instead of immediately returning to school followingThanksgiving and Christmas break, Gilmour students

remain out an extra day so faculty can attend Gilmourprofessional development days – now called MissionIntegration Days to reflect on a new paradigm. What is that all about?

Ask Yvonne Saunders, director of the MiddleSchool and assistant director of the Upper School, whois part of a vanguard movement to reshape Catholicschools. Saunders is helping Gilmour faculty rethinktheir teaching practices to improve student learning.

Highly invested in learning to become a top-flightCatholic school administrator, Saunders earned a master’s degree from the University of Notre Damethrough its ACE (Alliance for Catholic Education)Leadership Program. Instead of a thesis, the ACE program requires an Action Research project, designedto advance teaching and learning practices. For hers,Saunders collected and analyzed data to write a casestudy of “Issues that Impact a Cohesive K-12Curriculum at Gilmour Academy.” Her work wasselected for inclusion in “Research, Action, and Change:Leaders Reshaping Catholic Schools,” published lastyear by Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic EducationPress. In her research, she found that the commonthreads of effective schools are coherency, clarity ofpurpose, and consistency of effort.

“Yvonne spent some time reviewing Gilmour’s curriculum in preparation for the publication, and shehelped identify ways in which we could strengthen the fluidity and cohesiveness of the curriculum,” saysGilmour Headmaster Brother Robert Lavelle, C.S.C.“Through her involvement in the ACE program at NotreDame, she brought a fresh insight to our efforts andhelped us look at ways we might make our programstronger.”

Saunders has beendedicated to Catholic education for 25 years,eight as a Gilmour administrator. She notesthat the Academy is intenton fostering a cohesive K-12 program and thisrequires a collaborativeprocess between teacherswithin the same grade level and K-12 academicdepartment. It promotes aninterdisciplinary flow of ideas from subject to subject rather than fragmented learning, and assures studentsmatriculate successfully through the curriculum.

One of the ways this happens is through professional development, that integrates theGilmour/Holy Cross mission more intensely. “AtGilmour, professional development is not seen as anavenue for an individual teacher’s improvement, but as a way for teachers to work together to improvelearning for all students and advance the mission of the school,” Saunders says.

To enhance collaboration between the Academy’sthree divisions, Gilmour administrators decided to focuson curriculum coherency, and the teachers prepare andfollow curriculum maps that align the K-12 curriculum.A coherent curriculum requires that a collaborativeprocess occurs between teachers within the same grade level and K-12 academic department, Saundersexplains. This implies Gilmour’s commitment to a common framework across and within all grade levelsthat guides curriculum, instruction, and assessmentstrategies to create a seamless K-12 educational experience for students.

Connecting the Dots in a K-12 Curriculum

36

1952 Congratulations to GERALD TALBOT, who celebrated his 75th birthday February 26.

1958Campus Minister Father JOHNBLAZEK, C.S.C., had an articlepublished last fall in “Core Values: ASpiritual Guide for Core Members,”a handbook published by Life Teen International. His article, “His not mine: The importance of Discernment,” deals with the need for youth ministers to remainfocused on doing God’s work andnot becoming immersed in theirown agenda for the youth today . . . Deacon ROGER MULLANEYis the spiritual leader for the JubileePilgrimage to Rome for the close of the year of St. Paul. He celebratedthe 37th anniversary of ordination tothe Diaconate June 29.

1959RON DEL BENE is the interim rector at Grace-St. Luke’s EpiscopalChurch in Memphis, TN. WifeEleanor is working in Birmingham,AL; daughter Anne is in Atlanta, GA;and son Paul, his wife Gayle, andtheir children are moving fromVerscio, Switzerland, where theyhave been living, to Davis, CA (a bitcloser, but a little less exotic).

Being a Pittsburgh Steelers fan,James Poth ’56 might have

bumped up against a few diehardCleveland Browns fans when he wasa Gilmour student, but it did not keephim from being elected senior classpresident. Currently a hematologist atDominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, California, Poth was formerlychief of staff there and directed the outpatient oncology unit. The physician claims that his interest in science was roused hissophomore year at Gilmour while studying physics. Back then,the National Honor Society student, known as “Puffer,” was aspeech medalist too.

Poth earned his bachelor’s degree from GeorgetownUniversity and his M.D. from the University of Pittsburgh. Afterhis residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in hematologyat Stanford University, he spent two years in the U.S. Air Force.“In those days doctors were drafted,” Poth points out. The alumwas a clinical professor of medicine at Stanford until 2003.

In almost five decades in medicine, Poth has seen the fieldchange dramatically. “The greatest challenge now is caring forpatients under a profit-driven insurance system, and many times it is difficult to get the drugs and care patients need because ofthis problem,” he says. On the bright side, he adds, “Computertechnology has made the latest advances in medicine and theinformation needed to treat patients as accessible as a few clickson the keyboard.” Poth enjoys hiking, running, and water activities. He and his wife Mary Ellen returned to Gilmour in2006 for his 50th Reunion. He expresses Gilmour’s greatest gift as learning. “Whatever task you undertake, stick with it until it is done right.”

1950s Lancer Spotlight

A l u m n i N e w s

Remember playing with an Etch-a-Sketch whenyou were a kid and directing a stylus to create a

line drawing? Fast-forward to 21st-century technologyand the Theory Garden of Richard Boland ’63,Professor of Information Systems at Case WesternReserve University’s Weatherhead School ofManagement. Boland and an associate have developed the software tool to quickly draw diagrams of theories and demonstrate the effect of causal relationships.

“The software is about taking representations ordrawings of a system’s elements and relationshipsthat are too complex for the human mind to follow,” Boland says. According to the website www.theorygarden.com, the software can constructtheories of complex systems and simulate behavior.It can demonstrate how a change in one element of a system creates a pattern of changes in other elements. The software constructs models withoutthe need for writing equations.

Boland, who is committed to strengthening theskills of complex reasoning, served as chairman ofInformation Systems at CWRU from 1994–2001 and is a fellow at the University of Cambridge JudgeBusiness School. He has lectured around the worldand has been a visiting professor at the University of California, Los Angeles; Cambridge; GothenburgUniversity; and Oxford University. Before joining the CWRU faculty in 1989, Boland was professor ofaccountancy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for 13 years. He also is founder and editor of Information and Organization and is onthe editorial boards of several prestigious journals inhis field. He holds a bachelor’s degree and an

M.B.A. from Northwestern University and a Ph.D. from CWRU. Boland teaches in the university’s executive doctorate in management program, guiding students through a one-year qualitativeresearch project. He also teaches a research seminar for undergraduates on systems thinking.

An avid sailor, the Gilmour graduate says, “Iam like most sailors; it is something I always wish I were doing.” He and his wife, Nora, have a lakecabin in Idaho “with the elk, moose, eagles, andthe occasional bear at the front door.” They founded the Hannah Boland Pediatric Renal Fund at the Cleveland Clinic to aid chronic renalpediatric patients after their daughter Hannah diedin 1992. The fund makes it possible for childrenwith chronic illnesses to engage in normal childhood experiences. Their daughter Kate is a veterinarian and is working on her Ph.D.

In 2003, Boland received Gilmour’s Alumni of the Year Award for his service to the school’sacademic affairs and Alumni Reunion committees.He believes that his Gilmour education has had alifelong effect on him – from the social and political thinkers like John Locke to whom he wasexposed by Brother Richard Sitar, C.S.C., to theimportance of revising one’s writing emphasized by Brother Ivo Regan, C.S.C. “While I don’tremember every word the Brothers said,” Bolandadmits, “they had a way of getting to the core with ideas that become a part of the mental apparatus you could use.”

Richard Boland ’63

1960s Lancer Spotlight

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Members of the Class of ’63 catch up in Florida

1962CARL FONTANA was eager for“2009 GAG” (Gilmour AlumniGetaway) scheduled for late April atHilton Head. TOM PICKENS wasthis year’s host. The group golfedand joked around for a couple ofdays, solving many of the world’sproblems . . . MARK WINTER,executive vice president of publicpolicy for Stewart Title Guaranty

Company’s office inWashington, D.C., isthe president-elect of the 3,000-memberAmerican Land TitleAssociation andbrings 25 years ofindustry and policyexperience to theposition. Mark

resides in ChevyChase, MD.

1963The Gilmour Academy Class of 1963held an unofficial Reunion theweekend of February 20-22 at theresidences of TOM GAFFNEY(Tierra Verde, FL), ART SCHWARTZ(Casey Key, FL), and PATMcARDLE (Sarasota, FL). TheReunion was open to all members of the class and included: TOMHAVILAND, FRANK PHILLIPS,TIM WOZNIAK, PAUL STANTON,LOU FRIEDRICH, LENNY SLEDZ,STEVE FELLER, DAN O’BRIEN,BILL ZIEGMAN, JERRYKURZWEG, PAUL HELTZEL, and STEVE TEPLANSKY (who journeyed the farthest to attend,travelling from San Diego, CA).A fine time was had by all . . . ART SCHWARTZ was elected executive director of the James R.Webb American Real Estate SocietyFoundation. This educational foundation supports the researchefforts of doctoral students and of professors in less developedcountries, as well as other academically related activities.

1966LARRY KENNEDY isactive with the First Teeof Cleveland both as anadvisory board memberand volunteer. He alsoworks at Grantwood GolfCourse as a player’sassistant. His wifeMaryanne celebrated her 30th year with RocheLabs and is the nationaldirector of Primary CareClinical Liaisons.

1970Congratulations toROBERT HELLMUTH recentlynamed 2009 Housing CreditCertified Professional of the Year bythe National Association of HomeBuilders. The award is given annually to a professional who hasexcelled in the management ofLow-Income Housing Tax Creditproperties and has earned the association’s educational designation. Bob works withSawmill Road ManagementCompany in Dublin, OH.

1972Congratulations to MARTHAHOLZHEIMER CONNOR, president and CEO of DirectLineTechnologies, recognized as thelargest woman-owned business inCalifornia’s San Joaquin andStanislaus Counties. The November2008 recognition is based on thetotal number of local employees.DirectLine’s core business is fundraising for higher education,medical centers, and nonprofitorganizations nationwide . . .BRIAN URBAN is the 2009 president of the Center forPrincipled Family Advocacy.

Mark Winter ’62

Four alums from the Class of ’60 after brunch at CafeCluny in the West Village in New York

A l u m n i N e w s

1970s Lancer Spotlight

Mary Ann Lasch ’72 was in the first graduatingclass at Glen Oak, entering as a sophomore

because the school did not exist her freshman year.“There was a real sense of pioneering,” Lasch recalls.“Glen Oak had no classrooms; it had moveable furniture. We were able to create our environmentfrom the ground up.”

Noting that the school had evaluations instead ofgrades, she says, “A lot of it was experimental andwe were trying to figure it out. Maybe everythingwas not successful, but it was worth doing. It gaveus a sense of being able to take risks and succeed.”

And Lasch has been succeeding ever since.Director of planning and urban design for Gensler, aglobal architecture, design, planning, and consultingfirm, she is an accomplished landscape architect.Projects range from her involvement in a financialdistrict in Malaysia and the National Air & SpaceMuseum expansion to development of master plansfor projects in Azerbaijan and for the ClevelandInstitute of Art.

After graduating from Glen Oak, Lasch earned abachelor of science degree from the University ofWisconsin, where she received an outstanding alumna award, and then a master’s degree fromHarvard University. Both degrees are in landscapearchitecture. She also is a fellow of the AmericanSociety of Landscape Architects.

As a high school student, Lasch traveled by busto Gilmour for calculus, physics, and logic, whichwere interspersed with her Glen Oak classes. “Wewere encouraged to think independently and toexamine issues from many points of view,” Laschsays. She also credits her alma mater with fosteringanalytical skills, and believes that she has benefitedfrom Glen Oak’s commitment to freedom and

flexibility. “We were encouraged to take control ofour learning goals and to implement them,” she says.

Before Gensler, where Lasch has worked nineyears, she held management positions with HLWInternational, LLP in New York City, working on GM projects; Scenic America; and an Exxon USAdevelopment company subsidiary. In addition, Lasch was deputy project director on an urbandesign project for the State of Qatar.

Now that Lasch is back in Cleveland, she enjoysspending more time with family and friends. Hersister, Susan Lasch Daher ’87, is an obstetrician/gynecologist at University Hospitals Case MedicalCenter and director of resident programs. Her othersister, Carol Lasch Schlinke ’79, teaches at the RhodeIsland School of Design. Lasch likes scuba diving,gardening, reading, and walking Westie, (her WestHighland white terrier), and spent Christmas inBeijing, China, with her niece, a student there. Twoyears ago, she returned to Gilmour for her 35th classReunion and remains in touch with several highschool classmates.

Learning to function in both the Glen Oak andGilmour environments has been beneficial, she says.“I learned to look at things from multiple points ofview. I really try to be collaborative and to bringothers’ thoughts and ideas into any effort.”

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Mary Ann Lasch ’72

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1973MARK JANASEK was named co-chairman of the Marshals’Committee for the 70th Senior PGAChampionship. This premier golfevent was held May 18-24 atCanterbury Golf Club in Cleveland . . . MARK MORAN was recentlyappointed chief executive officerand president of The MetroHealthSystem in Cleveland. He had beenserving as the interim president andCEO since March 2007.

1975JODY KLASSMAN RESS just celebrated her 30th anniversary, still works as a dental hygienist with children – and absolutely lovesit. Daughter Rebecca (IndianaUniversity ’02) and son Daniel(Kenyon ’08) are on their own . . .A new resident of Apex, NC andthe warmer South, MARY DRUCKENBROD VISINTINEmisses theGilmour parties andevents.She enjoysgrandsonE.J. (bornMay 23,2008, todaughterElizabethand EricPatterson).

1976SCOTT MAZANEC and family areenjoying the Spokane, WA, area.Son Jack is competing in AAU basketball while daughter Amy is a budding softball pitcher.

1977After closing the “III Card Shop” atGovernment Center in downtownMiami, FL, TOM BOTTI was granteda transfer by the state of Florida toFt. Pierce. He now drives five minutes to work. Tom still travelsto South America with his wifeCecilia. Their son is 13 years old . . . JANET SARVER loves animalsand volunteers at the GeaugaAnimal Shelter walking dogs.Her own pets include a Himalayankitten she got from a Facebookfriend, a three-year-old GoldenRetriever, and a kitten acquired lastyear from Rescue Village. One ofJanet’s hobbies is photography –something she started at Glen Oak.

1978DR. THOMAS DUNDON, a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, is deployed to Balad, Iraq, as commander of the 360th MedicalCompany. Tom took a one-yearleave of absence from Case Western Reserve University and the Louis Stokes Cleveland VAMedical Center, where he is chief of Dental Services.

1979When he’s not busy with his job atMcDonald’s Corp., TODD ATKINSoperates a notary business for mortgage banking and does someteaching for Ashland University inthe prison system. His kids arenearly grown – Ryan is a junior atAshland University, Shannon is ahigh school senior, and Nathan is ajunior . . . JEFF WILE’S daughterBrittany is running track and crosscountry at Hudson High School and will be going away to collegein the fall. His son Brandon playssoccer and also has recently joinedthe track team at Hudson . . .Congratulations to TERRI HAMILTON BROWN, who wasrecently named project director for the Opportunity Corridor, theproposed 2 3/4-mile parkway linking University Circle to the interstate highway system. She willserve as a liaison with the OhioDepartment of Transportation andseek financing for the $300 million project, which could include private and public funding.

1981CHRIS CASTRIGANO hosted a get-together at his home last Septemberand reminisced about the goodtimes at Gilmour with classmatesRICHARD BISHOP, GREG CASTRIGANO, GRIFF HILL, MARKKAMPMAN, JOHN KELLY, ANDRELAH, JOE MISHAGA, JOHNTHOMAS, and JOHN TITGEMEIER.

Mary Visintine and E. J. Patterson

Members of the Class of ’81Back row (left to right) Chris Castrigano, Joe Mishaga,

Griff Hill, and Greg CastriganoFront Row: Mark Kampman, Andre Lah, John Kelly, John Titgemeier, John Thomas, and Richard Bishop

Members of the Class of ’74Steve Morgan, Matt Moriarty, Hub Crowther, John

Venables, Greg Cooper, and Nick Roman.

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A l u m n i N e w s

1980sLancer Spotlight

Ifyou want to know something about international relations –trade, war crime tribunals, and/or world politics – just askKathy Powers ’89. Assistant professor of political science at theUniversity of New Mexico, Powers teaches both graduate andundergraduate students. In her research, she examines the roleof institutional design in international relations.

Powers traces her interest in international relations to her historyand government classes at Gilmour, and her interaction with studentsfrom around the world. “It was conversations with teachers thatshowed me there was a world of possibility outside Gilmour’s walls,”she says, adding that she misses Gilmour’s beautiful campus and isimpressed with the additions made since she graduated.

The National Honor Society student notes that her participation inthe Foreign Language Club, the Art Club, The Lance, and basketball atthe Academy challenged her to learn how to manage multiple interests.“My sisters and I were involved in many activities at Gilmour, and Ithink the education there produces well-rounded students,” she says.Her sister Adrienne ’86 now works in design management for KraftFoods in Chicago, Illinois, and Tara ’90 is a regional vice president forChubb Insurance Company in Detroit, Michigan.

After graduating from Gilmour, Powers majored in political scienceand international studies at Northwestern University, earning herbachelor’s degree. She holds master’s degrees from the StateUniversity of New York at Stony Brook and The Ohio State University,where she also obtained a Ph.D. She has taught at Pennsylvania StateUniversity and the University of Arizona, where she received severalteaching awards and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. DistinguishedLeadership Award. Powers has served on review panels for theNational Science Foundation, The American Journal of PoliticalScience, and The Journal of Politics, among others.

Living in Albuquerque has been enjoyable for Powers, who namesmovies, reading, running, and playing basketball as her pastimes.Over the years, she has learned that balance is important and difficultto achieve. “I enjoy my career, and working hard is very important,”she says, “but other aspects of life are equally important.” In early JulyKathy married Sheldon Jordon.

Kathy Powers ’89

1984CARRIE HANSEN KINNISON andher husband Pat continue on theirCentral/South American land andsea adventure aboard their 40-footcutter-rigged sailboat. Recent stopsincluded Peru and Bolivia.

1985RICH JULIANO and his wife, Erika,welcomed daughter, Mae, into theirfamily on October 27, 2008. Shejoins big sisters Jace and Sadie athome in Vienna, VA.

1987MICHAEL CAITO, the architectfor Gilmour’s Holy Cross House(renovation of former Baxter MiddleSchool), thanks MARK FRANTZ ’65,JERRY MURPHY ’64, KEVINCALLAHAN ’75, and Br. RobertLavelle, C.S.C., for their supportand confidence during the project. . . On January 19, 2009, BRENTSHEAHAN accepted the position ofgeneral manager at Bent Tree GolfClub, located in Sunbury, OH.

continued on page 44

Jace, Sadie, and Mae Juliano

GGiillmmoouurr HHoonnoorrss TTwwoo AAlluummnnii EEddwwaarrdd WW.. RRyybbkkaa ’’7733 aannddMMiicchheellllee BBrreennnnaann SStteeffaann ’’8844

Gilmour Academy’s Alumni Associationhonored a City of Cleveland official anda community activist as its 2008 Alumni

of the Year. Edward W. Rybka, director of theCity of Cleveland Department of Building andHousing, and Michelle Brennan Stefan, a Gilmourvolunteer and former board member of theLower School Parents Organization, were honored at the Headmaster’s Christmas Party.The award honors Gilmour graduates who have distinguished themselves in their personallives and careers, and who have demonstrated leadership and service to the Academy.

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Rybka served nearly five terms on the ClevelandCity Council and represented the Broadway-SlavicVillage community. In 2006, Mayor Frank Jacksonappointed Rybka building and housing director with the responsibility of overseeing 165 employees and an operating budget of almost $11 million. Rybka was assistant director of the Cleveland Department ofCity Planning and served on the Cleveland CommunityRelations Board and the Governing Board of theNortheast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency.

The 1973 Gilmour graduate received his undergraduate degree from John Carroll University and his juris doctorate from Cleveland State University’sMarshall College of Law. He is active in Gilmour’sAlumni Parents Organization and is co-chair of thealumni parents subcommittee for Promise andRenewal: The Capital and Endowment Campaign forGilmour Academy. A past trustee of St. Alexis Hospitaland president of two nonprofits focusing on housingand the environment, Rybka has received numerouscivic awards. He and his wife Jan, district administratorof the Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District,are the parents of two Gilmour alums. Their son Keith graduated from Gilmour in 2005 and is a student atNiagara University; daughter Hallie is at Loyola Collegeof Maryland in Baltimore and graduated from theAcademy in 2008.

Michelle Stefan was recording secretary of theLower School Parents Organization during the 2007-2008 school year. She was co-chair of the LowerSchool magazine drive and volunteered on the silentauction committee for its Lunch with Santa event.Stefan has served as a class representative for AlumniReunion Weekend, a sponsor of Gilmour’s Golf Classic,a member of Gilmour’s Blue & Gray Society, and a firstgrade homeroom coordinator.

A 1984 Gilmour graduate, Stefan earned a bachelorof arts degree in psychology from Florida InternationalUniversity and plans to pursue a master’s degree incounseling. The alum was vice president of operationsfor Brennan Industries, which supplies hydraulic tubefixtures and adapters to industry. She is a member ofthe Chagrin Valley Women’s League and schedulesSanta visits in her community. Stefan raised $5,000 for Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the NationalPhilanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund when she andher mother Marilyn Brennan walked 60 miles in the 3-Day walk.

Stefan and her husband Michael, president ofMarketing Foundations, Inc., have two sons who areGilmour Lower School students, Matthew and Dylan.

PLANNED GIVINGFor those of you who are considering makinga planned gift to Gilmour Academy, keep inmind the following benefits.

• Our accountants have indicated that 86.5 cents of every dollar donated toGilmour Academy goes to the educationof our students.

• Gilmour Academy always complies with requests for anonymity.

• You can boost your retirement incomewith a planned gift to Gilmour Academy.

• It is never too early to establish a will and include Gilmour Academy as abeneficiary.

• With a planned gift you get to enjoywatching the benefits of your generosityto Gilmour Academy.

Please contact Jim Farrar ’59, Director ofDevelopment, for more information abouthow you can help Gilmour Academy at (440) 473-8013 or farrarj@gilmour.org.

A l u m n i N e w s

1990s

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Bent Tree is owned by Eagle GolfCorporation, which owns about 90facilities across the United States.Three days earlier, Brent and wifeMegan welcomed their son TylerTheodore into the world. Brenthas worked in the golf business forthe last 21 years at eight differentfacilities across the Midwest.

1988The Classic Automotive Groupannounced the appointment of JIMBROWN, JR. as president of ClassicBMW and Classic MINI inWilloughby Hills, OH. Previously,he was general manager of ClassicBMW and the dealership receivedthe 2009 Center of ExcellenceAward, BMW’s highest honor.The distinction has gone to only31 franchises in the U.S., with justtwo in Ohio. Jim and wife KATEGERACI BROWN ’88 live inWilloughby; daughter Katherine andson Gus attend Gilmour’sMontessori program.

1990ALLISON HAAG CUKON, husbandDennis, and son Christian areexcited about the new addition tothe family, Patricia Ann, born July17, 2008 . . . Congratulations toPETER MILLER and wife Rose onthe recent birth of their twins,Alessandra and Francesco.

1991Congratulations to CHRISMAYNARD, who is now theassistant director of Foundationand Corporate Relations at LoyolaCollege in Baltimore . . . Living inSan Pedro Garza Garcia, Mexico,ANTONIO ZARATE is the Region Iprocurement operations managerfor Cemex. He and his wife,Vanessa, are the parents of three –Antonio, Vanessa, and Federico.

OnThanksgiving, MarkSchneider ’93 was playing

in a turkey bowl football game withformer Gilmour classmates, but hewas all business on New Year’s Day.That’s when he was sworn in to theOhio House of Representatives,where he now represents easternLake County in the 63rd HouseDistrict.

Access to health care, education,jobs, and economic development areSchneider’s key interests. TheDemocrat is vice chair of the HouseJudiciary Committee and serves onWays and Means, Commerce andLabor, Criminal Justice, and Insurancecommittees.

Schneider played varsity football, baseball, and basketball atGilmour and says, “I learned the value of competition and teamworkthrough participation in sports.” An avid football and baseball fan, heattends Indians, Browns, and Cavaliers games and plays flag footballand softball. He also is active with the Rotary Club of Mentor, theChamber of Commerce, and other civic groups.

After graduating from Gilmour, the legislator earned a bachelor’sdegree in finance and accounting from the University of Michigan andreceived his law degree from The Ohio State University, where he waspresident of the College of Law’s student body.

As a former county prosecutor for eight years, Schneider triedmurder, sexual assault, and child support cases. His brother Bill ’95points out that Mark was the youngest person ever promoted toCuyahoga County’s Major Crimes Unit.

Currently a partner with The DiCello Firm, Schneider says he madelifelong friends at Gilmour and keeps in touch with classmates JohnPapesh, Chuck Mendolera, Rob Liotta, Dave Barr, Connor Dowd, andDominic and Rocco ’92 DiPierro. He says, “I draw on the lessonsI learned about teamwork at Gilmour in working with others toaccomplish common goals in politics and law.”

Mark Schneider ’93

Lancer Spotlight

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1992KARA FISTEK BLACK is workingin England on a two-year contractwith Barnes Distribution . . . EMILYMURPHY and husband TorosMaksoudian are enjoying theirdaughters – Isobel and her baby sister Olivia.

1993Effective August 2009, MIKENEMUNAITIS will join ClevelandClinic at Hillcrest Hospital as anoncologist. He’s looking forward tobeing involved with the Gilmourcommunity . . . Congratulations toMIKE PORATH and wife SARAHGIFFORD on the birth of IsaacDavid born February 24. Big sisterAnnabel will be three years old inAugust . . . Update from MIKE

SPENA is that he was recently promoted to an engineeringresource manager position atWestinghouse Electric Company in Pittsburgh, where he has beenemployed for almost four years.He and wife Elizabeth have threechildren – Michael (6), Gabriella (4),and William (1).

1994KRISTIN FRANCO, her husband,and their three dogs live in GatesMills. Kristin loves her job at theCleveland Clinic where she worksfor Dr. Michael Roizen helping people to be healthier . . .Congratulations to KARA CONWAYMOORE and husband Patrick onthe recent birth of their son Ryan.

1995TOM FISTEK and wife KRISTENCONWAY ’97 welcomed their firstchild in May, Graham Thomas.

1996MAURICE KENNARD has beenbusy since completing his under-grad program, earning a degree inelementary education from MiamiUniversity in 2001. Relocating toWashington, D.C., he pursued amaster’s degree in educational leadership while teaching for fouryears in the D.C. public school sys-tem. He was assistant principal forthree years, then was hired as aprincipal in July 2007. Married foralmost six years, he and his wife,Jessica, are the parents of two . . .Congratulations to MATTHEWLORETITSCH and JeannetteMessich who were marriedDecember 27, 2008 . . .

Mom Sarah Gifford Porath ’93 introduces Annabel to

baby brother Isaac

Kristin Franco ’94 with her husband Andy vacationing in the Dominican Republic

A l u m n i N e w s

TOM McCRONE and his wife, Kelly, are enjoying daughter MollyFrances. She joins brothers Jimmyand Tommy . . . RUTH MILLERROBERTS and husband Jasonannounced the birth of their daughter Katherine Elizabeth on March 3.

1997PAMELA STARR and PatrickFleming will celebrate their anniversary on August 4 . . . A civilengineer for Turner Construction formore than seven years, MICHAELWESTBROOKS lives in Atlanta, GA,and loves it.

Isobel and Olivia Maksoudian

Jason, Ruth ’96, and baby Katherine Roberts

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A l u m n i N e w s

When he wasn’t much taller than a countertop,Josh Greene ’00 knew golden arches were in

his future. At four years old, he had begun hangingout at the two McDonald’s restaurants his father Jedowns. “I would go in and clean the lobby for him.It was the coolest thing in the world,” Greene says.“Each day I worked, either he paid me a dollar or Igot to go to Big Lots to pick out a toy.”

Growing up, Greene loved to spend time withhis Dad learning to work the counter and the grillarea. Now he owns two McDonald’s restaurants himself. “Ever since I can remember, I wanted toown a McDonald’s,” he says, noting that the company seldom sells more than one franchise to a person at one time.

After Gilmour, Greene majored in operationsmanagement and business management at Kent StateUniversity, graduating in 2004. He learned a lotabout accounting, employee management, andinventories – all useful in his career. At one point,Greene owned a landscaping and maintenance company and booked rental property.

He says that Gilmour taught him how to write –a considerable benefit when writing policies, com-municating with government boards, and preparingdocuments for hearings. “I think I received a bettereducation at Gilmour than I did in college,” he says.

Greene attended his sister Amy’s ’08 graduationfrom Gilmour and was part of the traditionalalumni-sibling photo session. Amy Greene is now a sophomore at the University of Indiana.

Greene puts in between 75 and 80 hours eachweek. He is active at co-op meetings with other

McDonald’s operators in Northeast Ohio and is service chair of the company’s leadership board service committee for the Ohio region. McDonald’shas more than 360 restaurants in Northeast Ohio.

His years at Gilmour taught Greene the importance of consistency. He employs 180 peopleand strives to treat everyone fairly. Even though heis a restaurant owner, the alum has no problemworking the grill or cleaning the restrooms. “Mychallenge is to constantly try to improve service,” he says.

Even in a struggling economy, his business isimproving as customers opt for more economicmeals. He believes that McDonald’s has lasted morethan 50 years because it has been willing to change.“People wanted salads and specialty coffee, and we provided it. We keep adjusting to what our customers want.”

The Gilmour graduate lives in a century home in Ohio City with fellow alum Doug Tayek ’00, whodoes community outreach for nurses at the ClevelandClinic. When he does have some downtime, Greenelikes to travel. He visited friends in Denver overThanksgiving, spent time in Sarasota, Florida, inJanuary, and flies to Las Vegas frequently.

Asserting that Wrestling and playing Varsity Football at Gilmour taught him mind over matter,Greene says, “Football taught me to be a team player; cutting my weight and running extra milesfor wrestling taught me discipline.”

2000s Lancer Spotlight

Josh Greene ’00

1999ANN ROCHE KING celebrated herwedding last fall with fellowLancers at Our Lady Chapel.

2000JEFF EMBLETON’S thesis for completing his M.F.A. in Writing andConsciousness was a collection ofwork reflecting on the state of education systems, the naturalworld, and our collective future.Jeff is currently in his second yearof teaching middle school inOakland, CA . . . PAT HOWELL andRachel Levy were married April 12,2008 in Austin, TX. Pat is a Webanalyst with Dell, Inc.

2001In February, BRIN ANDERSON waspart of the Case Western ReserveUniversity four-member team of lawstudents that won the Niagara Cup,beating 20 other U.S. and Canadianteams at moot international court inToronto . . . PAUL DiVINCENZO isa realtor with Howard Hanna in theGates Mills office . . . Returning tothe U.S. last October following atour of duty in Iraq, Marine BRENTVLCEK attended a six-weeksurvival school in the Sierra Nevadamountains, which he said was themost challenging and difficult thinghe has ever done. He was thensent to California for five weeks of training in preparation for deployment to Afghanistan in May.

He will lead thefire support team calling in air,artillery, and mortar strikesduring battle.This tour of duty should becompleted beforeChristmas; hisactive duty willend in February

2010 . . . This fall, ROB CARAVELLAwill enter the University of Chicagoto work on an M.B.A. He is interested in equity research.He’ll spend the summer traveling.

2002Following law school at The OhioState University, JAMIE MASTENwas hired as an assistant districtattorney in Manhattan . . . MILLA SAVELIEFF is attendingGeorgetown Law School at night,focusing on national security andinternational law. By day, sheworks for activist Boyden Gray,who leads a group of lawyersfocused on environmental and regulatory policy . . . CHRISYONAN works at the Screen ActorsGuild in Burbank, CA, and plans to pursue a real estate license.He’s also interested in running forlocal office . . . DAVE KRUEGERis starting as an associate withReminger Co., LPA in August . . .TIM FORTA will become an associate of Jones Day in November. . . LAURA ONDRAKE will graduate with a master’s degree in Japanese literature from TheOhio State Univeristy this summer.

2003After receiving a bachelor’s degreein chemistry from the University ofSouth Carolina, DREW KRENAis now attending the MedicalUniversity of South Carolina for

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dental medicine . . . SERA NELSONis an account manager in theCleveland office of CampusEAIConsortium, which producesmyCampus, a Facebook-like websiteused by more than 100 higher education institutions worldwide . . . PETER YONAN works atGettleson, Witzer & Company,Lexington Financial ManagementGroup located in Beverly Hills, CA.He’s been modeling with NTAAgency for almost two years andhas done commercials (Pro-Active,Nissan), and a Sony print ad. Peterwas on The Janice Dickinson Showlast September.

2004Graduating from Allegheny Collegein May 2008 with a bachelor of arts degree, ALEX LETIZIA is nowa financial advisor with CreativeWealth Strategies, an independentinvestment firm in Pittsburgh . . .SARAH McCANN is currently teaching preschool at theAchievement Centers for Children in Highland Hills, a suburb ofCleveland. Sarah says the inclusionclassroom is pretty tough at times,but she likes it . . . DYLANTANOUS is living in Hollywoodwhere he works at BeaconEntertainment as a junior talentagent . . . MIKE STEINER, a graduate of Hobart and WilliamSmith Colleges, was honored inApril by the Statesmen AthleticAssociation and the Hobart AthleticDepartment. He and two otherhockey team members were leadersof a defense effort that halted 85percent of their rivals’ power plays.The team finished second in theECAC West in defense scoring.Mike is a three-time All-Academichonoree in the ECAC West. He willplay professional hockey in Francenext year.

Ann Roche King ’99 with fellow Lancers

A l u m n i N e w s

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2005A graduated senior at ProvidenceCollege, KATY BEACH was on theice hockey team since her freshmanyear and has continued to improveeach year. She credits her hockeyand track experiences at Gilmour towhat she has accomplished atProvidence . . . KEVIN BENACCIwas one of the co-head chairpersonsfor Boston College’s second annualRelay for Life event in which 1,000participants on 86 teams raisedabout $100,000 to fight cancer . . .A senior political science major at Mount Union College, JILLIAN ECKART will attend lawschool in Chicago . . . Majoring insocial work, CAITLIN GRANTgraduated from Ashland University . . . Former Gilmour Prep Hockeyteam goalie ALEX PETIZIAN, nowa member of Brown University’shockey team, was selected as playerof the week for the ECAC . . .Congratulations to BRIAN STEFANSKI, a graduate ofMercyhurst College, who wasnamed captain of the club hockeyteam . . . VANESSA VACANTEgraduated from Boston College inMay with an English major and aminor in faith, peace, and justice . . . BEN HOPKINS is excited about his job (three blocks from the White House) with the Board of Governors of the Federal ReserveSystem. He will be working as aresearch assistant in the AdvancedForeign Economies Section of theInternational Trade Division.A graduate of Swarthmore, Ben will be responsible for trackingdevelopments in a foreigneconomies group (e.g. the Nordic countries, Eastern Bloc,Australia/New Zealand, etc.) andcollecting and analyzing data for the longer-term projects of the full economists.

2006GREG CORKRAN,a senior at theUniversity ofVirginia, has accepted an internship with one of GoldmanSachs’ real estatefunds in Dallas, TX . . . Writing a three-part series on the presidentialinauguration for The News-Herald,was lots of fun and a tremendous experience forCATHERINEKESSLER . . .Congratulations to JARRED SMITH,a member of Brown University’shockey team, on being selected as aplayer of the week for the ECAC.

2007The 12 weeks of basic training atMarine Corps Recruit Depot inParris Island, SC, began at 5:00 a.m.each day for ANDREW BORDENwith a three-mile run, calisthenics,and then numerous hours in theclassroom . . . BRITTANYCORRIGAN spent three weeks inNicaragua on a Witness for Peaceprogram with Centre College . . .KYLE GRANT was named to theNiagara University academic dean’slist . . . As one of 60 students froma field of 230 applicants, NICKWAGNER has been accepted intothe highly competitive InternationalBusiness School at the University ofSouth Carolina . . . MARA WILBERwas named to the dean’s list atDenison University.

A l u m n i N e w s

(left to right): Missy Hall ’06, Amy Torgerson ’08,Lauren Campbell ’08, and Ashley Reid ’08. AshleyReid is a captain for Chatham College and Hall is analternate captain for RIT (Rochester Institute ofTechnology).

The picture was taken after the second game of aweekend series. It was a league game (ECAC West)between RIT and Chatham.

RIT won the game 6-1. Reid had the assist onChatham’s lone goal. Torgerson was the startinggoalie for RIT and stopped 18 of 19 shots. RIT sweptthe weekend, winning the prior game 6-0.

2008A member of the Yale DebateAssociation, NATE BLEVINS waschosen to participate in a publicdebate at Trinity College in Dublin,Ireland. Trinity paid for his travelexpenses. Nate took first place lastyear in Student Congress at theNational Forensic League NationalTournament.

2009At this year’s Northeastern OhioChapter of the National FootballFoundation’s awards banquet,BILLY URBAN was honored as atop scholar-athlete in NortheastOhio. Recipients must have a 3.2 grade point average and benominated by their coach.(See article on page 56.)

Bob Spicer, who led Gilmour Academy’s VarsityFootball Team to the Division V state playoffs six

out of seven years, has resigned as head coach effectiveat the end of the 2008-2009 school year. Spiceraccepted the Gilmour coaching position in 2002 tobuild a competitive football program, and his presencewas felt immediately. In his first season, the teamadvanced to the playoffs for the first time since 1995.During his years at Gilmour, he compiled a 63-17record, and two of his teams were undefeated duringthe regular season. Spicer attributes the team’sturnaround to support from the school’s administration,a strong coaching staff, Gilmour’s family environment,and his dedicated players.

“It is probably the right time for me to step aside,as I will turn 65 this year,” Spicer says. “Gilmour is awonderful place to coach. Once the new gymnasiumand pool are completed, it will begin a new era andpresent a great opportunity for a younger coach.”

Spicer told The Plain Dealer that he has beenwrestling with the decision for several months saying,“I feel I’m leaving the program in good shape becausethere’s a decent group of players returning next year.”

Spicer was named 2003 Coach of the Year by theGreater Cleveland Football Coaches Association. Inbuilding a premier football program at Gilmour, he putinto play his philosophy of “faith, family, friends, andfootball – in that order.” The coach said of his Lancerteam, “We do as much as we can to help one another,and try to practice the fundamentals of football andgive it our best.”

In 23 years of coaching, Spicer has coached locallyat John Carroll University, Hawken, St. Ignatius, and St.Peter Chanel, as well as in Tampa Bay, Florida. Heearned a bachelor’s degree in teacher education fromJohn Carroll in 1967 and captained its football team hissenior year. He is a member of the school’s AthleticHall of Fame and was named to John Carroll’s All-TimeFootball Team.

“Bob was really able to integrate our Holy Crossmission of educating the mind and heart into the spiritof Gilmour athletics,” says Headmaster Brother RobertLavelle, C.S.C. “I am grateful for his years of service toour students and his example as a Christian gentleman.He is highly respected for his knowledge of the gameand for being very adept at helping players reach theirpotential.”

SpicerRetires

LancerAthletics

49

Boys Cross CountryThe Lancers took to the

course in 2008 withtremendous team spirit,which translated intoanother successful season. They were district runners-up, qualifying for theregional championshipfor the 10th consecutiveyear. Other top finishesincluded the teamchampionship atUniversity School’sGeorge ClementsInvitational and the

runner-up title at theAvon Lake Early BirdInvitational. With six of

the seven varsity runners returning in 2009, the Lancerslook to continue their successful ways.

Girls Cross CountryThe difference betweena good program and an outstanding program is successyear in and year out.By this definition, the Lancers are a top program as ourgirls once again wereamong the elite teamsin the Buckeye State.They continued their string of teamchampionships with their fourthregional and districtchampionships – astreak tied for thelongest in the state. Other impressive accomplishmentsinclude winning their 10th consecutive conferencechampionship and placing first or second at five majorinvitationals. The girls qualified for their fourth consecutive state meet, finishing fifth. The Lancers

return five of the seven runners from the state meetsquad, so look for the girls to be highly competitiveagain in the fall of 2009.

Boys GolfIt was another special year for Gilmour Varsity Golf.The team has competed three of the last four years inthe state championships. Led by co-captains LenDeFino ’09 and John Coyne ’09, the Lancers finishedthird at state. They smashed a tournament record lowat the Edison Invitational, and had a one-loss regular-season record. Gilmour had two All-Ohio players from the state championships – Alex Andrews ’11 and Coyne. Next season holds great promise as six of the top eight golfers return.

Boys Varsity SoccerThe Boys Varsity Soccer teamhad a promising season withonly five returning lettermen.The Lancers finished the season with a record of 4-11-2. According to CoachRob Norris, the best-playedmatch was a 2-0 victoryagainst St. Peter Chanel andthe team had a strong 7-2showing against Bedford.The Lancers advanced to Division III sectional semifinals but lost to Kirtland.The young, solid soccer team has high hopes for thefuture with 16 returning lettermen.

Girls SoccerLed by first-year father and son coaching duo Joe Ciuni ’77 and Joe, Jr. ’03, the Girls Soccerteam enjoyed a successful11-6-1 season. The teamplayed all of the betterDivision II teams inNortheast Ohio, almostknocking off HathawayBrown and Beaumont at their

Fall Review

50

Lancer Athletics

Bart Merkel ’10

Kevin Gleason ’12

Caitlin Finelli ’09

Maggie Grant ’09

Lancer Athletics

Fall Review

Career Capstone: 500 Wins

Ray Sharnsky, Gilmour’s longtime Varsity Baseball coach, hit a milestone April 23. He notched the 500th victory of his long

career in high school baseball. Painesville Harvey fell 11-3 at the hands and legs, bats and gloves of a Lancer squad determined to set a record for their coach.

Deflecting accolades when asked to comment on this record,Sharnsky thanked the 177 seniors who had played for him during histime at Gilmour. “They set the tone, provided the leadership, and theexample for younger players,” he says. “This could not have happenedwithout those quality kind of guys.”

As the Lancers edged toward the end of Sharnsky’s 31st seasoncoaching Gilmour baseball, his 510-218 record in late May placed him 12th on the all-time win list for the state of Ohio with his teamposed for a run deep into the state playoffs.

Sharnsky’s red letter day marking his 500th win also was his 60th birthday.

Changing of the Guard

Jay Fowler, who has been an assistant coach for GilmourAcademy’s Varsity Baseball team the last four years, will be

the new head coach for the Lancers next spring. He replacesRay Sharnsky, who retired as Lancer coach after 31 years.Fowler graduated from Gilmour in 2000 and played VarsityBaseball four years as a Gilmour student, lettering three years. He alsoran cross country and played soccer. Following high school, Fowlerplayed baseball four years at John Carroll University and was team captain his senior year. The Gilmour alum earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from John Carroll and teaches seventh- and eighth-grade history at St. Francis of Assisi School in Gates Mills.

“We are excited Jay accepted the position of head baseball coach at Gilmour,” says Gilmour Athletic Director Tom Bryan. “With hisknowledge and experience coaching baseball here he will be a strong leader in that position.”

Fowler was effective in helping the Lancers advance to the Division IV state finals last year and to the regional semifinals this year.As a Lancer, he played in the regional semifinals in 1997 and 1999. “I not only learned the fundamentals of baseball from Coach Sharnsky,but how to keep my composure and what it means to get the best outof players,” Fowler says.

The new coach states that this opportunity was something hedreamed of after high school and that Gilmour was the team he hasalways wanted to coach.

home fields. The Lancers also werevery competitive against Division Iteams they countered, including aclose loss to state semifinalist ShakerHeights and a thrilling victory over astrong Aurora squad. Eight playerswere named to All-Greater Clevelandteams. Looking to next fall, theLancers should advance deep into the state playoffs.

Girls TennisGirls Varsity Tennis had its most successful year in Gilmour’s history.In addition to Lauren Davis ’12 capturing the stateDivision IItitle withoutdropping asingle set in27 matches,the team finished third in thestate in itsdivision.The road tostate wasclinched with a4-1 victory overrival Hawken,a comeback from a previous 4-1 lossin dual match play. The girls fell inthe first round of state competition topowerhouse Cincinnati Hills ChristianAcademy 3-2, but captured third bydefeating the previous two-year statechampion Lexington. The 18-6 overallrecord was amazing since the teamwas composed of five freshman, twosophomores, two juniors, and a senior.

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Leigh Richards ’10

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LancerAthletics

FallReview

Simon toCoachVarsity Football

The Lancers will kick off their 2009 Varsity Football season with a new head coach – Matt Simon.

The Akron native has 30 years of top-notch experience coaching football at all levels. He will

fill the vacancy left by Bob Spicer, who announced his retirement as head coach of

Gilmour’s Varsity Football Team. Simon inherits a Lancers team that has competed

in the playoffs six of the last seven seasons.

Gilmour’s new coach is a proponent of detailed game planning, play design, and

play calling. Most recently, Simon assisted the director of NFL International with

developing former NFL European players. From 2007 to 2008, he worked under

Norv Turner as running backs coach of the San Diego Chargers and from 1999 to 2006

he coached under Brian Billick of the Baltimore Ravens. Simon has two Super Bowl

rings – from the Ravens championship in 2000 and from the Denver Broncos in 1998,

when he was an NFL intern under Mike Shanahan.

As assistant football coach, Simon helped lead the University of Washington Huskies to win nine out

of 10 bowl games. While there, he coached three All-Americans, six All-Conference players, and an MVP

in both the Rose Bowl and Orange Bowl. In 1991, the Huskies tied for the NCAA national championship

and Simon was later inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame.

Returning to his alma mater, Eastern New Mexico University, in 1992, Simon joined the coaching staff

as offensive coordinator. He played linebacker there and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in

physical education. Simon became head coach of the University of North Texas Eagles in 1994 gaining

the distinction of only being the 10th African American to coach a Division I-A football team. The Eagles

won the conference championship that year and Simon was named Southland Conference Coach of the

Year. He also coached at the University of Texas at El Paso.

At the high school level, Simon was offensive coordinator at Mt. Hebron High School in Ellicott City,

Maryland, and assistant coach at Borger High School in Borger, Texas. “As a former player, I understand

the challenges student-athletes must face, therefore, I am committed to their academic and personal

growth, as well as their athletic development,” he says.

Among his honors, Simon was named Region 4 Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches

Association and Coach of the Year by the Black Coaches Association. He also was inducted into the Hall

of Honors at Eastern New Mexico University.

“We are delighted that Matt Simon will join Gilmour to coach our Lancers Varsity Football team, and

will contribute to our effort to hone scholar-athletes who excel individually and as team players on and

off the field,” says Gilmour Headmaster Brother Robert Lavelle, C.S.C. “Matt will be a great addition to

Gilmour’s coaching staff and inspire our players to seek their personal best in our Holy Cross tradition of

educating the mind, heart, and body.”

LancerAthletics

WinterReview

Media Favorite

With her precocious tennis skills making asweeping impression on Greater Cleveland

media, Gilmour’s Lauren Davis ’12 was the toppick for Outstanding High School Athlete by theGreater Cleveland Sports Commission in January.The award is based on voting by The PlainDealer, The Akron Beacon Journal, The News-Herald,Sun Newspapers and all the local televisionstations from a seven-county area.

Davis was surprisedwhen her name wascalled during theGreater ClevelandSports Awards Banquetat the ClevelandRenaissance Hotel.“All I knew was thatI was one of threecandidates, but I didn’tthink I was going towin,” she told TheNews-Herald.

Gilmour TennisCoach Cyndi Smith,can’t say enough abouther stellar athlete – the2008 Division II singlesstate champion andwinner of four straightmatches. “Lauren did notdrop a single set alongthe way,” Smith says.

Last summer, Davis qualified for the U.S.Open Junior Tournament after winning the UnitedStates Tennis Association (USTA) NationalChampionship for players 16 and under.She was named Most Valuable Player at theIndependent School League Championship.Davis is ranked No. 1 among Midwest players,defeated the nation’s top-ranked player at theUSTA championship and is considered oneof the country’s better young tennis players.She now plays in the 16-to-18-year-old division.

Lauren Davis ’12 andCavaliers General Manager

Danny Ferry

53

VolleyballFrom the start of preseason camp in Youngstown all theway to the finish in Dayton, high expectations were thenorm for this team. Participating in last year’s statesemifinals left the Lancers hungry for more. Toughmatches in districts against Chagrin Falls and Berkshirereadied them for regional play, where they beat WestSalem North in a five-game match advancing to thestate semifinals. Defeating Lima Central Catholic inthree straight games seemed to portend a state title forGilmour, but a tough loss to Albany Alexander thwartedthat dream. It was a wonderful season for players,parents, and fans.

VarsityFootballAs the 2008 Lancer football season began, hopes werehigh for a successful campaign. A talented class ofseniors led the way to an eventual 12-week seasonfor the squad as Gilmour played in two postseasoncontests, losing to eventual state champion YoungstownUrsuline. Gilmour accomplished much by reaching theplayoffs for the sixth time in seven years. Led byreturning starters, quarterback Billy Urban ’09 andtailback Tommy Hallal ’09, both of whom wereeventual first team All-State, the Lancers went 9-1during the regular season. The offense averaged morethan 30 points per game while the defense achieved aNo. 1 ranking in total defense for East Side teams.

BoysVarsityBasketballWith five seniors, the Lancersbegan this season with promiseand high hopes for a successfulcampaign. As the weeksprogressed, the team improvedin each game. Though the 9-13record did not always show thequality of the team, these cagers Evan Richard ’09

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Lancer Athletics

Winter Review

wouldn’t accept anything less than perfection. In theend, the Lancers lost the district semifinal game againstVilla Angela-St. Joseph, the No. 3 seed. In a previousgame, the Lancers defeated the Kirtland Hornets, thestate’s sixth-ranked team in Division III.

Girls Varsity BasketballThe girls basketball team finished strong after a 4-4

start. The Lancers finished with a 19-6 record, winning 15 oftheir last 17games. CoachBob Beutel’ssquad played asmothering typeof defense thatfrustrated opponents. This plus anopportunistic

offense placed theteam in a positionto beat Richmond

Heights in the district semifinals and Berkshire in thedistrict finals for that local crown. The great seasoncame to an end as Gilmour lost to state championRegina in the regional finals. With many talented players in the wings, girls basketball has a bright future.

SwimmingEven though practice time

was cut in half with the new natatorium under construction, the Lancers had their moments. The girlsfinished with a dual meetrecord of 3-4 and the boys

1-2. Combined, they won theNotre Dame Cathedral LatinInvitational. By season’s end,

the girls had sevenswimmers advance to districts, finishing16th out of 56 teams.The boys had a successful season in that everyonedropped significanttime in his events.The boys finished seventh at sectionalswith four swimmersqualifying for districts.Alec Janda ’10 was a top-12 finisher in both the 200and 500 freestyle, setting personal bests in both eventsat districts. The relay team entered the district meetseeded 16th and finished 10th dropping two seconds and improving six places. Overall, the boysteam finished 13th in the district. The Lancers are looking forward to next season – and to moving intothe new natatorium.

Girls Prep HockeyThe Girls Prep team won 23 games during the 2008-09season. A team highlight came when the Lancersdefeated perennial powerhouse Cushing Academy forthe first time in school history. Gilmour also hadimpressive wins over Culver Academy, Nichols School,and Wyoming Seminary. The team, led by the line of Kayla Ross ’09, Taylor Volpe ’10, and Camille Corbin ’11,produced more than 100 points. Goalie AlanaMarcinko ’09 posted 18 wins and will attendDivision I Union College. Since only four players graduated, high hopes for next season abound.

Boys Varsity HockeyThe year started with a 2-1 loss to Vianney High School(Montana) and ended with a 3-2 overtime loss toLake Catholic. But as with most seasons, it is what happens in between that matters most. Those othergames allowed this group to come together, forge anidentity, and achieve a 23-11-3 record with a nine-game

Bekka Simko ’10

Steve Greco ’11

Jamie Bergsman ’09

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Courage on the Court

Amodern profile in courage looks a lot likeGilmour Academy’s Eric Anderson ’12. Though

Anderson credits three Cleveland Clinic specialistsfor allowing him to live “a richer, more meaningfullife,” the Gilmour student has a can-do attitude thatsets him apart. He competes in various sports andplayed on Gilmour’s Freshman Basketball team –despite an amputated leg. Anderson received theCleveland Clinic Courage Award at the GreaterCleveland Sports Awards ceremony in January. The award, given annually by Cleveland ClinicSports Health, recognizes a student-athlete who hasfaced a medical challenge and has approached itwith courage and determination. Olympic GoldMedalist Scott Hamilton presented the award.

At Gilmour, Anderson plays three different positions in basketball – shooting guard, small forward, and power forward. Freshman BasketballCoach Kenny Grant views him as an outstandingleader on and off the court. “Eric is a great exampleof how an individual can turn an obstacle into asteppingstone,” Grant says. “When asked to playmore than one position, he eagerly accepts the challenge with no complaints. He is a role modelwho should be an inspiration to us all.”

Anderson’s left leg was shorter than his rightwhen he was born, and he underwent various leglengthening procedures at the Cleveland Clinic.From the time he was 10 months old, the GilmourLancer wore an orthotic, a special mechanical deviceto help him walk, and he spent years in physical

therapy. He was 10 years oldwhen he elected to have his leftleg amputated and began using acustom prosthetic requiring morephysical therapy followed by periodic length adjustments andfittings. Despite all of this, theGilmour student was determinedto participate in sports and wasable to do so using specific footprostheses for different activities.

He praises orthopedic surgeonAlan Gurd, and prosthetists KirstenRichards and Chris Piel saying they“collectively made an impact on mylife and made it possible for me to participate competitively in sports,which I dearly love.” He adds, “Ialways challenged Chris to deliveran orthotic that was lighter and had greater flexibilityand durability – always better, faster, cheaper.”

Prior to Gilmour, Anderson attended the Lillianand Betty Ratner School, where he was on the honorroll from 2000 to 2007, and was a participant in theMidwest Academic Talent Search in 2005. He was teamcaptain of Wickliffe’s Midget Football League for twoseasons, and played recreational baseball in RichmondHeights and was on its All-Star Tournament Team in2005 and 2007. During the last two summers, Ericattended a sports camp in addition to working for hisfather’s bike business.

winning streak that tied a school record. The Lancersplayed fast, hard, and with class. Next season is filledwith promise.

Boys Prep HockeyThe Boys Prep Hockey team finished their best seasonever with a record of 41-11-4. In November, theLancers took home the gold medal at the NortheastShowcase hosted by The Tilton School in NewHampshire. The Lancers then traveled to Canada, successfully defending their title at the MacPhersonTournament hosted by St. Andrew’s College. The teamwon the regular-season championship in the MidwestPrep Hockey League going 8-0-2. It was a great andsuccessful season.

Eric Anderson ’12 and Scott Hamilton

Mac Converse ’09

On the Fast Track

Gilmour Academy track star Tim Vala ’09 wasawarded a Division I athletic scholarship by

DePaul University in Chicago and has signed aNational Letter of Intent with the school.

Vala runs legs on the 400- and 800-meterrelays and throws shot put and discus. Duringhis junior year, he was MVP at the NortheastOhio Division III track meet, setting schoolrecords for discus with a throw of 166 feet, 9 inches. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound athlete placed sixth in the state in the discus and 13th at nationals. In February, he placed 10th

in the nation with a weight throw of 57 feet, the track and field event in which an athletehurls a 25-pound ball.

Vala plans to major in pre-med at DePauland would like to train to become an Olympic

He might be playing Division Ibaseball next year at St.

Bonaventure University, but thathasn’t stopped Billy Urban ’09from being recognized outside ofthe batter’s box. Along with 27other students in the GreaterCleveland area, Urban received a2009 Scholar-Athlete Award fromthe Northeast Ohio Chapter ofthe National Football Foundationon May 11. The award is given

to seniors in good standing whomaintain a 3.0 cumulative grade

point average, are first-team all-league or all-conference performers, and are active inschool or community extracurricular activities.

With the support of family, friends, andcoaches looking on, Urban was presented theaward by Ohio State University Football CoachJim Tressel. “It’s truly an honor to be thought of as a student and as an athlete. It’s definitelyone of the coolest things I have ever received.I’m a really lucky guy,” the Gilmour quarterbacksays. Urban was also the first Gilmour studentto ever receive this award. “Unbelievable

hammer thrower. Inaddition to track andfield, he has playedVarsity Football andBasketball at theAcademy. Vala was amember of the school’sAmateur Radio Club,and helped found itsWork Out Club. He alsoreceived scholarship offers from the University of Cincinnati, Kent State University, and RobertMorris University in Pittsburgh.

Urban Recognized asScholar-Athlete

student-athletes have come through the Academyand for me to be recognized among them isunreal,” he says.

Retired Gilmour Varsity Head Football Coach Bob Spicer nominated Urban for theScholar-Athlete Award earlier this year. “Billy is a superior athlete and a leader – a true representation of the quality of students Gilmourproduces,” Spicer says. “Based on his efforts inthe classroom and on the field over the past fouryears, it was clear that Billy deserved this honor.”

In addition to Varsity Football, Urban playedVarsity Basketball and Baseball for four years atGilmour. He was also the senior class presidentand wrote for The Lance. Urban received aDivision I baseball scholarship to St. BonaventureUniversity and plans to study business, but alsois looking into prelaw and education.

A Gilmour athlete through and through,Urban will miss his days of putting on a Lancer jersey. “I’ll miss the incredible supportfrom everyone, the student sections, and the L-L-L-A-N...C-C-C-E-R cheers,” he says. “Gilmouris a place unlike any other, where you feel as ifyou are on top of the world, with the peoplearound you showing so much support.”

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M e m o r i a l

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Brother Anthony Jorae, C.S.C.

Brother Anthony Jorae, C.S.C., associate in technology at Gilmour Academy, died at

Hospice of the Western Reserve on March 10. He was 67. The son of Eugene and Bernice Jorae(both deceased), he joined the faculty of HolyCross High School in River Grove, Illinois, in 1964and taught science there for 40 years. As computeruse in education increased, Brother Anthonybecame adept at adapting computer technology toscience classes. A quiet and exceptionally capableteacher, Brother Anthony loved the outdoors andled Holy Cross High School faculty and studentgroups on camping and canoeing trips. When theRiver Grove school closed, he joined the staff atGilmour, employing his electronic and computerskills in the classroom and for administrativeneeds.

“Since coming to Gilmour three and a halfyears ago, Brother Anthony was an importantmember of our technology department,” saysHeadmaster Brother Robert Lavelle, C.S.C.“Although he was a part of the Academy for only a short time, he certainly made an impact.”

Brother Anthony loved his new home, theHoly Cross House, which he moved into last yearwith the other Holy Cross Religious at Gilmour. “I think the best part of moving from Tudor Houseto Holy Cross House will be an increase in thefeeling of religious community living,” he toldGilmour Magazine.

Brother Anthonygraduated in 1960from St. JosephSeminary in GrandRapids, Michigan,and then entered the Brothers of Holy Cross SacredHeart Juniorate in Watertown,Wisconsin. In 1961, he began his religious training at St. Joseph Novitiate in Rolling Prairie, Indiana, and made his first vows as a Brother of Holy Crossin 1962. He earned a bachelor of science degreein 1967 from St. Edward’s University in Austin,Texas, and earned grants to study at the Universityof Oklahoma in Norman and the Illinois Instituteof Technology and Roosevelt University, both inChicago. The following year, he pronounced hisfinal vows. Br. Anthony would have celebratedhis 50th Jubilee in three years.

He is survived by sisters Gail and Mary Jorae;Ruth Babcock (Charles); Rita Engardio (Richard);Edna Martin; Jane Hilden (Mark); and four brothers, Michael, Pat, John, and Dennis Jorae.Two sisters Gloria and Margaret are deceased.

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M e m o r i a l

Murlan J. Murphy, Sr.

For more than four decades, Murlan (Jerry) Murphy, Sr., was a steadfast supporter of Gilmour Academy, and he left a permanent mark on

philanthropy in Greater Cleveland. Murphy died April 11 at the Hospice of the Western Reserve.

Former president of the Gilmour Men’s Club, he led his family in supportingthe community’s churches, schools, foodbanks, and senior citizens homes, andprograms that minister to the poor, the sick, the unemployed, the elderly, andthe homeless. The Murphys generously lent their expertise to advancing manyarea organizations.

“Through their commitment and generosity, Mr. Murphy and his entire family have enhanced Gilmour’s mission,” says Headmaster Brother Robert Lavelle, C.S.C. “They are a significant part of Gilmour’s history and tradition, and through their leadership, have been crucial in helping our students achieve their potential.”

Murphy and his wife, Margaret, have four sons who graduated from the Academy – Murlan (Jerry)Murphy, Jr., ’64, Chair of Gilmour’s Board of Trustees; Ray ’65; Paul ’68; and Brian ’73. They also havea daughter, Rita Murphy Carfagna. Grandchildren Emily Murphy Maksoudian ’92 and John ’97 also areGilmour alums.

Former president and chairman of the Murphy-Phoenix Company, Murphy headed the firm thatmanufactured Murphy Oil Soap, a staple commonly found in households. His grandfather, Jeremiah,founded the company in 1890. The Murphy Family Foundation was established in 1986 to address thehuman service needs of the disadvantaged. Murphy-Phoenix was sold to Colgate-Palmolive in 1991.

Murphy earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Case Western ReserveUniversity, and once worked for Ferro Corporation. An avid golfer, he served as chairman of theJennings Center for Older Adults. CWRU awarded him its President’s Award for Distinguished Alumni,and in 1999, the Murlan J. Murphy, Sr. Family won the Leadership Award from the Greater ClevelandChapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

In recognizing his parents’ commitment to instilling service in their children, Ray remarked, “Whatwe inherited from our Mom is thoughtfulness and a sensitivity toward others; from Dad, confidenceand a comfort level with leadership positions.”

Murphy is survived by his wife and five children, 17 grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

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M e m o r i a l

James Riccardi ’51ARenaissance man at Gilmour Academy, Jim Riccardi’s activities ranged from Press Club, Student Band,

and Prep art editor to Varsity Football and Basketball. The Emmy-award winning cinematographer andvideographer’s broad range of interests included performing as a professional musician. Riccardi died of cancer January 2 at Bradley Bay Health Center in Bay Village. He was 75.

Following his graduation from Gilmour, the alum earned a bachelor’s degree in social sciences from JohnCarroll University in 1955. He studied radio and television at Kent State University and painting and illustrationat the Cleveland Institute of Art. As a member of the 8th Division Army Band, Riccardi performed throughoutEurope and was a versatile musician playing piano, harmonica, accordion, and harpsichord.

In the early 1970s, Riccardi began working for WVIZ-TV. He produced a children’s series called“Inside/Out,” which won an Emmy. During his career he worked for HBO, BBC, ABC, MTV, and Nickelodeon.His work was featured on HBO’s concert for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, “Seinfeld,” “The Drew Carey Show,” and “The Daily Show,” and he shot more than 2,000 commercials, including Mr. Coffee commercials with Joe DiMaggio. In 2001, the Gilmour graduate was a freelance cameraman for a segment of the Discovery Channel’s “The New Detectives,” which explored modern techniques in criminal investigations.Steven Spielberg and the Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation honored Riccardi in 1998 for documenting Holocaust survivors’ stories.

Ricccardi returned to Gilmour in 2001 for his 50th Reunion. He is survived by his wife Martha, 10 children,and five grandchildren.

Anne O’Donnell Anne O’Donnell was both a teacher and administrator at Gilmour between 1998 and

2001. She served the Academy as an advisor, coordinated convocation, and directedsenior programs, including the senior project. A strong believer in student community service, O’Donnell was director of Gilmour’s Christian Service Program. As an associate in development, she was involved in Gilmour’s Faith in Our Future Campaign. O’Donnelldied March 9 at her home.

“Anne O’Donnell was a gracious lady and had a great deal of care and concern forother people,” says Headmaster Brother Robert Lavelle, C.S.C. “Whether it was the formerstudents and children she counseled, colleagues, or community leaders, people genuinely appreciated the part of her life which she shared with them.”

O’Donnell was known throughout Greater Cleveland as a leader in education. For the last six years, sheserved as executive director of Boys Hope Girls Hope in Garfield Heights, which provides long-term care for at-risk teens in non-institutional homes guided by residential counselors. Students in the homes attend Catholicschools. O’Donnell raised funds for fitness and convocation centers for the children and initiated an academicprogram for students in middle school.

The Gilmour teacher earned an undergraduate degree from Manhattanville College in New York and a master’s degree in school administration from John Carroll University. She taught history, math, and English at several Catholic schools in the area, as well as at University School, and she was the first female chair of Walsh Jesuit High School and one of the original trustees of St. Martin de Pores High School.

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Robert Spisak

Master of phone connections, utility lines,

and every construction project at Gilmour

Academy for the last quarter-century, Bob Spisak

literally fit the description “jack of all trades.”

He died February 11. Gilmour’s maintenance

technician “had an uncanny recall for details,”

says Dan Kohn, maintenance director. “He knew

the history of every piece of equipment, who

installed it, and when.” Spisak taught himself how

to be a locksmith and Kohn says his colleague

could repair any lock at Gilmour.

From the time Spisak was a student at Orange

High School, he was fascinated with computers

and was a member of the school’s computer club.

He was so adept that he tested Windows 95 and

several other software packages for Microsoft over

a 15-year period. “Bob could open up a computer

and change out a circuit board or a CD or DVD

as easy as if he were tying his shoes,” Kohn

remarked in his eulogy at his friend’s funeral.

Before joining Gilmour, Spisak rebuilt

telephones for Western Electric. He worked

for an outside maintenance firm Gilmour used

as a contractor before the Academy established

its own maintenance department and Spisak

came onboard in 1984.

Kohn relied on Spisak as his liaison with

outside contractors. He always was connected

with Gilmour even on vacations in Myrtle Beach,

South Carolina, or

New England with

his wife, Leah.

“On weekends,

Bob would monitor

campus events from

home via a laptop

computer and would

always take the

laptop along on

vacations to keep

an eye on things,” Kohn says. Brother Charles

Smith, C.S.C., Gilmour’s physical plant coordinator,

says Spisak “was full of wisdom and experience.

I always turned to Bob when my own

troubleshooting resulted in frustration,” he says.

“He liked to be kept informed, and in turn,

shared whatever he knew to keep Gilmour

Academy moving ahead.”

An active member of St. Mark Lutheran Church

in Chesterland, Spisak was even willing to share

his knowledge with Gilmour’s work study students

like Chris Kearney ’09. “Mr. Spisak always made

me feel like I could ask him any question,”

Kearney wrote in The Lance. “The Gilmour

Community needs to remember so many of

these great people that are behind the scenes

at Gilmour. They are the ones who really make

sure it all happens every day for us.”

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M e m o r i a l

MEMORIAL

Gilmour Academy expressessympathy to the families of

the following:

WILLIAM M. CAHILL ’56

JOHN M. ERB, JR. ’75

GREGORY P. KUZMA ’68

ANTHONY J. LAVALLE, JR. ’50

SANDRA McINTOSHMcLAUGHLIN GO ’80

JAMES D. RICCARDI ’51

Our sympathy also is extended to the alumni

and families of the following:

MARY ANTENUCCI, aunt of Dino ’91 and Amanda ’93

ALAN BAUDET, father of Upper School French Teacher Marion

GINA BENENATI, sister-in-law of Daniel DiCillo ’88

ROGER BOHNEN, grandfather of Gabrielle ’18

and Luke ’21 Vaccaro

MARY ANN CROWTHER BRENNAN,mother of Catherine Crowther Doyle

GO ’72, Herbert ’74, Lawrence ’76, andStephen ’79 Crowther; mother-in-law

of Kathleen Hackman Crowther GO ’75

MARJORIE A. BRIGEMAN, grandmother of Scott ’07,

Alyssa ’09, and Matthew ’10

JOHN BRONOLD, grandfather of Ryan ’11 and

John ’12 Tobbe

LOUIS C. BURROUGHS, SR., grandfather of Brian ’92

ROSE CARBONE, grandmother of Jason ’92

ANTHONY CARR, great uncle of Annalise ’16 and

Sophia ’19 Minello

MARILYN A. CARTWRIGHT, mother of Thomas ’67, Timothy ’71,

and Terence ’76; grandmother of Richard ’09, Kelly ’11, and

Kristen ’13 Kertis

DOMENICK J. CATANESE, grandfather of James ’04, Ryan ’07, and

Robert ’12

ERMELINDA CENTRACCHIO, grandmother of Mark Chiacchiari ’94

AGNES H. CHASSER, grandmother of Yvonne ’05 and

Veronica ’06

WILLIAM CHISHOLM, grandfather of Meara ’10, father-in-law

of Colleen Erb Chisholm ’73

TOM CLARKE, great uncle of Corey ’06 and Hannah ’11

Newcomb

JENNIFER COLAO, aunt of Hallie Turner ’11

MARY COSETTI, mother of Dr. Elizabeth Fesler,

consultant for curriculum and staffdevelopment

DIANA CUNNEEN, wife of Patrick ’71

VIRGINIA L. DELBENE, mother of Ronald ’59

INEZ B. DiCESARE, grandmother of John ’94 and Michael

’96 Pawlowski and JacquelinePawlowski Coletta ’96

RICHARD M. DiLISI, husband of Business Office Staff

Member Mary; father of Richard ’82,Gregory ’83, and Jennifer DiLisi

Newton ’96, and Carla DiLisi Solomon,former Lower School teacher; uncle ofChristopher ’80 and Darren ’83 Frate

DONNA C. DiPIERRO, mother of Francis ’83, Rocco ’92,

Dominic ’93, and Angelo ’95

TIMOTHY B. DuCHEZ, uncle of Elizabeth DuChez Turk ’94,

Cheryl DuChez Pawlowski ’96, and Neil ’99

LAVELLE ESGAR, former substitute teacher at Gilmour andgrandmother of Andrew Guenther ’02

RITA FARONA, grandmother of Kenneth ’11

PRESTON FISHER, cousin of Morgan Osborne ’08

JUNE M. FUERST, grandmother of Mara ’07,

John ’09, and Kurt ’11 Wilber

JAMES GALLAGHER, uncle and godfather of

Upper School English Instructor William Seetch

MAX PIERRE GAUJEAN, father of Max ’81

JOHN G. HABA, father of John, Jr. ’85

DAVID J. HACKMAN, father of Kathleen Hackman

Crowther ’75, Elizabeth Hackman Heer ’77, and David, Jr. ’80;

father-in-law of Herbert Crowther ’74

EDWARD CONRY HAWKINS, grandfather of Claire ’09; father-in-law

of Ernest DeFoy ’79; uncle of Mary Ann Lasch GO ’72,

Carol Lasch Schlinke GO ’79, and Susan Lasch Daher ’87

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M e m o r i a l

ANGELA D. HERGENROEDER, mother of Paul ’66 and Patrick ‘66

BOB HOUDESCHELL, uncle of Matthew ’11, Kaitlyn ’12,

Joseph ’17, Christopher ’19, and Mitchell’22 Lamosek

EBONY HOWARD, stepmother of Brandi Lawrence ’09

BR. ANTHONY E. JORAE, C.S.C.,Associate in Technology

JAMES KALISTA, father of Michael ’96 and Julie ’98

MARILYN KINNA, grandmother of Molly ’05 and Samantha

’07 DiIorio

FRANK J. KONKOLY, uncle of Anthony ’78 and John ’85

WILLIAM KOVASS, grandfather of Madeline ’19 and Elliose

’22 Lynch

MONSIGNOR CONRAD KRAUS, cousin of John Klumph ’73

MADELEINE LaPRADE, great-grandmother of

Brooklyn Napolitano ’22

MATTHEW LEKSON, son of former Gilmour Library Associate Linda

YOLANDA LIOTTA, grandmother of Robert ’93

BRUCE LIPART, grandfather of Dennis ’08 and

Sarah ’10 Siedlak

TEO MARCONI, great uncle of Jared ’07 and

Leigh ’10 Richards

JOANNE McDANIEL, sister of Frank ’76 and aunt of

Jenna ’03 Gruttadauria

JACK and JANET McDONALD, grandparents of Mark ’09

CALOGERO MENDOLERA, grandfather of Charles ’93

JOHN J. MENOSKY III, brother of Anne Menosky

Cummons ’83

VERA MUENSTER, grandmother of George ’88

MURLAN J. MURPHY, SR., father of Murlan, Jr. ’64,

Raymond ’65, Paul ’68, Brian ’73, andRita Murphy Carfagna;

grandfather of Emily ’92 and John ’97

VIRGINIA and DONALD MYERS, great aunt and uncle of Connor ’14,

Kelly ’16, and Brian ’20 Davis

DAN NORTON, uncle of Eric ’09 and Peter ’10 Neundorfer

MERCEDES M. NORTON, grandmother of Eric ’09 and

Peter ’10 Neundorfer

ANNE B. O’DONNELL, former Upper School and Development

Staff Member

HELEN ONDI, grandmother of Martha Ligas ’09

JOHN ARTHUR OVERMAN, father of Upper School English

Instructor John

MARTIN J. PFUNDSTEIN, uncle of Joseph ’84, Patricia PfundsteinMiller ’85, Thomas ’88, and David ’93,Lower and Middle School Guidance

Counselor

KATHY PLANK, former Food Service Director

MELVIN RAMAGE, grandfather of Mitchell ’21

GRACE RENNER, grandmother of John ’12

DAVID RIFFLE, uncle of Eric ’04, Nicole ’05,

Ryan ’08, and Katrina ’10 Caraboolad

GEORGE SAMPAR, father of Darryl ’74

WILLIAM SEMINSKI, grandfather of Ryan Hephner ’10

MARGARET KAY SETTLEMIRE, daughterof Thaddeus ’81; niece of William ’79

and Robert ’88

PATRICIA S. SIMS, mother of John ’80

ROBERT SPISAK, Gilmour Academy Maintenance

Technician

MARY DORSCH STERLE, mother of Dennis Dorsch ’70

JEAN A. THOMAS, grandmother of John Toller ’06

TIMOTHY TIGHE THOMPSON, uncle of Brian ’05, Gavin ’07, and Evan

’11 Stefanski

BRIAN E. URSEM, son of Richard ’50

CHARLES VAUGHN, brother of Lower School Physical

Education Instructor Barbara

TOM VISCONSI, father of Thomas ’60 and

Anthony ’75; grandfather of Michelle ’91 and Katharine ’01 Poklar,

and Marissa Visconsi ’06

WILLIAM VOORHEES, grandfather of Brock ’09 and

Chase ’11 Raffaele

JOHN VOROBEL,father of Jessica ’09

BLAIR WHITE, uncle of Upper School Director ofInstructional Technology Cathleen

DONN A. WOLFSON, father of Stephen ’97

GUERINO ZAVARELLA, great-grandfather of Diana Fedeli ’05

HELEN ZELAZNY, grandmother of Kaitlin Gill ’09

Brother Robert Lavelle, C.S.C., on a hard hat tour of the

new athletic complex with members of the Class of 2009

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