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Reserve
E-Bulletin
WESTERN RESERVE ACADEMY
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WINTER 2009
Knight Fellow turns
science into art.
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Knight Fellow an artist in the lab
Cleveland Clinic researcher explains
immune system and the beauty of science
incent K. Tuohy, Ph.D., is a man who appreciates the art of science
in the literal sense. A professor and researcher in the field of immunology, Tuohy was on campus for three days in February as
Western Reserve Academy’s 2009 Knight Fellow. The annual Knight Fellowship, now in its 36th year, is named for James L. Knight ’29, and
strives to bring to campus experts in their fields of interest who can provide a “memorable personal encounter” with students.
Tuohy currently serves as a professor in the Departments of Molecular Medicine and Pathology at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of
Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. He is also a member of
The Cleveland Clinic staff in the Department of Immunology and is an
adjunct professor of biology at Cleveland State University. His selection
as the 2009 Knight Fellow was recommended by Reserve biology teacher Dr. Vincent Tuohy helps Tracy Tien ’12, left, and Calli McKenna ’11 identify
blood cells on a slide.
Roberto Aguilar. Aguilar, who is seeking a Ph.D. in regulatory biology
with a specialization in molecular medicine from Cleveland State University, is conducting his thesis research under the guidance of Tuohy at The
Cleveland Clinic.
During two presentations in the Chapel and throughout a number of
classroom sessions, Tuohy captivated students with scientific – yet artistic
and understandable – insights into the workings of the human immune
system.
“My goal here is to target students who want a career in science or
medicine,” Tuohy explained. “I want to be available and accessible during
my visit to help students understand the commitments and the rewards of
a scientific career. Beyond that, I want to get everybody interested in the
beauty of science. I consider myself to be an artist. Science is a very creative discipline, and I want to transfer that idea to non-scientists.”
Tuohy demonstrated his point by showing students images taken by
microscopy of different cells and tissues, some of which, he said, he has
V
Dr. Tuohy displays a lancet used to draw blood samples to, from left, Inga Wells
’12, Allison Forhan ’12, Nate Hulsey ’12 and Aylin Sarac ’12.
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transformed into artwork for his home. Addressing the subject of immunology and autoimmune diseases, Tuohy told the students that he
wanted to explain it to them in a new way and to simplify complex ideas.
He began by identifying the key components of the immune system,
include the tonsils, intestines, spleen,
“I want to get every- which
blood, thymus gland and – number one, he
body interested in the said – bone marrow, the source of stem
beauty of science. I
cells.
Citing Self and Not-Self, a biology text
consider myself to be
he
once
used, written by Nobel laureate
an artist. Science is a
Macfarlane Burnet, he explained that imvery creative discimunology concerns how organisms mainpline, and I want to
tain their biologic integrity.
transfer that idea to
“To survive, an organism’s immune system
must be able to distinguish between the
non-scientists.”
organism (self) and predators (non-self), and
Dr. Vincent Tuohy, defend against such dangerous non-self,”
Knight Fellow Tuohy said.
He cited vaccines as an example of how
the body can learn to protect itself against disease.
“Vaccines,” he said, “are usually weakened or synthetic forms of
viruses.” When a person is vaccinated, the body’s immune system “remembers” that exposure and thereby creates resistance to diseases caused
by the targeted viruses.
Tuohy then went on to explain that while the immune system normally works to protect the body, it can also hurt it if it goes awry. Diseases such as multiple sclerosis, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, and
rheumatoid arthritis are examples of autoimmune conditions where the
body’s immune system attacks and destroys “self.”
Tuohy’s principal research focus at The Cleveland Clinic is in the
areas of autoimmunity, regulation of the immune system, T cells, gene
therapy and cancer vaccines. A goal of the research is to develop therapies
that prevent the progression of autoimmune diseases. He said that more
than 80 autoimmune diseases have been identified by scientists.
According to Tuohy, scientists have only recently learned about a number of significant factors in the immune system. For example, he said the
importance of the thymus gland to the immune system was not recognized
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Over lunch in Ellsworth Hall, Dr. Tuohy talks science with, from left, Chris
Tonge ’11, Jack Hoover ’11 and Krista Sandercock ’12.
until the early 1960s. Located near the heart, he said it was often routinely
removed during heart surgery because its function was not understood.
However, the gland matures white blood cells that travel from the bone
marrow and turns them into thymus-derived lymphocytes or T cells, which
are integral to the immune system. Removal of the thymus can increase a
person’s risk of infection and result in other immunodeficient conditions.
On the other hand, he said that T cells can also cause substantial trouble.
“T cells normally attack non-self,” Tuohy explained. “But they can
also attack self. They are relentless. Multiple sclerosis is an example. If T
cells get confused, they can attack and destroy the central nervous system.
If they attack the pancreas, they can destroy insulin-producing cells resulting in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.”
He added that all people have the potential to develop such autoimmune diseases, but not all do. In the United States, about 75 percent of
those who develop autoimmune diseases are women.
Genetic and environmental factors also play a role in autoimmune conditions. During an interview, Tuohy said that immune responses can be greatly
affected by such factors as diet, weight and stress management. “Obesity is a
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huge factor,” he said, as is vitamin D deficiency.
He also explained the “hygiene hypothesis.” People in Third World
countries are exposed to more pathogens and develop more active and perhaps healthier immune systems, he said, and do not often develop autoimmune diseases.
“You rarely find diseases like MS in Africa or the tropics. It is a
disease that predominantly afflicts people in the northern temperate
zone, and Northeast Ohio is practically a ‘hot zone’ of MS disease activity,” he added.
Even though Tuohy’s subject matter was weighty and potentially intimidating, Aguilar recommended him as Knight Fellow based on his experience with him.
“(As my) mentor and academic advisor for my graduate program, he
keeps inspiring the way I look at science as a whole,” Aguilar said. “His enthusiasm is remarkable, and so I thought it would be a great opportunity if we
could invite him and ask him to share this with the Reserve community.”
In response, Tuohy spent the better part of three days with Reserve
students. In addition to his two morning all-school Chapel presentations,
he also met with students with a particular interest in science at a dinner.
He also lectured and performed demonstrations at several biology
classes where he asked students to “get to know their own T cells.” As
they examined their own blood cells under a microscope, Tuohy explained
how such examinations can be used to help diagnose both acute and
chronic diseases. He also again asked students to recognize and appreciate
the “art” inherent in the science they were observing.
AP Biology student Anne Song ’09 was delighted to learn how the immune system works and to see cells “up close and personal” during a class. She
plans to major in biochemistry following graduation, and she characterized her
experience with Tuohy as a good introduction for her future studies.
Jung Min Kim ’09 is convinced that following graduation, she will continue to pursue biology.
“What he talked about,” she said, “helped me become even more interested in that field.”
Chris Corbett ’09, another AP Biology student, also found the experience to be a valuable one. It was, however, not his first experience with
Dr. Tuohy.
“I have participated in internships at The Cleveland Clinic for the past
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Left: Dr. Tuohy demonstrates the art of science by displaying a picture of a prepared microscope slide of cells during a presentation in the Chapel. Right:
Essence Bell ’12 studies a blood sample.
two summers,” he says, “because I am really interested in going into medicine. During my summer research, I shadowed a physician and visited the
lab where Mr. Aguilar works and saw what he and Dr. Tuohy were doing.”
Discussing his own career path, Tuohy says, “I took a circuitous route
to becoming a scientist.” A former Teamster, the Brooklyn, N.Y., native
graduated from Fordham University and earned his Ph.D. at the State University of New York’s Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn. He completed his post-graduate training in Boston at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver
Center affiliated with Harvard Medical School. He has also taught at both
the high school and college levels.
“I never really wanted to become a medical doctor,” he says. “I
wanted to go straight into the research lab.”
And his advice for today’s students with ambitions of a career in
science?
“I highly recommend getting a liberal arts education,” he said. “Get
exposed to people. Travel and get to know the world.”
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JETS shine in regional competition
Varsity and junior varsity teams take
first place in region for small schools
n Feb. 17, Western Reserve Academy sent five student teams to
the regional Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS) TEAMS
competition, held at the University of Akron, and came away with
first-place finishes in both the varsity and the junior varsity divisions for
small schools. A third WRA team took third place in the junior varsity division. The school’s two first-place teams will now compete for state and
national honors, with results to be announced later this spring.
The theme of this year’s competition
“I am continually
was Behind the Scenes: Theme Parks,
impressed with their which challenged students to examine the
competitive spirit and engineering involved in designing, building
and running America’s theme parks.
creative solutions.”
“This year has been especially fun for
Marie Fiedler, some of Reserve’s science teachers,” said
JETS TEAM JETS TEAMS advisor and Reserve chemadvisor istry teacher Marie Fiedler. “Department
Chair Pat Smith gave them help on the care
and feeding of orcas and dolphins, I told them how to make the gorilla
have banana breath, and our physics teachers explained the forces involved in roller coasters and magnetic monorails.” It helped, Fiedler
added, that one member of the winning varsity team, Chris Corbett ’09, is
a roller coaster aficionado. “He has been totally involved with roller
coasters most of his life, and knows just about everything there is to know
about any coaster in the U.S.”
For the past 34 years, JETS has sponsored this one-day national competition. The goal, according to the society, is to give high school students the
opportunity to discover the practical applications of math and science by
solving some of today’s greatest engineering challenges in a fun and fastpaced competition that inspires creativity, teamwork, critical thinking and
valuable insight into the world of engineering.
“As far as the state and national levels are concerned, it remains to be
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Reserve’s first-place varsity JETS team includes, from left, seniors Visarute Pinrod, David Suwondo, Joey Bolognese, Anne Song, Eric Su, Wenli Rui, Chris Corbett and Joe Wang. For more on the competition, click here.
seen how well the students were able to come up with answers to problems
they really haven’t seen before in just two 90-minute sessions,” said Fiedler.
“But I am continually impressed with their competitive spirit and creative
solutions.”
Members of Reserve’s first-place varsity team include seniors David
Suwondo, Anne Song, Joey Bolognese, Corbett, Visarute Pinrod, Wenli
Rui, Eric Su and Joe Wang.
Members of the first-place junior varsity team include sophomores
Eun Cho, Oliver Curtiss, Jack Hoover, Jenny Hu, Lisa Jung, Joe Marmerstein, Bethany Qiang and Chris Tonge.
Members of the third-place junior varsity team include juniors Cale
Crowder, Ben Drew, Han Ju Lee and Simon Yang, and sophomores Peter
Cai, Kristina Dungan, Jessie Wilson and Shin Hoo Woo.
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Marticke speaker looks at the future
hen Robert Tercek was a 16-year-old student at Reserve, history
teacher Anne Chapman told him and his classmates that half of
them would work in jobs that had not yet been invented. Chapman’s prediction, a part of her Future Roots course, was certainly accurate in Tercek’s case.
Tercek ’81 spoke to the Reserve student body on Jan. 30 as the fourth
annual Keir Vivienne Marticke ’02 Speaker Series lecturer. He recently
was named president of digital media for the Oprah Winfrey Network,
following more than 20 years of involvement in a number of digital entertainment jobs – none of which existed when he was a student.
An avid and successful inventor of jobs for himself and others, Tercek told his audience that a liberal arts education is of great value to those
inventing the future in the 21st century.
“Does studying the classics help prepare anyone for the future?” Tercek asked. “Yes,” he said, for three reasons. First, by studying the classics,
you learn how to learn. Second, the classics provide a frame of reference
and, by studying multiple disciplines simultaneously, you learn how to
shift gears. Finally, he said, studying classics promotes critical thinking.
Tercek then went on to share lessons learned from a number of Reserve teachers during his years as a student. English teacher John Roberts
encouraged him not to “take the expressway through life,” and to learn
from what he saw on campus outside of the classroom. For example,
sports teach perseverance and teamwork – skills critical to carrying one
through life. French teacher Velia Pryce preached that learning a second
language teaches one to think before speaking – a discipline Tercek has
found valuable in his world travels.
Addressing Chapman’s prediction, Tercek noted that when he was 16,
there were no music videos. He began to work with them in 1987. This
led to his successfully launching MTV in Asia in 1991. In 1993 he started
a computer games company, and three years later he became involved
with web dramas that led to the formation of Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment. He left Sony in 2000 to work on mobile videos and, from there,
launched a mobile phone game business in 2003. As noted, he now oversees digital media for the Oprah Winfrey media empire.
Another lesson learned from Chapman’s class, Tercek said, was about
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Robert Tercek ’81, president of digital media for the Oprah Winfrey Network,
talks about the future of technology as the Keir Vivienne Marticke ’02 Speaker
Series lecturer. To view the presentation, click here.
the psychological principle of “cognitive dissonance.” This principle holds
that one cannot have two contradictory thoughts at the same time. He cited
one-way vs. two-way communications as an example, noting that today’s
generation expects two-way communication.
“One-way media are struggling,” he said.
Arguing that the best way to predict the future is to invent it, Tercek
said that, just like him, many in today’s generation of Reserve students
will also work in jobs that have not yet been invented. Cognitive dissonance, he argued, will open up new fields in such contradictory areas as
abundance (solar energy) vs. scarcity (fossil fuels); health care (anticipating and preparing for inevitable health crises vs. waiting to treat them);
and global politics in a totally digitally connected world.
The Marticke Speaker Series was established in 2005.
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Educational journey continues for teacher
arah Horgan has taught history
at Reserve for 24 years. But
when it came time to further her
own education, she decided to travel
for additional training.
“My overall goal was to become
better informed about how best to
educate students for the 21st century,” said Horgan.
The Ohio native was one of only
47 chosen from 3,000 applicants in
2007 to participate in a two-year
master’s degree Summer Leadership
Academy program through Columbia University’s Klingenstein Center
for Independent School Leadership.
The program’s objective is to offer
selected candidates the opportunity to
develop the knowledge and skills necessary to lead independent schools in
America and abroad, according to its
website.
As a mother of four, an assistant
coach with the girls cross country
team and Senior Seminar Chair, Horgan applied to the New York Citybased program because the
summer-focused curriculum worked
with her demanding schedule,
among other reasons, she said.
“It allowed me to maintain our
routine during the school year, but
still pursue the interest I had in learn-
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ing more about education,” she
added. “I had huge reservations ...
but the quality of the teaching ... was
inspiring.”
The program’s commitment to
equal education for all students, urban
setting, resources and advanced course
offerings also were important deciding
factors, said Horgan, who attended sixweek summer courses in 2007 and
2008.
Classes included visits to New
York City locations, including various schools, Google’s headquarters
and small group visits with leaders
in government and education who
work with the Klingenstein Center.
Horgan also participated in distance learning classes and research
throughout the program’s two-year
time frame.
With coursework completed, she
will graduate in May.
It’s an educational journey that
already has hit home, she said.
From teaching styles and memory retention to understanding teen
learning motivation, said Horgan, “I
found things ... I could bring back
and use in my classroom.”
Story courtesy of the Hudson
Hub-Times.
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Celebration of
Student Excellence
n Nov. 12 the Reserve
community gathered in
the Chapel for the fall
Celebration of Student Excellence, honoring recent student
achievements.
Book prizes for the 2007-08
academic year, awarded to the
students with the highest yearlong grade-point averages in
each class, were presented to
seniors Anne Song (first), David
Suwondo (first) and Chris Corbett (second); juniors Danica
Liu (first) and Jaskaran Bains
(second); and sophomores Matt
Dunkelberger (first), Chris
Tongue (second) and Zach Wendeln (second).
The Celebration of Student
Excellence concluded with the
induction of two members of the
Class of 2009 into the Cum
Laude Society: Anne Song and
David Suwondo.
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Mathematics teacher Joe DiBiase
and Anne Song ’09.
David Suwondo ’09 earned a book
prize, presented by Alan Doe.
Mathematics teacher Gerard
Manoli and Chris Corbett ’09.
Language teacher Jeffrey Namiotka
and Danica Liu ’10.
Jaskaran Bains ’10 and English
teacher Nick Lewis.
Language teacher Jeffrey Namiotka
and Matt Dunkelberger ’11.
Don’t miss out on
Reserve news!
There is always something
happening at Reserve!
For the latest on concerts,
plays, sporting events, alumni
news and school events, be
Language teacher Jeffrey Namiotka
and Zach Wendeln ’11.
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Chris Tongue ’11 and English Department Chair Tom Davis.
sure to visit www.wra.net.
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Alumni cruise to Dalmatian Coast a success
hen’s the next one?” That was the question being asked by
everyone at the end of Reserve’s first alumni cruise, according to Jack McKee ’64, director of planned giving.
Last September, seven alumni, along with spouses, family members and other friends of Reserve, set sail from Venice, crossed the
Adriatic and cruised Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast for nine days aboard
the 55-passenger Monet. The Reserve group shared the Monet with a
similar alumni group from Smith College, according to McKee.
Among the ports of call were Dubrovnik, Split and Korcula. “And the
Monet was small enough that there was only one port where we
couldn’t tie right up at the dock,” he added.
“The scenery was beautiful, the people were beautiful, and we had a
marvelous time,” said McKee, who planned and organized the trip with
the help of the Alumni & Development Office. “The pride of the local
people we met was obvious, and there’s such rich history there.”
The 21-member group included alumni Jake Brown ’48, Ted Herwig
’49, Dick VanPelt ’51, Richie Thomas ’54, Dan Christman ’61, Randy
Davis ’77 and McKee. Also aboard were former Reserve Board President
John Ong and his wife, Lee, and recently retired Headmaster Henry
“Skip” Flanagan and his wife, Britt.
“Britt and I have never had such a memorable week in our lives,” said
Flanagan. “It was a well-conceived and well-orchestrated opportunity for the
two of us, and we were especially pleased to be there with such close friends.”
“It was an opportunity to join other Reserve alums on a leisurely
cruise along the lovely Dalmatian coastline,” reflected Herwig. “Venice
to Dubrovnik… the scenery was lovely. We were met at each destination
point by local folk to guide us through the points of interest.”
Herwig also enjoyed getting to know his fellow passengers. “Wonderful companionship aboard ship, sharing with Reserve alumni across the
years, each with their own captivating additions to the group,” he added.
“From academics to warriors, a rich and exciting fellowship to enjoy.
This, truly, is what WRA is about – diversity, independence of thought,
openness to new experiences and ideas.”
For Christman, it was an opportunity to return to the Balkans for the
first time since the 1994-95 conflict, when he represented the U.S. as a
member of NATO’s Military Committee. The retired lieutenant general
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Photo courtesy of Randy Davis ’77
Dan Christman ’61 addresses fellow passengers aboard the Monet.
shared some of his experiences with his fellow cruise members. “It was
emotional in many respects, to see the obvious progress,” he commented.
“Listening to Dan Christman was terrific, as he looked at the area from a
geopolitical standpoint and made it accessible for everyone,” said Flanagan.
Getting to know people and discovering similarities among those who
didn’t know one another was a highlight for everyone, according to McKee.
“It was our goal to keep it small, and to try to find something different, beyond Paris and Rome, say, that would interest WRA alums,” he explained.
Apparently, it was a formula for success. Christman summed up the
experiences of the WRA group this way: “Roman ruins, relaxation on the
Dalmatian Coast, reminiscing with Reserve friends – WRA’s fall cruise
was brilliantly conceived, flawlessly executed and the perfect antidote to
last fall’s financial downer. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
Added Herwig, “What a great tradition to begin for the future Reserve family!”
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Class receives first-hand look at court
hen English teacher Susan McKenzie, a former practicing
lawyer and Case Western Reserve University law professor, was
asked several years ago to teach a senior elective, she knew exactly what she wanted to do. The Literature in Law course, now in its second year, examines the legal system through its literary portrayal.
“My goal,” McKenzie says, “is not to teach students the law, but to
get them to investigate the law’s presence, its impact, the public’s lack of
understanding about it, and the issues of morality and truth surrounding
it.” During the semester, students read In Cold Blood, To Kill a Mockingbird, Inherit the Wind and other legal-themed titles. “The students had
many questions about what happens in the courtroom,” relates McKenzie,
which made it important to see the legal process firsthand.
On Nov. 20, the class observed Judge Brenda Burnham Unruh’s Criminal Call Day in the Summit County Court of Common Pleas. During this
event, the judge hears many newly charged defendants, one after another, in
a “high-volume, high-energy, very quick process.” The nine-page agenda
given to students listed 70 defendants to be heard within a couple of hours.
Students watched the court become packed with public defenders,
family members and court personnel. Within view, many of the defendants sat together: a blur of orange jumpsuits in handcuffs.
“At first I was a little scared and avoided eye contact with them,”
said Ashley Isaac ’09. But ultimately the experience was “a total
wake-up call” that gave her an awareness of the crime that goes on
and the different lives that people lead.
Ronnie Lieberman ’09 said that it was not the “rough characters” who
surprised him, but how quickly the judge and lawyers had to work.
“Although the legal system is obviously overwhelmed with the
number of cases it has to deal with, both the lawyers and the judges
do their best with the resources they have available,” he said. “They
make the best of their situation to ensure justice, no matter how inefficient, is served.”
In addition to observing the proceedings, the students met with Judge
Unruh beforehand, asking her a list of questions they had prepared.
“She has a real ability to communicate with and engage the students,”
McKenzie says, calling her an “amazing teacher with a humanistic approach.”
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Members of Susan McKenzie’s Literature in Law class visited Judge Brenda
Burnham Unruh’s courtroom to witness the legal process firsthand. In the
judge’s chambers were, kneeling from left, seniors Joe Wang and Matthew
Morse; and, standing from left, seniors Michael Dasu, Joon Seok Yoo, Eric Jacobstein, Ashley Isaac, Tucker Murray, Judge Unruh, Ronnie Lieberman,
McKenzie, Adam Wise, Tim Nolan, Jack Rogan and Parker Summers.
Afterward, the class met with Judge Unruh again, and she responded
to specific questions about what the teens had witnessed. Students also
received a tour of the courthouse, including historic courtrooms, and had
the opportunity to sit in the jury box and approach the witness stand, getting a real feel for the law in action.
“My students could see firsthand the procedural processes as well as
the human element involved,” McKenzie said. “Criminal Call Day really
engaged my students.” McKenzie said she has received positive reactions
from the students since the trip.
“It is one thing to talk about it and another thing entirely to experience it,” Lieberman said.
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Student duo volunteers
at Beijing Olympics
Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the November 2008
issue of the Reserve Record and was written by Emily Clark ’11.
While most of us watched the athletic spectacle of the Olympic
Games from our couches, a few Reserve students enjoyed the amazing
experience of witnessing these events and festivities
first hand. Volunteering in Shanghai or in Beijing,
these students had the opportunity to interact with
some of the greatest athletes, while watching worldchanging events unfold before them.
Eric Su ’09, who was visiting family in Beijing
during the months of July and August, volunteered
with his cousin. Su’s duties required him to promote
the games and provide information concerning the
Olympics outside a hotel.
“It was so interesting,” he said. “There was great
enthusiasm from the Chinese to volunteer for the
Eric Su ’09
Olympics.”
While there, Su also watched a few competitions, including men’s beach volleyball and track and
field. The highlight of his trip, he said, was watching
Usain Bolt, a Jamaican sprinter, break the world
record in the 100m with a time of 9.69 seconds.
“He was so fast,” Su said, shaking his head, “it
was unbelievable.”
In Shanghai, where she resides, Wenli Rui ’09 also
volunteered for the Olympic Games last summer. She
worked in the reception department of a hotel, which
hosted many of the soccer teams, including teams
from Argentina, Australia and Serbia.
Wenli Rui ’09
After training for 14 days, Rui worked from 8
a.m. to 10 p.m. every day, helping the players with
shopping, answering their questions, even acting “kind of like bodyguards.”
She also met former soccer captain Wen Sun.
Even though she did not get a chance to see any of the Olympic
events, Wenli said, “The experience was exciting and tiring!”
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Reserve’s students, faculty and staff collected 745 toys during the fourth
annual Toys for Tots fundraiser, with the junior class collecting the most
toys with 342. Shopping for toys were, from left, Laura Kisthardt ’09,
Emily Clark ’11, Brynn Schmitt ’09 and Derek Lake ’11. The Pioneer
Women of Reserve, REACH and the Ong Library staff sponsored the event.
Donate Your Used Reserve Wear
he Pioneer Women of Reserve are collecting used Reserve
green blazers, kilts, boat house jackets and school ties for
resale in the campus bookstore. Donations may be dropped
off or mailed to Eva Fitzgerald at the bookstore. All proceeds are used
to benefit the quality of student life at WRA and to enhance
communication between the school and the Pioneer Women.
Please call Neena Bains at 330.656.5401 or e-mail her at
[email protected] if you have any questions.
T
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Football team fundraiser fights cancer
o much was so similar when Nicolas Zuccarelli ’10 dropped his
back to the bench, started to grunt and pump out one bench press
repetition after another.
But so much was also so different.
Oh, Zuccarelli extended his arms and his hands high over his head,
just as he always does. And he pushed out a puff of breath each time the
bar dropped toward his chest, just
as he always does. But dozens of
friends and teammates gathered
around him, and cheered him during each of his eight reps at 185
pounds. That was far from ordinary.
So, too, were the surroundings.
Zuccarelli, a linebacker for the
Pioneer football team, was not
pumping iron in the weight room in the Murdough Athletic Center, just a
long pass from the football field, but on the first floor in Seymour Hall,
the primary academic building on campus. And while some students
wrapped up another week of classes in English or Spanish or calculus,
Zuccarelli pumped iron and raised money during Bench Pressing for
Breast Cancer, the latest service project for the Pioneers.
Bench Pressing for Breast Cancer started out as little more than a
memory for rookie football coach Chris Monfiletto, who participated in a
similar event when he studied, played and coached at Davidson College
in North Carolina. The Wildcats planned – and pressed – a similar event a
couple of years ago, then distributed the contributions they raised to a
couple of different charities, Monfiletto said.
The money raised by the Pioneers on Feb. 14 – $1,185.25, in all –
will benefit breast cancer research in Northeast Ohio.
“There have been a couple of faculty members whose parents have
been affected by the disease,” Monfiletto said. “We figured it would fit in
well.”
Monfiletto started to plan the project in early January and continued
to develop ideas during the last couple of weeks. He wanted to move a
bench press from the weight room to Seymour Hall – the first time a
S
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Football coach Chris Monfiletto spots Tochi Mbanugo ’12 during the football
team’s Bench Pressing for Breast Cancer fundraiser.
bench press has ever appeared in the building, according to school
Archivist and Historian Tom Vince – to spark more interest. More than 90
T-shirts, each emblazoned with pink lettering, followed. And during the
event, a chart on the wall chronicled the accomplishments of the more
than 40 football players and coaches who participated.
Quarterback Frank Haverlack ’09 pounded out 13 reps at 185 pounds
– 11 pounds more than he weighed prior to the 2008 season – and running
back Mwanza Baptiste ’11 turned in eight reps at 185 pounds. Assistant
coach Richard Eicheldinger set the bar – and lifted it, again and again –
with 17 reps at 225 pounds.
A couple of minutes after noon, three players loaded the bench, the
bar and the weight plates in a truck to return them to the weight room,
perhaps a more appropriate setting.
“The kids bought into it,” Monfiletto said, “which is a good thing.”
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Song turns in gold medal performance
t is hard to determine whether Anne Song succeeds more academically
– she’s the top student in the senior class – or athletically, where she is
a three-sport standout.
Instead of debating the issue, the simple answer is she is an excellent
student-athlete.
Song’s hard work in the classroom and in three different sports has
not gone unnoticed. The 5-foot-8 star earned a Gold Medal, Reserve’s
most prestigious athletic award, after leading the Pioneers girls soccer
team to an 11-7-3 overall record and a Tri-County league championship.
“Anne is what I look for in a Gold Medal candidate,” girls soccer
coach Joe DiBiase said. “I look for a program-defining player and I think
that is what she really has been.”
“The things we look for in a Gold Medal winner are dedication to the
sport, leadership and someone who has received accolades outside of the
school. On the girls’ side, she is the most dedicated player we have had.
She is the only player to make all-state in our program history.”
Song receives the Gold Medal just one season after former teammate
Kelsey McCallops ’08 earned the award. McCallops currently plays soccer at Calvin College in Michigan.
“It was quite a nice tandem to have Kelsey McCallops and Anne
Song for three years,” DiBiase said. “Then I had Anne for one more season.”
Song earned four soccer letters and scored 63 goals during her Reserve career. The 17-year-old Hudson resident tallied 25 goals and 11 assists in 21 games this season as a forward-midfielder, and is on pace to
earn 12 athletic letters before she leaves Brick Row.
“It really means a lot to me to win the Gold Medal,” said Song, who
also excels in basketball and track & field. “Ever since my freshman year,
I saw some of the best athletes in the school win it. It’s humbling in a way
to receive the honor.”
In addition to the First Team All-Ohio honor, Song was also named
the Tri-County League Player of the Year and was a first team selection to
a pair of National Soccer Coaches Association of America teams: AllCentral Region and Scholar All-America (one of 35 in the nation).
I
Anne Song ’09, who earned a Gold Medal in girls soccer, was also named a
Scholar All-American.
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Song said her cumulative grade-point average is 7.15 on a 7.0 scale.
She had a 7.46 GPA this past quarter and is receiving interest from Harvard, Yale and Williams College.
Despite the various honors, Song has remained humble and grateful.
She credits her parents, Tao Song and Min Zhong, 7-year-old brother Andrew and a cast of others.
“She is a tremen“I think with a lot of it, I have gotten redous teammate who ally lucky,” said Song. “I have been blessed
is also the star of the with the ability to play sports and to have my
team. I can’t remem- parents’ full support. I know they are always
ber anybody that I there for me, just like my coaches, my friends
and my teammates.”
have had that has
DiBiase has been a key mentor to Song,
been such a loyal
as he has coached her in soccer and basketball.
student and a
“I really respect him,” Song said of DiBiplayer.”
ase. “He has not only been my coach for four
Joe DiBiase, years, he has also been my academic advisor.
Girls soccer coach I have gotten to know him in a lot of different
aspects. He is a really nice guy and he has
helped me through a lot.”
Song said she likes science courses the most. She enjoys chemistry,
biology and physics, and is a member of the Forensics Club, the Junior
Engineering Technical Society and It’s Academic team.
“She is a kid whose loyalty and humility are something that we will
miss in addition to her soccer ability,” DiBiase concluded. “She is a
tremendous teammate who is also the star of the team. There was never
an ounce of jealousy from anyone on the team. I have been coaching for
25 years and I can’t remember anybody that I have had that has been such
a loyal student and a player.”
Song also plays guard on the basketball team and runs on the 4x400
and the 4x800 meter relay teams. She has lettered three times in each
sport and plans to get a fourth in each.
Song plans to play soccer and pursue medicine in college and then
become a doctor.
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13
Fall Athletic Award Winners
Boys Cross Country
Boys Soccer
MVPs: Brayden Gerrie ’09
Jack Hoover ’11
MIP: William Mason ’10
Coaches/Spirit: Jaskaran Bains ’10
MVP: Rene Silva ’09
MIP: Kenneth Russell Jr. ’11
Spirit Award: Daniel Litowitz ’09
Coaches Award: Whoo-Joong
Suh ’09
Girls Cross Country
Girls Soccer
MVP: Ceara O’Sullivan ’10
MIPs: Sara Wroblewski ’09
Sarah Hulver ’10
Coaches/Spirit: Brittany Lavanty ’09
MVP: Anne Song ’09
MIP: Persistence Sample ’10
Coaches/Spirit: Jessica Gruden ’09
Field Hockey
Tennis
MVP: Taryn Murray ’09
MIPs: Kelsey Closen ’09
Alexa Deininger ’09
Coaches/Spirit: Amanda Shaw ’09
MVP: Rachel Blanda ’11
MIP: Carley Stewart ’11
Coaches/Spirit: Anne Forhan ’10
Volleyball
Football
Offensive MVP: Dillon Giorgis ’11
Defensive MVP: Ethan
O’Connor ’09
MIP: Martin Presley ’11
Spirit Award: Dana Iafelice ’09
Golf
MVP: Daina Worcester ’09
MIP: Thelma Crowder ’09
Coaches/Spirit: Sarah Puffer ’10
For more information, click on
the sport to be taken to the
team’s website.
MVP: Riley Pratt ’10
MIP: Aaron Segal ’11
Spirit Award: Michael Dasu ’09
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Boys Cross Country MVP
Boys Cross Country MVP
Girls Cross Country MVP
Brayden Gerrie ’09
Jack Hoover ’11
Ceara O’Sullivan ’10
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Field Hockey MVP
Football MVP
Football MVP
Taryn Murray ’09
Dillon Giorgis ’11
Ethan O’Connor ’09
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Golf MVP
Boys Soccer MVP
Girls Soccer MIP
Riley Pratt ’10
Rene Silva ’09
Persy Sample ’10
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Tennis MVP
11:03 AM
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Volleyball MVP
Reserve needs your support
The Annual Fund at Reserve needs your
support. In addition to cash donations,
gifts of stock and securities are also
accepted. If you are inspired to make a
gift, please visit www.wra.net/alumni
and follow the links to our secure online
giving section.
To learn more about giving opportunities
at Reserve, contact Director of the
Annual Fund Lisa Sabol at 330.650.9701
or e-mail her at [email protected].
Reserve
Bulletin
Editor/Design: Thomas Moore
Staff Photographers: Alan Doe & Doug
Garmon
Staff Writers: Susan Haile, Don Husat ’64,
Cathy Fahey-Hunt, Matt LaWell ’02 &
Michael Beaven
The Reserve Bulletin is published twice a year for parents, alumni parents, alumni and friends of the school.
Direct your correspondence to Thomas Moore, Director of Publications, Western Reserve Academy, 115
College Street, Hudson, Ohio 44236, 330.650.5839 or
[email protected]. All changes of address should be
sent to the Alumni & Development Office.
Rachel Blanda ’11
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Daina Worcester ’09
17
Western Reserve Academy admits students of any
race, sex, color, disability, and national or ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities
generally accorded or made available to students at
Reserve. It does not discriminate on the basis of
race, sex, color, disability, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies,
admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs,
and athletic and other school-administered programs.