Shady Side Academy in 1990
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College Choices Volume 101, No. 5 HADY SID Tuesday, May 19, 2009 Please, see Pittsburgh, PA SNEWSNEWSE page eight SSA salutes Ms. Gray By Billy Rutherford “Do you want to teach English or Theatre?” asked Peter Kountz, Presi- dent of Shady Side Academy in 1990. “Both,” boldly responded Mary Beth Gray, a newly hired teacher caught in the grey area between departments. “English or Theatre?” retorted a de- termined Kountz. “Theatre,” Ms. Gray said, starting a nineteen year career in drama at Shady Side. From the children’s homecoming play and the fall play early in the year to musicals and senior one-act plays in the spring, Ms. Gray has been a pioneer of size of its Memorial Hall counterpart, performance at SSA. which used to house all SSA perfor- Ms. Gray’s own acting prowess was mances. on show in 1969 in Twelfth Night at Although primarily involved in the- Seton Hill University. atre, Ms. Gray has taught English elec- Her son, Matt Fisher, who now tives, fulfilling her request to Mr. Kountz works in the Middle School and coaches to remain involved in both fields. football, acted in West Side Story and Ms. Gray has endorsed other inter- three other productions at SSA. disciplinary activity at SSA. The art and Photo by Jack Wolf David McCullough ‘51. Renowned alumnus and American historian visits the new Archival Gallery. Ms. Gray used her past experience music departments were merged five to play a hand in molding Christian years ago and have created a wonderful Borle, a future Broadway actor who was cumulative sense of “synergy,” as Dan in The Boys Next Door at SSA and later Brill puts it. “Ms. Gray is quite a McCullough headlines quasquicentennial starred in Legally Blond in New York. character,” says Veronica Lee, who By Rob Belles He said that there was “no doubt” McCullough went outside to the lower She also directed current faculty mem- worked on the sound crew this year. In a day that began with breakfast that his English teachers had an impact level entrance to the Hillman Center for ber David Chottiner, who had a lead role “We’ll miss her happy spirit!” and ended with an alternative rock con- on his career as a writer because he went the Performing Arts, where he cut the in Godspell in 1998. As Jay Deal and Roman San Doval cert late in the evening, Shady Side on to Yale University and majored in ribbon to the new Archival Gallery named Ms. Gray witnessed first-hand the gear up for their senior one-act play, Academy’s 125th Anniversary Celebra- English. in his honor. Shortly after this, he transformation of theater at Shady Side animatedly depicted by Ms. Gray as a tion/Untucked Concert was certainly Not only was English important to returned to the podium in Rauh Theater, when the Hillman Performing Arts Cen- “Who’s on first?” “What’s on second” one for the ages. Mr. McCullough, but the arts were as where he addressed the filled theater. ter was erected in 2004. “It’s not an “I don’t know’s on third” baseball spec- The day began with breakfast. David well. The speaker was introduced by Presi- auditorium anymore—it’s a theater!” tacle, a long road comes to an honorable McCullough, Shady Side Academy class “I loved the fact that here at Shady dent of the Academy Thomas N. Ms. Gray exclaims, speaking of the end for a long-time member of the SSA of 1951, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Side, the arts were never the ‘parsley Southard and F. Walter Jones, Mr. theater in Hillman more than twice the community. and recipient of the Presidential Medal around the main dish,’ they were a part McCullough’s former history teacher, of Freedom, was the honored guest. of the main dish.” Mr. McCullough, professor emeritus of SSA. In his ad- Mr. McCullough is the author of who is also a painter, said that he was dress, Mr. McCullough answered vari- 1776 and John Adams, along with many very grateful for his education in the arts ous questions such as ‘What do you other award winning histories. He has here at Shady Side. think should be done differently in edu- lectured at many universities and has Having benefitted from both an illus- cation?’, and ‘How can we restore the been honored to speak at the White trious career and his time at Shady Side love of learning in today’s generation?’ House. Academy, Mr. McCullough gives this After all of the questions were an- After breakfast, he walked from advice to the student body of the Acad- swered, and many laughs and a few McCune Dining Hall to the Richard E. emy. “Character counts heavily. The standing ovations later, Mr. Rauh Theater, where I was able to inter- Greeks said that character was des- McCullough’s wife was called to the view Mr. McCullough. tiny, and I think that was part of the stage. There she was given a gift on Mr. McCullough, the man of pres- spirit of learning that our teachers behalf of the Academy and Mr. tige that he is, says he has been blessed had been groomed and fitted as teach- McCullough was given a commemora- by a wonderful education, one chapter ers. And I feel that from what we have tive plaque in honor of the Gallery’s of which was spent at our own Shady seen from the history of our own time opening. Side Academy. and from what I have experienced in A reception followed on the Mary “I don’t think there is any question writing the history of other times Hillman Jennings Plaza in Mr. that the education at Shady Side im- that that bears up very well. Now I McCullough’s honor. pacted how all of us express ourselves,” know that there are other forces in The 125 Anniversary celebration Mr. McCullough said of his education. history besides the individual and continued as The Untucked Carnival “We were certainly drilled in writing the they have to be understood as part of began inside the Roy A. McKnight English language in a clear, sensible way life, the rather great undercurrents- Hockey Center. The carnival had some- with nouns and verbs and sentences, and epidemic diseases or financial bo- thing for all ages. A joyous rendition of we also had to take public speaking. nanzas, which very often have little “Happy Birthday” was sung by all to “So it was a great grounding, and or nothing to do with the individual. SSA. particularly I think because of Mr. But by and large, character does After the carnival, the floor was [Innis], who…not only insisted that we count.” cleared for the Untucked Concert, fea- read good writing, but that we used our Mr. McCullough also went on to turing the band State Radio, an alterna- taste or judgment in knowing what we give advice to the teachers of the Acad- tive rock group from Boston, Massa- liked in what we read, to know what we emy as well. “You can’t just pour edu- chusetts. liked in how we wrote. And one of his cation into somebody’s head. You can’t The group received much applause great admonitions was, ‘Don’t tell me, inject it as with a needle, or ingest it as at the concert, which raised least $15,000 show me. Don’t tell me that somebody a pill; you have to work at it. And so in dollars in donations to benefit Global was strong and handsome, but at the reading, it isn’t just a question of ‘have Links, an organization that collects sur- same time devious, but show me that you read that book’, but ‘have you plus medical supplies and sends them to somebody was strong and handsome, concentrated as you were reading’.” third world countries. but at the same time devious.’” After this media session, Mr. (Please see Untucked, Page 3) Strut your stuff! Mary Rooney and Todd Berglund on the runway. Prom Fashion Show By Olivia Seecof Girls, start finding a dress, and guys, with about 25 models, paparazzi, tea start getting fitted for a tux because Prom and finger sandwiches, and a large as- is quickly approaching. As the end of sortment of raffles and silent auction school draws closer, upper classmen items. The Ben Roethlisberger signed and those lucky underclassmen know football and autographed James Harrison that there is one final SSA dance they jersey were two of the big hits at the will attend this year. The Junior class auction. officers along with the Prom Committee Walking down the runway at the have been working diligently to make Pittsburgh Golf Club in a pink and black sure this year’s prom is the most spec- Betsy Johnson dress and Martha Wash- tacular Shady Side Academy has ever ington themed hair, Junior class Presi- had. dent Mahima Chablani said, “I can’t Junior class Secretary/Treasurer Alli wait until prom actually happens!” This Rath said, “There have been about eight was the feeling that filled the room as the of us who have only eaten, slept, and girls twirled in their dresses from E.B. planned prom for the last seven months. Pepper and Max Alto, and the guys put We think it will be one of the best proms on their sunglasses to go with their tuxes Photo by Jack Wolf ever.” from Top Hat Tuxedo. Untucked. Capital Road warms up the crowd for State Radio in the McKnight Hockey Center.