Class of 1994 Back, Back...to Culver Days November 2019
Culver Academies Class of 1994 25th Reunion ~Thanks to all those who attended reunion~ Dee Adams Angela Crawford Jackson Sarah Dodge Rich Fernando Arias Steve Jackson Tom Ruane John Aylesworth Ingrid Jacobson Ted Rumpf Anastasia Medard Beeson Todd Jakel Lindsay Sammann Nathan Brown Scott Johnson Coe Schlicher Susannah Cooper Chierek Justin Kearns Juan Seldner Brian Claassen Anne Schneider Kelley Amit Sharma Heather Daigle Sumeet Kumar Jon Shine Rebecca Sturm Danehy Liz Morgan Lamoreux Trish Slemmons Mong Rich Desich Ben Lower Sarah Swanger Damian Dollard Isa Gallwas Magsamen Ray Thompson Nancy Doris Amy Browne Mason Katie Hutchinson Turner Scott Evans Ryan Mayfield Rafael Valdez Mingramm Quin Cheatham Frieder Shannon Mosley Danielle Danko Wemyss Becky Van Ostrand Gaines Meghan Myers Heather Wilson Casey Harris Virginia Hiler Napoli Chris Marschel Win Beth Chube Hawkins Charlie Norton Chris Wright Mitch Henderson Jennifer Dicke Prewitt Brent Wunder Megan Shepard Hinton Brian Ray Kevin Young With Gratitude Thank you to our reunion committee: Brian Claassen, Rebecca Sturm Danehy, Damian Dollard, Scott Evans, Quindaro Cheatham Frieder, Anne Schneider Kelley, Liz Morgan Lamoreux, Trisha Slemmons Mong, Virginia Hiler Napoli
And a big thanks to: Tom Ruane for hosting our Thursday dinner and providing our Reunion HQ. Danny Cowell for key noting our Saturday evening program. Kevin Young for hosting Saturday evening's program. Lindsay Sammann and Peepers for donating sunglasses for parade. Justin Kearns and Ryan Mayfield for organizing our golf outing. PAGE 2 A Note from the Class President... Dear Class of 94 friends,
I hope this newsletter finds you enjoying autumn in your corner of the world. Inside these pages you'll find photos from our 25th reunion along with some updates and news from our class- mates. Reunion was such a great weekend, and Ryan Mayfield has captured pieces of why in his article. A big thank you to Tom Ruane for hosting us at the Vonnegut House and to Sarah Dodge and others for the photos shared from our many adventures that weekend.
Also, thank you to Scott Evans for his leadership as our Class President these past ten years. I'm excited to be taking over as we work to continue to keep the momentum and connec- tion going that so many of us experienced in Culver in May.
While the photos show the fun we had, as I said in our class meeting that weekend, I want to honor that high school was full of good times and some not-so-great times. And over the past 25 years, we've all experienced highs and lows. It became clear at reunion that we want to know more about who we each are now. My hope is that the connections formed and reformed at reun- ion will spread and that those of you who couldn't attend or decided not to will also feel the recon- nection growing.
We're working on some mini-reunion ideas and looking at a few projects that we can come together to do as a class. More on those soon. Plus, we will continue the brainstorming we began during our class meeting to create a project with a focus on sustainability and good stewardship where we can use our combined expertise, networks, and resources.
And on a more personal note: After reunion, I spent some time with my dad and step mom in South Bend, and I remember standing outside alone in his backyard thinking about how my heart was so full of the joy that comes from being in a room with people and watching them laugh and connect and reminisce and tell stories and make new memories and look one another in the eyes with gratitude and love. Because that weekend all came down to being brave, open, and vulnerable, and that’s what I witnessed again and again. People who may have never really talked 25 years ago including one another, embracing, sharing memories, reaching across all the gaps and disconnects and saying, “I’m so glad you’re here.” I’m not saying it was perfect, but it was a beautiful gift to be part of, which is a pretty amazing thing when you think about how we all met in high school.
Culver is a unique place. It's not perfect. And as I listened to so many of your stories that weekend, I began to think about how perhaps only at a school that exists on a gorgeous lake in the middle of cornfields in Indiana that is part military academy and part Harry Potter and part college prep could people from so many different experiences, with varying beliefs and thoughts about the world, come together with such deep connection and openness. Because at Culver, we helped one another grow up, and it connects us always.
I'm so glad you are all in my life.
I'd love to hear from you with any ideas, questions, or news you might have. Please feel free to email me at [email protected]. And if you're visiting in the Seattle/Tacoma area, I want to see you! Please be in touch.
With gratitude,
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A Walk Down Reunion 2019 Memory Lane... PAGE 4
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My story. Our story By Ryan Mayfield Ryan, Mandy, Stella (5), Ruby (3) and Miles (1) recently moved to Richmond Hill, GA where Ryan will serve in the 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, GA.
Culver will always be my home. So needless to say, I never doubted I was going to attend our 25th reunion. However, I wrestled with how to articulate to others that our reunion would be a truly valuable and worthwhile experience.
As Liz, Quin, Virginia, Rebecca, and others led the planning, they thought about how to ensure a special class connection — for all to feel included not only as a former CMA/CGA student, but as a 1994 classmate who could reconnect and feel welcomed and known as a friend. During our Saturday dinner, a few classmates shared memories and a little about what Culver means to them. Combined with the keynote address from Danny Cowell, the result was a special capstone event for our class highlighting what was al- ready an outstanding weekend. Although I shared a few words, I did not share the follow- ing story of one of the reasons why Culver is special to me.
I recall a fall evening senior year when I was ready go to the Dining Hall. I remem- ber feeling lost with no one to accompany me to dinner. Although I'd been eating in the Dining Hall throughout my life, I was still intimidated to walk up the steep concrete steps, push open the heavy doors, and enter into the vastness when not marching or en- tering with a group of friends. I looked for my usual Band Company counterparts or even other unit acquaintances so I would not be seen eating alone. However, with seemingly everyone involved in activities, sports or other plans, I was forced to face my high school insecurities or not eat.
When I was a freshman, upperclassmen seemed so grown up and impressively cool. But now I was the upperclassman, and I realized it was not what I envisioned as an un- derclassman. While innocuous, this memory stands out because surviving eating that meal alone was a moment of growth for me. As Danny Cowell reminded us about the pro- gression from Culver freshman to senior, conquering the Culver Dining Hall is not the on- ly obstacle in becoming a graduate ready for the next life phase. Our shared memories over reunion weekend reminded us all of our struggles and our growth as the result of our Culver experience.
After our amazing reunion weekend, my mom and dad drove me back to O’Hare. I’ve always been proud of my dad’s Culver history, commitment, and career, and during our drive, he shared a story of his own cadet struggles I had not heard. He almost did not progress to his sophomore year because he failed his geometry final exam. In 1962, if a CMA student failed a final exam, he failed the entire semester term, leading to expulsion. He was afforded one chance to retake the exam in the fall to pass the class and remain at Culver. This forced a summer of intense weekly geometry tutoring in Indianapolis driven to from Kokomo by his father. While not what my dad planned, not only did he pass the exam re-take, he remembers the time gained with his father and the relationship with his geometry tutor as blessings and foundational life markers.
Continued on next page... PAGE 9
My story. Our story, continued
Throughout our reunion, we shared stories of successes and struggles and recon- nected easily even with those who were not necessarily close friends as students and class- mates. However, it was during Saturday night’s class dinner, where Becky, Nate, Megan, John, Casey, and Steve courageously and humorously shared their own Culver memories and circumstances that I realized how to articulate why this specific Silver reunion is so valuable and worthwhile: it offers a connection or reconnection to our story — a shared story that shaped us individually as well as collectively.
Culver Fund
Thank you to the 35 classmates (exceeding our goal of 33 classmates), who supported Culver between July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019 by making a Culver Fund gift. Our class contributed a total of $49,426 with $49,266 designated for the Culver Fund, with the balance designated for various endowments and capital expenditures.
The overall Culver Fund goal for 2019-2020 is $5.5 million, which is critical for the school’s annual budget to support student financial aid, faculty salaries, academic and leadership programs, a beautiful campus and more!
AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL for your support, and thank you in advance for your im- portant investment in Culver in providing the resources needed to meet The Culver Mis- sion:
Culver educates its students for leadership and responsible citizenship in society by developing and nurturing the whole individual – mind, spirit, and body – through integrated programs that emphasize the cultivation of character.
John Aylesworth Anne Schneider Kelley Anastasia Medard Beeson Ann Kroger Brian Claassen Liz Morgan Lamoreux Heather Daigle Amy Browne Mason Rebecca Sturm Danehy Ryan Mayfield Melissa Braun Dennis Meghan Myers Rich Desich Virginia Hiler Napoli Damian Dollard Sergio Nieto Nancy Doris Jennifer Dicke Prewitt Scott Evans Lindsay Sammann Ryan Flannery Coe Schlicher Quin Cheatham Frieder Trish Slemmons Mong Becky Van Ostrand Gaines Sarah Swanger Casey Harris Katie Hutchinson Turner Mitch Henderson Rafael Valdez Mingramm Ingrid Jacobson Heather Wilson Scott Johnson Chris Marschel Win Chris Wright PAGE 10
We’re connecting more often over in our class Facebook group (and even celebrating birthdays). Come over and meet us there. We’d love to see photos of you wearing your Culver swag or drinking from your reunion water bottle:
www.facebook.com/groups/culvercentennialclass
Photo credit: John Aylesworth Class News Request
We’d love to hear from you! From the big news to the small peeks at what life is like for you in your corner of the world, we’d love to include updates from you in our next newsletter and in our Facebook group. We’d love to see photos of meet ups with your Culver friends and updates about your hobbies, job, families, where you live, etc. Please connect with Liz Mor- gan Lamoreux at [email protected] to share what you’ve been up to lately.
Mini Reunion Gatherings
Quin Cheatam Frieder writes about the Ferncella Adventure in Cleveland: It started with a text thread among housemates over reunion week- end. Some of us knew each other well during our time at Culver, some have now formed bonds that are continuing the warm feelings that were created during our 25th. We collectively decided that after such a great weekend we needed to get together sooner rather than later. Can we make it to Cleve- land for Yankees v. Indians game? The answer was yes. We made it happen. We stayed up late, we made dinners together, we had several shots of tequila. Mike Burkons (1993) made an appearance. Fernando opened his family home to us. Lindsay Sammann Van Putten, though not able to attend, designed t-shirts for the weekend. We started something and want to continue it. It is continuing to bond us together. My kiddos attended and from being around both Ingrid and Fernando are studying Spanish daily. PAGE 11
Mini Reunion Gatherings
Megan Shepard Hinton shared about a 4th of July gathering in Culver:
After reunion, we wanted to keep the fun going. There are a handful of people in Culver for the 4th of July holiday because their kids go to Woodcraft or they come back to see family, so a few made the plan to gather for the weekend, and it turned into quite a fun celebration. We’d love to make it an annual tradition, so plan to join us!
(Note from Liz: I bugged Megan to give us her famous Basil Vodka Gimlet recipe that you may have enjoyed at reunion. Here it is. And you should really come to the 4th so you can have them in person again next year because I’m not sure any of us can really make them this well.)
Basil Vodka Gimlets *how to make the basil lemon syrup
Ingredients 4 cups packed fresh basil sprigs 1 cup basil lemon syrup* 4 cups water ¾ cup vodka 2 cups sugar 9 (4 x 1”) strips lemon zest ¾ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice ice
Bring all ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring un- til sugar is dissolved. Let stand at room temperature, covered, 1 hour, then transfer to an airtight container and chill overnight. Strain syrup through a sieve into a bowl, pressing and then dis- carding solids. Makes enough syrup for about 4 batches of gim- lets. Adapted from Gourmet magazine. PAGE 12
Mini Reunion Gatherings
Sarah Dodge Rich and Coe Schlicher wrote in about their summer adventure to Mexico City:
At our 25th reunion in the Ruane/Vonnegut House, an idea began to surface. The idea was simple. If reunion was fun, then more reunion would be more fun. More fun as it was explained by Ingrid, Rafael, Kankis, and of course Fernando was to journey to Mexico City in Au- gust and attend the annual and infamous Mexico City Culver-Winter-School-Only-Alumni Luncheon. Many rumors surrounded the event but on the whole Ingrid guaranteed the time would be memorable. Quite a few classmates were interested in attending and as the evening proceeded many even expressed their commit- ments to come. It ended up that two brave souls, Sarah Dodge and Coe Schlicher, flew to Mexico City and experienced the three-day event. Eduardo Wichtendal Palazuelos (CMA ’91), a famous chef and restaurateur, hosted the event at his home, and we enjoyed a fabu- lous four-course meal. Around 70 alumni attended with nine ‘94 grads there. Attending this event was a further reminder of the special bond we have as Culver grads. Like at our reun- ion in May, reuniting with old friends felt immediately comfortable and natural, as if no time had passed at all. We reminisced over old memories while having a great time making new ones in Mexico City. Everyone warmly welcomed and embraced us and encouraged us to recruit more Americans to come next year.
Other events, activities, and observations included general sightseeing, polo playing, lots of drinking of both Tequila and Mezcal, bodyguards, cool weather as the altitude is 7,400 feet above sea level, and cigars. Music at the luncheon (which lasted until the wee hours of the morning) was straight out of the early 90s and were classics from our Saturday night mess hall dances and mix tape memories. Good times were had by all. PAGE 13
Class News
Meghan Myers shares: After a near 20-year career with Ralph Lauren, I decided to resign and explore new ventures. The constant travel was wearing on me (and was what prevented me from taking part in reunion in its entirety!). I’m currently in Real Estate school with fel- low Culver Alum Lindsey Martin Pick ‘95, and we are hoping to make big things happen in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex. I’ve always had a passion for yoga, so I’m getting my 200- hour yoga teacher training certification. I don’t plan to teach, but just enjoy learning more about my hobby. I still play a lot of golf and spend an inordinate amount of time with my 5 year old little girl, Hazel. (Who some may remember from our 20th, as she was just 3 months old then; yes - a dog.) Looking forward to a mini-reunion before our 30th. Everyone is always welcome to come to Dallas, as it’s centrally located and a lot of fun!
Virginia Hiler Napoli writes: After nearly 7 years on Long Island the Napolis have moved west to Park City, UT. We are so happy to have made the move and now spend our weekends hiking, biking, and enjoying the outdoors. Now just waiting for ski season to ar- rive! Also, after over a decade apart Melissa Lange Boyle and I are back to celebrating our September 9th birthdays together. Missy played a huge role in our move to Park City. After a NY snowstorm stranded us at the Salt Lake airport in January of 2014, Missy took us in for what ended up being 4 days. We had such a great time that we planned a trip to Park City for New Years every year after. Happy to now call Park City home. Come visit!
Amy Browne Mason writes: I am keeping busy supporting my kids and their activities: Grace, a junior in high school is active in Student Council, Cougar Leadership, Riley Dance Marathon Exec, Dancewerks (an advanced hip hop group), Amplitude (showchoir), and is a new driver. William, 6th grade, is in cross country, plays guitar, and plays goalie for the Bloomington Blades and pitcher/1st base for Btown Frogz. James, 5th grade, is my travel buddy and plays right wing for the Tri-State Spartans AAA Hockey and left field and catch- er for Btown Frogz.
Heather Han shares an update and some favorite memories: I am living in Scotts- dale, Arizona. I have a private practice where I do coun- seling and healing and a small school where I teach re- flexology and holistic life coaching. I have 2 children, So- phie and Bodhi, ages 6 and 8. My favorite Culver memo- ries are Dancevision, swimming, sneaking off to Wood- craft Camp and having bonfires, and sneaking into Huff- ington Library when it was under construction. When everything is off limits, the little things were exhilarating. I miss Papa’s and Café Max, weekend trips to Chicago, dances, hockey games, and when it was warm enough to lay out after class. I went to campus with my kids 3 or 4 years ago, and it was lovely. The last person I saw was Tom Ruane, and I’m in touch with Sergio Fifi and Alexa Gruen, and enjoy connecting with everyone through pics on Facebook. PAGE 14
Class News
Ward Miller shares: I live in Bulgaria with my wife Elena, who I met at Willamette University. She went east to law school at graduation and I stayed in the Northwest and traveled mountain ranges around the world for about a decade. After passing the bar in Massachusetts and New York, my wife told me she was moving to New York. I ex- plained I would never move to the East Coast be- cause I prefer things out West and she explained in that case she was moving back home to Bulgaria to work at her family's intellectual property law firm. So I slowly transitioned my life, went to get my MBA, and moved to Bulgaria.
The first few years I learned the language, while teaching English and helping a systems integration company start a division for building management systems. The shock being surrounded by four walls all day and having little connection to the outdoors was a bit much, so I quit and got a job working for an Austrian company starting a daughter compa- ny in Bulgaria in the field of sustainability. After starting a company wide division in the niche of green building and not approving of the terms they offered for equity in the compa- ny, I started Alpenglow Advisory, my consultancy focused primarily on helping property in- vestors achieve LEED certification.
Our family has also created Cherry Orchard Residence, which is a unique property in Sofia on 12 acres of orchard land nestled between the Iskra River and Vitosha Mountain. We rent the place out for hospitality and special events like weddings, birthdays, corporate product launches, and other special occasions. We're hoping to open a second similar property at one of the oldest ski resorts in Europe called Borovets, which is about an hour from Sofia and where we spend most of our weekends during the winter.
Somewhere along the line my wife and I had a couple of boys - Benjamin 9 and Theophan 7, who study at the French school in Sofia. We also picked up a couple dogs - Max and Portus. In general, we're just trying to find a nice life work balance like most folks. I wish I could come to see everyone at Culver and show my kids, but that'll have to be at some point down the line. Like so many things at Culver, Sergeant Click has indeed had a lasting impact on my life - I can't seem to sleep past 6:30am!
I've attached a picture of our family on a trip in Greece last summer. My sister is in the background. We brought her along too cause she was kind enough to return our kids to us, who had stayed with my parents in Cleveland for a couple weeks.
I'm sorry I missed the 25th reunion. I hope everyone is happy and healthy, and if anyone wants to visit the Balkans, I'd be glad to show them around my neck of the woods!
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Class News
Ingrid Jacobson writes: I have a foundation that is called Cambiando Modelos (Changing Models) and it focuses on including children and young adults who have any kind of disability into media, so people will start to look at them for the talents they have and not because of the disa- bility. In September, we had our first all inclusive runway show with models that have disabilities and models that don’t have them because it is all inclusive. Here’s a photo from that event.
Ryan Mayfield has deployed for a nine month tour to Afghanistan in support of Operation Resolute Support. He should get back next summer and wants to hear all about any mini reunions he misses. While he’s de- ployed, you can reach him via LTC Ryan Mayfield TAAC-N HQ MES/CAMP MARMAL APO, AE 09354
Scott Evans and his fiancee had some fun in Napa this fall while looking at possible wedding venues.
Mitch Henderson held a seminar titled “Leadership & Character: The Princeton Basketball Way” during Reunion weekend. He shared that his duties as the Princeton Univer- sity head basketball coach is simply “managing the team.” He went on to share the challenges of “screen time and sleep.” The room was full as many Culver coaches and play- ers went to hear his story.
Your news from Culver NEWS.CULVER.ORG PAGE 16
Upcoming Culver Club Events
November
Culver Club of Jordan: Gathering, Friday, November 15, TBA
Culver Club of Central Ohio: “Culver Near You” Culver LAX Event @ Ohio State University Saturday, November 16, TBA
Culver Club of Chicago: Volunteer Event @Top Box Foods ~ Sunday, November 17, TBA
Culver Club of London: Gathering, Friday, November 22, TBA
December
Culver Club of Chicago: Holiday Event @ The Casino ~ Saturday, December 7, 6:30 PM
Culver Club of Culver: Annual Vespers Event, Sunday, December 8, 7:00 PM
Culver Club of Indianapolis: Holiday Event @ TBD, Saturday, December 14, TBA
visit www.culver.org/alumnievents for complete details