Our 28th Year of Publication

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History of ACS Reunions by Jon Stacey '61 Although many informal get-togethers of ACSers had occurred in prior years, the first ever "official" AA/ACS reunion was held in Alexandria, VA from July 16 - 18, 1982 over a weekend with a low, low registration fee of $25.

Reunion Chair(s): Cindy Abizaid '75/Anne Bruder '70 Expected Attendance: 175 Actual Attendance: 160 Oldest Attendee: Class of 1933 Youngest Attendee: Peter Malik '81 Travelled the Farthest: Unknown

The second AA/ACS reunion was held at the Sheraton hotel in San Diego, CA on August 23 - 25, 1985 with a slightly increased registration fee of $35.

Reunion Chair(s): Melanie Brechtel '72 Expected Attendance: 150 Actual Attendance: 200 (about 20 at the last minute) Oldest Attendee: H. Huntington Bliss '21 Youngest Attendee: Maria Bashshur '84 Travelled the Farthest: Unknown

The third AA/ACS reunion was held at the Sheraton in Boston, MA on August 5 – 7, 1968 with a registration fee of $43, a 23% increase.

Reunion Chair(s): George Salm '68 Expected Attendance: 500 Actual Attendance: 470 Oldest Attendee: Harry Dorman '22 Youngest Attendee: Randa Hanania '86 Travelled the Farthest: Unknown

The fourth AA/ACS reunion was held at the Sheraton in Seattle, WA on July 4 - 7, 1991, with a registration fee of $59, a 37% increase.

Reunion Chair(s): Linda Handschin-Sheppard '68 Expected Attendance: 400 Actual Attendance: 400 Oldest Attendee: Bell Dorman-Rugh '25 Youngest Attendee: Sami Deeb '82 Travelled the Farthest: Tambien Albright '61 (from Oman w/wife)

The fifth AA/ACS reunion was held at the Westin in Denver, CO on August 4 – 7, 1994, with a registration fee of $70, a 19% increase.

Reunion Chair(s): Bill Beebe '56 Expected Attendance: 325 Actual Attendance: 325 Oldest Attendee: Helen Riggs-Rice '32 Youngest Attendee: Alice Vanden Noort '82 Travelled the Farthest: Cindy Barner-Albright '66 (from Oman w/hubby)

The sixth AA/ACS reunion was held at the Capitol Hilton in Washington, DC on July 3 – 6, 1997, with a registration fee of $95, a 36% increase.

Reunion Chair(s): Charlie Minette-Kaplow '62/Vicky Helling-Olson '63 Expected Attendance: 500 Actual Attendance: 560 Oldest Attendee: Grace Dodge-Guthrie '32 Youngest Attendee: Maria Bashshur '84 Travelled the Farthest: Winnie Fowler-Ross '41 (from Australia)

The seventh AA/ACS reunion was held at the Hilton hotel in Portland, OR on July 1 – 4, 2000, with a registration fee of $95 (no increase).

Reunion Chair(s): Jon Stacey '61 Expected Attendance: 300 Actual Attendance: 250 Oldest Attendee: Mary Gould-Appleman '43 Youngest Attendee: Michael Bashshur '86 Travelled the Farthest: Karen Howling '70 (from Dubai)

The eighth AA/ACS reunion was held at the Luxor hotel in Las Vegas, NV on May 16 – 19, 200d, with a registration fee of $95 (no increase).

Reunion Chair(s): Barbara Lucher-Graham '56 Expected Attendance: 280 Actual Attendance: 309 Oldest Attendee: Lucien Faust '49 Youngest Attendee: Fadi Kanaan '98 Travelled the Farthest: Dennis Carter '69 (from Bahrain)

(continued on page 2)

Volume XXXIII, Number 4 Our 33rd Year of Publication December 2011

in this issue History of ACS Reunions...............................................................1 Editor’s Corner ...............................................................................2 Letters to the Editor........................................................................3 Class of 1972 Reunion Announcement..........................................3 New ACS Book II ..........................................................................3 Book Review ..................................................................................3 Alumni Notes/New Members.........................................................4 It's a Small World...........................................................................5 AA/ACS Board of Governors Meeting Minutes............................6 The Elevator Key............................................................................7 In Memoriam..................................................................................7

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(History of ACS Reunions -- continued from page 1) An ACS Centennial Celebration and AA/ACS reunion was held along at the 100th year of the founding of ACS in Beirut, Lebanon on July 13 – 18 2005. Multiple different registration fees were used, with the "basic package" costing $150 (spouse $100; children $50), a 58% increase. 138 ACSers from the U.S. attended. The ninth (domestic) AA/ACS reunion was held at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Washington, DC on July 4 – 7 2007, with a registration fee of $150 (no increase over Beirut, but a 58% increase over the previous stateside reunion.

Reunion Chair(s): Jay Bruder '74 Expected Attendance: 400-450 Actual Attendance: 388 Oldest Attendee: Richard Ward '38 Youngest Attendee: Heidi Hilgendorf '85 Travelled the Farthest: Not recorded

The tenth AA/ACS reunion was held at the Hyatt in Austin, TX on July 1 – 4, 2010 with a registration fee of $160, a 7% increase.

Reunion Chair(s): Karen Hunt '75 Expected Attendance: 150 - 400 Actual Attendance: 245 Oldest Attendee: Class of 1953 (3 attended) Youngest Attendee: David Walker '82 Travelled the Farthest: Lars Helgeby '73 (from Norway)

A few summaries come to mind. The lowest attendance goes to the first reunion in Alexandria, VA. However, those of us that have worked in the leadership of the alumni association also recognize that the Alexandria reunion occurred before the alumni association ever got up and going – as a matter of fact, the first issue of the Pot, then edited by Peter Gibson (Fac) only came out in 19 . The highest-ever attendance at a reunion occurred in 1977 at Washington, DC. Many, many alumni were children of members of the U.S. Diplomatic Corps, which obviously settled in the Maryland/Virginia/Washington DC area. If memory serves, the other states with the greatest congregation of alumni are California and Texas, where many of the "oil" folks came from that worked for Aramco, Tapline, etc. You'll also note that the registration fee for reunions has gone up from $25 in 1982 to $160 in 2010. This is partly due to inflation, but also due to expansion of benefits and hosting costs. We on the AA/ACS Board of Governors expect the attendance at the upcoming 2013 reunion in San Diego to be greater than it was in 1985 because, at that time, the alumni association had only been up and running for about three years. More detailed information will be provided in future issues of this newsletter.

The Diaspora Potrezebie Editor Jonathan Stacey '61 (since 1990)

Assistant Editor & Membership Services Linda Handschin-Sheppard '68

Past Editors Peter G. Gibson (Fac), Founding Editor, 1978-1986 [RIP June 6, 2009] Constance Scott-Walker-Lindstrom '76, Editor, 1986-1990

Contributing Staff Fadwa Ghannoum, Director, ACS Office of Development and Alumni Affairs Zeina Misk, ACS Office of Development and Alumni Affairs Lina Safa, ACS Office of Alumni Affairs (Alumni Database) Danai El Hajj Ibrahim '06, ACS Office of Development and Alumni Affairs Børre Ludvigsen ’64 (Overseas Correspondent)

Executive Committee and Governors Patrick Hinds ’56, President, (909) 592-6264

Lynn Zovighian ’04, Vice President, 011-44-7500-709-644 JoAnn Atwood ‘72, Secretary, (212) 353-8886 William Crays ’56, Treasurer, (318) 981-2617

Governors of the Association Karl Barbir ’66, USA Jay Bruder ’74, USA

Valerie Estes-Ragan ’76, USA Linda Handschin-Sheppard ’68, USA

Karen Hunt ’75, USA Jeff Hutchins ’65, USA

Fadi Kanaan ’98, Lebanon Margaret ”Mug” Kelberer ’73, USA

Heidi Misslbeck ’74, USA Jonathan Stacey '61, USA David Williams ’74, USA

Honorary Governors

George Damon (Fac), Headmaster of ACS, Lebanon Nina Joukowsky-Köprülü ‘79 (Trus), Chair, ACS Board of Trustees, USA

WEB SITES

AA/ACS: http://almashriq.hiof.no/acs/ ACS at Beirut: http://www.acs.edu.lb/

The Diaspora Potrezebie is published quarterly as a nonprofit activity of the Alumni Association of the American Community School at Beirut, Inc. Subscriptions are provided free to all members of the Alumni Association. Annual membership dues are $25. Please make checks payable to the Alumni Association of ACS (AA/ACS). All correspondence should be sent to AA/ACS Membership Services, 13570 NE 54th Place, Bellevue, WA 98005-1036. Our official “legal” address is: 3 Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, 8th Floor, New York NY 10017-2303. The Alumni Association of the American Community School at Beirut, Inc. (AA/ACS) does not take positions on religious, political, social topics or issues and does not endorse the positions or opinions given from time to time by contributors to this newsletter. © 1990 - 2011 Alumni Association of the American Community School at Beirut, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Editor’s by Jon Stacey '61 Corner You'll find that this issue is shorter than most, because very few articles were submitted to us. As a matter of fact, we had to create the lead article on page one as "filler." PLEASE, we encourage all readers to submit articles and photos! My classmate Tom Dinney '61 was a nervy and fearless rascal, as you'll see from his brief article "The Elevator Key." There are many other articles he could write, but, unfortunately, they are not printable in this august publication.

UPCOMING FEATURES ACS Treasures from 1935 by Mary-Averett Seeley ‘35 More Stuff from Al Arz sent by Beth Lyster-Stillwell ‘61 ACSers Married to ACSers by Jon Stacey ‘61 How I Found AA/ACS compiled by Jon Stacey ’61 Reports from ACS by The ACS Staff Ideas for columns, features, and articles? Call me! Want to write an article? Call me collect! Phone (503) 524-8915 up to 8:00 p.m. Pacific (Oregon) time. The address of our opulent editorial offices is 11935 SW Robbins Drive, Beaverton, Oregon 97008. Our office’s vast network of computers has a hacker-proof email address of <diaspora@teleport.com>

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Class of 1972 Reunion ! ! ! Save the date! Join other class members in Detroit for our 40th Reunion on June 22-25, 2012. Plans include a Lebanese dinner, and a day/night of fun at Eva Amine's house. If you are interested, please email <hilary.henryneff@gmail.com> for more information, or snailmail: JoAnn Atwood, 11 East 7th Street # 4, New York, NY 10003

Fill the Bathtub!

Volume II of stories from conflicts in the Middle East is now ready to order. It contains stories from WWI, WWII, 1958, the Six Day War, the '73 war, the Lebanese Civil War, the Gulf War and more -- all by alumni and faculty of ACS. Here is the web site: http://almashriq.hiof.no/acs/books/ and this is the direct ordering link: http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/fill-the-bathtub/18631718

- Børre Ludvigsen '64 & Anne Peet-Carrington '70

Book Review by Jon Stacey '61

Jerusalem by

Simon Sebag Montefiore "Jerusalem" is a biography of a city written by an eminent historian using original sources. It is written chronologically, beginning with the founding of Jerusalem by King David, and ending with the 1967 war (the author covers later events in the Epilogue). I first became aware of this wonderful book while reading a critically positive review of it in Time Magazine. I immediately ordered it from amazon.com, but there was some delay in receiving it, as it had just been published in early October. In the preface, the author notes: "A history of Jerusalem must be a study of the nature of Holiness. The phrase 'Holy City' is constantly used to describe the reverence for her shrines, but what it really means is that Jerusalem has become the essential place on earth for communication between God and man. We must also answer the question: Of all the places in the world, why Jerusalem? The site was remote from the trade routes of the Mediterranean coast; it was short of water, baked in the summer sun, chilled by winter winds, its jagged rocks blistered and inhospitable." The prologue begins: "On the 8th of the Jewish month of Ab, in late July AD 70, Titus, the Roman Emperor Vespasian's son who was in command of the four-month siege of Jerusalem, ordered his entire army [of 60,000 Roman legionnaires] to prepare to storm the Temple at dawn. The next day happened to be the very day on which Babylonians had destroyed Jerusalem over 500 years before..." The book is heavily footnoted, yet not pithy. It almost reads like a historical novel, although it is pure non-fiction. Comprising 53 chapters, the major sections are divided up into chronological eras of influence and/or domination:

Part One: Judaism Part Two: Paganism Part Three: Christianity Part Four: Islam Part Five: Crusade Part Six: Mamluk Part Seven: Ottoman Part Eight: Empire Part Nine: Zionism

The book includes many illustrations, 12 maps, and family trees of the Maccabees, the Herods, the Prophet Muhammad & the Islamic Caliphs and Dynasties, Crusader Kings of Jerusalem, and the Hashemite (Sherifian) Dynasty. A review by an Arab reader on amazon.com noted:

I came to this book as an Arab reader, growing up with songs, poems, and books written about beloved Jerusalem, but never have I come across a book offering such a luxurious detailed and honest view and at such a scale! Written with remarkable neutrality and taking us through the diverse and rich history of the most disputed and news making region in the world! This comprehensive, and unpatronising treatment of Jerusalem's past is neither overwhelmingly scholarly to gloss over the gory (and fascinating) details, nor too hurried as to miss out important facts. Simon Sebag Montefiore combines the rare talent of total political and cultural understanding with a great and most eloquent narrating skill!

Originally published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson in Great Britain, the first U.S. edition is published by Alfred A. Knopf. At 650 pages, two inches of thickness, and around four pounds in weight, it will make a nice doorstop if you grow weary of reading it. I didn't. Flyleaf price is $35.00, but I got mine from amazon.com for $20.34. (Kindle version is $17.99.)

Letters to the Editor That was a lovely and well-deserved tribute to Belle Dorman-Rugh '25 in the Pot just received. Her father delivered my sister and two brothers in the thirties. I was privileged to get to know her and her good husband a little when I lived in Connecticut. She was a remarkable woman. I enjoyed our correspondence a few years ago and I hope all is well with you these days. I don't think you know that I moved to central New York state about six months ago, to live near my son Scott Macfarlane and his wife Marlene. My husband Keith Wilbur died two years ago in October 2009; in early 2008 he began having heart problems that resulted in open heart surgery (five bypasses) followed immediately by a stroke which affected his right side (right hand and leg, right brain and right side of both eyes). After hospitalization, rehab, etc, he was home for the year before he died, with aides to help, in two shifts, eight hours every day. After he died our eleven room house in Northampton became too big for just me, and I felt it wise to move to be near some of my family. I am delighted and grateful to be here. I am in the process of completing my memoir, which I will self publish and hope to have copies by next spring. I'll send you a copy. I had hoped to have this done long before this, but Keith's illness and death caused delay and complications in my life. I really enjoy all the comments and articles in the Pot. They bring back good memories of such a long time ago in my life.

-- Sally Adkins-Wilbur '42

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Alumni Notes Alumni Notes is published in each issue of the Pot. Write and tell us what you're doing: career, travels, education. It's the way to keep in touch, or find a long-lost friend. Write: AA/ACS, Membership Services, 13570 NE 54th Place, Bellevue, WA 98005.

William H. Isely '43 is now at 300 Finsbury Street # 103, Durham, NC 27703, Durham, NC 27703, email <b.isely@ftpmailbox.com>. Thom Moore '61, who has recently visited Lebanon, writes: "Shame is my default mode. I am so aware of the many deficiencies in my character and morals that I am automatically halfway towards the point of any criticism of me, my art, or my opinions. So whenever I make a pronouncement about someone else’s deficiencies (like Robert Fisk, ad nauseam), it’s only after weighing what they have said against the multitude of

misapprehensions that I have inflicted on the world. Which are, by the way, mostly in my songs, rather than in my criticisms of other people (viz. Angie Mlinko, Robert Fisk, Seamus Heaney, ad nauseam). No, my criticisms represent rational appreciation of art or linguistics (things I know about) as opposed to politics or current events. So, as far I am aware, I have never criticised Fisk for his apprehension of Middle Eastern history or politics or current affairs: no, I have only faulted him for assertions of authority in matters of Anglicism vs. Americanism, or, most immediately, in the representation in English of the significance of various jots and

NEW MEMBERS

David Cook '63 Zeynep Goksel '07 Laura Heard-Manion '70

Photo # 1 LouisSpencer65.BMP

Louis Spencer '65 in North Carolina recently. Photo courtesy of Jeff Hutchins '65.

English of the significance of various jots and squiggles above and below the line in the typically Arabic written word or sentence. I was intending to write a journal of my travels in Lebanon, after returning there for the first time in 50 years, since I graduated in 1961. But, aside from mind-blowing discoveries the like of the Jeita Caverns (for some reason they use the French ‘grotto’ in their English naming of the site, unaware that, to millions of English-speaking Catholics – or just Irish? – this means a memorial garden to someone dead by accident, and not the most stupefyingly magnificent cavern in Creation) – I have nothing to say that could possibly be instructive to someone who might want to follow in my footsteps. By far the best guide to anything exciting in Lubnan would be Borre’s advice to me on what to visit in the country (check your archives – no, be-damned: look below for his advice). Certainly his characterization of my own itinerary as, apart from its southern leg on the last day, something singularly Christian, if not totally Falangist, was spot on. I didn’t realize this until I visited the National Museum ... which stops, essentially, at the Muslim Conquest. When I asked a Maronite friend of mine who it was that had shelled the museum into near-oblivion, he said, “We all did.” Which was curiously logical and unrebarbative. But what I found was not only viable and Lebanese and Beiruti ... it was real. I didn’t even bother going to ACS, because, when our party made our way to IC, at the western end of the AUB campus, I found everything I needed to understand something: why did I leave IC, torture my mother until she sent me and my brother to ACS and its hideously high price? Answer: because IC was a boys’ school, and we could all see Lynn Hussong '62 and whoever she could talk into it sunbathing on the roof there below us. Crikey. But now IC is coeducational: everywhere were attractive, nay, beautiful, Lebanese of the feminine gender. I was smacked in the face: if this had been the case back in 1958 I would have had no reason to torture my poor mother into sending me to ACS. I didn’t want to dip my wick or anything so physical ... I just wanted to be around girls my own age. Crikey, I didn’t even speak the same language as most people at ACS ... they all spoke some cool version of English that didn’t include me or my unhip background. So: shame on me. Shame on me, for inveigling my way into your company. Shame on me for not appreciating what a wonderful country it was I was living in. Shame on me, for expecting to find something in Lebanon that related to me personally...rather than expecting to find a country and an infinitely varied people who had lived through some of the most terrible times in modern history. And most particularly, shame on me for thinking that I and my experience of Lebanon was in any way special: Lebanon is a special place, not me."...Gillian Sharp '61 has a new email address of <gsharp@nb.sympatica.ca>......Robert Bergelin '64 is a "lost alumnus"...Jeff Hutchins '65 reports: "Members of the Class of '65 got together for a Middle Eastern dinner in Johnson City, Tennessee, along with Scott Brunger from the Class of '64 who is married to Ann Owens-Brunger" (see photo) It turns out that a fair number of alumni from the Class of '65 live within a few hours' drive of Asheville, NC, at the edge of the Smoky Mountains and the Blue Ridge. In addition to BOG member Jeff Hutchins, the Club '65 crowd includes Martin Crane and DeLoris Lowman Crane, Carol Leuzinger Cothern, Ann Owens Brunger, Louis Spencer, and Rick Sheridan. Almost 1/5 of the class lives within three hours' drive of Asheville! We will be planning more get-togethers, and would be happy to include others from the surrounding classes. Write to jeff@jeffhutchins.com if you're interested or have more

information."...Louis Spencer '65 retired in 2007 after 27 years as an elementary school teacher for Aramco in Dhahran, and recently visited his classmate Jeff Hutchins in North Carolina. He had also visited classmates Martin Crane '65 and DeLoris Lowman-Crane '65 as part of this same trip. Louis and Martin were roommates senior year, and also had not seen each other in 46 years...Galer Britton-Barnes '66 has a new email address of <galer@mcn.org>....Branwen Adams-Denton '67 is a "lost alumna."...Jack Griffin '67 has a new email address of <jack.griffin@sbcglobal.net>...Diane LaMacchia '68 has a new email address of <diane@earthimage.org>...Gail Hill-Mahle '69 has a new email address of <coolmehle@hotmail.com>. Laura Heard-Manion '70 has a new email address of <lhmanion@frontier.com>...Cynthia Soghikian-Wolfe '72 writes: "While I was growing up in Lebanon, we were friends with the Abu-Haydar family. The did not attend AC S, But Karim, the youngest, is now Principal of the ACS Middle School, and doing a great job. Karim's daughter, Nour Abu-Haydar, graduated from ACS, and came to Evergreen College, down the Road from our house in Olympia, WA, so she became my "adopted" daughter the past few years."...Robert Bazan '73 is a "lost alumnus"...Lawrence M. Butler '73 is now at 17837 N. 107th Avenue, Sun City, Arizona 85373...William Falconer '77 is a "lost alumnus"...Dawn Quiggle-Herrara '75 is a "lost alumna"...Steven Mavissakalian '79 is a "lost alumnus." Nadine Malek '02 is a "lost alumna"...Ahmed-Mehdi Najm '06 is a "lost alumnus." Marie Beaupre (Fac) is a "lost alumna"...Geri Branch (Fac) is now at 2114 NE 62nd Street, Seattle, WA 98115...Jim Harkins (Fac) is a "lost alumnus"...Barbara Harris (Fac) is a "lost alumna"...Kim Hill (Fac) is a "lost alumna"...John Piquado (Fac) is a "lost alumnus."

It's a Small World Leslee Mack-Cramer ’63 was talking to Florence Johnson, fellow member on a tour of the Posadas and Paradores of Portugal and Spain, when she was rudely interrupted by Florence’s husband, Cliff Johnson ’52, who asked, “Where did you go to school, Dhahran or Ras Tanura?” Leslee’s jaw dropped. “Why do you ask such a question?” Cliff explained that her husband, Lyndon Cramer, had just mentioned that Leslee had lived in Saudi Arabia where her father had worked for Aramco. Cliff went on that his father also had been with Aramco, then asked where she had gone to high school. “The American Community School in Beirut”, she replied. Now Cliff’s jaw dropped. “That’s my high school,” he said. Both couples marveled at the improbability of discovering an alumni connection through an offhand comment. The Cramer’s have settled in Santa Rosa, California and the Johnson’s retired to central North Carolina 17 years ago.

The 11th AA/ACS Reunion

San Diego,

CA

July 2013 (exact dates TBD)

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Photo # 2 Abu-Haydar.JPG

Karim Abu-Haydar in 1967, with Greg Soghikian '77, receiving ski racing awards along with Karim's older brother Ramiz and sister Beth. We were all kids involved with the Lebanese ski clubs and even "National" races. (Karim is the one with head turned, in front center, to talk to Greg, at that time age 6.) Photo courtesy of Cynthia Soghikian-Wolfe '72 .

Photo # 3 CliffJohnson52.JPG

L-R: Leslee Mack-Cramer '63 and Cliff Johnson '52 at a chance meeting in Portugal. Photo courtesy of Florence Johnson

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Minutes - AA/ACS Board of Governors Conference Call, October 16, 2011 Governors Present:

Pat Hinds '56, President Lynn Zovighian '04, Vice President JoAnn Awood '72, Secretary Jay Bruder '74 Linda Handschin-Sheppard '68 Karen Hunt '75 Jeff Hutchins '65 Mug Kelberer '73 Heidi Misslbeck '74 Valerie Estes-Ragan '76 David Williams ‘74 George Damon, Honorary Governor Fadwa Ghannoum, Governor Ex-Offcio Karim Cherif (Representing 2013 Reunion Committee)

Governors Not Present:

Karl Barbir '66 Bill Crays '56, Treasurer Fadi Kanaan '98 Jon Stacey '61 Nina Joukowsky-Koprulo, Honorary Governor

Minutes of the Last Meeting:

Approved by email vote of the BOG

President's Report – Pat Hinds '56 No specific new news from last meeting.

Treasurer’s Report:

Bill Crays '56 was unable to participate in the meeting but provided and updated financial statement and the following comments regarding our current and projected financial position: "The cash balance is about $65,000 (Bank-$47,000: CD's-$18,000). The remaining Pot expenditures are estimated at $9,400 ($3,800 for Oct.; $5,600 for Dec.) of which $2,200 is for the Lebanese edition. After these costs, the Kerr contribution of $8,200 and the BlackBaud $5,000, the back balance will be around $25,000. Historically, we collect about 5,000 in the 4th quarter., so I estimate about $30,000 at yearend. That puts us about $7,000 over our goal of having one years operating costs in the bank account assuming that the quarterly Pot costs remain in the $5,600 per edition range." Pat commented that we should be in fair shape by the end of the year financially.

Potrezebie Report – Jon Stacey '61

From Jon’s email in his absence: "The September Pot became the October Pot because I had been on a 35-day cruise in August, and I was thus behind the power curve. The lead article "A Graduation Speech," by Laila Faris-Alamuddin '62 (Fac), who was the Dean of Students at ACS for 17 years. There is also a large section on SITC 2011, "Feisal's Restaurant Redux," and, sadly, "In Memoriam" I, II and III." It has 24 photos. Committee Reports Reunion 2013 – Karim Cherif '75 A couple of weeks ago Karim Cherif ‘75, Jamie Parker-Nelson ‘75, Kathy Carson ‘72, Gina Kano ‘75, Linda Abizaid ’79 looked at a number of hotels and picked the Sheraton Harbor Island, right by the marina. Free shuttle to the airport. Overlooks the marina and a great view of San Diego. Price is $139/night. July 4th weekend. We will take over a separate smaller tower, so we’re sort of secluded. Every room has a view. The banquet will be in the main hotel, about a 5 minute walk. All one hotel, but this way we will have a bit more privacy. Can use the whole outdoor grassy area by the pool. Fireworks are right there over the marina. Perfect view. Downtown is about a $10 cab ride away. Some restaurants around, not too much… but the hotel isn’t too bad. The hotel does allow dogs. Deposit has not yet been paid, but once approved the contract will be signed and paid. Many questions still hang such as menu, and dates of

when payments must be made by. Linda’s husband an attorney, offered to review the contract prior to signing to assure that the terms and conditions are reasonable and fair. George moved that the proposal be accepted and they execute a contract, pending Linda’s review of the contract. Mug seconds. all agreed. Karim asked how much to charge, Austin charged $175, DC $150. Karen mentions that prices do increase a little every year. Maybe look for some sponsors? Bank account will be established for Reunion Committee to begin business. Have at least 2 signatures for the checks. JoAnn suggested keeping in mind who to have for guest speaker, as that often gets down to the wire, and becomes a bit of a scramble. Karim was thanked by all, and then left the conference call.

Diversity Committee -- Fadi Kanaan '98 could not be present, but sent this email: “I would like to update you with the communication I've had over the past couple months with Danai Ibrahim, who works on Fadwa's team. We are in the process of identifying and recruiting a team of 5-6 young alumni who can give us a couple hours a year of consulting. The Diversity Committee intends to help steer the Alumni Association's programming to better reflect the wants and needs of all alumni, and these younger alumni's input will help with that goal. Team formation is ongoing, and we hope to be set up and functioning before the end of 2011.” Fadwa added that Danai only heard back from two alumni and will keep trying until she has a small team set up. Membership Services – Linda Handschin-Sheppard '68 Dues payments and contributions are in a bit of a Fall slump. Nominating Committee - Linda Handschin-Sheppard '68 Not active as of now. Board of Trustees Report – Nina Joukowsky-Koprulo (given by George)

Two new members have joined the ACS Board of Trustees: Samir Toubassy and Elizabeth Hilpman ’77.

School Report – George Damon (Fac) Lebanon has been very quiet and calm, thank goodness. One of the smoothest starts of the ACS school year. An architect has been signed for the redesign of the new building, and they will break ground sometime between Feb and April 2012. Need help with redesigning the flow of the students to their classes, to decrease the bottleneck that occurs. ACS just come off a great event that Fadwa’s office put together. Very grand. Atmosphere is great. George advised that we ignore travel warnings, and come to Beirut! It is calm and wonderful. There’s a lot of new music, art and theatre. Much like the “old” Beirut. The new Elementary School Principal, Sandra Hite, is doing a wonderful job; she joined ACS from her previous position in Beijing, China. Outdoor Education is booked solid. Community service is extremely active. Athletic program is reaching further abroad: hosting Ghana and Tunisia, and travelling to Beijing. Students are being taught a lot about recycling: for example using their own stainless steel bottles. Development and Alumni Affairs Report – Fadwa Diversity Committee’s new member, Danai El Hajj Ibrahim ’06, is very enthusiastic. She is trying to get young alumni to join Div. Com.. And is really passionate about ACS. We need more school spirit. So the office made ACS pennants, got a Knight mascot, each department made a statement, student clubs set up stands explaining their work and this year’s activity plan, had a handprint wall, a quickly painted mural of a Knight done by two students. There were over 600 attendees. A lot of parents volunteered and were hugely helpful. The Building: The goal for the “New Building Campaign” has doubled. So they are excited as the contract as been signed with the architect. It is no longer a music and arts building. Fadwa will be looking for alums to spearhead their class in donating to the capital campaign.

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The Elevator Key by Tom Dinney '61 Anyone who ever lived in the BD knows that there was an elevator in the wing of the building that was closest to the Corniche. The elevator was used primarily by the Headmaster and his family to go from the ground floor to their penthouse on top of the BD, and also, used by the faculty living in the BD. A special key was required to open the elevator door. By sheer happenstance, I had access to one. It was my sophomore year. One night, utterly bored, I decided to break out of the BD prison. I waited until 11:00 p.m., about an hour after "lights out," pressed the button, and called the elevator to my dorm room floor. Those of you who lived in the BD are probably thinking to yourselves right now: "Don't do it Tom, Boulos or Nimr are sitting at their desk on the ground floor, and you're gonna get caught!!" Aha, but many of you don't know that the elevator went all the way down to the basement of the BD. And, nearby, was a door that opened out on to the patio near the rumpus room... My exit strategy was flawless. I went up to Ras Beirut and visited many places that were on the "prohibited list." I "might" have had a few beers. At two a.m., I returned to the BD. Stealthily, I approached the door to the basement of the BD. It was locked! Boulos or Nimr must have checked all of the doors, found that one unlocked, and conscientiously re-locked it. I guess my exit strategy wasn't as flawless as I thought it was. Panicked, and having one of those "Oh S--t" moments, I began to case the outside of the BD, trying to figure out a way back in. There was a drainpipe that I thought I might climb up, but the height looked somewhat dangerous. Although I was a little drunk, somehow I was missing the liquid courage to tackle the drainpipe. Then, I went to the street between Kameel's and the BD. Aha! A window to the dining room on the ground floor was open, but it was about 12 feet up from ground level. Then, I saw that there was a ledge jutting out from the wall of the BD that was just below the dining room windows... I went up to the front of the BD, where there was another drainpipe, but this one was a piece of cake, up the drainpipe, got on the ledge, and slowly edged my way to the open window. Looking down, the 12-foot drop unnerved me, but by this time I had a major incentive to get back into the BD and up to my room – as thought of expulsion whirled in my brain. After some grunting and maneuvering, I managed to get into the dining room. "Whew!" I thought – "I'm home free!" Peeking out into the hallway leading to the dining room, I discovered a fatal error in my off-the-cuff planning. At the end of the hall was Boulos, holding down the desk facing the front doors of the BD. No way, I figured, could I sneak to the elevator door, and get into it, without him hearing. In the early morning hours at the BD, the silence was overwhelming. I may have been praying for a way out of the mess I had gotten myself into, but somehow – I don't know if it was blind luck or what – there was a divine intervention. I saw and heard Boulos leave his desk, perhaps to attend to the call of nature. I quickly snuck back down to the basement, and to the elevator in my socking feet, and was back in my dorm room within a couple of minutes. Worst case of heart palpitations I ever had! I put significantly more thought into planning after than incident! It's been 52 years since that youthful foray, and I don't mind if the ACS Administration finds out about it now. Hell, I'd even be willing to spend some time in Detention Hall.

(continued from page 6) Old Business: Jeff moved that the Board release the $5000 to ACS for payment. Karen seconds. All agree. Motion approved. Shall we have BoG meeting in June in Beirut? Let Pat know. Let him know your interest, and include an alternate date. BoT meeting in Beirut is May 31st and June 2nd, with graduation June 1st, Carnival May 19th. New Business: The 2011 Kerr Endowment Contribution from the AA/ACS will be approximately $8200; a step up from last year’s donation. George moves to approve disbursement of the donation, Valerie seconds. Motion approved. Pat moved to adjourn. All agreed at 12:27pm EST. Future Conference Call Dates:

• January 15, 2012 • April 22, 2012 (note this is a rescheduled date) • July 15, 2012

In Memoriam Jon Van Dyke '61 died of a heart attack on November 29, 2011. Jon was in Australia preparing to give the keynote address at The Law of the Seas conference; when he didn't show up for the speech, conference organizers went to his hotel room where he was found in his bed. Jon's last email search on his laptop was discovered to have been when he looked up "Shortness of Breath and Chest Pains." Jon was unable to make it to the Asheville Reunion of the Class of 1961 because he was teaching in Strasbourg, France. Jon was the Valedictorian of our class, and was super-brilliant, slim, and athletic. I remember him taking college courses at AUB during his senior year. He was admitted to Princeton, and received a B.A degree cum laude from Yale. After that, he obtained a law degree cum laude from Harvard, and taught at Hastings Law School after that, later becoming a law professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa for many years, with a specialty in International, Constitutional, and Oceanic Law. His family is devastated by this sudden and tragic news, as are all who knew and cared for Jon. The family will be gathering in Hawaii, and there will be a service on Friday, December 9th. Jon leaves his wife, Sherry, and three children, Jesse, Michelle and Eric. [Reported by Jon Stacey '61.] W. Robert (Bob) Usellis (Fac) died August 15, 2011. He was 86. Bob joined ACS in 1970 as high school principal and was headmaster from 1971-1979. He had the great fortune to be part of ACS during some of its best years, prior to the start of the civil war, and then the great honor of helping lead the school through several very challenging years during the war. Despite enrollment dropping from more than 900 to, at one point, 13 (one in the entire elementary school), Bob and the other dedicated ACS faculty and administrators kept the school open, with only some very brief closures when the fighting was too close and intense to be able to have classes safely. Bob had a long and distinguished career in education, notably at the Cranbrook School in Michigan and the Athenian School in California prior to arriving at ACS, and at the Bartram School in Florida and the Lab School at the University of Chicago after leaving ACS. Bob was educated at Oberlin College and the University of Chicago. He was a decorated veteran of World War II, having served extensively in Europe from 1943-1945. Bob is survived by his wife, Maleen, and his children, Jackie Usellis-O'Neill '71 , Katie '73, Nicolette '77, and Mark '79. [Reported by Mark Usellis '79.]

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Photo # 4 ClassOf1965.BMP

L-R: Scott Brunger '64, Ann Owens Brunger '65, Susan MacNeil-Grover '65, Diane Hutchins, and Jeff Hutchins '65 at a mini-reunion. Mike Davenport '65 was absent due to minor illness. Photo courtesy of Jeff Hutchins '65

American Community School at BeirutOffice of Development & Alumni Affairs 67 Nigeria Street, Jal el-Bahr P.O.Box 11-8129, Riad El Solh, Beirut 2035-8003, LebanonTel: 961 [1] 374 370 Fax: 961 [1] 366 050www.acs.edu.lb