Alumna of the Year

Hellooo Alumnae!

Last Friday, Dolly Wells Mersinger '67 was named Alumna of the Year! For those of you that have happened upon any alumnae event, you know what a presence Dolly has and how much support she continues to give to the school. Aside from being a graduate, parent (Blair Mersinger '02), and dedicated alumna, Dolly is also a member of the Board of Trustees!!

During her address to the class of 2009, Jubilee Class of 1959, and the other alumnae in attendance, Dolly recited a poem she wrote for the Class of 2009 as they prepare to embark on their college careers. Once you read it, I know you'll agree that Mr. Geisel (ahem ahem, ladies! That's Dr. Seuss!!!) couldn't have churned out anything more inspirational for the occasion!

As always, our many thanks to Alumna of the Year Dolly Wells Mersinger for her continued dedication to Maryvale and its Alumnae!!!

A Charge to My Fellow Alums
The Senior Class of 2009

The day that it started
The day it began
Was the day our folks said
Girls can make a new plan.

Girls can think about things
In a different way.
Girls can put a new spin
On the problems of today.

And what could it be
That would help us along?
Why it was the feeling
That we do belong
To the Maryvale community
Headed up by Sister Shawn.

So our folks got excited
And put up the money
Put aside their fears
And said, “Don’t worry, honey.”

We went learning in places
We never had been
Striving to perform
So success we could win.

We learned to create
We learned to persist
We learned new terms
And we learned to insist
On integrity and fairness
In our daily lives
And with this foundation
We’ll continue to thrive.

We learned to think deep
And we learned to have capers
Between electronic tasks
And twelve page term papers.

And why did we do it ?
Why work these hard tasks ?
We did it in order to make
Learning last.
We wanted to prepare
For lives with impact
We wanted to take with us
Skill sets to unpack.

And while all this was happening
Rich friendships we made
That distance and time
Never will fade.

I came to this castle
In the year fifty-four
The sisters had just barely
Opened the door.

To girls and to boys
Who were looking for more
And to parents who wanted
To feel most assured
Of a good education
That was really top-drawer.

My family soon saw
That this place was quite awesome
With it’s boxwood, carriage house,
And azaleas in blossom.

But what attracted them most
What they saw all around
Was the caring environment
In which this school abounds.

The older I’ve gotten
The more that I know
Life confidence I’ve had
Was from Maryvale bestowed.

You will see it too
As you move from this castle
The calmness you’ll have
In the face of life’s hassles.

The ability to see clearly
The things you should do
And the stamina to step up
And see those things through.

You’ll see how the logic
And clarity was laid
Carefully taught
So you’ll never be swayed

By those who would want you
To go along with might
Perhaps into ideas
That you feel are not right.

These are the gifts
This special place has given you
You’ll think about them more
As you bid Maryvale adieu.

You’ve been nurtured and taught
And pushed and corrected
But you’ll stand up tall
In all that you’re tested.

You’re headed to college
With a head full of facts
You’re fully prepared for life ahead
So relax !

The day is now here
To try out your new stuff
You’ll go forth from this place
With learning enough
To try your new wings
And be on your own
With learning potential
That MVP helped you hone.

We all leave this castle
And go to new places
New challenges,
New addresses
And lots of new faces

But as you look back
Don’t ever forget
Your gifts to the school
And what they’ll beget.

Your friendship, your interest
Your time to stop in,
All contribute to this place
And the learning within.

Your enthusiasm, your time
Your thanks to great teachers
Are part of the legacy our
Alumnae preaches.

Come back to us often
Both soon and down the road
Your interest and caring
Will help Maryvale carry her load.

So to you, fellow alums,
I give you this charge
Share your talents and gifts
Whether small or large,
With the castle and towers
Of stone and gray
That governed your learning
And showed you the way.

And I cannot help mention
No matter how funny
To remember Maryvale
With a gift of your money.

Yes, the day that it started
The day it began
Was the day our folks knew
Girls could make a new plan.

Girls do think about things
In a different way
Girls will put a new spin
On the challenges of today.


Dolly Wells Mersinger”67
May 15, 2009

Good Luck, Seniors and Welcome
to the Maryvale Alumnae Association

Katie's Pesto Pasta Salad

I adapted this recipe from one of HM Barefoot Contessa's - I wanted something a little lower in fat and something that didn't require a food processor. Her recipe is FABULOUS though and if you're feeling like a calorie splurge, I've included the link below.

Ingredients:
1 lb Bow Tie Pasta
1 lb Fusilli Pasta
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/2 cups Pesto (Available Pre-Made in most grocery stores - use about 11 oz.)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups frozen peas, defrosted
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 tsp kosher salt (to taste)
1 tsp ground peppercorn (or freshly ground black pepper)

Cook the pasta (separately) until it is just al-dente (between 7-10 minutes) and strain.
While still in the strainer, lightly douse the pasta with enough olive oil to keep pasta from sticking together. (About three passes across the strainer's diameter with the olive oil.)
Combine both pastas and the pesto in a large mixing bowl to thoroughly coat each piece. Fold in the pine nuts, peas, and Parmesan. Taste the pasta and then add the kosher salt and ground peppercorn being careful not to over-salt it. Mix well and ENJOY!

Total prep time - about 20 mins.
Serve room temperature (give it a good toss like a salad before serving).
Serves about 15 people as a side dish or about 10 as a main course (add lemon pepper grilled chicken if you're going to make it a meal!)

And Ina's full recipe : http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/pasta-pesto-and-peas-recipe2/index.html

Can I give a shout out to all the ladies who contributed fabulous food for the meeting last night?I especially enjoyed the green pasta salad and the raspberry bars- Katie and Molly- any desire to post the recipes on the blog?! They were delicious!

IT'S OFFICIAL! Song Yet Sung for the Fall Book Club

Good morning Ladies!

Yes, it's official! Song Yet Sung by James McBride will be our book selection for the Fall Book Club!

Now, for those of you regular book clubbers out there - you may be pleasantly surprised to know that this book is not as challenging as the books we've read in the past and has received a "Two Thumbs Up" from Bronwyn Byron ('73) which, considering the book is NOT about cats, is saying something!

Cathy Vitrano Kellerman (also from The Legendary Class of 1973) also told the group last night at the General Meeting that it's definitely a page turner! Good to know since I, personally, am almost finished with the Twilight series and will surely be experiencing some sort of withdrawl very soon. (No judgements on the Twilight thing, please. I can't help it! I love it! And now, it's almost over...)

And - a tip for those of you who are not naturally bargain hunters - Amazon has it used and I'm sure ebay has a few copies. I guess the library is a good option too but I hear they don't stamp your book anymore with the due date! How will you ever know when to bring it back!?! Is the library trying to score some more 41 cent late fees? Hmm... (just kidding... hopefully, though, the sarcasm was obvious.)

For anyone else who's read it - post a comment and let us know what you think! And for the rest of us - let's just try and hope the weather men are right about the sunny Saturday in our future!

Take care,
Katie