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Paul 'Harold Hill' Suerken
"Friends, either you're closing your eyes to a situation you do not wish to acknowledge, or you are not aware of the calibre of disaster indicated by the presence of a pool table in your community."
Regrooving -- The Octet Reunion -- 1990's
Paul 'Olin Mills' Suerken
4 comments:
My name is Nick A. DiVirgilio '77. I was a member of the Octet for all three years that I attended Mercersburg. The only times I returned for any reunion at Mercersburg was for those wonderful Octet reunions. I loved singing all the old (and new) songs again. I feel terribly guilty for not staying in touch - except for those reunions. In a similar theme as posted by another Octeter... my life has been very tumultuous for the past decade: 9/11 (I live in NYC), loss of job, finding and settling into a new job, middle aged health issues, starting a small business, etc, etc.
While I was attending Denison University in Granville, OH, I helped found an "a capella" singing group called "The Hilltoppers". This group was modeled directly after The Octet - and I contributed some of my old Octet music to help start the group. I remember telling Suerk at one of the Octet reunions that I had helped to start this group. As a matter of fact, another Octet alum (Ben Petty) went to Denison and also joined The Hilltoppers.
I finally went to my first "Hilltopper reunion" this past weekend @ Denison. I was absolutely overwhelmed. I didn't realize how big The Hilltoppers had become. They have over 100 alumni - with their own alumni organization. The Hilltopper alums planted a cherry blossom tree and installed a plaque (with the "founding 8 members' names") on the main academic quad by the library. In my off-the-cuff, dedication speech I mentioned that Suerk's Octet was the inspiration and model for the original Denison Hilltoppers.
The juxtaposition of these two events: Suerk's death; and, the honor that was (in my opinion - very unnecessarily) bestowed upon me proved to pack quite an emotional punch in the gut. There were Hilltoppers who were coming up to me during this past weekend (4/9/10 - 4/11/10) thanking me for starting the Hilltoppers. How the Hilltoppers gave them a niche to feel like they belonged; how they specifically went to Denison because of the Hilltoppers; how the best friends they ever made where their fellow Hilltoppers - and they were all thanking me! Why me? I was just a guy who was copying what Suerk had given me. Yes, I could sing. But, I could only read a little music, I picked the music up mostly by ear, I didn't play the piano, I couldn't write arrangements for 4 part harmony, and I knew nothing about chord structure. All I could think of this weekend was how proud Suerk would have been if he had known how inspiring The Hilltoppers had been to so many people he never knew. I wonder if he would have had a blast seeing how large and successful The Hilltoppers had become - independent of any school support - yet also being totally embraced by the entire school and administration. All these things he will never know because I never had the chance or time to tell him. I was too busy with myself. I am having a harder time dealing with this then I thought I would.
I would like to talk to the direct family members of Suerk regarding the Memorial Service. I would also like to talk to whoever is responsible for the Memorial Service at Mercersburg. I would also like to get in touch with John Swing. Here is my contact info: 212-307-0910. nadiving@frontiernet.net
Nick A. DiVirgilio '77
(aka: "Gus")
I'll be there.
Mr. Suerken was my floormaster and advisor in 10th grade, 73-73. I could say alot, he was a good guy and one of my favorite teachers.
John Ringer '75
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