Archways 11 – Fall 2009 by St. Andrew's Episcopal School

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OFFICE OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT 370 OLD AGENCY ROAD RIDGELAND, MISSISSIPPI 39157–9714 601.853.6000 / WWW.GOSAINTS.ORG

A semi-annual publication for alumni and friends of St. Andrew’s Episcopal School

Our Mission

St. Andrew’s Goes Glocal

TO NURTURE A DIVERSE COMMUNITY I N T H E E P I S C O P A L T R A D I T I O N, E N C O U R A G I N G S P I R I T U A L G R O W T H,

LIVING GLOBALLY, LOCALLY, AND AT EVERY LEVEL IN BETWEEN

M O R A L R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y, A N D A C A D E M I C E X C E L L E N C E.

AUGUST 2009

VOLUME 6

NUMBER 2

“The simplest pleasure of friendship brought joy and happiness to us and inspired the thought that we can all live and work together to create a better world.” — Julia Harth, Class of 2015

So, what do you think of that guy who’s the new head?

I think he’s really great!

by GEORGE

You do? Why?

Well, you know how he’s always talking about “change is good”?

Yeah.

Well, there’s been lots of change around here this year. And if we had this much great change in 2009, just think of all the things that Dr. Penick can change next year.

Yeah, it sounds terrific... Do you think the school will survive?

There’s no doubt that change can be scary. But the more frightening alternative is to cling to the status quo and grow stagnant. In all of its 62-year history, St. Andrew’s community has never been content to rest on our laurels. This issue of Archways touches on several changes happening in our school today, from the expected change that comes with each graduation to the excitement of launching a new capital campaign. Rather than facing change with a sense of apprehension, it’s my belief that our community will view these changes with a sense of excitement and anticipation, knowing that St. Andrew’s Episcopal School will not only survive, but will thrive. — George Penick

A rising 7th grader, Julia Harth, bonds with a new friend on the school’s first international service-learning trip — a two-week, educationally-oriented exchange with a school in Ghana, which will be reciprocated this fall when a group of Ghanaian students and faculty visit St. Andrew’s and conduct similarly “glocal” community service in Mississippi.

GAZING THROUGH ARCHWAYS

An archway is a passage beneath a series of arches, a path

defined by the unity and support of the arch.

AS WE GATHER BY THE LAKE Graduation 2009

This issue of Archways focuses on new passages, from coordinating a once-in-a-lifetime service and learning trip to Africa to gifts that will enhance our own campus, from sending yet another class of exceptional graduates into the world to the launch of a new capital campaign here at home.

ST. ANDREW’S GOES GLOCAL Living Globally, Locally, and at Every Level in Between

As we consider these expanded horizons both in our own backyard and in the world around us, one thing remains constant – the support and unity that comes from the community that is St. Andrew’s Episcopal School.

24 MAY DAY

UP FOR DEBATE St. Andrew’s students debate their way to second place in the nation

On the Cover A recent trip to Ghana, Africa, taught St. Andrew’s students the meaning of “ubuntu,” a South African term that loosely translates to, “I am because we are.”

ALUMNI UPDATES AND EVENTS

contents Grads Going Places

Grads Going Places Class o f 2009

The Executive Committee of the St. Andrew’s Board of Trustees Meet St. Andrew’s New Trustees

6 7

Down to a Science St. Andrew’s launches a $5.5 million campaign to build a new science facility Honoring Our Patron Saints

And they read happily ever after The Miss Jo and Dorsey Wade Endowment for the Lower School Library

St. Andrew’s Measures Up Annual Fund Tops $444K

Farewell to Coach Andy Till The St. Andrew’s community wishes the best of luck to Coach Andy Till, who leaves St. Andrew’s after 12 years to lead the cross-country and track and field programs at Millsaps College. During his time at St. Andrew’s, Till developed one of the most dominant cross-country and track and field programs in the state, leading the Saints to 10 consecutive state championships in women’s cross-country from 1997-2006, in addition to coaching 40 individual track and field champions. As the girls’ cross-country coach at St. Andrew’s, Till coached eight runners to individual state championships. Since 1998, he has served as both the boys’ and girls’ track and field coach, leading the Saints to five state championships and five runner-up finishes. “We thank Coach Andy TIll for all his hard work in teaching us to love the sport he knows best,” said Blake Johnson ’09. “We honor his dedication to us over the years, and we wish him well in his future endeavors as the head coach at Millsaps College.”

And the Award Goes To… Curtain Calls

Archways Staff

and Contributors

Editor Patrick Taylor ’93

A Cupple of Thoughts New AD DeWayne Cupples on St. Andrew’s Sports Sports Round Up

Contributing Editors Rebecca Hiatt Collins Mary Collins Harwell ’93 Marlo Kirkpatrick Frances Jean Neely

Designer Alecia Porch

Looking Back/Looking Forward A student and an alum share perspectives

Photographer Patrick Taylor ’93 If you have a story idea or comment for Archways, please contact Patrick Taylor, Editor, at taylorp@gosaints.org.

WWW.GOSAINTS.ORG

All in the Family The vital role of the St. Andrew’s Parents’ Association

Sidney Anthony

Daniel Hammett

Austin McCarley

Harpreet Singh

Southern Methodist University

University of Mississippi

North Carolina State University

University of Mississippi

Neelam Barot

Haley Hawsey

Ann Mendenhall

Graham Smith

Northeastern University

Mississippi College

Kansas City Art Institute

University of Mississippi

Kyle Bellamy

Kate Hensarling

Gabby Merritt

Christina Spann

Mississippi State University

University of Mississippi

University of Pennsylvania

Mississippi College

D.J. Brata

Dylan Horne

Ryan Moon

Millsaps College

University of Mississippi

Hiroshi Teramoto

University of Mississippi

Blythe Bynum

Carolyn Huff

Sarah Morris

Duke University

Mississippi College

University of Mississippi

Wynne Campbell

Michael Ingram

Parker Murff

University of Mississippi

Mississippi State University

Fulton Cannon

Victoria Isaacs

University of Mississippi

Sewanee: The University of the South

Dee Clark

Miguel Javier

Mississippi College

Illinois Institute of Technology

Claudette Conway Lewis

Bennie Jefferson

Auburn University

Millsaps College

Robinson Crawford

Blake Johnson

Arizona State University

University of Mississippi

University of St. Andrews

Jenny Murray

University of Florida

Jerrod Myers

East Central Community College

Patrick Neely Millsaps College

Douglas Odom

University of Mississippi

Allison Oswalt

Returning to Japan

Stephanie Trusty University of Mississippi

Max Tullos University of Mississippi

Neil Van Landingham Rice University

Elliot Varney Mississippi State University

Sunny Vig Washington University in St. Louis

Kristi Walker University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill

Kurt DeLashmet

Sid Johnson

Virginia Polytechnic & State University

Hendrix College

University of Mississippi

Vishal Patel

Lauren Dyess

Bessie Burton Jones

Temple University

Jake Warren

Mississippi State University

University of Mississippi

Nathan Payne

Millsaps College

Elizabeth Fike

Leah Frances Jones

Delta State University

Mississippi College

Mary Helen Ford

Akihito Kimura

University of South Alabama

Returning to Japan

Patton Ford

Mary Katherine Kitchings

University of Mississippi

Norman French

Robbie Leis

University of Mississippi

Lee Gabardi

Olivia Long

University of Mississippi

Mississippi State University

Lucy Gaines

Clara Martin

Rhodes College

Vanderbilt University

Lela Gee-Boswell

E.B. Martin

University of Mississippi

Mississippi State University

Saumya Goel

Julian May

Davidson College

Beloit College

Lauretta Gorman Mississippi State University

Washington University in St. Louis

Caroline Peeples College of Charleston

Emily Peters

University of Mississippi

Emma Wann Millsaps College

Henri Paul Watson College of Charleston

Claire Whitehurst Hendrix College

Shreyas Regunathan

Marie Elise Williams

Megan Rock

Sam Williams

The George Washington University Belmont University

University of Mississippi Hendrix College

Will Salaun

Rebecca Wolfe

Grace Serio

Charles Woods

Rice University

University of Mississippi

Tolu Shekoni

Maggie Woods

University of Virginia

University of Mississippi

Samantha Shepard

Margaret Wright

University of Mississippi

Nan McBride

William Simmons

Kate Yelverton

University of Mississippi

Southern Methodist University

The members of the Class of 2009 are pursuing dreams around the world. 3

Graduation 2009

“As we gather by the lake, this evening of graduation day, It has always been tradition to hear what the valedictorian has to say. ¶ While welcoming family and friends, teachers and graduates alike, We watch the beautiful sunset, yet have our eyes on grander sites. ¶ So, for the next few minutes, I’d like to mention one and all, Those members of the family of 2009, all of us now standing tall.” – Excerpted from a commencement speech delivered by Grace Serio, 2009 recipient of the St. Andrew’s Board of Trustees Medal and the 2009 recipient of the Adele Franks Medal. Serio’s speech came in the form of a poem that mentioned each member of the Class of 2009 by name.

AS WE GATHER BY THE LAKE May 21, 2009 began as a rainy day. But by the time the 85 members of the St. Andrew’s Class of 2009 tossed their mortarboards into the air, not only had the rains stopped, but a rainbow filled the sky over Lake Sherwood Wise, signaling the end of one journey and the promise of a new road ahead.

“Four years ago I stood behind a podium just like this one, assuring you parents that our class was ready to take that next step into the Upper School, that we were ready to cross the sidewalk and begin the next chapter of our lives. Even if our sidewalks are somewhat larger this time, anything from 12 miles to Millsaps to hundreds of miles across the country, my message is the same: We Are Ready. ¶ I ask that you remember the names that you hear called out today. Remember the faces you see walk across the stage, because as clichéd as it sounds, we are the future. We are the ones who will make new discoveries and challenge the old ones. We are the ones who will address the problems the world now faces. We are the ones who will meet any and every challenge presented to us. Remember these names. Remember these faces. Because, I assure you, we are ready.” – Excerpted from a commencement speech delivered by Douglas Odom, 2009 recipient of the Saints Medal for Unselfish Service (L) Kurt DeLashmet and Lucy Gaines celebrate after receiving their diplomas. Above: (top) Sunny Vig, Tolu Shekoni, Nathan Payne, Neil VanLandingham and Vishal Patel; Ms. Kathy Brannan embraces Leanna Owens after receiving the Allenburger Faculty award; Robinson Crawford before throwing his mortarboard into the air; Ryan Moon progressing out from the ceremony; Grace Serio, recipient of the Board of Trustees and Adele Franks Medals; Douglas Odom, recipient of the Saints Medal for Unselfish Service. 5

THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES INCLUDES (FRONT) STEPHANIE SCOTT, CHAIRMAN; AND (BACK, FROM LEFT) JASMINE TAYLOR, SECRETARY; LYN MCMILLIN, MEMBER AT LARGE; TOMMY WILLIAMS, CHAIRMAN ELECT; AND TERRI HUDSON, TREASURER.

meet St. Andrew’s New Trustees

CINDY DUNBAR

The Executive Committee

of the

St. Andrew’s Board

Trustees

The executive committee meets monthly during the school year to discuss ongoing school matters. The head of school attends the executive committee meetings and keeps the committee updated on current issues facing St. Andrew’s. The executive committee acts on behalf of the board between board meetings; decisions or actions of the executive committee are subject to ratification and approval of the board at the next regular or special meeting. • “It’s truly a pleasure to serve with such a talented group of people,” Stephanie Scott, board chairman says. “Each executive committee member has a long history with the school. All are parents of current students and each school division has representation in the executive committee. Most importantly, all of us share a love for St. Andrew’s and a desire to work together to make the school the best it can possibly be.”

Cindy Dunbar Cindy Dunbar is chairman-elect of the St. Andrew’s Parents’ Association (SAPA) and will begin her term in 2010. Dunbar chaired last spring’s “St. Andrew’s Presents Living Green” event, SAPA’s largest fundraiser, and has also served as a Lower School coordinator. In addition to her volunteer work with St. Andrew’s, Dunbar serves on the boards of the Mississippi University for Women Alumni Association and the Mississippi Children’s Museum. She is a sustaining member of the Junior League of Jackson and an active volunteer with Christ United Methodist Church. Dunbar is a graduate of Mississippi University for Women. She and her husband, David, have two children, Christopher (Class of 2012) and Charlotte (Class of 2016).

AVINASH GULANIKAR

WILSON MONTJOY

Avinash Gulanikar Avinash Gulanikar completed his high school, college, and medical school training in Mumbai, India. He practiced as a urologist in India and moved to Canada in 1989 for subspecialty training in kidney transplantation. Dr. Gulanikar relocated to Mississippi in 1995 and joined the University of Mississippi Medical Center as a faculty member in urology. Since 1999, he has been in private practice in Jackson with special areas of interest in robotic surgery and male infertility. Dr. Gulanikar’s wife, Vinita, is a practicing anesthesiologist who volunteers with the St. Andrew’s speech and debate team. The Gulanikars’ son, Aditya, has attended St. Andrew’s since kindergarten and will graduate in 2010.

Wilson Montjoy Wilson Montjoy and his wife, Kellye, are the parents of two St. Andrew’s students, Wilson, a sixth grader, and Wade, a fourth grader. Montjoy has served as a non-trustee member of the St. Andrew’s Corporation for several years and currently serves on the capital campaign advisory committee. He received his bachelor’s degree and law degree from the University of Mississippi, and is a member of the law firm of Brunini, Grantham, Grower and Hewes, where he specializes in energy law. Montjoy has served as senior warden and junior warden of St. Andrew’s Cathedral, and chaired the recent search committee for the Cathedral’s new dean. Montjoy was a founding board member of Grace House and has been active in a variety of other civic and professional organizations.

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E C SCI N E DOWN TO A

The St. Andrew’s Episcopal School Board of Trustees and administration are excited to announce the plans for a $5.5 million capital campaign to build a new, state-of-the-art science building on the North Campus. The capital campaign will also support renovating the existing space allocated to the science program for use by the visual arts program, and other enhancements to be announced. The decision to embark on this ambitious campaign was not made lightly. A feasibility study approved by the board

and conducted by Sinclair, Townes & Company, a professional fundraising consulting firm, indicates that the school’s constituencies can successfully support a campaign of this size. Based on the findings of that study and the importance of the proposed enhancements to the school’s future, the trustees voted to launch this campaign. The science building is part of the master plan for the St. Andrew’s Episcopal School campus. Developed by the Board of Trustees in 2006, the master plan reflects the long-term vision for the 8

school and the optimum development of the St. Andrew’s campus over the next 25 years. “The board and administration are taking this step only after very careful consideration,” says George Penick, Head of School. “We are well aware of the current challenging economic climate, but our long-range vision for the school remains the same in both financially fortunate and in more challenging times. We’re confident we have the support needed to continue with our plans for the future of St. Andrew’s and its students.”

The architectural firm of Dean & Dean is in the early stages of designing the new science facility. The state-ofthe-art building is expected to include six well-equipped biology, chemistry, and physics labs; a lecture hall; a staging area for long-term research projects; and gathering areas in which students and faculty can hold brainstorming

and research-sharing sessions. The ecofriendly, environmentally sound building will incorporate sustainable materials and energy-efficient features, and will serve as a real world lesson in “green” design and function. Specific details about the capital campaign, the new science building, and the renovated visual arts space will become

available over the next few months. “This is a thrilling, vitally important project that will benefit our students for many years to come,” says Rebecca Hiatt Collins, director of institutional advancement. “A successful campaign will enable us to enhance our already outstanding science and visual arts programs.”

IF YOU’D LIKE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED CAPITAL CAMPAIGN, PLEASE CONTACT REBECCA HIATT COLLINS, DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT, AT 601.853.6029 OR REBECCAC@GOSAINTS.ORG.

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HONORING OUR PATRON SAINTS The St. Andrew’s Episcopal School Board of Trustees provides the leadership and wisdom needed to ensure the current and future success of the school. The talented men and women who serve on the board not only contribute their expertise, time, and energy to St. Andrew’s, but also invest a significant part of themselves in the school. “While their tenure as board members may end, many of our trustees have shared with me that the emotional connection and feeling of pride and ownership they have in St.

Andrew’s goes on,” says Rebecca Hiatt Collins, Director of Institutional Advancement. “We felt as if our former trustees deserved recognition for their service and dedication to St. Andrew’s even after their ‘official’ service to the school ended.” That recognition comes in the form of membership in the Patron Saints, an honorary group for former trustees. The Patron Saints’ 117 inaugural members were honored at a luncheon held on the St. Andrew’s North Campus on April 29, 2009. Head of School George

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“I’VE ALWAYS BEEN PROUD OF MY SERVICE TO THE SCHOOL AS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, AND I’M VERY IMPRESSED BY THE FACT THAT ST. ANDREW’S CONTINUES TO FOSTER ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH FORMER TRUSTEES AND SUPPORTERS OF THE SCHOOL.” — SHERRY GREENER, ST. ANDREW’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL PATRON SAINT

Penick read a resolution announcing the group’s formation, and each new member was presented a with a crystal paperweight inscribed with the name “Patron Saint.” “To be included in the Patron Saints is an honor,” said Sidney Allen, who served as a trustee from 1992-2000 and 2005-06. “The opportunity to be of service to St. Andrew’s was a privilege. I’m humbled to be included with such a distinguished group of people who continue to promote and serve the school.”

WHEREAS, the former trustees of St. Andrew’s Episcopal School have led the school with grace, compassion, thoughtfulness, and dignity, all to better give its teachers, parents, and students light and strength so as to train and learn; and WHEREAS, the former trustees, accepting inevitable sacrifice not as a burden but a consequence, undertook the task of making difficult decisions requiring long hours and serious study for the betterment and longevity of our school; and WHEREAS, the former trustees always acted so as to foster the school’s mission to nurture a diverse community in the Episcopal tradition, encouraging spiritual growth, moral responsibility, and academic excellence; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the former members of the Board of Trustees, on behalf of the St. Andrew’s Episcopal School community, be deservedly honored by being named as Patron Saints of St. Andrew’s Episcopal School. DONE in the city of Ridgeland, in the state of Mississippi, on the twenty-ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord, 2009. Attendants of the luncheon celebrating the inauguration of the Patron Saints include (clockwise from top left) Mary Mills, Stephanie Scott, and Christa Meeks; William and Janie McQuinn; Jan Wofford, Kay Patterson, Jane Smith, and Ellen Leake; Stewart Speed, Buster Bailey, Sherry Greener, and Leland Speed; and Andrew Mallinson and Bill Smith.

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and they read

Happily Ever After The Miss Jo and Dorsey Wade Endowment for the Lower School Library

nce upon a time, a little girl named Dorsey was locked in a library. “It was late in the afternoon and I was reading in the stacks when I looked up from a page and noticed that most of the lights had gone out,” a grown-up Dorsey Wade recalls. “I emerged from my cozy spot to find that the librarian had locked the doors and gone home for the night. Fortunately, there was a phone handy and I was ‘rescued.’” A confirmed bookworm and lover of libraries, Wade made that call for help only because she knew her family would be worried; she herself would have been perfectly content to remain in the library overnight with the characters from her favorite books for company. Years later when Dorsey Wade had children of her own, one of her greatest pleasures was reading aloud to them. In 1984, Wade joined the faculty of the St. Andrew’s Lower School, teaching and sharing her love of books with second and third graders for the next decade. “As a teacher, I loved reading to my classes,” Wade recalls. “There was something magical about introducing children to Charlotte’s Web, The Secret Garden, and other beloved classics.” Another of Wade’s contributions to St. Andrew’s young pupils was bring-

In Touch with Touchstone St. Andrew’s Episcopal School gratefully acknowledges the following gifts made to the Touchstone Endowment between January 1 and July 1, 2009. Judge and Mrs. Rhesa Barksdale Whitney Luckett Watkins Scholarship Endowment

ing her mother, Jo Timberlake Nicholson, into the classroom. Nicholson – better known to generations of children as “Miss Jo” – owned and operated The Briar Patch Nursery School in Jackson from 1947 until 1976. For almost 30 years, Miss Jo enchanted her “Briar Patch kids” with her amazing gift for storytelling. “One of my most vivid childhood memories is of my mother telling stories,” Wade says. “She could make the Beatrix Potter tales come alive with a different accent for every character, and all the Briar Patch kids loved her rendition of ‘The Three Billy Goats Gruff.’” Miss Jo retired from the nursery school business around the same time that Wade’s daughter, Susan, began preschool at St. Andrew’s. Miss Jo began visiting the school to tell stories to her granddaughter’s delighted classmates. When Dorsey Wade began teaching at St. Andrew’s, Miss Jo came to her daughter’s classroom to share stories, beginning a tradition that would last for more than a decade. “The children’s favorites were the true stories she told about her own childhood growing up on Twin Oaks Plantation in North Mississippi,” Wade recalls. “She told stories about cutting

Mr. and Mrs. William B. Chism Bequest to St. Andrew’s Episcopal School Mr. and Mrs. James H. Creekmore, Sr. St. Andrew’s Episcopal School Scholarship Endowment The Honorable and Mrs. J. Kane Ditto, Jr. Craig D. Bluntson Memorial Scholarship Endowment

down the family Christmas tree on the plantation and about going fishing and using a safety pin for a hook. My mother could turn the details of ordinary life into an adventure.” When Miss Jo died in January of 2008, Dorsey celebrated her mother’s talent for storytelling and her own love of reading in a generous gift to St. Andrew’s. The Miss Jo and Dorsey Wade Endowment for the Lower School Library will allow the library to expand its collection. “I am so happy to be able to supplement the fund to buy new books for the Lower School library, and hope that both the teachers and students will benefit from the acquisitions,” Wade says. “A well-told story has the power to transport a child to another time and place,” says Jeannie Chunn, the St. Andrew’s Lower School librarian. “Thanks to the Miss Jo and Dorsey Wade Endowment, generations of future St. Andrew’s students will enjoy new adventures and experiences, meet new characters that they’ll come to think of as friends, and hopefully, discover a lifelong love for reading.” And as every good bookworm knows, a love of reading is one of the keys to living happily ever after.

Dr. and Mrs. P. Wesley Pickard

Wesley, Dolly, Meredith and Hugh Goings

Samuel Sr., Toni, Samuel and Logan Anderson Danny, Denise, Riley, Mary Hannah and Peter Cooper

Cab, Will, and Ferriday Rose Green

In honor of:

Mike, Anne, David, Luke, Sarah Chase and Boudreaux Dulske David, Cindy, Chris and Charlotte Dunbar 12

Vernon, Susan, Charlie and Brady King Bruce, Amanda, Emily Ann, Bennie and Baker Kirkland Bob, Scottye, Rebecca, Kirby, Barry and Crawford Lee

All of Dorsey and John Wade’s children attended St. Andrew’s Episcopal School.

2 of the

Wades’ grandchildren, Emma and Bet McNeel, are now St. Andrew’s Middle School students.

John, Sylvie, Madeleine and Jack Robinson Marilyn, Trainor, and Duncan Storey Mr. and Mrs. F. John Wade Miss Jo and Dorsey Wade Endowment for the Lower School Library

Dorsey Wade reads to Lower Schoolers in the South Campus Library 13

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ST. ANDREW’S MEASURES UP

Annual Fund Tops $444K The 2008-09 Annual Fund wrapped up on June 30 with a final total of $444,212 raised. “Even in a challenging economy, the St. Andrew’s community continues to be generous in its support of the Annual Fund,” says Frances Jean Neely, Director of Annual Giving. “This level of support is a testimony to our parents’ and families’ belief in the St. Andrew’s mission and to our united vision for the school. We are so thankful to our supporters for their continued generosity and their focus on St. Andrew’s future.” SHOW ME THE MONEY Recent enhancements made possible through the Annual Fund include:

• Art studio furniture • Outdoor art studio equipment, including a kiln • Exterior security lighting on the Lower School campus • A touch tank for the Lower School • Middle School playground equipment • Middle School robotics equipment • Pitcher screens for the baseball team and improved turf on the baseball field Annual giving also provided supplemental funds for computers for the Middle School science lab and half of the funding needed to construct a new

classroom on the South Campus, which alleviated crowding in the classroom and helps keep the student/teacher ratio low. The Annual Fund contributes to ongoing needs, including financial aid, and completely funds professional development at St. Andrew’s. Thanks to the Annual Fund, faculty and staff have the opportunity for continuing education and participation in projects that keep them on the cutting edge of educational trends and up-tospeed on the latest developments in their fields. Faculty and staff bring what they’ve learned back to campus and into their classrooms, directly benefitting St. Andrew’s students.

Writing the Next Chapter The 2009-10 Annual Fund kicked off July 1, 2009 with the theme “Writing the Next Chapter.” By supporting the Annual Fund, families, alumni, and friends are not only helping to write the next chapter in the story of St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, but are also helping to write the story of their own children’s future. • “We believe what differentiates the quality of education at St. Andrew’s is the involvement of the parents beyond just writing a tuition check,” says Karen Rodgers, co-chairman of the 2009-10 Annual Fund. “Participation in the Annual Fund demonstrates to our children that we care enough to do something over and above to ensure they receive the best possible education.”

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“The Annual Fund bridges the gap between what tuition covers and what is actually needed to run the school at this level,” says Michael Rodgers, who is co-chairing the 2009-10 Annual Fund with his wife, Karen. “What makes a St. Andrew’s education so special and our graduates so successful is the school’s emphasis on quality. The Annual Fund gives the school’s leadership the financial ability to differentiate St. Andrew’s from any other school in the area, and for that matter, from other schools nationwide.”

An Annual Fund Refresher Q. What is the Annual Fund? A. The Annual Fund is St. Andrew’s most important source of revenue other than tuition. A vital part of each year’s operating budget, the Annual Fund touches every part of the school’s operations, including academics, athletics, technology, professional development for faculty and staff, and financial aid.

Q. When does the Annual Fund begin and end? A. The Annual Fund officially begins on July 1 and continues through June 30, which marks the end of the school’s fiscal year. The Annual Fund “push” begins in mid-September once school starts. The earlier pledges come in, the better, as having pledges and gifts in hand helps St. Andrew’s with planning for the upcoming year. Annual Fund gifts are used during the fiscal year in which they are received. Q. Why should I give to the Annual Fund? A. Like all independent schools, St. Andrew’s relies on gifts to the Annual Fund to ensure the quality of the school’s program year after year. When you support the Annual Fund, you are enhancing the St. Andrew’s educational experience. Q. How does an annual gift differ from a capital campaign or endowment gift? A. Annual gifts offset expenses for the current year; how they are used varies according to the needs of that particular year. Capital gifts improve buildings

and grounds, which are expenses outside the regular operating budget. Endowment gifts increase the school’s savings to provide income for future needs. Q. What is the 1947 Society? A. Donors who give $1,000 or more are considered leaders of the Annual Fund and are honored as members of The 1947 Society. The group is named for the year in which St. Andrew’s Episcopal School was founded. St. Andrew’s expresses its appreciation for members by hosting special 1947 Society gatherings twice a year. Q. May I give by credit card? A. Absolutely. St. Andrew’s accepts Visa and Mastercard. You may also give via automatic bank draft. Q. What difference does my one gift make? A. In addition to the monetary value of Annual Fund gifts, a high level of participation demonstrates a strong community commitment to St. Andrew’s. Every gift, large or small, is important and appreciated.

SAVE THE DATE

1947 SOCIETY CELEBRATION BRAVO! • MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21

The 1947 Society gathering at P.F. Chang’s in Ridgeland. Shown are (clockwise from top left) Steve Ray, Vaughan McRae, Wanda and Ken Curry; Patty and Jeff Christie, Donna and Ken Oswalt; Marsha Cannon, Louis and Alison Harkey

GL LIVING GLOBALLY, LOCALLY, AND AT EVERY LEVEL IN BETWEEN

Paul Buckley never realized that a bag of pencils could change 100 lives.

Buckley, an Upper School history teacher at St. Andrew’s, learned of the power of pencils and more as part of a delegation from St. Andrew’s that made a May 30 – June 13, 2009 trip to Ghana, Africa. “We visited an orphanage where we presented a gift of school supplies to 100 children ranging in age from three to 10 years old,” Buckley says. “The house parent, or ‘father’ of the orphanage said to the children, ‘On Thursday, you came to me and asked me for pencils, and I told you that by the grace of God we would soon have pencils. Today, God has brought us pencils!’ The children cheered out loud.

ST. ANDREW’S GOES

CAL

They cheered because we had brought them pencils.” Seeing first-hand the impact of such a simple gift was one of many highlights for the 11 St. Andrew’s students and two faculty members who participated in the unique service trip to Ghana. The St. Andrew’s students were matched with students from the Hermann Gmeiner International College (HGIC), a boarding school near the city of Tema in Ghana. Together, the St. Andrew’s students and the HGIC students completed a literacy service project in several SOS Children’s Villages, which are established specifically for AIDS orphans. In addition to distributing much-needed school supplies, including the celebrated pencils, students from St. Andrew’s and HGIC Ghana photos courtesy of Michelle Harth

read aloud to the orphaned children. “When we arrived in the villages to read, we were treated like rock stars. The children were so excited to spend time with us,” Michelle Harth, St. Andrew’s 8th grade science teacher who participated in the trip, says. “The children then also took turns reading to the St. Andrew’s and HGIC students. It was a wonderful opportunity for some direct human contact. We had difficulty getting our students to stop reading and get on the bus when it was time to go.” Before leaving for Africa, the St. Andrew’s students also organized a book drive to create a library for one of the villages; a St. Andrew’s parent has offered to cover the cost of shipping more than 100 boxes donated books to Tema.

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But the service project won’t end in Ghana. In October, 11 students from Hermann Gmeiner International College will travel to Mississippi to team with St. Andrew’s students for a similar service project in West Jackson and the Mississippi Delta. As with the school’s new exchange program with Carnoustie High School in Scotland, the ideal third step would be to have students from both schools then go to a third country and work on a project together in a place that’s new to both groups. “Everyone’s familiar with the term ‘going global.’ Well, this is ‘going glocal’ – forming a global connection, then acting in a local context,” says Chris Harth, St. Andrew’s Director of Global Studies. “We go there and make a local difference. They come here and make a

“The most important purpose for this trip was that it increased our ability to empathize, to see the world from the perspective of another. I came away from the experience feeling further reinforced in something that I already largely believe, which is that people are more or less the same. They share similar wants, desires, hopes, and needs; only their circumstances differ.” Paul Buckley

local difference. We see the similarities between ourselves and the similarities between the needs in each location as

well as recognizing and appreciating how the local contexts differ. Ultimately, we’re no longer strangers.” Following the Middle School trip to Mexico in March, the Ghana trip was only the second international trip coordinated solely by St. Andrew’s Episcopal School. While St. Andrew’s students have been offered many opportunities to travel overseas over the years, those trips were usually affiliated with the school but coordinated by an outside agency or organization. The Ghana trip was developed entirely by St. Andrew’s through the Global Studies Program, with the school making all of the arrangements, choosing the partner school and the service project site in Ghana, and developing the itinerary for the trip. The Ghana project was

INTO AFRICA Making the trip to Ghana were St. Andrew’s students Seph Aleithawe, Morgan Davis, Bob Gilchrist, Jack Harth, Julia Harth, Luke Harth, David Holland, Madeleine Robinson, Devon Rodgers, Amelia Senter, and Emmanuel Sullivan. They were accompanied by faculty members Paul Buckley, who teaches Upper School history, and Michelle Harth, who teaches Middle School science. also the school’s first trip to Africa and first service-oriented trip. “The Global Studies Program is not just an academic program designed to teach kids about other parts of the world,” Harth says. “It’s meant to help our students make more of their own lives and make a positive contribution to the planet. It’s about developing a sense of identity, community, and responsibility, and creating ‘glocal’ citizens who are aware of and engaged on the local level, the global level, and every level in between.” In addition to their service work, the St. Andrew’s group had the opportunity to travel in the region and to visit

some important historic and cultural sites. The biology teacher at HGIC, Michael John, is the son of the chief or king of the nearby Mampong region; John treated the group to a grand tour of the palace. Other highlights included visiting an open-air African art market, learning sign language from the students at the Mampong School for the Deaf, and a canopy walk through the top of the rainforest in Kakum National Park. The group also visited the Castle of St. George in Elmina, the oldest Europeanbuilt structure in Africa. Constructed in 1472, the castle served as a slave-trading station for more then three centuries. In more recent history, the Castle

of St. George was the site of a summer visit by President Barack Obama. But while the sightseeing and travel were informative and educational, the St. Andrew’s group was most impressed by the human connection they made in Ghana. “My most proud memories will be of the times we interacted with the children at the schools that we visited. They had so little in terms of material possessions, yet they were filled with abundant joy,” Buckley says. “Many of the people of Ghana live at a physical standard of living far below most Americans, yet I would not say that they live at lower standard of living in

Above: (clockwise from top left) Luke Harth, Bob Gilchrist, Paul Buckley, and Jack Harth engage Ghanaian students in different facets of the school’s first international service-learning trip.

Seph Aleithawe takes time out from reading to have some fun with some SOS students.

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terms of emotional health. We found Ghanaians to be abundantly joyful, friendly, and generous. “I came away from the experience feeling further reinforced in something that I already largely believe,” Buckley continues, “which is that people are more or less the same. They share similar wants, desires, hopes, and needs; only their circumstances differ.” “An experience like this changes not only how you look at the world, but

how you look at yourself and your role in the world,” Harth says. “There is a South African term, ‘ubuntu,’ that speaks to that relational aspect. Loosely translated, it means, ‘I am because we are.’ We define ourselves through our interactions with other people.” The concept of ubuntu is reflected in the words of 16-year-old Madeleine Robinson, who found her perception of her ability to make a difference in the world changed by her experience

in Ghana. “Forming bonds with the children in the village was the best experience I had during the trip,” Robinson says. “Kids in the United States and Africa are surprisingly similar and that realization probably left the biggest impression on me. The experiences changed the way I see the world I live in. Since experiencing Ghana, I see the world as smaller and easier to help.”

THE HERMANN GMEINER INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE St. Andrew’s chose the Hermann Gmeiner International College (HGIC) as its partner for a service project in the village of Tema. HGIC is an academically oriented magnet school that attracts outstanding high school students not only from Ghana, but from the entire continent. • “Our kids may have been a little surprised when they met the students from the partner school at the airport,” Chris Harth, Director of Global Studies, says. “Some of them were probably expecting that everyone they met in Ghana would be deprived. Instead, the kids from Hermann Gmeiner were well-educated, sophisticated, intelligent, and technologically savvy on a level with our students from St. Andrew’s. They wore similar clothes and were listening to iPods.” • But while their levels of education and sophistication were very similar, there were some dramatic lifestyle differences between the St. Andrew’s students and the students from HGIC. In addition to the educational and cultural benefits of working on a project with a school from the United States, some of the HGIC students had a personal reason for participating in the project. Many of their classmates, and in some cases they themselves, had grown up in AIDS orphan villages just like the ones they served.

“My most proud memories will be of the times we interacted with the children at the schools that we visited. They had so little in terms of material possessions, yet they were filled with abundant joy. We found Ghanaians to be abundantly joyful, friendly, and generous.” Paul Buckley

DEFINING “ubuntu” The theme for the 76th General Convention of the Episcopal Church held in California last July was “ubuntu,” a South African term that loosely translates to, “I am because we are.” Ubuntu expresses an ethic of life in which relationship is a core value. Sometimes used to describe compassion or humanity, ubuntu emphasizes not only our interconnectedness with other people, but also our capacity to learn about ourselves and live more fulfilling lives by interacting with others and by helping others improve their own circumstances. The ethic of ubuntu demands that we recognize our deep and irrevocable need of one another, and as people of faith, our shared need of God. Archbishop Desmond Tutu defines ubuntu as “the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks about the fact that one cannot exist as a human being in isolation. We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another. [But] when you are connected, what you do affects the whole world. It is for the whole of humanity.” Left: St. Andrew’s faculty members Paul Buckley and Michelle Harth assume the role of students at the Mampong School for the Deaf; Above: Madeleine Robinson shares a love of reading with two new friends.

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ST. ANDREW’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL TRAVEL GRANTS The St. Andrew’s Global Studies Program offers grants to help qualifying students and faculty members cover the cost of educational travel. During the 2008-09 academic year, five students and five faculty members qualified for travel grants to 10 countries. “Thanks to these grants, 10 members of our community were able to experience first-hand a different part of the world, which will change the way they

“Forming bonds with the children in the village was the best experience I had during the trip. Kids in the United States and Africa are surprisingly similar and that realization probably left the biggest impression on me. The experiences changed the way I see the world I live in. Since experiencing Ghana, I see the world as smaller and easier to help.” Madeleine Robinson

Student Travel Grant Recipients Connor Buechler Medical Service and Spanish in Costa Rica Avery Burrell Community Service and Spanish in Argentina Aditya Gulanikar Medical Service and Spanish in Peru Amelia Senter Educational Service and French in Ghana

look at the world, at themselves, and at their role in the world,” says Chris Harth, Director of Global Studies. “Ideally, this will encourage them to recognize our increasing connectedness, increasing opportunities, and increasing responsibilities, all of which they will be sharing with the larger community over the course of the next year.” Grants are merit- and need-based and awarded through a competitive appli-

cation process. Student applicants must submit a proposal detailing how the travel will apply to their education, while faculty applicants describe how they will incorporate the travel experience into their teaching. The grant program emphasizes authentic learning, applied language skill development, and community service. For more information or to apply, visit www.gosaints.org.

Aubrey Threadgill Educational Service and Spanish in Spain

students and faculty and volunteering at the Deaflympics in Taiwan

Faculty Travel Grant Recipients Faculty grant recipients span all three divisions and several departments.

Rachel Ladner Lower School Spanish teacher Educationally-oriented community service at an orphanage in Guatemala

Kristel Cronin Lower School Technology Coordinator Exploring schools in Taipei with a view toward using technology to connect

Ann Marshall 3rd grade teacher Educationally-oriented community service at a bilingual school in Honduras

Patsy Ricks Middle School and Upper School Latin teacher Traveling in Greece and Turkey to infuse her classics courses with first-hand information and real-world experiences, some of which also will be shared with the larger Jackson community Phyllis Yucatonis 3rd grade teacher Service learning and school leadership program in China

“I want to thank St. Andrew’s for the Global Studies Program. I’m having the experience of a lifetime here in Peru. It’s better than my dreams – the culture, the opportunities, the sites to see, everything – and I would never have come here if it were not for this program. I can’t wait to share my experiences.”

“My Spanish has improved immensely and I’ve learned a lot about the history and culture of Spain. However, making friends from more than 20 different countries has taught me the most. I am very grateful for this opportunity and look forward to sharing it with my classmates at St. Andrew’s.”

“I truly enjoyed my summer studies. Now, I have been to every place in Greece that relates to my classes and Turkey was a real treat and in many ways not what I expected at all. When I stood on Troy my life was forever changed. The travel grant made a difference in my life and will in my teaching.”

Aditya Gulanikar, Class of 2010

Aubrey Threadgill, Class of 2010

Patsy Ricks, Latin teacher

Clockwise from upper left: David Holland, Morgan Davis, Amelia Senter, and Madeleine Robinson enjoy their time working and playing with the children in the SOS Villages. 22

May2Day

A St. Andrew’s Episcopal School tradition begun in 1956, the May Day celebration is an eagerly anticipated event for Lower School students and a colorful memory for older students and alumni. May Day 2009 once again found St. Andrew’s fourth-graders dressed in white and draped in colorful ribbons, wrapping the flower-topped Maypole as family and friends looked on. Music Makes The World Go ’Round! 1) Fourth graders wrapping up the “Waltz of the Flowers” / 2. First graders highlighted Asia with “Kung Fu Fighting” 3. Fourth graders processing to the May Poles / 4. Second graders kept the beat with “Turn the Beat Around” from South America / 5. Africa was represented by Kindergarten children dancing to “Diamonds On the Soles of Her Shoes” / 6. Europe was represented with “March of the Toreadors” performed by third graders / 7. PK3 danced to “Kookaburra” from Australia / 8. PK4 performed “Happy Feet” from Antarctica

ALL IN THE FAMILY The Vital Role of the St. Andrew’s Parents’ Association

“In order to be an efficient, effective partner with the school, SAPA needs strong parent leadership by volunteers who represent a diversity of professions, interests, and cultures. A SAPA board that’s representative of our parent body is better suited to develop meaningful volunteer opportunities.” — Cindy Dunbar, 2010-11 SAPA Chairman 26

elen DeFrance has a full plate, literally and figuratively. As the single parent of a teenager, DeFrance juggles her son Martin’s school and band activities with her own busy career as a cookbook author and culinary instructor. With a hectic schedule that includes teaching cooking classes in two states, DeFrance hardly seems to have the time for one more challenge. But when the opportunity arose for her to serve as the 2009-10 chairman of the St. Andrew’s Parents’ Association, DeFrance was happy to accept. “Chairing the association was more than just an opportunity for me to do something meaningful for St. Andrew’s,” DeFrance says. “My son is a junior this year and he’ll be leaving home soon. It was important to Martin and to me that I be involved in his school. And I think any parent would probably agree with me when I say you can never be too busy to be involved in your child’s life.”

Taking Stock in Your Child’s Education

Every St. Andrew’s parent is a member of the St. Andrew’s Parents’ Association (SAPA) simply by virtue of having a child enrolled in the school; the level of involvement in the organization is up to the individual parent. With more than 1,100 volunteer positions ranging from serving refreshments at a classroom holiday party to chairing “St. Andrew’s Presents,” SAPA’s largest fund-raiser, there are opportunities for every parent to participate in shaping events and activities at St. Andrew’s. And as SAPA volunteers point out, a parent who shapes activities at St. Andrew’s is also helping to shape the life of his or her child. “You’re taking stock in your children’s education and you have some

ownership in their school experience,” says Christa Meeks, 2008-09 SAPA chairman. “Until you get involved with SAPA on more than a surface level, you can’t really imagine how much difference it makes to St. Andrew’s and how much it truly matters to your own child.” “Our parent volunteers assist with classroom activities and fundraising, and provide opportunities that aren’t covered by tuition,” says SAPA volunteer Cindy Dunbar, who chaired 2009’s inaugural “St. Andrew’s Presents” event. “But equally significant is the message we convey to our children. Through involvement in SAPA, we show them that volunteer work is a vital part of a successful community.”

Building a Sense of Unity

Volunteer fundraising efforts coordinated by SAPA include everything from gift wrap and magazine subscription sales to “St. Andrew’s Presents,” a multifaceted event that attracts attendees from throughout Central Mississippi. A new event this year is “Saints Day at Garden Works.” Held at Martinson’s Garden Works in Ridgeland, the fundraiser will include gardening workshops and other special events, with a portion of sales that day donated to St. Andrew’s. During the 2008-09 school year, SAPA raised more than $100,000 for St. Andrew’s through all of their fundraising endeavors. Money raised by SAPA pays for a variety of items not covered by the school’s normal operating budget. Recent purchases include a rock climbing wall for the Lower School, enhanced software for the band program, and new furniture in the commons. SAPA has even treated St. Andrew’s families to Chick-Fil-A dinners at school sporting events.

But the association’s impact isn’t limited to material purchases. This school year, SAPA will sponsor a series of lunches for Upper School parents designed to build an even stronger sense of community between families and the school. SAPA will continue to build on the Safe Saints program, which helps equip parents to deal with tough issues facing their children, including drug and alcohol awareness. The association will also assume a role in the school’s new wellness program, which will help students and their families build healthy lifestyles. “One of our goals for this year is to build even stronger relationships and a greater sense of unity among parents, students, and faculty,” DeFrance says. “Home and school are twin supports in a child’s development. Having a close relationship between the parent and the school can only be beneficial for our children.”

A “Selfish Thing” for SAPA Members

Membership in SAPA does more than benefit St. Andrew’s and its students. Members’ interaction with other parents and with faculty and administration helps foster the close-knit atmosphere for which St. Andrew’s is known. “Volunteering with SAPA has been a great way for me to meet dozens of parents, faculty, and staff with whom otherwise I might have no connection,” says Dunbar, who will take over as SAPA chairman in 2010. “In addition to those new friendships, I’ve gained greater insight into my children’s experiences, invaluable parenting tips, and encouragement for lifelong learning.” “It’s almost a selfish thing,” adds Meeks. “SAPA has been as wonderful for me as it has been for my kids.”

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE ST. ANDREW’S PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION, CONTACT SAPA CHAIRMAN HELEN DEFRANCE AT 601.605.4059 OR MHDEFRANCE1@ME.COM. 27

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Awards by Subject or Discipline

Awards are presented to the most outstanding student overall as judged by his or her teacher Art

Art I

Camille Tedder

Art II

Kai Johnson

Senior Art

Elliot Varney

Painting

Lucy Kay Sumrall

Drawing and 2D/3D Design Lillie Floyd

Senior Independent Art Hiroshi Teramoto

Advanced Placement Art History Clara Martin

Advanced Placement Studio Art, The Edith Lee Evans Prize

AND THE

AWARD GOES TO...

Marisa Stockton

Rhode Island School of Design Ann Mendenhall

Journalism

Bronwyn Scott McCharen

Sethelle Flowers

Honors English 10

Honors one male and one female who display outstanding athleticism Megan Rock Jerrod Myers

David Bradberry Sportsmanship Award

A new award presented to one male and one female high school student who demonstrate outstanding sportsmanship Elizabeth Fike Charles Woods

Current Members Saumya Goel Clara Martin Austin McCarley Parker Murff Douglas Odom Allison Oswalt Grace Serio Neil VanLandingham Elliot Varney

New Members (Senior class) Daniel Hammett Blythe Bynum Nathan Payne (Junior Class) Rhea Kay Rowe Elly Jackson Monica Pani Adria Luk Shannon Jenkins Timothy Hopper Emily Peters Apas Aggarwal Carrie Sweet Connor Buechler

The Dr. Frank Stoddard Johns Prize in Creative Writing Parker Murff History

World History I Blake Luehlfing

World History II Kelsey Casano

Honors World History II Johnna Henry

United States History Cameron Ray

Honors United States History Christina Holy

Advanced Placement United States History, The James Parham Evans III Prize Economics

English 10

Cum Laude Society

Sarah Morris

William Watkins Award for Visual Arts

Sarah Abusaa

The secondary school equivalent of Phi Beta Kappa, the Cum Laude Society recognizes superior scholarship and academic achievement

Creative Writing

Shannon Jenkins

English 9

Outstanding Senior Athletes

Henri Paul Watson

Rhea Kay Rowe

English

THE OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS OF ST. ANDREW’S UPPER SCHOOL STUDENTS WERE RECOGNIZED ON AWARDS DAY 2009.

Philosophy

Paul McAdory

William Chism

Government

Allison Oswalt

International Relations Charles Woods

Southern Studies Blake Johnson

Advanced Placement European History Aubrey Flowers

Advanced Placement Human Geography Charles Woods

Advanced Placement Microeconomics

English 11

Aditya Gulanikar

Honors English 11

Advanced Placement United States Government and Politics

Meredith Parker Hannah Halford

Advanced Placement English 11 Monica Pani

English 12

Patton Ford

Honors English 12 Grace Serio

Advanced Placement English 12 Clara Martin

Film Studies

Douglas Odom

Gabby Merritt Mathematics

Algebra I

Bobbie Javier

Geometry

Skylar Menist

Honors Geometry Jessica Lee

Algebra II

Muzamil Khawaja

Honors Algebra II Phillip Qu

Precalculus

Divya Shenoy

Honors Precalculus Jonathan Tingle

Advanced Topics in Precalculus Carolyn Huff

Statistics

Rebecca Wolfe

Calculus

Sidney Anthony

Advanced Placement Calculus AB, The Melissa Cavett Prize Timothy Hopper

Musical and Performing Arts

Acting

Duncan Becker

Theatre Production Acting Parker Murff

Theatre Production Technical Cameron McRae

St. Andrew’s Singers Daniel Sweet

Chamber Choir Graham Smith

Band

Martin DeFrance

Advanced Placement Music Theory Kurt DeLashmet Science

Biology

Malika Shettar

Advanced Placement Biology, The Frances Elizabeth Dyess Memorial Prize Lindsay Muller

Chemistry

Cadden Christie

Honors Chemistry Rhea Kay Rowe

Physics

Amelia Senter

Advanced Placement Physics B

Anatomy and Physiology Elly Jackson

Astronomy

William Simmons

Cloning, Transgenics and Bioethics Dylan Horne

Environmental Science Daniel Hammett

Psychology

Carolyn Huff

Robotics

Cameron Ray Speech

Speech Communication

Spanish III

Malika Shettar

Spanish IV

Royce Reeves-Darby

Spanish V

Elly Jackson

Spanish World through Film Gabby Merritt

Advanced Placement Spanish Parker Murff

Head of School Awards

Stephanie Trusty

Web Page Design

Grade 9

Blake Luehlfing

Malika Shettar

World Languages

Grade 10

Natalie Payne

Grade 11

Speech and Debate Competition Apas Aggarwal

Computer Science

Essential Programming

French I

French IV

Kandi Walker

French V

Briana Saddler

The Warren D. Reimers Prize in French Claire Hines

Italian Language and Culture Blythe Bynum

Latin I

Pooja Goel

Latin II

Mike Steere

Latin III

Aubrey Flowers

Latin IV

Andrew Zehr

Advanced Placement Latin IV Adria Luk

Timothy Hopper

Advanced Placement Physics C: Mechanics

World Mythology

Grace Serio

Austin McCarley

Wynne Campbell

Advanced Placement Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism

Adria Luk

Nikita Patel

Presented by vote of the faculty to the student whose life and learning best exemplify high standards of scholarship, citizenship, and service

Laura Landrum

Advanced Placement Latin V

Robinson Crawford

Spanish II

Mandarin II Spanish I

Sadaaf Mamoon

Karisa Bowley Jonathan Tingle

Grade 12

Clara Martin Saints Medal for Unselfish Service

Presented to the student who views his or her work in terms of where that service will do the most good for the most people within St. Andrew’s and not in terms of personal gain or recognition Douglas Odom

The Board of Trustees Medal

Presented to the senior who has maintained the highest GPA over four years, as well as a mature, responsible attitude toward learning Grace Serio

The Adele Franks Medal

Presented to the senior who, in the view of the faculty, has demonstrated the same qualities of leadership, initiative, and creative thinking exemplified in the lifelong achievements of St. Andrew’s founding Headmistress, Mrs. Adele Franks Grace Serio

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U P F O R

DEBATE

ST. ANDREW’S STUDENTS DEBATE THEIR WAY TO SECOND PLACE IN THE NATION ST. ANDREW’S IS RECOGNIZED AS A SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE IN DEBATE

St. Andrew’s was in the national spotlight last June as students from the speech and debate team argued their way to the final round of the National Forensic League (NFL) National Tournament held in Birmingham, Alabama. The public forum debate team of rising seniors Shruti Jaishankar and Aditya Gulanikar finished second in the nation after debating their way through 16 tough rounds that showcased their ability to speak with conviction and think on their feet. A team of debaters representing Durham Academy in Durham, North Carolina, was the overall competition winner. “While we obviously would have loved to come home as the national winners, we’re proud to have performed so well nationally while representing St. Andrew’s,” Shruti Jaishankar said. “Participating in the tournament also gave us the chance to make new friends from around the country and to develop writing skills, critical thinking skills, and a work ethic that will serve us well for years to come. And as far as the tournament itself, there’s always next year.” By virtue of reaching the final round of their event this year, Jaishankar and Gulanikar are automatically qualified to compete at next year’s NFL National Tournament and will not be required to qualify at the NFL District Tournament.

Shruti Jaishankar and Aditya Gulanikar

Public forum debate is audiencefriendly debate, which in the world of competitive debate means that the audience can easily follow the arguments that the students are making. Each twoperson team debates controversial issues taken from newspaper headlines, showcasing skills in argumentation, crossexamination, and refutation. The topic debated by Jaishankar and Gulanikar at the national tournament, which had been chosen and announced beforehand, was, “Resolved: That the United States should normalize relations with Cuba.” A third St. Andrew’s rising senior, Apas Aggarwal, advanced to the national tournament semifinals in the congressional debate category. Congressional debate is debate of legislation similar to that within U.S. Congress and state legislatures except in this case the bills are written by students. Bills that were debated include “A Bill Concerning Illegal Immigrants”; “A Resolution to Promote Nuclear Power Production”; and “A Bill to Eliminate Agricultural Subsidies.”

The outstanding performances by Jaishankar, Gulanikar, and Aggarwal earned St. Andrew’s 40 NFL points toward excellence, bringing the school recognition as a winner of the School of Excellence in Debate Award. St. Andrew’s is the first Mississippi high school to be so honored. “The School of Excellence Award in Debate, the finalist awards of Aditya and Shruti, and the semifinalist award of Apas all honor the hard work of these students and of Coach Mark McNeil, who guided their preparation,” says Dr. Randy Patterson, St. Andrew’s speech and debate coach. “And these awards also honor St. Andrew’s as a school and academic community that vigorously supports a wide variety of activities for all its students, including activities like speech and debate.” “Aditya and I were allowed a few minutes before our final round to acknowledge and thank all the people who supported us throughout our journey, but these few minutes were not nearly enough to capture all that St. Andrew’s has done for us,” Jaishankar said. “We owe our success to our wonderful coaches who encouraged us to travel and push ourselves further, our teachers who understood when we had to miss class, and our friends who were always there to cheer us on.” No argument there.

“Variety” best described the spring theatre season at St. Andrew’s in 2009. Talented students treated audiences to a Deep South fairytale, a Native American coming of age saga, a blast from 76 trombones, a tale – or tail – of rodents run amuck, and a trip down the famous yellow brick road.

new protector. While Crow and Weasel is a familiar story among Native American peoples, it is typically told through song and dance. Barry Lopez put the tale in print in the children’s book, Crow and Weasel, and Drama Desk winning playwright Jim Leonard, Jr. adapted it for the stage.

THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM Under the direction of Ray McFarland and Libby Walden, the Upper School theatre and music departments presented the Broadway musical comedy The Robber Bridegroom, based on the novella by Eudora Welty. This rousing Southern fairytale tells the story of the courting of Rosamund, the only daughter of the richest planter in the county, by Jamie Lockhart, a rascally robber from the woods near Natchez. Throw in a case of mistaken identity, an evil stepmother and her pea-brained henchman, and a talking head in a trunk, and the result is a rollicking Southern romp. The cast and crew of this production deserve high accolades; the performances were top notch and the theatre production tech class designed and built a memorable set.

THE MUSIC MAN Meredith Wilson’s The Music Man is among the most beloved of musical theatre presentations. With numbers like “Seventy Six Trombones,” “Till There Was You,” “Goodnight My Someone,” and “Shipoopi” all in one lively, humorous, and touching musical, it’s little wonder the production is a crowd favorite. Under the direction of Mark McNeil, the fifth and sixth grade players took on the perennially popular piece, earning glowing reviews and two standing ovations. RATS: THE PIED PIPER OF HAMELIN The fourth grade staged a charming production of Rats: The Pied Piper of Hamelin, a cautionary tale about the importance of keeping one’s word. In this retelling of the classic fairy tale, the residents of Hamelin learn what happens when they refuse to pay the piper.

CROW AND WEASEL The seventh and eighth grade players under the direction of Mark McNeil presented Crow and Weasel. The production tells the story of two Native American young men as they grow to adulthood, Crow as the new spiritual leader for his tribe and Weasel as the

FOLLOW THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD Second graders demonstrated the importance of self-confidence in this reimagining of the classic The Wizard of Oz.

CURTAIN CALLS

Left: Nan McBride and Connor Buechler sing under the watchful eyes of Parker Murff and Gavin Fields in The Robber Bridegroom / Above (clockwise from top left): Bradley Brantley, Will Morgan and Pierce Goodwin in Follow the Yellow Brick Road; Julia Mitchell as Dorothy; Beckett Welsh, Courtney Hardy, and Zaed Yousuf in Rats; Amari Moyo in The Music Man; Sarah Blackwell in Crow and Weasel; Nathalie Finch and Addie Bagot in Rats 32

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It’s How They Play the Game St. Andrew’s Episcopal School’s athletics program has been recognized by The Clarion-Ledger as the most outstanding 2A program in the state for each of the last 10 years and for 16 of the last 18 years. On average, 65 percent of St. Andrew’s Upper School students participate on at least one of the school’s sports teams. St. Andrew’s student athletes explain what it means to them to win, to lose, and to play the game.

A CUPPLE OF THOUGHTS New Athletic Director DeWayne Cupples on St. Andrew’s Sports

The walls of his office in the gymnasium are freshly painted, but DeWayne Cupples hasn’t yet found the time to hang pictures. Instead, the new St. Andrew’s athletic director, who took over the program on April 1, has been immersed in learning the ins and outs of St. Andrew’s sports and in adding a new, school-wide fitness program to the game plan. “It’s been a busy, fast-paced summer,” Cupples says. “I’m glad I had the opportunity to begin working before the school year ended. I was able to meet some of the students and their families and get acclimated as to how things worked here, then spend the summer getting ready for the new school year.” Cupples is ready to hit the ground running in a year that brings a significant change to the St. Andrew’s athletic program. A reclassification of the schools affiliated with the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) will see St. Andrew’s mov-

ing from its familiar Division 2A to Division 3A and competing against larger schools. St. Andrew’s brings a strong legacy as the winner of the Clarion-Ledger’s All Sports Award in 2A for 16 of the last 18 years and the last 10 years in a row, but in terms of number of students, the school will be one of the smallest competitors in Division 3A. “I feel very confident that our athletes, coaches, boosters, and fans are ready to meet the new challenges that competing against larger schools in 3A will bring,” Cupples says. “We’ll play a lot of new teams, which in and of itself will be exciting. That said, I’d like nothing better than to see St. Andrew’s continue our award-winning tradition in 3A.” If anyone can lead the Saints to that position, it’s DeWayne Cupples. Prior to joining St. Andrew’s, Cupples was athletic director of the Wesleyan School in Norcross, Georgia. Under his lead-

ership, Wesleyan was ranked Georgia’s number 1 high school athletic program among both private and public schools, and was ranked the 16th best program in the nation by Sports Illustrated. Prior to his seven-year tenure with the Wesleyan program, Cupples served as athletic director at Jackson Preparatory School for eight years, winning the Clarion-Ledger All Sports Award in Prep’s MPSA classification in all eight of those years. He has also worked as a coach and teacher at Jackson Academy. “It’s an honor to be associated with a school like St. Andrew’s, which has an outstanding reputation not only in Mississippi, but across the nation,” Cupples says. “I’m looking forward to building on the successful program that’s already in place here. St. Andrew’s has student athletes with a great work ethic, gifted coaches, and great parental support. That’s a triple threat. And as a new athletic director, it’s a great situation to be in.”

THE PERFECT FIT One of DeWayne Cupples’ first achievements at St. Andrew’s has been the establishment of a new wellness program available to all students in 7th grade and up – not just student athletes – at no charge. Local fitness trainers provide instruction on strength and conditioning exercises, fitness, and nutrition. Underwritten by the St. Andrew’s Booster Club, the program kicked off during the summer break and will be offered after school during the regular academic year. • “This program will benefit every St. Andrew’s student, from the football player to the concert pianist to the academic standout,” Cupples says. “It’s very important to our athletes as we work hard to step up our strength and discipline standards. It’s also a great benefit for those students who don’t play a sport, but are interested in fitness and in developing a healthy lifestyle. This program will create positive habits in our children that will last a lifetime.” 34

THE SAINTS VARSITY TENNIS TEAM CAPTURED ITS SEVENTH CONSECUTIVE STATE TITLE

The Saints Sep-Champions Tennis with Marie Elise Williams, Class of 2009 I was thrilled to have the opportunity to play for the St. Andrew’s varsity tennis team in seventh grade because we had such outstanding older players. Every year since, I’ve worried that we wouldn’t be able to replace the gradu-

ating seniors, that this would be the year we’d lose the title of state champion, but year after year we’ve risen to the occasion. The reason for our success is simple: the drive of our players and our coach. One lesson Coach Buckley has instilled in our team is that to be the best, you must play against the best. That’s exactly what we’ve done every year, and this year was no different. The Saints went up against 5A power-

house teams including Clinton, Northwest Rankin, Madison Central, and several others. We won some of those matches and we lost some of those matches, but we played shot-for-shot with some of the best tennis players in Mississippi. Our team won its seventh consecutive state championship, and knowing that it was a hard-fought battle against the best players in Mississippi makes that 7-peat even sweeter.

“One lesson Coach Buckley has instilled in our team is that to be the best, you must play against the best. That’s exactly what we’ve done every year, and this year was no different.”

St. Andrew’s Booster Club The St. Andrew’s Saints Athletic Booster Club supports over 40 athletic programs offered to St. Andrew’s students, as well as related groups and activities like band, pep squad, the Little Saints, intramural basketball, cheerleaders, and the strength and conditioning program.

In addition to supporting St. Andrew’s student-athletes, membership in the Booster Club will get you a familypass for all home games (based on 150 home events, this is a $500 value). If you decide to become a Super Saint, you get the family pass as well as admission to playoff games and reserved parking at football and basketball home games. Over the past eight years the Booster Club has contributed over $650,000 35

to St. Andrew’s athletic programs and for improvements to facilities. The Booster Club enhances the athletic experiences of every student in every grade. Visit www.gosaints.org to learn more about the St. Andrew’s Athletic Booster Club.

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THE TEAM CELEBRATES THEIR 2ND CONSECUTIVE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Champions Again On the soccer field with Megan Rock, Class of 2009 This year looked to be as promising as any in St. Andrew’s girls’ soccer history as new coach Brandon Wilkins led the defending state champion Lady

Saints into play. Our team swept district play, beating every opponent by at least a twogoal margin. The north state championship game saw the chilled-to-the-bone Lady Saints scoring with less than two minutes to go in overtime, securing our spot in the state championship game. The Lady Saints crushed the Our Lady Academy Lady Crescents 5-1 in the most

intense game of the season, sealing back-to-back state championships. Throughout the season, the Lady Saints scored 64 goals while only allowing six. While the Saints will lose five seniors this year, the girls who will make up next year’s team have already had two years of state championship experience. The next goal for the girls’ soccer program? Nothing less than a 3-peat.

“The north state championship game saw the chilled-to-the-bone Lady Saints scoring with less than two minutes to go in overtime, securing our spot in the state championship game.” 36

“Yet over the past few years, we have experienced great success, hugely in part to the efforts of Coach Mark Fanning, who has an uncanny knack for teaching the game, often to kids with less experience than the competition.”

ROBINSON CRAWFORD THROWS THE HEAT DURING THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

29 Wins, Heavy Hearts, and Doing Something Right On the mound with Robinson Crawford, Class of 2009 I’ve had few more gut-wrenching assignments than to write about a senior baseball season that ended in heartbreak. We finished the season with 29 wins and heavy hearts after losing the final two games of the state champion-

ship series. Of course it hurts, of course I hate it, and of course I wish we could’ve done this and that and taken home the title. But I don’t want to spend a lot of time describing that loss, because that loss has little to do with what this program meant to everyone involved this year. I would like to point out a few details of the truly remarkable season that we put together. We surprised everyone (including ourselves) by starting the season 9-0. We went on to win our district for the fourth straight year, defeat cross-town 4A rival Ridgeland 18-4, sprint through the first three rounds of 37

the playoffs, upset Taylorsville and future second-round Major League Baseball draft pick Billy Hamilton in the South State Championship, and knock on the door of a state championship with a 9-1 win in Game 1. Herein lies the beauty of our baseball program: St. Andrew’s is not a team that everyone fears, boasting monstrous kids hitting 500-foot bombs and gassing 90 on the mound. Yet over the past few years, we have experienced great success, hugely in part to the efforts of Coach Mark Fanning, who has an uncanny knack for teaching the game, often to kids with less experience than the competition. St. Andrew’s is an academic community where school is hugely difficult and time consuming, and studying comes first. Whereas other coaches often have kids who live and breathe baseball handed to them, Coach Fanning makes his players love baseball. After the season I stopped by the field and chatted with Assistant Coach Gerard McCall for a second, watching two rising juniors long tossing in the mid-day heat. “That,” he said, “is what this is really all about. As a coach, to see the kids you’re with every day learn how to better themselves, how to lead, and how to compete, that’s when you know you’re doing something right.”

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Saints Winter & Spring Varsity Sports Records

ALEX WEDDERSTRAND GOES THE DISTANCE

GIRLS’ SOCCER 17–3–3 State Champion TENNIS State Champion BASEBALL 29–5 State runner-up GIRLS’ TRACK 2nd in State BOYS’ SOCCER 11–5 North State runner-up BOYS’ TRACK 3rd in State GIRLS’ GOLF 3rd in State BOYS’ GOLF 4th in State

“Trust In What You’ve Learned.” A leap of faith with Mary Katherine Kitchings, Class of 2009 “Trust in what you’ve learned. Don’t question. When the time comes, you’ll be ready.” Nerves have always been an obstacle for me at track meets. The pattern was this: during the long jump, my nerves would cause me to over-think each step of the process. Even as I was jumping, I was questioning my approach, my speed, and my form in the air. Afterward, I would report to Coach Charles Bailey and tell him everything I thought I was doing wrong. Coach Bailey would remind me to trust in what I had learned. It took almost the entire season, but

I finally began to believe what my coach was telling me. Back on the runway, focusing on those words – “Trust in what you’ve learned” – I sprinted towards the sand pit, all my thoughts trained on looking ahead, and once my foot hit the board there was nothing I could do but trust. It was then that I had my best performances, qualifying in the district, regional, and south state meets and making it all the way to the state meet in both triple and long jump. Believing in everything you’ve learned and trained applies to more than just track and field. I’ve been blessed with incredible teachers and mentors during my high school experience. Now, as I reach the end of those high school years, I’m trusting in what I have learned as I look to my future beyond St. Andrew’s. The time has come, and yes, I’m ready. 38

GIRLS’ BOWLING 4th in State FAST PITCH SOFTBALL 11–6 GIRLS’ BASKETBALL 5–19 BOYS’ BASKETBALL 4–22

“It took almost the entire season, but I finally began to believe what my coach was telling me. Back on the runway, focusing on those words – ‘Trust in what you’ve learned.’”

TIMOTHY HOPPER WINDS UP FOR THE GOAL

A Good, Swift Kick On the soccer field and on the bench with Tolu Shekoni, Class of 2009 When I look back 10 years from now, I believe the most memorable lesson I will have learned from playing soccer will be the price of selfishness. I must shamefully admit that at the beginning of the soccer season, I had tunnel vision in that I wanted the accolades. I planned on doing anything necessary to make sure I would look good. Additionally, I found myself in a tough position with our new coach,

Ed Moore. We never seemed to see eye-to-eye, and, as a result, not only did my team suffer, but so did my personal goals. During numerous games, I found myself on the bench due to my own selfishness, those accolades far from reach. As the season progressed, I realized that I had essentially ruined what could have been a great thing. Through soccer, I have learned much about how I should enter and treat relationships. Even though I may disagree, I’ve learned the importance of sucking up my pride in order to create harmonious conditions for everyone else around me. I gained a valuable lesson from this 39

soccer season. Unfortunately, it was at the price of what could have been. But fortunately, it will not come at the price of what can still be.

“I must shamefully admit that at the beginning of the soccer season, I had tunnel vision in that I wanted the accolades. I planned on doing anything necessary to make sure I would look good.”

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MICHAEL TAUCHAR AIMS FOR THE SKY

THEÁ MYERS SWINGS FOR THE FENCE

MATTHEW BEAR ABOUT TO SINK THE PUTT

WILLIAM MCGEE LINES UP THE SHOT

CARRIE SWEET EYES THE BASKET

MEREDITH AND MIRIAM PARKER AND ALLISON OSWALT SHOW OFF THEIR DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY

A Transformative Season On the track with Blake Johnson, Class of 2009 A series of toys-turned-tv show characters-turned movie stars, the Transformers are a group of thinking, talking cars who can transform into robots, each with a special, individual power. Optimus Prime, the leader of the Transformers, has the ability to change into an 18-wheeler. Blaster can turn

into a stealth bomber. Jazz can transform into a Porsche 935 Turbo. Each Transformer has its own specific job, but what is most impressive about them is their secret weapon – unity. When the Transformers come together as a team, they bond to create a massive robot powerful enough to face any of their enemies. The St. Andrew’s boys’ track team has much in common with the mighty Transformers. Individually, track runners are unique because each man specializes in his own event. From Cameron Ray handling hurdle sprints to Austin McCarley

“St. Andrew’s went on to win the tournament and our second consecutive district championship by one stroke. To say the Lady Saints have come a long way in a short time would be an understatement.”

Repeat PerFOREmance At the 18th hole with Allison Oswalt, Class of 2009 As the first girl on the St. Andrew’s golf team three years ago, I never would have imagined that in 2009 the Lady Saints would be backto-back district champions. This year’s district championship tournament at Patrick Farms Golf Course brought its share of memorable moments, including some great shots, some poor shots, and a delay of the tournament while staff from the Mississippi State Hospital at Whitfield searched for two escaped patients, eventually finding them in the clubhouse parking lot. The tournament ended in a tie and a sudden death playoff between St. Andrew’s and Magee High School. St. Andrew’s went on to win the tournament and our second consecutive district championship by one stroke. To say the Lady Saints have come a long way in a short time would be an understatement.

running absurdly long distances, each member has his area of expertise. But just as the Transformers come together to form a master robot, the track team came together to form team powerful enough to place third in the state. Our coaches, too, are like transformers. Led by our own version of Optimus Prime, head coach Andy Till, our five individual coaches each have their own areas of expertise. But when they come together, they are a powerful force ready to meet any coaching challenge.

Stepping Up On the mound with Kristin Long, Class of 2010 This season can be summed up into two words: “step up.” The Lady Saints 2009 fast pitch softball team included just four upperclassmen, which required many of us to step up and fill some big shoes. For our team to reach its full potential, each individual player had to reach her own. Whether a player was at the plate, in a tight defensive, or pinch running for a teammate, Coach King was always there with the reminder, “step up.” We took Coach King’s words to heart and to the field, a fact that shows in the stats. Alas, no amount of stepping up on our part could influence Mother Nature. We lost two tournaments and two regular season games due to rain. But after months of stepping up to meet the challenge, even a rain-shortened season couldn’t dampen the Lady Saints’ spirits.

Inexperience, Infection, Injuries, and Enthusiasm On the basketball court with Michael Tauchar, Class of 2010 The 2008-2009 season handed our basketball team more than its fair share of obstacles. The season began with fewer than 10 men on the court because many team members were performing double duty as football players com-

peting in post-season play. Even after the football players arrived, it was evident that the team – which featured just one senior and one junior – would struggle due to lack of experience. A few weeks into the season, almost every player on the team had staphylococcus infection, better known as the dreaded staph. The contagious nature of this infection meant that the entire team was temporarily banned from the weight room. Then came the injuries, which included hurt knees, strained groins, and a broken wrist, toe, and leg. With inexperience, infection, and

injuries working against us, it certainly didn’t help that our schedule contained more 3A and 4A schools than 2A opponents. But all these problems couldn’t change the attitude of the 13 people determined to stick it out on the court. In fact, the struggles only made us realize how much we were willing to endure to play a sport we love. We stuck together and stuck it out as a team. And with only one senior graduating and 12 kids who know what it means to play through challenges, 2009-2010 can (hopefully) only get better.

Saints Golfers Finish Fore-th

On Any Given Day At the tip-off with Carrie Sweet, Class of 2010 One of the Lady Saints basketball team’s toughest opponents over the past couple of seasons has been Hinds AHS. Game after game, their talent seemed unbeatable. Season after season, this was one game we pretty much conceded at the tip-off. But this year, the old saying “anyone can be beaten on any given day,” proved true for the Lady Saints. During the first half, we matched Hinds shot-for-shot, and as we headed into the locker rooms at halftime, they had only a small lead. During the break, we realized that a win was possible. We finished the game with a six-point win over Hinds, leaping for joy at the buzzer as the crowd went wild around us. I’d like to say we went on to win every game for the rest of the season and take the state title, but that wasn’t the case. In fact, our record wasn’t too great this year. But that memorable game against Hinds taught me one of those “life lessons” that are the real reason you’re supposed to play sports. I realized that no opponent is undefeatable, and that if you’re willing to work hard enough, on any given day, anything really is possible.

Teeing off with Naveen Manisundaram, Class of 2011

Most people think of golf as an individual sport, but this year it was a team effort that kept the Saints on the fairways all the way to the state tournament. Most of the team performed poorly in the district championship in April, but thanks to a few outstanding performances, we defeated our opposition by one stroke. The state championship saw us playing in poor conditions after a heavy rain, but thanks to a solid performance by every member of our team, we finished fourth in the state. It’s true that when it’s your turn to hit that ball, there is no one there to help you. But as a member of the St. Andrew’s golf team, I was an individual, but I was never alone.

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lass

notes

THE LACROSSE TEAM RALLIES

Please e-mail future Class Notes to Mary Harwell ’93 at harwellc@gosaints.org. 1974 LuLu LeMaster Heiney relocated to Fillmore, Indiana, following retirement from a 27-year career as a professional tennis instructor. Heiney is now a full time Alpaca Farmer. www.santaclausalpacas.com

DAVID DULSKE CONCENTRATES ON THE SQUAT

The Few, The Proud,The Lacrosse Team On the field with Henri Paul Watson, Class of 2009 The lacrosse team began practices in February with a strong turnout of people who wanted to play. But as the going got tough and the practices got tougher, the team members dwindled. We were already in a tight spot, having

Finding Strength, Inside and Out Powerlifting with Christina Spann, Class of 2009 As obvious as it sounds, “strength” is the one word that best describes powerlifting. Not just physical strength, but mental strength as well. The first

Memory Lanes Bowling with Kyle Bellamy, Class of 2009 If I look back in 10 years, what will I have learned from my experience as a member of the St. Andrew’s bowling team? I think the most valuable lesson is the importance of spending time with friends. I’ve learned that having a common goal – whether it’s to get a strike

lost not only key senior players from last season, but also both coaches. After a month of practicing on our own, we gained a new coach in Jeff Cronin, who volunteered to coach for the season without pay. Pretty rad right? What Coach Cronin lacked in lacrosse experience, he made up for in attitude, helping to create the serious and dedicated atmosphere needed to get the team on the right track. Before long, our small-but-dedicated team was on its way to Birmingham, Alabama, for a major tournament. We

went in with 10 players–the absolute minimum number of players a lacrosse team can put on the field. This meant no subs. How did we perform? To be frank, the 10 of us played like total stallions in back-to-back games all weekend and earned some hefty respect for St. Andrew’s, ending the tournament with two wins and two losses in tournament and scrimmage play. On behalf of the team, I’d like to thank Jeff Cronin for the support he gave us, both verbally and financially, and for making this season a success.

time the bar was placed on my shoulders when I was a freshman, I collapsed. My first thought was that this sport was not for me, that I was just not strong enough to do it. Discouraged, I didn’t want to continue, but I also didn’t want to quit. I found out that powerlifting is a building sport, a sport in which the first try is not going to be the best, neither the second nor third. Instead, powerlifting is a sport in which strength is tested each time you enter the weight

room. And while people of different shapes and sizes make up the powerlifting team, each person shares the inner strength needed to perform well in this sport. When we leave the weight room or the competition floor, we leave stronger than we were before. In four years of powerlifting, I’ve learned that physical strength coincides with mental strength, and only when you possess both have you truly mastered the sport.

or to beat Mary Helen’s score (not sure I’ve done that yet) – allows the people involved to share the excitement when one person achieves that goal. Being able to joke around with the other bowlers made every minute spent at the lanes fun, even if I was having a bad game. Bowling also taught me that every new activity is a new opportunity to make new friends. Just as something drew me to bowling, where I found friends with common interests, it stands to reason that any other sport or activity I choose

to pursue will also lead me to others who share my interests, and will put me in a position to learn new things from new friends. I don’t know where I’ll be in 10 years; I don’t even know where I’ll be in one year (although hopefully the answer is recovering from a great first year at college). But I do know that no matter how much time passes, I will always get nostalgic when I think about the friends I made in the lanes.

1975 Julia Womack Collins has lived in Oregon for 30 years, where she has worked for the state in human services for 19 years. Collins specializes in policies and Medicaid issues. She and her husband, Jesse, have been married for 19 years. Don Humer and his wife of 20 years, Rachel, live in Ojai, California, also known as “paradise.” Don is working on film treatments while also looking for scripts to shoot or direct. Don completed the 23-mile LA bike marathon in one hour and 18 minutes. 1977 David Carter and his wife, Kathryn, live in Madison, Mississippi. They have three children, Jacquelyn, a sophomore at Ole Miss; Eli, a third grader at Madison Station; and Noah, a kindergartner at Madison Station. David works in the oil and gas exploration business and Kathryn is a nurse anesthetist. 1985 Joy Brashears Amerson and her husband, Cleophus, welcomed a daughter on April 12, 2009.

Dylan Flint Catherwood

Lily Margaret Johnson

Paul Catherwood and his wife, Amy, welcomed a son, Dylan Flint Catherwood, on July 8, 2009.

Scott Johnson and his wife, Susan Margaret Barrett ’90, welcomed a daughter, Lily Margaret, on July 10, 2009. Lily Margaret joins big brothers Benjamin and Charlie.

1986 Kathleen Conner Strickland and her husband, Jim, celebrated the arrival of their second daughter, Ivey Charlotte Strickland. 1987 Gibson Pritchard is putting his experience as a member of the St. Andrew’s A/V Club to work as chief engineer for WTVF/News Channel5 in Nashville. Pritchard and his wife have an 11-year-old son, Addison, and eightyear-old triplets, Graham, Everett, and Lane. 1988 Jim Boland lives in China with his wife, Victoria, and their daughters, Erica (8) and Ella (3). Boland works for Dell Finance as a controller supporting China Operations and most recently the China consumer retail business. This summer the family relocated from Shanghai to Beijing.

Devin Ryan Tournillon and her husband and three children moved from Uptown New Orleans to the North Shore. The Tournillons now live around the corner from St. Andrew’s alumna Rivers Hise Trahant ’88 and her family. Tournillon commutes to New Orleans, where she works part time as a personal trainer. 1989 Sarah McKinley lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband, Ryan. Sarah enjoys balancing her work as a doctor in pulmonary medicine with her role as mother to of twoyear-old Ryan. Julie Peteet lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, Andrew Soloman. She travels the world taking photographs and recently finished a novel. Peteet attended several colleges, including a performing arts school, on

And the Grammy Goes to… Woods Drinkwater is searching for some extra shelf place, but he’s certainly not complaining. Drinkwater ’03 received a Grammy Award as the engineer for the album “BeauSoleil & Michael Doucet: Live at the 2008 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.” The album captured the Grammy for Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album for 2008. The music industry’s recognition of his work grew even sweeter in May, when Drinkwater received his own Grammy statuette. • “I never thought I would receive a statue. Hearing that not only was I credited as an engineer on a Grammy-winning album, but was also being recognized with an actual Grammy statue of my own was a little dumbfounding,” Drinkwater says. “It only makes me more committed to every project I pursue. You never know when you could be working on an award-winning record.” • A 2007 graduate of Loyola University New Orleans, Drinkwater began volunteering at Jazz Fest in 2005. Over the years, he moved from volunteering to serving as production manager for Jazz Fest Live, which makes available for purchase recordings of New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival concerts. • Since 2007, Drinkwater has traveled with the Allman Brothers Band, recording their live concert CDs. He resumed that tour in August, and is also interning in a studio in New Orleans and traveling as tour manager and front-of-house manager for the local New Orleans band MyNameIsJohnMichael.

her way to earning B.A. in literature/psychology and an M.A. in women’s studies. Her husband practices law while Peteet focuses on her writing and photography. Leslie Whites Precht and her husband, Robert, live in the Mississippi Delta. Precht’s son, Landon, graduated with honors from high school and her 17-year-old daughter, Leighton, recently returned from a mission trip to Peru. 1990 Susan Gear Deason lives in Memphis with her husband, David, and their children, Anna (7), Lillian (6), and Cooper (3). Deason works at Youth Villages, a non-profit organization that provides services to emotionally and behaviorally disturbed children and their families. She will mark her 15th year with Youth Villages in August. Geoffrey Rollins and his wife, Dawn, welcomed a daughter, Gabrielle Marie Rollins. The Rollins live in Asheville, North Carolina. Tabitha Stabbs Shinault lives in Jackson and works at M3A Architecture as a graphic designer. In her free time, she enjoys gaming and writing, and invites any alumni on Guild Wars, WoW , or CoD to look her up. 1991 Melanie McKay Alter has lived in Frisco, Texas, since graduating from TCU. She works for MetLife as a consultant. Melanie has been married for 12 years to Jamie Alter. They have two daughters, Madison (10) and Eden (6). Carter Myers and his wife, Lydia, welcomed a son, Carter Lewis Myers, on April 14. The Myers live in Oxford, Mississippi, where Myers is the president of Ammcom INK and recently ran in a close election for Alderman of Ward 2 in Oxford.

1992 Hadleigh Foil works for the USO, Metropolitan of New York handling fundraising and special events. She is also studying graphic design at Parson’s School of Design. Emmie King has returned to work full time as the director of development and marketing at the Mississippi Museum of Art. She is expecting her second child in late August. 1993 Sharla Bachelder is #9 in Mississippi among individual RE/MAX real estate associates for commission earnings. Lori Genous relocated from Jackson to Waco, Texas, in June. Genous has accepted a position as the director of wellness at Baylor University. Greta Hauberg had her own massage therapy practice in Bellingham, Washington, until her son, Terran Atticus Noah Hauberg, was born in June. Hauberg has since relocated to Memphis and is enjoying motherhood. David Majure is in a cardiology fellowship at University of California – San Francisco. Ken Sones married Suzanne McKinley. Ken and Suzanne live in Jackson with their daughter, Julienne McKinley, who is in the first grade at St. Andrew’s. Neely Whites lives in Long Beach and offers tax, accounting, and financial planning services. Whites offers discounts to any St. Andrew’s alumni. Her son, Andrew, is 18 months old.

1999 Justin Cook is a staff attorney at the Mississippi Office of Indigent Appeals. He is engaged to marry Ginger Williams on October 10, 2009.

1994

Addie Allred

1994 Katie Howell Allred and her husband, Buck Allred ’92, welcomed a daughter, Adelyn “Addie” Jane Allred, on March 14. Katie and Buck live in Sacramento, California. Will Dickson is a United States Secret Service agent. Dickson completed a tour with Vice President Joe Biden to Sarajevo, Bosnia, and Beirut, Lebanon. Dickson and his family recently moved to Leesburg, Georgia, where he will be a part of the Jimmy Carter Protective Detail. Caroline Debeukelaer Johnson teaches Upper School math at St. Andrew’s. 1996 Camille Almond completed her ophthalmology residency at the University of Washington in June and moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota for a cornea fellowship. Hiatt Collins and Elizabeth Seward were married at Christ Church Cathedral in Nashville, Tennessee, in August 2008. Hiatt and Elizabeth met at Vanderbilt while he was in law school and she was an undergraduate. They are at home in Birmingham, Alabama, where Hiatt practices law and Elizabeth works as a software consultant. Greg Graeber and his wife, Mendel, welcomed a daughter, Lela Rose Graeber, on December 1, 2008. Lela joins big brother Owen. Graeber recently earned his master’s degree in science education from the University of South Alabama.

Andrew and Nikki Neely

Andrew Neely and Natica “Nikki” Chapman were married April 25, 2009 at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Gulfport. Bridesmaids included Andrew’s sisters, Katy Morgan Neely Pulvere ’99 and Taylor Neely ’01. Groomsmen included St. Andrew’s alumni R ussell B arksdale ’96, Herwig DeBeukelaer ’96, and Chris Robertson ’96. Andrew and Nikki live in Jackson where Nikki works for the Department of Veterans Affairs as a staff attorney and Andrew works for Hawkins, Stracener & Gibson, PLLC as an attorney. 1997 Carlyle White is an associate in the Memphis office of Butler Snow and was recently named one of “Memphis’ Most Influential Black Attorneys” in the April/May 2009 edition of Memphis Minority Business Magazine. A member of Butler Snow’s Labor and Employment Group, White focuses his practice in the areas of employment litigation and traditional labor law.

Laura Young has been substitute teaching at St. Andrew’s Lower School and coaching track at the Upper School. She is engaged to marry Chris Louis ’99 at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Jackson on May 29, 2010. The couple is moving to Nashville, Tennessee, where Laura will teach 11th grade American literature and coach cross-country and track at Hume-Fogg, a public school in downtown Nashville. 2000 David Haltom works for Hines, a large, privately-held real estate development and investment firm based in Houston. Last spring David accepted an offer to relocate to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Hines will develop real estate in the region, with potential projects in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Amman, Jordan; and Abu Dhabi.

2001 Jessie Butcher is curator for a show of Colby Bird’s at Okay Mountain, an art gallery in Austin, Texas, that Butcher runs with 10 other artists (www.okaymountain.com). After the show, Jessie will move to Chicago and begin work on an M.F.A. from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Caldwell Collins Israel graduated in May from Washington University School of Law. She and her husband, Bill, have moved to Nashville, where Caldwell will join the litigation department at Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC. 2002 E mily Almas graduated from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education with a master’s degree in higher education. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Meredith Moore received her M.B.A. from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School and has relocated to New York.

Tina Heitmann works part time at St. Andrew’s as the Lower School admission associate and is pursuing her M.B.A. at Millsaps College.

Lauren Jones will appear in the feature film, “The Expendables” as Mickey Rourke’s girlfriend. The movie, which also stars Sylvester Stallone and Jet Li, will be released in 2010. Jones will also be featured in the August 2009 issues of Oprah and Maxim magazines. She

2003 Ashley Wells married Tripp Hullender on May 30, 2009 at the Madison United Methodist Chapel. Ashley and Tripp met at Rhodes College. Bridesmaids included St. Andrew’s alumni Leslie Wells ’06 (maid of honor),

20th Reunion The class of 1989 celebrated its 20th reunion on Saturday, May 23. Alumni and their families gathered at the Center for Performing Arts on the St. Andrew’s North Campus for lunch and socializing, followed by a viewing of their senior video and a tour of the campus. Saturday evening, alumni gathered for an all-adult dinner on the patio at Two Sister’s Kitchen (owned and operated by alumnus Grady Griffin’s wife, Amanda). Grady ’89 prepared a delicious dinner of shrimp and grits and scallops for his classmates. Pictured above are (1st row, L to R) Jenny King, Cathy Jones Schulz, Honey East Bennett, Grady Griffin, Luther Ott, Leslie Evans Dixon, Barbara Brunson David, Elizabeth Wright Ainsworth, (2nd row, L to R) Peter Fisher, Cristen Coker Hemmins, Paige Ford Fisher, Cynthia Chunn Gibbs, Beth Everett Wright, Carl Black, Matt Senter, Elizabeth Black, (3rd row, L to R) Rick Edie (former faculty), Laura Teal Clement and Rebekah McKeown Sanders.

Sidney Anthony ’09 Captures Second Place at America’s Junior Miss Mississippi’s Junior Miss Sidney Anthony ’09 wowed the crowd and the judges at the America’s Junior Miss competition in Mobile, Alabama, in June, capturing second place (first alternate) in the national competition. Anthony, now a freshman at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, took home $42,000 in scholarships from the local, state, and national Junior Miss competitions. • Ridgeland Mayor Gene McGee and his wife were among the well-wishers who made the four-hour drive to Mobile to watch as Anthony represented Mississippi in the national spotlight. • “Sidney Anthony is one of those one-in-a-million people who just stands above the crowd,” McGee said. “She’s an asset to the community, and we just wanted to show our support.” • The Junior Miss program emphasizes personal development, education, and life skills that help prepare young women for success in college and beyond. The five areas of competition include interview, talent, scholastics, physical fitness, and personal expression, which includes an on-stage question. At the national level, Anthony finished in the top five in talent and in physical fitness. • Anthony and the 49 other contestants spent two weeks in Mobile rehearsing for the show and taking part in community events. • “Learning about all the different girls’ lifestyles was extremely interesting because it showed me the differences in cultures around the United States,” Anthony says. “But although we all had our own accents and cultural differences, we had one important thing in common: our values. It was very comforting to know that there are other girls out there with priorities in life similar to my own.”

has a line of loungewear available at laurenjonescollection.com.

In Memory of Brent Haick (1978-2009) The St. Andrew’s community was saddened by the loss of alumnus Brent Haick ’96, who died in February 2009. Haick was a Marine Corps officer who completed three tours of duty in Iraq before leaving the Marines to attend medical school at the University of California, Davis. Memorial services in both Ridgeland, Mississippi, and at the UC Davis School of Medicine were attended by many who knew and loved Brent Haick and celebrated his unselfish service to his country. Memorial sites are located on Facebook (“Remembering Brent Haick”) and at http://brenthaick.posterous.com/.

Rachel Allen ’03, Jordan Hailey Bryan ’03, and Elizabeth Leake ’03. The couple lives in Memphis, Tennessee, where Tripp works for Metropolitan Bank and Ashley teaches sixth grade. Sarah Scott married Will Clark on June 20, 2009 at Christ United Methodist Church in Jackson. Sarah and Will met at Mississippi State University. Bridesmaids included St. Andrew’s alumni Emily Anne Scott ’07 (maid of honor) Tina Heitmann ’02, Lane Walton ’03, Elizabeth Leake ’03, and Jordan Hailey Bryan ’03.

2007 Osman Athar spent the summer taking physics at the University of Houston and working in a lab with a neurologist. Galen Reeves-Darby is an intern with Warner Brothers Music Group in Las Angeles. He is working in the licensing department, assisting people who select songs for TV shows and movies. He is a student at UT-Austin. 2008 Kyle Craft completed his freshman year at Stanford University. He is spending the summer at Stanford working part-time as a con-

ference assistant, helping groups that use the Stanford dorms for housing over the summer. Craft is also leading program development for a new student-run, nonprofit tutoring project called DreamCatchers, and serves as the campus coordinator for a nonprofit called Stanford Project On Hunger which shares leftover food from the dining halls and campus events with a homeless shelter near campus. In September, Craft will lead a pre-orientation hiking trip for Stanford freshmen, as well as training to become a certified application assistant for low-income families registering their children for healthcare insurance.

The Ties That Bind The Class of 2009 included 30 members with siblings or parents who are alumni or current members of the Board of Trustees, Corporation, faculty, or staff. An amazing 40 percent of the class claims a family tie to St. Andrew’s.

The Ties That Bind

David Hammett ’07, Daniel Hammett

Claudette Conway-Lewis, Bennett Conway-Lewis ’08

Fulton Cannon, Marsha Cannon (Patron Saint), Creed Cannon ’99

Grace Serio, Andrew Serio ’07

Wilma VanLandingham (Patron Saint), Neil VanLandingham, Parry VanLandingham ’05, Matthew VanLandingham ’03

Robbie Leis, Angela Leis ’07

Neelam Barot, Vishal Barot ’01

Emma Wann, Maribeth Wann ’78

Brook Trusty ’04, Stephanie Trusty

Gy Odom ’98, Douglass Odom, Joey Odom ’03

Hope Bynum (Patron Saint), Blythe Bynum, Bill Bynum (Trustee)

Mary Helen Ford, Chappell Ford ’06

Caroline Peeples, Madeleine Peeples ’07

Brent Smith ’05, Angie Smith (Faculty), Graham Smith

Mary Katherine Kitchings, Taylor Kitchings (Faculty)

Jake Warren, Luke Warren ’08

Doug Varney ’79, Elliott Varney, Judy Varney ’77

Austin McCarley, Dawn McCarley (Staff), Evan McCarley ’05

Axelinta Martin ’81, Clara Martin

John Spann ’08, Christina Spann

Sidney Anthony, Chandler Anthony ’08

Rick Yelverton ’76, Kate Yelverton, Lee Yelverton ’06

Morgan Jones ’05, Bessie Burton Jones, Hewitt Jones ’03

Henri Paul Watson, Paul Watson ’78

Correction Jennifer Triplett ’09 and Lee Gabardi ’09 were inadvertently omitted from the lists of Advanced Placement Scholars appearing in the March 2009 issue of Archways. Triplett is an AP Scholar with Distinction and Gabardi is an AP Scholar. We regret the error.

Megan Rock, William Rock ’07

Marie Elise Williams, Tommy Williams (Corporation, Trustee)

Victoria Wolfe ’06, Rebecca Wolfe 46

Sid Johnson, Al Johnson ’76, Blake Johnson

Elizabeth Fike, Rivers Fike ’07 47

kcaB gnikooL | Looking Forward An Alum and a Student Share Perspectives

Expanding Horizons, Expanding Opportunities One bit of advice I would extend to those presently attending St. Andrew’s is this: get involved. It wasn’t until after I left St. Andrew’s that I fully realized how unique the school is in the opportunities that it affords its students. In this way, the school assists not only in broadening one’s horizons, but shaping them as well. I am forever indebted to St. Andrew’s for introducing me to the art of communication through the speech and debate program, an activity that not only changed the course of my life, but continues to shape my career today. Before I entered high school, two of my defining characteristics were a low, mumbling voice and an overriding shyness. When I joined the speech and debate team everyone was a bit surprised. I confess, I was initially interested in the program because it would improve my high school resume (which it did), but as I became more drawn to the activity, I realized that it was not something that I wanted to use to get ahead in life; it was what I wanted to do with my life. Using the knowledge and experience that the school gave me, I am pursuing a career in communication, but I am only one of many students who have found their passion at St. Andrew’s. To the current students of the school: do not make the mistake of overlooking the world of opportunities that you have at your fingertips. If you cannot yet see what lies on your horizon, St. Andrew’s is willing and able to point the way.

Last June, Aditya Gulanikar and I traveled to Birmingham, Alabama, to represent St. Andrew’s in the National Forensic League’s national tournament. After five days and 15 rounds of intense debate, we reached the finals. While we lost in finals on a close vote, Aditya and I are incredibly thankful for having had the chance to expand our outlook beyond the scene in Mississippi. The opportunity has made us not only better debaters, but also better people. We have learned life skills from traveling with the speech and debate team, including how to write clearly and concisely and how to cooperate with other people, and we’ve acquired a work ethic that will stay with us forever. These skills will be invaluable for the remainder of high school and well into college. And because St. Andrew’s encouraged us to travel the national debate circuit, we’ve made friends from California, Florida, and North and South Carolina. Aditya and I were allowed a few minutes before our final round to acknowledge and thank the people who supported us throughout our journey, but these few minutes were not nearly enough to capture all that St. Andrew’s has done for us. With every experience we have, both at home and away, we realize more and more that St. Andrew’s has always encouraged us to expand our horizons. And as we look ahead to all the future holds, we have no argument at all with that directive.

Evan McCarley ’05 is a 2009 graduate of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College at the University of Mississippi. He is pursuing a graduate degree in communication management at Emerson College in Boston.

Shruti Jaishankar, Class of 2011, is a member of the St. Andrew’s speech and debate team.