KnightsStandOut

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School Prepares Seniors for College Life

Preparing for College Life, a program coordinated by Rachel Lopez, College Counselor, in the Spring semester, was Rev. Beth Holden’s brainchild back in 2014. That fall, she remembers reading about how difficult the transition can be from high school to college. Rev. Holden adds, “Most alarming to me were some shocking statistics about the sexual assault of women in their first few months of college and the rise of depression among all college students. I was also reading about very practical challenges students experienced in making the transition to college life.”

Beth began a conversation with a number of people on campus, including our Choices Counselor, the College Counseling team, senior class sponsors and deans, and select faculty. Rev. Holden says, “This program was envisioned as a means of giving further support to our school mission to prepare students for meaningful lives beyond their high school years.” In fact, it is one program that does so in a very direct and specific way.

The committee looked to find a way, in a two‑day program, to tackle big and small challenges alike that all college students face, like consent and assault, roommate conflict, getting into sororities and fraternities, stress management, how to survive lecture courses, time management, applying for internships, money management, health care, and more.

A few years ago, the leadership and coordination of the program made its way to Rachel Lopez in College Counseling. This year, the workshop was consolidated to a single day to account for COVID‑19 policies and procedures. Seniors attended a workshop during 5th period on Wednesday, April 7, with Dr. Richard Baker, Executive Director for Institutional Equity and the Title IX Coordinator at Rice University. They heard about Dr. Baker’s compelling life, future life as an undergrad, and continued to build skills in establishing effective boundaries and maintaining healthy, consensual relationships. Their lunch this year ended with a visit by an ice cream food truck, a nice treat in a difficult year.

Dr. Baker selected Daniel Koch ’21 for a demonstration that focused on differentiating between non-verbal and verbal consent. Daniel adds, “It was cool to be involved in the discussion like that. I felt like I gained a lot from it. It was an interesting way to learn how you should always make sure you have verbal consent.”

Isabelle De Bruyker ’21 found it to be an eye‑opening experience. She says, “Dr. Baker was very engaging as he spoke about taking care of ourselves through college whether it was about consent or being at a party. He related to all of us as he explained what experiences he had through high school and college. I’m really happy he shared his experience with us!” Adds Ms. Lopez, “After several years presenting to the male senior students, it was exciting to witness Dr. Baker in action with all members of the Class of 2021. Learning about his childhood in Compton, California, and the ‘baby‑blue flame moments’ (as he calls them) that led him to Texas, to multiple degrees, and to the upper echelons of higher education, inspired the listening group of students, faculty and staff.”

Two-Day Senior Outreach Makes Big Impact

Though the COVID‑19 pandemic forced the School to shorten this year’s Senior Outreach from eight days to two days, the students made a huge impact at volunteer sites throughout the city.

“In prior years, the majority of seniors volunteered at under‑served schools, schools for children with special needs and learning differences, and homeless shelters,” explains Senior Outreach Director Mike Donnelly. “With pandemic safety concerns being of paramount importance, we concentrated on finding opportunities that allowed us to work outside or follow physical distancing requirements.

“We were fortunate to partner with Debbie Allensworth, Senior Associate and Community Pastor at Pearland’s St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, who is the Executive Director of the Mosaic in Action Storm Recovery Center and also the Coalition Co‑Coordinator of Brazoria Responds. Debbie was able to help us secure some non‑traditional Senior Outreach sites,” says Donnelly. He thanks more than 12 faculty and staff members who volunteered to supervise seniors on the seven projects.

Below is a summary of Senior Outreach accomplishments:

• A crew of 39 students led by Marc Klinkerman and Dick Gaston helped refugees from Cambodia and Laos in Rosharon by building greenhouses and moving supplies, plants, and mulch. • A crew of 14 led by Julius Michael painted the exterior of a house in Pasadena. • Ten girls, led by David Trauba and Paul Revaz, worked to repair Thong House in Rosharon, including taping, floating, and sanding drywall along with clearing the yard’s brush. • A group of 20 seniors, led by Dan Binder, harvested 160 pounds of cabbage and 30 pounds of cauliflower at Target Hunger. Target Hunger operates multiple Food Pantries that serve individuals and families who need food assistance including providing nutritious fresh produce. • A crew of 16, led by Rev. Art Callaham, documented headstones at the historic Oak Park Cemetery, where many prominent Houstonians are buried, including Mickey Leland. • A team of 27 students, led by Emily White, assembled sandwiches at Kid’s Meals to provide free and healthy meals for hungry children. They made more than 6,000 sandwiches! • Two crews (56 students) volunteered at the Houston Food Bank. These crews were led by Matt Fox, Jason Grove, Chief Achilefu, Lauren West, and Shaun Flood.

Ceramics Instructor David Trauba, one of the faculty supervisors at the Thong House, praises his Senior Outreach experience: “The girls in our group were completely engaged during our time out there. They never hesitated about any job we asked them to do. I am very proud of all the work they accomplished.”

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EHS Supporters Light Up the Knight!

On Friday, February 26, 2021, the EHS community was able to gather virtually to celebrate Episcopal High School’s 37th Auction, “Light Up the Knight!” Co‑chairs Michelle Juden and Caren McKinnie, along with countless volunteers and generous donors, raised necessary revenue for the School’s operating budget.

As Maya Angelou said, “Nothing can dim the light that shines from within.” This quote would take on more meaning than Juden and McKinnie ever expected when choosing the Auction’s theme. Not a global pandemic, nor an ice storm, would dim the light that shines from Episcopal High School!

Once a decision to go virtual was made, the Auction team moved forward and lined up one‑of‑a‑kind entertainment with songwriting maestros Song Division. This group of world‑class musicians from Nashville wowed our guests who tuned in. Songs were requested, using the chat feature, while an “EHS Rock Anthem” was produced that very night. Guests picked up fabulous charcuterie boxes made by City Kitchen, while EHS totes provided a drink kit complete with sparklers, so guests could “Light Up the Knight” in style, and in the comfort of their homes. Our community rose to the challenge and supported the virtual event for “Light Up the Knight,” along with our Online Auction, where all items were featured using this digital platform. During the Pillars Up portion of the Online Auction, the generous EHS community raised funds supporting the Four Pillars of EHS.

With our virtual and Online Auction complete, EHS is gearing up for Auction 2022, “Oh, What a Knight!” Co‑chairs Mary Ellen Bos, Anne Freeman, and Allison Jordan promise an unforgettable evening as we disco into a Friday night fever! Save the date: February 18, 2022. For the latest Auction 2022 “Oh, What a Knight!” news and updates, check the School’s website and weekly Windows newsletter. If you would like to get involved, contact Debbie Kelley at dkelley@ehshouston.org or Mandy Malone Loper ’98 at mloper@ehshouston.org.

Freshman Service Broadens Scope

For the past few years, Freshman Service Day was a day of service at the Food Bank where all freshmen were required to participate. Scheduling a day for freshmen to engage in service has been a longtime tradition at EHS. “Even during my time here,” The Rev. Beth Holden explains, “the shape of that day has taken different forms, but the goal has been the same. In keeping with our school’s mission to prepare students ‘for meaningful lives in service to others,’ the goal of this event for freshmen is to introduce them to service, in hopes of establishing an interest in and commitment to continuing in service to others throughout their years at EHS and beyond.”

Rev. Holden says EHS was already looking at making some changes to Freshman Service Day pre‑Covid. “A committee of faculty and deans has been meeting over the full course of last year to re‑imagine what we’ve done in the past—a single Saturday morning in September at the Houston Food Bank for the entire freshman class and their advisors.”

Although the Food Bank is still one of the school’s favorite service sites, “We recognized that there were a growing number of students who had Saturday commitments and were missing the ‘class bonding’ aspect of the day. COVID‑19 pandemic protocols recommend smaller groups of students at various sites. “We’re getting great feedback from students, parents, and the faculty who are graciously assisting with the many events.”

Organizations students can continue to support include Kid’s Meals, The Nature Discovery Center, Buffalo Bayou, Animeals, the Houston Food Bank, The Beacon, SEARCH, Houston Methodist Hospital, Blessings in a Backpack, and the Christian Community Service Center.

We also thought that giving students the opportunity to choose from an array of service options—on‑campus and off-campus, addressing different needs from hunger to homelessness to environmental concerns to care of the elderly and care for medical workers and patients, and on different days during the week—would give students more investment in the service they were doing and introduce them to the kind of small‑group service experience that SOS will continue to offer.”

And so, the Freshman Service Experience was born. The decision happened to be serendipitous since

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Students Land Record Number of Scholastics for Writing and Art

EHS is proud to announce the winners of the 2021 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, a national program designed to identify and celebrate “the vision, ingenuity, and talent of our nation’s youth.”

In all, students earned 35 awards in writing and 63 awards in the arts. By earning Honorable Mention, Silver, and Gold Keys in this year’s competition, these students established EHS as a powerhouse of creativity.

Senior Alena Haney won the distinguished honor of American Voices Nominee. Five works of art and five writing pieces are selected as best of show from approximately 9,000 Harris County Department of Education regional entries in the 2020 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Each American Voices nominee receives a cash award of $250 from the HCDE. From the pool of five, a panel of jurors in New York City selects one artist from each of Scholastic’s 100 regional affiliates to receive an American Visions Medal. These medalists from throughout the nation are celebrated during national events and exhibits in New York City. Hillary Houle, creative writing teacher and editor of the literary journal Light and Shadow, adds, “What a wonderful way to celebrate our strengths in 2021! By using their writers’ voices to capture their stories, our students are connecting with others. I am so proud of the work submitted this year— whether poetry, prose, essay, or script, the words hold power.”

This year has seen a strong showing from the Creative Writing Club, which was created in 2018 with a few writers who didn’t have time in their schedule to take creative writing. Several club meetings were dedicated to writing for Scholastic. With faculty sponsor Emma Tsai’s help, these students submitted work that was recognized in these awards. EHS arts students came in strong as well with a total of 63 awards. John Dameris earned a National Gold Award for his sculpture, “Dark Strength.”

“This has been our highest number of Scholastics Art Awards since I started at EHS in 2011,” reports Kate Philbrick, Department Chair of Visual Arts. “It’s proof that even during uncertain times, art continues to be a practice students use as a means of expression. If a pandemic can’t derail the forward momentum of EHS Visual Arts, nothing can!”

The Goal for These Athletes is Service

The girls soccer program and the girls basketball program wanted to give back this year, even though participating in service as a team proved more difficult with Covid protocols in place. Rachel Stetler, head of the girls soccer program, started by creating a three‑year picture for the program.

“We want to compete like crazy on the field, but we always want to pursue a higher purpose than winning,” Stetler explains. “So, one of the pieces of this picture was selecting a cause to fundraise during a game(s) with technical goals. This premise comes from a bigger movement called Play Better.” Over winter break, sophomore Mia Tuckwood and varsity soccer player suggested Charity: Water. Tuckwood says, “It’s so amazing to start something so special within our program, and I’m very excited for the impact we will make on Charity: Water in later years.”

Once these student athletes reflected on how different their lives would be without an available source of clean water, they were committed to their goals. Mimi Wilson, a senior player, says, “Charity: Water is a great cause that is very close to our hearts as female athletes. I can’t wait to see the positive impact we can make on these communities!”

The girls basketball program participated in two fundraising events this season, Operation Christmas Child and Play4Kay. Operation Christmas Child is a project under Samaritan’s Purse that delivers packaged shoe boxes to children. These shoeboxes are filled with fun toys, school supplies, and hygiene items that are then delivered to children around the world with a message of the gospel and God’s love.

“We participated in this project by going to a local Target to pack shoeboxes for children around the world,” says basketball coach Kayla Rogers. “The girls’ basketball team packed four shoeboxes for four children of various ages and gender. These gifts were then shipped to a processing center in Charlotte, North Carolina, to be distributed around the world.”

Play4Kay is a nationwide movement in women’s basketball at the high school, collegiate, and professional level that raises money for all cancers affecting women. The fundraiser originated from Coach Kay Yow at NC State who passed away from Stage 4 breast cancer in 2009. Coach Yow left a legacy of uniting women’s basketball for a common cause and helped get girls basketball to the level it is today.

“As a North Carolina native,” Rogers says, “I grew up watching Coach Yow at NC State. As a young player, to watch her persevere through her fight and use her platform to unite women’s basketball under a common goal of beating cancer was amazing. Play4Kay is a movement that shows that basketball is more than just a game. It is an opportunity to play for something bigger than ourselves.”

28th Annual Dads Club Golf Tournament

More than 145 golfers teed it up at the 28th Annual Dads Club Golf Tournament on April 12. The day of camaraderie and competition raised approximately $100,000 for student programs throughout the Four Pillars.

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Visual Arts Department Brings Home Multiple Awards

On March 6, more than 3,000 art students from 500 area high schools competed in the Texas Art Education Association Visual Arts Scholastic Event, also known as the VASE Competition.

The Studio Arts program is proud to announce that all 11 participating students brought home 15 regional medals (see VASE Media Gallery in news archives), with two earning perfect scores of 60, and one advancing to the State VASE level competition. What makes VASE a unique competition is that during the judging students are required to answer written questions to defend the merit of their artwork.

For a complete list of individual winners in all art competitions, go to our news archives at: https:// www.ehshouston.org/about/news.

“The Shadow of Lady Macbeth” Alena Haney ’21

“Bird Cage” Cassie Stewart ’21

“Transitions” Will Citizen ’23

“Creek” Serena Moore ’24 “Lighting the Way” Sophia Neylon ’22

“Just Peaches” Bella Vogiatzis ’21

“Canyon Dreams” Ava Grove ’24

“Kaleidoscope” Giulia Calabrese ’23

EHS Earns 33 Awards in ATPI Contest

The Visual Arts Department is proud to announce that 22 EHS students and one faculty member won a total of 33 awards in the 2020 Association of Texas Photography Instructors Fall Contest.

Freshman Jules Weinstein won a first place in the ATPI Virtual Winter Conference for the Digital Editing category. Faculty member Kate Philbrick also won three awards in the Faculty categories of Food and Animals.

The Association of Texas Photography Instructors sponsors a fall competition in photography, film, and multimedia for students and teachers. This year’s entries came from Texas, California, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and Canada. The judges reviewed more than 4,500 entries from 111 schools.

“Keyboard Collage,” Jules Weinstein ’24 Digital Editing Category, First Place

Cynotype, Amanda Novotny ’24 Beg. Portfolio Category, First Place

“Food,” Kate Philbrick Faculty Submission, First Place

“Red on the Water,” Karma Elbadawy ’22 Adv. Open Category, Third Place

Thirteen Knights Named to NFHCA National Academic Squad

Congratulations to the following students who were named to the 2020 Keith Waldman Optimal Performance Associates/NFHCA High School Academic Squad:

Christina Amelio Mac Bechtol Chandler Black Lucy Howley Margrethe Jensen Bailey Junell Kathryn Knolle Audrey Post Eleanor Pratka Elena Small Chloe Song Helen Young Miller Zaleski

The High School Academic Squad recognizes seniors and juniors who have a minimum GPA of 3.5 throughout the first quarter of the 2020-2021 school year.

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Athletic Director’s Report: New Vibe, Same Strong Results

The spring athletic season may look and feel a bit different, but the results remain consistent as the Knights have enjoyed success on the fields, courts, and courses. Students and coaches have embraced the challenges presented by Covid and made the necessary adjustments to conduct practices and events in a safe manner.

The softball program continues to dominate in SPC play, despite the graduation of key players in 2020. The Knights’ young and exciting lineup features an outstanding mix of speed and power and the pitching staff continues to impress. The Knights earned a big 5‑4 road win over Kinkaid and look to continue their success against St. John’s, Houston Christian, and the rest of the SPC.

The baseball teams have made the newly renovated Jess Borg Field a difficult place for opponents to visit as all three teams have enjoyed outstanding success at home. The Knights have been equally impressive on the road with JV White, JV Blue, and varsity all posting big wins over tough opponents. The Knights continue to set the standard as the preeminent power in the SPC as the varsity team has maintained a top spot in the Diamond Pro/Texas High School Baseball rankings throughout the season.

The girls and boys lacrosse programs have also enjoyed strong seasons this spring. The varsity girls team has earned big wins over Awty, Stratford, and St. Agnes while the boys picked up thrilling wins over St. John’s, Houston Christian, and Cy‑Woods among others. Both teams have benefited from veteran lineups and outstanding senior leadership.

Both the girls and boys golf programs have made great use of their new artificial turf chipping and putting green located just beyond the outfield fence of the softball field. This one-ofa‑kind facility gives our students an outstanding practice venue just steps away from their classrooms. Both golf programs have enjoyed success on the course as well with the young boys team earning top-two finishes at several invitationals.

The girls and boys tennis programs have also returned to the courts this spring and posted strong results early in the season. Both teams practice indoors at the Downtown Club at the Met where weather is never an issue. The Knights begin the SPC portion of their schedule in the coming weeks and look to build off of the momentum established during the non‑conference matches.

In addition to our normal spring athletic offerings, the wrestling team has returned to the mat room this season. The Knights joined other SPC, TAPPS, and UIL wrestling programs in moving their regular season to later in the school year due to the impact of Covid. The wrestling team hosted Milby and Clear Creek in the first home contest of the season and honored our three outstanding senior wrestlers. In addition to a few local dual matches, the Knights look to continue their season at the Texas State Prep Championships later this spring.

Go Knights!

—Jason Grove, Director of Athletics

Photos by Mauro Gomez

NEW FIELDS BRING COMPETITIVE EDGE TO EHS ATHLETICS PROGRAM

Artificial Turf Fields for Baseball, Field Hockey, and Golf Create Opportunities for Play and Practice

From the South Ellipse, it is easy to spot the extraordinary new improvements to campus. Those additions include the Jess Borg Baseball Field, the water‑ based field hockey turf, and the golf putting green. All of the fields bring value and give current and incoming student‑athletes a competitive edge. “Our new turf athletics fields are a welcome addition to the Athletics Pillar,” says Jason Grove, the Director of Athletics. “We are grateful to those whose gifts made this happen.”

Improvements to the outdoor athletics facilities at EHS are part of the Campus Master plan developed in 2016; renovating the baseball field was the first project to be completed. A unique feature of the baseball field is the open bullpen adjacent to the right field. Several players and parents were eager to recreate the look of the bullpens at Minute Maid Park, and the engineers at GeoSurfaces were excited to add this innovative feature. Additionally, the artificial turf field allows students to train and play in almost all‑weather conditions. James Taussig ’21, a baseball team leader, considers the new baseball field a great place to practice, rain or shine. “The new field has improved our team’s playing ability,” Taussig says. “It allows for us to practice every day no matter what the weather conditions are.”

Unveiled in November 2020, the water‑ based turf field for field hockey is the most recent addition. The water‑based turf field was also built by GeoSurfaces and is one of 12 internationally certified field hockey fields in the United States and the only one in the region. Although the team played just one match on the new field this past season, the students and coaches are thrilled to call this world‑class facility home. Lucy Howley ’21, a field hockey team captain, believes the new field will be a big draw for prospective students. “Even though I only got to play on the new field for a short time, I can already tell how beneficial it will be in attracting skilled players,” Howley says.

Moreover, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and USA Field Hockey are excited about our school’s investment to grow the sport in the region and create a top‑notch facility to prepare athletes for competition at the next level. Several organizations, including college and national teams, have already inquired about using the facility, and EHS looks forward to showcasing this field in the future. Additionally, the new area serves as a practice spot for the lacrosse teams in the spring season.

In late November 2020, a new golf putting green was added north of the softball field. The putting green and chipping facility offer both the boys and girls golf teams a one‑of‑a‑ kind opportunity to train on campus. Whether getting in some team practice or enjoying some leisure time between classes, this space has been in constant use every day. According to Luke Weinzierl ’22, the new putting green has allotted more time for teammates to work on their swings with each other. “I think the new putting green has allowed us to challenge each other as teammates, improve our short game, and help us perform better in tournaments,” Weinzierl says.

—Lauren West