May07

Mr. Bolling leaves teaching page 3

THE PINE NEEDLE

Volume XCII

St. Christopher’s School, Richmond, Virginia, May 2007

The Directors’ Cup comes home

The Directors’ Cup stands for diversity of offering, participation and excellence. The award is presented annually to that school in the Virginia Prep League that comes in first in the total competitive schedule in the 11- league sports.

Points (8-1) are awarded for standings in each sport.

by John Stillwell ’09

St. Christopher’s has won the 2007 Virginia Prep League Directors’ Cup for the 10th time in school history.

“The Directors’ Cup speaks to how the students of St. Christopher’s school believe in athletic participation,” said Athletic Director Paul Padalino.

After a slow start in the fall, St. Christopher’s was tied for third with Fork Union Military Academy. The success of the winter athletic teams, especially basketball and wrestling which both won Prep League championships, put us within one point of the leader.

Within reach of the title, the spring teams knew it was up to them to claim the award. They prevailed with flying colors. Four of the five teams placed in the top two in their league standings, with baseball winning its eleventh Prep League Title.

“It is a great honor dedicated to the leadership and commitment of the juniors and seniors,” said Headmaster Charley Stillwell.

“This is an honor that they will remember forever.”

The unique aspect of the cup

is that it rewards excellence in all areas of sports, and a winning school needs to have a wide variety of talents throughout the student body.

“The award speaks of all athletes equally and the values they bring to the program,” said Coach Padalino. “The points are the same for each sport.”

St. Christopher’s sports have been on the rise for the past few years, winning the Directors’ Cup in 2003, 2005 and 2007. Coach Padalino attributes this success to the overall athletic program here.

“Our success is owed to the qualities of the program’s players and coaches from the Middle School through the Upper School,” Coach Padalino said.

Coach Padalino also stresses the importance of weight training.

He promotes the benefits of lifting to individuals trying to achieve their own athletic goals, and to the student body as a whole with the goal of keeping the coveted Directors’ Cup here at St. Christopher’s.

“With greater commitment to summer workouts, the students of St. Christopher’s will be in an even stronger position to retain the cup,” Coach Padalino said.

Shaifer leaves for St. Paul’s

by Brendan Worst ’08

Coach leaves a legacy that is more than just wrestling

It is a Friday afternoon. Nearly 80 seventh graders pile into the Middle School library. There’s standing room only as the library heats up with all the people. Shrill voices compound themselves into a great din from which there is no discernable beginning or end. There is no escaping the awesome sonic power that is the St. Christopher’s seventh grade.

The racket builds to a tumultuous climax.

Mr. Pete Shaifer enters, and with a word, all is silent.

Every student who has lived through the mind-numbing experience that some call seventh grade will remember the “Shaifer talk on life” every Friday. In this open forum lecture Mr. Shaifer challenges the entire seventh grade to “strive for excellence in everything you do.” These talks give the kids the crucial motivation to leave school on Friday and go do something positive with their

lives. They are, in essence, a clear expression of all the values by which Shaifer lives.

After eight years as the head of the wrestling program and as a seventh grade algebra teacher, Mr. Shaifer will part ways with the school to take a job with St. Paul’s School in Brooklandville, Md. This recent news has shocked and saddened the community. He has become a stalwart teacher and

coach, affecting everyone with whom he comes into contact.

“Coach Shaifer has been a personal inspiration to me,” said Assistant Coach Frank Kiefer who will take his job. “His enthusiasm and love of the sport of wrestling has strengthened my own enthusiasm and desire to excel. I thank him for that and will do my best to see that the great legacy of St. Christopher’s wrestling

continues, undiminished, into the future.”

Shaifer is indisputably a great coach. This whole paper could be devoted to that. His knowledge and skill in the sport is an obvious contributor to the success of his wrestlers. But the experience he brings to the program is only one factor. Any wrestler would testify to the fact that Shaifer is a powerful influence because of his drive and his work ethic.

During his tenure at St. Christopher’s, he made the wrestling gym a tough place to be. He would physically turn up the heat in the wrestling gym in order to make practices more demanding. Always pushing his athletes harder, he built them up into a dynasty. The program’s six straight state titles show this, as do the national rankings and AllAmerican wrestlers Shaifer has produced. His intensity permeates through his every action, and it

See Shaifer page 2

Zach Finley: Halo 2 master page 5 No. 5

Editor’s farewell The editors of The Pine Needle would like to thank all of the students, faculty and parents who read our paper this year.

The St. Christopher’s community has been incredibly supportive of us, and we have worked to make sure that this year’s five issues have been interesting, entertaining, informative and well-written in order to preserve the integrity of our favorite school publication.

We started out the year before many of you started your summer reading. Beginning with a meeting at Mrs. Thomas’s house in the depths of Cougar territory, The Pine Needle staff had high hopes for this year with the large number of capable seniors who showed up ready to get to work. In the following last few weeks of summer, however, only three of the seven seniors actually showed up to work on the paper. Hence, you all got your first paper of the year from a different group of editors than the ones we had expected.

We were moderately pleased with ourselves for having published a paper on the second day of school, but we soon learned that the barbed whip of Mrs. Thomas and the expectations of a fiercely critical student body (sorry about that first back page) would not allow us to rest on our laurels for long.

In November we published a bigger and better issue which focused on the cafeteria, Spirit Week and the cancellation of the Europe trip.

We followed up with a shorter Christmas issue in December, and then another issue in February with a back page that surprisingly made it through Big Brother’s censors (community community community diversity diversity.) And now, after we’ve had our fun and survived the senior slide, we give you our last issue.

We hope that you have all enjoyed this year’s papers, and we hope that next year’s editors can maintain and improve upon the legacy of this publication (although we all know you’ll never beat the class of ’07!) We leave you with a few words of wisdom: 1. Push the envelope, but be careful. Our best issues have consisted of the stories (and jokes) that took a good deal

See Farewell page 3

2

The Pine Needle

May 2007

Mr. Carlson: Athlete turned astrophysicist

by Alex Strickland ’09 With Carter Younts and Jay Weisbrod hidden beneath a desk, the tenth grade geometry class persistently tried to get Mr. Carlson to say something negative about their peers.

Unfortunately, this was a mission failed but just another normal day in tenth grade geometry.

This playful vibe that the students share with Mr. Carlson is what separates his class from the norm. He can name basically every capital of every country in the world off the top of his head.

Similarly recalling any line-up in the NFL is just as easy.

This astrophysicist and Princeton graduate knows how to get students engaged.

“He is a really good teacher and he explains things well but he is also really funny and his

class is actually fun to go to,” said sophomore Tyler Franz.

Mr. Carlson came here not really knowing anyone at all.

Since he was born and raised in Carver, Mass., he was not familiar with Richmond.

However, coming from a teaching background helped with the transition. With both parents working in education, Mr. Carlson is continuing the family profession.

As a student at Thayer Academy, Mr. Carlson unsurprisingly excelled academically and athletically.

He was an accomplished athlete who played football and various field events in track. His hard work and perseverance paid off earning him entrance to Princeton University where he earned a degree in astrophysics.

At 23, he’s only a few years older than many students.

He said his youth allows him to “relate better” to students.

Still he admits that it’s “harder to inspire respect like the older teachers.”

Mr. Carlson

without a doubt enjoys teaching.

The one word that he uses to describe himself is patient.

St. Christopher’s is similar to Mr. Carlson’s alma mater, which is also a private school. Mr. Carlson believes that “teaching at an independent school allows many more opportunities than public schools do.” He enjoys the freedom of the curriculum that a private school offers and values the opportunities that it holds.

Mr. Carlson believes that one thing that St. Christopher’s could change is the schedule where athletes constantly “miss the same sixth and seventh period classes.” A three-season varsity athlete misses seventh period on a constant basis. Mr. Carlson’s suggestion is to flip the schedule on Tuesdays and Thursdays, reversing the order with seventh period class at the beginning of the day and first period class last.

Mr. Carlson appears to have found a niche here.

“Mr. Carlson seems to have made a smooth transition to Richmond and the St. Christopher’s community,” said Mr. Hudepohl, a fellow math teacher. “His hard work in the classroom and on the athletic fields has made him a valued member of the faculty.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Carlson’s classes will continue to be anything but boring as daily events range from pens flying across the room to class-wide renditions of Burger King’s “Big Buckin Chicken” commercials.

Wofford emerges as young Richmond leader

by Philip Halsey ’09

After articles about Si Wofford ran in The Richmond Times-Dispatch and Style magazine, the St. Christopher’s freshman didn’t take time to bask in his glory. He immediately went with his youth group to help in New Orleans and missed a whole week of school to help others still recovering from the devastation of the hurricane last year.

Wofford originally received this fame from Style and the Times-Dispatch for his work with “Hope and Wonder,” an art exhibit that he put together in the VCU Children’s Medical Center.

He initially came up with the idea when his sister, Caroline, was fighting leukemia. He thought that art would help kids fighting such illnesses focus on something else.

Richmonders were impressed with his effort and as a result, both Style and the TimesDispatch published articles about it.

Style even called Wofford

one of the 16 best quality kids under 16.

For Wofford, the experience has been rewarding, but he is not in it for attention. The best payoff, he said, was recognition for the project.

“I’m glad that I got the word out,” he said. He does not know if there have been any specific financial benefits, but many “random” people have called his house to ask questions or thank him for his efforts. The project has received the publicity that it needs to really make an impact.

People at St. Christopher’s are impressed.

All the students and faculty know that they

are in the presence of a special person. Mrs. Cookie Johnson, school nurse, has been badgering Wofford to stop by and autograph her copy of the article.

The Rev. Melissa Hollerith is pleased with Wofford’s service to the community. “[Si] gets a great deal out of living outside of himself, which is what we are called to do,” Mrs. Hollerith said.

She is equally impressed with the way that Wofford leads by example, not only in his service but in various other activities at St. Chrisopher’s and in the Richmond community. As a Boy Scout, Missionary Society member and talented trumpeter in the jazz band, Wofford finds ways to leave his mark in multiple arenas. “He’s a really neat guy,” Mrs. Hollerith said.

The only disappointing aspect of the Style article was that it failed to mention that Wofford attends St. Christopher’s. “At least it wasn’t Collegiate,” Wofford said.

Any student here would agree that it isn’t rare that a Saint does something worthy of being in the news, but it’s hard to find a student more deserving than Si Wofford.

Gottwalds adopt alpacas

by Mark Burlee ’10 Last summer Ted Gottwald and his family took a trip to Peru.

While they were in a city called Cuzco they saw children walking some interesting animals. After asking some locals, they found out that these animals were called alpacas.

“We saw some of the native kids walking them around on leashes, so we asked them what they were,” said Ted Gottwald ’10. “They told us they were alpacas, and we thought they were really cool.”

Alpacas are animals with long necks that are cousins to the llama family. Their homelands are Peru and Chile where they are used as pack animals and considered sacred. Alpacas usually weigh from 75 to 100 pounds. These animals grow thick wool that is usually shaven in the hotter months of the year.

Their wool is valuable and usually sold.

When the Gottwalds returned home, they did not forget about the alpacas. In fact, on Ted’s

birthday this winter his parents told him they would get him three alpacas. About a month later, the alpacas were in his back yard. “We had talked about it, but we were just kidding around, I didn’t expect to get them,” Gottwald said.

The Gottwalds got their unusual pets from a farm in Leesburg, Amore Alpacas, that breeds and shows the animals.

They only keep a few of the best males for these purposes. The other ones are sold to people who want them for pets or other purposes.

The Gottwalds’ alpacas, Quantico, Shaq and Vegas, are about 1 year old. They are timid around humans, but friendly to one another. “When they play with each other, they butt each other with their necks and spit on each other,” Gottwald said.

They also like to play with the Gottwalds’ dog Aspen. The Gottwalds have walked them around the yard, and plan to try to walk them on the streets eventually.

Shaifer, continued from page 1

can be observed in everything he does. The trembling vein in his forehead testifies to this fact.

When angered or fired up, the notorious vein bubbles and rises intimidating the most valiant.

“Pete Shaifer has brought that famous Philadelphia passion to the wrestling team, to the entire athletic program and even to the school as a whole,” Mr. Szymendera said. “He cares deeply not only about his sport but about every boy he works with. I think that more than anything translates into the effort and the success his teams have: no one wants to do less than their best because they know he won’t let them.”

Mr. Shaifer’s intensity is actually frightening to many.

Junior John Mark DiGrazia said, “Every now and then, I have a dream where Mr. Shaifer wrestles me and kicks the crap out of me.”

Frightening or not, Shaifer commands an authority with his team that has pushed them to win. Senior Kevin Donahue said, “There are few people in this world like Coach Shaifer. He has shown the members of the wrestling team what it takes to become a champion.”

Shaifer is humble about his achievements on the mat. He takes

little credit for the triumphs of his team and peppers his responses to interview questions with characteristic clichés. “Wrestling at St Chris over the last eight years has been very successful due to the dedication of coaches and students who were willing to stand out and to recognize that,” he said. “Those who say, ‘it can’t be done are usually interrupted by others doing it’ and ‘where you find success you find sacrifice.’”

These mottoes are the backbone of what he has brought to our community, and what this school will carry away from the Pete Shaifer experience.

“He has set a very positive example for the student body, and has taught us how to reach our goals and achieve what we desire through the values of focus, hard work, and sacrifice,” Donahue said. “What he has done for this school and wrestling program will be remembered for years and years to come. He will be greatly missed.”

May 2007

The Pine Needle

3

Bolling ends teaching; continues mentoring

by Ted Moore ’07

Forty-six years ago, a young man was faced with a decision.

The University of Richmond graduate with a degree in business decided education was what he wanted to do and St. Christopher’s was the only place for him. And a legend was born.

Mr. Jack Bolling came to St. Chris because it had an allure.

“It had so much potential to be a first class operation,” he said.

Mr. Bolling has dedicated his life to St. Christopher’s and has been an integral part of making it what it is today. He has decided to step down from teaching next year but will continue to serve as an advisor. In his tenure, Mr. Bolling taught boys about adolescent development. While helping kids learn the essentials in health, Mr. Bolling “always wanted to teach the kids more about themselves than the subject matter.”

Mr. Bolling will continue to serve in an advisor role. Many students take advantage of opportunities to talk to Bolling about school work, social problems, athletics, dealing with parents and the list goes on.

“You can talk to Mr. Bolling about anything,” Junior Teddy Mitchell said. “He is always supportive. When there is something you need to talk about and you don’t want to go to your parents, you go to Mr. Bolling.

And he always keeps his candy jar full.”

by Brian Kusiak ’08

In addition to teaching health, Mr. Bolling has served the school in a variety of different positions including business manager, athletic trainer, advisor, Middle School English teacher, golf coach and tennis coach.

He has also been an innovator for the school. Mr. Bolling helped start the annual giving fund for St. Christopher’s and was one of several who came up with the idea of forming the Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS).

This year he received the Albert Luck “Petey Jacobs” Memorial Award for Distinguished Coaching.

Every year the A.J. Bolling III Faculty Award recognizes and rewards faculty members who go above and beyond the call of duty, whose special activities challenge, nurture and look to the emotional well being of students.

In recent years, the James E. Ukrop family established a scholarship in honor of Mr. Bolling. In 2001, the class of 1976 created a $250,000 endowed chair in his honor and he also received the sixth annual Distinguished Coaches Achievement Award.

The accolades speak to his attributes as a person and a leader. He represents qualities that all teachers and students in our community should strive to attain: dedication, honesty,

selflessness, modesty and the ability to be a great listener.

Mr. Ron Smith, a long time English teacher at St. Christopher’s, has had the opportunity to work with Mr. Bolling for many years. Mr. Smith said that aside from the obvious attributes already mentioned, Mr. Bolling is incredibly patient. “It is the basis of all his other qualities, and I respect it in him because I don’t have it,” Mr. Smith said.

“It’s good for me to be around him.”

For Mr. Bolling, the highlights of his St. Chris career are all of the relationships and experiences. “Each individual relationship is special to me,” he said.

He added that the two biggest highlights for the school during his time here were bringing in Mr. George McVey and Mr. Charley Stillwell as headmasters.

In more recent years, Mr. Bolling has had the unique opportunity to work with sons of his former students. “Both generations are constantly looking to contribute to the school,” Mr. Bolling said. “I see individuals having legacy to the school, and it’s heartwarming to be involved.”

Although we will miss Mr. Bolling in the classroom, the impact he has left on our school will live on.

Smell remains a mystery

by Brown Farinholt ’09

For several years, the St. Christopher’s cafeteria has been the source of a nauseating smell.

This odor permeates both the inside of the cafeteria and the surrounding areas including the bus stop. It interferes with numerous students’ dining experiences and has caused many complaints.

Mr. Ace Ellis, business manager, said that there have been attempts “to isolate the source of the problem.” He and Mr. Casey Jones, maintenance supervisor, believe there to be two unrelated issues creating the smell.

One possibility stems from the dishwasher water pipes. Mr. Ellis said that the disposal pipes lead scalding hot dishwater from the cafeteria to the sewer under the bus stop. There the water mixes with city sewage where it vaporizes into steam and releases the odor from the waste.

The other possibility also originates in the cafeteria’s utility lines. A “grease trap” is essentially a filter system that all cafeteria waste and refuse run through before entering the

Kiwis get a taste of STC

Stuart Davidson and Adam Firman weren’t impressed, to say the least.

Hopefully this sentiment will remain only in regard to Lon Nunley’s introduction in chapel, incorrectly saying that they hailed from Australia rather than their true home, New Zealand.

St. Christopher’s approached Lindisfarne College of Hastings, New Zealand through another school in Nashville, Tennessee that has an established relationship with Lindisfarne.

The objective was to develop a cross-cultural exchange between our two schools so that boys from each could experience high school or its equivalent in another country. Juniors Lon Nunley and Marco De León hosted Adam and Stuart during their stay and will travel to Lindisfarne in July for a month

while schools down under are in session.

After three weeks of St. Christopher’s, the two had the chance to study and socialize enough here that they could offer valuable insight. They unearthed an incredible secret in relation

to Mr. Towell—“He pretty much mocks everyone,” says Stuart.

As for comparisons of our school to Lindisfarne, Adam and Stuart say that Lindisfarne is “more formal” and has less homework but also less free time than St. Christopher’s.

Stuart and Adam, after trying a few different spring sports, chose tennis and track respectively. They experimented with a few different ones including waterman, Frisbee, and sailing. While athletes such as Pierre Molster ‘08 and George Parrish ‘08 excel in Frisbee, this sport was too intense for these Kiwis. “The coach takes it very seriously,” Adam said. They chose tennis and track because they participate in those sports in New Zealand.

As for getting back at Nunley for his gaffe in chapel, Stuart says, “I think I’ll introduce them as Canadians” when Nunley and DeLeon go to Lindisfarne College in New Zealand this summer.

sewer. It collects solids at the bottom of a tank so that liquids can be dumped into the sewers.

Mr. Jones said that, though the trap is cleaned out every two weeks, there is so much waste coming in that the refuse in it is condensing and increasing.

When new water churns it, the odor is released.

However, neither of these theories has been proven. The main problem with isolating the smell is the concrete slab that serves as the cafeteria’s foundation. Mr. Ellis said that all major water and utility pipes for the cafeteria run beneath this barrier.

The only way to access the pipes themselves would be to remove all kitchen appliances from the cafeteria and rip up its floor and foundations. Seeing as this solution is a bit extreme, the school is currently trying to diagnose the real problem by other means, said Mr. Ellis.

Although the source of the disgusting smell has yet to be found, Mr. Ellis confirmed that the school has acknowledged the issue and is investigating it.

Farewell, continued from page 1 of arguing, complaining and explaining on our behalf in order to get them published. However, we have also learned to pick our battles. Earn the respect of the administration, and they might not be so restrictive.

2. Be nice to Mrs. Thomas.

She may be a dirty Cougar, but at least she tries hard. She has been a great help this year by keeping us on task and enlisting the younger writers. Treat her with respect.

3. Let us know what you think. Reader feedback is valued.

Thanks for reading, Your editors of 2006-2007, Peter Thomas Thomas Jenkins Ted Moore

4

Sports

May 2007

Saints baseball star commits to Tech

by John Stillwell ’09

Donahue dances his way to success

by Sam Priddy ’08

Kevin Donahue has quick feet on and off the mat.

Donahue, who was named The Richmond Times-Dispatch Wrestler of the Year, is not only a superb wrestler but also a polished dancer. Donahue started to wrestle and dance in the fifth grade.

He got into dance after his parents signed him up for a modern class. “I thought they were signing me up for ballet,” he said. “I hated it.” He had been exposed to wrestling for most of his life since his father was the head wrestling coach at Hermitage High School.

Donahue, who plans on wrestling at Cornell College in Iowa, says his dancing improves his abilities on the wrestling mat.

“It increases my flexibility and it makes me more nimble on my feet,” he said.

Donahue is one of the few male dancers to have danced

for the Joni dance program at St. Catherine’s. “Some people don’t like dancing as a whole, but when you pull out some sort of crazy trick, people love it,” he said. “It is really fun.”

This senior, who has compiled a 164-28 career record, is a two-time All-Prep, two-time All-Metro and three-time AllAmerican wrestler. Donahue said his best wrestling experience was winning his fourth state title or “placing at National Preps anytime.” (He has placed there three times.)

Donahue is leaving a wrestling program that has won six straight state prep titles. Coach Kiefer said that the wrestling team will miss a lot of big time wins and Donahue’s sense of humor. He said, “[Kevin] added a layer of intensity and commitment to the program… and he did not back away from any challenge.”

Austin Wates, who has attracted attention from many Major League Baseball scouts, could potentially be one of the first St. Christopher’s baseball players to ever be drafted into the Major Leagues.

“I’m going to go out on a limb and say that anything is possible,” Wates said. “It has always been a dream of mine to play Major League Baseball. My education is important to me, and college will help in every aspect of my game. If the opportunity presents itself, it will be hard to say no.”

St. Christopher’s threesport phenomenon Wates has certainly left his mark on the St. Christopher’s athletic program.

After distinguishing himself as an all-American baseball and soccer player, he weighed a number of impressive offers from schools across the country.

Wates has committed to play baseball at Virginia Tech.

“When I separated my shoulder early in the soccer season, I realized how much baseball meant to me,” Wates said. “I was frustrated and scared that my baseball career was over. If that happens, I want it to be playing the one sport I love.”

Wates has excelled in baseball throughout his high school career. As a sophomore at Garfield High School in Seattle, he was selected to the KingCo 4A all-league baseball team.

After batting .491 as a junior he earned All-Prep, All-Metro, and All-State honors. As a result, he was able to play summer league baseball for the Lakeside Post 125 American Legion team, and The Commonwealth team (Central). Wates was also elected to the Baseball Factory preseason All-American team.

Accolades aside, Wates has demonstrated great leadership as a captain and starting shortstop for the St. Christopher’s Varsity baseball team. He was also captain of Varsity soccer.

“Austin Wates leads by example,” says head baseball coach Tony Szymendera.

“Though not extremely vocal, Austin goes about his business well and is always open to new ideas that would improve the team. Austin truly earns his

Check out that game face!

captain star because he always puts the team first and pushes his teammates to perform at their best.”

Wates said baseball made up 40 percent of his decision to go to Tech and when he visited there, things came together. He believes he has a good shot at starting in middle infield.

“I always liked how the campus looked, even though I had never actually been there,” he said. “When I visited back in September, everything just fell into place. The coaches were on the same page with me, as well as my parents.”

He’d also like to pursue a career in computers.

“At Virginia Tech, I can pursue a major in that field,” he says.

His talent and dedication to the sport may pave the way to a career in the MLB. With his determination and drive, it is a logical possibility.

“I would like to keep climbing the ladder, and make

Baseball team ends season on a high note

by Teddy Mitchell ’08

The 2007 Saints Varsity Baseball season was a story of an immensely talented team achieving its potential after early inconsistency.

The Saints began their season with three consecutive losses to St. Stephens-St. Agnes, Cape Henry Collegiate and NansmondSuffolk. With a 0-3 record, it appeared that the team might not live up to its preseason expectations.

The season appeared to take a turn for the better during a March 31 doubleheader with Norfolk

Academy where the Saints swept the Bulldogs. However in the very next game, the Saints committed an unheard of nine errors in a one-run loss to Trinity Episcopal School.

Following this sloppy loss, the team took matters into its own hands. The Saints went 12-2 for the remainder of the regular season, including two victories over Collegiate and local golden boy Russell Wilson.

This winning stretch was highlighted by several dramatic moments, including Austin Wates’ three-run walk-off home

run to beat FUMA and Ted Moore’s homer to beat STAB in a 10-inning game with a finish that was delayed two weeks due to darkness.

The Saints continued their tear into the state tournament, knocking off Cape Henry Collegiate and then avenging last year’s loss to Paul VI to gain a birth in the state championship game. The ensuing loss to Notre Dame Academy did not take away from how well the team did, winning the Prep League and going so far into the State tournament, despite a rocky start to the season.

it to the next level, and be successful,” Wates said. “As of now the next level for me is college baseball. If I can be successful there, I can make it to the next level.”

Wates believes that the high caliber of competition he will face in the Atlantic Coast Conference next year at Virginia Tech will be a true test of his game, and hopefully a catalyst to bring his high baseball aspirations to fulfillment.

Wates will get his taste of MLB play when the New York Yankees play an exhibition game next spring in memory of the shooting victims Meanwhile, Wates helped lead the talented baseball team to a successful season.

May 2007

The Pine Needle

5

“Change for change” is huge success

by Christopher Alexander ‘09

In September, St. Christopher’s distributed digital coin banks to all 777 families at the school in an effort to prove the saying “a little makes a big difference.”

Each family was to collect as much change as possible throughout the year and donate their collection to the St. Christopher’s “Change for Change” initiative. With some

simple math calculations, the possibilities of 777 filled coin banks become inspirational.

In the spirit of giving, First Market Bank underwrote the entire cost of the banks. The bill was around $8,000 even after a significant 40 percent discount from the Discovery Store.

The effort turned out to be a huge success. Last month, the final count of the coins returned was $25,287.

“It was a great success,” said

the Rev. Melissa Hollerith. “I love the fact that [the initiative] was all year long and such an educational piece.”

Each school division divided the proceeds equally among at least three charities. These included one local, national, and international charity per division.

Many St. Christopher’s students said that the “Change for Change” initiative was a fun and effective way to raise money.

Rev. Hollerith plans to continue the effort next year unchanged.

Finley ranks in Halo 2 Gamer’s Corner

by Sam Perry ’09

Lessons from Holmberg

by Teddy Mitchell ’08

A general feeling of curiosity swept across Upper School Chapel on a Friday morning in April. Who was the towering guest seated next to Mrs. Hollerith preparing to address the Upper School?

Probably very few guessed that the 6’9” giant was practicing bricklayer and Pulitzer Prize writing finalist Mark Holmberg.

Mr. Holmberg wrote for The Richmond Times-Dispatch from 1986 to 2006 and now reports for Channel 9 news at 11 p.m. While with the newspaper, he was renowned for his straightforward, often gut-wrenching stories on various topics of interest around Richmond. His topics ranged from fun, romanticized pieces on the mysterious “black dog” of the West End to provocative stories detailing life within Richmond’s poorest slums.

Throughout his speech, Mr. Holmberg made it obvious that he views journalism as a sacred profession. Revealing the truth as clearly as possible to his readers is important to Mr. Holmberg and he goes to great lengths to achieve this goal.

“I’ve hitchhiked my whole life,” he said. “I hitched across the country three years ago.

Slept with the homeless in subfreezing temperatures. Risked my neck a few times hanging with rough crowds…But mostly, it’s all been great.”

(L to R) Ted Moore, Thomas Jenkins, Teddy Mitchell, Mark Holmberg and John Mark DiGrazia pose for a picture after Mr. Holmberg’s talk in chapel.

Mr. Holmberg produced many eye opening stories for the Times-Dispatch depicting the living conditions in parts of Richmond that many of us have never seen.

“Ten thousand people live in subsidized housing in Richmond,” he said. “The city has seven housing projects, more than most cities in the country. Other cities have torn them down, recognizing them as failed social experiments, institutionalized racism and a modern-day version of concentration camps – concentrated poverty, illiteracy, illegitimacy, substance abuse, physical and sexual abuse, mental health issues, crime and

other dysfunction.”

He is most proud of the work he has done uncovering aspects of city life that most of us forget or ignore. “I’ve been relentless in pointing out the shame of Richmond’s impoverished class,” he says.

When he’s not dutifully exposing controversial issues within the city, you can probably find Mr. Holmberg wearing work boots and yielding a trowel.

Not just an award winning writer, Mr. Holmberg is also a licensed bricklayer. He was the State Champion in the Fastest Trowel on the Block competition in 1996 and finished 13th nationally that same year.

Answers to Crossword Down

1-Ben White 2-bouncy ball 3-frisbee 5-Wray 6-Bredrup 8- Hunter 9-Nigel 10-Karn 11-TextTwist 12-Hall

Upper School Local: Habitat for Humanity National: Make a Wish Foundation International: The Central Asia Institute

13-Sideburns

Middle School Local: Peter Paul Development Center National: Habitat for Humanity International: Nothing but Nets, Global Partners for Development, Coalition of the Willing

Across

1- Gregory 2-Boss 3-Funkdaddy 4-rafter 5-Bear 6-Padalino 7-Peter 9-Luck 10-Guitar 11-Stillwell 12-Parrish

Lower School Local: Children’s Hospital National: Habitat for Humanity International: Hope for Humanity

Zach Finley stared at his T.V. with sweat dripping down his face. Things were not looking good. Finley was just playing Halo 2 when suddenly his entire team turned on him. It was 8 vs. 8 and he had hung back to eat a snack. Unfortunately his dishonorable team members took this opportunity to backstab him.

When you are a professional gamer and have an Xbox Live gamerscore of 23,420 you have to expect such perilous situations. “If someone finds out your gamertag and you’re really awesome, everyone tries to kill you,” Finley said.

With a determined look on his face, Finley took sweet revenge upon the lot of them for their dire choices in loyalty. In order to elude these groups of assassins which populate Xbox Live, Finley must switch gamertags about once every 2 weeks.

Alas such is the life of the professional gamer.

Finley originally started on the road to “gaming god-dom” by entering tournaments hosted

by Gamestop, internet ads and friends. A successful tournament occurred last summer in which he ranked ninth in the nation in Halo 2. Finley also ranked fifth in America in Halo 2 during spring break.

Although Finley’s gaming “prowess” is undeniable, the real

question is: Does Finley actually have a life?

Surprisingly the answer is yes. The one thing more amazing than his apparent video gaming skills is his ability to maintain both his life and his “hobby”.

In fact, Finley is on the wrestling team this year. Almost no high school group at St. Christopher’s is more hardcore than the wrestling team. During the school year, Finley does not play more than a few hours on the weekends, but he turns it up a notch during the summer.

On a typical day in the summer, Finley wakes up at 11 a.m. (professional gamers have got to get some sleep). He then works out and does chores up until 3 p.m. Then he just “hangs out” until dinner at about 6 p.m.

Finally from 6 p.m. to 4 a.m., he lets loose schooling “n00bs” with his “l33t skillz” in Halo 2.

Besides Halo 2, Finley has been known to play Gears of War, Call of Duty, and Dead or Alive 4.

Like any professional sport professional gaming is filled with its highs and lows. One time Finley lost to Keenan Thompson at Halo and that was a deep scar upon his pride. Of course, the only reason why he lost was because of his broken “trigger finger.”

6

The Pine Needle

May 2007.

What’s in store for Ultimate Frisbee?

by Josh Pacious ’08 “We’re out here to have fun.

All that counts are the smiles,” says Pierre Molster of this year’s Ultimate Frisbee team.

Into its second year, Ultimate Frisbee had a rough time taking off last spring as well as this season. Last year turned into sort of a lackluster success, as the team was hounded by the athletic department for not meeting Upper School sport

requirements.

Mr. Padalino, athletic director, felt the team just didn’t take it seriously.

“When students associated with any activity or program try to find ways to get out of their commitments, it diminishes the legitimacy of that activity,” he said. “When students work hard and commit to any activity, it brings a certain level of legitimacy to the program.

Ultimate Frisbee can be a

physically demanding game which requires stamina and speed.”

Even the players joke about the demands.

“We’re prepared for practice everyday,” co-captain Scott Bacigal said.

Although not recognized as a sport, the game has fulfilled the athletic requirement, similar to waterman. The team had to find a coach, Mark Licata, a parent of a St. Christopher’s first grader, and other teams willing to play against them.

A disappointment was the banning of girls on the team after St. Catherine’s decided it wasn’t a reputable sport. Nevertheless, for many matches, Ultimate Frisbee finds itself playing against other teams with females on their squads.

At the time of publication, a Frisbee player reported that the team record was 24. Memorable victories were

We hope you enjoy filling out this end-of-the-year crossword puzzle. Answers can be found at the bottom right corner of page 5.

-The editors

1

11

2

5

12

10

6

6

1

8

13

3

9

5

7

11

9

10

4

12

against L.C. Bird High School 17-1 and also Woodstock “B” in Newport News. The team lost to Woodstock “A”, but Molster said this opponent provided the highlight of the team’s season, when Woodstock skipped onto to the field and did a girl’s volleyball warm-up cheer.

In 2006, the team placed third

in the state tournament, a helpful nudge towards keeping them together this year. The team had high hopes for next season but the athletic department announced earlier this spring that the sport will be discontinued next year.

DOWN CLUES

ACROSS CLUES 1 This senior thinks he’s funny (last name) 2 Ross the ____ 3 Jake Gardner’s selfproclaimed nickname 4 Alex Hall threw the ball off the _______ against Christchurch 5 Mr. Boyd’s favorite animal 6 Name the speaker: “Crincoli, do not take me for a fool.” (last name) 7 Senior who is known for his “spidey sense” & his resemblance to Spiderman actor Toby McGuire (first name) 9 This junior thought “tooken” was the past tense of “take” 10 JT’s instrument of choice 11 Worries about “goofy situations” and “silly things” (last name) 12 Duck boy’s last name

1 This senior acts like a five year old (first and last name) 2 Todd Walton likes to carry a ________ ____ 3 The only athletic team on which Scott Bacigal participates 5 This teacher went to the same high school as UVA & NFL star Tiki Barber (last name) 6 This teacher did the booty dance at a wedding in India (last name) 8 Junior Matt Clarke resembles this former STC history teacher (last name) 9 Neil McGroarty’s nickname 10 This senior disarmed a man in the Bahamas (last name) 11 Pine Needle editors’ favorite game 12 This senior climbed a 50foot statue in Paris (last name) 13 Robin’s predominant facial feature

Who are you class officers?

POINT OF VIEW

by Robert Allen ’09 Who are your class officers?

If you can’t answer this question, you’re not alone.

As elections occurred in late April, I was reminded again about this flaw in our elected student government. What do the class officers do?

They are elected at the end of every year, and then are never heard from again as a group.

They have no faculty advisor, no meetings and no apparent agenda.

They seem to have no purpose.

“They’re supposed to build cohesiveness in the community,” Mr. Bolling says. But what do they do to try to accomplish this?

“Nothing, literally zero” says

What do these junior officers

former class officer John Stillwell.

It appears that the class officer position is a joke. There are stories ranging from hilarious to difficult to believe. “I didn’t even know I was vice president until I had to be reminded,” says Christopher Alexander, sophomore class vicepresident.

Junior John Mark DiGrazia tells about the grade-level meetings in September. “This year when Mr. Horner told our class officers to stand do? up, only one of them

remembered being elected,” he says.

Some class officers object to this. “Class officers do good work,” insists President Alex Hall. However, he is unable to provide any specific examples.

Should there be something done about this? Is it okay that some of these students can get by with the title of “president” without earning it?

“I do not like the fact that class officers receive recognition although they don’t do anything,” says Philip Halsey, a member of the Honor Council.

Whether you feel this way or

NOTE ERROR: 12 across should be bumped up to intersect with second to last last letter of 11 down

not, it’s possible that there isn’t anything productive for them to do.

The purpose of other elected bodies is clear. Honor Council, Student Council and Missionary Society all have active roles at the school. But between the three there isn’t much left undone.

Maybe the class officers should be given a specific responsibility such as community service or dance setup.

However, this seems more like punishment than a leadership role.

Maybe it’s best they just remain figureheads after all.

May 2007

Arts

Founding fathers get funkadelic

by Ted Moore ’07

It was an emotional concert, one that no one wanted to end. Senior Jake “Funkdaddy” Gardner kept asking for one more solo, and the glazed eyes on stage showed the waning joy of all the senior members in their last public performance.

A record crowd gathered in the Middle School auditorium April 23 to hear the eight senior members lead the Jazz Band in their final concert. They were a big part of the band’s creation and growth in recent years.

“My favorite thing about this group of seniors is that they really worked hard, had fun and grew as musicians over the years,” said Mr. John Winn,

the band’s leader and teacher.

“These were the guys (who) really wanted a Jazz Band. They got this thing off the ground and they’ll always be memorable to me for that reason.”

Jazz Band began as a club during their freshman year, and the interest level and talent of these seniors helped make it into a real class. Five of this year’s seniors have been in the band since its inception and two others have been in and out of the program through the years.

Their final concert was an impressive set of seven songs along with the encore of “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy.” Guest singers included Mr. Phil Spears from the Middle School and Emma

Redd, a senior at St. Catherine’s.

In addition to singing “I Feel Good” by James Brown, Mr. Winn took time in the final concert to recognize each senior member and gave each a personalized CD. There is a consensus among members who say the Jazz Band experience would not be nearly as educational or interesting if the school did not have Mr. Winn. “He’s really focused on music,” says junior guitarist Brendan Worst. “He’s a chill guy who has brought a lot of music classes to the school.”

With all these seniors leaving the program, the question looms, what are they going to be like next year?

Senior bass guitarist Jake Gardner said, “I think the school Jazz Band as a whole is heading toward an upward trend, but with the loss of so many seniors it may have a tough time next year.”

by Stephen Wood ‘11

“Phillis: A Life” demonstrates true acting talent

by Stephen Wood ‘11 This year’s Middle School play, “Phillis: A Life,” commanded your attention right away.

In the first scene, two slave hunters come upon an African woman and her daughter. They steal the girl away from her mother, whom she will never see again. The girl is taken to America, where she becomes Phillis Wheatley.

After the sadness of the opening scene, the mood lightens in a Boston market. Comic relief is provided by a salesman (Max Parks), who tries to sell a gun to a boy by saying, “This is the very firearm that killed Julius Caesar!” John Wheatley (Chase Gunter) and his family come to the market to do their shopping and end up buying a slave, the

girl who was captured in the first scene. They take her home and name her Phillis. Phillis, who was played by Moravia Henry, Tiana Douglas and Rachel Boykin throughout the play, is very scared at first, but Susannah Wheatley (Spencer Blanton) and her daughter Mary (Margaret Via) earn her trust. They teach Phillis her name, which she greatly enjoys saying, and Mary begins to teach her to talk.

Phillis is a fast learner, and she soon begins taking lessons with the Wheatley children.

As her knowledge grows, Phillis becomes interested in poetry. She writes her own poems, and when the Wheatleys find out they decide to share her gift with all of Boston. She becomes famous, but with one critic: Reverend Lyon. The

Reverend (Ben Resnick) dislikes Phillis from the start. As the play progresses and Phillis becomes an accomplished poet, he repeatedly tries to smother her talent. When Reverend George Whitefield (Johnny Villani) comes to Boston, Lyon tries to stop him from learning of Phillis. When Phillis is invited to England, Lyon tries to stop her from going. She goes, however, and wins more fans there.

Despite her gift, Phillis is not well known when she dies. It is a sad ending, but not a sad story. Phillis Wheatley wanted to be a poet, and she lived her dream despite being a slave in a strange land. She worked hard and did what seemed impossible to many. For this she should be remembered, and she is in “Phillis: A Life.”

7

Coyle entertains in one-act play

by John Marc DiGrazia ’08

insane, and the collection of diary

Most people get nervous entries shows his progression into when they have to make a five- madness. For Coyle, this was minute oral presentation in front an opportunity to show some of of 15 to 20 classmates. But his greatest acting. According imagine talking alone for over to Brian Hoffman ’07, “Insanity an hour in front of more than 100 suits Johnny.”

While it had many funny people. parts, the play was a tragedy at

Intimidating, right?

Not to senior Johnny heart. “It’s all about rationalization Coyle, who starred in “Diary and trying to see things from [the of a Madman,” a short story by clerk’s] perspective—which a lot of times is really Russian novelist funny, but, you know, Nikolai Gogol, sad at the same time,” this May. Coyle Coyle says. was not afraid

Coyle chose of memorizing this play for his solo and acting out a performance in part 22-page script because Mr. Wilson in which he played the same role played the only on and off in the early part.

Rather, ’90s. However, Coyle he says, “It was maintains that they exciting…they did not structure the had never done play exactly the same anything like this way Mr. Wilson did before.” in the past but rather Coyle is quite “found our own, new a theatrical way to do it.” presence at St.

Coyle says that C h r i s t o p h e r ’s .

Coyle in another Mr. Wilson is a great He has performed in several plays performance earlier director with a much different approach throughout his this year than anyone else high school he has worked career, including “The Glass Menagerie,” “Aria Da Capo” and with at St. Christopher’s. “It’s “The Bear” this year. In addition, not so technical—as in, on this he has twice won the Poetry line move here and say this…

Out Loud competition at St. the rehearsal process has a lot Christopher’s and took first prize more improvisation, a lot more spontaneity,” he says. In Coyle’s at the state competition last year.

However, this performance opinion, “It’s so much more fun to was his last here at school before do it that way. If you don’t, you his graduation.

In order to have to memorize your lines and prepare for his final production, your blocking, but with this you Coyle spent two periods every kind of discover it yourself and day—fourth and fifth—working the end product is just a whole lot on the script and planning his better.”

Many maintained that those acting. While it took a lot of work, he found the play fun and who did not attend the “end “surprisingly easy to memorize.” product” of this creative process

“Diary of a Madman” is a missed a great performance and an short story originally written opportunity to see an outstanding in Russian. Coyle and faculty actor finish out his high school According to Eddie advisor Rusty Wilson took career. several English translations of Watkins ’07, “It was an incredible the story and adapted them into a performance, and the fact that full length play. “We put together there was a single performer into one the versions that were the intensified and diversified the most dramatically viable,” Coyle experience.” says.

The end result was a play of about an hour and 20 minutes that ran May 18, 19 and 20 with the full fanfare of any other Ampersand production. It took place in McVey Theatre with seating for the audience on stage.

The story itself revolves around the diary entries of a lowlevel Russian clerk who wants to bolster his status and become a high class general or a higher class civil servant. However, this character becomes

8

The Pine Needle

May 2007

Having a blast…in the classroom?

by Kyle Wittenauer ’10

Reading, writing, ’rithmatic... the classroom is chock full of learning opportunities.

Sometimes the teachers even make it fun. Here at St. Christopher’s, our innovative and vocational faculty often creates invigorating classroom moments.

Here, fellow students share some of the more humorous and enlightening classroom moments they have experienced.

Junior Jack Hutcheson well remembers one incident in Mr. Green’s ninth grade English class. “We had just finished reading the Odyssey, and in class the next day, the guys started to argue about who would win a fight between Odysseus and Achilles,” he said.

Democracy kicked in, and the class voted. The class was split exactly 50-50. Authoritarian rule won out as Mr. Green declared, “Achilles would win!” The discussion abruptly ended.

When junior Mac Jennings was in Ms. Varner’s Spanish class in ninth grade, he and each of his classmates wrote a dialogue using their new vocabulary. Then, they had to act out the dialogues in front of the class. Not surprisingly, Jennings notes that this activity “not only helped the class to learn our new vocabulary, but it also helped improve our public speaking skills.”

Senior Zach Greentree has had many noteworthy classroom moments during his tenure at St. Christopher’s. Greentree

recalls that as a junior in Mrs. Robertson’s French class, “We made movies based on short stories that we had read in class.

We also read Harry Potter in French,” a challenge on all levels of their French skills.

Greentree also remembers as a sophomore when Mr. Hunter (who no longer teaches at St. Christopher’s) had the class listen to “Immigrant Song”

by Led Zeppelin for a better understanding of a history lesson they were studying. “It sticks out in my mind because it helped make the lesson real,” he said.

Lest he forget his freshman year, Greentree reminisces about biology class. “Mr. McGuire would suddenly scream at the top of his lungs,” he said, only to have the class assess its own reaction. Mr. McGuire explained to the class that when a body is in a state of panic, adrenaline production increases, and blood vessels contract, producing a tingling sensation.

Care to explain further, Mr. McGuire?

This year in English, freshman Hunter Johnson reports that Mr. Horner had the class act out scenes from Shakespeare’s “Othello.” “It really helped us

relate to the story,” he said, “and acting it out made the play much easier to understand.” Indeed, the opportunity to bring the genius of Shakespeare alive is an opportunity to enrich one’s mind, and that is just what this ninth grade English class experienced firsthand.

Sometimes it is the student who injects the ingenuity or accidental humor into a learning opportunity. Take junior Richard Luck’s experience in ninth grade. He had history with Mr. Hunter. “One day, when I was reading aloud from the text book, I came across the word ‘chaos,’” Richard said. “Instead of reading it as ‘k­­ā-òss,’ I read it as ‘chāōss.’” Pandemonium broke out in the classroom as the guys laughed at his faux pas, and now, Richard will never forget how to pronounce that tricky little word.

So you see, the classroom is so much more than a place to scribble notes and watch the hands of the clock crawl in monotonous circles. There are plenty of comical and innovative events that occur—some intentional, some accidental— where learning is enriched.

The next time you are dreading class, just remember that you never know what your teacher and fellow students have up their sleeves, and you might just have a little fun in the confines of those four walls we call the classroom.

Dr. Boese goes to Washington

by Peter Thomas ‘07

On the morning of March 23, the members of the Political Awareness Club jumped into a short bus with Dr. Boese and a few dozen Krispy Kreme whole wheat donuts (“20 fewer calories, gentlemen”) to head up to our nation’s capital.

The trip up was relatively uneventful. Charles drove with his usual high level of safety while displaying his fine taste in music, and a few of the juniors managed to play Super Smash Brothers Melee on a Gamecube plugged into a laptop.

When we reached D.C., we met up with Kate Maxwell (St. Catherine’s class of 2006), sister of PAC member Evan Maxwell ’10. Ms. Maxwell, who was interning in the Congressional offices, was kind enough to give

us a tour of the Capitol. After a few long lines and several metal detectors we made our way through the atrium of the Capitol and the National Gallery where we paid homage to the statues of such noble figures as Daniel Boone and King Kamehameha.

After leaving the Gallery and passing through a few more metal detectors, we entered the Chamber of the House, just in time to witness the last few minutes of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s speech calling for a deadline for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.

At the end of Speaker Pelosi’s speech, when the members of Congress all stood up to vote on whether or not to vote on the resolution, a war protester began screaming from the audience near where we were seated. She

was immediately hauled out by security.

We left the chamber and headed to a deli on one of the lower floors where a few of us caught sight of presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich on his lunch break.

We ate lunch and left the Capitol to visit the Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial and World War II Memorial.

A few of the juniors on the trip headed over to see the White House, only to be shooed away by security. As it began to rain on the Mall, we packed back into Charles’s bus and headed back to St. Chris.

PAC member Brian Kusiak ’08 said, “It was a solid way to miss a day of school.”

Saints compete in local 10K

by Tyler Franz ’09

Instead of sleeping in like most students on Saturday, several students and faculty members from St. Christopher’s woke up early March 31 for the 8:30 a.m. start time to join more than 25,000 people participating in the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10K. The race, sponsored annually

by Ukrop’s, attracts runners of all ages, skill levels and backgrounds. It begins on Broad Street near Harrison Street and ends on Franklin Street near Monroe Park, a distance of 6.2 miles.

STC students Sam Hewitt, Billy Garrahan and Benjamin Harrison competed. While a 10K may seem difficult for the average student, the track stars had little difficulty preparing and running in the race.

“As far as my training went, I just used the workouts we do in spring track to get ready for the race,” Harrison said.

In terms of results, the runners did fairly well, with Garrahan placing 147th, Hewitt placing 18th and Harrison placing 12th in their respective age divisions.

Harrison also placed 73rd overall in the men’s division.

Even though his time looks good on the stat sheet, Harrison says he was not satisfied.

“In the 10k I did okay… although I was hoping to do better...the last mile killed me,” he said.

Harrison, who also ran in the 10K last year, ran seven minutes faster this spring, a significant improvement.

St. Christopher’s track and cross-country runners weren’t the only ones representing the school. Faculty members from all divisions of the school walked and ran in the race. Several of these faculty members ran for special reasons.

Mrs. Sue Varner, Upper School Spanish teacher, walked in the race to support one of her friends who had had some health concerns and wanted to walk to improve her lifestyle and health.

“I felt honored to be a part of such a remarkable beginning in my friend’s life, and that the event raised money for a tremendously worthy cause made it more appealing,” said Mrs. Varner.

Furthermore, Mrs. Varner’s children, ages nine and seven, also ran in the Kid’s One Mile Fun Run. Both Mrs. Varner and her children plan to run in the event next year as well.

Dr. Kim Hudson, Upper School resource teacher, ran in her fourth Monument 10k in order to contribute to the Massey Cancer Center. It is one of the charities benefited by the race.

Dr. Hudson’s mother passed away from breast cancer two years ago and was treated at Massey during her battle with cancer.

“I felt by participating in the race, I could give back in a small way,” said Dr. Hudson.

Mrs. Elsa Woodaman, Upper School French teacher, also took part to support a loved one.

Along with one of her friends, Mrs. Woodaman participated to honor her husband who has recently recovered from his second diagnosed cancer.

Other faculty members who participated in the race include Lower School teacher Edie Harper and teacher / coach Warren Hunter.

Both teachers and students said that the race was an excellent experience and appreciated the support from the school, especially Upper School spectators along the course and freshman volunteers at the finish line.

May 2007

Senior College Selections

9

Christopher Bradford Amrhein The College of William & Mary

Spencer Stephen Rodrigo Hall The College of William & Mary

David Chandler Pace, Jr. Hampden-Sydney College

Robert Scott Bacigal Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Brenton Shaw Halsey III Duke University

Graham Whetstone Perkins Washington & Lee University

James Tyler Hamblen Hampden-Sydney College

Duy-Phu Le Phan University of Richmond

Chandler Harrison Harkins The University of Mississippi

Craig Lawrence Philp Hampden-Sydney College

Brelan Jamal Hillman Duke University

William Neal Roberts III University of Kentucky

Brian Matthews Hoffmann University of St. Andrews (Scotland)

Kyle Austin Smith Seton Hall University

Ross Gordon Hoppe DePaul University

Stephen Blair Smith, Jr. Hampden-Sydney College

Thomas Dimmock Jenkins Washington & Lee University

James Duncan Robert Smyth The College of William & Mary

John Timothy Jester, Jr. Christopher Newport University

Alexander Robert Starr The College of William & Mary

Basil Magruder Jones III University of Virginia

Chase Anthony Stratton Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

John Edward Bryan University of Virginia William John Burlee IV Hampden-Sydney College Andrew Carlton Butterworth The University of North Carolina at Asheville Thomas Joseph Callan IV Virginia Commonwealth University William Coleman Cann University of Alabama John William Coyle, Jr. Washington & Lee University Matthew Patrick Crincoli Hampden-Sydney College Paul Rangeley Dandridge Indiana University John Sidney Davenport University of Wisconsin Phillip Thomas DiStanislao III Wake Forest University Kevin Earl Donahue Cornell College Jonathan Blake Evans Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Jacques Joseph Farhi University of Virginia Jacob Scott Gardner University of Colorado Robert Neal Garland Elon University William Barry Garrahan University of Notre Dame Zachary Clark Greentree University of Virginia Claiborne Duncan Gregory III Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University

Timothy Samuel Karn Elon University Andrew Stewart Lawrence Boston College Alexander Chase Lohr Hampden-Sydney College Robin Scott Marschak Harvey Mudd College Edward Stevens McChesney University of Virginia Kyle Ward Menges University of Virginia Parke Grayson Messier The University of Georgia Christopher David Mollen Randolph-Macon College Robert Hart Moore The College of William & Mary Thomas Justin Moore IV Washington & Lee University Richard O’Daniel Morgan University of Colorado

Edward Alexander Forbes Grymes University of Mississippi

Luke Stanton Morris Denison University

Alexander Coke Hall, Jr. Wake Forest University

Brandon Crenshaw Nelson Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University

Matthew McKinnon Talbott Virginia Military Institute Peter Collins Thomas The College of William & Mary Matthew Gilmour Thompson III Hampden-Sydney College Patrick Dillard Thornhill Elon University William Edwin Towne University of Virginia William Todd Walton College of Charleston Austin Anthony Wates Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University William Edwin Watkins University of Virginia Grayson Welch Way James Madison University Justin Perry Welch Washington & Lee University Benjamin Briscoe White IV Roanoke College

May 2007

The Back Page

Spencer Hall

Spencer abandoned poetry in 2019 to head to Peru. He now gives spiritual tours of Machu Picchu. When he is not busy channeling the mystical energies of the Incan ruins, Spencer sends messages via carrier pigeon to share philosophy club topics with Ron Smith.

Harrison Graham

After completing his football career at Virginia Tech, Graham entered the draft and played in the National Football League on various teams for 10 years. With his large retirement bonus and adoring fans, he now lives in Malibu. Wait, that’s Richard. Harrison lives in his basement.

Counting money.

Duncan Warner

Parker Johnson

Alex “Thorax” Christian

Charlie McCann

His recent appearance on “To Catch a Predator” Parker becomes a water tank delivery man for has led Duncan to divorce his wife of 15 years. Diamond Springs...and makes it legit.

As a result of the many months of humiliating trial, Warner voluntarily left his position as Head of Children’s Research at Boys and Girls Club of America. He was most recently spotted on a nude beach in Dubai.

Thorax, deciding that ultimate Frisbee had lost Although renowned for his quiet and reserved its “extreme” factor, chose to take his elite ballin’ demeanor, Charlie is still often heard proclaiming skills to the slamball court, now calling himself to all who will listen, “Yo, did you see me make that shot in the Christchurch game? Just gimme “Abdomen.” the rock one more time.”

The Pine Needle Staff Incoming Editors John Mark DiGrazia Brian Kusiak Teddy Mitchell Brendan Worst

Outgoing Editors Thomas Jenkins Ted Moore Peter Thomas

Kevin Donahue

Having graduating from Cornell, Kevin became a motivational speaker after a series of apoplectic seizures resulting from his high blood pressure left his break dancing career in shambles. After his upcoming tour of speeches, Kevin plans to return to St. Christopher’s to take over as the Algebra teacher in the Middle School.

Contributors

Christopher Alexander Robert Allen Mark Burlee Brown Farinholt Tyler Franz Philip Halsey Josh Pacious Sam Perry Sam Priddy John Stillwell Alex Strickland Kyle Wittenauer Stephen Wood

Faculty advisor Mrs. Thomas

Mrs. Varner

As her golden years approach, Mrs. Varner has now taken on the task of fighting for the newly emerging minority in American society—white males. She became the sole proprietor and founder of the newest St. Christopher’s diversity club, Women Advocating White Acceptance (WAWA).