The Story Behind a Rivalry, A3
Kiefer Takes the Lead, A5
Wilson Directs Another Hit, A6
INSIDE
The Pine Needle
Volume XCII
Richmond, Virginia
October 2010
Number 2
Mayer, Varner to Track Language Proficiency
Spanish Taught Beginning in Kindergarten
Fundraiser for Haiti
Fosters Community and Hope
By Ben Resnik Senior Editor, Online
Out of the ashes comes a new partnership. St. Christopher’s has a long and extensive history of collaboration with charitable organizations around Richmond, from William Byrd Community House to Peter Paul Development Center to St. Andrew’s School. Though the list is already long, the Rev. Melissa Hollerith is constantly on the lookout for opportunities to build new partnerships with the community to foster the spirit of service and brotherhood on which St. Christopher’s prides itself. In 2009, Mrs. Hollerith began exploring the possibility of partnering with Thomas Jefferson High School. She, along with Mrs. Corell Moore, head of the Parents’ Association and mother of Christian Halsey ‘14 and Thurston Moore ‘18, headed to T.J. to discuss the possibility of a partnership. The school’s administration quickly came on board, and the team began discussing the best joint opportunities to pursue. Then, on Jan. 12, a massive earthquake struck Haiti. The group’s focus instantly shifted from local to international aid efforts. The first question was how to help Haiti. The two schools eventually settled on the idea of an inter-school football scrimmage and fundraiser that would unite the schools with a common cause and a common love for the sport. Mrs. Hollerith
saw the idea as an excellent starting point. “Football is a common denominator,” Mrs. Hollerith said. The next question was which organization, specifically, to support. Mrs. Moore suggested St. Joseph’s orphanage in Haiti. She had been serving with them in Haiti when the earthquake hit. The St. Joseph’s plan was a resounding success on several fronts: it allowed the community to respond quickly and effectively; it had a personal connection, as the resources would be going to a specific place where definite results could be seen; and it was a school which, despite differences in location and resources, was the same at its core as the ones in Richmond. St. Joseph’s was an especially good match for the St. Christopher’s community, Mrs. Hollerith said. “We have the additional gift that they are a boys’ school like us and we have parents of students who have been there and served there,” she said. “It is a very special place where boys who have been pushed down by life, abused or abandoned, have a second chance.” With the questions of who and what solved, the inter-school coalition turned its attention to how. Setting up a community event is one thing, but getting it to function effectively is quite another, especially in the middle of August, when the scrimmage/fundraiser was slated to be held. STC Football Coach Michael Turner See Fundraiser, Page A2
Mrs. Mayer (right) lunches with other members of the Oral Proficiency Institute.
By Kurt Jensen Editor-in-Chief
Upper School Spanish teachers Sue Varner and Kimberly Mayer travelled to San Diego during the summer to be a part of a four-day training institute, learning how to evaluate language proficiency and fluency. The institute, a part of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, trained teachers how to conduct Oral Proficiency Interviews, a process that involves an intensive, 30-minute session of conversation, carefully plotted by the interviewer. It requires adjusting on the fly to push the interviewee to the limit of his conversational ability and record where he is proficient and where his ability
breaks down. Mrs. Varner and Mrs. Mayer hope to conduct interviews with a sampling of students of different levels at the end of the school year. But the interview process is only the end to a developing means, a way to track changes in how languages are taught from the Lower School through 12th grade. Fundamental changes in how languages are taught are necessary to complement the development of proficiency. “We have to get away from focusing so much on error correction,” said Mrs. Varner. “We should be reacting and responding to the message itself.” To promote linguistic acquisition, communication has to be pushed to a point of discomfort for the student.
“It’s unnerving,” said Mrs. Varner. “We’re trying to make it as authentic as possible.” This involves asking how instead of what and encouraging explanation. “It’s outside of what we normally do as teachers,” said Mrs. Mayer. Ideas the teachers brought back from the conference are already applied in the classroom. “I try to provide more opportunities in class for the students to create the language orally,” said Mrs. Mayer. “We want kids to speak,” said Mrs. Varner. In effect, teachers of language have to become coaches of language. “We’re not reinventing the wheel,” said Mrs. Varner. “We’re just paving the roads.” See Spanish, Page A2
Middle School Library Gets a Makeover By Alec Ball Freshman Contributor
Ask any Upper School student about the Middle School library, and you will most likely get a negative response. With the new upgrades, popular opinion might just change. “We want the whole second floor to embrace technology, reading, writing and research,” said new Middle School Librarian Lisa Brennan. But what does this change entail? First, the
most noticeable change is the demise of old computer labs with the switch to netbooks. As any former Middle Schooler can remember, the old computer labs were clunky and ill equipped, especially with the lack of computers desperately needed for group projects. Now, with 88 netbooks, (compared to 36 desktops), computers are not only small and portable, but more available for group project work. Response has been overwhelmingly positive.
“We are excited about the increased number of netbooks we have and we cannot wait to see what the teachers will do with them,” said Mr. Brian Zollinhofer, instructional technologist. The student body has been equally positive. “I think this library has completely changed, in a great way,” said seventh grader Holden Fockler. “My favorite part is the new laptops.” The library has also undergone some cosmetic See Library, Page A2
A2
News
Spanish Continued from A1
A large part of the effort to track proficiency and its development begins with language taught in the Lower School. For the first time, Spanish is taught starting in kindergarten rather than third grade. “To some extent, this was mission driven,” said Mr. Dave Menges, head of the Lower School. Proficiency with other languages is important in teaching boys to be effective global citizens, he added. A new FLES program was instituted in place of the FLEX method of teaching language. This balances the emphases on cultural awareness and language. Spanish is now taught three times a week for 30 minutes, and these periods expand to 45 minutes as the boys get older. Spanish was chosen because there are more op-
portunities for students to hear Spanish spoken in the Richmond community, and it is phonetically linked with early reading, according to Mr. Menges. Beginning earlier targets boys when they are more receptive to learning language. Mrs. Sonia McDonnell, a Spanish teacher in the Lower School, noted the speed of the young boys’ comprehension. “I am amazed at how much the kindergarten boys are able to recall in just one month of learning Spanish,” she said. The earlier start also gives students more time to practice speaking and learning the language. “One of the most important factors influencing the development of language proficiency is the amount of time spent in working with the language,” said Mrs. McDonnell. The opportunity to learn another language when it’s natural is important in an increasingly connected world.
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October 2010
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Mrs. Sonia McDonnell (right) teaches basic Spanish vocabulary to Mrs. Hunter’s kindergarten class.
Library
Temporary Dining Facility to be Set Up
Continued from A1
By Ned Valentine Junior Contributor
We can now finally say goodbye to the awful aroma of the cafeteria. Sometime in late November, the building will be knocked down, and we will eat lunch in a temporary facility on the Middle School basketball courts. Once Fall Festival is finished, workers will begin backing up trucks onto the courts and setting up trailers for the temporary cafeteria. It is a long process—a good deal of utility is involved, and a health inspection is required. Sage, our current cafeteria workers, will continue to operate the temporary cafeteria. Everyone won’t be entirely comfortable until the new building is finished,
Fundraiser Continued from A1
and Coaches Bernard Griffin and Jay Johnson of Thomas Jefferson worked together to organize the function. They and the rest of the planning team called on members of the St. Christopher’s faculty, the Missionary Society and student volunteers to energize everyone and create a crowd and atmosphere of service. Things came together smoothly. “Everything went very well from the games to the sale of the concessions to the new friendships to the education of who the boys at St. Joseph’s are. We had a great turnout and lots of energy,” said Mrs. Hollerith. “Boys who had been on the Peer Advisor retreat raced back to give back.” Senior Andre Aganbi, a Missionary Society member and a football player, called
which will include a new dining hall with a far more adequate kitchen and dining area. “[The temporary cafeteria] is not designed to answer all our problems,” said Headmaster Charley Stillwell. The good news is that there will be a more efficient kitchen. In our current cafeteria, the kitchen is three times smaller than what is required to feed the Upper and Middle Schools. The temporary facility will be used for 13 months, an estimation given by the contractors Taylor & Parrish Inc. who did the work on the Athletic Center. Though it will be the same food, students and faculty will not have to deal with such a crowded space and its smell. the crowd “pretty sizeable.” STC volunteers, along with several T.J. students, worked together to carry out the sale of food and drink, as well as Hatian art. “When you combine 100-degree weather, Gatorade, water and Chick-Fil-A with high school students, it’s always going to go well for the charity,” said Aganbi. For the student volunteers, the experience of helping was the reward. Sophomore Carter Rise was inspired by the talent and courage of the Resurrection Dancers of St. Joseph’s, who later performed in the Upper School chapel. “I knew the story of this orphanage,” said Rise. “I helped that day at the scrimmage. It meant a lot to me that these young men were willing to come to the states and perform for us after all that happened.” The football game itself was the main attraction. Despite the fact that the teams were playing against
Mrs. Lisa Brennan
Students use netbooks in Spanish class.
The return rack fills with books.
each other, the event served to bring St. Christopher’s and Thomas Jefferson, two schools distinct in economic and social circumstances, closer together. “Football became our equalizer as forged this new relationship,” Mrs. Hollerith said. “It gave us a chance to meet each other and share the love of a game.” The scrimmage/fundraiser for St. Joseph’s raised $800 in aid, and signaled a new partnership. At Fall Festival, students from both schools will have a table selling Haitian art for St. Joseph’s benefit, and the schools will serve together on Martin Luther King Day project. Aganbi sees the partnership as the beginning of something lasting and beneficial to everyone involved. “Through this event, not only has STC established a new relationship with T.J. but also with St. Joseph’s,” he said.
changes, with a new selfcheck-out system and a lounge area located near the fiction section. Part of the renovation included the librarian’s office across the hall. Mrs. Brennan gave up having an office to give students a reading lounge. Part of getting this room ready was ripping up the old carpet. Underneath this carpet was the original 1926 pine floor. This floor was refinished by the maintenance crew led by Casey Jones, who first discovered the original pine floor. Credit is also due Esau Couser, Ricky Jones, Flip Philpy, Rob Faison and Red Robinson for returning the floor to to its original glory, a painting and working on the new library area. None of these changes would be possible without the hard work of Mrs. Brennan. She worked well over 100 unpaid hours this summer to get the library ready. Mr. Phil Spears, head
of the Middle School, was the driving effort behind this project along with Mrs. Brennan. “The Middle School faculty, and Mrs. Brennan in particular, put a great deal of thought and energy into designing spaces that will eventually become the central spots in Wilton Hall for both collaborative, technology-infused academic work and reading, whether for school or for pleasure,” said Mr. Spears. “In these ways, the second floor will work in concert with the new Luck Leadership Center in the years ahead; helping St. Chris boys develop their skills and our sense of community in new and exciting ways.” The Middle School has brought many things to the table, such as a loud library concept and new accessible technology, which the new leadership center will take to the next level. This is just the beginning for St. Christopher’s as it takes its first few steps into the frighteningly fast paced world of the 21st century.
15 Seniors Recognized By National Merit By Will Turner Junior Contributor
The achievement of five seniors from St. Christopher’s that were named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists is nothing to scoff at. Around 1.5 million people enter the National Merit Scholarship Program each year to compete for scholarships. 50,000 entrants qualify for recognition based on the results of junior year PSATs. One third of these entrants become semifinalists. Semifinalists then complete an application for scholarship consideration. Five seniors have been
selected as semifinalists from St. Christopher’s this year: Kurt Jensen, Max Parks, Nick Richardson, Felix Schapiro and Stephen Wood. On average, only three seniors receive this distinction. In addition to the five semifinalists, St. Christopher’s also has 10 seniors who received Letters of Commendation. “The number of semifinalists says a lot about the top of your class,” said Mr. Jim Jump, Academic Dean and Director of Guidance. “The number of commended students says a lot about the strength of your class as a whole.”
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October 2010
Sports
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A3
Rivalry Renewed Between Boys’ Schools By Cameron Barlow Junior Contributor
St. Christopher’s School and Benedictine High School are rebuilding a relationship. In recent years they have not competed in athletics because of some unfortunate actions by the fans from previous years. Throughout the years, the rivalry has been known as being competitive with exciting and hard-fought athletic contests. Unfortunately, it has also been remembered for some unfortunate actions by the fans. “Any important rivalry should focus on the guys on the field, not the people in the stands,” said Headmaster Charley Stillwell. In 2006, the schools decided to stop playing each other. Due to “emotions getting the best of people,” said Mr. Stillwell, students and parents alike got into confrontations using Facebook and other methods before and after games. The football game in the fall 2006 proved to be the boiling point. At first, St. Christopher’s suggested that the schools stop playing each other in
This picture was taken at the conclusion of the September meeting between the student and faculty leaders of the two schools.
football and basketball because they drew the biggest crowds. Benedictine felt the schools should either play in all sports or no sports, so a decision was made to end all competitions, explained Mr. Stillwell. Since the unfortunate events of 2006, the two schools have slowly begun to rebuild a relationship. During the past couple of
years, Benedictine was allowed to run in track meets here and swam in meets at St. Catherine’s because of the facilities needed. The baseball teams also began to play and joined together in a fundraiser last spring where St. Christopher’s defeated Benedictine 3-0 in Campbell Henkel’s perfect game. At a meeting in September, administration and stu-
dent leaders got together to discuss playing against each other in football again. Student leaders went back to their respective schools and discussed the importance of carrying out the rivalry in a respectful manner where fans would support the team with positive sportsmanship. St. Christopher’s won the recent football game 21-0, but just as importantly,
there were no off-the-field issues. Following the success of the football game, the two teams have also agreed to play basketball this winter. Hopefully the trend of this year’s football game will continue, and all the action will continue to take place on the court or on the field.
Busch ’11 Qualifies for Team USA By Stephen Wood Senior Contributor
Varsity Cross Country
Chases Prep League Title
By Jack Borkey Senior Editor, Sports
As touchdowns and goals are being scored to the roar of crowds, a group of runners are quietly making their way towards a Prep League Championship. The St. Christopher’s Varsity cross country team is having a solid year, having gone 11-4 and having finished first in two invitational meets. First year Head Coach Gene Bruner attributed the success of his team to a hard work ethic and a “total team aspect” that has gained momentum week by week. Since the season began in late August, the team has been practicing hard day in and day out, running harder and harder every day. Normally, teams around the Prep League use this time in the season to start toning down the workouts in order to keep their players rested. Coach Bruner wants to keep pushing. “[We are] still going strong, [we] are going after the Prep League,” he said. “[Since] September 1st, [there have] been no easy
days.” The Saints’ biggest victories this year have come at the Maymont Cross Country Festival and the St. Anne’s Belfield Invitational. The win at the Maymont Cross Country Festival was the first ever win for the Saints at the event. The race was won by James Busch. Just as impressive was the plethora of Saints who trailed just behind him. At the conclusion of the Maymont race, three others, seniors Farrar Pace, Nick Richardson and Jamie Ball, finished in the top five spots—a fact that proved more valuable to Busch than his individual finishes. “I was proud of the how the team stayed together in groups throughout the field and were aggressive in passing competitors and staying at the front,” said Busch. “It was [great] to come in first. It was more satisfying for me that the team won overall.” The STAB invitational was more of the same for the Saints—another win for Busch, followed by four other Saints in the top ten, including a clutch seventh
place finish by sophomore Mitchell Phillips who replaced Nick Richardson due to injury. Many Saints have stepped up this year for the team, not the least of whom is senior Farrar Pace. Pace has consistently been in contention during the season, his best being a second place finish at Maymont. He has proved to be an extremely reliable and important member of the team. “Farrar [has gotten] stronger by leaps and bounds every week,” said Coach Bruner. Pace is sure to play a major role in the Saints run for the Prep League title. As the season runs along, the Saints hope to avoid injury and keep running at the same level they are right now. The schedule gets crucial in the last couple of weeks, with only one meet remaining before the Prep League Championship. Coach Bruner and his team are confident and come Nov. 5, the Saints are going to be ready to bring home the title.
James Busch ’11 has qualified for Team USA. In addition to the normal burdens of keeping up with schoolwork and applying to college, Busch, the captain of the Varsity Cross Country team, has made himself into an athlete able to compete in triathlons on the international level. Busch was already one of the school’s best distance runners when he discovered triathlons. Initially, he saw these efforts as “an attempt to keep [him]self fit for cross country.” His first race was not easy, nor was it like the races he was used to. “That one was a good learning experience,” said Busch. “When it came to the race and I did the 10K trail run then got on the bike—that was a completely different kind of fatigue.” He was leading the sport division of the race, in twelfth place overall, when he was slowed down by cramping. Inspired to compete in the XTERRA East Championship Triathlon by his old swim coach and trainer, Michael Harlow, Busch started training before school got out, and just after final exams ran the triathalon. Busch’s training had been sporadic. “I would just kind of do it when I could,” he said. He was able to train much more in the summer, putting in long, grueling runs and waking up very early to do so. He learned how to prepare nutritionally and, after what happened in his first attempt, he focused on staying hydrated. During the summer, Busch competed in triathlons in Des Moines, Iowa and San Diego. His hard work paid off when he learned he had qualified for Team USA. This means that he can represent our country in the ITU Cross-Tri Worlds in Spain next year. Busch will most likely miss what would be an amazing personal achievement, so he can represent our school at the Penn Relays. Busch will continue to run for years to come. “The goal is to run during my undergraduate college career and then keep training through grad school,” he said. He even has a shot at running professionally. “It’s fun for me,” he said. “It really tests you.” Busch has meanwhile become the Varsity team’s best runner. He recently took first place in the Maymont XCountry Private School Boys’ Championship and the STAB Invitational, leading the Saints to victory in each race. His coaches and teammates all agree that Busch is incredibly dedicated both to improving himself and to leading others.
A4
Life
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October 2010
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Varner Steps for Survivial
By Jabriel Hasan Senior Editor, Features
Mrs. Sue Varner was asked to participate in last year’s Pink Tie Gala, but she was admittedly unprepared to go that public. This year is different. Mrs. Varner was diagnosed with breast cancer in the spring of 2008. She is still one of our beloved Spanish teachers in the Upper School, still a wife, and still the mother of two children in the Middle School. She survived. “I have never experienced excruciating pain like that, not even in the birth of my children... I never thought that I would stand upright.” But now she’s dancing. “At the time, I wasn’t ready to stand up in front of people and consider myself a survivor,” Mrs. Varner said. “But I am now.” The beauty in Mrs. Varner’s ordeal is that she had faithful friends who were ready to do anything and everything to ease the healing process. “There were so many women who offered themselves as support to me in the early stages of my diagnosis, and I think that it’s my duty to give that support to anyone in need now,” which is why she is avidly fundraising on behalf of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, encouraging people to attend the Pink Tie Gala this year, and participating in the event herself. Mrs. Varner, along with nine other cancer survivors, has been taking classes with professional dancers at Rigby’s Jig Dance Studio to train for the Oct. 23 show. Each of them is performing in a different dance style. Mrs. Varner is doing the tango. Her work has been uplifting. “It’s so beautiful to see people who have been in life altering experiences in a moment of sheer physical joy,” Mrs. Varner said. “When you’ve been under the knife, at times it feels like you’d never be able to stand, let alone dance.” The pain of cancer hits close to home for Mrs. Varner. Her cousin just recently died of it a few weeks ago. Many of her colleagues and students have also had to deal with the crippling sting of this disease, and the presence of a male survivor on her dance team should be even more awakening. “Particularly in this setting in a boy’s school where students may turn a deaf ear to this cause, it is a reality check that this cannot only happen to your mother—it can happen to you,” she said. She applauds the male participant for his courage to come forth as a survivor of a predominantly women’s issue. “It’s also about seeing yourself differently,” she said. “For a woman, to be defined so often by who we are as physical creatures…and then altered by the devastation of cancer... It’s a testament to the skill of the professionals in charge, and the will of the person involved to move beyond.” Scientists are making advancements, but a cure has yet to be found. A woman dies from breast cancer every 68 seconds. Estimates say that 207,090 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, and roughly 39,840 women will die from breast cancer in 2011 in the United States alone. These statistics, released by the American Cancer Society, are numbing and silencing. The pure data is difficult to hear, but the experience of battling the illness is even more compelling. Mrs. Varner’s goal is to be an influential advocate to stop the vicious, undiscriminating spread of this disease. She is beginning just as Susan Groves, the founder of the Pink Tie Gala, did. Groves felt overwhelmed by seeing the suffering of her friends. Mrs. Varner felt the same. Mrs. Groves has a daughter whom she deeply cares for, and Mrs. Varner has a daughter and a son. Both of these women have been driven by the desire to make a difference and to see a change so that others do not have to experience the hardship of breast cancer in the future. But they have to be supported. For, in the words of Margaret Meade, we must never doubt that “a small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
The fourth annual Pink Tie Gala will be held on Saturday, October 23 at the Marriott in downtown Richmond from 7:30pm to 12:30am. “Enjoy a night of great food, dancing to live music with Casper, silent auctions, The Celebration of Life Dance Team, and more dancing!” Tickets are $65 in advance only. www.pinktiegala.org/2010pinktiegala
Hudson Treks 3,500 Miles resource teacher, who served as a single parent of two young children for the majority of the summer. “That would be harder for me than riding my bike across country,” he said. “I would have never been able to do it, if not for her giving me her blessing.” Mr. Hudson brought with him a few hundred dollars and a credit card to buy food. Although he loved the riding and the scenery, his favorite part was the people he met along the way. Many times people offered him a meal and a place to sleep. When out on his own, Mr. Hudson slept behind convenience stores, cornfields and sometimes in campgrounds. He bought a touring bike for $1,000. He put a front and rear rack on the bike to hold panniers, bags that carried his sleeping bag, tent and clothes. The bags weighed him down considerably. Mr. Hudson stopped at restaurants and gas stations and encountered all kinds of interesting people. In an isolated part of southern West Virginia, Mr. Hudson said, “I met a guy who had never seen a geared bike before, it was almost like new technology to him.” Near the end of his trip in Harper, Ore., Mr. Hudson spent the night at a Viet-
By Andrew Gilmore Sophomore Contributor
In Colorado, Mr. Charlie Hudson took an unconventional route over the Continental Divide. He encountered a railroad grade, an old train trestle and a collapsed tunnel. He had to carry his stuff over the mountain first, and then return for his bike and again walk with his bike back over. “There is something every day that would try to break you,” the Lower School gym teacher and wrestling coach said of his trials with oversized trucks, wind, mountains, desert, vicious dogs and stamina during the cross-country trip. “It was such a mental challenge,” said Mr. Hudson. “It was a huge rush, even when you were getting beat down. I enjoyed the challenge.” This summer Mr. Hudson, took a 38-day, 3,500mile bike adventure from his front steps to Florence, Ore. That translates to an average of about 90 miles a day. To train, Mr. Hudson woke up early to ride his bike for five to six hours on weekends and fit in whatever he could during the week. He gives a lot of credit to his wife Kim, Upper School
nam veteran’s house. The vet showed Mr. Hudson his “man-cave” or gun arsenal, which included sniper rifles. Mr. Hudson got incredibly lucky. Throughout the course of the trip, he had little trouble with the bike. He expected to have at least 10 flat tires, but he had none. For a little part of the way, he rode with a guy from Ireland, who had a live blog and updated it constantly. The man from Ireland had five flats in Idaho and Oregon in a row. At the end of his destination in Florence, Ore., Mr. Hudson met up with his wife and kids for a vacaton. After a brief vacation, Mr. Hudson sold his bike for $660, a little more than half of what he bought it for. He and his family flew back to Richmond to end the summer. Mr. Hudson is interested in taking another bike trip in the next five years, maybe in Australia or Southeast Asia.
The Pine Needle Staff Kurt Jensen Editor-in-Chief
Senior Editors
Wells Baylor, News Jack Borkey, Sports Jabriel Hasan, Features Ben Resnik, Online Middle School Correspondent
Senior Contributors Elliott Warren Stephen Wood
Junior Contributors Cameron Barlow Will Turner Ned Valentine
Sophomore Contributors
Connor Lifson ’15
Alex Beale Andrew Gilmore
Publications Consultant Mr. Greg Weatherford
Freshman Contributors Alec Ball
Faculty Advisor
Mrs. Kathleen Thomas
October 2010
Life
A5
Mr. Nunley Swims with Sharks By Connor Lifson ’15 Middle School Correspondent
Saints in Service, Kiefer Fosters Pit Bulls By Kurt Jensen Editor-in-Chief
Mr. Frank Kiefer never thought of himself as a passionate animal lover. When he lived in Atlanta, he adopted an Australian Cattle Dog and grew a strong bond with man’s best friend. Since her passing, Mr. Kiefer adopted a pit bull and found himself, drawn to helping the dogs who are often victimized and misunderstood. The plight of pit bulls in the Richmond area received some publicity in recent years. Since Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison in 2007 for operating a dog fighting ring, however, pit bulls haven’t been in the news – well, not counting stories about the dogs ‘attacking’ innocent bystanders or city councils voting on banning the breed altogether. But Mr. Kiefer will argue that the breed is tragically misunderstood. “The reputation is not justified,” said Mr. Kiefer. “The dogs are so human-centered that they will do anything for you.” Unfortunately, sometimes that thing is fighting, he explained.
During the summer, Mr. Kiefer started to get more deeply involved with the local animal shelter, Richmond Animal Care and Control, walking and socializing dogs when he had free time. His connection to pit bulls brought him to Ring Dog Rescue, a loose confederation of foster parents for pit bulls who hope to spread a better understanding of the dogs. This soon evolved into a more active role. “If you get into an organization, sometimes by default you rise to the top,” said Mr. Kiefer. He now fosters pit bulls and brings the dogs to adoption events in hope of finding homes for them. Mr. Kiefer may be a somewhat reserved math teacher with a profound love for dogs and bad jokes, but his true character shines through his service. “[With Mr. Kiefer,] it’s not all about the math and all about the wrestling,” said Mrs. Hollerith, Upper School chaplain. “We’re so much bigger than our disciplines.” “Kids see everything. They know sincerity and authenticity,” said Mrs. Hollerith. In Mr. Kiefer’s case, the authenticity of his love for dogs and their loyalty is
defined by his urge to reach out and to get others involved. Mr. Kiefer quickly began looking into ways of getting his advisory involved with the project. A major roadblock with this plan is the legal age requirement of working with animal shelters is 18. He hopes to find alternative groups that will give students a chance to rescue local dogs. “Everyone’s eager to help, it’s just a matter of trying to find the right organization,” he said. Service is about passion. While Mr. Kiefer isn’t particularly verbose about his passions, it’s easy to tell how much he cares. In Mrs. Hollerith’s opinion, this is the key to leadership. With the St. Christopher’s community, it’s a spirit of passion and service that creates true citizens and proper leaders. Whether it’s caring for abandoned dogs, like Mr. Kiefer, or Mr. Jay Wood bringing the Varsity Soccer team to St. Andrew’s during a practice each year, it’s service that makes an impact. “It’s men showing men that that’s how you lead – by serving,” she said.
Boyd ’12 Boyd ’12 Interns at the Pentagon By Alex Beale Sophomore Contributor
Junior Jay Boyd took vigorous notes as he toured the Pentagon during the summer. Unfortunately, all information had to be treated as classified. His notes were shredded. “I was placed as an intern in the Department for Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan,” said Boyd, who worked with Ambassador Richard Holbrooke,
President Obama’s special representative. Due to the United States involvement in a military offensive to route out Al Qaeda operatives hiding in the rugged terrain of Afghanistan, the nature of Boyd’s work is extremely sensitive. “The people I met during my internship truly shaped my experiences,” said Boyd. These included Colonel Douglas Rose, a Green Beret, Four Star General James Mattis, who
is the current CENTCOM Commander, staff member Ronan Farrow, who graduated from college at age 15, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. “I can tell you one thing about Clinton’s office,” said Boyd, “she has an ‘Easy’ button on her desk.” By the end of his internship, Boyd had the honor of being asked to return to his duties next summer. Now, Boyd hopes to return during X-term to continue in his previous capacity.
Getting into an underwater cage and watching sharks crash into the bars would scare you, right? Not Mr. Ryan Nunley, the new eighth grade science teacher. Mr. Nunley majored in psychology at Roanoke College. He went on to become a case manager of mental health and an in-home support provider. It soon became apparent he had a different calling. “I just wasn’t cut out for this type of job,” he said. He decided to begin teaching his true passion, science. He began teaching fifth grade at Charlotte Christian School in North Carolina. There, he was a track and field coach. Mr. Nunley recently went on a trip to Gansbaai, South Africa. The village, on the western cape of South Africa, is known for its large population of great white sharks. Mr. Nunley has a passion for sharks just like
he has a passion for science. It was the perfect combination for his adventurous disposition. He brings this same spirit of adventure into his classroom. He takes a class that has to be boring every once in a while and makes it into an enjoyable class every day. I don’t remember a class where I didn’t laugh or didn’t learn something interesting. “He takes his job very seriously but loves to have fun, occasionally,” said eighth grader, William Boyd. Mr. Nunley has a teaching philosophy of “I am what you make me.” Meaning, if his students give him respect and do their work, everyone will have a lot of fun learning. “He has a very fun personality, and he’ll turn review into a fun game, like football,” said eighth grader, Christopher Thompson. Mr. Nunley truly cares about his students and loves to share his passion. “I like the opportunity to get the eighth graders excited about science,” he said.
Dr. Sutten Graces “Nut House” By Will Turner Junior Contributor
Dr. Austin Sutten is no ordinary science teacher. Her far-reaching research includes sled dogs and ground squirrels. She’s a lover of the outdoors, a notable athlete, holds a doctorate and is the mother of two young children. Dr. Sutten may be new to St. Christopher’s, but she is very familiar with Richmond. She grew up here and graduated from Collegiate. She played varsity sports there and is now an avid tennis player. She was recently rated a 4.5. She decided to pursue her interests at the University of Vermont, where she majored in math. While at Vermont, she went to Alaska with a professor and studied sled dogs and whether or not overtraining stresses the immune system. Dr. Sutten then attended the University of Alaska Fairbanks for graduate school, where she earned her doctoral. “Her PhD in biochemistry has a nice mix among the sciences,” said Mr. Billy McGuire, science department chair. One appealing aspect of going to Alaska was the nature there. “I’ve always loved the outdoors,” said Dr. Sutten who enjoys backpacking, climbing and now coaches the Waterman team at St. Christopher’s. In graduate school, she took a class where someone brought in a hibernating ground squirrel. Dr. Sutten became interested in hibernation and how the brain is protected during that time.
Knowledge about this topic is very helpful in research for strokes, so Dr. Sutten wrote her college thesis about it. These experiences piqued her interest in science. “I was interested in figuring out how and why things happened,” she said. In addition to being a teacher, Dr. Sutten is also the mother of two children --Grace, 4, and William, 2. “I try to spend some good quality time with them when I can, and try to be organized about both teaching and their schedule,” she said. Last year during second trimester, Dr. Sutten taught classes at St. Christopher’s while Mrs. Ryan Peirce was on maternity leave. “What really impressed us last year when she substituted was her willingness to make sure all the kids got it rather than just plow through the material,” said Mr. McGuire. Despite all her accomplishments, she remains modest. “I had a lot of great learning opportunities last year but I know I have a lot more to learn about being a teacher,” she said. Despite being relatively new to the St. Christopher’s community, she already feels comfortable. “I think it’s a great place and a great community to be a part of,” she said. Mr. Rich Hudepohl, math department chair, likes to refer to the science department as “the nut house.” “We’re a bunch of mixed nuts,” said Mr. McGuire. “Dr. Sutten only adds to the variety.”
Spirit Week November 2 - 5 Schedule vs. Collegiate
Bulldog Football - Nov. 3, 3:30pm 7th Grade Football - Nov. 3, 3:30pm JV Football - Nov. 4, 3:30pm Varsity Football - Nov. 6, 3:30pm The Pine Needle is sponsoring a school-wide spirit contest! Write a school cheer and send it in to jensenk11@stcva.org. If it’s published, you’ll get a reward!
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Mrs. Epes Calls School to Spirit
By Ned Valentine Junior Contributor
Put the ‘Pep’ Back in Pep Rally
The excitement I used to feel along with my peers during pep rallies before the Collegiate game is something I will always remember. But as the years have gone by, it seems as though pep rallies are not the same. We ought to strive to bring back those old memories and make new ones for the current Lower School students. I turned to Mrs. Debbie Epes for ideas. Being an avid Virginia Tech fan who has worked at St. Christopher’s for 40 years, she knows a thing or two about school spirit. I remember her teaching us cheers when I had her in fourth grade. Here’s what she had to say:
Arts
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We need more cheers. “When I first came to St. Christopher’s there were cheers everybody could do.” she said. Create a cheer handbook to distribute to all students. Use pep rallies to provide instructions on what students should do at games -- for instance, get loud on third down when a certain song comes on or wear all black to the game. Get the band to play at games and create a fight song. Get the younger kids not play other sports during games but rather watch them and cheer to create more unified school support. Hopefully we can follow through with these tips and boost school spirit.
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October 2010
Senior Stephen Wood was published on McSweeney’s Internet Tendency in September. McSweeney’s, an independent publishing group, updates this literary humor site daily with work from established authors and aspiring ones alike. Wood’s work appears a day before a submission from The Onion staff writer Seth Reiss in the website’s archive. Wood’s piece was so good, rather than write a short article about it, we wanted to feature it in its entirety:
AS I SAT WRITING – FROM THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF WILLIAM FAULKNER. BY STEPHEN B. WOOD, JR. ----
Wilson Heats Firehouse Theatre, Directs “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”
By Kurt Jensen Editor-in-Chief
It’s a funny play, but it’s harrowing – a confusing orgy of violent tension. It’s difficult to work with and impossible to perfect. Mr. Rusty Wilson, director of theatre at St. Christopher’s, captured the best of Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” on an intimate stage at the Firehouse Theatre in Richmond. The intimacy is important for a play like this. It’s a performance that can only be done once. It has to be built up, released and forgotten for each successive night. On any particular night, for any particular audience, it has to be real. “It is alive and real for that moment, and then you let it go,” said Mr. Wilson. Mr. Wilson has a straightforward goal: “to tell stories that address the human heart in conflict with itself.” “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” thrusts conflict into the human core of illusion. “The play takes a hard, sober look at the things we do to cope,” said Mr. Wilson. While it is sobering, the structural irony of the play is born from its characters’ dependence on alcohol. Its form mixes social themes with humor, violence and the build up and release of tension – characters struggling with each others’ illusions. “You have to have a little life experience for this to make
sense,” said Mr. Wilson. “It’s a lot to take in.” For Mr. Ron Smith’s junior AP English students, required to see the play before reading, it was a ride. “I thought it was a rollercoaster, basically,” said Jay Boyd. “It’s a very emotional play.” Mr. Wilson cited the artistry of the form and its emotion as major reasons for his choice in directing it. “I’m drawn to plays that have substance,” said Mr. Wilson. “I wanted to grapple with it.” Besides grappling with the play’s intensely adult social themes, Mr. Wilson directed his wife as Martha, the play’s contemptible heroine—dangerous and raunchy. She would live in her for several nights a week. Actors do more than flirt with alternate realities. Sometimes they give themselves up. But they can’t close the door on life. Mr. Wilson made his own reality clear. “My marriage is much more important than a play,” he said. Between the director and his actors, between the actors, between the actors and the audience, and between Mr. Wilson and his wife, there has to be a trust like a coarse rope that can pull everyone along. A result of the intimacy, dedication and trust—the moment was alive. The audience was in George and Martha’s living room. The tension was taut and could shudder through the room. Martha
carried the play on her loud, bare shoulders. She was phenomenal. “We’re actually great artistic partners,” said Mr. Wilson. When a play comes together with the right cast and the right artistic sensibilities, its conflict explodes off the stage and into the hearts of the audience – screams and laughter – gasping, nervous relief. Even for Mr. Smith, who has seen several productions of the play including the revival production on Broadway, the play was striking. “It’s the best production I’ve ever seen,” he said. It was a singularly brilliant experience. The intimacy of live drama is unparalleled. “The great thing about live theater is when you laugh, they can hear you; when you gasp, they can hear you,” said Mr. Smith. “It’s a give and take.” For Mr. Wilson, the entire directing process was a give and take. “We have to discover our own answers,” he said. “It’s a process of filling in the blanks.” This play’s struggles will never again be captured in exactly the same way. The intimate staging will never be recreated with the same actors, same director or same subtle décor. But the story will always have value for those who have felt it, grappled with it. “I’m attracted to the struggle… Those are the stories I want to tell,” said Mr. Wilson. “Those stories have value.”
William I mislike having to get up to make my own lunch. Some things must be done, and Lord knows I know that more than ere a man, but Lord knows I mislike it. I ask my wife if she would like to make me a sandwich. “I hate to be beholden to you,” I says, “but I am so busy writing this autobiography, and it bein so hot an all and me bein so hungry I sure would like a sandwich.” A turkey sandwich. Lord knows it would be a comfort. Mrs. Faulkner He ought to make that sandwich hisself. I tell him that. “You ought to make it yourself,” I tell him. Lord knows I told him that he ought to make that sandwich hisself. But he don’t listen. I reckon I been making his sandwiches so long he don’t ere know how to make it hisself. I can not bear the thought of him going hungry, and dying of hunger and not finishing his auto-biography and whatnot, so I decide to make the sandwich. I’m a good woman, and a good woman always makes a sandwich for her husband who’s writing his auto-biography, the preacher always says. My reward will come in Heaven, Lord knows. But I do wish he would stop his writing and make hisself a sandwich. And maybe after that get a real job. William Jr. I come in the kitchen. Ma is making Pa a sandwich. He is writing his auto-biography. I want the sandwich. “Ma, I want a sandwich,” I says. “No,” she says. I reckon I can’t have that sandwich. I reckon I’ll have to make my own sandwich. William God surely knows that I would not be beholden to no woman, but oh how I need that sandwich. If I could just have it, then I surely would finish my writing. That sandwich would be a comfort. Lord knows what a comfort it would be. Lord, I wish that that sandwich were is, for when the sandwich is is then I will be is eating and when I am is eating then hunger will be was. And if hunger was was then I would be is not hungry. William Junior is not is hungry because he does not know that if he ate the sandwich then he would be is not hungry. Actually, that’s not that hard to understand. He probably gets that. William Jr. My father is a sandwich.
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October 2010
Opinion/Editorial
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Taxcuts Major Issue in November Midterm Elections By Wells Baylor
By Elliott Warren
Senior Editor, News
Senior Contributor
Americans have an unfair view of the upperclass. We think of millionaires as people who spend their millions on unnecessary items year after year. They do not. They are smart with their money, and that means during a recession they do not spend. An article on bizjournals.com discussed this trend: “The fact that they have a lot of money doesn’t necessarily mean their spending habits change. In fact, most millionaires continue to follow the same savvy financial practices that made them rich in the first place.” As a group, the financial elite tend to spend like the middle class. Most millionaires buy used cars and only own one house. They consider themselves secure, not wealthy, and they spend their money according to their outlook. Millionaires got their millions by saving not spending. They take most of the money from government tax breaks and corporate bonuses to maintain financial security, not to buy a new car. Consumer spending powers two thirds of this country’s economy. The 3 percent who will continue to receive a tax cut from the Bush c=uts, simply do not spend enough to justify a $4.4 trillion price tag. Supply side economics can only work when the tax cuts go to the businesses, themselves, not the owners. These tax cuts are based around the fundamental misunderstanding that CEOs will spend their tax breaks on their companies and not keep it to themselves. If corporate bonuses funded by bail-out money are any indication, this is not the case. The Congressional Budget Office has repeatedly released grim data on the Bush tax cuts. Out of all the options analyzed, tax benefits for the rich were the least effective way of ending the recession. If the money spent on the tax cuts were spent on tax credits for jobs instead, four to six times as many jobs would be added to the economy. Simply put, the American economy can afford for the Bush tax cuts to expire, and it cannot afford for them to be extended. During the ’50s, a time of prosperity, the top marginal tax rate was at its highest. Even during Reagan’s first four years, the top tax rates were higher than they are now. Tax cuts should be given to the poor who need them and the middle class that powers the American economy. Our country is driven by the middle class, and our government should invest in them, instead of allocating trillions to the top 3 percent of Americans.
This fall, Congress will face a thorny political and economic issue: whether to extend the socalled Bush tax cuts. The 2001 Economic Growth and Recovery Tax Act was Bush’s version of the stimulus package. But instead of creating temporary jobs and unconstitutionally using taxpayers’ money like the current administration’s approach, he cut tax rates, increased the child tax credit, and increased contribution caps for a variety of savings programs. As a result, the recession ended in November 2001. But 9/11 happened in the midst of the recession and economic growth slowed throughout 2002. So in 2003, Bush revved up the 2001 tax cut package and cut taxes again on dividends and capital gains. As a result, the 2004 gross national product was the highest in 20 years and unemployment fell to the lowest levels since World War II. The Bush economic program, objectively, ended the 2000-01 recession and caused some of the greatest economic activity in the history of the United States. So why the downturn? While Bush is by no means infallible for the 2008-09 recession, the tax cuts had nothing to do with it. Opponents of extending the Bush tax cuts this year label the cuts as simply “tax cuts for the rich.” They are incorrect in this belief. In fact, as the Wall Street Journal pointed out, thanks to Bush’s tax cuts for the rich, the richest one percent went from paying 25 percent of all income taxes in 1990 to 39 percent in 2005. The richest 5 percent went from paying 44 percent of all income taxes in 1990 to paying 60 percent of all income taxes in 2005. In their efforts to end the Bush tax cuts in the midst of the worst recession since 1929, the Democrats risk making the path to economic recovery far more difficult. Extending the tax cuts would keep an additional $366 billion in the pockets of taxpayers, with only about one seventh of that amount going to those who earn more than $250,000 per year. Raising taxes while recovering from a recession is textbook bad economics, and doing so would both hinder us from recovering and introduce greater uncertainty into the markets.
For future reference, the registry deadline for voting is 22 days prior to the elections. That was October 12 for the November 2 elections. Engage as a citizen and register to vote!
The Pitfalls of The Common Application By Kurt Jensen Editor-in-Chief
College used to be a place where you could find yourself and discover what interests you and what you want to do with your life. Now, however, it seems that the college process asks us to be clearly defined individuals by our junior year in high school. For better or for worse, college is no longer the place to define yourself. The more selective universities get so many applicants with high GPAs and SAT scores that the admissions process has developed to the point where they look for several years of participation in multiple extracurricular activities. This is in addition to “strength of schedule” requirements that advise adjusting your class choices and transcript to reflect particular interests. This process involves defining students by information on the common application in order to fit square pegs into the round hole of diversity. Meanwhile, the hard work and true effort put
into school work reflected by a GPA is discredited by the lower standards of some high schools. I am blessed to go to a small private school, where teachers can pay individual attention to me and encourage my interests. A lot of the potholes of the system don’t affect me, personally. I’m also equally blessed to know basically what I want to do with my life – study business and journalism and write professionally as an author and journalist. But would I be where I am without the personal support of my teachers? On the other side of the coin, there are countless numbers of high school students who haven’t had the same opportunities to explore possibilities and be encouraged. In large, impersonal classes covering broadly defined subjects, it’s much harder to develop a complete understanding of what you enjoy doing. It’s easy to be swept along, getting good grades in several advanced classes without having a clear definition
or even vague notion of what you might want to do with your life. Universities used to be designed for these students – the ones who were interested and talented in a broad range of subjects and wanted to experience the depth of higher education before they made decisions about the course of their life. While the rhetoric of these institutions often maintains this idea, their practice of selectivity seems to contradict it. Also, colleges follow the established system so closely, that there often isn’t room to be understanding of
students who were less fortunate. Imagine the increasing number of students diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder each year, for whom standardized testing poses enough of an added challenge on top of finding it more difficult to delve wholly into a single interest. Imagine the students who have to work to support their families on top of working hard in school, not having the time for extracurricular activities. We are tremendously blessed at St. Christopher’s to have such a dedicated and knowledgeable college guidance staff in Mr. Jump and
Mr. Mayer, but other students aren’t so lucky to know exactly what colleges might expect of them – especially the most selective. In this way, worthy, hardworking candidates can be overlooked, simply because they don’t have an attractive, specific interest that fits into the patchwork definition of diversity that controls the selective process. The Common Application is essentially a judgmental and narrowly defined institution that should play a much smaller role in determining who should attend a school. This applicaton simply allows admissions boards to judge a huge number of books by their covers. But human beings aren’t books. While life isn’t always fair, with such important decisions affecting many lives, institutions ought to strive to a greater degree to maintain proper justice based on merit and character, which information on a sheet of paper simply cannot do.
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The Back Page
Fan Favs Varsity Football Player Pre-1970 Bob Dylan Song Federal Holiday
[ The Pine Needle ] October 2010
Giles Thompson
Baylis Brown
Prudhoe/Houlihan
Scott Anonick
Mr. Carlson
Tucker Brown
Jim Partee
Scott Perlowski
Stephen Lestyan
“Chest Cold” Tyson
That one he did with Biggie
Positively 4th Street
Uhh.
Uhhh...
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner Iron Maiden is the only band that counts.
Thanksgiving
Easter
Columbus Day
Toyota-thon
Flag Day!
Kim
Kim
Khloe
Robert
Lamar Odom
Breakfast Club
Breakfast Club
Breakfast Club
Kardashian Emilio Estevez Movie Order at Starbucks
Mighty Ducks Young Guns II
Strawberry Frappuccino
Vanilla Steamer Extra Vanilla
Free Water
Venti Soy HalfCaf Hot Misto
I find only disorder at Starbucks.
Womens’ Sport
Curling
Volleyball
Velodrome Cycling
Wrestling
Lacrosse
Teacher Ending in -andal
Ms. Bandal
Ms. Bandal
Mr. Nagle
Mr. Johnsandal
Inappropriate
r e l Brain Teasers d ee N Can you spot the difference?
Applied Physics #1 In the year 2047, the government of the Tea Party State in the Pacific Ocean decided to lift a neighboring island of revelry into orbit using a tactor beam. Their political rationale for this decision was that the inhabitants of the island loved unicorns far too much. It was weird. Stephen, who lives in the United States of what-was-formerlyknown-as America, or U.S.W.W.F.K.A., was distraught, because Unicorn Island was his favorite vacation destination. Stephen has a mass of 200 kg but has been trying to lose weight for several years to no avail. He loves twinkies. The mass of Unicorn Island, now in orbit, is 8.76 x 10^3 kg. A scientist named Robert, who actually turned out to be a third cousin of Stephen in a weird twist of circumstance, determined in 2033 that Force of Intense Longing = 4.54 x 10^15 x Fg. When Unicorn Island is in orbit directly over Stephen, the radius between their centers is 5.92 x 10^4 m. What is the force of Stephen’s intense longing for Unicorn Island measured in Newtons?