Volume XCII
THE PINE NEEDLE St. Christopher’s School, Richmond, Virginia, September 2006
Features
Wait, what’s happening?
Photo essay: Summer practice Pages 2 and 3
by Spencer Hall ’07
STC goes hi-tech by Spencer Hall ’07 and Ted Moore ’07
F Will Ferrell‘s new movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby Page 4
or a school that puts so much value on tradition, two large technological upgrades will alter the lifestyle of students and teachers here this year. With these changes, the administration has made a statement that the school is able and willing to change with the times. The first new development is the installation of two Dell wide screen plasma TVs in the Upper School. Both larger than 50 inches, these monitors will have the capability to do much more than display announcements. Mr. Szymendera assured that the “options can only be limited by the imagination.” The inspiration for these screens came from Chestnut
Hill Academy in Philadlephia, which Mr. Szymendera visited and evaluated. The school, an all boy academy, shares a relationship with Springside Academy just like we do with St. Catherine’s. Seeing how we are the “information generation,” the administration wanted to try and connect with the students in a way that will get our attention. However, Mr. Szymendera stressed that the TVs will be used to “build community.” Projects might range from information about new faculty and students on display to the SAT word of the day. Since these TVs will be cable ready, the idea of 15 minutes of CNN seems like a good one. Or how about sports center? Keeping up with the information age, a new website, SaintsNet will also debut this fall. Mr. Szymendera indicated that it
was time for an update, but after hearing the details of the website’s capabilities, the term “update” did not really credit… the update. Headmaster Charley Stillwell called the website “the face of St. Christopher’s to the outside world.” There will be two separate sites, somewhat like we have now, but this one will give all students a school email account. It will also have many capabilities, some of which are yet to be determined, but what will be happening is this: each class of user (parent, teacher, student, coach, administrator and whoever else) will have SaintsNet tailored to their classification. For example, administrators will be able to conduct and see attendance reports, parents can see their child’s class schedule,
See Hi-tech page 4 >
Saints rock local music scene by Brendan Worst ’08
Saints baseball standouts drive Legion team Page 4 Editorial: Thomas Jenkins speaks out on terrorism Page 5 Freshman orientation goes overnight Page 5
Upper School faculty introductions Page 5
No. 1
People are talking. There’s a new sound echoing through the Richmond music scene. It begins with a thunderous, menacing drumbeat. Out of nowhere, a crazed, distorted six-stringed wail pierces the ears. This, which words can only describe as an auditory assault, could be only one thing on our green earth: The Reserve. Like a freight train tearing through a girls’ locker room, J.T. Jester’s merciless guitar riffs combined with the constant cascading rumble of Zach Greentree’s drumming give area fans a sound they haven’t heard before, and one of which they want to hear more. Though modern in its treatment, there are hints of early Ramones and even some Clash to be found. The raw recordings on the Internet give every song an interesting indie texture that is reminiscent of these early punk rock bands, but there are many more influences that they simply cannot be named individually. Zach Greentree said, “Each one of us
sees the band differently.” He calls his group a fusion of “punk, metal, and hardcore.” “We’re getting better at combining the sounds. I think we sound like The Misfits. J.T. sees us as plain southern punk or something. My songs are ‘flash metal.’ ” While in theory this mix seems deadly, or at least very painful, it works in an odd way. It works so well in fact that these Saints have become local celebrities to fans of eclectic punk. They’ve played quite a few
shows at Richmond area venues, including at The Kanawha Club, Nancy Raygun, and Alley Katz. On Aug. 13, the band played at the Watermelon Festival in Carytown. On Aug. 17, the band performed a huge show at The Canal Club with Shadow Academy and Red Angel Dragnet as part of the Triple Threat Thursdays concert series. On Sept. 23, they’ll play an even bigger show with three other bands at the C&G Underground. Be on the lookout for these guys.
We as Saints have, for good or bad, always fallen into the timeless cliché: we work hard, and we play hard. Summer time is the ultimate playtime, and this summer many of us used it. From mission trips to adventures in Europe, the summer is about enjoying the freedom of no school. However, now it’s time to work… again. While we, the students, were away, there have been many changes, additions, and frankly, just cool stuff done to the campus. Here’s what we did off campus over the summer, and what we have to look forward to on campus this new school year. ***** In his first year as guidance counselor, Mr. Mayer has made a smooth transition into a Saint. Maybe you know, maybe you don’t, but he moonlights as a baseball historian, and used this summer as a venue to show off his knowledge. Already an author of one book, Baseball and Richmond, he is working on another that will give us everything we need to know about the historic South Atlantic League. He combined his research with college visits as an official high school guidance counselor. His southern travels took him mainly to Georgia where he spent time with two minor league teams, the Columbus Catfish and the Rome Braves. Along with acquiring new knowledge, Mr. Mayer dished out some of his own as a tour guide. Yes, a tour guide. Mr. Mayer led, for the second time, a specialty guided bus tour as part of many tours the Richmond History Center provides. His tour was aptly titled, Baseball and Richmond. Following a tour of the Diamond given by the Braves, Mr. Mayer and his tour visited historic baseball sites that included Monroe Park, known as the Fair Grounds from the 1870’s and Broad Street Park, known as Lee Park from 1917 to 1921. ***** Perhaps as a reward… for himself, Mr. Towell and his wife didn’t stop after leading students around Europe this summer. After they left the students, they both joined family in England for four days before returning to Paris for another four days. That makes 20 consecutive days living from a suitcase (for all of you counting), which may have been, “ a little too much.” But both Mr. and
See Wait page 4 >
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Summer Practices
September 2006
Sweatin’ Red and Gray Saints athletes prepare for the fall season
September 2006
Summer Practices
Photos by Peter Thomas ’07
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School News
September 2006
Jogging with Mr. Szymendera Andrew Lawrence ’07
Saints stars help fuel legion team by Ted Moore ‘07 Saints stars of the past and the future united with players from other schools to produce a successful summer of American Legion ball for Post 125. Players on the team came from St. Christopher’s, Collegiate, Freeman and Benedictine. The team placed second in the district, losing to a Midlothian team that went on to the national championship tournament. St. Christopher’s head varsity baseball coach Tony Syzmendera complimented Post 125’s success. “To have so many private school guys in the lineup of a legion team that does so well may be unprecedented,” he said. Saint players on the team included Austin Wates ’07, Andrew Lawrence ’07, Andy Stratton ’06, Jon Broscious ’06, and Eric Lipscomb ’05. Broscious and Stratton will both play college ball next year at Princeton and UNC-Wilmington, respectively. The legion team gave them a chance to work on their game against high-level competition to get ready for the next level. Rising seniors Austin Wates and Andrew Lawrence had
an extra incentive to perform during summer ball: legion ball is a great way for college scouts and recruiters to watch them play. With games four days a week, the players had plenty of opportunities to show off their stuff. One highlight from the summer came during the all star game for rising seniors, which was played at Sheperd Stadium. Austin Wates, Andrew Lawrence and Collegiate standout Russell Wilson represented Post 125. Austin Wates hit a homerun ball over the fence, over the screen above the fence, and onto the roof of a building. Talk about clutch hitting. I just feel bad for the pitcher. Although legion ball is a way to improve your game while attracting looks from colleges, it is important not to overlook the fun aspect of the game. “It was a lot of fun on and off the field and all the St. Chris kids played really well,” Andrew Lawrence said. Former Saints 2005 captain and go-to pitcher Eric Lipscomb plays for the love of the game. He currently attends the University of Virginia where he does not play. For him, this summer of legion ball was one last chance to play. Lipscomb
also coaches J.V. baseball at St. Anne’s Belfield, a private school near Charlottesville. Hopefully the success from the summer will carry over into successful seasons for the present and former Saints, wherever they may play next season.
Austin Wates ’07
Wait
Continued from page 1 Mrs. Towell were able to handle it and returned safely to the states. When asked how he enjoyed both parts of his trip, he responded that it was enjoyable… but that it was somehow more enjoyable when other whether on the track with “the students left us.” Imagine that. ***** their ‘shake and bake’ routine, Many STC students or at a dinner scene with Ricky’s family, including his wife and were abroad this summer. kids Walker and Texas Ranger One trip was a pilgrimmage to Greece following the foot(a.k.a. T.R.). Jean Girard was a very steps of Saint Paul. Graham funny character in the movie with Perkins, Stephen Davenport, his ridiculous accent and his flam- John Davenport and myself all boyant lifestyle. Unfortunately, embarked on an eight-day tour of even with all these funny aspects, Athens and some Greek isles. It the plot did get in the way of the should be mentioned that five of humor in a number of instances. those days, or nights rather, were Also, many of the funniest parts spent on a cruise ship. We visof the movie were already shown ited Patmos, the site of the cave in the trailers on television and in where Saint John “dictated,” not wrote, the book of Revelation, as other movies. The bottom line: this is well as the famed isle where the a must-see movie before it leaves houses are white and the doors theaters and is a worthy successor are blue, as well as the shutters (and some doors were red too). to “Anchorman.” If you didn’t guess it, it’s the island of Mykonos, both Graham’s and my favorite spot. We also visited the ruins of Corinth and the island of Ephesus where Paul lived and Mary, Jesus’ mother, lived and died. All in all the trip was wonderful and really brought to life many of the things in the Bible that perhaps some can consider too distant to worry about. ***** Students Cameron Cann, Bart Farinholt and Thomas Andrews experienced life abroad and here in the U.S. in a less… plush environment. Cameron and Bart backpacked through Costa Rica, while Thomas did the same in Wyoming. ***** Perhaps wandering through the field house, you may
Will Ferrell puts Ricky Bobby in victory lane by Brian Kusiak ’08 This summer, the duo of co-writers that brought you the now-classic comedy “Anchorman,” Adam McKay and Will Ferrell, delivered yet again with “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.” The movie, in a style similar to “Anchorman,” tells the story of a man who is at the top of his game and knows it. Ricky Bobby is this man; he is the stereotypical NASCAR driver—dumb, ignorant, and patriotic. Ricky lives his life by a quote from his deadbeat father “If you’re not first, you’re last,” until this hero meets his match in his exact antitype. Jean Girard is a French Formula 1 driver who decides to try his luck in NASCAR. Jean Girard is the exact opposite of Ricky Bobby in almost every way; he is gay, French and enjoys jazz. After a tragic accident, Ricky seems to lose everything—his mind, his gold-digging wife, his best friend and his money. From this point on, the story shows how Ricky recovers his desire “to go fast” and prepares to race once more with Jean Girard in the end. Will Ferrell’s mindless humor keeps laughs rolling through the whole movie. Ricky and his best friend Cal play perfectly off each
by Sam Perry ’09
the early and middle part is where evaluation of the past year’s goals and accomplishments takes place. “Knowing why you didn’t accomplish something is just as important as accomplishing it,” Mr. Szymendera said. Later in the summer, the staff begins to plan for the coming year. In this part, programs and changes for the school system are created and set up as ideas. One of Mr. Szymendera’s main focuses in this part of the summer is faculty. In this way Mr. Szymendera goes above and beyond the call of duty by helping the faculty leadership and increasing their morale. One of the main events of every summer to the faculty of St. Chris is the three-day administrative retreat. This, according to Mr. Szymendera, is the “summit meeting” where he and the staff develop a “strategic plan” for the next year. Many members such as the alumni and development directors and faculty heads have to go. This year they went to the nearby Episcopal conference center and focused on working as a team. This insured, for example, that all the teachers in the faculty promote the same values in class. In response to a remark about the huge amount of work facing Mr. Szymendera every summer, he cheerfully replied, “I think it’s challenging but it’s a good challenge.” Mr. Szymendera’s love for his career makes his work, as he puts it, “more than a job, but a true profession.”
notice the new high ropes course hanging from the ceiling. This was designed with the help of Ms. Clair Parrish of the Lower School, who is involved in the National Outdoor Leadership School. NOLS provides leadership training and has given Ms. Parrish the inspiration to be a leader in developing our own ropes course. The course will be used to host on site leadership training and team building activities. To start with, Mr. Green, Mr. Burke and Mr. Nagle will be trained as leaders on how to navigate the course. This obviously has huge potential to build trust, respect and the bond between us as Saints together. ***** Looking for Mr. Abbott? Perhaps he’s looking for you. You won’t find him in his usual spot. With the addition of the two new resource helpers, he has moved into Mrs. Hardwick’s old office. He will have more space for student, parent, and advisee conferences. Let’s hope we all get to check out his new home on a positive visit. ***** The new resource helpers are Dr. Kim Hudson and Mrs. Laura Lanois. The phrase, “two is better than one” really holds up here. Mr. Szymendera remarked with the addition of two resource people, “We can now help those who may have been denied help before” with only one. He also expressed that, “the student who may not appear to need help” now can receive the attention needed to improve good grades to great grades. Also, Dr. Hudson and Mrs. Lanois have offices from each other across the hall,
enabling easy communication. ***** As evident, business off campus was just as busy on campus. As much fun as we all had over the summer, it’s really nice to return to a school that is constantly having new advancements added for the enjoyment of us, the students. From plasma TVs to ropes courses, it just keeps getting better and more fun. Now that we are in school, let’s put everything to good use and make the most of what we have been given. As a senior, it’s the least I can do. As for everyone else, it’s the least you can do too.
At 8 p.m, Mr. Szymendera leaves his office, pressed on all sides by the persistent tension of work. He leaves his front door and begins to jog along Patterson Avenue. The wind funnels through the waving leaves on the nearby trees and distant mating calls of birds pierce the relaxing quiet of the night. He notices the howl of the neighborhood pets, but has grown used to them, since he has jogged past each one dozens of times over the course of the summer. Deep in his mind he sorts and orders the things he has to do the next day and plans for the future. This, in fact, is probably the time in which some of the most influential programs and reforms for the school are born. Summertime is known to the students of St. Christopher’s as vacation, but to the hardworking faculty it is merely just another phase of work. The summer is still busy for the remaining older inhabitants of the school. However in the beginning of the summer our Upper School head fortifies himself for the upcoming work with a little fun and takes his family on vacation to Sanibel Island off the southern coast of Florida. Mr. Szymendera arrived last summer in the aftermath of a chain of hurricanes which struck the beleaguered state. He saw foliage spread everywhere and trees knocked down. Mr. Szymendera separates the summer into two parts:
Hi-tech
Continued from front page and students can receive information from teachers in a manner of seconds. However, with all this computerization, the administration wants to be careful not to get away from “what makes this a special place.” Mr. Szymendera was alluding to personal communication, something that truly does make this a special place. Will veteran teachers embrace the school’s willingness to change with the time? Will the TVs be a big hit, or a big distraction? Will the website be effective, or a nightmare for students who aren’t technologically oriented? The administration has made a decision to take these risks and is optimistic about its success. It will be interesting to see the reception of these advances by students, faculty and alumni. The Pine Needle is accepting editorials on this matter and encourages you to voice your opinion.
Septmerber 2006
School News
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New faces at STC
John Mark DiGrazia x’80 and Brendan Worst ‘08 interviewed these new Upper School teachers.
Point of View Thomas gets tough on terror
by Thomas Jenkins ‘07
Hamill D. Jones III World History teacher
Emmett W. Carlson Math teacher
Education St. Christopher’s, (13-year Saint) Washington and Lee University, B.A. in European history and journalism
Education Thayer Academy in Braintree, Mass. , Princeton University, B.A. in astrophysics, minors in applied math and French
Previous Job Taught and coached at Episcopal High School in Alexandria for the past two years
Previous Job “I just graduated from college, but I’ve been a camp counselor in the summer.”
Greatest Achievement? Washington and Lee basketball team captain for three years “Wish we won more games.”
Music “I like a lot of different stuff… country, classic rock—everything except a lot of the stuff coming out in the last few years.” Bands: Led Zeppelin, Counting Crows, Garth Brooks, Ellis Paul (a folk singer from Boston)
Music Classic Rock: Journey, Boston, Zeppelin, U2 Why did you come to St. Christopher’s? “The main reason was that my experience as a student at STC inspired me to enter the teaching profession. To be able to come back and work with many teachers that inspired me is a thrill and a great opportunity.”
Why did you come to St. Christopher’s? “I looked around at a lot of different private schools up and down the east coast and made a lot of visits, a lot of interviews, and this was my favorite.” Future Plans “I would like to go to grad school, but I’m not sure in what yet. Maybe I’ll go to law school or get a doctorate, and afterwards I might teach at the high school or college level. It’s nice because the school pays for part of it.” Greatest Achievement “Graduating with honors in my department at Princeton.”
Laura Thurston Lanois
Kimberly G. Hudson
Education Douglas S. Freeman High School, Radford University (where she met her husband), B.S. in criminal justice. minors in psychology and social work, University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University for license and teaching endorsements in learning disabilities and emotional disturbances
Education Monacan High School, University of Virginia, B.A. in psychology, M.A.T. in elementary and special education, Ph.D. in Special Education with a focus on learning disabilities
Resource teacher
Previous Job Exceptional education teacher at Douglas Freeman for seven years; taught at Charterhouse, a boys school in London where she helped with anger and impulse control problems “I’ve worked with mostly boys through my experience.” Family Sons Bridger, STC kindergartener and Colter, 3 Named after Jim Bridger and John Colter (explorers with Lewis and Clarke) Music Classic rock, blue grass, Alison Krauss Interesting family connection Her uncle is Mr. Towell. She has been to Europe with him twice. “I am looking forward to working with him…and making sure not to schedule my meetings during his classes.” What’s your experience so far? “I can’t wait. I’m excited. I like how the faculty refers to itself as a family.”
Mr. Hamill Jones ’00
Freshmen bond at overnight orientation by Stephen Wood ’11
Nobody likes going back to school. It always takes a while to adjust to a new school year, and the beginning of high school is the biggest adjustment that the ninth graders have had to make. To make that adjustment a little easier, the faculty of the Upper School came up with an overnight trip to the Triple C Camp in Charlottesville. The Triple C Camp is a course that improves communication and leadership skills, as well as builds trust. “Basically, it helped build teamwork,” said Robert Johns. The camp also gave the class a chance to meet their new peers. “We all enjoyed it,” said Peter Partee, “and the new kids really needed it.” Over the two days they spent at the Triple C Camp, the ninth graders took part in many different challenges. The course included a very tall zip-line, a high catwalk, and lots of other group activities. No electronic devices were allowed, giving many a chance to work on summer reading. The students slept
in cabins, which had showers but no AC. They slept in the heat on Friday night and arrived back at school on Saturday, ready for the new school year.
Resource teacher
Previous jobs Taught at Pearson’s Corner Elementary in Mechanicsville where she was Teacher of the Year in 2001, tutored middle school students at Collegiate School, and instructed undergraduate Continuing Education courses for UVA Greatest achievement? “My two children.” Daughter Peyton, 3; Son Charlie, 8 months Music Classic Rock “All the old stuff.” What will be your job here? Working in Resource “If you are having any trouble with a class you can to my office or Mrs. Lanois’ office across the hall.” Why did you come to St. Christopher’s? “The faculty and administrators were very welcoming. I grew up in Richmond and did not go to private school, but I had always heard about St. Christopher’s…it has a very strong reputation.” What is your connection to St. Chris? “Mr. Abbott was my history teacher when I was at high school. He taught A.P. U.S. History. He was one of my hardest teachers ever.”
I spent Aug. 10 with my eyes glued to the FOX News Channel. British authorities had just thwarted a terrorist plot that would have bombed several jetliners bound for the United States; a plot that would have been as catastrophic as the events of Sept. 11, 2001; a plot that would have created mass murder on an unimaginable scale. Whether you are a pacifist or a war-hawk, I think everyone was humbled that day and was reminded that we’re at war with Islamic fundamentalists who want to inflict cruel terror in our society. But as soon as the news of the arrests broke, key antiwar senators argued that the war in Iraq prompted the terrorists to plan this cowardly act. They think that a withdrawal from Iraq will appease the terrorists and prevent future plots like this one. However, these terrorists don’t care if you’re as anti-war as Cindy Sheehan; they still want to bring terror into our country just because we live in a free society. Here we are a week later, and the attack that almost was is but another memory. The media has dropped the coverage of the terror plots, bringing us irrelevant information about the JonBenet Ramsey case. Now, I think it’s tragic that a six year old was brutally murdered, but thousands of innocent people also came to the brink of being brutally murdered. Forgive me if I’m wrong, but instead of following the day-today actions of John Mark Karr, shouldn’t we focus on the challenges our country faces? The solution is easy. History tells us that appeasement doesn’t work when you’re dealing with lunatics like President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Osama Bin Laden or Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. At Munich, we gave Hitler an inch and he conquered almost all of Europe. The same goes for his modern day equivalents. We need to face the unhappy truth that some people want to and will kill us, and do all we can to stop Islamic fundamentalism.
Septmerber 2006
The Back Page
6
The Pine Needle staff Senior editors Ted Moore Thomas Jenkins Peter Thomas
Senior writer Spencer Hall
Junior contributors
John Mark DiGrazia Brian Kusiak Brendan Worst
Middle School correspondent Stephen Wood
Faculty advisor Mrs. Kathleen Thomas
Cartoon by Harrison Frazer ’09
Cartoon by Cooper Yu ’14