Summer Eagle 2008

S E C O N D

B A P T I S T

S U M M E R

S C H O O L

E D I T I O N

2 0 0 8

The Emergence of the Next Global City The Powerful Synergy between Houston and the SBS Community

2

4

campus

Second Baptist School 6410 Woodway Drive, Houston, Texas 77057 www.sbseagles.org Established in 1946, SBS provides a world-class education for the leaders of tomorrow. SBS is a learning community to over 1,000 students (PK-12) who enjoy a breadth of educational opportunities – from customized learning experiences to travel exposure to technological advancement. Nurtured by a Christ-centered community that edifies the soul and an academically rigorous environment that enriches the mind, SBS graduates are armed with the character, confidence and capability needed to succeed in the flattened world they confront in the 21st century.

The Eagle is published by the Office of Advancement in the winter and summer and is mailed free of charge to students, parents, faculty, alumni and friends of Second Baptist School. For more information call (713) 365-2310 or visit our website at www.sbseagles.org.

Disclaimer: Second Baptist School makes every effort to ensure that all names and listings are accurate and complete. If a name has been omitted, misspelled or listed incorrectly, please accept our sincerest apologies.

2

From the Head of School

4

Campus News

Dr. Jacobsen highlights the lasting benefits of a private school education and the impact of the SBS family in Houston.

A summary of the latest news, events, achievements and highlights at Second Baptist School.

70

From the Archives

80

The Last Word

Long-time second grade teacher Linda Linder reflects on the tradition of the annual Parade of Presidents.

Elizabeth Jensen, SBS alumna and current Middle School teacher, reflects on her relationship with the School that spans more than two decades.

EAGLE s u m m e r 2008

30

72

features

alumni

30

The Emergence of the Next Global City: The Powerful Synergy between Houston and the SBS Community

72

Second Annual Alumni Speaker Series

72

Second Generation Breakfast

73

Facebook

74

Alumni Updates

59

64

68

Johannah Kersey investigates the dynamic relationship between SBS students, alumni and faculty and their impact on the city of Houston.

Expressions of Self: An Exhibit of the Visual Arts

Outstanding student artists showcase their work over the school year.

Class of 2008 Senior Academic and Service Awards

Award-winning seniors are profiled on their accomplishments during their careers at Second Baptist School.

EagleFest 2008

The second annual all-school celebration exceeded all fundraising goals as the SBS family joined together for a memorable day of fun.

Seven successful alumni spoke to the Upper School students about their careers and life experiences post-SBS.

Alumni and their children that attend Second Baptist School gathered together for a time of fellowship and breakfast at the start of the school day.

The Office of Alumni Relations now has a presence on the popular social networking site.

A collection of alumni news from the 80’s, 90’s and 00’s draws attention to the growth, progress and success of our alumni.

eagle | Page 2 | Summer 2008

S TA N D I N G U P A N D STEPPING OU T

S

city \ sĭtē\ noun 1: an inhabited place: hamlet, village 2: a populous place: a relatively permanent and highly organized center having a population with varied skills 3: a municipal place: corporation occupying a definite area and subject to the state from which it derives its powers under a legal authority by a mayor and a council 4: a community place:

a

preparatory

Christian school

college

fostering

leadership skills that empower

all students to become servantminded citizens ready to lead in the 21st century

econd Baptist School plays an integral part in paving the way for Houston’s growth as it emerges as the next global city of the 21st century. Current students in PK-12 and SBS alumni in Houston inhabit a populous center of faith, tradition, innovation and creativity. Utilizing their varied skills, students and alumni serve in a mixture of ways. Traditionally, SBS alumni have established a voice within the Houston community as business leaders, public servants, medical experts, ministers, legal advocates and much more. Take time to read the in-depth feature article highlighting SBS achievements that impact the city today.

The School’s commitment to excellence is reflected through the research findings conducted by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI). According to the partnering organizations, “independent school graduates are committed to achievement. They have high educational aspirations and work hard to achieve their goals.” The SBS Class of 2008 has demonstrated a commitment to excellence. Accepted to an array of impressive universities, these students have set their goals high and reached them. Some of the universities include Stanford, Yale, Washington and Lee, Columbia, Carnegie Mellon, Wake Forest, and leading Texas universities. Collectively, they received over $3 million in scholarship offers. This class accounts for 3 National Merit Finalists, 8 Commended Scholars, and 10 collegiate athletes. However, they cannot be defined by a list of achievements. SBS students have a burning desire to acquire knowledge for the sake of learning, not just for earning a good grade, winning a state championship or performing perfectly on stage.

In addition, the NAIS and HERI report states, “Independent school graduates are engaged in civic life. They are far more likely to volunteer in their communities.” Yearly, SBS students impact the Houston community by performing over 10,000 volunteer hours.

In the city, students stand up and step out of their comfort zone to serve impoverished neighborhoods, to mentor children in area schools and to lead their peers in citywide projects. Walking the halls everyday in a Christ-centered institution, I observe intellectual leaders, artistic leaders, environmental leaders, athletic leaders, global leaders, performing leaders and most importantly, servant leaders. This kind of leadership sends the message to others that choosing the paved road is not always the road to fulfillment. They are continually on the lookout for ways to expand their city.

In the midst of participating in an emerging global city, may Second Baptist School remain committed to our purpose of training students to understand clearly, to think deeply, to judge wisely and have the courage to live their lives on the great principles and convictions of biblical truth.

eagle | Page 3 | Summer 2008

Have a blessed summer!

From Dr. J. Brett Jacobsen

Head of School

CampusNews I n t e r i m Te r m

Interim Term enriches both the lives of our students and the curriculum of our school. This two-week session in March enables Upper School students to explore special interests, integrate disciplines and expand their minds in ways that are unavailable in the regular classroom.

The intensity and variety of the courses both on and off campus are designed to complement the strong, regular academic schedule.

This year during Interim Term, students gained new perspectives, passions, and pursuits through a medley of interesting activities. From ethnic cooking to outdoor adventures, students stepped

out of their comfort zones and experienced adventure on a new level. Through these new experiences, students made meaningful discoveries and connections.

For the creative-minded students, courses such as classic film, creative writing, creative archiving, screenwriting, the comedies of Shakespeare, pin-hole photography, and Photoshop suited their interests. Some courses offered academic enrichment for students preparing to take the SAT or advance in languages. Through SAT verbal and math prep, students had the opportunity to sharpen their testtaking skills. Some ambitious students took introduction to Chinese through the eagle | Page 4 | Summer 2008

University of Houston’s Accelerated Foreign Language program.

Some students took the initiative to serve the less fortunate through service projects sponsored by Service with a Heart. As a special service initiative, some students traveled to Waco, Texas, where they participated at the World Hunger Relief Farm, a Christian organization committed to the alleviation of hunger around the world. SBS students were trained to work with communities in developing sustainable farming techniques.

Overall, the experience taught students how they can make a significant difference in the world today.

CampusNews I n t e r i m Te r m

Freshman, sophomore, and junior students ventured to different cities and states to learn more about colleges. On the East Coast College Tour, students visited schools in Virginia and North Carolina, including University of Virginia, Washington and Lee University, Davidson College, Randolph Macon College, Elon University, University of Richmond, College of William and Mary, Duke University, and University of North Carolina. During the Texas college tour, students toured the premier universities throughout the state.

Students with a heart for adventure participated in travel tours through Italy and Costa Rica. During an art history

tour of Italy, students saw the Vatican Museum, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Pantheon, Coliseum, and Forum in Rome. On their way to Florence, they beheld Hadrian’s Villa and the Villa D’Este, a garden with 900 gravity-run fountains. In Assisi, they saw the restored cathedrals and Giotto frescos of St. Francis’ life. Then, they marveled at Michelangelo’s David along with a host of other Renaissance works in the Uffizi Museum located in Florence. The tour ended in Venice where students took in the architectural wonders, including St. Mark’s and Doge’s Palace.

In Costa Rica, students ventured through this lush, breathtaking tropical eagle | Page 5 | Summer 2008

paradise in Central America. The tour began with a white water rafting trip on the Pacuare River. The next day, the group took a Catamaran over to explore the sandy island of Tortuga. Participants beheld the amazing volcano at Mt. Arenal where they encountered waterfalls and natural hot springs. Perhaps the most popular event was the thrill of taking a canopy tour via zip lines through the rain forest. The trip was not complete without the opportunity to give back to this country by doing a mission project in a native Indian community.

All students in this travel group had the opportunity to use their Spanish speaking skills during the tour of Costa Rica.

CampusNews writing, he developed the story and worked hard with his teachers to polish it up and illustrate it.

Seniors Receive Blessings From Fourth Graders

First Grade Student Places in Writing Contest

Cole Johnson, an SBS first grade student, was named as a first grade finalist in the PBS Reading Rainbow writing contest. His story, The Noodles, was selected from more than 500 entries as a finalist.

To recognize his achievement, Cole received a certificate along with several prizes, at the awards ceremony held at the Houston Children’s Museum. Cole is thankful for his teacher Mrs. Wise and his creative writing teacher Iris Stewart (French), for helping him with his story.

Cole participated in the contest outside of school, and did it as an enrichment writing project over several months. Due to his love for

eagle | Page 6 | Summer 2008

Blessings aren’t just for mealtime.

They are gifts of words and actions.

The fourth graders studied blessings from the Priestly Blessing in Numbers 6:24-27. The Lord scripted the blessing for the priests to deliver to the people each morning. So, with that knowledge, the fourth grade students wrote blessings for the seniors and Upper School administrators. Each student was given a senior or administrator and each fourth grader chose a name of God and action and Bible verse for him or her. The fourth graders visited each senior Bible class and the seniors knelt while the children blessed them. What a precious and humble sight to see seniors being blessed as they are about to graduate and put their Christian values to practice. Decorated cards with the blessings and verses were presented as a memento along with the children reciting and signing the Priestly Blessing to them. As one of the young boys was leaving the class he said, “That was cool!” Another one said, “I wish we had more time with them.” Even though the fourth graders were anxious to meet the seniors and administrators, blessing were both given and received by both participants.

CampusNews Science National Honor Society Debuts at SBS

At the final meeting of the Upper School Science Club, 35 students were inducted as charter members of the Science National Honor Society. Students in their junior or senior year are invited based on grades, behavior and the honor science classes that they have taken.

Participation in Science Club, attending the speaker luncheons and helping the academic teams prepare for competition are all required activities for the new members. Science National Honor Society Members will take on leadership roles in the Science Club next school year.

Congratulations to the following members: Ross Seaton, Chris Seewald, Lauren Rogers, Daniele White, Minh Phan, Sarah Toups, Sinya Chang, Alexander Keith, Xeris Gregory, Christiana Blades, Eric Bahorich, Elizabeth Bernard, David Berry, Chris Brown, Lemda Birgess, JinXuan Chen, Doug Chipponeri, John Doughtie, Christopher Duncan, Ryan Evans, Caleb Hartwell, Susan Haysom, Ryan Hendrick, Bailey Jones, Tyler Lohse, Sarah Mayes, Amy Palmerton, Mary Papasakalariou, Tom Peacock, Andrew Pruet, Hayden Smith, Josiah Tour, Jessie Worsham and Christopher Yun.

SBS Presents 3 National Merit Finalists

Second Baptist School is pleased to recognize three students as National Merit Finalists. These students were selected based on their PSAT and SAT scores from the fall of their junior and senior years. Of the 1.4 million entrants, some 50,000, or one-third of the applicants, with the highest PSAT selection index scores qualify as a commended student or as a semi-finalist. Once the scores are validated, the students complete an application to send to the National Merit Corporation. From the semi-finalists, only 15,000 are chosen as National Merit Finalists.

Congratulations to Caroline Dinges, Ross Seaton and John Benjamin on this high honor. Additionally, the following students were commended by the National Merit Corporation: Carter Deutsch, Brock Havard, Christina Tripp, Lauren Rogers, Carter Fine and Parker Jensen. Chris Seewald, David Velez and AJ Munoz received National Hispanic Recognition.

eagle | Page 7 | Summer 2008

CampusNews Sophomores and Lower School Students Share Reading Time

Sophomore classes paired up with Bridge classes and several first grade classrooms for a special reading time. Tenth graders selected books from the library to read aloud and several brought their favorite childhood books from home. Students paired up, found a comfortable place on the floor, and enjoyed their time together. Many sophomores had the pleasure of being read to by a first grader. The smiles on the faces of the first graders displayed just how proud they were to show off their reading skills. The sophomores were very excited about this opportunity and even asked when they could return for more reading time!

The experience built confidence in lower level readers, humbled some of the “bigger” kids to remember where they once were as readers and allowed mentoring in a way that touched both age groups.

Lower School Spiritual Emphasis Week

The theme this year for Lower School chapel has been “I Believe, Do You?” So, the theme of Spiritual Emphasis Week was “Believe” and R-U-N (Are You In?). The two speakers, Jim Miller and Troy McDaniel, used the Olympics to tie in with the theme.

They talked about running the race to the fullest using I Corinthians 9:24 as the key verse. Video clips were shown during the week of Ben Johnson, Derrick Redmond,

eagle | Page 8 | Summer 2008

and Team Hoyt. Students received bookmarks as a keepsake and bright shoe laces to signify that they may look odd in the world running the race for Christ, but that means they are “In” the kingdom. The children sat with each other for lunch at the prayer partner picnic – Kindergarten and second graders partnered up as well as first graders and third graders. The third and fourth graders welcomed their prayer partners from Yellowstone Academy a few weeks later for a special chapel and time to visit together.

Key Club Elects New Officers

Key Club, an upper school leadership and service organization, currently has 80 members who performed over 3,000 service hours during the 2007-2008 school year.

Through their annual poinsettia sale, they raised $20,000 to help support the Brookwood Community. The students meet weekly on Mondays to plan the various service projects throughout the year. This year, Key Club gave $750 to Angels of Light, donated $1,000 to the Doris Herrin Fund for the needs of Upper School students (books, AP exam fees, interim term travel scholarship, graduation invitations, etc.), purchased the books for the upper school core program, provided the flowers for graduation, served 150 college admissions representatives breakfast and dinner during College Day and paid for the installation and senior recognition luncheon.

They also present a $1,000 college scholarship to a graduating senior at

CampusNews Honors Night. This year’s recipient was Xeris Gregory. Recently, they elected officers for the 2008-2009 school year. Congratulations to the new officers: President: Jacy Burrell First Vice President: Callie Fine Second Vice President: Kirstyn Dominy Secretary: Mary Papasakelariou Program Chairman: Lizzie Bernard Treasurer: Kendall Burgess

SBS Journalists Honored

Quill & Scroll, the international honorary society for high school journalists, seeks to encourage individual initiative in high school journalism, creative writing, and allied fields, thereby enabling the individual to contribute greater skill to the journalistic endeavor and to recognize and reward the individual achievements of students engaged in journalistic activity.

The new members are: Callie Fine, Jennifer Doughtie, Walker Young, Lizzie Bernard, Leslie Slaughter, Amy Palmerton, Jacy Burrell, Susan Haysom, Kelsey Noble, Anna Blick, and Kayla Adel.

Walker Young Selected for Prestigious Internship

SBS Junior Walker Young was the student selected to participate in the Bill Archer Intern Program.

This program allows for Houston area high school students to go to Washington, D.C. for a full week of in-depth study of the operation of our Federal Government. The

coordinator of the interns is SBS alumni Lindsay Smith ‘03. Only one student is selected from each high school, and the selection is based on the votes from the teachers and students. Walker completed the internship during his Spring Break and enjoyed the experience tremendously. He especially enjoyed meeting the other interns from around the state. During the week, he heard from numerous Congressmen and political leaders and was able to engage in question and answer sessions with them. While in Washington D.C., the interns were able to tour sights in the City and even sit on the house floor.

New Student Council Officers Elected

The Student Council in the Upper School consists of five executive officers that are seniors and five officers from each class. The offices are: President, Vice President, Social Chairman, Service Chairman, and Spiritual Life Chairman. The president runs the meetings, gives the daily announcements, is in charge of most projects and activities, and represents the entire student body. The vice president helps the president with tasks and announcements. The service chairman finds and leads service projects. The social chairman plans all three Upper School dances. And lastly, the Spiritual Life Chairman gives a prayer and a verse on the announcements each day as well as helps plan chapel.

eagle | Page 9 | Summer 2008

The student council has 25 officers and 15 representatives, 5 from each class (except freshmen).

They meet every Wednesday during lunch. Their largest service areas are freshman retreat, freshman orientation, school dances, TAPPS representatives, and helping Admissions with new student orientation. Student council officers and representatives are often called on to lead in prayer, to attend various faculty events and to represent the student body.

CampusNews 2008-2009 Student Council Executive Officers: President: John Buckley Vice President: John Wallace Social Chairman: Laura Payne Service Chairman: Harris Huguenard Spiritual Life Chairman: Paige Warren 2008-2009 Senior Class Officers: President: Tyler Lohse Vice President: Matthew Kerns Service: Chris Duncan Social: Hailie Durrett Spiritual Life: Claire Burgher 2008-2009 Junior Class Officers: President: Jenna Hendrick Vice President: Avery Csorba Service: Kirstyn Dominy Social: Leslie Slaughter Spiritual Life: Shannon Dodds 2008-2009 Sophomore Class Officers: President: Jason Blades Vice President: Sarah Hamilton Service: Danielle Cope Spiritual Life: Scott Terrell

Spanish Honor Society Honors New Members

This spring, Mr. Randy Knowles, welcomed new members into the Cristo Rey chapter of the Spanish National Honor Society.

Membership into Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese is based on high academic achievement, excellence in school citizenship and a sustained personal interest in Hispanic studies.

The Second Baptist School chapter, Cristo Rey, was granted its charter during the 1989-1990 school year and continues to broaden the horizons of foreign language, linguistics and cultural knowledge for its members.

Congratulations to the following students for official membership with this distinguished honor society: Sarah Adams Elizabeth Bernard Dan Dao Matthew Kerns Amy Palmerton Jesse Worsham

2nd place: Nick Howard – Nature’s Charge 3rd place: Katherine Rush – Lady “Bugs” Aphids HM: Hannah Huguenard – Exercise Equals Carbon Dioxide

Science Fair Winners

SBS Takes First Place in District Competition

Each year, fifth through tenth grade students eagerly look forward to the annual Science Fair. The objective of the science fair projects is to prepare students to be lifelong learners, critical and creative thinkers, and self-sufficient, well-educated individuals.

Congratulations to the following winners: 9th-10th grade 1st place: William McMichael – Can You Teach An Old Dog New Tricks?

2nd place: Tyler Thomas – Of Electromagnets & Its Curious Powers 3rd place: Margaret Maurer – Go To Sleep HM: Danielle Cope – Remediation Nation 7th-8th grade 1st place: Claire Panebianco – Downhill Slide

eagle | Page 10 | Summer 2008

5th-6th grade 1st: Meganne Mongrain – Fresh vs. Salt Water 2nd: Matthew Beall – Battle Of the Batteries 3rd: Justin Kahla – Bacteria in Milk HM: Elizabeth Shu – Predicting Color Preferences

Second Baptist School hosted the TAPPS District competition on campus recently. SBS students competed in all 18 academic categories and placed first in 15 of the events. When the points were totaled, SBS placed first by more than 150 points ahead of the second place team. The event on campus was a large success thanks to SBS TAPPS Coach, Tammy Holder and Director of Upper School Programs, Becky Larkin. The faculty and the students who graded, hosted and assisted throughout the day were much appreciated. Congratulations to the following students who won first place in their individual categories: Sarah Adams, Carter Fine, Chris Seewald, Dan Dao, Josh Wilkerson, Mary Papasakelariou, Jenna Hendrick, Emily Boyd, John Doughtie, Tamer Barazi and the SBS Yearbook, Aquila.

CampusNews TAPPS State Results for SBS Art Department

Second Baptist School placed first in the State TAPPS Art Competition leading the other schools by an impressive 87 points. Out of the 39 art pieces that were taken to the state competition, 31 of them placed.

Congratulations to the following students on working so hard to accomplish an outstanding victory!

Drawing Graphite First: Jorge Cruz Drawing Monochromatic Second: Jorge Cruz Third: William Whaley Fourth: Bailey Jones HM: Jorge Cruz Drawing Color First: Serena Hudson Second: Bailey Jones HM: Jorge Cruz Painting Transparent Third: Serena Hudson Painting Opaque Third: Bailey Jones Mixed Media 2D Second: Shannon Kemp Relief Sculpture First: Everett Coleman Third: Stephanie Biediger Fourth: Jennifer Graves Sixth: Everett Coleman

Sculpture First: Maggie Britven Second: Jennifer Graves Printmaking Third: Dan Dao HM: Bailey Jones Crafts Fifth: Savannah Thode Fashion Accessories First: Sarah Adams Second: Sarah Adams Pottery Second: Michael Price Third: Jennifer Graves Photo, Self Processed First: Elizabeth Sekaly Third: Morgan Williamson Photo, Digitally Manipulated Fourth: Stephanie Biediger Fifth: Lauren Rogers Interior/Exterior Furnishings First: Sarah Adams Second: Olga Chavanelle Senior Portfolio First: Stephanie Biediger HM: Jorge Cruz On-Site Photo First: Dan Dao Sixth: Jorge Cruz Seek and Sketch HM: Jorge Cruz HM: Serena Hudson

eagle | Page 11 | Summer 2008

Fourth Grade Grandparents’ Day

This spring, SBS fourth graders presented their program to students, teachers, parents and grandparents.

The program portrayed a strong message about being a devoted follower of Christ. Students dressed in colorful tie-dyed shirts, and guests were entertained with upbeat music to re-made songs such as “Leader of the Pack”, “Stayin’ Alive” and “You’re the One that I Want.” The fourth grade cast dialogued about scripture they had studied this year centering on the life of Jesus. Afterwards, parents and grandparents enjoyed a special reception with their students. This exceptional performance would not have been possible without the parent volunteers and faculty coordinators.

MS Math Team Scores High at TMSCA Competition

Second Baptist School Math club members competed at the Texas Math and Science Coaches Association State Contest in March at the University of Texas - San Antonio campus. Ten club members qualified to compete at State by qualifying either individually or as a team member at two local qualifying TMSCA competitions. State qualifiers were sixth graders, Gabriel Velez in Number Sense, Chad Erb in Number Sense, and Jennifer Kim in Science. Seventh grade qualifiers were Brian Howell in Number Sense, Ben Tour in Number Sense, General Math, and Science, and Bailey Wilkerson in Science.

CampusNews Eighth grade qualifiers were Brandon Garner in Science, Nick Howard in Number Sense, General Math, and Science, and Bryce Muras in General Math and Science.

State award winners are as follows: Ben Tour – 19th place in seventh grade Number Sense and 5th place in General Math Bailey Wilkerson – 14th place in seventh grade Science Robert Worsham – 17th place in seventh grade General Math Nick Howard – 17th place in eighth grade Number Sense and 14th place in General Math The Second Baptist School Math Club is 19 members strong. They practice twice a week before school from September through April.

Students compete in many math competitions from October through March. Some of the competitions are Continental Math League, Online Math League, Texas State Math League, AMC 8, and the University of Houston High School Math Contest. Sixth grade members are Edward Briggs, Connor Bryant, Chad Erb, Charlie Frizzell, Jennifer Kim, Alexis Locascio, Elizabeth Mayes, Harper McGee, Ruth Ann Schenau, and Gabriel Velez. Seventh grade members are Conner Cochran, Brian Howell, Christon Nichols, Ben Tour, Bailey Wilkerson, and Robert Worsham. Eighth grade members are Brandon Garner, Nick Howard, and Bryce Muras.

NHS New Members Honored

This semester, 54 SBS juniors were inducted into the National Honor Society in the Hankamer Chapel.

Calling the ceremony to order was senior Christina Tripp followed by a scripture reading and invocation from senior Sarah Toups. Laura Beth Nelson welcomed parents and special guests. Chris Seewald, Sarah Holland, Scott Turnage and Christina Hayes, also seniors, spoke on the qualities necessary for membership in the National Honor Society: scholarship, leadership, service and character.

The following seniors presented the new honor society members: Tamer Barazi, Sinya Chang, Ross Seaton, Christiana Blades, Seth Elsenbrook and Stephanie Biediger. The special ceremony closed with a benediction from Elizabeth Sekaly. Congratulations, new NHS members!

National Honor Society New Members: Sarah Adams, Eric Bahorich, Elizabeth Bernard, David Berry, Chris Brown, John Buckley, Kendall Burgess, Claire Burgher, Jacy Burrell, Chen Jinxuan, Doug Chipponeri, Ashley Clark, Jorge Cruz, Nick Daniels, Dalton Dominy, John Doughtie, Chris Duncan, Hailie Durrett, Matthew Elders, Ryan Evans, Callie Fine, Cameron Fulcher, Jennifer Gurney, Trevor Hanson, Caleb Hartwell, Robert Hassell, Susan Haysom, Ryan Hendrick, Harris Huguenard, Bailey Jones, Matthew Kerns, Tyler Lohse, Sarah Mayes, Tommy Orth, Amy

eagle | Page 12 | Summer 2008

Papasakelariou, Laura Payne, Tom Peacock, Andrew Pruet, Al Ralston, Allison Sanders, Hayden Smith, Cooper Smith, Caroline Thompson, Staley Tomforde, Josiah Tour, Daniel Tyler, John Wallace, Paige Warren, Josh Wilkerson, Jesse Worsham, Walker Young, Christopher Yun, Kate Zimmerman

“Let Your Imagination Soar” Book Fair 2008

The Woliver-Anderson Library at Second Baptist School hosted the 2008 Book Fair “Let Your Imagination Soar.” The SBS Book Fair was held in January, in the Woliver-Anderson Library on the sixth floor of the Jane Elder Building. Award winning author, Diane Stanley, met students and signed over 600 copies of her books with SBS families during Family Festivities Night. The SBS Vision choir and elite drum line provided entertainment throughout the evening.

“The children were thrilled and overly excited to have an author on campus. They sincerely enjoyed meeting a published author and investigating the wide variety of books available for sale,” said Brenda McManus, Director of Lower School Library Services. “It was a fabulous literary week in the life of our School community.”

The Woliver-Anderson Library staff would like to thank the numerous

CampusNews

volunteers and committees who worked tirelessly to bring the 2008 Book Fair to life. A big thank you is extended to Julie Overshiner and Nancy Davis for overseeing the large list of volunteers. Their committee consisted of Jennifer Darwin, Jennifer Yarborough, Rhonda Miller, Tina Plato, Gina Gunn, Greta Zimmerman, Holly Spurlin, Liz Pipkin, Pamm Coleman, Jill Little, and Judy Ramsey.

Hoedown Happenings on Campus

Pre-Kindergarten and Bridge rounded up all their little cowboys and cowgirls for a good time at the 2008 Hoedown! Grandparents, parents, alumni and friends could sense the energy and enthusiasm as the young ones entered the new gym riding stick horses and dressed in spurs, denim and cowboy hats.

The students presented traditional western songs such as “The Eyes of Texas” and “Deep in the Heart of

eagle | Page 13 | Summer 2008

Texas,” and recited interesting facts about Texas. The highlight of the hoedown was seeing the little ones participate in a group square dance.

As directions were called, the young cowboys and cowgirls presented their newly learned steps for the audience.

The tradition of the SBS Hoedown was once again a grand success.

CampusNews Annual President’s Day at SBS

The red, white and blue colors were flying high at the traditional second grade Parade of Presidents program.

Second grade students authentically dressed as Presidents and First Ladies. After a parade through the Sanctuary, the students shared interesting facts about the character they portrayed. In addition, the anthems of the Armed Forces were played as the flags were presented.

Veterans in the crowd were asked to stand as their respective flag passed. The program concluded with students singing, “I’m Proud to Be an American.” It was a moving presentation of patriotism by our Lower School students. A reception in the Deacon’s Parlor followed as parents, alumni, faculty and grandparents met the Presidents and First Ladies in person.

The Presidents and First Ladies were portrayed by: George Washington – Nick Martha Washington – Savanna John Adams – Jamie Abigail Adams – Delaney Thomas Jefferson – Mauricio Martha “Patsy” Jefferson – Charlotte James Madison – Preston Dolley Madison – Daisy James Monroe – Ansel Elizabeth Monroe – Kayla John Quincy Adams – Xavier Louisa Adams – Siena Andrew Jackson – Drew Martin Van Buren – Matthew Angelica Van Buren – Madison James Polk – Ross Sarah Polk – Ava

Zachary Taylor – Reuben Abraham Lincoln – Bobby Mary Todd Lincoln – Shannon Ulysses S. Grant – Peyton Rutherford B. Hayes – Christopher Lucy Hayes – Lauren James Garfield – Joshua Chester A. Arthur – Joseph Mary Arthur McElroy – Grace Grover Cleveland – Connor Frances Cleveland – Courtney Benjamin Harrison – Tre Theodore Roosevelt – Ryan Edith Roosevelt – Rachel William Howard Taft – Joshua Helen Taft – Hannah Woodrow Wilson – Nick Edith Wilson – Keaton Calvin Coolidge – Trae Grace Coolidge – Callie Herbert Hoover – Michael Lou Hoover – Jordan Franklin D. Roosevelt – Parker Eleanor Roosevelt – Catherine Harry S. Truman – Taylor Elizabeth “Bess” Truman – Audrey Dwight D. Eisenhower – Chris Mamie Eisenhower – Kendall John F. Kennedy – Alex Jacqueline Kennedy – Mary Grace Lyndon B. Johnson – Noah Lady Bird Johnson – Juliet Richard M. Nixon – Jared Pat Nixon – Sarah Grace Gerald R. Ford – Christopher Betty Ford – Gracie Jimmy Carter – Bryce Rosalyn Carter – Madeline Ronald Reagan – Joseph Nancy Reagan – Eva George Bush – Joe Barbara Bush – Cate Bill Clinton – Cade

eagle | Page 14 | Summer 2008

Hillary Clinton – Ashton George W. Bush – Grayson Laura Bush – Madie

SBS Places First at Rodeo Art Competition

Second Baptist School submitted numerous pieces of artwork from talented students to the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Competition. Students from all grade levels participated in the contest, and SBS received several honorable mentions at the Art Show. Congratulations to the following artists: Upper School: Jennifer Graves and Bailey Jones won first place gold medals. The Rodeo Competition awards two gold medals and two Best of Show awards. Second Baptist School is proud of these two ladies for placing at the very top of the competition.

Daniele White also received an honorable mention for a gold medal.

Middle School: Brit Schwing (7th grade) received a blue ribbon; 1st runner up, and Natalia Miller (7th grade) earned a red ribbon; 2nd runner up. Lower School: Blue Ribbon First Place winners: Nicholas (KA), Claire (KB), Johnathan (KC), Mary Grace (KD), and George (1B).

Red Ribbon 2nd Place winners: Travis (IA), Sarah (1C), Avery (1D), Krista (1E), Nick (2A), Madeline (2B), Jordan (2C), Grace (2D), Joseph (3A), Chapman (3B), Paul (3C), Meghan (3D), and Avery (4D).

White Ribbon 3rd Place winners: Kayla (4A), Austin (4B), and Hannah (4C).

CampusNews SBS Literary Magazine Presented

Captive Flames had its official launch for the 2006-2007 magazine in the Woliver-Anderson Library.

As faculty, parents, students and special guests arrived; they were greeted with violin music played

by Junior Cameron Fulcher. Once seated, co-editors Meagan Smith and Leslie Garza welcomed the guests and explained that members of the staff would read a variety of selections from the newly published book. Captive Flames staff members include: Martha De Leon, Hallie Havard, Sarah McDonnell, Laura Payne, Ellie Rosenthal, Alex Tripp, Rebecca Twining and Leah Wakefield. After the selections were read, guests enjoyed light desserts and chatted with staff members.

Class of 2012 Travels to Washington D.C.

The eighth grade continued their annual tradition of traveling to Washington D.C. The month of February was spent in American History class learning about each place they visited and its historical value. Students had a great time applying what they had learned directly to what they were experiencing. Tour highlights included the following: FDR Memorial, Jefferson Memorial,

eagle | Page 15 | Summer 2008

WWII Memorial, United States Naval Academy, Holocaust Museum, Arlington National Cemetery, 2nd Annual Bowling Tournament, a night tour through D.C., a tour of the White House, National Cathedral, Capitol Hill, Verizon Center – hockey game, Mount Vernon, Iwo Jima Memorial, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Air and Space Museum, Lincoln, Vietnam, and Korean Memorials, Pentagon Tour, and a stop at the Washington Monument.

CampusNews Sixth Grade Quilt Project

The sixth graders have been reading the novel, The House of Dies Drear

by Virginia Hamilton. This is a novel about a family moving into a house owned by an abolitionist. As a part of the novel study the sixth graders learned about the importance of quilts in the lives of slaves and their masters. Each sixth grader was encouraged to bring a 10” by 10” square from a piece of their clothing.

The squares were then sewed together to form a quilt top. Each student was also asked to bring a fact about his/her family and those facts were sewn into the quilt as a part of the sixth grade history. The quilt top was then displayed in the sixth grade English class in Woodway Village.

Class of 2013 Visits Presidential Library Museum

This semester, the seventh grade students ventured to College Station to visit the George Bush Presidential Library Museum. A guided tour allowed the students to experience an overview of history from a presidential perspective. From the restored Studebaker representing the history of Bush’s childhood to the replica of a plane that George Bush flew in the war, students journeyed through the events leading to his presidency. The history of his time in the Oval Office was brought to life through interactive computer

technology and the exhibits themselves. Students sat in a lifesize model of the situation room, found themselves seated behind the desk in the Oval Office, and comfortable in a room imitating Camp David. A theater encased in an army tent allowed the students to feel the tremors of the Gulf time war activity. The tour concluded with the viewing of the miniature White House model. With over 30 years of research poured into the creation of the model, the 55 feet long and 20 feet wide model captures the intricate details of the White House.

History and current events both came to life for these SBS students.

LS Votes for Bluebonnet Award Winner

SBS students voted in a national poll to determine the 2007-2008 Texas Bluebonnet Award. Third and fourth grade students who read a minimum of five books from the 2007-2008 Texas Bluebonnet Awards list, voted for their favorite book on the list.

SBS 2007 Book Fair author, Susan Stevens Crummel, received this honor for her book Cock-A-DoodleDoo in 1999. Students across the state of Texas voted, and the results were sent to the Texas Library Association. Second Baptist School had 83 students earn the privilege to vote in the Bluebonnet Award program. SBS is extremely proud of the seven students that read all twenty books on the 2007-2008 List. Voting students received

eagle | Page 16 | Summer 2008

voter registration cards and stickers indicating they had voted. US students were also available to paint the faces or hands of those students coming to vote.

Diane Stanley, 2008 Book Fair author, had a third place winner in the SBS voting with her novel Bella at Midnight, while second place was awarded to Phyllis Reynolds Nayor’s book Roxie and the Hooligans.

Congratulations to the Second Baptist School winner: The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin.

SMART Board Technology Introduced at SBS

Second Baptist School history teacher, Phil Sinitiere, is taking advantage of a recent technology improvement to SBS. After a study of the history of Jim Crow in America, Sinitiere further engaged his students’ interests by displaying a variety of websites onto the SMART Board, an interactive whiteboard system. The classes looked at historical statistics between northern, southern, and western states, and watched video clips from the award-winning documentary The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow.

Additionally, Sinitiere used the new device to aid the student’s research of the recent Denzel Washington film The Great Debaters, as well as

CampusNews a study in the life of W.E.B. Du Bois, working with an interactive map to see where he traveled and spoke, and reading through some of the FBI files on Du Bois that date to the McCarthy era. Sinitiere’s AP European class experimented with some interactive mapping exercises to learn more about the Industrial Revolution, both for its inventions and its geographical significance.

The SMART Board is able to connect up to four different video sources to the control panel, and then switch between them on the control panel. Devices such as a second computer, MP3 player, DVD player or document camera can all be connected to the board. The software allows the user to write and edit notes, control computer applications, record data and audio, and write over any application in digital ink. The students were able to manipulate and interact with the website and information on the SMART board.

Class of 2012 Introduced to US

Eighth grade students and parents at SBS were enthusiastically greeted

by Upper School administration.

During an evening set aside to educate incoming freshmen about Second Baptist Upper School, Don Ellisor, Head of Upper School, introduced the College Guidance Department, the Athletic Director and Fine Arts Director. Upper School Counselor, Christine Oliphant, discussed course selections and grade requirements for the Upper School. She meets individually with each eighth grade student and their parents to formulate the best plan for that student. Becky Larkin introduced college expectations and presented the benefits and services of the SBS College Guidance office. Both the Fine Arts and Athletic departments shared the opportunities available for Upper School students. Parents and students alike appreciated the opportunity to learn and ask questions regarding the upcoming four years at SBS.

“I think the SMART Board brought a whole new element into the classroom and it was a good addition. Combining solid teaching with cutting edge technology always helps get people more into the lesson,” said one history student.

eagle | Page 17 | Summer 2008

Eagles Shine at Flight Night 2008

Flight Night 2008 soared with a huge crowd as our winter athletes competed on Friday night. The boys and girls varsity basketball teams, varsity wrestling team, boys and girls JV teams and the freshman basketball team all played great games. During halftime of the girls varsity game, the winter Middle School athletes were introduced.

Lower School students competed in a relay game for the crowd’s entertainment during halftime of the alumni basketball game. Prior to the start of the boys varsity game, Coach Eric Nelson and the 1997 state champion boys basketball team were recognized by the boys varsity basketball coach, David Canfield.

The winter Upper School athletes were introduced at halftime of the exciting varsity boys’ game.

During Flight Night, students, parents, alumni, faculty and staff enjoyed dinner from Raising Cane’s and drinks from Starbucks. Support from the SBS community for their winter athletes was once again evident through all the hard work of parent volunteers, families, coaches, faculty and staff that made this night possible.

Athletics

CampusNews Jennifer Graves Girls Soccer All-District Honorable Mention: Ladonna Bunnell Claire Burgher Ellie Rosenthal Kimber Walker Girls Basketball All-District: Virginia Keel Boys Basketball All-District First Team: Alex Cooper Ryan Maag

Winter Sports State and District Honors All-State Honors

Girls Soccer Second Team All-State: Christiana Blades Sarah Hamilton Amy Palmerton Rebecca Twining Girls Soccer Academic All-State: Christiana Blades Amy Palmerton

Amy Palmerton Rebecca Twining Girls Soccer Second Team All-District: Ashley Clark Ellen Geis Allison Sanders

Girls Basketball All-State: Kendall Shanklin Boys Basketball First Team All-State: Ryan Maag Boys Basketball Second Team All-State: Alex Cooper

All-District Honors

Girls Soccer First Team All-District: Christiana Blades Sarah Hamilton

eagle | Page 18 | Summer 2008

Boys Basketball All-District Second Team: Will Barto Boys Basketball Honorable Mention All-District: Chris Grant Johnatan Herrera Connor Wood

Athletics

CampusNews Spring Sports State and District Honors All-State Honors

Baseball All-State Tournament Team: Ross Seaton Jacob Plagens

All-District Honors

Baseball All-District First Team: Jacob Plagens Brandon Powell Ross Seaton Cooper Smith Baseball All-District Second Team: Ryan Camperchioli Chris Duncan Caleb Hartwell Andrew Jones Baseball All-District Honorable Mention: Jay Calhoun Softball All-District First Team: Lexy Bennett Virginia Keel Lauren Rogers Kendall Stiefel Softball All-District Second Team: Jennifer Doughtie Regan Fuerst Softball All-District Honorable Mention: Carly Calhoun Vicki DeBerry Jessica Klingenberg Betsy Williams

Boys Basketball Completes Outstanding Season

The Boys Basketball team finished the year with a 28-11 record. The team quickly gelled together as they

eagle | Page 19 | Summer 2008

played some tough 5-A schools early in the year. Ryan Maag led the team in scoring with 19 points a game and floor leadership. Will Barto, Mikhail McLean, and Alex Cooper controlled the rebounding while Chris Grant led the team in assists and was a great defensive player.

Johnatan Herrera and Connor Wood were very active and were in the right place at the right time and David Velez and John Doughtie came in off the bench ready to shoot the ball from the three point line.

The team played well during district finishing in second place. The team went into the playoffs winning their first game versus San Antonio St. Anthony’s by the score of 43-36. The team won their regional play of game against rival Houston Christian 45-42. This was the third straight year the boy’s team made it to the State Tournament. This year they fell to Arlington Grace Prep 59-43.

Varsity Swim Team Finishes Strong

The Second Baptist School swim team was very young this season with 14 freshmen and sophomore boys and 4 freshmen and sophomore girls. There were no seniors or juniors on the team this year. The swimmers competed in the HAPPI Relay meet in December. The HAPPI Invitational, Bellaire Classic, the TAPPS South Regional in San Antonio, where the boys finished 8th and the girls finished 15th, along with the HAPPI City Championships where the boys finished 9th in January. The SBS swimming season concluded with the TAPPS State Swim Meet in San Antonio where the Boys team finished in 12th place.

Athletics

CampusNews Soccer Team Ends Winning Season

The Varsity Soccer Team had a great year, improving their overall record from the previous season. All of the players showed great efforts and the team finished with a district record of 16-2 and overall record of 19-4.

Highlights for the season included Amy Palmerton leading the team with 38 goals and 26 assists. Rebecca Twining also passed the 30 goal mark (one of only 4 girls in the district to do so) with 32 goals.

Freshman Sarah Hamilton led the district in goal per game with an average of 0.66. She recorded 11 shutouts & 7 one goal games.

Jennifer Graves had 12 goals this season, and Allison Sanders had 7. Out of the 19 members on the team, 15 scored goals this season.

As a whole, the girls outscored their opponents 110 to 18.

Baseball Team Makes Eighth Appearance in State Playoffs

The Second Baptist School Varsity Baseball team made their eighth trip to the state tournament this year, following a great season. They had great contributions from numerous players throughout the season. Their record was 24-9 with 2nd place in district. The baseball team was the runner up in Marble Falls, Sealy & Kiwanis Tournaments this season.

A second place finish in district allowed the Eagles to host a Bidistrict playoff game in which the Eagles defeated SA TMI 16-1. The Eagles then captured the Regional

Championship @ Baylor University with a 10-3 win over Liberty Christian. The team advanced to the TAPPS State Final Four, and lost in the semi-finals.

Three players were nominated to play in the Houston Area Baseball Coaches Association All Star Game on June 17 at Rice University. Those players were: Ross Seaton, Jacob Plagens and Andrew Jones. Additionally, Seaton was named a pre-season AllAmerican by Collegiate Baseball/ Louisville Sluggers. Seaton plans to continue his baseball career at Tulane University, and Plagens has committed to play at Birmingham Southern College.

Boys Golf Team Boasts Big Wins This Season

Congratulations to the Eagle Boys Golf Team for placing 5th in the TAPPS State Golf tournament.

Members of the golf team that represented SBS were: Logan Herring, Will Oliver, Nick Ramsey, Nick Daniels and Scott Terrell. It was a challenging golf course and the boys did an outstanding job. With two freshmen, two sophomores, and one junior, we will continue to see great things from this team.

SBS Athletes featured in Houston Chronicle

Each week, the Houston Chronicle highlights outstanding high school athletes, and Second Baptist School athletes have frequently been recognized for their outstanding athletic performances. The newspaper reviews athletes at all Houston-area high schools and chooses one boy and one girl outstanding athlete to spotlight each week. After choosing the athletes of the week, the newspaper also profiles other strong athletes with an “Honorable Mention” award.

Seniors Lexy Bennett and Ross Seaton have earned the titles of “Athlete of the Week.” Lexy was named athlete of the week for her outstanding performance at bat and in the infield. Next year, Bennett with continue her softball career at the University of Texas. Ross Seaton earned athlete of the week for shining on the mound as the pitcher for the baseball team. Seaton has committed to continue his baseball career at Tulane University next year.

“Every time he’s in the lineup, he’s an impact player. He can change games at the plate or on the mound,” said Jeff Schroeder, Head Varsity Baseball Coach.

Sophomore softball pitcher Kendall Stiefel was also recognized by the Houston Chronicle as one of the best athletes of the week for striking out 53 batters in 28 innings.

eagle | Page 20 | Summer 2008

Athletics

CampusNews Aside from these outstanding athletes, other SBS athletic teams have received generous coverage in the Houston Chronicle due to their outstanding seasons. The track and field team was highlighted, in addition to the softball and baseball teams.

SBS Names New Head Volleyball Coach

Coach Perry Robinson has been named the next Varsity Volleyball Coach for Second Baptist School.

Perry has been a head coach for 10 years with many achievements during his career at various schools and universities throughout Tennessee, Alabama and Kansas.

“I am excited to be at Second Baptist School. I am anxious to get started to continue the successes that have made SBS well known throughout the state,” said Perry.

During his tenure at the University of Montevallo, Coach Robinson’s responsibilities included administration of all the phases of a NCAA Division II volleyball program. He served on the NCAA south region ranking committee and produced numerous South Atlantic Conference all SAC selections and Players of the Year. Most recently, he has been a head coach for the Texas Tornados Volleyball Club.

Coach Robinson will continue the strong tradition of excellence that 14 year veteran coach Sue Berg implemented. Coach Berg will remain on campus as the Middle School volleyball coach, extending

her services to an already victorious program she built.

“We are extremely excited to have Perry Robinson as our new volleyball coach at SBS. He brings an impressive amount of experience to our program and has a passion for his sport that will keep our volleyball program performing at a championship level,” said Bill Lane, Athletic Director. “Most of all, Perry has demonstrated in previous positions a real concern for his players both physically and spiritually.”

Please welcome Coach Robinson to the SBS campus.

Deutsch Signs to Play Football at Yale University

Carter Deutsch, a senior at Second Baptist School, has committed to play football at Yale University.

Since his sophomore year, Carter has played on both the offensive and defensive line. During his senior year, he was named 1st team all-district on the offensive line and 2nd team all-district on the defensive line.

“We are very proud of Carter’s accomplishments within our football program and look forward to watching him succeed on the football team at Yale,” said Bill Lane, athletic director, Second Baptist School. “He’s a fine young man and we are excited to watch him become a young adult and continue to be involved in the community.”

eagle | Page 21 | Summer 2008

Photography by Erik

Fine Arts

CampusNews Fine Arts Showcases Talents in Spring Shows The Fine Arts Department at Second Baptist School wrapped up a busy year by featuring their talents in Spring Performances.

Each division of Fine Arts held concerts and performances for their friends, family and community.

Band Spring Concert

The spring band concert was a huge success as the musicians had the opportunity to showcase their talents for family, friends, teachers and classmates. During the concert, the Eagle Band, String Ensemble, Eagle Jazz Band, Percussion Quartet and Percussion Ensemble performed under the direction of Jason Mangels, Director of Fine Arts.

Several soloists were featured during the concert, each of them earning the honor of Superior One Rated TPSMEA Performers: Cameron Fulcher, Scott Turnage, Iris Wang, Josh Wilkerson and Alyssa Adcock.

eagle | Page 22 | Summer 2008

Seventh Grade presents The Trial of Tom Sawyer

Seventh grade drama students recently presented The Trial of Tom Sawyer, the traditional play performed by seventh graders at the end of their school year. The fun, comedic show was performed for students, parents, teachers and friends, who were all impressed with the cast’s hard work. Members of the cast included: Caroline Boyd, Brittainy Gutierrez, Jolie Parrish, Brooke Finkelman, Amy Rosenthal, Lauren Whitaker, Kate Krhovjak, Jericha Smith, Hunter Northcutt, Bailey Wilkerson, Matthew Rankin, Grace Pfeffer, Paige Plato, Jacqueline Oglesby, Emily Evans, Alyssa Melillo, Maggie Pipkin and Margaret Hartman.

Fine Arts

CampusNews

Spring Choir Show

Under the direction of Jim Sparks, Vision, the prestigious Upper School choir, held their final concert for the year. During the show, several songs were performed, including the 2008 First Division TAPPS Concert Performances of “Holy, Holy, Holy” “Are Ye Able” “The Turtle Dove” “Calm as the Night” and “Festival Gloria.” Solos were performed by outstanding seniors, including Robb Lazenby, Sarah Toups, Brett Hystad, Seth Elsenbrook, Colin Aulds, Kelsey Herring, Hannah Exley, Leslie Garza, Daniel Tyler, Caroline Suffield and Stephen Coddou. Congratulations to the Vision choir for a successful year!

SBS Dance Program Recital

The Middle School and Upper School dance classes recently held their spring recital, “The Prince of Egypt.” The dancers were able to showcase their talents and skills that

they spent the semester developing.

Congratulations go out to both dance groups for all of their hard work this year!

Middle School Dance Class: Desiree Bakhtiar, Oliver Barnum, Emily Bauer, Sarah Beall, Mae Bunch, Yuann Chang, Laura Durie, Bethannie Greco, Hannah Huguenard, Ashmita Keswani, Susannah Mohrmann, Alli Motley, Matthew Rankin, Kaleigh Richardson, Tracy Richardson, Katherine Ann Rush, Lauren Whitaker and Bailey Wilkerson Upper School Dance Class: Kayla Adel, Mitzy Ayala, Anna Blick, Yuann Chang, Martha DeLeon, Hallie Havard, Ellie Rosenthal, Alyssa Taylor, Sa’Misty Utley, Leah Wakefield and Iris Wang

eagle | Page 23 | Summer 2008

Fine Arts

CampusNews

Upper School Musical A Tremendous Success

Second Baptist School proudly presented Good News the exciting musical comedy about life in a small college town. With five incredible performances at the Hobby Center, the Upper School students performed for students, families, staff, alumni and special guests. Jim Sparks and Jason Mangels faithfully guided the students through several months of rehearsals to prepare for the exciting musical. A big thank you to the entire group of parent volunteers who dedicated so much time to the costumes, rehearsals and staging.

Fine Arts

CampusNews

Congratulations to the following cast, crew and orchestra members on a successful musical season: Colin Aulds, Eric Bahorich, Tamer Barazi, Christiana Blades, Jason Blades, Emily Boyd, Jacy Burrell, Olga Chavanelle, Stephen Coddou, Becca Dixon, Shannon Dodds, Beth Dodson, Kirstyn Dominy, Matthew Elders, Seth Elsenbrook, Ryan Evans, Callie Fine, Leslie Garza, Jennifer Gurney, Trevor Hanson, Ryan Hendrick, Jenna Hendrick, Kelsey Herring, Brett Hystad, Kaitlyn Kellam, Matthew Kerns, Robb Lazenby, Tyler Lohse, Haley Mathis, Sarah Mayes, Josh McKenzie, William McMichael, Crysten Mosher, Mary Papasakelariou, Laura Payne, Ben Pfeffer, Ellen Prestage, Nick Ramsey, Drew Sekaly, Hayden Smith, Caroline Suffield, Scott Terrell, Caroline Thompson, Natalie Tollett, Sarah Toups, Alex Tripp, Daniel Tyler, John Wallace, Jacob Wallace, Paige Warren, Morgan Williamson, Jesse Worsham, Mary Kelley Zeleskey, Kaylin Zeren, Abby Burgher, Rebecca Bres, Ryan Brockman, Joey Daniels, Margaret Maurer, AJ Munoz, Caroline Schwartz, Meagan Smith, Rebecca Twining, Andy Vick, Bailey Jones, McKinzie Jones, Scott Turnage, Iris Wang, Nikolas Serralta, Alyssa Adcock, and Tyler Thomas.

eagle | Page 25 | Summer 2008

Speakers On Campus

CampusNews Houston Grand Opera

Middle School students were entertained by Houston’s Grand Opera version of Romeo and Juliet.

gave the Middle School students insight into touring, working on a set, taking acting classes, making costumes and much more. The highlight of the day was when the two actors performed a scene from Importance of Being Earnest which is the play that the students have been learning about in their drama classes. After the professionals showed the students a scene, then the student actors performed for the A.D. Players to get their advice.

The A.D. Players is a non-profit Houston theatre founded by

The team of actors came on campus and delighted our students with 45 minutes of a bold, comedic show. Sung in English and created especially for students, the actors involved the Middle School students in several scenes of the show.

Students were enamored by the modern and comical adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. At the conclusion of the opera, SBS students engaged in a question & answer session with the director and cast members.

Lower School students were also able to enjoy the Grand Opera, when they presented Sleeping Beauty in April. This high-energy production entertained students as the story was created especially for them. At the conclusion of the show, the Lower School students were able to ask the cast members questions.

A.D. Players visit Middle School Students

Seventh and eighth grade drama classes were recently excited to have two of the leading A.D. Players actresses on campus to speak to them about life as an actor. They

Jeannette Clift George where programs are performed that uphold human value, offer creativity and promote literacy and education.

Spiritual Emphasis Week 2008

Middle School and Upper School students were challenged during Spiritual Emphasis Week 2008. For three days, students heard from dynamic speaker and author, Alan Williams. Williams currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee where he is the author of Walk-On and the Founder of Teammates First. In

eagle | Page 26 | Summer 2008

2005, he graduated from Wake Forest University and has since worked for a law firm in North Carolina and completed a year of campus ministry work at the University of Mississippi. Since the national release of his book, he has gained a reputation as a bright young speaker who endears audiences with winsome and heartfelt stories. Alan made a big impact on our students throughout the week as they were learning to strengthen their personal relationships with Christ.

Ted Johnson of the Star of Hope

Ted Johnson of the Star of Hope mission recently visited the eighth grade students during their Bible classes to talk to them about this homeless ministry. They spent the week collecting new and gently used school uniforms to donate to the children housed at the Star of Hope mission. Students also spent time looking up scriptures and writing

Speakers On Campus

CampusNews notes that might encourage these homeless children. Johnson was invited to talk to the eighth graders about the Star of Hope and how

both emergency shelters where residents may stay for one to three months and transitional living residence where individuals and families may live for up to a year.

The beauty of the transitional living center is that families are able to find jobs and get back on their feet so that they never again are faced with life on the streets. Johnson says that they “consider it a good thing when they never see these residents again after they leave Star of Hope.”

Warm Hearts and Meals

Second Baptist School first graders made almost 100 Valentines to be served with holiday meals for Houston elderly receiving free meals from End Hunger. For most of these senior citizens, the SBS valentines will be the only ones they receive over the holiday week.

“Many of these elderly have no family or support network,” said

Book Fair features author Diane Stanley

they are different from any other homeless shelter in Houston.

Established in 1907, the Star of Hope mission has strived to make a difference among the homeless in Houston. There are about 10,000 homeless people in Houston and every year the Star of Hope helps about 70 percent of them. Instead of just clothing, feeding and housing Houston’s homeless population, the Star of Hope took it a step further. They vowed to rehabilitate these unfortunate individuals.

They provide drug and alcohol rehabilitation, classes on personal development which teaches hygiene and how to dress and perform in a job interview as well as basic computer skills. Johnson feels that the Star of Hope is “providing so much more than a full stomach.”

They are giving these people the opportunity to improve their life!

The Star of Hope is a Christian organization that provides daily Bible studies as well as a chapel service every Friday morning for their residents and employees.

There are three Star of Hope facilities in Houston – including

Award winning author, Diane Stanley met students and signed over 600 copies of her books with SBS families during Family Festivities Night of the annual Book Fair. The SBS Vision choir and elite drum line provided entertainment throughout the evening.

Stanley’s popular book, Bella at Midnight, is on the 2007-2008 Bluebonnet Award Book List. Prior to the opening of the Book Fair, her books presold over $5,000 in sales to eager SBS students. By the end of the event, nearly $31,000 in sales was collected for the library, with

Amy Ragan, acting executive director of End Hunger. “It is wonderful to have an opportunity to warm their hearts as well as give them warm meals.”

Ragan visited SBS campus to personally pick up the Valentines and thank the students. SBS students in all five first grade classes went out of their way to write personal notes encouraging the seniors and telling them of God’s love. They also took the time to decorate and color the Valentines.

Owl Speaker

405 donated books. The excitement continued to build as over 100 volunteers pitched in to make the week a huge success.

eagle | Page 27 | Summer 2008

To conclude the fifth grade science classes three week study on owls, Mary Anne Weber from the Houston Audubon Society visited the students to talk about how we can protect all habitats of birds, including owls. The students were

Speakers On Campus

CampusNews for athletes. Based on personal experiences Gimenez and Bill Lane, SBS Director of Athletics, have both had with athletes and their heart conditions, this presentation was very well received by the EABC. He also held a question and answer session with the parents to allow them to learn more about maintaining a healthy heart.

able to listen to the sounds that different owls make as Weber talked about their similarities and differences. She brought three owls with her, the barred owl, the screech owl and the great horned owl. This was especially fun for the students since they had just finished reading Owls in the Family about two horned owls that are brought home by two boys living in Canada.

Missionaries Speak to Seventh Graders

During the seventh grade Bible classes study on missionaries, three missionaries, Leti Lusk, Silva Samara and Brad Talbert, came to campus to speak to the students about their experiences.

Leti Lusk has worked at Second Baptist Church for ten years. Her eyes were first opened to God’s

Weber also talked about the Audubon Society and its importance in our community. The Society works to promote the conservation and appreciation of birds and wildlife habitat.

with Christ on the Straight Street, until she was 19. She has been to different Middle East countries for short term (1-3 weeks) mission work. God has put a passion on her heart for Damascus and allowed her to go back to Syria with Second Baptist Church to help the Syrian local church with the Iraqi refugee situation. To help the students understand her experiences, she brought photos of the refugees.

Her last trip brought her a different perspective and impact about God and missions in her life.

Brad Talbert, SBS class of 2001, also visited with the classes. Brad is currently on staff with Second Baptist Church, in the high school ministry.

He has been on mission trips to Haiti, Nigeria, and Mexico and brought photos of his experiences to help the students understand the importance of missions.

Craig Reynolds speaks to EABC

Former Major League Baseball player and Second Baptist Church associate pastor Craig Reynolds spoke to the EABC parents recently.

He offered advice on how to maintain balance between academic, athletic, and spiritual priorities with their teenage students. His presentation was very well received by the parents.

EABC Speaker discusses Heart Health

Stephen Gimenez from SportsFit USA spoke to the EABC about the importance of heart screenings

heart for the nations when she took the missions class “Perspectives.”

Since then, she has had a passion for telling others of the joy of being part of God’s plan for the nations. She has traveled to several countries on mission’s trips like India, Germany, and Mexico.

Silva Samara was born and raised in Damascus, Syria, where Paul met

eagle | Page 28 | Summer 2008

CampusNews The Council for Advancement and Support of Education Southwest District IV presents awards to

Second Baptist School

eagle | Page 29 | Summer 2008

for Publications Writing and Magazine Design of the SBS EAGLE

The

Emergence

of the

eagle | Page 30 | Summer 2008

Next Global City The Powerful Synergy between Houston and the SBS Community

London. Paris. Tokyo. Houston?

Get ready, World‌

by Johannah Kersey eagle | Page 31 | Summer 2008

Houston

is taking center stage in the global economy.

Recently, an article entitled “Lone Star Rising” that appeared in The American proclaimed Houston’s position as a true world leader. Author Joel Kotkin attributes Houston’s growth to a number of critical factors, including its position as the country’s second largest port, the world’s leading energy center, the gateway to Central and South America, one of America’s low-tax, pro-business havens, and the home of enterprising people with entrepreneurial minds and pioneering spirits.

eagle | Page 32 | Summer 2008

Firsts for Houston:

• General Sam Houston was the first president of the Republic of Texas.

• First grain elevator built on Houston Ship Channel.

• Houston and New York were the first cities to build electric power plants.

• Rice University became the first U.S. university to establish a Department of Space Science.

• “Houston” was the first word spoken from the surface of the moon.

• Houston was the first city to build an airconditioned sport stadium.

• Houston surgeons performed the first multiple firsts in the field of heart surgery.

Houston: By the Numbers

Kotkin emphasizes Houston’s distinct

advantage in becoming a world leader: “Perhaps the key factor that will influence the rise of the next great American city is the ability to fit into the global economy. An opportunity city with only modest links overseas can certainly grow rapidly, but only an urban center with powerful ties to global commerce is likely to achieve greatness.”

• 4th most populous city in the nation.

• 12 percent below the nationwide average in living costs after taxes.

• 17 colleges located in Houston.

• 22nd largest economy in the world.

• 90 languages are spoken throughout the Houston area.

• 500 cultural, visual and performing arts organizations.

• 11,000 restaurants in Houston.

• 1.8 million visitors attended the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the largest rodeo in the world.

• 5,682,000 Metro Area Population.

• 51 million passengers used the Houston airport system in 2006.

Source: City of Houston, Facts and Figures.

SBS: By the Numbers

Houston represents a booming urban center with connections in the global economy.

As evidence, the growth in Houston is astounding. Over the past several generations, rapid economic and population growth have fueled Houston’s expansion, and when all is said and done, the rise of Houston undoubtedly tells a unique story. Houston is the number two ranked American city in terms of the number of Fortune 500 headquarters, having far surpassed Los Angeles, Chicago, and Atlanta. In 1960, Houston boasted of only one Fortune 500 company, but now proudly boasts of 23 companies. Houston continues receiving positive press for its growth, and it is of no surprise that Forbes has named Houston on its list of Best Places for Business and Careers and also placed Houston on the top five list of up-and-coming Tech Cities.

Houston is ranked the #1 city to live, work and play by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine in 2008.

Furthermore, Houstonians do not take prosperity for granted. They have forged their way through the highs and lows the city has navigated, and this very spirit of perseverance will provide the key for catapulting Houston to the world stage. The resilience and munificence of its people in the face of adversity – whether rebuilding the port after the hurricane that devastated Galveston in 1900, overcoming the oil crash of the 80’s, or hosting visitors from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 – make Houston a truly special city.

eagle | Page 33 | Summer 2008

• 1st place in the TAPPS art competition in 2008.

• 4 years of bringing show-stopping musicals to the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts.

• 12 students commended by the National Merit Corporation with 3 students named National Merit finalists.

• 17 field trips attended by Lower School students, including the Houston Zoo, NASA, the Children’s Museum of Houston, and Battleship TEXAS. • 21 state championships won in 8 different athletic events, adding a 4th state title in women’s volleyball in 2007.

• 29 Upper School students named Advanced Placement Scholars by College Board.

• 42 student athletes named all district and 12 received all-state recognition.

• 240 shoes collected for the Shoes for Orphan Souls project.

• 520 is the average SAT math score for Middle School students involved in the Duke Talent Identification Program. The average SAT math score by participants was 449 while the average for college-bound seniors was 520.

• 10,000 hours of community service hours performed by SBS students throughout the city of Houston annually.

• $30,000 donated to the Woliver-Anderson Library during the 2008 Celebration Book Fair • $34,000 raised by the Fine Arts Director’s Circle for the Upper School musical • $330,000 raised for the SBS faculty and staff Christmas bonus during the 2nd annual Distinguished Speaker Luncheon.

• $480,000 raised for the Second Fund • $590,000 raised for the SBS Faculty Endowment during EagleFest.

• 50 million words were read by Lower School students in the accelerated reader program.

n

Leadership, Empowerment, Servant-Minded, Stewardship, Innovation, Tradition.

Second Baptist School | 6410 Woodway Drive, Houston

The Role of SBS in Houston

Nestled in the lush Memorial area a mere 10 miles from downtown Houston, Second Baptist School beats to the pulse of the Bayou City. The symbiosis between Houston’s urban verve and the School’s community of leaders molds and shapes the intellectual landscape in the School.

Both the city and the School, working in concert, forge new areas of leadership, and there are countless examples of this academic, economic and sociological partnership. From mentoring disadvantaged students in the inner city to interning in a Fortune 500 company, SBS students maximize their exposure to all facets of the city.

With the world-class city of Houston providing the backdrop, Second Baptist School provides its own world-class education. SBS students receive an education that is Second-to-none in a safe, secure, and supportive environment situated in a tight-knit community of educators who care about the minds and hearts of their students.

In an effort to prepare students for a global world, SBS strives to tap into the city and expose students to a range of people, cultures, industries and

eagle | Page 34 | Summer 2008

Battle Ship Texas

experiences. Students have the opportunity to step outside the doors of SBS and give back to the Houston community through service, explore endless career opportunities in a variety of industries, tap into the collegiate learning communities, imbibe the rich wonders of the fine arts, and experience ethnic diversity offered through museums. With a plethora of opportunities, SBS students can travel the world without leaving the city limits.

For example, the Alumni Speaker Series offers a unique opportunity for students to see how SBS alumni impact the Houston community through meaningful careers. In January, Second Baptist School’s second annual Alumni Speaker Series was a tremendous success.

The series highlighted outstanding SBS alumni and gave them the opportunity to share their accomplishments and give advice to the Upper School students. This program drew in a variety of professionals to visit and meet with students and faculty and share their stories of hard work, perseverance, and achievement in their careers. The Upper School students left the Alumni Speaker Series with new career ideas for their future and a better understanding of the professional landscape in Houston. This interaction among students, faculty, and alumni promotes the pursuit of professional advancement and sets a foundation for the ambitious goals of many students.

Houston and SBS – A Dynamic Combination Synergy. This word describes the unique relationship between the city of Houston and the community of SBS. Whether students are performing on the stage of the Hobby Center or competing in an academic competition at Rice, students brush against the Houston landscape at every stage in their academic journey.

Arboretum & Nature Center eagle | Page 35 | Summer 2008

City of

Charity

H

Kipp Academy

Houston has one of the highest per capita philanthropy rates in the country; likewise, service to the community is one of the mantras of SBS.

Souper Bowl of Caring

Charity Navigator, the largest charity evaluator in the country, found that Houston’s largest charities are more efficient than any others in the country.

Charity is alive and well at Second Baptist School too, as community service remains a top priority for faculty and students. Without selfless acts of public service, the PK-12 educational experience lacks an integral ingredient in the molding and shaping of young leaders of tomorrow. Teaching students a life of service completes the individual, and SBS models the principle that education is a vital experience that involves both the intellectual capital garnered in the classroom as well as the spiritual capital accrued by blessing others and sacrificially donating time, energy, and resources.

One of the best aspects of living in Houston is the opportunity to serve others through exceptional organizations that specialize in meeting the needs of individuals across the city.

Over 10,000 hours of service have been committed to the city of Houston by SBS’s Lower, Middle, and Upper School students.

As a whole, SBS participates in over 20 service initiatives annually in connection with Houston’s strong charity network. The Bible classes serve as forums for promoting the benefits of community service, implementing projects, and evaluating the effectiveness of service projects. No task is too big or too small for SBS students who pour themselves into the lives of others. Starting in Lower School, students reach out to the community through significant projects.

6th Grade at Salvation Army

By the time students reach Middle School, they are primed to take service to the next level. In fact, during this last school year, Middle School students collected over 1,155 can goods for Angels of Light, an organization that brings Christmas alive for the underprivileged children. Jacqueline Oglesby, a seventh grader, explains what she learns from service projects: “I learn to get out of my comfort zone and discover what the world is about. I learn to pick up my Bible and pray to God, thanking Him for what I’ve been given.”

Fifth grade students participated in a project with the Boys and Girls Country of Houston. At-risk boys and girls who live on the premises need help and encouragement. SBS students purchased supplies and made care bags for 65 girls and 40 boys at the Boys and Girls Country. Additionally, fifth grade students created cards with encouraging words on them to give each girl and boy. Fifth grader Addie Kim says that participating in the projects for the Boys and Girls Country is her favorite service project: “It was a joy to hear how happy they would be to receive their gifts. I decorated bags and filled them with items. It is so important to do service projects like this one because you can help people who are less fortunate.”

The sixth grade class volunteers every spring with the Harbor Light Salvation Army. The students interact with the residents of Salvation Army through songs, testimonies, and the distribution of care packages. Dionne Poveromo, the sixth grade Bible teacher, emphasizes the importance of this experience for the students: “This one project may be the catalyst that compels these students to a life-style of service to the communities where they live. Faith takes on a whole new meaning for students when they go beyond the walls of Second Baptist School to share it. My students have realized that life has been rough for people and that God can use sixth graders to minister to them.”

The eighth grade students had the privilege of helping Star of Hope mission and learning more about this ministry through Ted Johnson, a representative from Star of Hope Mission. Students had spent a week collecting new and gently used school uniforms to donate to the children housed at the Star of Hope mission. SBS students also spent time looking up scriptures and writing notes to encourage homeless children. Established in 1907, the Star of Hope Mission has worked to make a difference among the homeless in Houston.

Reflections on the Visit to Harbor Light Salvation Army April 2008 This year, the sixth grade class was deeply impacted by its visit to the Harbor Light Salvation Army. Some students reflect on their experience.

“At Harbor Light, I met a man named Bob who was eating by himself. People passed by him, but God prompted me to stop and visit with him. When I talked to him, I told him that God loves him and died on the cross for his sins. He responded with ‘Amen.’ I kind of paused for a moment and continued sharing verses with him. I’m so grateful I stopped to visit with him.” Kayley Looney “I loved reading my testimony to the residents of Salvation Army. When I shared my story, I cried, and the audience gave me a standing ovation that lifted my spirits. It is important to share our faith with others, so they can see how much we love Jesus. Then, they will want to live for Christ” Molly Csorba “When I went to the chair to sit and share my testimony on a microphone in a room full of people whom I didn’t know, it was hard but I did it. I could feel God inside me.

The atmosphere around you feels amazing when you do something to help others.”

Elizabeth Plezia “I had a conversation with a man named Lamont. We both talked about our struggles, and we discovered that we shared similar hardships. God encouraged me to do more service projects like this one.” Cole Daniels “My heart almost exploded when I saw and experienced people crying, laughing, and expressing sympathy. It wasn’t like an event; it was more like a heartfelt Christian gathering. I would like to go back every year.”

Kennedy Nabors

eagle | Page 37 | Summer 2008

Every year the Star of Hope helps about a significant percentage of the 10,000 homeless people in Houston. Johnson feels that the Star of Hope is “providing so much more than a full stomach.”

In Upper School, students make service a priority in the midst of busy schedules and college applications. Key Club serves as the nexus for plugging students into service opportunities. Over 75 students participated in this service organization led by Dalton Dominy, the president. According to him, “the Key Club slogan is that caring is a way of life. At SBS, we try to make this slogan a reality. This organization allows students to provide for the less fortunate through acts of service. By participating in service projects, students are able to understand the effect and gratitude that one can receive from providing for others.”

Shoes for Orphans

The major focus of Key Club is supporting the Brookwood Community through poinsettia sales during the Christmas season. This year, students sold over 1,600 poinsettias. The profit goes to support the independent living of the residents, which gives them dignity and respect. Students also attended the Ronald McDonald House and made breakfast for the residents. Additionally, students teamed up with Second Baptist Church to make over 300 greeting cards to take to the homebound senior citizens of SBC. Upper School Students collected non-perishable items to donate to the Souper Bowl of Caring. As part of the nation’s largest youth-led food drive, SBS students helped the charitable organization collect more than 8,000 pounds of canned food. As a registered participant, SBS students collected over 1,300 items in just three days to donate to the Greater Houston community. Also, KPRC (Channel 2) interviewed Senior and Student Council President Ross Seaton for his part in helping to make the Souper Bowl a success.

During Interim Term, many students participate in Service with a Heart, a class that plugs students into vital service organizations in the Houston area.

Students are exposed to a variety of opportunities, and some students continue to volunteer with these organizations on a more routine basis. SBS students brightened up the faces of the residents at Gracewood, an independent, Christian-based ministry that assists single-parent mothers and their children.

Service with a Heart also helped Kids’ Meals in their endeavor to serve over 1,200 preschool children in need of food. SBS students helped at Open Door Houston, a faith-based recovery and rehabilitation shelter dedicated to transforming the lives of the addicted, destitute, homeless or disabled. Students also served in projects for New Danville, Techs & Trainers, KIPP Dream Prep, EndHunger, Heart to Heart Ministries, and Shoes for Orphan Souls.

In addition to Service with a Heart, nearly 20 seniors participated in internships with non-profit organizations. From Texas Children’s Hospital to Memorial Assistance Ministry (MAM), students graced the city of Houston with compassion and dedication. This kind of presence in the non-profit sector reveals the senior class’s heart for helping others in need.

Seniors Christina Tripp and Laura Beth Nelson volunteered their time to work with MAM, an organization that strives to help families and individuals in temporary crisis and in need of assistance to maintain self-sufficiency and

eagle | Page 38 | Summer 2008

avoid homelessness. In 2007, MAM provided services to 25,200 people – over half of whom were children. The volunteer coordinator, Peggy Crooke, expresses appreciation for Christina and Laura Beth’s participation: “The girls were able to use their Spanish language skills as they assisted clients at the reception desk in Emergency Service. They also taught in MAM’s ESL program which enabled them to have a hands on experience with non-English speaking clients. MAM benefits greatly from the efforts of students like Christina and Laura Beth who bring a youthful enthusiasm into the workplace which enriches the MAM experience for everyone.”

A Partnership of Prayer with Yellowstone Academy This year, the seniors had the blessing of becoming prayer partners with the third and fourth grade classes of Yellowstone Academy. The relationship began in the fall when Jeannene Simonton, the senior Bible teacher, spoke with the director of Yellowstone Academy about the idea of bringing students together through prayer. Simonton’s vision has led to a marvelous relationship between the senior class and students at Yellowstone. After each SBS senior was matched with a student from Yellowstone, the seniors received individual prayer cards with a photo of the student and biographical information written on the card. Throughout the school year, the seniors have prayed for their prayer partners each day during Bible class. “Specifically, they prayed for the children’s families, a safe place to live, healthy food, the wisdom to make wise choices, and the faculty and staff at Yellowstone,” said Simonton.

In December, the seniors had the opportunity to meet their prayer partners during a Christmas party. After having lunch on the playground, each senior escorted his or her prayer partner through the impressive Candy House Village displayed in the Atrium. This event brought delight to both the seniors and elementary students. In February, they exchanged handmade Valentine cards and bags of candy. In the spring, several seniors wrote notes of encouragement to the children who had been removed from their homes by CPS. Additionally, some seniors wrote letters to two girls, who are cousins, that both have a rare genetic disorder that has led to colon cancer. When they will undergo surgery to have their colons removed, SBS will continue to support them through prayer and encouragement as they recover.

In May, the Yellowstone students returned to SBS for lunch and an informal chapel service led by their music teacher and the SBS seniors. Then, the Yellowstone students had the opportunity to pray with their prayer partners.

“It is definitely something we will do in the future,” said Simonton. “I think the best thing has been for our students to see how these kids live and how abundantly blessed their own lives are.”

Star of Hope

A Heart for Houston: Places where SBS has served over the past year Angels of Light Boys and Girls Country Brookwood Community End Hunger Gracewood Habitat for Humanity Heart to Heart Ministries Houston Food Bank Kid’s Meals KIPP Dream Prep Memorial Assistance Ministry New Danville Open Door Houston Operation Christmas Child Ronald McDonald House Salvation Army Samaritan’s Purse Shoes for Orphans Souper Bowl of Caring Star of Hope Techs and Trainers Texas Children’s Hospital Yellowstone Academy

Alumni Spotlight

Kirk and Amanda Craig ‘96 Bringing Hope and Transformation to the Third Ward For SBS graduates Kirk and Amanda Craig, passion for service began at SBS where they were actively involved in charitable organizations and participated in service projects. “We both had opportunities in Upper School and in college to work with the poor. We were touched by the way we experienced Christ’s love and presence among them. As we continued to work and study issues concerning poverty, we were convinced of God’s heart not only for charitable giving but also for social justice,” said Amanda Craig.

“We moved into the Third Ward, got involved in a community church, and met many children in the neighborhood.”

They founded Agape Development Ministries to bring hope and transformation to the Third Ward through economic, emotional, and spiritual empowerment. They work primarily with young adults, helping them make the transition from youth to healthy, independent adulthood.

Through discipleship, financial education, job readiness training, educational guidance, counseling, and mentorship, this ministry seeks to fulfill its mission.

While many ministries have a heart for the poor, Agape Ministries is unique in that its leaders live in the community in which they serve. This unique vantage point enables them to build relationships with people in their community first and then help them through a host of programs.

“We help them find and keep jobs, enroll in college classes, establish and follow a budget, and set goals for the future.” According to Amanda, “While we think that good programs are important, we have found that there is no substitute for long term relationships and true Christian fellowship.”

The Craigs have responded to an underserved community of post high school individuals who stand at a critical crossroad in life between sinking into a life of poverty and crime or finding opportunities to break this cycle: “We saw that many of them did well through high school, but lacked opportunity or guidance beyond that,” said Amanda.

“The most meaningful aspect While their ministry has a social services component, the heart of of our ministry is seeing people their ministry is centered around the power of Christ. Amanda encounter the transformative love emphasizes this truth. “The problems in the inner city can seem of Christ.” so overwhelming and hopeless at times. If we were a social service agency alone, we would have given up by now. But, during times of worship and particularly during some of the retreats that we have provided, everything shifts into focus as we remember God’s mercy and provision. We are reminded that God cares immensely for each of these individuals that society seems content to allow to slip through the cracks.”

Kirk and Amanda have a powerful vision for Agape Development Ministries. They feel God leading them towards a residential discipleship program that will function like a college dorm experience for those who need to move away from unhealthy environments and learn to develop new patterns for living. In September, they hope to start a pilot program. In the more distant future, they hope to look into small business “Many who thrived during high school ended up in prison start-ups and affordable housing programs. just a few years later. The lack of opportunity led to a Their ministry is changing lives one sense of desperation and despair, which in turn led to bad relationship at a time. choices. We felt that the window of time after high school provided a strategic point at which to get involved.”

eagle | Page 40 | Summer 2008

City of

FineArts For some urban magic, Houstonians can head down Allen Parkway to the thriving Theater District located in the heart of downtown. In this cultural mecca, Houston boasts one of the most active centers for fine arts in the country, second only to New York with its density of venues of fine arts in one geographic area. The 17-block Theater District houses eight performing arts organizations with more than 12,000 seats. Houstonians support the symphony, ballet, opera and theater companies in the lively Theater District. The Houston Ballet marks its name as the fifthlargest company in the nation, and the Houston Symphony is one of the oldest performing arts institutions in Texas.

These musicians can perform at Jones Hall, Miller Outdoor Theater, and the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. In addition, the Houston Opera is one the nation’s largest opera companies and enjoys widespread fame, as worldclass opera singers come through Houston every year.

Most impressively, the Houston Grand Opera is the only opera company in the nation to win two Grammy awards, a Tony and two Emmy awards. SBS also promotes the fine arts through musical productions, plays, museum visits, and visits from performers.

eagle | Page 41 | Summer 2008

Hobby Center

SBS Performs in the Theater District: Show Business at its Finest

The Hobby Center holds a special place in the heart of the SBS community. This $88 million facility houses two stages and is the home of Theater Under the Stars, the Broadway in Houston series. Each year, the cast of the Upper School musical performs on stage of Zilkha Hall, and this unique experience gives students a taste of professional show business. This year, SBS celebrated its sixth production at Zilkha Hall in the Hobby Center with the performance of GOOD NEWS, an exciting musical comedy about life in a small college town.

According to Director Jim Sparks, “Performing at the Hobby Center provides a unique advantage to our performers. They have the chance to work with professional technicians who teach them the trade of show business.”

Performance at the Hobby Center

With five incredible performances at the Hobby Center, the Upper School students entertain students, families, staff, alumni and special guests. Jason Mangels and Sparks faithfully guided the students through months of rehearsals to prepare for the exciting musical, and parent volunteers dedicated so much time to the costumes, rehearsals and staging. Additionally, it was a huge honor for the students to perform on Great Day Houston.

Not only did this experience provide wonderful publicity for the musical, but it also gave them a lesson in broadcasting.

Sparks shares his thoughts on the origin of GOOD NEWS: “This musical was first suggested to me by my long-time friend Jennifer Baker who helps with choreography. I must admit, at first I was a little unsure about the show because many people might not recognize the title. However, the music quickly reminded me of many wonderful memories associated with the songs. When I began taking piano lessons, I would go to my grandmother’s house on Saturday night and perform little concerts of pieces I was learning. In her piano bench, I found copies of old sheet music – songs like ‘Button Up Your Overcoat,’ ‘The Best Things in Life are Free,’ ‘Keep Your Sunny Side Up’ along with others.”

Sparks and Mangels lined up a stellar cast of musicians and actors. Caroline Suffield, in the role of Pat Bingham, portrayed the campus diva who entices the lead football star, Tom Marlow, to marry her in exchange for her father’s financial contribution to the Tate Athletic Center and a position on a professional football team. Caught between his desire for fame and his true love for Pat Bingham’s cousin Connie Lane, played by Natalie Tollett, Tom undergoes an identity crisis in the course of the musical.

The audience had just as much fun with the musical as the performers. “We were overwhelmed by the audience response to this musical. Everyone had an ear-to-ear smile after the show. I heard stories about grandparents singing along these classic songs with our students after the performances,” comments Sparks.

“I have enjoyed working with the music of GOOD NEWS. It has revived the memories of a special time and renewed my belief in the importance of music in our lives.”

The entire musical production succeeded in giving SBS students a feel for show business. Some of the orchestra students even had the chance to play with professional musicians in the orchestra pit. Alyssa Adcock and Nikolas Serralta played the saxophone, Scott Turnage the trumpet, Tyler Thomas the percussion and Iris Wang the violin.

After watching the musical, the audience was inspired by the power music holds over our lives.

eagle | Page 42 | Summer 2008

SBS Applauds Houston’s Performing Arts

During Interim Term, several students participated in the Fine Arts class that exposes students to a variety of productions in the Theater District. During the day, they research the productions online and then present their reports on the evening before attending the shows. This project enables students to appreciate the productions to an even higher degree. The class first watched Hello Dolly, a production provided by TUTS at the Hobby Center. Then, they brushed up on their Shakespeare by taking in a production of Othello at the Alley Theater. They concluded the week with a spectacular ballet performance of Cinderella at the Wortham Center.

The sponsor of the class, Sharon Cook, gives feedback on the productions. “Both Othello and Cinderella were unique productions. Cinderella diverted from the ‘original’ story in that Cinderella was a tomboy. There were no pumpkins or mice that turned into the carriage and horses. The ‘Fairy Godmother’ was her deceased mother instead. Othello was interesting in that it was true to the play, but started with dress in modern times and with classic speech. Gradually, the characters transformed into Shakespearean era characters. It was fascinating to watch the actors take us in a time journey from the present day to the Renaissance.”

Middle School students were entertained by Houston’s Grand Opera version of Romeo and Juliet. The actors delighted our students with 45 minutes of bold, high-energy production. Sung in English and created especially for students, the actors involved the Middle School students in several scenes of the show. Students were enamored by the modern and comical adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. At the conclusion of the opera, students engaged in a question & answer session with the director and cast members.

A.D. Players

The A.D. Players is a non-profit Houston theater founded by Jeannette Clift George where programs are performed that uphold human value, offer creativity and promote literacy and education.

Third graders were treated to an A.D. Players performance of Peter and the Wolf. Before the field trip, third graders previewed a film of another performance of the musical in music class. SBS students amazed the A.D. Players cast by identifying the musical instruments that demonstrated the parts of the main characters in the play. Students felt as if they were a part of the performance as the actors moved though the audience and included some of the students in the action.

Seventh and eighth grade drama classes were also excited to have two of the leading A.D. Players actresses on campus to speak to them about life as an actor. These professionals gave the Middle School students insight into touring, working on a set, taking acting classes, making costumes and much more. The highlight of the day was when the two actors performed a scene from The Importance of Being Earnest, a play that SBS students studied in drama classes this past academic year. After the actors showed the students a scene, the student actors performed for the A.D. Players to receive their feedback.

eagle | Page 43 | Summer 2008

A Chat with Jeannette

Clift George

Why is it important for young people to be involved in the arts even if they are not making this their career?

In this era, the public school system is reevaluating negatively the importance of the arts. Many schools make the choice between the athletic program or fine arts program. Sadly, the fine arts program often loses. When researchers at Columbia University did a survey in New York schools to find out why the drop out rate was so high, they learned that the high school student who has a fine arts program in his life, specifically drama, is less likely to drop out of school by a large percentage and is more likely to go on to further education and be satisfied in his or her life profession.

Jeannette Clift George is Founder and Artistic Director of the A.D. Players. She continues to represent the Houston community be lecturing extensively throughout the United States. She is a renowned author, director, actress, and Golden Globe nominee.

I applaud Second Baptist School for its commitment to the fine arts. Whatever these graduates decide to pursue will be enhanced by their experience in the fine arts.

When and why did you develop a passion for the arts?

I think it is amazing that the little girl in me wanted to be in theater before I knew what it was. We had a drama group with my neighborhood friends, and I would direct the plays. The lady across the street, another neighbor, and the dog were our only audience members. It was in this moment that the little girl wanted to be in theater. I was also inspired because I had seen a production of Madame Butterfly. Little did I know that theater is a lot of work. With all the quandary and struggle, I’m awed by the God who would pay attention to that six-year-old girl. Our plays would probably still be playing if my mom had not interrupted us for supper.

How did coming to know the Lord change your acting career?

I grew up in a Christian home very happily. By the time I got to New York, I decided that I had outgrown the faith of my childhood, for I had been enlightened.

When I turned my life over to Christ, the Bible was all I had because I didn’t have Christian fellowship. My theater friends were shocked to hear news of my conversion and thought I would ruin my career. I told them, “I just turned my life over to God, and I don’t know what He is going to do.” Years later, I was speaking at a Galveston Women’s Club, and a lady came up to me and said, “I haven’t seen you since we worked together in NY. I came today because I remember seeing you drift out of the room after you announced you had become a Christian. We were stunned, trying to figure out what had happened to you.” Then, this lady said, “two months ago I turned my life over to Christ.

Now, I don’t know what He is going to do through me.”

When Billy Graham held a crusade in New York, he called a friend to appoint him the recruiter of Christian actors for the crusade. He told Mr. Graham, “there aren’t any Christians in theater.” But Billy responded, “there will be.”

Sure enough, I was one of the audience members in the box seats designated for Christian actors at the crusade.

Discuss the birth of A.D. Players

When I was teaching at HBU, I had a group of eight students who wanted to do improv, so I created After Dinner Players. I wanted them to have a venue for performing their works. In my mind, my dream was realized from the moment A.D. Players began.

eagle | Page 44 | Summer 2008

In 1967, I founded A.D. Players, which is a unique style of theater committed to producing plays and programs that uphold human value, offer creativity, and promote literacy and education. From this small group of part-time actors, the company has increased in size to one of Houston’s largest resident theaters.

A.D. Players includes Mainstage Theater, Children’s Theater, Theater Arts Academy, and a National Touring Company.

How does A.D. Players incorporate Christianity into its mission?

My ministry statement has never changed. Our Christian signature is rooted, but our plays address theater. I have to be comfortable before God that nothing we offer diminishes the respect and authority of God. If Christian artists get involved in the arts and create an interest, they are able to reach non-Christians.

At the same time, you have to be the best in the marketplace. We strive to establish ourselves as a theater before we can share the gospel. Theater is the last art form to incorporate Christianity. All of the arts got in before theater did. Christian music and dance preceded Christian theater. It suddenly dawned on me the reason why drama is lagging behind. It is because we have words and stories. It is a very strong battle to promote Christian themes. In life, you bare witness by what you do. I don’t think God tells us when we are witnessing. It is a natural breath of who we are.

Tell us about the new theater for A.D. Players. What will this place offer Houstonians?

The land holds my faith. That doesn’t mean I place my faith in the land. I’m not responsible for this new theater. There is no way we could have gotten that land without God. The opportunity for a new theater is a challenge and huge gasping of breath, but it was the next natural step. We are currently located in different parts of the city, so the new theater will enable us to centralize, and we will be better positioned in the city of Houston. This new site is not the conclusion of our work; it is our workshop.

This is the first faith theater built from ground up. It will be the first of its kind since the Greek theater, a deeply religious theater in which people enacted their faith and belief. In Greek times, theater was built in the faith by the gods they created, but this new theater is built in the faith by the God who created us.

Located in the center of Uptown Houston, the Galleria area attracts over 24 million annual visitors. The stunning architecture and exceptional mix of retail and commercial businesses make the Galleria one of the top tourist destinations in Houston. The A.D. Players’ purchase of over three acres in the Galleria district will enable us to consolidate six current locations. With these plans, the A.D. Players look toward a future of serving the Houston community with our unique artistic signature of hope and faith.

For Houston’s cultural life to have this world-class, quality theater that is also Christ centered is a gift to the city that no other city has. People from Europe want to come work on this project, and several groups have contacted us about building something like this in their own communities.

eagle | Page 45 | Summer 2008

City of

Culture

T

The Museum of Fine Arts is the largest art museum in the southern tier of the United States. With impressive exhibits, visitors have access to some of the best art in the world. Every year, SBS makes it a priority to expose students to special art exhibits, lectures offered by the museums, and interactive learning opportunities at the museums.

SBS Explores Houston’s Culture

During Interim Term, students participated in Houston Highlights, a course designed to expose students to the cultural aspects of the City. Over a week, they leisurely strolled through downtown, walked along the bayou, visited Minute Maid Park, visited the zoo, attended a Livestock Show, and saw an IMAX at the Museum of Natural History and visited the Cockrell Butterfly Exhibit. They also toured the Battleship Texas and San Jacinto Monument. Students learned about the plethora of cultural excursions possible in their great City of Culture.

Houston Livestock Show Cockrell Butterfly Exhibit

SBS kindergarteners were also amazed by the beautiful butterflies at the Cockrell Butterfly Exhibit at the Museum of Natural Science. There was a new “hands on” section for insects that was really interesting. Two docents discussed dinosaur fossils and showed the students different kinds of rocks.

The young adventurers then tracked up to visit the Native Americans and remembered the environments previously discussed in the classroom. The children loved seeing the teepees and crafts. A big hit was making sand art at school and then seeing a real one up close. The entire experience was a great introduction to the shell unit that begins with a collecting of shells at Galveston Beach in May. During the spring, the MFA housed the exhibit, Pompeii: Tales from an Eruption. Art, Latin, English and history teachers encouraged students to attend. In some English courses, students wrote essays about their favorite works of art in the exhibit and made connections between Greek literature and art. The purpose of the exhibit is to connect viewers with the

eagle | Page 46 | Summer 2008

victims of the world’s most famous volcano. While this eruption caused unimaginable devastation, it served the valuable purpose of preserving numerous works of art and relics from the two thousand residents. The exhibit reveals how life was a work of art for the denizens of Pompeii. They wore elaborate jewelry and adorned their walls with exquisite paintings.

Pompeii’s gardens were full of statues of gods and goddesses.

Beyond the walls of museums, Houston offers many cultural experiences through its famous Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in addition to a wide-range of historical venues.

Chickens, cows, and cowboys were just a few of the offerings first graders enjoyed on their field trip to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The fun began with a morning tour of the Agricultural Center and ended with special snacks and pig races.

“The pig races were really cool,” says Mariah Gallagher. “Swifty, the swimming pig, was my favorite.”

Pompeii

First grade teachers especially appreciated parent volunteers who spent the day at the rodeo with the five classes.

“Our parent volunteers make this very fun field trip possible,” says teacher Beverly Bradley.

The fourth graders experienced quite a treat on their trip to the Taste of Texas restaurant, a reservoir of Texas history paraphernalia. Nina Hendee, the owner, talked to the students about interesting stories in Texas History and how she came to love the history of our great state. She called on students to act out certain memorable events. The fourth graders were allowed to go back in the kitchen and see all the good food cooking. Next, she showed the students paintings on the walls with hidden pictures inside and Texas artifacts she has collected through the years.

The SBS Cultural Society

The Houston Live Stock Show and Rodeo

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

In 2005, senior Tamar Barazi had a vision for launching a Cultural Society at SBS. In his own words, “I started the club because I believed that promoting diversity would be a great addition to the other established clubs at SBS.” Upon its origin, the Cultural Society quickly became all the rage in the halls of SBS. Through native food, music, and stories, members have learned about a variety of other cultures, including representatives from Greece, Lebanon, China, and India. From a CEO involved in the international technology landscape to an anthropologist to businessmen visiting Houston from China, speakers have stretched the minds of the audience to learn about a number of world cultures and issues. The Cultural Society will continue hosting great speakers as Callie Fine and Sarah Adams take the helm next year.

Taste of Texas Restaurant A Texas History lesson served Texas Style!

eagle | Page 47 | Summer 2008

B City of

Houston Livestock Show SBS at Camp Enterprise

Commerce

Besides its universal moniker as the “Energy Capital of the World,” Houston is regarded as a gateway to the Americas with its conspicuous location as an entry point to the burgeoning economies of Central and South America. Houston and Western Hemisphere commerce go hand-in-hand, and burgeoning economies both in Texas and south of the border bode well for an even more robust partnership in the future.

While Houston asserts itself as a business hub, budding captains of industry are busy plying their trade on the SBS campus. Due to their exemplary leadership abilities, eight juniors were selected to attend Camp Enterprise where 100 students from the Houston area meet with business and community leaders to discuss and explore leadership. During the conference, participants selected individuals that exhibit qualities of service, leadership, intelligence, initiative, cooperativeness, good judgment, strong ethics and a positive attitude. Jacy Burrell was awarded a $500 scholarship to her college of choice for “Biz Sim.” The six campers with the most votes were finalists. John Buckley and Jennifer Gurney were two of the six campers named as finalists. John went on to win a $5,000 scholarship to the college of his choice.

With a virtual $100,000 in hand from a cadre of eager student entrepreneurs, John led a group of 13 students in deciding how to price a product, the amount to spend on advertising, and the decision to take out loans. Then, John competed against six other speakers and delivered a riveting speech on the essential qualities of leadership. In fact, John was featured in a Houston Chronicle article. John also delivered an April speech to the Rotary Club, which meets at the Junior League.

John values the experience and now believes he wants to pursue a career in business. According to John, “Camp Enterprise was a wonderful introduction to the business world. Through speakers and exercises, such as Biz Sim, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and consider it an invaluable part of my education.” In the next year, he will continue making appearances at the Rotary Club while at the same time serving as SBS Student Body President where he will continue sharpening his leadership skills.

Civic Leadership

A Community of Concern In order to promote a healthy lifestyle among the youth in Houston, SBS is involved in A Community of Concern (ACofC), a partnership of parents, students, schools, and other organizations working together through education and cooperation to keep youth alcohol, tobacco and drug free. In addition to this mission, the ACofC is also focused on sponsoring other parent education events, such as Leadership Symposiums and panels of experts. SBS looks forward to making a positive impact on Houston through this organization.

HOBY Hailie Durrett was named an SBS recipient of the HOBY award. The mission of HOBY is “to motivate and empower individuals to make a positive difference within our global society through understanding and action based on effective and compassionate leadership” (www.hoby.org). eagle | Page 48 | Summer 2008

According to Hailie, “A variety of speakers came and talked to us on many different topics – ranging from how the legal system works to how the media alters the citizen’s view of current events.” She enjoyed working on projects in small groups and evaluating different perspectives. “I learned so much from this experience from various skills that will benefit me socially, academically, and eventually professionally to current event issues,” explains Hailie. From the experience, she learned “how to be the most beneficial to the Houston community.” At the close of the weekend, she was challenged to complete a substantial amount of service hours and continue living out the HOBY lifestyle.

Indeed, Hailie represents this mission through her leadership at SBS. The core values of the organization include volunteerism, excellence, organizational integrity, diversity, innovative thinking, community partnership, and lifelong learning leadership opportunities. After attending the HOBY conference, Hailie brought back a quiver full of new ideas on how to take leadership to an even higher level.

Mayor’s Youth Council Hailie’s positive experience with HOBY motivated her to apply for a position with the Mayor’s Youth Council, which she heard about at SBS. According to a press release from the Mayor’s Office, the members of this Council “serve as a ‘voice’ for Houston’s youth.”

Mayor Bill White provides a Mayor’s Youth Council to help young Houstonians learn about city government. Through a competitive written application and personal interview, Hailie was selected to serve on this impressive Council. She has gained in-depth knowledge about city departments and has communicated with key decision makers.

During three formal meetings a month including a planning meeting, a town hall meeting, and a city hall meeting, Hailie had the opportunity to offer ideas and make recommendations. At the town hall meeting, the members discussed a particular topic, including disaster relief and teen image issues. She had the benefit to hear from experts in particular fields and city officials discuss their ideas.

In Hailie’s opinion, “the best part of MYC is when we had our Shadow Day. On this day, we were given the chance to shadow our actual council member for the morning and attend a city council meeting in the afternoon. In CM Brown’s office, I got to call the city of Pasadena and ask for copies of their mandates on an issue Brown was interested in researching. Working in his office was such a neat experience.”

ENERGY The Hallmark of Houston

With more than 5,000 energy-related firms, it is easy to understand why Houston is considered by many as the Energy Capital of the world. Since 1901 when oil was first discovered in the Houston area, energy has driven the Houston economy. Our local energy firms range in specialties from exploration to production to oil field services, and these companies also focus on technology-related research and development. Houston also serves as a world leader in the chemical and petrochemical industries, producing 40 percent of the nation’s capacity for the basic chemicals used by downstream operations.

An Inside View of the Oil and Gas Industry

During the senior internship, several students interned at energy companies to learn more about this burgeoning industry in Houston and consider the option of working in this field. Stephen Coddou and Seth Elsenbrook represent two students who gained valuable knowledge from their exposure to this industry.

Stephen Coddou joined the Meridian Resource Corporation for a two-week internship experience that confirmed his decision to pursue a degree in petroleum geosystems engineering at the University of Texas. During the internship, he was introduced to all aspects of the company, including land, production, engineering and geology.

“I think that this experience with Meridian has helped me further understand what petroleum engineers do in relation to geophysics majors in the workforce,” remarks Stephen. In selecting his career path, Stephen has his eyes on the long-term future.

“The petroleum field of work will have many opportunities for a long time due to the

eagle | Page 49 | Summer 2008

recent highs in oil prices and the need for more oil to appease demand.” One of the highlights of Stephen’s internship involved creating a topographic map for the geology department to reveal the geographical characteristics around certain well sites.

Another student vantage point of the oil and gas industry was gleaned by Seth Elsenbrook who learned about the energy business through the business consulting firm of Alvarez and Marsal (A&M). A&M is a global professional services firm that specializes in improving the performance of businesses. During his internship at A&M, Seth was assigned to work for a natural gas exploration and production (E&P) company. Along with a team of consultants, he learned how to analyze the directional drilling category for this energy company. Seth learned about the complex process of extracting natural gas. He also learned about directional drilling, a procedure that allows drilling companies to steer their drill bit as they drill miles underground for natural gas reserves. Seth had the opportunity to work on substantive projects such as conducting a market analysis for directional drilling and assisting the team in their strategic sourcing efforts. Seth’s hard work paid off in the end.

“I was able to expedite the process of creating efficiency in the area of directional drilling for the client,” says Seth. The internship solidified Seth’s career goals. “I hope to work for a business consulting company upon graduation from college. I enjoy the challenge of encountering a complex problem and discovering a solution that yields success,” remarks Seth.

LAW The Scales of Justice

The legal profession continues to boom in Houston with a cadre of top-tier law firms. In fact, Houston annually ranks as one of the top destinations for newly-minted JDs from Texas-based law schools as well as law schools all across the country.

SBS, in turn, plays a role in exposing pre-law students to opportunities in both the public and private sectors. Since the conception of Interim Term, Ruth Dale, yearbook sponsor and AP English teacher, has been initiating students to the world of justice through her Interim Term course, Know Your Justice, which is always a favorite among students. The course offers an impressive array of experiences at the city, county, state and federal levels.

According to Dale, “The purpose of the course is to give students an idea on how criminal justice is handled by society. In particular, we look at criminal law.” To set up the course on the first day, Dale asks students, “What happens if someone is stopped by a police officer and then gets arrested? This week, you will learn exactly what happens from this point forward.” Dale believes that this course is invaluable and exposes the students to “a world of which they have no concept.”

At the city level, students get an insider’s view on how the emergency “911” system functions. Then, they take a visit to the Memorial Park area and complete a personalized tour of the horse stables where the mounted patrol is headquartered and the SWAT team assembles. Students are intrigued to learn about how the police force uses the horses to enforce the law around the city.

eagle | Page 50 | Summer 2008

At the county level, students go into Harris county district court and see the District Attorney’s Office. Sometimes, the DA visits with them. During this year’s visit, they had the opportunity to visit with Judge Mike Schindler, 315th District, and retired Judge Shari Van Pelt, the mother of Holly Brown, an SBS alumna. Judge Jan Proctor spent all morning visiting with the kids and introducing them to various court officers.

At the state level, students visit the Court of Appeals, which hears both criminal and civil cases. Students learn how the judges are elected and what they do there.

Two courts of appeals are located in Houston, the 1st and the 14th. Students are surprised to learn that the courts do not have witnesses or a jury. Instead, decisions are made by a panel of three judges who review briefs.

At the federal level, the class visited the U.S. Marshal’s office and had the chance to speak with Reuben Monzon, appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as the United States Marshal for the Southern District. The group also had the opportunity to visit with two of the judges who were appointed to the federal bench.

Perhaps the most eye-opening experience was spending the morning in one of the three juvenile courts in Harris County, which composes 700 square miles and whose population would rank as #25 if it were a state. Due to this populous county, the judges have an enormous work load. Students are always surprised to learn that in the eyes of the court a 17-year-old can be declared an adult. Most students are awed by the experience.

Aside from the Know Your Justice course, there are other options for SBS seniors to explore in order to gain exposure to the legal field. Senior Sammy Diab got a taste of life in the law firm, and this experience gave him clarity on which career path to take.

Sammy interned in the corporate division of Locke, Lord, Bissell & Liddell. The experience provided him with a comprehensive overview of corporate law. Several partners from this law firm assigned him substantive research projects. One of his projects included updating a U.S. antitrust and retail market compliance guide for a client.

Sammy said, “From drafting a letter destined for an important client in Switzerland to summarizing the histories of potential investors, the tasks I completed gave me a broad understanding of what I can expect from a career in corporate law.”

At one point during the week, Sammy met a candidate running for the position of President of the Bar Association. After a brief conversation, Sammy discovered that this man was a proud graduate of Second Baptist School! “Witnessing a fellow SBS student campaigning for president of the Bar Association was truly inspiring,” says Sammy. “Now, I can hope to follow in his footsteps.” During the internship week, Sammy had the distinct opportunity of attending a Houston Bar Association luncheon where he heard a litigation lawyer speak about competition in the marketplace and anti-trust regulations. With the experience Sammy gained during his internship, he plans to double major in economics and French or Chinese at the University of Texas before attending law school and specializing in international law.

eagle | Page 51 | Summer 2008

Alumni Spotlight

Doug Daniels ’87 Balancing the Legal Scales SBS Alumnus Doug Daniels ’87 makes a significant mark on the Houston legal community as a partner in the Trial Section at Bracewell & Giuliani LLP. After obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Duke University in 1992, he then went on to earn a Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the University of Texas School of Law in 1995.

Daniels is proud to call Houston his hometown and workplace.

In addition to his propensity for debate as a child, Daniels was inspired to become a lawyer due to his passion for helping others have a legal voice in the judicial process. “I always hated to see injustice,” comments Daniels.

“Whether in real life or in stories, I just got mad whenever I saw someone falsely accused or whenever it seemed like the bad guys might be winning, so I decided to be a lawyer.”

As a lawyer, Daniels serves as an inspiration to SBS students who are aspiring lawyers. He represents his alma mater during college day when he has a chance to interact with students as they are making important decisions about where to attend college.

As a trial lawyer, Daniels has a wide variety of cases: “I purposely don’t specialize in any particular kind of case, so I get to learn about a lot of different things, different kinds of business deals, different kinds of technology, different kinds of industry. I like that because the job is never boring, and I get to work with lots of people,” he said.

Additionally, he likes the highly competitive aspect of working as a trial lawyer, “There will always be a winner and a loser in every case, and that makes the job exciting.” However, Daniels never loses sight of the real reason he got into law in the first place: “The truly sublime part of the job is experiencing those times when I’ve been able to make a real difference in the life of a person – a young widow who has lost her husband, a small businessman who has been cheated by a big company, a single mother who has been kicked out of her home by an abusive landlord.

When I’ve had the chance to help someone who really, really needs help, those are the times when I remember why this job is important,” he comments. Daniels’ passion for serving people who need an advocate when facing a giant is truly an inspiration.

Doug and his wife, Jennifer, are both native Houstonians, and their three children are following in their father’s footsteps by attending SBS. Daniels has fond impressions of his experiences as a student of SBS: “The teachers at SBS taught that we were each exceptional and encouraged us to do exceptional things with our lives. That kind of encouragement has given me the confidence to pursue this career and work hard to be the best lawyer I can be, even when the task at hand seems impossibly hard. Beyond that, SBS laid the kind of solid academic foundation I needed in college in order to gain the academic record needed to continue on to law school,” he reflects.

In terms of helping students find their niches in the legal community, Doug advises, “Study hard and treat school like part of your career path. Go to law school with an open mind about what kind of lawyer you want to be and what area of law you want to practice – there are a lot of fascinating and important legal specialties that have nothing to do with the inside of a courtroom. Most of all, make sure you are doing it for the right reasons, not because it seems conventional or glamorous or lucrative, but because it challenges you and interests you.”

His words of wisdom will go a long way in the SBS community where students are devoted to achieving their goals in life. Doug’s career path reminds individuals that one can live out his or her ideology and vision for humanity in the legal marketplace.

eagle | Page 52 | Summer 2008

City of

H

Health Care Houston is synonymous with world-class health care as the home to the Texas Medical Center (TMC), the world’s largest in terms of patient visits and acreage.

The TMC is a 750-acre medical megaplex encompassing 14 hospitals, 2 medical schools and 43 different academic institutions (including the Baylor College of Medicine, MD Anderson Cancer Center, UT-Houston Health Science Center and Rice University, among others). These systems combined employ more than 52,000 people. Collectively, 4.8 million patients visit the TMC each year. Through innovative collaborations between clinicians and researchers, TMC patients receive cutting-edge medical treatment in specialties ranging from cancer to neurology to diabetes to heart disease.

SBS Benefits from the Educational Opportunities Available in the TMC

Genes, cancer, oncogenes, stem cells and tumors were just some of the topics of discussion at the annual Genetics Conference attended by seniors. Led by biology teacher Mary Johnson, SBS AP Biology students have attended this conference for the past 12 years. The speaker, Dr. Sam Rhine, is a professor of genetics from

eagle | Page 53 | Summer 2008

SBS at the Annual Genetics Conference

Indiana and tours the United States presenting the latest genetic information for high school students and their teachers.

Exploring the Medical Field

For seniors Sarah Toups and Daniele White, who both plan to attend medical school, the practice of medicine has a new dimension after an internship with the distinguished Dr. Sean Boutros, an accomplished plastic surgeon in the Texas Medical Center and former student at SBS. Although they do not plan to enter this field of medicine, this shadowing experience provided insights into the demands of medicine and the training necessary for this career. Sarah and Daniele experienced the demanding hours required of a surgeon who spends anywhere from four to 10 hours conducting a surgical procedure.

During the internship, they witnessed a complicated reconstruction surgery that only five surgeons in the U.S. agree to perform on a regular basis. They also saw more routine surgeries like a rhinoplasty performed on a middle-aged woman. During the surgeries, they realized the range of responsibilities required of a surgeon.

“This career is very involved and rigorous, requiring skill, commitment, and interaction with patients,” said Sarah.

Toups realized that even though Hollywood glamorizes medicine, this profession requires a special individual devoted to his or her calling.

“When observed firsthand in a setting that lacks the luster of Hollywood’s depiction, I realized the vital responsibility a doctor has with a patient’s life in his or her hands.” The reality of medicine did not deter Sarah’s dream of becoming a doctor. “Since interning with Dr. Boutros and witnessing surgery, this experience has confirmed my decision to pursue a degree in medicine. I am now more aware of the work and skill required to succeed in this area.”

This experience gave Daniele an even greater admiration for surgeons. “They have incredible wisdom and dexterity that astounds me,” she said. Although Daniele at one point wanted to go into surgery as a specialty, she now has other plans. “I prefer to interact with patients the majority of the time rather than have them under anesthesia,” she explains. The internship confirmed Daniele’s goal of entering the medical field. “I love the medical field, and I plan to become a pediatrician that specializes in infant care.” Daniele hopes to return to the TMC someday and work in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Texas Children’s Hospital.

eagle | Page 54 | Summer 2008

City of

Higher Education

W Rice University

Making a Difference on the University Level

With 17 higher education institutions in the area and the total enrollment reaching towards 320,000 people, Houstonians have access to a wide range of resources and opportunities. Houston has earned a reputation as the “academic center of the Southwest.” With Rice University’s giant leaps in nanotechnology and the University of Houston’s prestigious reputation in hotel and restaurant management, students from around the world flock to Houston’s learning centers.

Annually, the University of Houston hosts Model UN, a club of the Upper School in which students role play a nation at a mock UN with hundreds of other Houston students. They represent their country on a variety of United Nations committees, and this year SBS students represented Cambodia, Peru, Romania and Gabon. By researching their respective countries and observing their voting history within the UN on a variety of problems, SBS students learned how to best represent their countries.

SBS is proud of its many graduates who have pursued degrees in Houston institutions and then poured back into the Houston community through exceptional careers and projects.

eagle | Page 55 | Summer 2008

Houston’s Iron Chef Alumni Spotlight: Lance Warren ‘93 Lance Warren’s success story as a chef is a great testament to the prestigious Hotel and Restaurant Management program at the University of Houston where Lance earned a Bachelor of Science degree. In the classes, he focused on finance, hospitality law, and marketing, among other areas. Even though Lance would have rather been in the kitchen than in the classroom, he knew the importance of a complete education. At the University of Houston, he learned the fundamentals for managing restaurants, but Lance likes to say that he received knowledge about cooking through “the school of hard knocks.” While attending school in the morning, he worked full time in kitchens at night. “I asked many questions, read several books about cooking, and maintained a strong passion for this business,” he said.

For 14 years, Lance has been cooking professionally in the Houston area and has earned himself a spot as a high-profile chef.

His strong passion for food, creativity, and service mentality have contributed to his success. Throughout his career, he has had many magical moments. “I have cooked for several celebrities, traveled widely, and competed in cooking challenges,” he says.

Most impressively, Lance appeared as a chef on the TV show Iron Chef America.

As a chef in Houston, he appreciates living and working in this food capital “because it has so much culture and variety with a Southern charm.” He is grateful for his experience at SBS. According to Lance, “SBS prepared me to face challenges and prevail in areas that I did not think were possible. SBS also offered me a strong spiritual foundation that is essential in life and especially in the life of a chef.”

Now, he enjoys having the opportunity to create, serve, and eat delicious food and mentor the next generation of chefs. He warns people considering this industry that they might have “to peel potatoes and wash pots at a restaurant for one year before attending culinary school….[and] if you still love the industry, try to identify the most suitable restaurant establishment where you can be challenged.” When it comes down to it, according to Lance “you have to have a passion for food and service in order to survive in this career path. The desire for fame and fortune will lead you to disappointment.”

Alumni Spotlight

Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram ‘05

Building a Sustainable Future for Houston As a triple major in health science, vocal performance and studio art at Rice University, Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram somehow found time to launch the Rawfully Organic Produce Co-op that provides produce from local farmers located in surrounding Houston areas. Instead of waiting for graduation to make a difference in her city, she decided there was no better time to start than now.

Kristina’s search for an alternative to buying large quantities of fresh, organic produce led her to the decision to start this co-op in the fall of 2007, a business that has grown quickly. However, her quest for healthful foods began much earlier than this date. Before she left for college, she suffered from symptoms related to hypoglycemia. Her symptoms ranged from fluctuating blood sugar levels to chronic migraines. At this time, she masked the symptoms by taking medicine prescribed by a range of specialists. Yet, the underlying health issue persisted. After being hospitalized for her illness, she visited a health food store in hopes of finding a more natural remedy. As she was looking for sugar-free foods, she met a wellness consultant who explained that the chemicals in sugar-free foods were escalating her condition. At first, Kristina was skeptical of his recommendation to eat raw foods to cure her illness, but she thought she would give it a try. After one day of eating fresh fruits and vegetables, she had energy, and her migraine had subsided. According to Kristina, “it was the beginning of the rest of my life.” After establishing a steady diet, the signs of hypoglycemia were erased from her blood stream, and she shared her new diet with her family.

After awhile, she and her family were consuming so much fresh produce that they recognized a need for an alternative to spending high prices at the local grocery store. “Therefore, I pulled together my resources at the farmer’s markets, and I came in contact with a local and organic distributor to help me start a co-op,” explains Kristina. “Once the co-op began, it was small and sufficient, but I saw a greater need to support local and organic farmers. Most importantly, I recognized a need for better health and nutrition for everyone.”

Kristina’s healthy diet inspires people to participate in her co-op to benefit from a steady supply of fresh, ripe, local and organic produce at a reasonable price. According to Kristina, “eating better has changed my life profoundly on so many levels that I feel it my duty to share this gift with others.” Not only does Kristina’s coop provide access to foods but it also aims to bring awareness about health and environmental issues people in the Houston area. “When we support organic farming, our dollar supports a cause that is sustainable and healthy,” she explains.

Back in October, Kristina may have tapped into a significant market opportunity. With escalating food prices and the rapid rise in other agricultural commodities, Kristina’s entry into lower cost, higher quality local produce market was quite a prescient move. Many grocers are now turning to local farmers for produce to keep produce costs down for consumers.

In order to learn more about Rawfully Organic Produce Co-op, you may contact Kristina at Kristina.bucaram@gmail.com.

eagle | Page 56 | Summer 2008

City of

Professional Sports

H

Houston has professional teams representing football, baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, soccer, and AHL hockey. Being a sports enthusiast in Houston is easy with so many professional sports teams from which to choose. Boasting two hightech sporting facilities for one of the best sports viewing experiences in the country, Houston offers the sports enthusiast a taste of luxury.

SBS Athletes Featured in Houston Chronicle

Seniors Lexy Bennett and Ross Seaton earned the titles of “Athlete of the Week” as determined by the Houston Chronicle. The newspaper reviews athletes at all Houston-area high schools and chooses one boy and one girl outstanding athlete to spotlight each week. Lexy was named athlete of the week for her outstanding performance at bat and in the infield. Next year, Bennett will continue her softball career at the University of Texas. Ross Seaton earned athlete of the week for excelling on the mound as the pitcher for the baseball team. In fact, Seaton has committed to continue his baseball career at Tulane University next year. “Every time he’s in the lineup, he’s an impact player. He can change games at the plate or on the mound,” said Jeff Schroeder, Varsity baseball coach. Sophomore softball pitcher Kendall Stiefel was also recognized by the Houston Chronicle as one of the best athletes of the week for striking out 53 batters in 28 innings.

Aside from these outstanding athletes, other SBS athletic teams have received generous coverage in the Houston Chronicle due to their outstanding seasons.

Recently, the track and field team was honored, in addition to the softball and baseball teams. eagle | Page 57 | Summer 2008

Promoting the Houston Texans

Alumni Spotlight: Glen Oskin ’01

After graduating with a B.A. in communications from Baylor University in 2005 and a M.S. in Education in Sports Management from Baylor in 2006, Glen Oskin landed a stellar job as Client Services Coordinator for the Houston Texans. In this capacity, his day-to-day function involves the execution of sponsorship accounts, including promotions, advertising and marketing among other things. According to Oskin, the most exciting aspect of his job with the Texans is “that every day there is something different because I deal with close to 40 individual sponsors on a daily basis, and most of them have different ideas, goals, target demographics, and business models.” An added plus of his career is that his role with the Texans does not require him to be in front of a computer all day.

Houston’s Professional Sports Teams Aeros American Hockey League Champs Astros National League Champions Comets Four time WNBA Champs Dynamo MLS Cup Champions Energy Three-time Women’s Professional Football League Champs Rockets Two-time NBA Champs Texans The NFL’s youngest expansion team

“My boss is a firm believer in relationship building and sustaining connections, which motivates us to be in front of the client rather than on the other end of the phone or computer,” he said.

Glen is proud to work with a reputable sports organization: “The Houston Texans are a first class organization with high expectations for its employees. We are pushed every day to be the most respected and most valued professional sports franchise in the world.”

Glen considers the fans to be the first and foremost priority of the Houston Texans. “Without our dedicated fans in the city of Houston, we would not have an NFL team,” claims Glen. “We have sold out every game in Houston Texans history, which is currently at 60 consecutive sell outs. Hopefully, after the 2008 season, we will be able to say 70 straight sell outs with 10 home games in 2008. Fans are considered the lifeline of any professional sports team.”

Additionally, involvement in the Houston community is a priority for this NFL team. “The Houston Texans pride themselves on giving back to the community that has supported us over the years. Through ownership, players, sponsors, and the Houston Texans Foundation, we have a lot of resources with an initiative to be involved in the community,” said Glen.

Living Out his Passion on the Baseball Diamond

Alumni Spotlight: Russell Dixon ‘04

For Russell Dixon, his childhood dream of playing professional baseball has come true. Talented, dedicated, and motivated, this star baseball player knows what it takes to build the foundations under his dreams. Baseball has always been Dixon’s sport

eagle | Page 58 | Summer 2008

for as long as he can remember. “Starting when I was about 10 years old, I played year round travel baseball until I got to high school. My parents were always extremely supportive of my baseball career, yet they never pushed me or forced me to do any more than I wanted to do,” Russell said.

As a baseball player for SBS, Dixon played infield and contributed to the team’s successes. Before graduating from SBS, the head baseball coach from Auburn University recruited him to play second base at Auburn. However, this same coach was replaced by a new coach by the time Dixon arrived at Auburn. This new coach placed him in outfield, but Dixon’s impressive talents as a player enabled him to play left field and designated hitter as a freshman and right field as a sophomore. Set back by a thumb injury in an intrasquad game a week before his junior year, Dixon missed his entire junior year, yet this hiatus from playing ball did not deter him from pursuing his dream. “I believe the fact that I was still drafted by the Astros in the seventh round was entirely God’s doing,” he claims.

During the summer of 2007, Dixon was drafted by the Astros. He is currently playing his first full season and living out his dream to play pro ball.

“It has been my dream ever since I started playing baseball to play in the big leagues one day,” he remarks. He occasionally plays second base but spends most of his time in right field. Dixon is enjoying the life of a professional baseball player.

Currently, he is on the road for seven day stretches followed by some days at home for practice. With a batting average hovering around .300, Dixon’s season is off to a great start.

An added bonus to playing pro ball is the opportunity for Dixon to play for his hometown baseball team. “I like playing for the Astros for a lot of reasons,” he explains. “Obviously, playing for your hometown team is exciting since I was born and raised in Houston.” Additionally, he appreciates the high expectations held by the management of the Astros. “I like how our organization is run. There is an emphasis on player character and integrity, not just talent. I like the fact that I have a great opportunity to move quickly through the minors and get to the big leagues in our organization. I also like the positive feedback the Astros give me. I feel that they want me to get to the big leagues quickly.”

In five years, Dixon knows exactly what he hopes to be doing, yet he is enjoying the experience of his first season with the Astros. “I am very thankful and excited for the opportunity that I have at hand. I firmly believe that my career is completely in God’s hands and there is no doubt in my mind that if it is His will for me to play in the big leagues, it is going to happen,” he said. The SBS community is proud of Dixon and its other distinguished alumni.

Expressions of Self: An Exhibit of the

Visual

Arts

artwork by LS Art Teacher Kimberly Hystad

Over the last decade, SBS has placed 1st at TAPPS state art competition four times.

The Second Baptist School Art Department offers students many experiences in different media and art techniques, providing numerous opportunities for successful self-expression. Annually, several exhibits reveal stunning talent and thoughtful expressions from the SBS students.

In November, SBS sponsors the Fine Arts Showcase where parents, students, and faculty have the opportunity to view the impressive works of art produced by the SBS Arts Program. The Independent Study Show in December displays art work in the library for students from Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School to enjoy. Art students also have the opportunity to contribute works to the Rodeo Arts Contest where works by many SBS students have been recognized. The year concludes with a Spring Art Show. Collectively, these shows cover a wide range of two and three dimensional work in various media.

eagle | Page 59 | Summer 2008

A

rtists Who Teach at SBS

Second Baptist School is blessed to have gifted artists teaching students how to hone their skills and craft their works. After learning the impressive credentials of these art teachers, it is no surprise that SBS does so well at TAPPS. Over the last decade, SBS has placed 1st at TAPPS state art competition four times.

Upper School

After earning a B.A. in art education, Linda Parker obtained an M.A. in art

by US Art Teacher Linda Parker

education at the University of Texas at Austin where she specialized in pottery and photography. Her main area of interest lies in doing ceramic sculptures. She also enjoys doing mix-medium drawing and 3D photo assemblages. One of her favorite projects to do with students is taking photos and assembling those in a found object box.

For over 22 years, her passion for art and dedication to photography have inspired countless students to pursue eagle | Page 60 | Summer 2008

degrees and careers in the visual arts.

Over the course of her career, she has attended numerous conferences in her respective fields of art.

Leah Shepard holds a BFA in studio art with an emphasis in ceramics from Sam Houston State University and received certification for teaching secondary school. During college, she studied under Margaret Bohls, a nationally recognized ceramic artist who had a great influence on Leah’s personal style and approach to clay.

By US Art Teacher Leah Shepard

more practice I have making art, the larger my opportunity is to inspire and instruct my students effectively.”

Lower School

According to Leah, “I enjoy working with sterling silver and semi-precious stones, but my main interest is in the area of ceramics. Most of my pieces are in the form of functional containers with a turn towards the sculptural.”

As a member of the National Council for the Education of Ceramic Arts, Leah has attended annual conferences. With approximately 4,000 members, the main goal of the organization is to create greater public awareness in regards to the ceramic arts. Leah has attended numerous workshops and conferences around the country.

“In order to stimulate my own creative interests and to continue growing as an artist myself, I try to make it to a couple of workshops each year,” she said. Most recently, she attended a workshop at Santa Fe Clay in New Mexico where she learned alternative surface treatments using fabric dye, metals, paper, acrylic paints, glue and other substances not typically used on clay vessels.

Middle School

Amy Glasscock earned a double major in studio art and advertising at the University of Texas at Austin. During her free time, she makes oil paintings of mostly landscapes that are similar to the German Expressionist style. Amy records her progress with each painting on her website where she houses an online gallery. You may view her works at http://www.amyglasscock.com/.

According to Amy, God has called her to be an artist. “At first I didn’t really know exactly what that meant. What is it to be an artist and how can I be obedient to God in the calling? So, I start with the obvious. To be an artist you have to make art. So I make it a priority in my life to keep doing it, even if it is just for a little time each day, and sometimes even if I don’t feel like it,” she explains.

Staying active as an artist and sharing her passion with her students remain priorities for Amy: “On occasion I am able to show my students my artistic process and how I make my paintings by showing them examples on my website or bringing my paintings to class. To be able to teach them how to mix a color or shade an object, I have to be able to do it myself and articulate how I do it. So, the

Kim Hystad studied art at Oklahoma Baptist University and specialized in Art Education PK-12. She enjoys doing colored pencil and watercolor.

According to Hystad, “continuing to make my own art is important to me because I feel that I need to challenge myself artistically, just as I challenge my students. I enjoy going to the MFAH to see their exhibitions and learn how I can incorporate those works of art into my classroom.”

by LS Art Teacher Kimberly Hystad

Through Hystad’s instruction, students receive art enrichment on a regular basis. The children use a variety of media and techniques. Color study is a main focus throughout the year.

Famous artists are studied and their techniques copied to provide a myriad of experiences. This year, students created a variety of projects, including rodeo bulls, clay self portraits, paintings of Monet’s garden, their own version of Van Gogh’s Starry Night, and metal knights in shining armor.

by MS Art Teacher Amy Glasscock

eagle | Page 61 | Summer 2008

by Davison Crake

by Olga Chavanelle

by Bailey Jones

by Daniele White

Art

by Alec Buestring

by Serena Hudson

by Elizabeth Sekaly

by SBS Students

by Jorge Cruz

by Sarah Adams

by Rhoda Smith

by Morgan williamson

by Lauren Rogers

by Stephanie Biediger

by Jennifer Graves

eagle | Page 62 | Summer 2008

Pitman Exhibition Features Works

by SBS Alumna Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram ‘05 Kristina was one of three visual and dramatic arts students selected to feature their work in the Mavis C. Pitman Exhibition, a competitive group show designed to place the works of Rice students in prominent places. She was awarded $1,300 to develop a body of work for the exhibition. Many visitors enjoyed seeing her work displayed at the Rice Media Center in March and April.

Kristina sculpted five large pots that resemble heavy sacks, which represented each member of her family. She titled it “Sacks of Emotion Filled with Gold.” Below, Kristina describes the meaning of this powerful piece of art work.

Sacks of Emotion Filled with Gold

People easily mistake their sad or intense emotions for burdensome. Even society does not encourage individuals to embrace their deep or stressed emotions, and it promotes the “don’t worry, be happy” cliché that only causes people to ignore, to reject or to hate what exciting emotions may be going on inside of them. These emotions do not have to be burdensome or “bad;” rather, I consider them growth opportunities to learn about ourselves, about others, and about our experiences in life. What appears to be overwhelming and drive you nuts easily becomes a wonderful lesson learned. These frustrating experiences can bring about gratitude.

For this Pittman exhibition, I have hand sculpted five large pots that resemble heavy sacks. Each sack represents a member in my family. Each sack also embodies the emotions that exist in one of my family members. These feelings can be both uplifting feelings as well as stressful and confused feelings. However, in my family, we all tend to dwell more on our negative emotions because we can drive ourselves crazy with these sentiments at times. The large-scale pots are approximately three feet tall and one and a half feet wide, and each of them is unique in their form and shape just as the members in my family contain their own body, personality, and emotions. The large scale of the pieces symbolizes the magnitude in which all the members feel our emotions; we all believe for them to be very intense. They were hand sculpted using a coiling, rolling, and smoothing technique. They were glazed in a gas kiln at a cone 6 firing using natural colors.

I have decided to entitle the pieces “Sacks of Emotion Filled with Gold” to denote that these emotions are growth opportunities for the entire family. The title reveals that each person in my family is on an emotional journey with treasures inside to be found. The gold lies within. The emotions we feel are heavy or burdens are actually sacks of gold waiting for us to discover.

These pieces relate to everyone as a reminder that everyone’s intense emotion can become a growth opportunity. The feelings can become a way to not only get to know yourself better, but also to be able to improve yourself and your circumstances or surroundings. Each of us can find a journey in discovering what is really going on inside of us. The treasure in the end can only be gold. eagle | Page 63 | Summer 2008

Class of 2008 Senior Academic & Service Awards Senior Servant Award

The Servant Award is unique. It is the only award given that is not voted on by faculty or a committee but by the students themselves.

The Servant Award is given to the young man and young woman in each grade level that is truly exhibiting the character of Christ in their daily lives. These students are living the Christ life on the field, on the stage, in the classroom –in each area of their lives.

Christina Hayes epitomizes Christian leadership in every endeavor she undertakes. As the junior and senior class chaplain, she has served as a Christian role model. Her enthusiastic spirit for life has inspired others to follow Christ. She has modeled the verse from Matthew 5:16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” At the last chapel service of the year, Christina shared a special message about the value of recognizing our God-given gifts in the body of Christ. Then, she explained how this concept describes Second Baptist School. She encouraged students to appreciate diversity as they pursue individual gifts. During spring break, she served on a mission trip to Mexico.

Christina will attend Baylor University in the fall.

Scott Turnage has set a godly example throughout his journey at SBS. He has demonstrated the verse Romans 12:10: “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor.” Involved with the Jump Team for several years, he has had the opportunity to minister to thousands of young people through music and songs. At the last chapel service of the year, Scott shared wisdom about how much God cares about the specific needs of each person.

To illustrate this point, he told the historical story about a man who brought the sparrow to America. Even though this bird became the most common bird in America, the Bible says that God cares about even the sparrow. He challenged each student to give all that you have to God. Scott will attend Mississippi State in the fall.

Coca-Cola Scholar

Coca-Cola Scholarships are awarded based on character, personal merit, and commitment. Out of an original 80,000 applicants, 250 finalists are selected based on their applications and recommendations.

Each finalist completes an interview process in Atlanta for National Scholar. A Regional Scholar receives a $10,000 scholarship, and the National Scholar prize of $20,000. SBS is proud of our regional scholarship recipient, Chris Seewald. He received a $10,000 scholarship to college.

National Merit Commended Scholar

Of the 1.4 million students who take the PSAT, 34,000 Commended students whose scores are slightly below those required for semifinalist standing are recognized for their efforts.

Carter Deutsch Carter Fine Brock Havard Parker Jensen

eagle | Page 64 | Summer 2008

A.J. Munoz Lauren Rogers Chris Seewald Christina Tripp

Of the 1.4 million student who took the PSAT, only 16,000 across the country were named Semi-Finalists. In order to advance, Semi-finalists become Finalists by submitting a detailed scholarship application documenting their academic performance. Finalists represent the top 1% of all those who took the PSAT.

National Merit Finalists

John Benjamin Caroline Dinges Ross Seaton The Science Club scholarships are awarded to graduating seniors who have contributed to the advancement of science through independent research, participating in science competitions, and choosing sciencebased fields of study.

Science Club Scholars

Xeris Gregory Sammy Diab Ross Seaton The Golden Eagle Award goes to the senior boy and senior girl that best exemplifies what any coach would like to see all of his or her athletes to model themselves after. The recipients exhibit excellence without arrogance in the competitive arena regardless of their level of talent, a willingness to push themselves beyond what is expected, and demonstrate sportsmanship, servanthood, and godly leadership to their peers.

Christiana Blades has exhibited excellence through all that she has pursued at Second Baptist School. She has participated in cross country, soccer, and track and field during her years at SBS, amassing several individual awards at the district and state level along the way. She is a quiet leader who has led by example in all aspects of her life at SBS. The greatest satisfaction that she has received from her accomplishments has been the recognition by her peers, her coaches, and her teachers for a job well done. She has demonstrated the type of balance that SBS wants our student athletes to possess. She has excelled in the classroom, the arena of competition, and has found time to be an editor on the yearbook staff.

She will be attending Baylor next fall.

Ross Seaton has demonstrated leadership in all areas of his involvement at Second Baptist School. As a National Merit Finalist and member of the Honor Roll, his academic success has been outstanding.

He has been a member of the baseball team since attending SBS. As president of Student Council, his leadership abilities are palpable to the student body, but unassuming. He is foremost a godly young man who has taken to heart the role model that he has become to all of the younger athletes. He has signed a letter of intent to attend Tulane University where he plans to continue his baseball career. Whatever direction that this young man chooses, his intention to be a positive role model and a model citizen will remain firm.

eagle | Page 65 | Summer 2008

Golden Eagle Award

Soaring Eagle Award

The Soaring Eagle Award is presented to the senior boy and senior girl that have deeply enriched the Fine Arts Department and the Second Baptist School community with their God-given talents. Over their four year Upper School career, these students have been artistically and successfully involved in multiple areas of the fine arts, while humbly accepting their leadership roles from their peers and inspiring them to creatively soar.

Leslie Garza is an inspiration to other students for her commitment to music and academics. She is a four-year member of choir, a committed cast member in Hello, Dolly!, Guys & Dolls, and Good News. She is a member of the National Honors Society, active in photography, a strong student in A.P. Music Theory. She has designed layouts for the literary magazine, Captive Flames, and some of her writing has been published in this magazine. Leslie exhibits passion for the fine arts program at SBS and encourages other students to become involved. Her leadership has had a ripple effect through the Fine Arts Department.

Scott Turnage is a servant leader. As a member of the Eagle Band for six years and a part of the instrumental program since fifth grade, his dedication to the Fine Arts Program has been felt for many years. He has modeled an in-depth commitment to his passion for music. As Drum Major for the Eagle Band, he received a Superior One Rating for his solo performance on Trumpet at the district TAPPS competition.

He has performed in the musical orchestra for Hello, Dolly!, and Good News. He is a member of the National Honor Society.

Honor Roll

The Honor Roll is the highest academic honor given to a student at Second Baptist School. To qualify, the student must be taking six or more graded courses and earn a 4.0 GPA or better.

Tamer Barazi Stephanie Biediger Sinya Chang Stephen Coddou Sammy Diab Carter Fine Christina Hayes Sarah Holland Lauren Rogers

Class of 2008 Lifers

eagle | Page 66 | Summer 2008

Ross Seaton Chris Seewald Elizabeth Sekaly Meagan Smith Sarah Toups Christina Tripp David Velez Kaylin Zeren

John Benjamin Ryan Camperchioli Dalton Dominy Brian Elders Seth Elsenbrook Carter Fine Ashley Gibson Xeris Gregory Brock Havard Parker Jensen Lauren Rogers Christopher Seewald Elizabeth Sekaly Meagan Smith Caroline Suffield Sarah Toups Scott Turnage Daniel Tyler Morgan Williamson Kaylin Zeren

Class of 2008 Acceptances

Amherst College Auburn University Austin College Baylor University Belmont University Boston University Carnegie Mellon University Centre College Clemson University College of Charleston Colorado School of Mines Columbia University – School of Engineering and Applied Science Dallas Baptist University Drew University Eckerd College Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – FL Emory University Florida Southern College Goucher College Hendrix College Houston Baptist University Howard Payne University Indiana University at Bloomington Liberty University Louisiana State University Loyola University New Orleans Miami University, Oxford Middlebury College Millsaps College Mississippi State University Northwestern University Oklahoma City University Quinnipiac University Rice University Samford University Southern Methodist University Southwestern University St. Edward’s University Stanford University Texas A&M University Texas A&M University, Galveston Texas Christian University Texas State University – San Marcos Texas Tech University The University of Alabama The University of Texas, Austin The University of Texas, Dallas Trinity University Tulane University University of Chicago University of Georgia University of La Verne University of Mississippi University of Missouri Columbia University of Oklahoma University of Richmond University of South Carolina University of Southern California University of Tennessee, Knoxville University of Tulsa University of Virginia Vanderbilt University Wake Forest University Washington and Lee University Williams College Yale University

eagle | Page 67 | Summer 2008

h e second annual EagleFest was a huge T success as the SBS community gathered together to celebrate SBS and raise money for the Faculty Endowment Fund.

After more than a year of planning, and the involvement about 200 volunteers, the SBS family enjoyed a day filled with a parade, field games, family picnic lunch, variety show, carnival, powder puff games and two auctions.

To open up the day, the entire student body participated in a parade through the field to the sound of bagpipes and cheering from the overflowing stands.

The Pre-K students held the hands of the seniors or enjoyed a piggy back ride as they led the students onto the field to begin the games. Each grade level then participated in a fun field game, followed by the announcement of the spirit champion for the 2008-2009 school year.

Congratulations to the GOLD team! After Dr. Jacobsen made this announcement, students and their families enjoyed a Chick-Fil-A picnic lunch while watching the variety show. During the variety show, entertainment was provided by the drumline, the Wizard of Oz cast from the Middle School fall musical and the Good News cast from the Upper School musical. After lunch, a drawing was held for free tuition for the 2008-2009 school year! An afternoon followed of carnival games, a silent auction and an online auction. Overall, the day was a tremendous success as the SBS family joined together to celebrate their beloved teachers!

“I love seeing the smiles on the children’s faces as they enter the parking lot to begin the field events. As we lined up with our class, hearing the excitement and looks of wonder on each face I said a prayer of thanks for bringing us to this special place of the school year. The banners all beginning our lines and the honor of carrying a flag was felt strongly by the ones selected to the job,” said Ruth Ann Jones, second grade teacher.

“My precious class prayed for this day all during the year. We prayed for safety on the fields and we prayed for a perfect weather day! Rain was scheduled, but my class of 2nd graders knew the Lord would honor their prayers. He did hear the prayers of His children. It was a perfect weather day!”

A special thanks to the EagleFest executive committee and the hundreds of volunteers that made this day possible.

The executive committee included: Dawn Trozzo – general chairman Beth Lee – underwriting chairman April DiCecco – auction chairman Terri Hugenard – field events chairman Leigh Tomforde – carnival chairman Joy Johnson – secretary Lisa Zook – past chairman

EagleFest Grandparent’s Valentine Breakfast

More than 100 Lower and Middle School grandparents joined their grandchildren for a special Valentine breakfast. During the program, grandparents visited with their grandchildren and learned about their important role in making the 2nd Annual EagleFest a success. EagleFest Chair Dawn Trozzo and Underwriting Chair Beth Lee spoke to the audience about becoming members of Legacy Lane. With a contribution to Legacy Lane, the highlight of the morning came when grandparents had the opportunity to take a professional photo with their grandchild. The photographs were placed in a prominent place on Legacy Lane and contributed to the strong legacy within the Second Baptist School Endowment.

Additionally, an announcement was made promoting the grandparent’s lounge during EagleFest – a place for grandparents to enjoy the inside excitement of the day with their families.

EagleFest Earns Record Breaking Proceeds

The Office of Advancement is pleased to announce that EagleFest 2008 raised more than $590,000! This money goes towards the Faculty Endowment Fund, which provides for teachers’ salary increases and their retirement fund. This money will allow Second Baptist School to recruit and retain the best teachers and staff to prepare our students for a promising future.

A special thank you to the hundreds of parent volunteers that made this day possible. We are already looking ahead to the third annual EagleFest on April 3, 2009. eagle | Page 68 | Summer 2008

eagle | Page 69 | Summer 2008

from the

Archives

T

he Parade of Presidents

“The presidents are coming, the presidents are coming,” is a call that has been heard around the halls of the lower school for years. Each February

the second grade classes present the Parade of Presidents for their lower school peers, parents, and grandparents. The entire school looks forward to the day and dresses in red, white, and blue.

The study of U.S. Presidents and First Ladies has taken place for years in the second grade. Linda Linder remembers her daughter Stephanie drawing a portrait and writing a report on Andrew Jackson which was presented in the classroom.

She wore a costume to look like the president’s wife, Rachel, and that was over twenty years ago! Rita Herring has had three children assume the role of a President or First Lady.

No one knows how many years ago the tradition began, but we do know that it moved from the classroom to the Hankamer Chapel, where presidential reports were read, and then 17 years ago the parade went “big time”. Parents were invited and the parade moved to the Old Sanctuary. After the program, a reception was held in the old library on the first

floor of the Jane Elder building. Students brought cookies and Sprite to share. Realizing the success of the program, other grade levels joined in and developed programs of their own.

Grandparents’ Day was born, and the receptions moved to the Deacon’s Parlor.

Now the Parade of Presidents is not only the culmination of the second grade study, but is also a wonderful tribute to our veterans who have answered their country’s call. The patriotic songs sung by the second graders often bring tears to the eyes of those in the audience.

To enhance the study, the activity class teachers teach skills that build on information taught in the classroom. The computer teacher offers websites where information can be found and games can be played, the music teacher teaches and directs the music for the program, and the art teacher instructs the students in portrait drawing. The end product is a day where everything comes together in a great celebration that not only honors our country’s leaders, past and present, but also reinforces the spirit of patriotism for our students and their families.

eagle | Page 70 | Summer 2008

eagle | Page 71 | Summer 2008

Alumni

Second Annual Alumni Speaker Series Second Generation Breakfast Flight Night/Alumni Basketball game Dallas Alumni Reception

children had fun together. At the end, everyone gathered to take a group picture.

Alumni in attendance included: Doug Daniels, Holly Brown, Shari and Brant Durrett, Kimberly Thode, Becca Schwinger, Mary White, Amelia De Los Santos, Paige Weidner, Scott Sage, Justin Griffin, Julie Whitehurst, Dawn Trozzo and Cindy Blades.

Flight Night/ Alumni Basketball Game/ ‘97 Team Recognition

Second Annual Alumni Speaker Series

Second Baptist School’s second annual Alumni Speaker Series occurred in the Upper School on Friday, January 18, and was a tremendous success. The series highlighted outstanding SBS Alumni and gave them the opportunity to share their accomplishments and give advice to the Upper School students.

This program drew in a variety of professionals to visit and meet with students and faculty and share their stories of hard work, perseverance, and achievement in their careers. This interaction among students, faculty, and alumni promotes the pursuit of professional advancement and sets a foundation for the ambitious goals of many students. New to the program this year was the addition of a college senior who hosted a question and answer session with the students to give them further insight into the college experience.

The Speaker Series started with a luncheon honoring the seven speakers and was hosted by the Office of Alumni Relations.

Teachers felt tremendously rewarded

to see the faces of former students and hear about their adventures, accomplishments, and accolades after graduating from SBS. This year’s participants included: Dr. Mohammad Etminan, ‘87, orthopedic surgeon; Lance Warren, ‘93, executive chef; Mitch Little, ‘97, attorney; Josh Moore, ’01, entrepreneur, record producer and songwriter; Lauren Ashkar, ‘02, PR assistant account executive; Catherine Blackburn Frazier, ’02, press assistant for Gov. Rick Perry; and Emily Pruet, ‘04, senior at Texas A&M University.

More than 50 alumni returned to Second Baptist School for a fun-filled night of basketball. SBS welcomed back the 1997 State Championship Boys Basketball team, along with their coach, Eric Nelson. The winning team was recognized before the Varsity boy’s game.

The annual Alumni Basketball game was a lot of fun! Nineteen alumni basketball players made up the blue and white teams. They played hard for the two twenty minute halves and the final score, with a little

Second Generation Breakfast

Alumni enjoyed their experiences at Second Baptist School so much that they have now provided the opportunity for their own children to be Eagles. To recognize and gather these alumni, the Office of Alumni Relations hosted a Second Generation Breakfast for all alumni who currently have students enrolled at the School. The breakfast was a tremendous success as more than 40 people attended before the start of the school day. The alumni and their children enjoyed breakfast, received fun giveaways, and visited while their

eagle | Page 72 | Summer 2008

adjustment, was blue team: 117 and white team: 116. The players on the white team included: Eugene Kim ‘07, Bryant Palmerton ‘05, Jeremy Donalson ‘97, Ced Burgher ‘05, Joey Dunn ‘07, Bobby Salehl, Justin Kates ‘99, Glenn January ‘02, Patrick

Whereare they now?

M ark your Calendars!

Reunion Weekend September 12-13, 2008

Alumni Basketba ll Game/Flight N ight Januar y 9, 2009 Alumni Booth at EagleFest April 3, 2009

Richard ‘88 and Franz Williams ‘96.

The players on the winning blue team included: Andrew Jobe ‘06, Jack Burgher ‘06, Ricky Johnson ‘06, Tyler Bambrick ‘06, Drake Dominy ‘06, Luke Chauvin ‘88, Jack Adams ‘06, Kyle O’Brien ‘06 and Chris McInturff ‘97.

Facebook

In order to reach out to more alumni, the Office of Alumni Relations now has a presence on Facebook, the online social networking community. With over 250 friends, we are growing more by the day. Simply search “Eagle Alums” to be our friend and keep up to date with events going on at the School. You can also view photos, submit new information and connect with former classmates.

Dallas Alumni Reception

On Friday, April 25 alumni in the Dallas area gathered together for a time of fellowship and dinner. Everyone enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with old friends and meet new people. Alumni attending the dinner included: Tanya Pessarra Phelps ‘89, Amy Redding Tempelmeyer ’89, Peyton Millinor ‘94, Robin Mowry ‘94, Brian Oley ’94, Dan Finnell ’96, Rachel Wagner ‘96, and Mitch Little ‘97. Look for emails about more events in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Opportunities exist year-round for alumni to gather together. Networking lunches are very popular as well as heading back to campus for the annual Spring Fine Arts Show. If you would like to initiate an alumni event in your area, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 713.365.2483.

I

n Mary McCulloch White’s case, the answer is not very far! She is currently a first grade teacher at Second Baptist School and loves it. She and her husband, Brad White, also have two children attending SBS. Their daughter Allison just finished third grade and their son Ben just completed kindergarten.

When she isn’t teaching or spending time with her family, Mary can be found at Houston Baptist University pursuing her Master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. She is scheduled to graduate in August.

While a student at SBS, Mary became the school’s very first National Merit Scholar, which is one of the highest honors a high school student can receive. After graduating from SBS, she attended Baylor University.

“Baylor isn’t a big school, but for me it was,” she said. “My Tri Delta pledge class was larger than my SBS graduating class.”

After Baylor, Mary worked as a newspaper reporter and public relations professional before finding her calling as an elementary teacher.

“I really believe that lower school sets the tone for a child’s entire academic life,” she said. “You can’t start too early to help a child develop a love of learning or an appreciation for their own unique learning styles. If you wait until middle school or upper school, it is too late.”

Mary believes that SBS has changed since the 1980’s but that some important things have remained the same.

“Beginning in fourth grade and ending my senior year, I was blessed to have teachers who invested in my mental, physical, and spiritual growth,” she said. “My teachers, without fail, loved the Lord Jesus Christ. I was, and continue to be, touched and inspired by their lives and examples.”

– Mary McCulloch White ‘83

eagle | Page 73 | Summer 2008

Alumni Updates Class of 1983

Charles Bacarisse has just accepted the position of Vice President for Advancement at Houston Baptist University. He will oversee alumni affairs, church relations, development, and university communications.

Class of 1988

Helen Smith Todora is still happily living in Forth Worth with her husband and their three wonderful kids – Robert (9), Harrison (6) and Vivian (3).

Class of 1993

Mark Stouse recently attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland as a delegate and participant. He is serving as a member of the Strategy and Government Affairs Committee of the Forum’s prestigious Board of IT Governors, with a specialization in Sustainability and Green IT. He also has been appointed as a delegate to the G-8 Summit in Tokyo. He continues to serve BMC Software as the leader of the company’s global communications organization, which includes all analyst, press and executive visibility activity around the world. He and his wife Debbie have two children – Alexander and Christian, ages 3 and 1.

Alex (sitting on sofa); Amy Connelly Cain ‘88 and her children (L to R) Bryce, Brennan and Shane; (top) Sarah Tomlinson Robertson ‘88

Class of 1985

Class of 1989

Laura Bailey Rogers recently rode in the Frisco-Fort Worth MS 150 for the second year. She took up biking in order to make a difference for a worthy cause. She lives in Katy with her husband, who is an attorney for BP, and their two kids.

Class of 1986

Joseph McReynolds Joseph McReynolds and members of his family attended the 50th anniversary of the John L. McReynolds Middle School on February 7. Pictured (from left) are his father Bland McReynolds, guest speaker Former First Lady Barbara Bush, and Joseph.

recently moved to the West University area of town and are settled in their new home. They are planning a trip to Hyderabad, India, in October, for an assessment of a charity school for indigent children that Asif ’s grandmother started.

Marlo Turner Wise and her husband Paul joyfully welcomed their twin girls on January 2, 2008. The girls are Vivian Claire Wise and Elizabeth Chavanne Wise.

s Jim Tomlinson ‘92 and his son

Shiho Tai is living in Taipei, Taiwan, where he has been the owner of a trading company for three years and also teaches Japanese. Shiho resides in Taipei with his wife Julia, who he wed in 2000. Together, they have a 2-yearold son.

Class of 1990

Majid Basit will be moving back to Houston in July and will be practicing interventional cardiology in the medical center area. He and his wife, Amina, have an 18-month-old daughter Zainab and welcomed a new son in May.

Vivian Claire Wise and Elizabeth Chavanne Wise

Class of 1994

Lucian Bukowski became engaged to Sommer Walden recently in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. They are getting married on September 6, 2008 at Second Baptist Church. They will live in Houston.

Lucian Bukowski

Class of 1992

Asif Ali is entering his second year of cardiology fellowship at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. His wife Nina Ali, M.D. is a faculty member in the OBGYN department at Baylor College of Medicine. They have an 18-monthold daughter, Nadia, and a four and a half year old daughter, Nylah. They’ve

eagle | Page 74 | Summer 2008

Lindsay Johnson Marsh, ‘94 and Shannon Johnson Avis, ‘97 ran both the Half Marathon and Full Marathon at Walt Disney World in Orlando on January 12 and 13. Lindsay completed the Half Marathon in her personal best time of one hour and 52 minutes. By

completing both races, they received the third medal, called the Goofy Challenge. This was Shannon’s first marathon and Lindsay’s fifth.

Lillian Claire Browning

Lindsay Johnson Marsh & Shannon Johnson Avis

short-term engineering design project for the pharmaceutical company Novartis. Carole is completing her diploma studies from the Wine and Spirits Educational Trust, based in London, where she travels monthly to attend classes. On the weekends, Carole and Elgin visit nearby European cities. Additionally, Carole takes daily German classes and weekly French classes in Basel.

Class of 1997

Rossa Ferrada got married on May 17, 2008, to Ryan Kelly in Houston.

After the honeymoon, they moved Brian Oley was inducted into Southern Methodist University’s 2007-2008 class of Omnicron Delta Tau, an international honor society for economics. He was also selected as one of 23 students at SMU (out of 11,000 students) to Who’s Who Among College and University Students.

Brian was also selected to serve on St. Jude’s Next Generation Committee, a leadership program created to benefit St. Jude Children’s Hospital. The committee exclusively targets young professionals who will work closely with the Board of Directors to increase fundraising efforts at the hospital.

Additionally, he was selected to serve on The Real Estate Council’s (TREC) 2008 Research and Development Committee, whose responsibilities include researching grant requests referred by technical assistance teams working with nonprofit organizations and then to assess the organization’s alignment with the TREC Foundation’s mission and goals for grant approval.

Class of 1996

Tom Browning and his wife Adrianne welcomed Lillian Claire Browning into the world on February 15, 2008. She joins big sister Abby.

Kirk and Amanda Craig welcomed Chloe Helen Craig on March 27, 2008. Big brother Elijah (5 years old) and big sister Sophia (3 years old) are thrilled to have a new baby sister.

Rossa Ferrada Chloe Helen Craig Amy Alberty Palmer and her husband Brent welcomed their daughter Penelope June Palmer on August 24, 2007, in Austin. She was a tiny 4 pounds 11 ounces but wonderfully healthy.

Melissa Warak will be a research fellow at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles this summer and then will spend a year as a research fellow at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. for 2008-2009. She and her husband, David Haffner, are happily living in Austin.

Matthew Wells and his wife Jennifer are expecting twin girls in June. Matthew is currently the Vice President, Client Manager at US Trust Bank of America Private Bank.

Carole Frank Wong and her husband, Elgin, moved to Basel, Switzerland, from San Francisco. Elgin is on a

eagle | Page 75 | Summer 2008

to Longview, Texas. Rossa and Ryan met while attending Houston Baptist University but did not start dating until after they graduated. Ryan is a choral director at Kilgore Community College.

They hope to put on a recital at the end of August as a married couple.

Allison Ashley Holz graduated with a B.S. in Music Business from Belmont University in 2005. On November 3, 2007, she married Daniel John Allen, who received his B.S. in Business from the University of Colorado in 2000 and an M.S. in Integrated Marketing from Northwestern University, The Medill Allison Ashley Holz

Alumni Updates School that he received in 2006. In an early evening ceremony, the couple exchanged vows at Second Baptist Church. Their reception followed at Lakeside Country Club where Allison proceeded to get on stage with the band and belt out Aretha Franklin’s “Natural Woman” to her new, blushing husband. The happily married couple now resides in Dallas.

Dr. Rose Huber received her Doctorate in Psychology and has accepted a Post Doctoral Fellowship in Clinical Health Psychology from the University of Miami Medical School & the Miami V.A. She will be moving from Austin to Miami, Florida in August 2008.

Reagan O’Reilly and his wife Lillie welcomed their son Sean August O’Reilly on May 20 at 9:55 p.m.

He weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces and was 20-1/2 inches long. Everyone is doing wonderful!

Sean August O’Reilly Lindsey Smith Witte and her husband Brett recently welcomed Cade Davenport Witte on February 12, 2008 at 9:29 a.m. He was 7 pounds 4.5 ounces and 20 inches long.

Ricky Wood married his long time college girlfriend, Kate, in November 2006, after graduating from Texas A&M University. They now live in

Lucas Cristian Armenta

Ricky Wood Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where they just bought their first home together.

Kate works for Urban Outfitters, Inc. in their production department where she services the Anthropologie brand. Ricky works as a consultant for the Ethos Group where he provides consulting services to automobile dealerships, specifically in the finance department. After graduating college, Kate became an avid sculler (a type of rowing) and now trains multiple times a week on the Schuylkill River. Rowing has become a very large part of Ricky and Kate’s life together, taking them to London in 2006 for Kate to compete in the Ladies Royal Henley Regatta where she and her team made it to the quarter finals in the Women’s Quad.

Ricky will compete in his first novice race this summer and also will run his first marathon in November.

Class of 1998

Lisa Hocking Armenta and her husband, Armando, welcomed their first child, Lucas Cristian Armenta, on September 5, 2007. They are very excited about the birth of their son.

Jennifer Hernandez Buckley and her husband Steve, welcomed their first child on November 3, 2007. He weighed 8lbs, 15.5 oz. His name is Tyler Jacob Buckley.

Cade Davenport Witte

eagle | Page 76 | Summer 2008

Jennifer & Tyler Buckley Robert Hughes married Kristy Lynn Welch on May 31, 2008. Kristy is a graduate of Louisiana College and Baylor University. She is a financial reporting manager with SYSCO Corp.

Robert graduated from the University of Texas and he is a software designer at Schlumberger. The newlyweds live in Houston.

Wesley Jackson married Suzanne Marsico on January 19, 2008. Wesley’s brothers Drew, ‘01, and Bradley, ‘03, served as the Best Men. SBS 1998 graduate John Ford was also in the wedding. Wesley practices law in the Houston offices of Beirne, Maynard & Parsons, L.L.P. Suzanne is a second grade teacher in Spring Branch ISD. The Jackson’s live in Houston.

Emerson Belle Stansell

Priscilla Peyton Stansell and her husband Tanner just welcomed Emerson Belle Stansell into the world on March 13, 2008. She was born at 1:29 p.m. and weighed 5 pounds 13 ounces, with a full head of brown hair!

Class of 1999

Katie O’Reilly Easley and her husband, Kyle, just had their first baby.

Anna Grace was born December 3, 2007, in Nacogdoches, Texas, and weighed 6 pounds 5 ounces.

Anna Grace Easley

Trevor Graham attended the University of Houston, Honors College, and graduated in 2003 with a B.B.A degree. He received several scholarships including the UH Alumni Organization Legacy scholarship.

An active member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, Trevor held the chaplain leadership position for several years. While at UH, Trevor met his wife, Jennifer Blackwood, of Arlington, Texas. Jennifer also graduated from the UH Honors College. While working in Arlington for a small insurance and accounting firm, Trevor attended evening classes at the University of Texas at Arlington, graduating with an M.B.A degree in May 2007. Trevor accepted a

Jackson Graham

position with Raytheon in Dallas in July 2007. Jennifer is an undergraduate advisor at the UT-Arlington Honors College and completed her Master’s degree in Sociology in December 2007.

Trevor and Jennifer’s pride and joy is their son, Jackson.

Kim McInturff recently became engaged to Ivan Cima, who she met through mutual friends. Kim and Ivan are getting married on September 13, 2008. Kim graduated from Texas A&M University in 2003 and is currently working for AMEC Paragon. Following the wedding, the newlyweds will be at home in Prague, Czech Republic, where Ivan currently works as a banker.

TX. They currently are living in Nashville.

Deb Westbrook Turner

Jennifer Andrau Shpilsky and her husband Steve recently had a baby boy.

Benjamin was born on February 8, 2008. They are living in Kiev, Ukraine.

Amanda Skelton Yocum and her husband John are expecting their first baby, son James Lawrence Yocum, in September.

Julie Yau-Yee Tam married Saqib Farhaan Siddik on October 20, 2007, in Houston. They both graduated from

Class of 2000

Julie Yau-Yee Tam Rice University. After the wedding, Saqib moved to Louisville, Kentucky, where Julie is a news anchor/reporter for WDRB-TV FOX 41. Saqib will continue his career in film production.

His Chapman University Master’s thesis film – which he wrote, directed, and composed the sound track for – has been shown at several festivals around the country.

Deb Westbrook Turner, ‘99 and Mike Turner met in Nashville and got married on April 21, 2007, in Houston,

eagle | Page 77 | Summer 2008

Stefan Graham attended the University of Tulsa. He joined and took on leadership positions in the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, especially in the area of charity fundraising. He and his wife, Alexis Wiedner, of Omaha, Nebraska, graduated together, both with B.B.A degrees in 2004. The job market took Stefan and Alexis to San Jose, California. Stefan is employed by the Hilti Corporation where he managed the San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose stores before being promoted to the San Jose field representative position. Alexis earned her M.B.A degree at the University of Tulsa and is employed with Flextronics.

Graham Family

Alumni Updates Erin Larkin

Erin Larkin married William Mackey Watkins II on May 17, 2008. The newlyweds are living in Dallas where Erin will be working for Haynes and Boone starting this fall.

the credits for her role as the Art Department Coordinator. She is also busy with her website www.itsbean.com which she updates with a new comic each day. Pictured is a photo of Nora and Bean.

coaching at Parkhill Junior High in the Richardson Independent School District. They are getting married on August 9, 2008, and will be living in Dallas after they are married.

Jay Osborne, class of 2002, married Erin Gaddy of Long Beach, Mississippi, on September 1, 2007, in Biloxi Mississippi. Erin and Jay are both

Meghan Graham attended Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas. From her participation in the SBS marching band, Meghan chose to pursue a degree in music, graduating in May of 2007. While at Hendrix, Meghan was a dormitory resident advisor, studied abroad for six weeks in St. Petersburg, Russia, and spent much of her senior year at the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra in Little Rock in an internship position. She was also an alternate clarinetist for the Arkansas Wind Ensemble of Little Rock. Meghan was accepted to fill one of only ten annual openings to the prestigious Southern Methodist University Arts Administration dual M.A/M.B.A degree graduate program. Upon completion in 2009, she aspires to work with a major symphony orchestra.

Jay Osborne

Kristin Papp recently married Brett McKean. They are celebrating with a reception on July 12 in Houston.

Class of 2001

Margaret Magee and Josh Doiron are engaged to be married November 8, 2008. Margaret received a B.S. in Community Health from Texas A&M in 2005 and a B.S. in Nursing from UTMB in 2007. She is working as a pediatric nurse at Texas Children’s Hospital.

Margaret Magee

graduates of Auburn University. Erin was a member of the Equestrian Team at Auburn which won the NCAA Collegiate Championship in 2006. Jay was a member of the Auburn Baseball team. SBS grads participating in the wedding were Chris Seckinger, ‘02, and Gene Osborne, ‘07. Meredith Simonton, ‘03, also attended. Erin and Jay live in Niceville, Florida. Erin teaches horseback riding and Jay is in sales with Wyndham Resorts.

Class of 2003

Kim Hystad

Class of 2002 Nora Ashkar is still living in New York City and having a great time.

The last film she worked on was Charlie Kaufman’s Synecdoche, NY which is premiering at the Cannes Film Festival. Nora’s name appears in

Corey Wood Corey Wood became engaged to Johnny Price on January 26, 2008.

They met in college at Texas A&M University. Johnny has a degree in computer engineering and works for Raytheon. Corey is teaching and

eagle | Page 78 | Summer 2008

Kimberly Hystad is engaged to Herschel Day and they will be getting married on March 14, 2009. Kimberly teaches Lower School Art at Second Baptist School. Herschel graduates in December 2008 with a B.A. in Business Management and is the Office Manager at Arrow Plumbing.

Ashlea Moore is marrying Bradley Taylor on July 26 in Houston.

Mary Margaret Porter was recently hired by Katy Independent School District as a new fourth grade teacher.

She will begin teaching at Kilpatrick Elementary in the fall.

Josh Riley graduated in May from Baylor University with a B.B.A. He double majored in accounting and financial services and planning. He also completed the Master’s program at Baylor and received his Master’s in Taxation in May. He will begin working at PricewaterhouseCoopers this summer in Houston. Last summer he married Emily Utgard who he met while at Baylor. Emily also graduated in May and will work at PricewaterhouseCoopers. They are excited to be done with school and to be living back in Houston.

Class of 2004 Russell Dixon is playing professional baseball in the Astros farm system. He is on the Lexington Legends, the Astros’ full-season low A team in Lexington, Kentucky. He was drafted in the seventh round last June.

Kathleen Roberts & Rebecca Hickman

Megan Dixon made cheerleader for her senior year at Auburn University.

Beginning in the fall, she will cheer for approximately 85,000 fans.

Masters in Accounting beginning August 2008. Rebecca has accepted a position as a registered nurse in the Parkland Hospital Emergency Center in Dallas.

Michelle Small is engaged to Adam Joseph Gunning. They are planning their wedding for May 16, 2009.

Class of 2005

Russell Dixon

Bethany Herndon is graduating in August and in September will begin working full time for Campus Crusades for Christ at The University of Connecticut.

Emily Pruet has been accepted into the accelerated BSN program at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and began her classes in May. Kathleen Roberts and Rebecca Hickman college roommates for two years, celebrate in the Frog Fountain their May 2008 Texas Christian University Graduation. Kathleen, a Magna Cum Laude graduate, has been accepted at University of Texas McCombs School of Business in Austin where she will pursue her

Claire Burch graduated in May, a year early, from Baylor University with her B.A. in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She will be attending Baylor University Graduate School for Communication Sciences and Disorders this fall.

Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram has recently had some incredible opportunities to sing. She sang the National Anthem at the Houston Aero’s hockey game, and at several Rice baseball games. Kristina is a senior at Rice University. Kristina was also one of three visual and dramatic arts students selected to feature their work in the Mavis C. Pitman Exhibition, a competitive group show designed to place the works of Rice students in prominent places. She was awarded $1,300 to develop a body of work for the exhibition. Many visitors enjoyed seeing her work displayed at the Rice Media Center in March and April.

Megan Dixon Kirby Fine is spending his summer in Nashville doing an investment banking internship for a firm called Avondale Partners.

Leah Terrell is at Baylor University where she is President of the BRH choir and is the new pledge trainer for her sorority, Delta Delta Delta.

Pictured are Leah, her father, Greg, sister and new brother-in-law, Laura and Kary Lalani, mom Melissa, and brother Scott, ‘11.

Terrell Family Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram

eagle | Page 79 | Summer 2008

A

the last word

by Elizabeth Jensen ‘01 SBS Middle School Teacher

As I stare at my computer, I find myself at a loss for words, and, for those who know me, that is rarely the case. Yet, here I sit.

The struggle is where do I begin? How can I possibly describe the role that this school

has had in my life? How can I do justice to the impact that those here have had on who I am as a person? How can I adequately explain the multitude of emotions that I feel as I step foot onto a campus that has witnessed over two decades of my life?

In an effort to find a place to begin, my mind immediately goes back to the beginning – to the fall of 1988 – to a five year old, tiny, blonde girl in a red and white dress and a big red bow standing in the doorway of Linda Linder’s Pre-K class. That wide-eyed, first-time student was just steps away from where this now 25 year old teacher sits.

Life is funny, isn’t it? If I’m honest, I have to tell you that most days this woman feels very much like that little girl felt that day – scared, unsure, excited, hopeful. I know that’s one of the reasons that I love teaching as much as I do.

I look into the eyes of my middle school speech students sitting in the same chairs where I once sat, and I see me. I understand who they are – I have literally been where they are.

And, if I pause for a moment, I’m there again…I’m the kindergartener completing her stegosaurus dinosaur box and pinning that last bug on her Styrofoam board – so thankful that she will never again have to touch one of those slippery suckers, not knowing that they will one day be lurking in her own apartment bathtub. I’m the first grader sitting in her reading circle so thrilled to have earned the right to take Clifford the Big Red Dog home for the weekend. I’m Franklin Pierce’s wife in the second grade President’s Parade, so loving the pink, poofy dress she is wearing and not caring that she is the First Lady who spent her husband’s entire presidency in the White House attic. I’m the third grader who has just hatched chicks so proud to be taking Cinnamon and Sugar home to become the newest members of the Jensen clan – unaware that a neighborhood cat would soon see Cinnamon not as a precious pet but as a delicious dessert, Sugar would have to find a new home, and that third grade girl would spend the rest of her life detesting those feline felons. I’m the fourth grader working on her first research paper so excited to finally be writing in pen. I’m the fifth grader dancing in Hoe Down’s Grand Square and wearing a hot pink dress to her Lower School graduation, so preciously unaware of what’s to come.

Then suddenly, I’m a middle schooler, frantically trying to open her locker, racing to make it to class, crying over sports teams not made, sobbing over friends lost, dancing and singing in the school musical and swaying at a dance – an arm’s length away from the boy of course.

And in seconds it seems, the braces are gone, the locker finally opens and I’m a high schooler, serving in Anchor Club, working on the yearbook staff, taking AP exams, singing in Chapel, sitting in Simo’s Bible class, and no longer awkwardly dancing in the musical, but being the lead in it. And then, well then, I’m in a royal blue cap and gown and I think it’s over – it’s done.

But see, it’s just begun because Second Baptist School differs from other schools in the fact that it isn’t just a compilation of memories of good and bad times, of hard and fun years – it’s something much deeper than that.

The heart of this school is something that is so subtle, so innate in its day to day running that you can’t fault that Pre-K girl for not seeing it, and you can’t fault that stubborn senior for not knowing it. It is something that took this woman years to realize and, to be perfectly honest, is something that I could easily never have grasped.

It is the teacher who not only believes in you and cares for you while you are in his or her class, but also, still to this day, wants to know about both the major moments and the minutia of your life.

It is the classmate who you run into for the first time in years, but whose conversation makes it feel as though it has been seconds.

It is the friend that you talk to once a week, but that you know prays for you daily.

To state it simply – it is our Lord who is the foundation of this school and the foundation of all that is good about it.

And He can be seen in the leader who starts the day on his or her knees. He can be heard in the prayer spoken at the beginning of each class and in the voices of children singing songs of praise. And if you are still, He can be felt in every moment on this campus. For by His grace, The Lord dwells in this place.

The word home can be defined many ways, but one definition describes it as “an environment offering security and happiness; a valued location regarded as a refuge or a place of origin.” SBS isn’t just my alma mater; it isn’t just my brother’s alma mater; and it isn’t just a place that I work or a campus that I use – it’s home.

This school has, in more ways than I can adequately express, defined who I am as a person and, most importantly, who I am in God. It has helped form the basis of all that I know and daily cling to, and for that, I will literally be eternally grateful.

One thing I love about the Lord is that He takes you crazy places, but sometimes the craziest thing He does is bring you to a place that doesn’t seem crazy at all. He brought me home, and I am truly so blessed to be back.

eagle | Page 80 | Summer 2008

Launching August 11, 2008 the all-new, interactive www.secondbaptistschool.org will provide parents, students and alumni new opportunities to interact in a secure environment. This site is your one stop solution to all things SBS – enjoy!

www.secondbaptistschool.org

W W W. S B S E A G L E S . O R G

Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID

eagle Second Baptist School 6410 Woodway Drive Houston, Texas 77057-1671 713-365-2310 Address Service Requested

Parents of Alumni If this magazine is addressed to a graduate who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the SBS Alumni Office by fax (713)365-2355, phone (713)365-2310 or email sbsalumni@sbsfoundation.org. Please forward this edition of the Eagle on to your SBS graduate. Thank you!

Permit #2901 Houston, TX