SBS Eagle Magazine Winter 2020

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SECOND BAPTIST SCHOOL 6410 Woodway Drive Houston, Texas 77057 secondbaptistschool.org Established in 1946, SBS provides a world-class education for the leaders of tomorrow. SBS is a learning community for 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 Christcentered 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 world they confront in the 21st century.

OUR MISSION The mission of Second Baptist School is to train students in areas of knowledge that will allow them to understand clearly, to think deeply, to judge wisely, and to have the courage to live their lives on the great principles and convictions of biblical truth as they engage an innovative and digitallybased global community.

OUR PASSION Our passion is to bring every student into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ while equipping them to do with excellence that which God has called them to do.

HONOR CODE As a member of the Second Baptist School community, I will not lie, cheat or steal; I will do my best to exemplify Christlike integrity in my academic and personal endeavors and encourage others to act accordingly.

The Eagle is published by the Office of Communications 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 secondbaptistschool.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.

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

a changed perspective This edition of the Eagle magazine is all about perspectives. As you read through it, you will see the different ways a perspective can be affected or changed.

My perspective was changed when I moved in 2018. The average person moves once every five years. Not me. I lived in the same area/neighborhood of Houston for more than 40 years, over three-quarters of my life. Then quite spontaneously, my husband and I moved to the Houston Heights, and everything changed. My daily commute increased from 5 miles to 20 miles.

Even though I live in the same city, the stores I shop, the restaurants I visit, the streets I drive on and the people I encounter are all different now.

My perspective changed.

In the mornings, I see the sunrise on my way to work. My first thought is a prayer of gratitude for God providing this new point of view. Because I am in my car longer, I listen to podcasts I never could find time to listen to, and I am grateful for my growth in knowledge and exposure to new ideas. I make new acquaintances and relish at how my world is expanding by building relationships with people who are different than me.

I am changed. I am different because of something as simple as moving.

Not every day is sunrises and new adventures. When I feel as though I might be swallowed up by all that is new and different, I remember the same God who used a young man to slay a great giant. I came across this quote, “Position determines perspective.” David’s position with God gave him the faith to believe he would overcome the giant, Goliath, who paralyzed an entire army with fear. Will I let God change my perspective when the giants of change feel bigger than me, and will I draw closer to Him to let His power give me peace and victory? I have to be honest, I have a strong desire to remain the same and handle changes in my own way.

However, when I take a minute (or longer) to be still, God reminds me He is bigger than my fears and doubts and anything else I use as an excuse to keep me where I am most comfortable. So, here I continue on this path seeing life through a new lens and having a new perspective, simply because I moved.

Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him! Psalm 34:8

Shari Durrett Director of Communications

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CONTENT

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LETTER FROM HEAD OF SCHOOL CAMPUS NEWS

ARTS NEWS

AT H L E T I C S N E W S

G E N E R AT I O N

PERSPECTIVES A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE IN THE 21ST CENTURY HOMECOMING 2019

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A L U M N I F E AT U R E S TWENTY QUESTIONS WITH FOURTH GRADERS

LETTER FROM HEAD OF SCHOOL

an eternal perspective In 2019, I spent a great deal of time thinking about 20/20 vision and how vision determines our destination.

Last summer, I traveled to my parents’ home in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, to surprise my mother with a birthday celebration. While I was at home, my 67-year-old father convinced me to go jogging with him. During our run, I was transported back in time to when I was 11, running next to my dad with lungs burning, side cramping wishing that I could just stop and walk. What got me through those three-mile runs was fixing my eyes on an object ahead of me—a mailbox, a telephone pole or a car—and running toward it, giving me hope and determination. Even though the pain was still there, I was able to press on because I had honed in my vision.

Hebrews 12:1-2 describes our lives with this same analogy, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus!”

Often, in the pursuit of excellence, we can become nearsighted and fall into the trap of focusing on the immediate and not on the eternal. It is easy to compromise values in the pursuit of success; but when our eyes are fixed on Jesus, we can pursue our goals with a perspective that honors God. When we have an eternal perspective, when we focus our vision on Jesus, we can humbly enjoy success, courageously face disappointment or creatively work through challenges with the right attitude.

Unfortunately, I viewed life differently in high school. I lived with a performance-based perspective where I lived to achieve and enjoy what life had to offer. In my senior year, I traveled to Peru on a mission trip. For one week, I mimed the gospel story three to four times each day for children in 100-degree heat with painted face and white gloves. It was on this trip I realized I was not on the path to becoming who I truly wanted to be. I was making choices that pleased me, not God. Through the wisdom of and encouragement from my two greatest role models, I began to change my focus.

However, I still did not have 20/20 vision. I was not seeing far enough. In my junior year of college, God helped me to begin seeing farther by using Romans 12:1-2 to shape the vision of my life with Jesus at the center.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2 It was at this point I made the choice to have a perspective with eternity in mind. As I fixed my eyes on Jesus, I developed a clear vision of who God wanted me to be. This influenced the choices I made and, ultimately, the destination for my life.

My college basketball coach would tell our team every day, “The choices you make, make you.”

I challenge and encourage each one of us to align our choices with Jesus by fixing your eyes on Him. My prayer is that as we fix our eyes on Jesus, we will live our lives with the perspective of eternity.

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C O N VO C AT I O N

With a powerful reading of Hebrews 12:1-2, in addition to the Convocation speakers who exhorted the students of SBS, the 2019-2020 school year officially began. In his speech, Head of School Dr. Davis recounted how he arrived on the theme of the year: #SBSVision. It was the Class of 2020, who at commencement last year unveiled their senior banner that read, “Now you are seeing 20/20.”

Make being present your purpose.

An inspirational address was given by Head Prefect Anna Beth Swain ’20. She spoke with a clear heart and vision for the school year – BE PRESENT and BE BOLD. Reflecting on her time at SBS and encouraging others to do the same, Swain challenged students to consider what it means to be present.

“This year, being present means listening right here, as you walk the halls of Second Baptist School. In the brick-paved pathways of the lower school, in the carpeted corridors of middle school and in the six storied hallways of the upper school, when you put your foot down, with every step you take, walk with purpose. Make being present your purpose.”

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TECHFEST 2019 – IGNITE Over two hundred educational leaders filled the classrooms of Woodway Village for this year’s TechFest: IGNITE conference hoping to network, gain insight into current trends in education and learn from leaders in their field.

Topics covered during this full-day conference range from managing your child’s technology to augmented reality in the classroom to tech tips for sports coaches. With over thirty sessions offered, attendees experience first-hand the latest innovation in education.

Second Baptist School is proud to support the professional development of faculty and staff with more than twenty SBS faculty and staff presenting this year. Building up leaders is one of Head of School Dr. Don Davis’ passions and he instills this philosophy into faculty and staff at SBS on a regular basis, “Leadership amongst faculty and staff is key to ensuring our students receive the best in education and we are proud to have this unique opportunity on our campus.”

M O D E L U . N . I N C H I C AG O Second Baptist School Model United Nations delegates boarded their flight to the Windy City to compete in the Chicago Model U.N. Conference. At the conference, SBS delegates tested their political prowess against other Model U.N. delegates from across the nation.

Model U.N. sponsor Mrs. Clare Towery commented, “The Chicago Model U.N. is one of the more prestigious conferences, and it is invitation-only. It involves a midnight crisis where some students are awakened because a country may have attacked another country, and they have to resolve the problem in the middle of the night.”

Out of approximately 1,100 delegates, three Second Baptist School representatives received prestigious awards for their efforts. Audrey Bishop ’21 won Honorable Delegate in the Saudi Arabia Cabinet 2019, and Kara Swain ’20 was awarded Best Delegate in the U.S. Cabinet 2019. Bringing home two distinct honors, Alex Ritchmond ’20 was bestowed with the Outstanding Delegate award for the U.S. Cabinet 1991 and with the Best Delegate award for Special Negotiations in 1991.

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E G Y M R E N O VAT I O N S GRAND OPENING Before this year’s homecoming game, the SBS community came together to celebrate the grand opening of the state-of-the-art E Gym renovations.

These enhancements include touch screens that allow viewers to see SBS graduates who competed at the collegiate level, new lockers similar to the ones in the Athletic Center, Apple TV and cable capabilities on all locker room screens and enlarged spaces for SBS athletes, specifically females.

Varsity volleyball captain Julia Faseler ’20 spoke on behalf of the many athletes that benefit from these renovations for years to come. She expressed deep gratitude and shared how vital a locker room space is to student athletes.

Dr. Davis and Athletic Director Mike Walker profusely thanked donors and one in particular, Mr. Jerry Dearing. Jerry Dearing, father of Rose ’22 and John ’23, was instrumental in making this project successful.

AN APPLE DISTINGUISHED SCHOOL Second Baptist School has been recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for 2019-2022. This recognition is the fifth consecutive as an Apple Distinguished School spanning 10 years. Head of School Dr. Don Davis sees this distinction as “reinforcing Second Baptist School’s commitment to encouraging students to engage in a digitally based global community.”

The teachers at Second Baptist School utilize Apple technology in their classrooms each day.

As an Apple Distinguished School, teachers are granted access to unique professional development opportunities with other Apple Distinguished Schools. An added benefit is that full-time teachers receive their Apple Teacher Distinction within one year of working at SBS. Second Baptist School strives to be a center of leadership and educational excellence by reinforcing the importance of technology in the classroom.

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Chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation and Space, Senator Ted Cruz, SBS Class of ’88, joined students for the event and pointed out this unique time in history: “...NASA is also in the process of launching the Artemis project. [...] We’re going back to the moon but this time we’re not only going to send an American to the moon, we’re going to send the first woman to the moon.”

NASA played a large role in the event not only enabling the connection with the ISS but bringing the ISS to life for SBS students. NASA representatives were on-hand with virtual reality goggles for students to experience what it is like to be inside the ISS. “Our students are excited about what the future holds for the space program. As teachers, we are excited to connect what they are learning in the classroom to the historic events that will take place in our space program in the next few years with another trip to the moon and potentially Mars,” said science teacher Ana Konuma.

Second Baptist School began this program alongside SBS parent Chad Brinkley to provide students experiences that further their STEM education. SBS looks forward to continued work with NASA by sending additional experiments and projects into space.

S B S I N S PA C E !

Second Baptist School students participated in a once in a lifetime, out-of-this-world experience connecting with NASA Astronaut Christina Koch aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Through partnerships with parents, faculty and student leaders, SBS is engaging in hands-on science and math experiments on the ISS. Head of School Dr. Don Davis said, “This partnership enhances our students’ learning to relate what they’re doing in STEM education in the classroom to where their efforts are paying off – in space.”

Lower, middle and upper school students were given the opportunity to ask Astronaut Christina Koch questions about her time in space ranging from “how do you sleep in space?” to “how is training for a spacewalk different than how you train for a moonwalk?” Astronaut Koch answered each question while defying gravity and relayed an important message to students about “turning fear into focus.” Astronaut Koch noted that while training fully prepared her for a spacewalk, nothing prepared her for being outside the ISS and looking down past her feet to see Earth in the distance.

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SENIORS SEEING 20/20 Written by Communications Fellow Kendall Pennington ’20

Between the busy roads of Houston and the serene countryside of Round Top, Texas, the class of 2020 became one. Despite the adjustments of freshman year, the driving tests of sophomore year, and the rigorous coursework of junior year we finally did it. We became seniors. Ready to take on elevator privileges, off-campus lunch, and, of course, Senior Retreat.

Our senior Bible teacher, Ms. Simonton, spoke very honestly with us in preparation for Senior Retreat.

She told us about our boxes. We all have a box. The sizes may vary, what we put in it may be different, but we all have a box we carry with us everywhere we go. And especially in Bible class, we place our boxes close to our hearts on the desk. All of our flaws, all of our pasts and all of our beliefs are laid out in front of us. Then we listen and try to figure out how Jesus fits into each individual box.

We all came to Senior Retreat with our boxes in hand. We were excited for kickball, excited for hammocking, but mostly, excited for God. My first impression of the retreat center was a feeling of peace. It felt like a time capsule from the early 1900s, a place where people talked at the dinner table instead of checking Instagram. And to my surprise, the Class of 2020 followed in suit. No one was on their phones; no one was distracted. We were all fully present.

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After sharing a barbecue meal and watching the vibrant sunset, Ms. Simonton took us out to the field in front of the main house. Then, all in a circle, she told us to look up. The sky was adorned with stars, an intricate display of dancing light shone before my eyes. With no city lights or street noise, I could be still, listen and watch in awe as God played with creation. Ms. Simonton began to describe to us the beginning of time, and she explained God’s detailed and specific nature. He does nothing by accident and designs everything with perfect intentionality.

Surrounded by my classmates, it hit me: Despite our differences, despite our various boxes, God is so much bigger. He cannot fit into a box, and He is not defined by our own flawed human understanding.

He is the Creator of the universe, and He is just as invested in each of my peers as He is in me. In that moment, God truly gave us 2020 vision.

As I watched the sunrise from the balcony of the main house that next morning, I felt the sun come up on a new year, a new beginning. This year we have an opportunity to lead, to be an example and to truly prepare ourselves for the real world.

So whether we are swinging in the loving embrace of hammock or struggling through an AP Lit test, we can breathe, fix our eyes on Jesus and trust Him to lead us into a bright future with clearer vision.

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FIRST GRADERS DREAM BIG With a big welcome, opening prayer, pledges and scripture reading, our first graders were ready to take the stage for their highly anticipated grade level program, “Dream Big: What I Want to Be When I Grow Up.” Prepared for their future, costumed students proudly paraded through the Sanctuary showing parents, grandparents and special friends just what they want to be when they grow up. From doctors, teachers, artists and engineers to video game programmers, an Olympic sprinter and even a master Lego builder, students stepped onto the stage and cleverly described their future occupations. They then sang songs about the plans they know God has for the Class of 2031.

“First grade’s ‘Dream Big’ program impacts our students by teaching them God has a perfect plan for their lives and by following Him, they can accomplish anything they set their minds to. We can’t wait to see what God has in store for them!,” said first grade teacher Ms. Jenna Jones ’04.

DISTINGUISHED SPEAKER LUNCHEON 2019 Each year, the Distinguished Speaker Luncheon welcomes the community to celebrate alumni and alumni parents, the school, our teachers and hear from a prestigious keynote speaker.

This year, the school hosted former Secretary of State The Honorable James A. Baker, III, whose conversational style interview with Dr. Ed Young gave guests personal insight into Baker’s long and active service in the highest levels of American politics. His candidness about the various roles he served and the friendships he’s shared with former U.S. Presidents made America and our government feel more personal.

SBS honored Distinguished Alumna Dr. Anne Hofer Hotz ’01 and Distinguished Alumni Parents, Terri and Jim Huguenard. They spoke to the deep spiritual, academic and moral impact that SBS had on them and their families through the years.

The gracious contributions from the luncheon go to pay directly for Christmas gifts for faculty members and salary increases in the following year.

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F R E S H M A N R E T R E AT Written by Publicity Prefect Star Matthew ’20

Freshman Retreat is two days of unabashed, childlike fun. From improv games with Mr. Lindsey to taking flight off the infamous “blob,” Freshman Retreat is an escape from routine and a return to the merriment of summer camp.

Each day began with a slew of competitive games such as Ships and Sailors and Elbow Tag. I pitied the freshmen due to the sheer amount of running the Prefects subjected them to, but it seemed as though countless minutes of cardio only served to increase their enjoyment. When retreated indoors for a delicious lunch served by the gracious Stoney Creek staff, the effects of all the cardio soon became apparent as the ravenous freshmen wolfed down several helpings.

Within the rotational groups of the ninth graders, I started to see true unity form across the typical friend groups of this class. Through games like human Tic-Tac-Toe, students were steered into situations where a lack of trust

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results in a loss of the game—an outcome that I quickly learned is as abhorrent to the freshman class as a root canal procedure is to an adult!

Through such exercises, the freshmen learned that not only are their classmates valuable teammates, but also vital pieces of the puzzle that is the Class of 2023.

Navigating the often confounding waters of upper school, the freshmen began to realize that it is often safer to forgo the solitary route to rely on each other, and the resources offered in abundance at Second Baptist School. Looking through the lens of a senior at SBS, Freshman Retreat was a refreshing glimpse into the infinite possibilities that upper school held for my class back in 2016. The promise evident in the Class of 2023 only intensified my understanding of why we retreat from structure: to build foundations of unity, kindness and trust because only in the absence of restriction, can we construct authentic bonds that can sustain the challenges high school and life often present.

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SBS YEARBOOK W I N S A N AWA R D O F E XC E L L E N C E The SBS yearbook is a montage of memories, intricately placed together to paint the picture of our school family—our home. So, it seemed only fitting that the theme of our 2018-2019 yearbook should be Home; a theme that encapsulates the atmosphere of Second Baptist School, while effectively communicating the lively activities of the campus.

The SBS yearbook publishing company, Walsworth, announced this edition of the Second Baptist School yearbook was inducted into their Gallery of Excellence! This means the yearbook will be taken to Walsworth conventions and included in their promotional material, showing off the heartbeat of our school to potential clients.

The student-run yearbook, Home, was judged on the “quality examples of the theme, coverage, design, photography and copy.”

SBS STUDENTS ARE BOUND FOR… Students in grades 8-12 are privileged to experience a top-notch, college fair. SBS College Day hosted 132 colleges on campus, one of the largest ever. Students engaged with representatives from these schools and begin to navigate the college selection process. According to Director of College Guidance Amy St. Denis, “Our goal is for students to take ownership of the process with our guidance. College Day is a vital step in that journey.”

According to St. Denis, “We always receive positive feedback from the representatives. They not only speak highly of the fluidity of the day (thanks to the upper school Key Club), they comment on the behavior and professionalism of our students.”

While speaking with a representative, one said, “The Second Baptist School College Day is keeping me going this week! This school spoils us with incredible food, clear communication and outstanding students.”

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MIDDLE SCHOOL MUSICAL

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ALICE IN WONDERLAND, JR.

For many seventh and eighth graders, being a cast member in Alice in Wonderland, Jr. included lots of fun coupled with lots of hard work. It was their first look into the world of musical theatre at SBS. Hours of rehearsals to learn dance steps, memorize lines, block scenes and more all added to the unforgettable middle school musical experience. Pair that with the vision and direction of Sam Brown, and our students were ready for opening night. Upbeat singing, clever choreography

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and colorful costumes took the audience on a magical and spectacular journey through Wonderland as each student played their character with pizzazz! “Middle school is such an important level of learning as they are developing and discovering their God-given talents in musical theatre. Our hope is their love of theatre would continue to grow as they enter upper school,� says Director of Arts Cindy Blades.

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F E S T I VA L O F CHRISTMAS AND W I N T E R A RT S H OW An evening filled with Christmas spirit marked the annual SBS Festival of Christmas.

To kick off the event, guests gathered in the Woliver-Anderson Library for the Winter Art Show. Hundreds of pieces created by SBS artists of all ages were on display, and those in attendance sipped sparkling cider as they enjoyed the unique artwork.

Following the art show, a packed house awaited the choir, theatre and band students in the Sanctuary. From “Carol of the Bells” to “O Holy Night,” the talent displayed by SBS performing artists was unparalleled.

According to Director of Arts Cindy Blades, “The Arts Department is honored to be a part of helping students realize their God-given talents.

This amazing team of educators is gifted and dedicated to producing excellence in the arts.”

SBS BAND COMPETES AT AT S S B During the fall semester, two upper school students and seven middle school students of the SBS band auditioned for the ATSSB All Region Honor Band.

Caden Cooper ’20 auditioned on percussion and placed first in 3A, while Ty Strickland ’20 performed on the alto, tenor and baritone saxophones, placing first in 3A on alto and tenor.

Both students were awarded the opportunity to audition at the area level for state.

The middle schoolers held their own and were awarded high rankings as well. Adam Choi ’25, James Enger ’25 and Brandon Sek ’25 all qualified for the Honor Band with Choi securing fifth on the tuba, Enger first in the upright bass and Sek sixth on the trumpet.

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FA L L C H O I R C O N C E R T An annual tradition at SBS, the Fall Choir Concert is all about our upper and middle school students presenting their musical talents to an eager audience. For several weeks, under the expert tutelage of their choir director Becky Martin, students learn and rehearse songs from “Bogoroditse Devo” by Rachmaninoff to “We Won’t Stop Dreaming” by Pinkzebra.

The evening was a grand success, concluding with a special performance of “He’s Everything” from the Combined Choirs (162 student voices) and guest soloist and faculty member Claire Westmoreland.

P U T O N YO U R DA N C I N ’ S H O E S !

Last fall, guest choreographer Kim Schafer visited SBS for Beauty and the Beast choreography week. Schafer is an expert and has performed and choreographed shows at all levels across the country.

Many students noted her expertise and warm spirit. Caroline Bolling ’21 described how helpful she was, saying, “Kim was an amazing teacher! She encouraged us to ask questions and answered them without hesitation. She taught us the hardest parts first, which helped us memorize everything faster. Since she works on Broadway, she had so many new ideas and impressive dances for us.”

Schafer worked with students on all the major numbers of the show, including “Be Our Guest” and “Gaston” giving individualized instruction, planning out staging and helping students bring each character’s personality to their dancing.

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U P P E R S C H O O L FA L L D R A M A

P I L LOW TA L K

The curtains opened to two apartments, side by side. They could not be more different.

Contrasting colors, elements and interior styles reflecting two contrasting personalities. Enter a love story held over multiple phone calls, miscommunications and hilarious hijinks. This is the story of Pillow Talk. Through the hard work and dedication of the SBS Theatre Co., three performances kept the audience entertained and on their toes the entire time.

Behind the scenes preparation included countless hours of rehearsal, studying scripts and practicing lines in addition to the crew who help the show run seamlessly. Each cast and crew member is vital to the production, and the prep work that goes into each show looks different for everyone.

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To prepare for the role of Jan Morrow, Emily Cagle ’20 said, “I watched the movie to observe Doris Day because she is such an iconic actress and performed the role of Jan so flawlessly.

I liked how my character was very feisty and headstrong because I haven’t played many roles like that.”

Michael DiCecco ’21 had a similar experience preparing. “For the role, I first watched the movie to see what the original Brad Allen was like. I wrote a character analysis for the honors theatrical performance class which required research to get me familiar with the character.

Hours of practice and help from my directors telling me ways to make the character my own, helped me play this role.”

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District Champions Regional Champions Area Champions

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Awards/Honors

All-State Individual Awards

First Team – Offense Jaylon Coleman ’20 Dylan Cordell ’20 First Team – Defense Nate Dyman ’20 Bryce Ganious ’21 Jonathan Gooden ’20 Honorable Mention – Offense Bryce Ganious ’21 Josh Johnson ’20 Honorable Mention – Defense Dylan Cordell ’20 Dylan Kim ’20

All-District

First Team – Offense Jaylon Coleman ’20 Dylan Cordell ’20 Bryce Ganious ’21 Josh Johnson ’20 Nate Dyman ’20 Eli Smith ’22 First Team – Defense Nate Dyman ’20 Bryce Ganious ’21 Jonathan Gooden ’20 Dylan Cordell ’20 Dylan Kim ’20 David Nunez ’20 Second Team – Offense Jaylon Coleman ’20 Dane Dentler ’20 Jonathan Gooden ’20 Jared Monroe ’20 Everett Skillern ’22 Second Team – Defense Connor Cordell ’20

Grayson Kim ’22 Jared Monroe ’20 David Nunez ’20

All-State

Honorable Mention – Offense Michael DiCecco ’21

Academic All-State

Academic All-State Dylan Cordell ’20 Connor Cordell ’20 Jared Monroe ’20

First Team Julia Faseler ’20 Carly Berkman ’22 Julia Sauvageau ’22

Honorable Mention Julia Faseler ’20

“The 2019 football season was an incredible, historic season for our program.

We won 12 games in a row and made it to the semi-finals for the second time in as many seasons,” said Coach Terry Pirtle. “We had many memorable moments along the way, including six team members being recognized at the endof-season Touchdown Awards Banquet and winning our seventh district championship in a row. It was a great group to coach, filled with selfless, teamoriented student athletes.

Our coaching staff was excellent once again, led

by Defensive Coordinator Keith Page and Offensive Coordinator DJ Steward.”

Julia Faseler ’20

All-District

Second Team Alexis Gill ’22 Honorable Mention Kate Kell ’22 Bailey Ireland ’21 “While the loss to Victoria St. Joseph at area playoffs was not the outcome we desired, I am proud of the way the team fought all year,” said Coach Sue Berg.

“They came in and worked hard. They wanted to be the best they could be.”

CROSS COUNTRY District

Varsity Men – second Varsity Women – third

State

Varsity Men – fourth

All-State

Isaac Baker ’21

VOLLEYBALL Season Record

Academic All-State

19 wins, 11 losses

Isaac Baker ’21 Jacob Skyles ’21

District Record

11 wins, 5 losses

“Our varsity men are looking good for next year. We did not have any

Awards/Honors Third in District

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seniors this season, so we are looking strong for next season,” said Coach Roxanne Worley. “Our varsity women worked hard all season and placed third in their district meet.

We are graduating five senior women this spring.

All five participated in cross country throughout upper school and they will be deeply missed!”

CHEER

All-State

First Team Lindsay Bell ’20

Second Team

Kendall Pennington ’20 McKenna Rodriguez ’20

Honorable Mention

Emma Gunn ’21 MayaLee Dobson ’21 “I am so proud of this team for raising the bar for future SBS cheer teams. These athletes worked hard this season at developing new skills and learning new routines for pep rallies, games and the TAPPS Cheer Competition,” said Coach Andrea Spence.

“This is the first team at SBS to compete at TAPPS, and the team’s grit and determination was inspiring.

The seniors did an amazing job leading this team all season long; I absolutely love their desire to keep pushing to be better. A huge thank you to all the parents that supported us.”

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Generation (noun) 1

a group of individuals born and living contemporaneously

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W H AT M A K E S U P O N E ’ S G E N E R AT I O N IS OFTEN DEFINING. INDIVIDUALS ARE U N I Q U E , Y E T, A G E N E R AT I O N UNITED CAN CHANGE THE COURSE OF H I S T O R Y. W H A T THEN, MAKES UP A G E N E R AT I O N ’ S PERSPECTIVE?

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The following Q&A was generated through a series of interviews across generations. These beliefs are not defining for each group, but perhaps indicative of why some of these groups view the world in the way that they do.

{

BABY BOOMERS: Born 1946 – 1964 GEN X: Born 1965 – 1976 MILLENNIALS OR GEN Y: Born 1977 – 1995 GEN Z, IGEN OR CENTENNIALS: Born 1996 – TBD

}

How has technology impacted our world for our generation?

Has it helped? Has it caused harm? Or a little bit of both?

BABY BOOMERS: Technology has impacted this generation for both good and bad. Information is so easily accessible and staying in touch with others is easy. Technology has created a pathway to reach all parts of the world, which makes our world smaller. On the other hand, there is often times unwanted and harmful content associated with technology that it’s hard to protect ourselves from. In some ways, it has taken away some valuable thinking skills and problem solving. One could say that technology both helps and harms; it all depends on the user.

GEN X: I love many aspects of technology – having information readily available 24/7 has truly improved life. Technology is a magnifier – if it is used for good, it multiplies the good. If it is used for bad, it magnifies the bad. What I don’t like about technology is the false sense of intimacy created through social media. I think posts have replaced conversations. Friends are wide but not deep. We know what people are up to from social media, but we don’t truly love our family and friends well unless we spend time with them.

MILLENNIAL: Technology has largely driven innovation in my generation. It has enabled my generation to take an idea, a thought, an image and bring it to life in order to impact the greater community. Technology has advanced our generation in many respects, but has also caused a bit of harm by removing in-person fellowship and communication. Through choosing constant communication, we lack quiet time and increase anxiety by the feeling of always being “on.” We are not as thoughtful, purchasing things at the click of a button or posting comments without thinking of the other person

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behind the screen. In myself, I see an increased lack of patience since becoming accustomed to tech efficiency.

GEN Z: Technology has created a ubiquitous mechanism for “instant gratification.”

This has both helped and hurt the world for our generation. Instant gratification provides immense benefits as it generally increases efficiency in processes that may have taken someone far more time just 10 short years ago. However, it has also decreased the general populace’s ability to exercise patience.

What changes in technology have you experienced in your lifetime?

BABY BOOMERS: In my lifetime, I have experienced not having advanced/modern technology at all, to having the technology we have today. When I was in college, computers took up an entire room and we had to use punch cards! All research was done with books, papers were typed and we used printed maps to find our way. Now, research is all digital, any book can be accessed instantly and work and research is quick and accurate. Technology has completely changed the way we live.

GEN X: In college I received 10 emails in a month, now I receive 100 emails a day. I bought my first cell phone the year I graduated from college. My phone plan allowed for 200 minutes of calls and 100 text messages a month. Most students use that in a day now. When my first child was born I took pictures with film. When she was young, digital cameras and iPhones took over. So, my second and third children have digital pictures.

MILLENNIAL: The most striking changes to technology relate to telecommunications.

When I was in high school, I used to call my mom after play practice every day so I could get a ride home. I didn’t have a cell phone, so I did this from a pay phone in my school cafeteria; I always had to have quarters at the ready! When I finally did get a Nokia bar phone toward the end of high school, it could make phone calls, and I could play a game called “Snake,” in which a line chased dots around the screen. Less than five years later, I had my first smartphone. Our generation is unique in that we grew up as personal technology skyrocketed. We were born at a time when our parents had pagers and our computers were the size of a moving box and took forever to restart. Now we have iphones that take high-quality photos, computers and iPads that are light as air and apps that let us play on our phones.

GEN Z: In my lifetime, cell phones have transformed from a tool for receiving and making calls into a portable computer, camera, Mp3 player, calendar, calculator, alarm clock, compass, flashlight, level, ruler, wallet, TV and pseudo-emotional support animal.

Oh, and you could probably make a call or two, as well.

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Do you believe it is important to be engaged in or knowledgeable about politics and government? Why or why not?

BABY BOOMERS: Yes, it is so important. Freedom does not come free and it is our duty to be informed and knowledgeable. In addition, it is important to be informed both as Christians and as American citizens, therefore making informed choices when we vote. The politicians we elect affect our lives and the direction of our country.

GEN X: I think it’s important to be well read and to understand what is happening in the world, but not consumed by it. I think perspectives are so unique to every person, but views and opinions can be divisive. As Christians, we must be aware of and involved in government at some level. We can’t allow the decisions of those in Washington to impact our attitude, outlook on life and paths we choose. We must rise above politics and understand that we have control of our destiny through our own choices.

MILLENNIAL: In order for our republic to function, we elect individuals to represent us in government, and without knowledge of what’s going on, we can’t effectively hold them accountable. The democratic process depends on citizens who are engaged and interested in government and who are looking to contribute to society in positive ways that not only impact their lives but also improve the lives of others. We have the freedom to select leaders to represent us, and they aren’t representing us accurately if we don’t allow ourselves to be represented in politics. The systems that shape and/ or maintain a society are worth knowing about. When we know how things work, then we can understand what our role currently is, or could be in the future. Being involved can mean a lot of things, but at the minimum, it means exercising our right to vote. I would like to get more involved at the grassroots level. I need to be more actively informed.

GEN Z: I believe it is very important to be knowledgeable about politics and government because it infiltrates almost every aspect of American life. Politics and government affect schooling, the price of goods we require to sustain ourselves, the traffic on the roads we drive on daily, the wages earned or not earned after a hard day at work, etc. A life lived in political ignorance is essentially a life lived in total ignorance.

What changes in politics have you observed in your lifetime?

How do they differ from another generation’s perspective?

BABY BOOMERS: Politics used to be a private thing – less discussed and not prominent in the media. It was almost considered rude to discuss your views. Now

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politics are openly discussed and there is dialogue and open disagreement on everything concerning politics and elected officials. Technology helps with this because it gives us the information by minute. There seems to be much less common ground between parties now – such that the gap is widening.

GEN X: I’ve seen politics become increasingly divisive – party before country – a lack of cordial debate – lack of respect for divergent opinions.

MILLENNIAL: I think there are waves of change in politics, and I believe that in the last 10 years we’ve experienced a big one. Politics have seemingly become more divisive.

It feels like we’ve lost the ability to listen to both sides without making assumptions.

In addition, finding the truth is a challenge. We have many means of receiving information, yet how can we know if it’s true? The rise of social media has greatly impacted the methods by which we receive information, sometimes for the better, and sometimes for the worse. The overall perception of political institutions like the presidency and Congress have also declined over time, with more and more people not only dissatisfied with their performance but also disrespectful in the ways they discuss them. Our political institutions are comprised of real people, just like us, so they are inherently broken and imperfect, just as we are. I think previous generations and time periods recognized this.

GEN Z: Politics have become increasingly polarizing in my lifetime especially following the 2016 election. Though I may not have first-hand experience, as far as I am aware, political beliefs were less likely to cost a person friendships in past generations.

Gen Z political beliefs were less

likely to cost a person friendships in past generations

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What changes (if any) have you seen in the role church plays during your lifetime? These could be changes for the better or worse.

BABY BOOMERS: As a child and young adult, the church was a central part of life and most of the families that I knew attended church. Family time and activities often revolved around church.

The role of the church in my life has been consistent. It is a fellowship of love, support and a greater connection to our Savior. Today, I believe that the church plays a much less central role for families.

GEN X: When I was a child, I attended church all the time. Church was our social gathering place. Sunday school, Sunday morning service, Sunday night service, Wednesday night. Evangelistic services, youth services, evangelism outreach.

Today, families attend church far less. There are alternative mediums for receiving a message, like livestreams, podcasts and blogs. Sports and activities have replaced church services. These are not all bad. There are more people being fed by pastors around the world. Families are spending more time together. However, we are lacking the fellowship and the accountability that comes from attending the local church.

MILLENNIAL: Church is a place of fellowship – of gathering with like minded individuals. Many churches now use a more relaxed way of fellowshipping together outside the confines of the church, which is great because it meets people where they are, and where two are more are gathered in His name, He is there.

GEN Z: Church affiliation is now something that people are more likely to hide when in a larger group of people with unidentifiable religious attachments.

What changes have you noticed in religion or faith during your lifetime?

And how has this impacted you, if at all?

BABY BOOMERS: I did not often hear questions about the authenticity of the Bible or questions about faith when I was a child and young adult. Now almost everything you read or listen to on public media, people are questioning Christianity and the Church.

GEN X: As a child I remember accepting Jesus as my savior in Sunday School, singing hymns on Sunday morning, sitting spellbound to tales of missionaries on Sunday night and reciting memory verses in AWANA on Wednesday evenings. Growing up, the church was the center of my family’s life. Today, it is easy to allow the busyness of life to distract us from God’s plan for His Church.

Today more than ever it is important for each believer to take ownership of their faith.

Church services, worship music and great teaching are now available with the touch of a button. While individual content is accessible Christians should not neglect the opportunity to gather as a body of believers, to worship corporately, encourage one another and support one another in need.

MILLENNIAL: In my generation, there have been huge waves of change in religion.

I’ve seen my generation go one of two ways – either leave the church because they feel like some parts of it are fake, or, go back to the basics of church, with a smaller congregation and simpler worship. I have seen a decrease in knowledge of the Bible. I feel that truth has become relative. We say we “speak our truth,” and that just means what we want to

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be true is true. The lack of knowledge leads us to accept and believe things that are not of the gospel, causing us to be more of the world. We have to study the Bible to know God’s truths.

GEN Z: Being religious has become far less “cool” in my lifetime. This has only increased my belief that boldness for Christ is essential.

What is the importance of church?

BABY BOOMERS: The church is my North Star – it always points me in the right direction, keeps me on the path I know I need to be on, and keeps me in community with other Christians. It is important to be in fellowship with believers, it strengthens you.

GEN X: Attending church is important because it builds community and relationships. I love podcasts but there is no substitute for gathering with neighbors and friends to worship. I love attending church as a family to reinforce to our children that even when life is busy and chaotic, we protect that time to come together and worship. I also love enjoying Sunday lunch together as a family. Our week begins on a sweeter note when we’ve done Sunday together as a family.

MILLENNIAL: The church is the representation of Christ on earth, and the Source of nourishment for new and old believers. We are wired to be in community, and the church is that community of people to do life with. These relationships constantly point each other to Christ and support each other through the peaks and valleys of life, helping each other stay rooted in biblical thoughts and actions. It serves to disciple and encourage its body of believers, pointing them to the work of Jesus, and serves to help the city it is in. The city should feel the impact of the church because the church so greatly cares for the needs in the city.

GEN Z: Church is where believers join together in the name of Christ for the purpose of building and strengthening our faith so that the message can be spread outside to the wider population with increased effectiveness.

What do you look for in a church?

BABY BOOMERS: I look for community, fellowship, a place to strengthen my faith and for pastors that are not just teachers but also shepherds.

GEN X: A strong pastor that unapologetically teaches God’s Word, Bible study opportunities, a heart for the lost, ministry or service opportunities.

MILLENNIAL: I look for a church that preaches the Truth whether it is easy to hear or not. I want a church that preaches the Bible. Also, a community of people in a similar stage of life. But at the same time, an intergenerational community where I can learn from those who have been there and shepherd those coming up after me. Ultimately, healthy leadership, healthy theology/biblical interpretation, cultural diversity/awareness of the impact of culture on the church and its congregation and engaging worship make up what I look for in a church.

GEN Z: A welcoming community and messages (whether affirmative or negative) based in biblical truth rooted in textual evidence.

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How has education changed in your lifetime?

BABY BOOMERS: Education now is more student-involved learning. It now involves a lot more collaboration and working together on projects. Technology has also had an immense change on education – information always being at our fingertips.

GEN X: Technology has changed the approach and presentation of learning! Chalkboards are gone and the internet provides teachers and students with amazing amounts of information. Study apps like Quizlet have replaced flashcards. It’s an exciting time to be a teacher or student as the playing field is leveled somewhat with the access to the internet.

Classrooms have moved online and we have moved from being teachercentered to student-centered.

MILLENNIAL: Technology has expanded the options for learning. Access to information has made finding facts easy, which is often confused with processing, understanding and applying facts. Education used to be rooted in knowing many facts that were accessed in school through books or memorization, now can be accessed online. There are study resources at our fingertips. Today, high-demand jobs require creativity, and outside the box thinking or good engineering. This has led to an emphasis on maker labs and STEM projects. We emphasize problem-solving instead of just factory-system thinking. Technology has created a need for lessons in digital citizenship. When I was a kid, I felt like there was really one pathway for my education. I could attend my neighborhood schools, do my best to test well on standardized exams, and hopefully proceed on to college. Now, I think we are recognizing that school can be done a myriad of ways, and parents are taking that to heart as they consider what’s best for their children. This increase in choice has resulted in schools needing to distinguish themselves in ways that seem to foster competitiveness and the pursuit of excellence as well.

GEN Z: Education comes to be seen as the only correct path for conventional success—that is, excluding the YouTube star and social media influencer anomalies. Therefore, the process for college admissions and things of that nature (essentially meaning all of the things that precede college admissions) have become all the more cutthroat.

What is the importance of education?

BABY BOOMERS: Education awakens students to their potential, their interests and teaches perseverance, grit and responsibility. It is abundantly important to use God’s gift to learn.

GEN X: Education makes us think deeper about our world. It prepares us for what lies ahead. It gives us a foundation for the path we take and it equips us to make the most of our time here on earth.

MILLENNIAL: We must always be learning. A quest and desire to be educated on a topic, field or industry are pivotal for making an impact on society and can propel us to success in whatever career we choose. I think a person’s first sense of community is developed in the

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classroom. Students learn how to share, how to work as a team, and how to be accepted and accept others. One of the most important lessons might be how to make mistakes and keep moving forward.

GEN Z: Education provides the opportunity to gain knowledge which (I am well aware this is a cliché), is power.

How does education impact a generation?

BABY BOOMERS: In the past, education created opportunities for jobs and places in society. Today, there is much less of a division between college educated and non-college educated adults, technology and instant information has made self education and trade jobs much more lucrative and accepted.

GEN X: Ideally, the education you receive will allow you to grow and develop and have more opportunities than what the generation before you had. As you use the gifts God gave you, hopefully you go further than the generation before you went. This is the American dream and it’s important we continue to strive to make this world better.

MILLENNIAL: Whether done well or poorly, education can have an extraordinary impact on a generation. Education isn’t merely relaying information to students, which they absorb, it’s helping them develop a variety of essential skills that will help them reach their potential and fulfill God’s calling for their lives. In addition to equipping students with critical-thinking, communication skills, and the like, education, particularly Christian education, also complements the important work taking place at home and in church, cultivating integrity and strong moral character in students.

GEN Z: The stories that inform future generations in history books, science books and literature originate almost entirely from previous generations. The education a generation receives—which is derived from the previous generation—creates a chain reaction of information sharing. This can shape the aggregate perception of the world at large and the patterns therein for the better or for the worse.

millennial technology has changed the options for learning

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PERSPECTIVES What influences an individual’s perspective?

Everything! The biggest influence on our perspective begins at birth. Our parents guide us through life, explaining the good and the bad, serving as the gatekeepers to how we see the world. As we grow, other influences emerge to shape our perspective, such as social media. Since the advent of MySpace and Facebook, social media has evolved from being a curious entertainment app on our cell phones to a wholly integrated part of our everyday lives.

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Take a look at one senior’s thoughts on how social media impacts perspective.

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BY K E N DA L L P E N N I N GTO N ’ 2 0 S B S CO M M U N I CAT I O N S F E L LOW

In

a generation centered around Snapchat and selfies, it’s not a stretch to say that social media has heavily influenced the way we perceive the world. With the rise of social networking, information lies at our fingertips, making news stories easier to access than even a decade ago. With the creation of Snapchat stories, watchers can obtain their daily news updates in under a minute and skip stories with a tap of their finger. There are various news outlets on social media vying for consumer attention in order to sell their version of the world in the most convenient way possible. Opinions are plentiful, and the truth can be difficult to obtain. With the constant bombarding of biased reporting from all sides, users can unknowingly become misinformed on world events or domestic issues happening around them. However, teenagers comprise a large portion of social media users who would supposedly fall into this trap, and yet, the upcoming generation is known for their desire for authenticity and relentless search for the truth.

While these two issues may seem contradictory, they pose a real-life cause and effect simulation.

Because Generation Z (people born in 1996 and after) has grown up with different media constantly competing for their focus, they see the world through a multifaceted, blurry lens and have adapted to sorting through all of the disorienting features. Exposure to hot topics on platforms like Instagram allows for an open discourse with a diverse range of people in chat groups or comments sections.

Teens can educate themselves on issues from all viewpoints and decide their personal stance

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on the matters based on all of the information they have fragmented together. Therefore, it should be no surprise that these social mediaobsessed kids also value individual expression and avoid labels at all costs. Social media has helped this young generation catalyze a societal movement for the indiscriminate acceptance of all people.

Ironically, this online haven of tolerance doubles as one of the most judgmental and hostile places for self-esteem to reside.

Instagram creates an atmosphere that encourages consumers to count likes and followers, finding worth in the numbers on the other side of the screen. Similarly, the photos posted on Instagram are doctored and photoshopped to the degree that the line becomes blurred between reality and fantasy. These unrealistic photos place harmful expectations on a young and insecure generation whose greatest desire is to fit in and feel valued. Teenagers follow “social media influencers,” scrolling through the feeds of icons like Kylie Jenner and Bella Hadid in an effort to live vicariously through them. As a result, Instagram users slip into believing the fallacy of “the perfect life,” feeling as though others have their lives completely together while they themselves are an anomaly. Researchers from the Royal Society of Public Health along with the Young Health Movement found that Instagram is the most detrimental social media platform for young people’s health. Snapchat and Facebook followed while YouTube and Twitter carried positive effects. The common thread lies in the snapshots that fail to expose the full actuality and flaws of an individual, unintentionally birthing a self-conscious generation desperate

for validation. These feelings of inadequacy appear unavoidable as social media’s addictive qualities rival that of nicotine and alcohol. It has also been linked to contributing to anxiety and depression, exacerbating the widespread mental health crisis for the younger generation.

Social media also creates compulsive habits for procrastination, especially when dealing with new apps like TikTok. This app specializes in short, fun videos, creating content full of self-deprecating humor and entertaining dances. TikTok creates a platform for this new generation to cope with their fears and depression by making light of the events around them. For instance, at the start of 2020, President Trump ordered the assassination of Iranian major general Qasem Soleimani. Immediately following this news, social media apps like TikTok and Twitter were trending “WWIII” with teens creating an endless onslaught of memes and jokes to accompany it. Short, quirky videos access the reward center in the brain, releasing a chemical messenger called dopamine to elicit feelings of pleasure and satisfaction. This instant gratification in our brains has begun to shift learning styles and behaviors, leading Generation Z to be both highly visual and task-oriented.

Social media is already beginning to radically influence the way in which new generations will see the world. Though our brains may be limited by the confines of a camera lens, our perspectives are being influenced and opened through our unlimited digital access to the world around us.

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B A Biblical Perspective in the 21st Century

By Elizabeth Dains

What is a biblical perspective and what does it look like in the 21st Century?

Perspective means a point of view; the way we see something. Having a biblical perspective simply means seeing the world through the eyes of the One who created it. It’s the daily choice to view events, relationships, challenges and every part of life through the lens of God’s Word and in light of our hope in Jesus Christ. How do we have a biblical perspective in a world that is constantly telling us to have our own point of view? Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.” Transforming our minds to have a biblical perspective requires practical action.

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“Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2

TRANSFORMING OUR MINDS TO HAVE A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE REQUIRES PRACTICAL ACTION.

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Presenting a Biblical Perspective

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14

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AS A TEACHER AT SECOND BAPTIST SCHOOL, I AM TASKED WITH ACTIVELY PORTRAYING A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW IN MY CLASSROOM.

As a teacher at Second Baptist School, I am tasked with actively portraying a biblical worldview in my classroom. Simply put, having this accountability for what I teach and why I teach it keeps me aligned with God’s truths. Since committing my life to Jesus as a six-year-old, He’s central to my ongoing decision-making. This is not always the first direction I go. Often, I find myself trying to move Him to the passenger seat when I think I know which way is best. The reality is I am always better off when I let Jesus stay in the driver’s seat. I pray each day that the Lord will penetrate my mind and heart so that everything I bring to my job and especially to my students is a result of my desire to keep Jesus as the driver of my life. Psalm 19:14 says, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

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DO I SIN?

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For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

Do I sin? Every single day. While I know it is impossible to be like Jesus, free of sin, I know His grace! Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works so that no one can boast.” Through His grace, I am saved.

And it is not by me doing good works.

My salvation is a free gift from God. It’s FREE! Daily, I strive to make every step one that glorifies Jesus. I want my students to know the love of Jesus when I speak to them. I want them to see me as an example of grace, kindness, patience and love. I want them to see Jesus when they see me.

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HOW TO HAVE A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

When I evaluate myself, I find myself narrowing my focus through a biblical lens. I believe the Bible is God’s Holy Word and that every single word is true, and I choose to live by that truth.

In a time when our world is so divided, Christians should be a beacon of hope in the way we live and love, the kind of hope found in Jesus Christ.

That being said, we must stand firm in our convictions and what we believe about certain issues. Because of our biblical perspective, the Bible is constantly a lamp before our feet to help us. We stand apart because we ARE different from the culture and the crowd. Our decisions, our words and our actions reveal to the world what we really believe.

Through my years of seeking to live in the world but not of it, my relationship with Jesus has been strengthened. There are certain seasons I have walked through, which refined my heart, deepened my love for others and caused me to release the tight grip of control I tried to maintain over my life. Thankfully, Jesus loosened that grip of control and I let Him become my anchor and source of confidence, strength and grace. I love what Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

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B

Relationships

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“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35

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Because of our biblical perspective, relationships with friends and coworkers look different. It is sweet to watch coworkers encourage each other, to pray for one another, to be excited for someone being named to a new position, even if they themselves were also up for the same position.

There are two women in my life that whenever I leave their presence, I always wish for more time. When I spend time with either one of them, they encourage me, they love me and they show me how much they care for me. With that said, I know they would call me out if they saw something in my life that did not align with God’s Word. Both of them are remarkable examples of Titus 2 women whose goal is to train younger women in biblical living.

I often think of the way they live their lives and the impact they continue to make on me. When others leave my presence, do they leave encouraged and uplifted or do they leave feeling deflated and defeated? Do I make them feel seen, heard and loved? As Christian educators, these are the questions we must constantly ask ourselves and incorporate into our curriculum.

Remember this from John 13:34-35, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”

Responsibility as an Employee Having a biblical worldview also looks different as an employee. Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

As believers, we are called to do our work for the Lord, not for man. In everything we do, we should strive for excellence. What does that look like on a daily basis? It means each day we are ready to work. We don’t cut our days short or get sloppy working through assignments. Everything we do is with excellence because we remember who we are working for. As educators, we are called to an even higher purpose.

We are working to shape, educate, grow and lead the next generation of young people. How could we not do everything to the best of our ability and for the glory and honor of Jesus when our ultimate goal is impacting children for His kingdom?

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HOW WE LIVE

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. John 14:26

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Having a biblical perspective is part of who I am because I choose to walk with Jesus.

It would be impossible for me to do this without the help of the Holy Spirit who directs my steps every minute of every day.

He is the spirit of Christ who lives in me to lead me to the truths found in God’s Word.

John 14:26 says this, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

The way I live, the way I act, the way I love and the way I teach are grounded in my faith. There are so many things in the world that vie for our attention and they can shift our perspective from biblical to worldly without us even knowing it. In order to know if we have a biblical perspective, we can ask ourselves these simple questions: • Does my being a Christian affect every part of who I am?

• Do I believe the Bible is God’s Word and filled with His truths?

• Does the Holy Spirit direct my every step?

• Am I quick to repent and slow to judge or do I hold a grudge?

• Do I treat others as if they bear the very image of God?

THE WAY WE LIVE, THE WAY WE ACT, THE WAY WE LOVE, THE WAY WE WORK—EVERYTHING— SHOULD REFLECT OUR BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE!

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A day full of school spirit and excitement, Second Baptist School Homecoming 2019 invited alumni, alumni parents, current students and families back on campus to celebrate the legacy of the school. The celebration lasted all day long with festivities beginning at lower school drop-off and ending with an upper school homecoming dance.

Senior athletes greeted lower school students at morning carpool and presented each child with a Homecoming 2019 ribbon.

Each grade arrived at the all-school pep rally adorned in their class colors: freshmen in pink, sophomores in purple, juniors in blue and seniors in red. Middle school students also wore the same class color as their upper school equivalent and cheered them on enthusiastically.

After introductions of the fall sports teams, the varsity and JV cheerleaders and Golden Girls performed their own routines to rally excitement for homecoming. A game of tug-of-war followed with the senior members of the varsity football team losing to the seventh and eighth grade football teams.

Before the homecoming game began, alumni were invited into the Eagle Club in the Athletic Center for dinner. Here, alumni of all ages connected with teachers, parents and classmates. Alumni and alumni parents excitedly greeted friends and former teachers, reminiscing on their days at SBS. At halftime, the 2019 Homecoming Court was announced, and the winners were presented on the field. The Homecoming Princesses and Princes were named to be Emily Bolling ’23 and Mason Sanders ’23, Autumn Malone ’22 and Cooper Patterson ’22 and Emma Gunn ’21 and Aidan Carr ’21. The honor of Homecoming Queen and King was awarded to Star Matthew ’20 and Dane Dentler ’20. The Eagles shut out Westbury, winning 56-0.

Following a triumphant win, upper school students celebrated at the neon-themed homecoming dance. Student Life Prefect Mary Turner ’20 decorated the dance with glow-in-the-dark balloons that hung from the ceiling and placed black lights around the gym. Homecoming 2019, where school spirit and class colors abound and where old traditions are honored and new memories are made. However bitter-sweet, I am so excited to be able to return home next year as an alum and watch the legacy of my class influence classes to come.

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Homecoming 2019

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A L U M N I N O T E S

REMEMB E R TO FOLLOW US ON FACE BOOK AND INSTAGR AM @SB SALUMNI TO STAY CONNE CTE D AND LE AR N ABOUT UPCOMING E VE NTS AND ON-CAMPUS H APPE NINGS! MOVE D? MAR R IE D? NE W E MAIL ADDR E SS? E MAIL S BSALUMNI@ S E CONDBAPTISTS CH OOL.OR G TO S E ND ANY CH ANGE S . WE WANT TO STAY IN TOUCH !

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Distinguished Alumnus and United States Senator TED CRUZ returned to his alma mater to inspire students and families during our communitywide Skype session with International Space Station astronaut Christina Koch on December 13, 2019.

Cruz currently serves as chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation and Space and shared his thankfulness for the strong foundation laid for him while attending SBS.

JONATHAN CHERRY is the new head coach of women’s soccer at Robert E. Lee High School in the Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District, Baytown, Texas.

Prior to starting at Baytown Lee, Jonathan was named Coach of the Year 2018 and one of the Top 10 Educators of the Year 2018 at Wharton High School.

Congratulations, Coach Cherry!

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MARY FRANCES MEADOR SIMPSON and her husband, Strother, of 32 years live six months out of the year in Smithers, B.C. Canada, and the other six months in Brady, Texas. Smithers is a charming small town in Northern B.C., where they spend their time outdoors and fellowshipping with friends. Their daughter, Helengrey, is married and resides nearby.

Their son, Strother IV, and his wife, Catie, live three hours away with two precious children: Strother V (4) and Stuart (2). Mary Frances and Strother love being grandparents and spending quality time walking happy trails, playing games, cooking and reading lots of books!

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In October, 2019, JACK PERRY’S company, Doorstep Digital, was named a 2019 Aggie 100 Company.

The McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship, part of Mays Business School at Texas A&M University, presented the winners at a private ceremony and dinner at the Hall of Champions on campus in College Station. The 15th annual global Aggie 100 contest acknowledged 94 Texas companies, including 28 in the Houston metro area.

Jack started Doorstep in 2014, as a photo, video, album, yearbook and document scanning and organizing service that provides a local, secure option to preserve and easily access precious memories. Doorstep Digital has grown to be an organization and digital de-cluttering lifesaver for families, schools, companies and non-profit organizations in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, Seattle and Chicago.

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CATHERINE PAPASAKELARIOU recently opened her own dermatology office, Houston Premier Dermatology, in the Memorial area. She specializes in both medical and cosmetic dermatology and sees patients of all ages.

She looks forward to serving the greater Houston area.

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AMANDA SKELTON YOKUM and her family of five moved back to Texas last summer after seven and a half years in Alaska. What they expected to be a two-year journey turned into almost eight years of wonderful friends, experiences and cold weather. With her husband, John, and their three boys: James (11), Patrick (9) and Henry (7), Amanda settled in Katy, Texas.

WHITNEY WOMAC ARROYO and her husband, Don, received the greatest gift this year for Christmas.

Olivia “Livi” Ann Arroyo joined the family on December 25, 2019, weighing 7lbs. 9oz. Big brother Dean ’32 and big sister Ava ’33 are over the moon in love with their new little sister.

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ELIZABETH SMITH HAFFNER and husband, Joe, recently purchased the Red Brick Pizza franchise located in the pristine Destin Commons shopping mall in Destin, Florida.

The store has been in this location for 10 years, and Elizabeth and Joe look forward to the continued growth of the business. They have two daughters, Mary Beth (5) and Emma Grace (3) who are following in their mother’s footsteps attending a private, Christian school in Miramar Beach, Florida, where they love every minute being in a Christcentered environment.

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Residing in Atlanta, CAITLIN FINCHER ZORN and her husband, Blake, wanted their son, Drew, to have a Christian education that both of them had growing up.

After researching and touring various options, they went up the road to Mount Vernon Presbyterian School where they ran into Head of School Dr. Brett Jacobsen, who served at SBS for 14 years. Caitlin says she immediately knew they wanted Drew to be at that school.

“It feels ‘homey’ and actually resembles SBS to a degree. It is such a godsend to see a familiar face and know that your child is being watched over so well.

What a small world!”

HANNAH NOBLE CLAYPOOLE married Chase Claypoole on March 1, 2019, in Houston. By her side were Hannah’s bridesmaids and SBS alumni AMY DANVERS JOHNSON ’03, LOREN STIEFEL HOPF ’03, LEAH TERRELL DEEGAN ’05 and KELSEY NOBLE ADAMS ’10. Hannah has worked at SBS for 11 years and is in her sixth year serving as the director of technology. Chase is president of Claypoole Group, a Houston construction firm.

PETER WARDEN is the new Head Equipment Manager and Travel Coordinator with the Minnesota Timberwolves basketball organization based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Peter was a basketball manager in high school and college, continuing to work in basketball at the collegiate level at both Texas A&M and Kentucky. Now, he’s getting to do what he loves at the highest level—the NBA!

LAUREN ASHKAR BAKER and her husband, Austin, welcomed Houston Edward on October 17, 2019. He joins big sister, Brooklyn, and big brothers Theodore and Boone.

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Lindsay and CONOR SHARY, along with siblings Molly and Henry, joyfully welcomed Lilly Grace Shary into their family on January 15, 2020, measuring 7 lbs.

5 oz. 19 in. long.

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PATRICK CADDOU, a Lockheed-Martin engineer-turnedentrepreneur, launched Supply out of his home in 2015. Supply holds the title as the most popular single-edge razor, and today, delivers tens of thousands of single-edge razors to 43 countries around the world and has since expanded to offer products that enhance the shaving experience.

Patrick and his wife, Jennifer, appeared on ABC’s Shark Tank on Sunday, November 3, 2019. As a result of their time in the tank, Shark Investor Robert Herjavec offered $300,000 for a 15% stake, and no royalties; Patrick and Jennifer accepted.

Congratulations, Caddous!

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NATHAN DELANO and his wife, Amber, welcomed their first child, Collins Grace, on November 16, 2019.

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DON ’04 AND THEO NGUYEN ’13 offer a delicious combination of Texas barbecue and Vietnamese cuisine through their 1-2 times a month pop-up Khoi Barbecue business.

During the day, Don works as an energy trader, and Theo works in the international student department at University of Houston Clear Lake. When the aprons are on, Don and Theo cook with a 500-gallon Moberg smoker and try to infuse Central-Texas barbecue with Asianinspired dishes. Khoi was recently written up in Texas Monthly, appeared on the Cooking Channel’s Man, Fire, Food – the episode showcasing Houston with Ronnie Killen of Killen’s barbecue. Who’s hungry?

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LEAH TERRELL DEEGAN and her husband, Joe, welcomed their fourth child, Maggie Melissa, on September 20, 2019.

Eagle sweethearts RACHEL and BRIAN DUNCAN welcomed their third child, Savannah Grace, on October 31, 2019. She’s in the best hands with her loving parents, big sister Virginia ’34 and big brother, George.

CHERANDA WHEELER ROBERTSON has been practicing law for more than six years and recently started a new job as a staff attorney with Lone Star Legal Aid’s newest branch office in Richmond, Texas. Cheranda has worked in the public interest sector (pro bono/non-profit) for the last four years and resides in Katy with her husband, Andrew, and their little girl, Aria Hope.

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LAUREN O’DONNEL DIETRICH and her husband, Mike, welcomed their beautiful baby boy, Ford Michael Dietrich, on April 28, 2019. In January, Mike’s job with Hoover Ferguson took the Dietrichs farther west to Midland, Texas, where they are settling in as a family of three.

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On February 3, ANNABEL FOWLER GATTO launched Suitably (www. suitably.com), a new direct-to-consumer workwear brand for early career women.

Suitably believes every woman–no matter her background or economic status–deserves a wardrobe that helps her feel confident. All garments are therefore under $100, machine washable, wrinklefree and blended with an ultra comfortable proprietary fabric.

Suitably’s design process is driven by data, and the launch collection will include a blazer, pencil skirt and two dresses all engineered for the early career woman through style, price point and functionality. Annabel and Suitably are based in New York City.

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MARGARET OWEN graduated from The University of Texas and began working with Prelude Music Classes for Children as the office manager and marketing director, as well as with the Prelude Music Foundation as their program director. The foundation provides a research-based music and movement class for parents and their children from birth to age five and delivers the same program to low-income schools within the Houston area. Margaret’s love of writing and drawing, coupled with her heart for children, led her into one of her favorite hobbies: writing and illustrating a children’s book, as well as some comic books for her nieces and nephews.

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DANIELE WHITE VAN WINKLE and husband, Clay, welcomed baby Weston Cole on June 11, 2019. According to Daniele, “He smiles all the time and is super active, especially when it comes to eating and playing with our two Australian Shepherds, Zoe and Piper.” In addition to being a new, full-time mom, Daniele works as a neonatal nurse practitioner at Dallas Children’s Hospital.

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JACY BURRELL HAWES and husband, Jeff, welcomed their sweet daughter, Carrie Marie Hawes, on October 8, 2019. She shares her first name with Jeff’s great greatgrandmother and her middle name with Jacy’s grandmother, mom and Jacy. Carrie was 6 lbs., 7 oz. and 19 1/4 in. long.

Jacy works at Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation focusing on donor relations and fundraising events.

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CAROLINE THOMPSON KNAPP and her husband, Wesley, welcomed their first child, Grace “Gracie” Virginia Knapp, on August 28, 2019. She was 8 lbs., 9 oz. and 20.5 in. long. In the words of Caroline, “God was fully present, and we are beyond thankful for this precious answer to prayer! She is our greatest joy!”

JENNIFER GRAVES SULLIVAN graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in May 2019, earning her Master of Arts in Art Therapy and Counseling.

Jen is employed with Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital as a medical art therapist in Houston’s Medical Center. Her husband, Byron, continues to work in commercial real estate with LaSalle Investment Management. The two recently moved back from Chicago, bringing a souvenir with them—a baby girl! On December 13, 2019, they joyfully welcomed daughter Zoe. They look forward to raising her in Houston with the love of family and friends.

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JAY CALHOUN married the love of his life, Misty Berdeaux, on July 26, 2019. Misty and Jay met in Bible study at Second Baptist Church almost two years ago and started dating shortly thereafter. On July 26, 2019, Misty and Jay ended up getting engaged and married the same night. The couple’s close friend and mentor, Duncan Shanklin, officiated the wedding. The Calhouns celebrated by spending the next two weeks in Thailand. They are having a blast settling into their new life together.

Eagle sweethearts TAYLOR ODUM and ALEX COOPER married in 2018. Taylor is the marketing and public relations manager for The Ion, Houston’s tech hub designated to become the epicenter for Houston’s innovation ecosystem. Alex is a program manager at Be A Champion, a non-profit organization that provides free meals and after school care and activities for youth across Texas.

Congratulations to Alex who was recently named to the Houston Cougar’s All-Decade Offensive Team featuring the top performers from 2010 to 2019.

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MARGARET MAURER VAUGHAN and her husband, Wilson, married on December 1, 2018, in Houston. The wedding party included other SBS alumni: KIMBER WALKER HOLCOMBE ’11, ABBY BURGHER CANNON ’11 and CAROLINE WALLACE ’11. After their entire wedding party watched OU defeat Texas in the Big 12 Championship that same day, family and friends gathered for the ceremony and reception.

The Vaughans live in Dallas, where Margaret works in marketing for KDC, a commercial real estate company.

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KENDALL LOONEY married Austin Starr on September 21, 2019, in Vail, Colorado, where they had their first date. The two met when volunteering on the same YoungLife team and dated for two years. Kendall says, “Our wedding was the perfect clash of old SBS lifer friends, new Colorado friends and all of his friends growing up. Married life since has consisted of so many more adventures, holidays with his family and living out the mission Christ has given us together!” The Starrs reside in Denver, Colorado.

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Eagle sweethearts MIA PASTEL ’14 and BLAKE DOW ’15 married in Austin, Texas, on October 27, 2019.

The ceremony took place at their church, Vox Veniae, with a reception following at Barr Mansion. Mia and Blake met during the fall of 2013 in their SBS AP Biology class and started dating soon after. Both UT graduates, Mia stayed put in UT graduate school to receive her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, while Blake works at Zoho, a software company.

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DREW APPLEGATE was selected by Auburn University for the 2018-2019 Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award for Industrial Design in the School of Industrial and Graphic Design. Drew graduated from Auburn in May 2019 and is currently working at P9 Design in Edgewater, New Jersey, as an industrial designer.

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Eagle sweethearts WILL BURNS and KENNAN JONES said “I do” surrounded by dear family and friends at Big Sky Barn in The Woodlands, Texas, on May 27, 2019. Kennan’s father, Pastor Brian Jones, gave the bride away and married Kennan and Will inside the beautiful chapel. A reception celebration took place immediately following in the beautiful Big Sky Barn. Serving in the wedding party were SBS alumni JAMES TODD ’15, BLAKE DOW ’15, ASHA WORSHAM ’15 and Will’s younger sister and current SBS student, KELSIE BURNS ’22. Will and Kennan now reside in College Station, Texas.

After graduating from The University of Texas, SARAH JOHANNESEN accepted the position of communications and development coordinator at Kids’ Meals Inc., a Houstonarea non-profit that delivers meals on wheels to children in need. She also stays busy running her online brand that seeks to encourage and empower women to love and accept themselves as they are, both inside and out. You can follow her blog and journey at livinglikegolden.com.

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Whoop! MORGAN LEPORI graduated from Texas A&M University in December 2018, with a Bachelor of Science in Health. During her time at TAMU, Morgan was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, a Fish Camp counselor and worked as an ER scribe at a Level 2 trauma center in Bryan, Texas. In January 2019, she immediately started an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston and will graduate in April 2020 from UTMB. Morgan plans to work as an emergency room nurse while obtaining a Masters of Science in Nursing degree with the goal of ultimately becoming an acute care nurse practitioner.

Just on the heels of graduating from Liberty University in May, JORDAN HAYLEY was honored to serve on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee under Senator Risch (R-ID) during the summer of 2019 when she worked closely with senior staffers of the Committee for Middle East, Political-Military Affairs and the United Nations portfolios. She helped draft letters to the State Department on U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia and UAE and so much more. One particular day when Ivanka Trump arrived at the Capitol, Jordan escorted her to the SFRC Capitol room for her meeting. Afterwards, Jordan was able to get a few photos and talk briefly to Ivanka about her time in the White House as an advisor.

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LAURA LAUGHEAD worked as a full-time, Good Morning America intern at ABC in New York City during the 2019 fall semester.

During her internship, Laura wrote more than 60 articles for GMA and ABC News and published eight stories that aired on the official GMA Instagram, including reporting from the red carpet premieres of “Last Christmas” and “The Good Liar.” Laura will graduate from The University of Texas at Austin in May and hopes to return to New York City and Good Morning America one day.

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TYLER BRASWELL and CORBIN SCHWINGER recently started Schwingwell—a full service drone videography and photography business that was created over a simple, home-fromschool catch-up dinner at Goode Company BBQ. A simple meal turned into an idea these friends—turned business partners— hope will grow into a top name in the drone industry. From real estate to events, from inspection jobs for oil and gas/other industrial industries, Tyler and Corbin’s engineering, marketing, drone piloting backgrounds and a passion to do something great will surely take flight.

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Rowing right along this semester, HAYDEN GROBLEBEN is on varsity crew at Vanderbilt University and continues thriving in the sport, winning numerous competitions with his fellow crew members since joining the team two years ago. When Hayden is not busy training, he’s on shore, double-majoring in biomedical and electrical engineering.

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TARA NORED started CollegeFit (@yourcollegefit) at the end of her freshman year in college with a grant from Tulane. CollegeFit is a non-profit that provides free college application assistance to low-income high school students by pairing them with college mentors. One of the main goals of Tara and her team is to find the right fit school for each student.

In Memoriam ADAM GENTLE (1979-2019) CLASS OF 1997 CHELSEA DENENBURG (1977-2019) FRIEND OF SBS

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perform at my best, gave me the y journey through Second Owner of A.R. Productions confidence to pursue and realize Baptist School began in my dreams. The teachers and 2002; I was in second grade and based in New York City administrators guided me, taught graduated in 2013. I was involved me, challenged and encouraged in just about everything from me. Their investment was invaluable. cheer, student government, Spanish and Key Club to tennis, Big Sis Lil Sis Club, choir and theatre. My theatre My biggest takeaway from SBS was leaving with a career started at age three when I jumped into the firm foundation in Jesus Christ. I left my comfort zone Second Baptist Church children’s choir productions with of west Houston, my family and church and plunged both feet. Once I was in middle school, I transitioned to immediately into a worldly industry in our nation’s the school’s theatre program. Those were some of the largest and most bustling city. Without a solid faith and best days of my life. The program, the experiences and walk with God, New York and the industry would have the learning that took place in both of those programs swallowed me whole. Having an eternal perspective that prepared me for where God has me today. It helped SBS helped mold keeps me going and helps me stay mold and shape my perspective on life and my career. focused on what’s really important.

After graduating from SBS, I entered the New York Film The biggest challenge being involved in so many Academy and majored in musical theatre. For the last different extracurriculars during school was trying to five years, I have worked professionally as an actor all maintain excellence in everything. However, learning to over the world. In 2019, I started my own production balance life and manage time at SBS served me well and company called A.R. Productions, based in New York. helps me succeed as a performer and producer. Working We produce theatre and films in the area and recently as a producer means wearing 100 different hats at one produced an off-broadway show called Love and Yogurt, time; SBS prepared me for this in ways I don’t think which I also had the pleasure of starring in. Currently, I other places could have done as well. am a producer on a show called Passion Project that fellow alumna, Macy Schmidt ’15, is orchestrating. I was My perspective on theatre has completely changed since recently named executive producer on a feature film high school. As a teenager, high school was about having called Boy Hero that is being looked at by Marvel and fun, being with my friends and getting to perform. Today, DC Comics.

I choose to stay in this industry in order to share the stories of amazing people. My desire is to create art As I continue to grow and develop, I can see how that makes people think – productions that take people attending SBS made me the person I am today. My deeper and away from their current reality, if only for a perspective on life and the arts began forming at bit. For me, art is the way I get to express myself and Second Baptist Church and School. The school opened give others a voice. It is my passion, and I have SBC and doors that allowed me to participate in multiple SBS to thank for helping develop that passion in order extra-curricular activities at one time. As a result, I to fulfill my dreams. grew into a more well-rounded individual. Learning to

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personal concern and care the was born and grew up faculty and staff had for me as in Deer Park, Texas. The Baseball player/pitcher a student. My SBS experiences summer before my junior year, for UH Cougars and relationships have stayed my parents made the decision with me and served me well. to move into town, and I started attending Second Baptist School in the fall of After graduation, I continued my education and 2014. Moving to and settling into SBS helped foster baseball career at the University of Houston. I didn’t my personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and I grew expect college athletics to be as competitive as it in my knowledge and understanding of scripture. That is. Even with the challenges, I was able to find that was just the beginning. crucial balance between baseball, academics and my personal life. I attribute my ability to navigate college, While SBS challenged me academically and prepared baseball and relationships to God, my family and the me for college, more importantly, the school, my influence of the teachers and coaches who selflessly teachers and my coaches challenged me to be a poured into me when I was at SBS. servant leader, especially when it came to sports. My baseball coaches cared that I was successful not just Now, in my final and fourth year at UH and following on the field, but in life. Their perspective became my two elbow surgeries, I am beginning my second perspective: win or lose, my character off the field baseball season pitching for the Cougars. I plan to was most important. graduate in 2020 with a degree in health promotions, and Lord willing, continue playing at the next level in During my time at SBS, I learned how to persevere, the sport I love. work hard and stay true to who I am as a man of God. I learned how to take the opportunities God gives me My prayer is that my perspective stays the same: win to be a difference-maker in the lives of others. I miss or lose, it is my character that matters. those relationships and that community. I miss the

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Tara is majoring in political science with a concentration in international development and a minor in business management. As the president of CollegeFit, she oversees all operations. You can learn more about CollegeFit through the website (yourcollegefit.org), Instagram (@yourcollegefit) or email (taranored@yourcollegefit.org).

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app reviews, financial aid and more. efore entering Tulane in the fall of 2018, someone told me that New Founder of CollegeFit Over the summer, I utilized the Orleans was dirty. Others told me that grant funding to work toward three it was a generous city infused with a yourcollegefit.org goals: filing for 501(c)(3) status, unique culture. I wondered how these launching a website and forming two opposites could both be true. As a board of directors. Required for official non-profit status, a Christian in a largely non-religious university, my freshman the bylaws are similar to the resolutions I wrote at high year perspective often felt muddled and confused. How did I school Model United Nations’ conferences. Additionally, fit into such a place, and what was my purpose? to create a coherent management structure, I recalled my experience as Publicity Prefect. Delegation of tasks proved Fast-forward to the end of my freshman year when I was difficult for me in high school, but when I shared prefect taking a social entrepreneurship class and realized that for responsibilities, team efficiency and unity increased. Thus, many local New Orleans’ students, the path to college was I formed three subcommittees within CollegeFit to create dilapidated in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The debris of 110 more accountability and club unity. school closures littered this path with road-blocked futures, while low teacher turnover rates uprooted any semblance The aspect of my time at SBS that was most crucial in of direction or clarity. The path crumbled as 40 percent of providing me with the skill set to launch CollegeFit was children found themselves without stable housing five years my experience as editor-in-chief of the yearbook. Through after the storm. this role, I learned to work toward a deadline, write under pressure and lead staff meetings. These weekly practices I called my mom and shared about a void of authentic student not only transferred seamlessly into the business of starting mentorship that is currently filled through two extremes: a non-profit but also provided me a sense of confidence the idolization of name-brand schools or a reluctance to that allowed me to begin CollegeFit in the first place. Finally, pursue higher education altogether. This false dichotomy fundraising is a large component of running CollegeFit, was troubling to me. “I want to do more than talk about and my time as business editor of the yearbook provided these problems,” I told her. I founded CollegeFit because I me with a wealth of valuable experience in selling ads and benefited from the paramount influence of several teachers contacting local businesses. and counselors in my personal college application journey at Second Baptist School. However, once I got to college and Through this journey, I’ve learned that I am a fit for Tulane, began talking to my friends about their application process, and Tulane is a fit for me! An SBS graduate, follower of Christ I realized that my story is the exception, not the standard. and a college student in love with the generous, authentic spirit of New Orleans, I realized the pressure and promises Working as a Tulane campus tour guide, I took note of my peers of the college admissions process had become an idol. who were extremely well-versed in the admissions process and However, my perspective is clear: nothing earth-bound can could offer many high school students valuable and honest bear the weight of my worship. This realization represents information. The mentorship system at the core of CollegeFit the underlying philosophy of CollegeFit: finding the best fit began to flourish, and so I applied for the Changemaker for college and closing the admissions equity gap are not Catalyst Award at Tulane, which provided our kickstarter mutually exclusive. The students that CollegeFit mentors are funding and helped make CollegeFit a reality—a registered clever, resilient and creative. My ability to walk the path to non-profit that offers free mentorship to underrepresented college was no different from theirs; it was only the path students in the college admissions process. High schoolers are matched with undergrads trained in essay editing, common itself that diverged.

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Future Perspectives 4

TWENTY QUESTIONS WITH FOURTH GRADE

What will life be like in the year 2040?

1 How do you think cars will change in 20 years?

In the future, cars will run on renewable energy, transform easily into boats or planes and they will all be self-driving, like Teslas.

2

What do you think phones will look like in the future?

They will have a feature that allows you to type by thinking, and they won’t break when you drop them.

3 What new toys will be invented in the future?

A football that can change into a tennis ball, basketball, volleyball or baseball, a voice controlled toy that will turn into anything you say and a dog collar that will translate your dog’s barking into English!

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What new jobs will there be in the future?

Time machine mechanics, robot designers and car pilots, since we won’t need airplanes anymore.

5 Who will win the college football championship and Super Bowl in 2040?

Texas A&M and the Houston Texans!

6 What will change about space travel in 20 years?

We’ll find more planets and galaxies and we’ll be able to go to the moon on a giant elevator.

7How do you think school technology will change

in the future?

Nothing will be done on paper, we’ll use our iphone 37s in school and we’ll have robots to bring us snacks.

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H A L L

17 Where will you live?

In Houston in the house I live in right now, or a floating house in Florida.

in the future?

People will go on space vacations, and there will be underwater houses to rent.

18 Will you have any kids?

Sneakers will have a hover feature and they’ll have buttons for what you want to do while wearing them.

19 What is one big goal you have for yourself by the

on in the year 2040?

They should go to the White House, and they should have a school bus with a spaceship inside so they can go to space.

20 What is one big change you hope to see in our

12 What will popular sneakers look like in 20 years?

13 What kind of field trips should SBS students go 14

If you could create a futuristic invention to improve the elevators, what would it be?

Either we should just have stairs for exercise or the elevators should have super sonic speed.

Yes, I want 2 so they can look out for each other...3 is too much work. time you’re 30 years old?

To be successful and kind, make a difference, and teach people about Jesus.

world in the future?

In the future, people will argue less about the government and politics, everyone will have a home, more people will know God, people will be accepted for who they are, we’ll have renewable energy options, and we’ll have longer recess and no homework.

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11 What kind of vacations will people go on

A mayor, NBA player, engineer, youtuber, barrel racer, chef, architect

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16 What job will you have?

What will popular clothing or fashion look like in the year 2040?

Clothing will have lots of pockets and it will have technology in it, like built in AC and heaters.

In 2040, you’ll be 30 years old!

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lives easier?

We’ll have teleportation devices and there will be robots in hospitals and nursing homes to help people get dressed and get around.

S C H O O L

9 What invention will we have to make people’s

like in the year 2040?

The uniform shirts should have extendable sleeves and have P.E. shirts on the inside so you can just flip it inside out for gym.

There will be unlimited food options in one place, stronger coffee and 3D printers that print your food.

L O W E R

8 How will food and restaurants change in the future? 15 What do you think the SBS uniform should look

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