The ReMarker | Dec. 2024

THE LONELY GENERATION

BY HILTON SAMPSON, LINYANG LEE AND MATTHEW HOFMANN

Even through the phone, when you ask Rob Glass ‘72 to look back at his time here, you can hear from his voice how much fun he had.

Rappelling down the side of the A-frame chapel.

Beating 6A public schools on the soccer field. Being named MVP his senior year.

He has so many great memories with his group of four friends, too.

Studying in the library together. Going to Brownsville one spring break together.

Glass still has the 16 millimeter black and white films they made together.

But looking back now, more than 50 years later— those relationships were thinner than the ones he’s got now.

They weren’t as deep.

For many young men, though, finding a group of friends to begin with—let alone solid, deep connections—is difficult.

A new analysis of social trends reveals a significant increase in loneliness among boys and young men over the past three decades, with technological and social changes driving the shift.

According to research by Richard Reeves in “From Boys to Men,” the percentage of men reporting no close friends has increased from 3 percent in 1990 to 15 percent in 2021. Among high school boys, loneliness has also grown substantially, rising from 28 percent in 2000 to 35 percent in 2019.

And here, even at a school with so much emphasis on community, so many of us aren’t immune.

So many are alone.

Illustration by Joshua Goforth

INSIDE 31

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DINI NAMED IBSC CHAIR

Headmaster David Dini was named the Board Chair on the International Boy’s School Coalition.

The school will host guest speakers from a variety of literary professions. The speakers will talk in front of the Upper School and in English classes.

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13

ALUMNI STARTUP

Sahitya Senapathy ‘20 founded Endeavor AI and recently received $7 million of seed funding.

CLASSROOM CONFIDENCE

Personal traits like self-confidence can determine class participation grades and many other facets of discussion-based classes. 18 ST.

What other local schools think of St. Mark’s as well as what students think the school’s reputation is.

RECLASSING: A SPORTS ISSUE

Each year, more and more students around the country “reclass”, repeating a grade to increase their athletic prowess for recruiting purposes.

I love Thanksgiving. Not simply because of the food, I do love the food though, but because it’s a chance to spend time with your loved ones. Usually for the Gardners it’s a house full of noise, my cousins running around, and my grandma and others working hard in the kitchen.

However, Thanksgiving looked a little different for my family this year. It was spent in my grandma’s quiet room at the retirement home.

My grandma has dementia now. It’s been hard watching her slowly lose pieces of herself. Some days she remembers, but most days she doesn’t. Walking into her room felt different this year. No warm kitchen smells, no family chaos, no constant chatter. Just silence.

Learn about the hot items for the holidays this year with an in-depth gift list for students.

SPC DOMINANCE

The volleyball team handled business and won SPC. Read more about their rise to the top and the long-awaited championship.

When I walked in, something amazing happened. Her eyes lit up. She grabbed my hand and said “my baby.” In a time where she forgets a lot, she knew me.

We didn’t have a big Thanksgiving dinner. There was no turkey, no yams, no pumpkin pie. Just simple conversations. Our conversation was all over the place. She’d talk about something from years ago, then ask the same question over and over. But I didn’t care. I was just happy to be with her.

This wasn’t the Thanksgiving I expected or really wanted.

It was hard. It was hard seeing her forget our conversations just minutes after we talked. Hard watching her get confused about who I was. Hard seeing her struggle to sleep. Hard knowing she wasn’t the same grandma who used to remember every single detail of our family’s life. Hard seeing the cloudiness in her eyes.

But it was also easy. Easy to love her. Easy to sit

next to her and hold her hand. Easy to smile when she remembered my name. Easy to be grateful that I could spend time with her. Easy to love her exactly as she is right now. Easy to be thankful for all our memories. Easy to make new memories, even if she wouldn’t remember them.

As we sat holding hands, I realized something important. Thanksgiving isn’t about perfect meals or perfect families. It’s about love. It’s about showing up. It’s about being there for the people you love. My grandma might not remember this day next week, but I will. I’ll remember how it felt to hold her hand. How her eyes lit up when she saw me. How we spent time together. This Thanksgiving taught me something important. Memories might fade, but love can always stay strong. While this was far from my most exciting or joyful thanksgiving, it’s the one I will remember and cherish the most.

NEWS IN BRIEF

COMMUNITY SERVICE The Community Service Board completed the week-long candy drive on Nov. 7, during which the board encouraged school community members to donate candy. Each morning, CS Board members were seen outside Nearburg and the Lower School, gathering the community’s candy donations. At the end of the event, the CS Board accumulated 422 pounds of candy ready to be donated to the Salvation Army Carr P. Collins Center.

FACULTY IN-SERVICE This past Thanksgiving, students received one extra day of break on Monday, Dec. 2 to relax. But many teachers and instructors spent the “faculty in-service day” getting work done for the remainder of the first semester. The school held several department-specific workshops and speaker sessions. With the recent change in schedule to an eightday rotation, the day was also an opportunity to reconnect with other faculty members.

THANKSGIVING ACTIVITIES Nov. 8 marked the day of the yearly Feast of Sharing, a festive activity sponsored by Central Market with the Upper School Community Service Board’s help. Traditional Thanksgiving food items including turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie were on the menu. Entertainment, such as bounce houses and face painting, were also provided.

HEADLINES

Reviewing this month’s news from around the world

WHAT HAPPENED: South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol declares martial law.

WHEN: Dec. 3

RELEVANCE: Yeol’s brief declaration of martial law in South Korea led to polarizing upheaval on the integrity of democracy.

WHAT HAPPENED: United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot in New York.

WHEN: Dec. 4

RELEVANCE: In light of the recent fatal occurrence, multiple investigations have been launched while many other people are also searching for answers.

FIVE MINUTES WITH

Organist & Choirmaster

Glenn Stroh

“

“It is one of the positions that goes back to the founding of St. Mark’s, because we’ve had this choir of men and boys since it was formed in 1951 with the merger of schools to create St. Mark’s.”

“There’s something really special about singing, and whether we’re singing the Alma Mater after a football game or in chapel singing a hymn we know really well, it feels good to breathe and sing together as a community. And there’s something primal about that. Singing is ingrained in our humanity.”

“I view our choir predominantly as a service organization to the school in that we’re helping to enliven the soul of St. Mark’s with our art and our singing.”

Headmaster David

Dini to lead IBSC

After years of involvement with the International Boys’ School Coalition (IBSC), Eugene McDermott Headmaster David W. Dini has recently become the official head of the organization.

BY TEJAS ALLADA AND HOLDEN PURVIS

From 400 year old institutions in London to rural campuses in South America, schools across the globe are united in their commitment to shaping future leaders. The International Boys’ School Coalition (IBSC), a global network of boys’ schools dedicated to the growth and development of education, seeks to achieve these goals.

Recently, Eugene McDermott Headmaster David W. Dini was announced as the new head of the group. Dini, who previously served as secretary and treasurer, has been familiar with the IBSC since its inception in 1995

“There were a limited number of schools that were involved in the formation, only a couple of boy’s schools,” Dini said. “It was very informal in the beginning. It was just organized by volunteers who were heads of small boys’ schools. There were some informal gatherings in the beginning years, and St. Mark’s was engaged in that process from some of the earliest conversations. Since the creation of the coalition, the school has been engaged in that dialogue.”

After serving on the coalition board for several years, Dini rose up the ranks. Due to the unexpected exit from longtime member and former head of the IBSC David Ferguson, Dini was called upon to take his place.

“I ended up stepping into the role that (Ferguson) recommended (me for),” Dini said. “It was a role I anticipated happening but in three years time. He would have likely served as the board chair for three years had he stayed at his school, and I probably would have followed him in 2027 and got it for three years from that point, but he had a change in his own professional and personal life that necessitated the IBSC to find somebody to step into that role sooner than expected. So ultimately, he stepped down, and I’ve stepped in.”

see HEADMASTER on

EMILIANO MAYO

Staff Writer

Ignorance is bliss

Majestic landscapes. Savory foods. Friendly people. These are some of the many beautiful things México offers to the world.

A corrupted government. Drug trafficking. Endless warfare. Those beautiful things have now become overshadowed by violence.

We keep ignoring it because we think it doesn’t have anything to do with us. Because here in the U.S., México seems far away and its issues can appear small and insignificant.

I’m not saying everybody has to do something about it, but it’s crucial to learn from the mistakes that my country is making.

I lived in México for 12 years. I saw all of its beauties and its disfigurements. I remember coming home from tennis practice just to hear how the police did nothing to stop a cartel massacre. Another time, it was watching thousands of people at the border pleading for better lives, only to be ignored. Looking back, I saw my country’s raw truth: the issues we ignored were coming back to haunt us.

For years, the reigning political party in México, Morena, has named itself as a “party for the people.” In order to legitimize themselves, they’ve crafted a divisive narrative — “the poor” vs. “the rich.” Through this image, Morena paints itself as México’s savior of those being exploited by the rich.

This level of government control led to self-serving manipulation, especially with education. While online learning during the COVID pandemic spanned hardly six months at St. Mark’s, schools across México were closed for nearly two years. Millions of kids, myself included, would spend hours watching the TV instead of learning about our history.

But even then that wasn’t the greatest issue, as less privileged students would have to learn through a one-hour national education broadcast. Millions lost two years of education, and three years later those same kids who missed proper education voted for Morena.

Morena has also been accused of having cartel ties, along with one of its candidates Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), the president of México during the pandemic.

In 2010, the U.S. Department of Justice investigated if AMLO had received funding for his 2006 presidential campaign from “El Cartel de Sinaloa.” A New York Times article addressed accusations made by the US government on AMLO and his cabinet for accepting bail money from Los Zetas, a rampant Mexican cartel organization. While these accusations were eventually dropped, more cartel members have been released into the US, causing new accusations on AMLO to emerge.

So how do México’s issues affect us? I’ve seen ignorance turn my country into one that votes for people who support criminal organizations. I’ve seen how humble people, who’ve never had a shot at life, are being manipulated — they’ve been promised lies and are left to suffer.

We need to learn from México. We can’t afford to be ignorant of glaring issues, or else we’ll find ourselves with the same issues my country is struggling with. So while México might seem distant, it’s often the farthest problems that hit hardest when they finally come to our attention.

COMMENTARY

Headmaster David Dini speaks at the 2022 IBSC National Conference held on campus.

Photo courtey Scott Moore

As hate speech slowly becomes a subject to joke about, it’s becoming more common to see them online.

Illustration by Joshua Goforth

Changing social norms fuel social insensitivity

The world’s social landscape has changed over the past decades and has created an effect that raises concerns about social insensitivity. As expletives become more common, the lines that once boldly defined respectful dialogue are now blurred, challenging societal norms.

BY KEVIN HO AND ANDREW YE

Insensitive comments. Profane language. They’ve existed for years.

In 1939 for example, the movie “Gone With the Wind” took over the film industry by storm.

But its rise to prominence came with significant controversy — the incorporation of the word “damn” in one of its most iconic lines sparked a back-and-forth battle between those supporting either its censorship or inclusion.

Although the fight ended with a victory for the word’s retention in the film, the contentious feud highlighted the strict regulations and expectations surrounding what people deemed as socially acceptable language, especially with content displayed to the public.

Fast forward more than eight decades later, where the landscape of social expectations has shifted dramatically and still continues to evolve.

These changing social dynamics have created new norms in countless everyday situations, whether it be weaving through school hallways during passing periods. Pushing through the burn of lactic acid during a workout after school. Or maybe it’s waiting in an endless checkout line at Costco. Wandering a crowded street in New York City during a vacation.

Moments like these fill up much of our lives. Yet amid these normal daily occurrences, some might notice that the casual speech we always hear in these environments has become increasingly unfiltered.

According to a poll conducted by Preply, an online language tutoring company, there has been a growing trend in the world, especially in the past decade — swearing has become steadily

less offensive to the general population.

A word that once created a polarizing, international film scandal is now frequently floating in the air around us, commonplace in casual dialogue. And that’s just one example of the larger trend.

I THINK THIS TYPE OF LANGUAGE HAS ALWAYS EXISTED, BUT I THINK THAT NOW IT’S USED SO OFTEN THAT PEOPLE HAVE BECOME NUMB TO IT. IT NO LONGER HAS THE SAME EFFECT THAT IT MIGHT HAVE HAD AT ONE TIME IN THE PAST.”

Josh Friesen, Associate Athletic Director

With this evolution, some broader questions are raised: Does this shift in the data show the erosion of a social high bar that society has long upheld? Or is it time to adapt and change with the times?

As norms continue to shift through different generations, the impact of language, whether playful or harmful, shapes how people interact with one another and how they perceive each other.

The question is no longer just about whether language is or isn’t offensive but about how its use reflects the principles we stand for and the environment we create.

“I think this type of language has always existed, but I think that now it’s used so often that people have become numb to it,” Associate Athletic Director Josh Friesen said. “It no longer

has the same effect that it might have had at one time in the past, where it really gets your attention. Now, it’s just so overused that the shock value from before has gone away.”

This change in the perceived weight of language reflects not only cultural desensitization but also reveals the decreasing impact of traditional “cuss words.”

As our vocabulary changes, some common words lose their emphatic abilities, so for some kids, profane language is often used more casually, sometimes as a way to project confidence or emphasize what they are saying.

“Middle Schoolers and some Upper Schoolers often drop curse words because they think it makes them look cool, but I wish they understood that it actually does the opposite,” Victor F. White Master Teaching Chair in English GayMarie Vaughan said. “There’s a saying that ‘out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks,’ and I believe that’s the core issue. Potentially harmful words stem from what’s inside someone. And those words, even if said unintentionally, have the capacity to hurt others, especially when directed, which is not acceptable.”

One of the challenges of trying to minimize the usage of language that has already become so popular and cemented in this generation is that suppressing what feels natural, even if it may be an expletive not socially appropriate in general, is nearly impossible.

“In an athletic environment, where emotions are often high, people sometimes become more primal, and that’s when your emotions can get the better of you,” Friesen said. “So sometimes your filter goes away a little bit because of the raw emotion involved.”

Friesen also believes that especially in places where students might feel there’s a lower stan -

dard for conduct, such as athletic locker rooms, behavior tends to be more loose.

And because current generations are now digitally connected more than ever before, several modern factors contribute to the spread of language trends.

Josh Friesen Associate Athletic Director

Among them, Friesen believes that social media plays a key role, serving as a catalyst that amplifies the way language evolves and normalizes phrases that might once have been deemed offensive.

“I think it might not even be things that they’re saying, but just things that they’re listening to on the radio or on social media or what kind of music and other content they’re streaming that’s not necessarily great for them to hear,”

Friesen said. “So overall, I definitely think outside media is a big influence. It kind of makes that behavior mainstream.”

In Vaughan’s eyes, a major concern on campus is that the growing normalization of offensive language has begun to trickle down to Lower Schoolers. As a result, she believes that their perception of the weight and impact that simple insults can truly carry is susceptible to being blurred.

“Once, I overheard a young first or second grade boy yelling a slur at his friend while they were playing wall ball after school,” Vaughan said. “I stopped and asked him to repeat what he said. Of course, he wouldn’t, realizing it was inappropriate. That moment was an opportunity to teach — why use words to make others

AS ADULTS OR OLDER STUDENTS, THE BEHAVIOR WE MODEL HAS A HUGE INFLUENCE ON YOUNGER KIDS, SO WE SHOULD BE MATURE, BALANCED, RESPECTFUL, DISCIPLINED AND SELF-AWARE. YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT LITTLE EYES ARE WATCHING EVERYTHING WE DO.”

feel less than? We want this school to be a place where everyone feels like they belong, and language like that works against it.”

Most of the time, this type of language is exchanged between close friends in the playful spirit of a joke. But for Vaughan, such humor can carry hidden dangers. Especially when this behavior becomes a habit, it risks normalizing insensitivity and crossing boundaries that might lead to genuine offense.

“Jokes that target someone’s race, ethnicity, gender or religion always cross the line,” Vaughan said. “There’s nothing anyone can do about those characteristics, so they shouldn’t be used as the butt of a joke. If we’re serious about leadership and character, we need to focus on building each other up rather than tearing each other down.”

Vaughan also believes that this ripple effect becomes especially concerning in a school setting, where younger students often mimic what they observe from older peers.

Without understanding the full weight of their words, these habits can unintentionally shape the broader campus culture at school.

“What Upper Schoolers say and do often trickles down to younger kids. Even if they don’t fully understand what they’re saying, the words stick,” Vaughan said. “We need to be mindful of how our behavior influences the culture on campus. The kids here really look up to the Upper Schoolers, physically and spiritually. Think about the people that they respect. How are the people that they respect talking about people and to other people?”

From past experiences, Vaughan discovered a common social misconception that younger people tend to believe — that profane or inappropriate language is the same as “adult language,” a normal and natural thing to do as people age.

From her perspective, this belief should be reconsidered.

“As adults or older students, the behavior we model has a huge influence on younger kids, so we should be mature, balanced, respectful, disciplined and selfaware,” Vaughan said. “You have to remember that little eyes are watching everything we do. True adults, true men, don’t use these words. Hopefully, the adults around here practice a lot of that. If we want them to act respectfully, we need to show them how.”

Keeping the influence that faculty members and mentors have on campus through their actions in mind, potential solutions to the issue of social insensitivity become apparent. Though immediate fixes are unrealistic, Friesen agrees with Vaughan that some of the first steps to take include being a positive role model on top of also directly addressing those at fault.

“I think that’s where mentorship comes in,” Friesen said. “Sometimes you gotta pull a guy aside and say, ‘Hey, do you realize how that could have made that guy feel?’ Or even though something might not be offensive to someone else, it might make people around feel uncomfortable.”

While this method of acting as an external guiding figure can help steer social behavior in the right direction, Friesen believes that people also need to have self-accountability.

For him, being accountable for one’s own actions, having the courage to take it upon themselves to address their own shortcomings and understanding the social expectations of their environment is crucial.

“I think being aware of your surroundings is crucial,” Friesen said. “I also think being aware of the potential for offending others should be taken into account. One example could be like when you’re surrounded by people of all ages and backgrounds, where having no filter on your language is pretty much unacceptable.”

In the instance that someone realizes they might have let loose inappropriate words, self-reflection and the authentic wish to make amends can go a long way in healing the situation.

“There’s power in a genuine apology or genuine compliment,” Vaughan said. “Saying, ‘I said something harmful, and I did it to make myself feel better, but that was wrong, and I’m truly sorry,’ can resonate deeply and help repair relationships. People have to take responsibility for their words just like they do with homework or other aspects of their lives.”

Ultimately, dealing with the issue of social insensitivity, not only at school but also in any other occasion, boils down to upholding fundamental moral principles.

“We need to lead with empathy and humility,” Vaughan said. “If you wouldn’t say something in front of your grandmother or teacher, maybe it shouldn’t be said at all. And if you’re worried about crossing a line, err on the side of kindness and caution.”

Students converse both in-person and digitally

LETTING LOOSE

If you’ve felt like American speech has shifted from being “PG-rated” to “R-rated,” there may be a reason. These are the statistics of profane language from studies done by Preply, Recruiter, GovPredict and other individuallyperformed studies.

34%

Increase of the “F” word on American television programs compared to five years ago.

26%

Of company employees curse directly in front of their bosses and their coworkers.

40%

Increase in profane language in music on the Billboard Hits from the span of 2000 to 2021.

75%

Of online gamers aged 18 to 19 have encountered harassment, including hate speech and profanity, in online multiplayer games in 2023.

85

Number of times that the average American uses a curse word throughout the span of one day.

35

Average number of offensive words that children have in the working vocabulary by the time they enter school

11

The average age when children begin exploring the boundaries of profane language.

2300

Increase in profane tweets and posts from politicians throughout the span of 2016 to 2018.

24

Average number of times a Gen Z curses in a day compared to the average of 10 in Baby Boomers.

GayMarie Vaughan, Victor F. White Master Teaching Chair in English

Marksmen gather in the Commons during flex time, spending their time chatting and unwinding after a day of challenging classes.

Photos by Dilan Koganti

By the fish tanks in one of the Winn Science Center lounges, two students balance screen time and conversation, displaying the blend of digital and in-person connections.

After school, the Commons and Winn Science Center fill with students ready to hang out during their free time after a long day of rigorous school work.

Headmaster named head of international coalition

continued from page 3

Reflecting on the significance of Dini’s appointment, Correa recognized his ability to unite educators across the globe.

“There must be something that other leaders saw in Mr. Dini,” Correa said. “One, the conference we had here, which was very well organized, people had a great time. And then to think and try to put this in a dimension – how many head of schools from around the world go over there? So to pick him, I think it’s a great honor, a great responsibility too, but it says a lot about his leadership.”

Every year, IBSC hosts an annual conference where teachers and administrators can present on various topics.

“There are educators from all over the world, so it’s been a wonderful association for St. Mark’s,” Dini said. “Having had the opportunity to host the conference, we always send a big group of faculty to the conference every year. We sent about 15 or so teachers to the conference. This year in England, we always have faculty members that are doing action research work. They do sort of two-year research projects on various topics. We have a number of teachers now that are doing that, and we always have faculty members that present at the conference.”

As one of these educators, Correa presented on the Brendan Court Summer Program at a recent conference at the Harrow School in London.

“We, as a school have resources, that we can provide and we can put to the service of others, especially public schools here during the summer,” Correa said. “We were trying to tell people and teachers from other schools around the world that, having the resources we have and sharing those resources with other schools, from IBSC, we should put them to the service of children that do not come to this school.”

After listening to many presentations, Correa’s main takeaway was that there are always lessons to be learned from others which could then be applied to his own work.

“There’s always something that you can take and actually make it part of the things that you do,” Correa said. “So then you pay more attention to what’s going on in in the classroom, around the school and in my program, which is the community service program.”

Dini, in the distant future, hopes to foster a more inclusive global community of schools through the IBSC conferences starting next June at the Belmont Hill school in Massachusetts.

Additionally, Dini will continue to meet new and interesting educators through the conference as he’s done in the past.

One of which includes an educator at Belmont Hill whom he remains good friends with to this day.

“We still laugh about it,” said Dini. “In fact, being in England this past summer, we recalled that one day, more than 20 years ago, when we went to Wimbledon. It just opened up a much wider lens to the people I have and will meet through the conference.”

Controversial proposals for Dallas pass despite warnings

By gaining over 169,000 signatures for three ballot initiatives, Dallas HERO successfully enacts several polarizing amendments for the city on the Nov. 5 ballot. Two out of the three passed, but there still remains heated debate surrounding the integrity of the city’s future political landscape.

BY KEVIN HO AND SHIV BHANDARI

When Dallas voters swarmed the ballot boxes on Nov. 5, the stakes went beyond deciding who was going to win the presidential election.

Because there were three additional choices to make.

Because these choices could drastically change how Dallas’ local government operates.

Because amidst the names of candidates at the ballot boxes, the letters S, T and U stared back at each voter from the slips.

And by the very next day, on Nov. 6, the voters’ final decision was revealed.

Placed on the ballot by citizen-driven organization Dallas HERO, these three amendments — S, T and U — have been under significant scrutiny.

S allows residents to sue the city for not following its own laws and removes its legal immunity in these cases.

U requires funding for police and firefighter pensions, a 4,000-officer police force and higher pay for them.

T, which failed, called for an annual residential survey to decide if the city manager should get a raise or be fired.

For former Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, the magnitude of demands that these proposed amendments push forward is historic.

“Especially for amendment S, no city in Texas or the United States has given up their governmental immunity,” he said. “This has never been done before.”

But with this in mind, he stands firmly opposed to the two recently passed propositions, S and U, warning that they could disrupt the city’s operations.

In his eyes, these amendments have the combined potential to create unprecedented chaos at Dallas City Hall soon, as he believes they will pile onto the preexisting challenges that council people are already grappling with.

“We’re struggling with a lot of things,” Rawlings said. “These amendments are going to complicate matters further, and they’re going to take their eyes off the ball from doing what’s important for taxpayers. Taxpayers are going to be hurt for the next two years.”

Rawlings also cautions against the benefits that these amendments present on the

surface.

“Some citizens read these amendments and say to themselves, ‘I like to sue people. This amendment allows me to sue people,’ or ‘I want more police officers, that sounds good to me,’” Rawlings said. “But they aren’t reading the details and don’t understand how these dominoes start to fall and increase the chaos of the city.”

While he agrees that amendments S and U will maintain a stable relationship between public safety and civilians, he remains convinced that there will inevitably be financial distress.

THESE AMENDMENTS ARE GOING TO COMPLICATE MATTERS FURTHER, AND THEY’RE GOING TO TAKE THEIR EYES OFF THE BALL FROM DOING WHAT’S IMPORTANT FOR TAXPAYERS.”

Mike Rawlings, Former Dallas Mayor

“I think people will continue to support police officers and continue wanting more safety,” Rawlings said. “But S and U are going to create cuts in other services, and so citizens and taxpayers are not going to be happy when they see those things start to happen. There are major financial implications.”

Economic concerns aside, others believe the amendments can provide solutions for other essential issues that need attention in Dallas.

“My neighbor’s house burned down a few weeks ago, and these firefighters were coming out of this burning building, ripping their gear off, falling to their knees and then going back in and doing this incredible job,” History Instructor Dr. Jerusha Westbury said. “The HERO initiative was great politicking because everyone wants police officers to get their pensions: anybody who puts their lives on the line for the safety and security of people, you want them to get their pensions.”

And although she acknowledges the potential risks that come with the recruitment of 900 more police officers, Westbury is optimistic that the additional reinforcements will be in Dallas’ favor. With public safety being a current concern, the city’s police response time of two hours to major

incidents is an issue that many residents hope will be addressed.

“I don’t believe that the results of mass hirings will necessarily turn Dallas into a police state,” Westbury said. “Voters have clearly expressed that they don’t want to see that. Recently, Dallas has taken real moves to train its officers in de-escalation and to enhance community relations. Officers have to be hired, but they do not have to be used in the ways that some people fear.”

In addition to being potential solutions to pressing issues in the city, Westbury believes that the amendments can serve as a way for Dallas sites to speak their minds about the management decisions the city has made.

“I think there’s a lot of resentment in the city right now,” Westbury said. “There’s a sense that the city isn’t doing things correctly, and that’s why proposition S was passed and proposition T was rejected.”

But overall, Westbury commends the rhetoric and strategy that enabled the two propositions’ success.

“It was a really clever campaign,” Westbury said. “They were able to sell it to a city that is pretty overwhelmingly Democratic because it was phrased as allowing people to go after the big guys, but I see this actually as a way to increase enforcement of state law over city law.”

However, Westbury remains unsure about amendment S, as it holds Dallas accountable not only to its own laws but also to the state laws of Texas, raising concerns about its impact.

“Texas has a long history of promoting the idea of local self-rule, and for a long time, cities have had a certain degree of that,” Westbury said. “But recently, there seems to be a real move over the last few years to undercut that sort of sovereignty on the city level within Texas.”

Yet despite the mixed concerns and conflict among Dallas residents, Westbury hopes that the amendments will serve as a powerful push forward for Dallas and even the state on a proper path for the future — but people still need to be wary.

“State laws and city laws are obviously not necessarily going to match,” Westbury said. “This is just a brilliant way of trumping the city’s sovereignty. I have high hopes that it gives the people power, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was also used to increase the power of the state government.”

The Dallas City Hall is located in the Government District of downtown.

Photo Courtesy Creative Commons

Maintenance crew faces messes

The often unrecognized cleaning crew works around the clock, making sure that every location on campus is suitable for its countless visitors throughout the day.

BY ANDREW YE

During lunch, the Great Hall fills with activity, leaving behind a familiar aftermath. A few plates sit forgotten on a few tables, smears of ketchup and faint rings of spilled lemonade and soft serve dot the surfaces. After the students leave, a cleaning crew member moves through the room with practiced efficiency, a spray bottle in one hand and a cloth in the other, making sure to wipe each table clean, soaking the rag as it absorbs the residue of the day’s meals and ensuring that the occasional spill and leftover dish are quickly addressed.

After school, chairs are scattered haphazardly around the Centennial Lounge, abandoned mid-discussion or mid-study session, while notebooks and writing utensils lie forgotten on tables and hoodies slump over couches. Another staff member moves silently through the room, picking up stray pencils, brushing crumbs from tabletops and pushing chairs neatly into rows, each movement erasing evidence of the day’s chaos.

In the Commons, it’s a different battle. Snack wrappers and spilled drinks clutter the floor, crumbs of leftover Cheez-Itz from snack time crunch underfoot and smears of mashed bananas meld into the carpet. A final maintenance member kneels, scraping the sticky residue from the floor, their gloves slick with cleaning solution. Across the room, a vacuum hums steadily, swallowing up the remnants of hundreds of students moving in and out in a hurry.

Afterward, several staff members take a step back, survey their work and move on, knowing it will look the same by the next afternoon.

For the school maintenance staff, the work is endless and often overlooked. As the day winds down and the campus grows quieter, their tasks stretch into the evening. The same motions repeat, day after day: picking up, cleaning up and wiping away the traces of

hundreds of students who might never notice the effort it takes to make the spaces around them feel seamless and new again.

For maintenance staff member Adriana Enriquez and her team, cleaning isn’t just a job; it’s a front-row seat to the organized and the essentially unseen chaos of campus life, from forgotten lunch to scattered papers.

“When I started in 2021, it was chaos after COVID,” Enriquez said. “The Great Hall wasn’t even open yet, and people said it was never like this before. Now, things are improving because teachers and staff are working hard to bring back those pre-COVID habits.”

In her experience, the habits that students bring to campus and the ones that they leave behind often differ by age group. Lower School students learn about cleanliness and responsibility at a young age.

“They’re learning to help clean up after themselves, and it’s making a big difference,” Enriquez said. “They grab towels, wipe tables—it’s simple, but important. Many didn’t even know how to clean a table before.”

The enthusiasm of younger students contrasts with the often rushed behavior of their older peers which, to Enriquez, is partially justified.

“Upper School students forget to clean up sometimes, but it’s not intentional,” Enriquez said. “They’re busy, and we understand that. Maybe they see a teacher and rush over to talk about school work or about a club. It’s different with Middle Schoolers; they’re just full of energy and always playing.”

These daily rituals of cleaning are more than just maintenance - they’re lessons in respect for shared spaces.

“Taking agency for personal items in classrooms, on the playing fieldsand in the Great Hall is a critical undertaking,” Head of Middle School Dean Clayman said. “It demonstrates respect for shared spaces and accountability for actions. Moreover, these habits extend beyond school and contribute to (Marksmen’s)

New restrictions placed on earbud usage

BY MICHAEL CHANG

It’s been a rough day.

Two tests, one quiz - a near-maxed out major assignment load.

He just wishes he could wind down, crash and sink into a lounge chair.

Maybe even listen to music. He pops one AirPod in an ear, then another.

Then, then a familiar hand sets down onto his shoulder, accompanied by blooming disappointment.

Although the school’s earbuds ban has been spelled out in Lions’ Tracks for years, some haven’t really bothered to acknowledge the rule. However, with the sudden uptick in student AirPod usage on campus, Assistant Head of Upper School Jason Leneau explicitly reinforced the policy to students during an assembly.

“It’s not a new rule,” Leneau said. “(Using your earbuds) is the same thing as using your phone. They should be used

for academic purposes only.”

In fact, earbuds are allowed to be used on campus if students seek proper permission first.

As someone who carries a set of AirPods everywhere he goes, Leneau believes that the devices do bring benefits to students.

“I understand the concept of ‘I want to study, and I have noise-canceling headphones,’” Leneau said. “I don’t use (my AirPods) often, but I do use them when I need to drown out the background noise.”

The danger of using earbuds lies in the very isolation that completely “plugging in” brings. For example, teachers are effectively unable to signal a student using noise-canceling headphones to do something verbally.

“When you’re using noise-canceling earbuds, you’re disconnected from what’s going on,” Leneau said. “If we had a fire drill or an urgency of some sort, I think using earbuds

growth as thoughtful and considerate individuals in their homes and other communities.”

In a school environment, actions often speak louder than words, as students of all ages instinctively look up to their peers and older classmates and imitate their behavior.

WHEN OLDER MARKSMEN MODEL POSITIVE BEHAVIORS, SUCH AS ATTENDING TO PERSONAL ITEMS, RESPECTING SCHOOL PROPERTY AND TREATING OTHERS WITH KINDNESS, THEY SET A POWERFUL EXAMPLE.”

Dean Clayman, Head of Middle School

“These habits create a ripple effect, reinforcing the values of responsibility, gratitude and community,” Clayman said. “Each small effort contributes to a larger culture of respect and care, embodying the spirit of community that defines us.”

This whirlwind of activity, from school assignments and conversations with friends, can sometimes lead to forgetfulness.

“Students just need to slow down and pay attention,” Enriquez said. “They get so caught up in playing or rushing that they don’t think about the mess they’re leaving behind.”

Despite the challenges, Enriquez doesn’t see her role as a burden. In fact, the positive interactions she shares with students make the work worthwhile.

“Most students are polite. They say thank you, hold the door open—it feels good,” Enriquez said.

Even in the most chaotic moments, Enriquez finds joy and, more importantly, meaning in her job.

“Students often forget we’re here, but we see everything—the playing, the messes. It’s part of the job, and honestly, it can be fun sometimes,” she said.

Diego Armendariz contributed to this story.

could hinder (a student’s) response time.”

The temptation to switch from merely listening to music to something unrelated to academics was also a major concern for Leneau. In particular, the “phone safe zones” were typically hot spots of commotion simply due to the concentration of students browsing social media or playing video games. This noise occasionally interrupts nearby classes.

“If I get on my device in those safe areas, and I find something entertaining, I may have a reaction,” Leneau said. “What that does is draw a crowd. As that crowd gets louder, those academic spaces start disrupting activity in surrounding areas.”

As earbuds continue to be used around campus, students just have to be mindful of the purpose that they’re using them for and seeking adult permission.

“I think the process should be, ‘hey, do you mind if I put my headphones on or use my AirPods?’” Leneau said. “It’s the polite and right thing to do.”

Jason Leneau Assistant Head of the Upper School

A staff member diligently wipes the lunch table, preparing it for the Lower Schoolers after Upper School lunch.

Photo by Andrew Ye

SAGE stays safe amid national food quality scare

Two major incidents in recent months have highlighted the potential for food contamination. How does the school and its partner, SAGE, prevent these kinds of incidents?

BY WILLIAM KOZOMAN AND WYATT AUER

Quarter pounders linked to E. coli, one dead.

Again, only a few weeks later:

Carrots recalled nationally amid E. coli outbreak.

Two high-profile food safety incidents have struck the news in recent months. For some, these incidents represent a fluke – nothing to worry about. For others, it’s a frightening revelation about the food inside their fridge or that they may have just eaten moments before. And for the unfortunate people who find themselves in the center of these situations, it can be an experience that brings them face-to-face with death itself. Understandably, Marksmen may now be thinking about how safe they really are from such situations – and what the odds are of it even happening here.

SAGE, which manages the cafeteria and all the schoolserved food around campus, has a number of policies in place to prevent this exact possibility. Josh Miller, who manages SAGE’s day-to-day operations on campus, is the primary force ensuring that all necessary precautions are taken.

“We have a number of measures we take so that this kind of thing doesn’t happen,” Miller said. “With the process of getting the food, there’s a lot of different checks to make sure nothing goes wrong at any point.”

SAGE is also known to supply parts of its food from smaller, local farms, making it even more crucial to ensure proper food practices are being employed and that checks are being regularly done.

“We identify the farms that we want to source from and make sure that they are doing everything they need to meet our safety standards,” Miller said.

Once the produce makes its way to campus, it’s on the team working here to ensure that everything looks right .

“Checking boxes for any damage, taking a look at the labels and inspecting the food are some of the things we do when we get product in,” Miller said. “If anything looks wrong, we send it back to the vendor.”

The final step involves the cooking and serving of food, something that SAGE cooks are trained in, whether

that’s cooking meat to the necessary temperatures or knowing the right conditions to store specific foods in. And while all these steps might just seem like common sense, they compound to ensure that the chance of any contaminated food making it into students’ hands is almost zero.

“The process isn’t special, but it makes sure that we’re safe every step of the way,” Miller said.

And for the students, it seems as though this effort is paying off.

“I went to a public DISD school, and I think in comparison, the food here is exponentially better,” sophomore Rocky Lancaster said.

Though Lancaster has heard complaints about SAGE’s food from time to time, he finds that the problems often seem almost trivial compared to some of his past experiences.

“You have some 12-year Marksmen who are gonna say something completely different, because they’re so used to this, and they think this is the bare minimum, but it’s not – it’s really above average, it’s really good,” sophomore Rocky Lancaster said, speaking from his experience with public school food. “I would eat 100 Sage lunches over any DISD lunch.”

For him, the quality of the food is a direct result of the special work SAGE workers are doing to prepare fresh food, which heavily involves the process Miller described.

“Most of the DISD stuff starts off completely frozen. All they’re doing is heating it up, and with SAGE, they actually make it,” Lancaster said.

And the extra behind-the-scenes steps SAGE takes to make fresh and safe meals may go unappreciated by most, but the result is that students don’t have anything to worry about.

“What we do means that we have the ultimate confidence in what we’re putting out there for students,” Miller said.

To Miller, despite national headlines being made in the area of food safety, there’s no need for students to have concern in their food as long as standards are

followed like in the case of SAGE.

“We have absolutely no worries here,” Miller said. “We’re going to continue moving forward and doing what we know works.”

THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Benefits lost as college tours shift to going virtual

BY JACKSON BAILEY

College campus tours have been a long standing tradition in the college application process. Offering the benefit of seeing the campus in person, tours can potentially give students the final deciding factor, helping them to choose whether to or whether to not apply to a school. However, as college tours start to move online, their overall benefit is called into question.

Tours allow students to not only see the campus but also to experience it. While seemingly insignificant, things such as climate, the campus size, the college’s distance from a student’s home, and the community the college fosters

are all important in helping a student find a college that fits him.

“It’s an opportunity for prospective students to see the campus,” Associate Director of College Counseling Josh Shandera said. “That’s important because it gives prospective students a chance to think, ‘Can I see myself being here?’”

Demonstrated interest is a motivating factor to go on a college tour, as it will make students more likely to be accepted if they have shown interest in the school through tours, camps, and other programs.

“For some schools, it can have a tangible effect in the process,” Shandera said. “Many schools, especially some of the

most selective schools, don’t consider demonstrated interest. So it’s great that you’ve seen the campus, but it’s not a requirement, and it’s not something that they’re looking for in the review process.”

However, not all schools track it. A benefit that is more universal among schools is the information sessions. While most information given is avaliable online, tours give students the opportunity to ask specific questions and cover specific information that may not be easily accesible online.

“In the introduction bit, they’ll often say things that are very similar to other colleges that you’ll be looking at, but they’ll also say one or two distinctive things,” senior Carson Bosita said.

VETTING THE VENDOR

SAGE vets the practices and safety of local suppliers, making sure they are sufficiently credible, ethical, and if they’re the best option available partners to source food from.

SAFE TRANSPORTATION

SAGE and the suppliers make sure food items are packaged correctly, thoroughly and safely to ensure nothing is damaged or goes bad while traveling. Mobile refrigeration and other practices are set up and used during transport.

STORAGE

After the food has arrived safely, SAGE simultaneously inspects and stores it, checking for and preventing spillage, contamination and more while keeping it in a safe environment.

FOOD PREPARATION

The last step before serving, SAGE inspects the food again during the preparation and cooking process, looking out for potential dangers by cooking meat through and thoroughly washing fruits and vegetables.

“Those few things are the ones you need to pay attention to.”

And unlike virtual tours and college websites, physical tours offer a chance to engage with students at the college. The human element, hard to find online, allows students to better understand the school and community they are interested in through the perspective of students attending the college.

“When you go to a college, you’ll see the buildings and you’ll see the architecture,” Bosita said. “But the students… are usually very hard to find online, and it makes so much more sense to talk to the people already there because they’ll have a much clearer, very human idea of what the college is like.”

SAGE workers and cooks follow a strict process to ensure the freshness of their daily meals and to ensure the safety of students across campus.

Photos by Dilan Koganti

The preparations process for the day is laid out to the chefs (Above). Brenda Reyes serves freshly pre-pared food to eagerly awaiting students ( Left).

NEWS IN BRIEF

FALL PLAY The Upper School drama program held showings of the fall play “Guys and Dolls” from Nov. 8 Nov. 10 in the Eamonn Lacy Black Box Theatre. Senior Daniel Deng and junior Jessie Moran starred as Nathan Detroit and Adelaide, respectively, in the comical story telling of 1920s and 30s mobsters, mafiosos and gamblers by Jo Swerling, Abe Burrows and Frank Loesser. Audiences were eager to watch the performance as tickets sold out almost immediately.

SPELLING BEES This past November, Middle School English classes held spelling bees. One candidate was selected from each class and competed against the winners from other classes. The final selection will be held during Middle School Assembly, with the victor being nominated to participate in the next round leading up to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

THE GALLERY

FLOWERCHILD by senior Carson Bosita WHAT INSPIRED THIS CREATION?

CB: This is a painting of my mom and my youngest brother Brennan when he was recently born. It’s a piece that represents the sacrifice of parenthood that I’ve seen in my parents’ lives as I was growing up. The flower is a corpseflower, and when it blooms, it releases a putrid stench a lot like a corpse. And that’s very similar to how I see how parents need to take care of their kids. You have to sacrifice part of yourself, allowing yourself to become sort of this rotten stench, to make something beautiful.

TK: “Despite being non-fiction, it read like a novel, and was very enlightening and exciting at the same time. I learned about the terrible treatment of the Native Americans in that area and about how the FBI was created to help solve this terrible crime. Interestingly, I found that it was more exciting to read the printed material than the motion picture.”

Making something out of nothing

Marksman’s company, Endeavor AI, raised a $7 million seed round through top venture capital firms, making him one of few young solo founders to garner this much attention.

BY DOAN NGUYEN AND KIRAN PARIKH

Making his first hire.

Making his first sale.

Building his first product.

Turning zero into one.

Sahitya Senapathy ‘20 had always been nervous to take the first, hardest step. But with each new first, he’s found himself flourishing in the world of business, and he hasn’t looked back since.

Senapathy used to be an 11-year-old software developer with a dream to assist the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster relief. Now, he’s the 22-year-old CEO and founder of Endeavor AI—the startup that has just secured $7 million dollars to “revitalize American manufacturing.”

Endeavor AI automates sales, streamlines production and optimizes supply chains for manufacturing factories. With $7 million to jumpstart his company, Senapathy doesn’t just plan to grow his engineering and sales teams. He has finally made it to the starting line, one step closer to his dreams.

Senapathy’s success story started from humble beginnings. His father, Yad Senapathy, was born in poverty in India, immigrating to the U.S. with nothing but a couple hundred dollars in his right pocket and the American dream in the other.

So Yad Senapathy struggled, working for General Motors and Chrysler, single-handedly carving a life for himself. Hundreds turned into thousands, giving Senapathy’s father an opportunity to move from Michigan to Texas and start a family. And without a degree or any background in computer science, Yad Senapathy founded his own company in project management education.

That’s who Senapathy was raised by. That’s who Senapathy wanted to become.

Every day, right after Ms. Broom’s first grade class, his parents would drive him down to their office. A young Senapathy observed his parents with inquisitive eyes. Accounting. Setting up websites. Making Google advertisements. Senapathy witnessed his parents fail, struggle and succeed— he watched them pursue greatness.

His parents were deeply inspirational. To him, they were heroes. They showed him how to turn nothing into something: how to make zero into one.

“When I was a kid growing up, my father was the greatest person I knew,” Senapathy said. “I wanted to live up to his expectations. I wanted to be as great as my father was.”

Eight-year-old Senapathy threw himself into academia and programming, influenced and motivated by his two biggest supporters, his parents.

By 11, he built his first app, and it was anything but your basic video game. His platform was programmed for FEMA and field tested with actual first responders in Texas. He had yet to reach his teenage years, but Senapathy had already been awarded a grant from the U.S. Army.

At 16 years old, Senapathy joined the Air Force Research Lab as their youngest ever contractor, working with a team of PhDs doing research on drones with deep learning.

His dedication and curiosity extended past his high school career and into college, where he worked on generative AI a year before ChatGPT became extremely popular. All of his experiences—app building, research and programming—culminated into his work at Palantir, a modern AI company used by government agencies for defense and intelligence gathering. There, Senapathy led a manufacturing implementation for a Fortune 500 client, spending weeks going to factories around the country.

“I’d love seeing these massive warehouses and machines that were taking 10,000-pound steel coils and moving them from one end of the factory to the other,” Senapathy said. “ I fell in love with the industry. After Palantir, I decided to start my own company.”

WHEN I WAS A KID GROWING UP, MY FATHER WAS THE GREATEST PERSON I KNEW. I WANTED TO LIVE UP TO HIS EXPECTATIONS. I WANTED TO BE AS GREAT AS MY FATHER WAS.”

Sahitya Senapathy ‘20, CEO and founder of Endeavor AI

Ever since his Lower School years, Senapathy sacrificed his “normal” life in order to make his dream a reality. Fresh out of college, he’s now flying across the country for weeks or even longer, meeting potential clients and building Endeavor AI.

“I’m sure by the time I’m 32, I’ll wish that I had spent more time after college traveling the world or doing whatever fun things that people do after they graduate college,” Senapathy said. “But right now, the only regret I have is not starting earlier.”

During his time as a Marksman, Senapathy learned foundational elements he considers essential. One of his favorite activities was debate. For Senapathy, debate was critical in developing necessary skills. In particular, his effective communication was integral in garnering the $7 million.

In English, Senapathy fondly remembers learning about the building blocks that he used to push himself further. Specifically, he loved learning about the concepts of ethos, pathos and logos.

Librarian Teresa Katsulos recommends Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann available in the Green Library.

Senapathy poses for a photo for an Business Insider article, which wrote that Endeavor AI is “modernizing manufacturing.”

Photo courtesy Sahitya Senapathy

Guest writers announced for upcoming Literary Festival

The 2025 Literary Festival will be on Jan. 17. These five writers will speak to English classes and host a panel for students and parents.

BY DOAN NGUYEN

R.F. KUANG

Rebecca F. Kuang is the award-winning, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of the Poppy War trilogy and Babel: An Arcane History Babel, a thematic response to The Secret History and a tonal retort to Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as the dominating tool of the British empire. The novel deals with revolutions and violence, asking if powerful institutions can ever be changed from within.

In her most recent novel, Yellowface, young writer Juniper Song becomes an overnight sensation – but she is not who she says she is, she didn’t write the book she claims she wrote, and she is most certainly not Asian

RACHEL KANN

American. Yellowface grapples with questions of diversity, racism and cultural appropriation, as well as the terrifying alienation of social media. It’s timely, razor-sharp and eminently readable.

A Marshall Scholar, she has an Master of Philosophy in Chinese Studies from Cambridge and an Master of Science in Contemporary Chinese Studies from Oxford; she is now pursuing a PhD in East Asian Languages and Literatures at Yale, where she studies diaspora, contemporary Chinese literature and Asian American literature.

Kuang is also a Dallas-native and a graduate of the Greenhill School.

ARNOLD HOLTBERG

LITERARY CONTEST WINNERS

NAMED

The LitFest Competition had students summit their work into three categories: Story, Poem and Essay. Each winner will receive a $200 Visa gift card.

THE FINGERNAILS I HAD WORKED SO HARD TO PAINT WITH STARRY SKIES AND GOLDEN SWIRLS WERE BUT MANGLED CLAWS, THE SLOTS WITHIN THEM READY FOR THE FLOW OF BLOOD.”

SAMUEL

Chronicles”

BENEATH A PINK HOSPITAL GOWN, A PATIENT RESTS WITH EXPOSED CANCEROUS FLESH, THE COLOR OF CERULEAN SEAS. A NURSE MASSAGES, CLEANS, PREPARES THE LESION.”

Poet Rachel Kann, Sephardic / Ashkenazi Fulbright Scholar to Morocco and author of How to Bless the New Moon , uplifts audiences and congregations in a diversity of spaces including TEDx, Town & Village Shul in NYC, Aleph Kallah, Junity LA, Jewlicious Fest X, Sinai Temple and Mishkon Tephilo in Santa Monica, CA. Rachel’s award-winning dynamic presentations are empowering and affirming.

JOHN ALLMAN

Arnold Holtberg serves as an Education Consultant and Strategic Advisor to The Compass School of Texas. Arnie has served as Headmaster, Dean of Students and teacher of Social Studies in numerous U.S. private and public schools, including St. Mark’s, as well as the principal of the Hong Kong International School.

Hailing from Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Holtberg holds his Master of Arts in Religion degree in Pastoral Care, Counseling and Theology from Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia.

MAX MARSHALL ‘12

World’s Worst Teenager”

BUT THIS WAS A LONG TIME AGO, AND I REMEMBER MORE RECENT EXAMPLES OF MYSELF FALLING VICTIM TO AN EGO BOOST FROM BEING AROUND YOUNGER PEOPLE IN A SPORTS SETTING.”

John Allman is the author of six arts-focused picture books published by Random House, including A Is for Audra—named one of NPR’s Favorite Books of 2019—B Is for Broadway and J Is for Judy. He has also collaborated with American Ballet Theatre on three ballet-themed books, such as Boys Dance! and The Night Before The Nutcracker. John is an entertainment marketer at HBO/Max, with previous experience at Bravo/NBCUniversal and on Broadway. An alumnus of Northwestern University, NYU and BMI’s Musical Theatre Workshop, he lives in Brooklyn with his husband, Jason, and their dog, Beaumont.

Max Marshall ‘12 is a writer and investigative journalist. His work has appeared in Texas Monthly, GQ, Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, and Vanity Fair. His first book, Among the Bros: A Fraternity Crime Story, came out with HarperCollins in November 2023. The Times called it “a page-

turning triumph,” and he’s developing it as a feature film for Sony Pictures. He attended Columbia University and St. Mark’s School of Texas and currently lives in Austin. His next book is about learning how to DJ.

Visit smremarker.com to continue reading the winners’ writing

AIDAN MORAN Story Winner

POSTEN Poem Winner

HENRY SUN Essay Winner

Limited practical classes impact students

Despite the school’s strong foundation in academic classes, many students are helpless when it comes to practical skills required for everyday adult life.

BY DOAN NGUYEN AND NICHOLAS HUANG

The school takes pride in being one of the best high schools in the nation. But after a decade of rigorous classes and schoolwork, some graduates don’t know basic skills for their upcoming adult life. Paying taxes. Changing flat tires. Cooking a meal that isn’t instant ramen. They’re not part of the school’s curriculum.

As a result, the transition between student to adult life can be harsh. Waves of new responsibilities and burdens are heaped on, requiring‘adult’ skills that students are never really taught how to handle.

“I’ve joked about doing a Home Economics class where I teach students how to write checks and balance budgets,” English Teacher and Director of the Wilderness Program Cameron Hillier said. “I felt pretty confident going forward with those skills because my parents had taught them to me.”

In Hillier’s case, he learned most of his real life skills from his parents. But for the responsibilities he wasn’t taught, he had a steep learning curve to adapt to.

“Anything that I didn’t get directly taught, I had to be self-reliant and think, ‘Well, I can figure it out,’” Hillier said. “It’s that mindset—I am confident that if I put my mind to this, how complicated could it be?”

For some, it seems easier to just pay someone to do the taxes or change the tire.

“For changing a tire, you’re forced to experience it whenever you’re in that position,” Hillier said. “Don’t just call the (American Automobile Association). Learn how to do it yourself. That goes back to my idea of self reliance. AAA is great, but there’s a helplessness that comes with that. It’s beneficial to just learn how to do it.”

There are hundreds of minute tasks that adults eventually must learn. Cooking and driving are perfect examples. Many avoid ordering food for every meal or calling an Uber for every trip.

Both parents and schools cannot walk their students through everything. But as Hillier said, each person must have the willingness to learn.

“If you can do pre-calculus at St Mark’s, you could figure out how to write a budget,” Hillier said. “My encouragement there is that it’s not so complicated that you couldn’t figure it out if you needed to.”

On campus, students have recently gained access to learn skills that are applicable in the real world. Engineering classes in the Makerspace are perfect examples of the practical classes offered on campus.

“In seventh grade, we start off with ‘Make It, Break It, Fix It,’ where they work with soldering tools, basic electronics, some laser cutter usage and basic 3D printing,” Makerspace Director Stewart Mayer said. “Then in Engineering 8, we have a little bit more expansion on those. And then there are two single semester (electives) in upper school where students can get their hands on the more advanced parts and the more advanced tools in the makerspace, such as the CNC machines.”

This hands-on experience that the Makerspace provides is a great tool for learning in both a fun and informative way.

“Different students learn in different ways,” Mayer said. “There are a lucky few that can just look at something or read something and learn all about it, but for the 99 percent of us, actually making something teaches you so much more than you can usually just read in a book.”

In addition, the link from the Makerspace to an actual career in engineering is much more

tangible than learning in a classroom. Students have the opportunity to use the same tools that professionals use. They even get the real engineering experience of trial and error.

“Things that you would never have imagined could be a problem become a problem,” Mayer said. “And that’s really what engineering is. It’s solving problems.”

Most importantly, though, the Makerspace shows that what is taught in the classroom can actually make a difference in the real world.

“Being hands on is a much more realistic experience because ultimately, we don’t want our students to go on the rest of their lives doing classroom activities to no final avail,” Mayer said. “We want them to actually put what they’ve learned to real use and come up with real products that might save real people’s lives or improve the world in a substantial way.”

And for those who are especially interested in engineering, the Makerspace provides support for anyone who is willing to put in the effort, a special opportunity that not all schools can offer.

“I was a STEM kid before the acronym STEM existed, and my teachers did not know what to do with me,” Mayer said. “Kids these days are so lucky that all of these STEM opportunities exist right now.”

Engineering is one of the few practical classes that is offered on campus. Looking more broadly, there is no class to teach a student how to change a tire or how to operate a savings account.

As students undergo the transition from needing support to supporting themselves, they will inevidably experience all of the basic skills of life.

“At St Mark’s, the mindset is more academically angled,” Hillier said. “But it makes people forget to think, ‘How bad could it be?’”

Lower School showcases music, drama and art at Fine Arts Night

BY NICHOLAS HUANG

There is something inexplicably pure about the arts to a Lower Schooler. The ability to appreciate the brainstorming, the making and the finishing of art is something that many lose as they grow up.

The Lower School Fine Arts Night, an evening performance that occurred on Nov. 20, was an idyllic display of the enthusiasm that the students have for their art. The Lower Schoolers displayed all of their work from the past quarter during this annual event.

“The Lower School Fine Arts evening is a collaboration between music, drama and art,” Lower School art teacher Suzuko Davis said. “We showcase their artwork. For instance, we have up there recycled robots that the boys worked on as a team.”

During the Fine Arts Night, the Lower Schoolers show off their plays, songs, and every piece of artwork they have worked on so far, allowing for them to showcase their hard work to their parents.

“Before they show up to the play, they’re going to come and they take their parents on an art walk,” Davis said. “They show off all of their artwork that they’ve done, and they talk about what they were thinking when they made it. They talk about working with a group and what it means to them.”

After taking their parents on an art walk, they also acted out their respective drama productions. For example, the first and third graders both performed musicals, and the second graders acted out Anansi folktales as well as performing some singing and drumming.

“They’re performing African folk tales from Ghana,”

Davis said. “They’re doing two tales, and in between, they’re going to be doing some singing, and some of the sound effects that go along with the play. (Lower School Drama Teacher) Kineta Massey directs them and sends them in the right direction with their acting, reigning in the creative chaos.”

In the background of their play, they also included some weaving that they had worked on. Altogether, the Fine Arts Night is a big fusion of every aspect of Lower School arts. The event displays all of the many creative outlets that the school has to offer.

Furthermore, the Lower School Fine Arts Night is an encapsulation of the pure joy that comes from learning art at a young age. The passion on display is something that even adults can learn from.

Charlie McGinnis in engineering class works diligently. Classes like engineering have been added in an attempt to bolster the STEM program with practical classes.

Photo by Winston Lin

Senapathy builds Endeavor AI

continued from page 9

It’s no surprise, then, that Endeavor AI’s approach is based on partnership and communication with their customers.

“We like to come sit down with them, visit them in person, go to their factories, talk to their operators,” Senapathy said, “and identify, ‘where are your processes inefficient, where are you doing things that could be done better?’”

There, his engineering and computer science teams take over. With his team, Senapathy modernizes his client’s factories, incorporating the best AI solutions and automating work.

They didn’t start from much.

Right after graduating from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Senapathy and his few colleagues immediately moved to San Francisco with the idea of creating Endeavor AI. In fact, when Senapathy met his primary investor for the first time, it was completely by luck.

By nature of being close to the heart of Silicon Valley, Senapathy was introduced to many investors. At the time, he had barely begun to form the team, let alone started to raise money.

And there, by chance, Senapathy was introduced to Craft Ventures, a venture capital investment fund headed by the likes of Elon Musk and PayPal executives Peter Thiel and David Sacks— the same investor that would give him the $7

SENAPATHY’S JOURNEY

Programming apps when he was just 11, Saditya Senapathy ‘20 has built himself a lengthly resume over his 22-year-long career.

million in seed funding.

Senapathy is the 22-year-old CEO, the youngest on the Endeavor AI team.

He had just graduated from Wharton six months ago, and now he has to manage $7 million. He loves what he does, but occasionally, doubts fill his head.

“Their livelihood depends on my decision making and judgment,” Senapathy said. “But I think that’s what leadership is about, making those judgment calls.”

WE LIKE TO COME SIT DOWN WITH THEM, VISIT THEM IN PERSON, GO TO THEIR FACTORIES, TALK TO THEIR OPERATORS AND IDENTIFY, ‘WHERE ARE YOUR PROCESSES INEFFICIENT, WHERE ARE YOU DOING THINGS THAT COULD BE DONE BETTER?”

Sahitya

Senapathy, CEO of Endeavor AI

The burden of responsibility on someone so young is not easy to carry. But Senapathy hasn’t gotten this far without the support of others. He’s turned to businessmen, CEO’s and even his father—people who have spent years in this line of work. They’ve made mistakes, tasted success and can show Endeavor AI how to flourish as a company.

And most importantly, Senapathy has leaned on his alma mater, this school, using it to stabilize himself and seek guidance.

To him, the school has become more than difficult classes and a nice statue: it’s a web of connections, with every contact eager to help fellow Marksmen.

Senapathy still gets nervous. It’s always that first time: asking your crush to homecoming, taking a class you would never imagine yourself signing up for or sitting behind the wheel with your overreacting mother clutching her seatbelt beside you. Overcoming that first hurdle of fear is necessary to embody the person you strive to become.

Senapathy sees no downside to trying something new and being curious.

“A good CEO,” Senapathy said, “is one that never gets complacent and is never satisfied with their company. It’s very important in this day and age that you just try. Be curious and open to learning new things.”

Like his idols, Senapathy has hired his first employee. Sold his first sale. Promoted his first product.

With the help of his parents, friends, advisors and his determination, Senapathy turned his sweat and 22 years of his life into $7 million.

He was able to make something out of nothing. He turned zero into one. And he’s shooting for two.

2013 2018 2023 Present

Developed his first app to assist disaster relief

Joined an Air Force Research lab

Quiz Bowl team rebounds despite loss of seniors

BY GRAYSON KIRBY

The buzzer sounds and the red light flicks on as the student presses the button in their hand as fast as possible. This scene is incredibly familiar for many students who have either participated in Quiz Bowl or watched others compete.

The St. Mark’s Quiz Bowl team has proved itself to be one of the best teams in the country for years on end. Just last year, the A Team won High School Nationals. But there was one issue: their A Team consisted of only seniors, meaning that they would have to go through a rebuilding phase the next year.

This year, the team has a unique facet that allows them to showcase a variety of knowledge and talents. One student is competing from each grade in Upper School: freshman John Paul Hanks, sophomore Tony Lu, junior Andy Li, and senior Surya Dinesh. This range of grades provides a promising future for the Quiz Bowl club.

“The range in grades provides a lot of fluidity for the A Team,” sophomore Tony Lu said. “The team could switch people throughout the year, which means I have to be ready to work with

Worked at Palantir on manufacuring and AI

CEO of Endeavor AI and has raised $7 million

new people.”

This variety in the roster also proves difficult for answering questions.

“I need to be ready to switch subjects at a moment’s notice,” Lu said. “I might have to study questions that I am not used to answering and be prepared for anything that comes my way.”

The Quiz Bowl team hopes to continue their dominant run over the past few years, and although the seniors from last year’s team are gone, the future is bright for the school’s Quiz Bowl program.

Senapathy and his core team pose for a photo.

Photo courtesy Sahitya Senapathy

Tony Lu Sophomore

Self-doubt affects participation

From Lower School activities to Spanish presentations, some students find themselves too nervous to ask a question or add their own inputs, impacting their learning experience.

BY KAYDEN ZHONG AND RONIT KONGARA

Confidence in one’s learning is a factor that affects many students’ participation in class, especially in courses that focus on in-class discussion or speaking, such as foreign language and English.

According to a primer written by the American Psychological Association, low self-esteem can make students hesitate before engaging in discussion or taking risks.

Language Department Chair and Spanish instructor Zachary Erwin ‘96 also dealt with a lack of confidence during his time studying Spanish as a student at the school. Afraid of making mistakes, Erwin struggled with oral exams, often feeling worried and anxious during them. But, through an opportunity to study in Spain during the summer of his junior year, he built confidence in his speaking skills.

“I tended to do well on written tests and didn’t feel particularly shy about speaking up in class, but I got extremely nervous during oral assessments because I was so afraid to make mistakes,” Erwin said. “Then, I studied in Spain for a few weeks with a group of St. Mark’s boys led by Sra. Marmion during the summer between my junior and senior years. My overall language skills got better, but even more importantly, my self-confidence in using the language improved immensely.”

Today, Erwin applies similar ideas to try to help his students in his Spanish classes. He believes that one of the best ways to improve confidence in speaking a foreign language is to simply speak more in that language, something he had to do during his trip in high school. But, with students

who lack confidence being less likely to speak up in class or use Spanish when speaking in class, Erwin uses a couple of tactics to try to encourage more active class participation.

“To encourage students to speak up more in class, I try to emphasize that mistakes are a perfectly normal—and even necessary—parts of language learning, and that we don’t have to speak with perfect grammar or pronunciation in order to communicate our ideas and get more oral practice,” Erwin said. “Like most other language teachers, I also frequently put students in pairs or small groups so that they can practice using the target language without the pressure of speaking to the whole class.”

Much like Upper School, Lower School teachers prioritize the development of student confidence. According to Ackerman Family Master Teaching Chair in Lower School Teri Broom, one of the most important things to emphasize with first graders is that it is okay to make mistakes.

“When they first come to us, there are some who are overconfident, there are some who are really shy, and there are (students) who think they have to measure up in this certain way with their abilities,” Broom said. “So we think it’s really important to let them know from the beginning that it’s okay to not know things.”

For example, in math class, Broom teaches different strategies for arithmetic, and encourages students to speak up about the different techniques they would use to solve problems.

“That kind of discussion that we have in math class every day builds their confidence just because

we’re always talking together about those things, and you have the rapport to build a relationship,” Broom said. “Sometimes, I’ll say, ‘oh my gosh, I’m so glad you got that wrong because that’s a really common mistake,’ and so we talk about what the common mistakes could be, and how, now that we know what they might be, we can avoid them and turn it into a learning moment.”

One particular method Broom uses while teaching is to make sure every boy has a chance to participate.

“When I’m teaching, I will call on every boy once before I’ll call on any boy twice,” Broom said. “The expectation is that they could get called on, even if they don’t raise their hand. I think they get used to that, and they learn that they have to be ready, so their attention has to be a little better.”

The emphasis on building confidence extends to even outside of the classroom. In drama classes, Lower Schoolers participate in improv games and quick-witted exchanges that get them more comfortable with speaking, and every week, each first grader has to present a poem in front of the class.

“(There’s also) the expectation that when they come in every day, they say good morning to us by name, and then we always say good morning to them by name,” Broom said. “They don’t start that way; for about a week, I greet them and ask them, ‘how are you doing today?’ And they just say, ‘good,’ and walk away. After a little while, I bring it to their attention, and they start buying into that. They’re kind of just inundated with these expectations but in a nurturing, safe way.”

Sophmore speaks at Elite Global Leaders Conference

BY ARMAAN NEWASKAR

Speech and debate are his bread and butter. Sophomore Nathan Tan has an impressive public speaking resume, one which has been developed further by his recent attendance at the Elite Global Leaders Conference.

Tan’s journey with the subject began when he joined the speech and debate program at Renner Middle School. Tan has honed his skills here at 10600 and developed a passion for environmentalism. He has pivoted from his initial focus on public forum to policy-based speech and paved a unique path for himself, from being a part of the Leaders Who Care series on YouTube to attending panels across the country.

“I’ve been doing speech and debate for about five years, and I think it has been incredibly rewarding,” Tan said. “Something I like about it is that every year there are new issues being debated. Last year I found myself fascinated by the Green New Deal, an environmental policy which also

serves as a means of fiscal redistribution and guarantees jobs.”

What started as a growing interest in environmental issues through debates on these topics evolved into a true passion, and since then there’s been no turning back.

“There are a tons of resources out there in terms of learning about environmental science topics,” Tan said. “I’m currently self-studying for the AP environmental science exam for that specific purpose. ”

After receiving accolades for speaking at a conference in New York, Tan was invited to speak at the Elite Global Leaders conference in Vail, Colorado to discuss on the topic of climate action.

For many, the challenge of  speaking at such an important event could be seen as daunting, especially since Tan was the only person under 25 in attendance. Tan embraced the challenge and felt that it would expand his perspectives.

“It was nice to see that people were interested in giving

back to the community and that they cared about the environment,” Tan said. “I realized though that historically there hadn’t been much environmental education at all. Most of them didn’t really know too much about it.”

Instead of being discouraged by that lack of knowledge, Tan now has an even firmer conviction in his path. He believes it’s essential for future generations to be conscious of the world around them and how they impact it.

“I feel like right now almost everything we’re taught in schools paints the world as perfect and unaffected by humans,” Tan said. “In reality, humans are impacting life systems that have been working for millions of years.”

Tan believes that in order to combat the damage humankind has inflicted on the environment, it’s important to be environmentally aware from a young age. His goal is to cultivate an entire generation that is climate-consciousclimate conscious and capable of taking action.

A student nervously lowers his hand after seeing other students eager to respond.

Photo by Bryan Li

SECTION IN BRIEF

GRANDPARENTS’ DAY A long-standing tradition of the school, this year’s Grandparents’ Day took place on Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. Students had the opportunity to bring their grandparents to school and show them their classes, teachers and the campus. Check-in for the guests began in the morning, and students were dismissed on Grandparents’ Day for Thanksgiving break at 12:30 p.m. Classes were 30 minutes long, with 10-minute passing periods.

NO SHAVE NOVEMBER Across campus, students and faculty sported wristbands and full-grown beards in support of the annual No Shave November movement. No Shave November raised awareness for men’s physical and mental health issues. Many Upperclassmen decided to participate in the movement by forgoing shaving. Due to school policy, the students that participated have been requested to shave their beards by Nov. 19.

SENIOR BUDDY EVENT Every year, seniors and their Lower School buddies meet together the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Squeezing into tiny chairs, the seniors sit down and begin enjoying a festive holiday meal of apple pie and milk. Together, in honor of No-Shave-November, seniors and their buddies draw pictures of what they think their counterpart would look like with a full-grown beard, laughing as they come up with more and more ideas.

OVERHEARD

This cycle we listened to people around campus and took the best quotes. Here is what they said:

“YES, I AM

A FLAT-EARTHER.”

“I HAVE A LOT OF INTERNALLY SUPPRESSED ANGER, SURYA.” COLLIN KU SOPHOMORE

“DAVE, GO HOME TONIGHT AND WATCH SOME GOALIE HIGHLIGHTS. YOU NEED IT.” JAKE DEBOEVER JUNIOR

ANDREW ZIERK JUNIOR

“ZIERKLEBURGERS ARE CLEARLY BETTER THAN BOUCH-BURGERS.”

Parent opens upscale restaurant

Creator of Nuri Steakhouse, Wan Kim, extends his restaurant network as CEO of Smoothie King by creating the one of most expensive restaurants in Dallas.

BY ERIC YI AND ROHAN KAKKAR

Entrepreneur Wan Kim is a self-made man.

At 19, he traveled from his home in South Korea to further his education at Boston University.

Four years later, he took a leap of faith, and after failing twice at other businesses, returned to South Korea and became a franchise owner of Smoothie King. In 2010, just seven years later, he had grown Smoothie King to 210 units in the entire country of South Korea.

But he didn’t stop there. He kept working, harder than ever, moving his entire family to New Orleans in 2013, navigating the difficulties of not only living in a new country but speaking a new language as well. And in 2019, he moved to Dallas, establishing his permanent home in the United States and developing the original idea for Nuri Steakhouse.

Kim, father of senior Brandon, has always been passionate about any business venture he enters, which he believes is a critical component for the success of the business.

“I really enjoyed this (smoothie) business because, not only you’re making money, which is very important as a businessman, but also you feel really good about what you do,” Kim said. “It’s not like serving pizza or burgers or fried chicken. You can actually invite your family every day because you are not going to feel ashamed of serving our product to your family every day. (So) I started thinking that maybe I need to buy this entirely, and I can grow this here in the U.S.”

Kim then moved to New Orleans and closed the deal with previous owner, Steve Corona, before moving to Dallas and developing Nuri Steakhouse a few years later.

Corindo Martin’s world soccer travels

BY ARJUN POI

When math instructor and former head soccer coach Corindo Martin was pursuing his degree in mathematics at Southern Methodist University, he spent a summer abroad in Sittard, a quaint town in the southern tip of the Netherlands, to practice soccer.

The village is renowned for its many churches, particularly the Gothic style St. Peter’s Church, which was first built in 1292.

In Sittard, he stayed in a soccer sporting school, a facility for athletes to focus on training and developing skills.

Having injured his shoulder before going on the trip, he used the training sessions to regain full fitness. Martin’s daily routine revolved around playing soccer. Every morning, after waking up, he attended a morning training session, followed by a visit to the town to eat lunch, visit the local bakery or grab groceries. Even though Martin did not speak Dutch or Flemish, the two biggest languages spoken in Sittard, he was able to get by because of the kindness and hospitality of the locals. In the afternoon, Martin would train again, and he usually played soccer matches in the evening. Since Sittard was nestled between the borders of Belgium and the Netherlands, he often played teams in the Belgian Second Division. Yet it didn’t take long for him to realize that he was outmatched by his European counterparts, who could kick balls from 30 meters the way Martin kicked balls from 12.

Despite not being a standout player, the residents of Sittard loved Martin. Whenever Martin strolled through the town’s cobblestone streets to explore and immerse himself in the local culture, he would catch the eyes of the townspeople looking at him. News of an American’s arrival traveled quickly throughout the small town of Sittard, and to the locals, Martin was a novelty.

While preparing for one of his games, he was flooded by little children who wanted to get his autograph and even touch him.

Initially, Martin wondered why the children were forming a crowd around him, especially since he was usually used as a substitute during games, and the children had never seen him play.

Yet the chorus of all the Dutch kids chanting “American” made him quickly realize that the children were fascinated by the fact that he came from the United States.

It wasn’t just the little kids who were intrigued by Martin’s presence. Even during his games, he could feel the attention of the fans. Spectators would point and whisper about the American playing in their league.

At the end of the summer, Martin came back to the United States with a greater understanding of soccer. He witnessed athletes play “Total Football,” a revolutionary Dutch style of soccer dependent on fluidity and simplicity. He took his experience and knowledge back with him which helped him with his coaching positions in the following years.

Corindo Martin Math Instructor

Photos courtesy Nuri Grill

This is concept art for the outside of Nuri Grill (Top). A chef plates a wagyu dish at Nuri Grill (Middle). Customers will eat here in the dining room of the restaurant (Bottom).

Business office balances budget

The school’s business office manages the budget that funds the school’s operations. Chief Financial Officer Suzanne Townsend breaks down the meticulous process of allocating resources and balancing expenses

BY ERIC YI AND SHIV BHANDARI

Air conditioning, speedy internet, a seemingly endless supply of food at lunch and a green quad are things too often taken for granted at 10600. Everything has a cost, but we don’t usually think about how these budgets are decided.

Raising and managing the St. Mark’s budget is a yearround effort, headed by Chief Financial Officer Suzanne Townsend and the Business Office.

“Every year our operating budget funds the school’s operations,” Townsend said. “We send out budget requests in September along with information about how much a program spent to those with budget oversight responsibilities, and then we let them know how much money they’ve been allocated.”

But before funds can be doled out to various different programs, the Business Office must determine the revenues and expenses which both totaled around $44 million each for the 2024-25 fiscal year.

“Two-thirds of our revenue comes from tuition, and two-thirds of our expenses are from payroll and benefits,” Townsend said. “We use a matrix system that helps us arrive at how much we need to increase tuition in order to have the salary increase, and that’s how we hope to achieve balance.”

In another attempt to achieve financial stability, St. Mark’s allocates funds from the previous fiscal year for the next one, increasing security and confidence with the budget.

“Whatever was raised through June 30 is applied to the next year,” Townsend said. “That way, we’re not spending the year chasing those dollars which is great and works out much better since we know how much we have from the beginning.”

And in order to account for any unexpected situations

that might warrant a need for extra finances, the budget has a cushion to fall back on if needed.

“We have a thin contingency built into the budget,” Townsend said. “We always enroll more boys than we expect, and the budget has always been less than what we end up raising, so we can ensure that we achieve a surplus and stay balanced. In addition to that, we have an endowment comprised of many different funds, a majority of which are restricted.”

Similarly, excess or unused finances are put into savings to be used for future occasions, gradually generating an accessible reserve that can be used if needed.

“We have a reserve for future operations that’s an accumulation of surpluses over the years,” Townsend said. “We can use it for various things like debt retirement, for example, but it’s always used for the betterment of the school to help our programs and support our boys.”

Managing the operating budget is no easy task, but with the digitization of most processes after the 2019 tornado and the efforts of everyone in the Business Office, St. Mark’s is able to fund its many departments alongside projects like the upcoming Zierk Athletic Center.

“It really is like a series of levers,” Townsend said. “If we increase some budget over here, then we’re going to have to find some other revenue source over there to cover it. It ends up coming together really well every year.”

But just because St. Mark’s may be able to accommodate many different programs of varying costs doesn’t mean that every department receives the same allowance: how much each department receives is directly related to its requirements for budget.

“I wouldn’t say that there are inequalities in the

Faculty reminisce on Veterans Day

BY JACKSON BAILEY

Veteran’s Day took place Monday, Nov. 11. The holiday aims to honor all veterans and active duty personnel for their service to our country. For veterans, the holiday holds special meaning due to their past experiences and connections to the military.

For Associate Director of Communications Scott Moore, the holiday allows him to connect with friendships forged during his service.

“The guys I deployed with to Iraq and Afghanistan, we’ll get together and hang out,” Moore said. “I guess you’d say it’s somewhat of a tradition.”

The holiday allows veterans to share their experiences and connect due to the sense of community that comes

from them. Wrestling head coach Reynold Arredondo also uses the holiday to connect with friends and other veterans.

“For Veteran’s Day weekend, the Army Football Team played North Texas,” said Arredondo. “A lot of my classmates and West Point buddies came to the Dallas-Fort Worth area for the weekend, which was nice.”

Veterans Day also allows veterans to take time off to spend with their family which is a significant part of the holiday for Arrendondo.

“I love to go and do things with my family,” said Arredondo. “I was not a successful officer without my wife and kids.”

The pride of serving one’s country, for putting one’s life on the line in service, is reflected upon during the holiday.

budget,” Townsend said. “The scope of the budgets are different, and there are just certain sports that are inherently more expensive, like crew. We make sure that they get all the funding that they need to do what they need to do. The budget required for a tennis program isn’t going to compare to a budget required for a football program. We can’t give each department 10 percent of the budget; it just wouldn’t work that way.”

And if, for example, a sports team decided they needed more funding for new equipment, the director of the team’s budget must submit a request with valid reasoning if the proposed increase is more than 5 percent from the previous year’s amount.

“Usually we don’t have to change requests,” Townsend said. “We want people to know that they won’t be punished if they don’t spend all their budget in a given year because it ends up coming back and going into the surplus. As a result, in the 22 years that I’ve been here, we’ve never had a deficit year.”

To help avoid such drastic increases in the budget, the Business Office optimizes their spending by anticipating future advancements, lessening the risk of unnecessary spending.

“Rather than being responsive, we try to be proactive,” Townsend said. “We look into the future and plan for obsolescence because you’re always going to have that with technology. We try to run the school in the same manner.”

Planning for the future while maintaining proper operations in the present is a delicate task, similar to managing a household, but, with the collective work of the Business Office, St. Mark’s is able to fund its goals, everything from keeping the AC cool to building a brand-new gymnasium.

“St. Mark’s is like any business,” Townsend said. “Except we’re in the business of educating boys and staying true to our mission.”

Deep meaning can be found in contributing to something bigger than one’s self.

“Once I deployed, seeing what it means to actually put your life on the line for your country is deeply meaningful,” said Moore. “That’s what I think of when I think of Veterans Day, that people who are willing to go in and put their lives on the line are essentially giving everything of themselves for their country.”

Apart from family, friends and pride, Veteran’s Day allows veterans and active duty personnel to reflect on their service.

“It’s always good for us to share stories of our military time,” said Arredondo. “That’s what me and my West Point buddies (did), we did share a lot of our army stories together.”

Suzanne Townsend Chief Financial Officer

A student working on his computer (Top Left). Students eating lunch (Top right). The quadrangle fully decorated (Bottom Left). A student checking reading a book from the library (Bottom Right).

Photos by Winston Lin, Illustration by Joseph Sun

AN EPIDEMIC

CONFRONTING OF ISOLATION

As social media reshapes modern relationships, young men face growing isolation. Experts, students and alumni reflect on the challenges of forming deep connections in a fast-paced, digital world.

continued from page 1

Upper School Counselor Dr. Mary Bonsu notes that feelings of loneliness can be amplified during the winter season.

“The clinical term is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD),” Bonsu said. “It boils down to our relationship with the sun. Sunlight plays a huge role in regulating our circadian rhythms, which, in turn, governs our sleep and impacts our mood. So the less light we get, the more challenging it is for us to manage our moods. If you’re not intentional about getting more light during these winter months, it could start to weigh on you. It just compounds.”

But across the seasons, researchers point to technological changes as a key factor of increasing feelings of isolation. The widespread adoption of smartphones and online multiplayer video games in the late 2000s and early 2010s has dramatically altered social interactions for young men.

Jonathan Haidt, in “The Anxious Generation,” describes this as a “mass psychological change” that coincided with increases in depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide rates among boys. Traditional friendship formation through group activities like sports teams has been increasingly replaced by virtual communities.

“There are some people who have been able to really share in depth about a niche interest (online),” Bonsu said. “Some of their best friends exist online, and those relationships do allow for a little bit more sharing because of the asynchronous nature of being online. There could be a lot of depth, exploration and continuity with that. But if you’re getting online to disconnect from people, with no intention of connecting—whether it is scrolling, gaming or just sending selfies, you’re not going to foster relationships.”

Glass agrees and believes connection is best fostered through face-to-face interaction.

He doesn’t like social media much. To him, it’s terrible for our society as a whole.

“You can stay on your phone or computer and never see another human being and, my goodness, that’s lonely,” Glass said. “I just don’t like social media. Can you find a friend through it? Sure. A blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then.”

In Reeves’ book, he argues that if virtual communities were truly effective at building friendships, today’s young men would report more meaningful connections.

Instead, the data shows the opposite: boys are increasingly isolated, often relying on online interactions as a default mode of connection.

Senior Wyatt Loehr noticed this disconnect and figured just removing himself from social media would help fix it.

“The more you stalk other people’s Instagram and Snapchat and check everyone’s stories—every day you’re going to see more people doing stuff, but you need to realize that’s not realistic,” Loehr said. “That’s not what their lives are really like. I think a lot of people have bad expectations for how often they should be seeing friends or doing things outside of school. Staying off social media can help that.”

Social media use around the holidays increases substantially for students unwinding with no work over a break. And with students traveling during breaks or posting photos at fun holiday celebrations, feelings of loneliness are common. At a time when deep relationships with family and friends are front and center, the disconnect social media creates with busy holiday schedules can be self-isolating.

“It takes time to develop, to

SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER

SAD is a type of depression triggered by seasonal changes, typically occurring during the shorter days of winter.

Symptoms of SAD

Feelings of tiredness and fatigue

Finding it difficult to be around others in social situations

Developing cravings for carbohydrates and sweets

Treatment for SAD

Light therapy and making an effort to maximize sunlight

Having a well-balanced diet, eating healthy

mature and to understand how to deepen relationships,” Bonsu said. “That comes with getting older, but it also comes with practice. So if we’re always busy, I think it lends to more superficial connections.”

The rising busyness of students—through academic demands, sports or extracurricular activities—has made building deep relationships more challenging. This busyness combined with social pressures from social media can lead to a fear of missing out (FOMO).

“There’s a lot of FOMO going around,” senior Wyatt Loehr said. “It’s when you’re just at home and there’s not really anybody you could ask to hang out or anything.”

For many seniors, these feelings of loneliness that riddled their early experiences of high school waned as they approached their last year at the school. This is a sentiment that Senior Jaden Ouyang reinforces.

“I’d say beginning of freshman year, especially in the previous years, I never really found a large group of friends,” senior Jaden Ouyang said. “I’ve definitely felt like I’ve been in a dark place and didn’t have anybody to turn to. But I’m glad that, now, that feeling has died down.”

Partaking in regular exercise or physical activity

Besides social pressures at school, both Loehr and Ouyang expressed that social media was a negative for self-image, leading to feelings of isolation. According to Loehr, people feel more lonely more often because seeing a large group of your peers out together and socializing naturally makes one feel left out.

“It seems like everybody else has more friends than you do, and it seems like everybody’s always at a concert or doing something more exciting than you are,” Loehr said. “It feels lonely a lot when you go a couple weeks in a row without seeing your friends.”

However, social media and

FOMO only scratches the surface of isolation at an all-boys school. One of the deeper issue behind this loneliness is the stigma around being vulnerable at an all-boys school.

The Counseling office recognizes this, and credits this issue to the nature of boys education.

“I think it’s more common to teach boys how to build things, become leaders and all these other wonderful things,” Bonsu said. “But I think we’re leaving friendship out of the equation.”

Looking forward, Bonsu sees hope in community-building efforts.

“I think we can do a lot more to help students normalize the kinds of friendships that minimize loneliness,” she said. “There’s normal things like cliques that we’re never gonna get rid of, but I think there are also aspects of feeling lonely that we can. If you don’t fit in, if you haven’t found your people yet, I think we can offer some guidance. Finding ways for guys to feel connected within this community is a goal.”

To Glass, it’s a lot harder to just open up to someone and be vulnerable as a teenager.

“In high school, if you’re not afraid of what somebody else is going to think of you, I’m not sure you’re alive,” Glass said. “Because you’re battling and discovering who you are. You’re trying to figure out— where do I fit in? What’s my place? What’s God’s design for me?”

Glass thinks a lot of it has to do with not knowing as much. It’s harder to go deep with someone else without being very deep yourself.

But even as you grow older— Glass believes we’re never immune from loneliness. But there’s rational things he thinks we can do to get out of it.

“Stop looking inwardly,” Glass

said. “Do something for somebody else. Find somebody else that needs something that you have and help them with it. It’s cliché, but if you need friends, be friendly.”

To Michael Minzer ‘68, being lonely is just part of life.

The loneliness of being at a new school in freshman year, with no friends.

Of starting college. Grad school. Law School. Medical School.

Of starting and finding work and a career.

Of becoming a young parent— and being scared—sucked into a whole new social milieu with parents of other children. A whole new social life—revolving around the children and their development.

Of becoming an empty nester when the kids leave.

Of being old. Seeing people around him pass away.

But, for Minzer, wallowing in that loneliness isn’t part of life.

“We’re not hardwired to be alone,” Minzer said. “We’re hardwired to feel loneliness and get motivated to get out there.”

Whenever he’s ever been down in his life, he’d cure that feeling by trying to engage in some creative activity—start a new project and keep it in front of him.

Like when his creative partner of 25 years passed away unexpectedly from COVID—it could have stopped him from continuing to produce records for his record company he founded all the way back in 1985.

But creating music and art has always been a passion of his.

And because of his close connection with his creative partner—he soon found a community of people who all had been connected with his creative partner, and they helped him keep on pursuing his passion.

And through that—he was able to get out of that slump.

But it took work.

To him, it’s all work. Getting out of loneliness is work. Life requires work.

“Keep working,” Minzer said. “Get used to it. Don’t make university some party rest stop. Once you’re out of college, the party’s over. School’s out.”

In his opinion, the work necessary to find relationships lies in building yourself up. In becoming someone that other people want to get to know.

“You don’t find yourself—you make yourself,” Minzer said. “This is key. It’s a lot easier (to find connection) when you put in that effort to have something to offer. In any interaction, I have to ask myself, ‘What do I have to offer?’” Glass agrees that building relationships requires work.

WE’RE NOT HARDWIRED TO BE ALONE. WE’RE HARDWIRED TO FEEL LONELINESS AND GET OUT THERE.”

Michael Minzer ‘68

“It can’t just be having a conversation,” Glass said. “You’re going to have to plan some activities out—things that you enjoy doing with other people.”

And it can’t just be doing activities, he says. If you really want to develop a relationship, he believes you’ve got to be open and honest with each other.

“If you’re honest and open with somebody, there’s a good chance they might be honest and open with you,” Glass said. “But you both have to want the relationship. You can’t be friends with somebody who doesn’t want to be a friend.”

And, ultimately, having spent so much time building his connections with others—like his wife of 50 years—Glass’ life is filled with deep connections.

“I’m busy,” Glass said. “I’m doing. I’m believing. I’m active. I live by faith. I’m not lonely. Haven’t been in a long time.”

Lawrence Gardner contributed to this story.

A student stands alone in the halls of Centennial, surrounded yet unseen by those around him.

Photo by Winston Lin

Reputation defines the school

Every action done by a student, alumnus or community member reflects on the school’s reputation. The sum of these actions over the past century has built recognition throughout the city and country.

BY CHRISTIAN WARNER, JOSHUA GOFORTH AND HOLDEN PURVIS

The school's mission statement holds that the school is “designed to afford its students wellrounded physical, intellectual, moral and religious training and instruction,” in order to “prepare young men for assuming leadership and responsibility in a competitive and changing world.”

Although the school aims to prepare Marksmen in many ways — academically, athletically, artistically and in character — fewer, more distinct strengths have shaped the reputation of the school, both locally and internationally.

Reese Rawson, a junior at the Episcopal School of Dallas, says her views of her rival school have been shaped by the academically rigorous stereotypes surrounding St. Mark’s.

“It’s very prestigious,” Rawson said. “I think that’s because it’s one of the most expensive schools in Dallas to attend and the academics are so demanding.”

The academic nature of the school that many alumni like Brian Hanson ‘95 now admire once felt overwhelming. Reflecting on his time as a student at the school, Hanson feels that he did not realize its significance until later in life.

“I was probably not an ideal Marksman,” Brian said. “I don't know if I really appreciated what the school was doing for me as a student, probably because I was young and not that bright. But as I got older, got married, had kids, I started to understand better what the school provided for me when I was younger; (what) I wouldn't have had if I hadn’t gone there.”

Some alumni, however, had a vastly different experience. When Language Department Chair Zach Erwin ‘96 first came to the school, he immediately recognized that St. Mark’s was the best place for him to thrive.

“From the second I started here as a fifth grader, I loved my classes, I loved my teachers and I loved my friends,” Erwin said. “I found it to be a really intellectually stimulating place.”

Although many aspects of the school have evolved over time, Erwin believes the school has not fundamentally changed, still emphasizing the core ideas of academic excellence the school was founded upon. And while Hanson’s experience at the school was different, he agrees that the school’s curriculum remains the cornerstone of the school.

“I think that's the special part about St Mark's,”

Hanson said. “It’s still based on its academics.”

Informed through the experiences of his sons, Owen, a junior at the Greenhill School, and Wyatt, a sophomore at St. Mark’s, Brian has seen that academic standards have been raised across all schools as the pace of technology and everyday life quickens.

“The speed of information that you get today compared to the speed of information that you got in the '80s and '90s — it’s not even in the same realm,” Brian said. “Now you need to have a ton more time management skills now to be able to make it and not just get chewed up at the school… who's getting bigger and more specialized.”

However, this arduous emphasis on academics can be seen as a drawback by both St. Mark’s students and students of other schools. Owen believes that the reputation that St. Mark’s was built upon seems to have also formed negative experiences and stereotypes.

“There’s a stereotype of then school being extremely hard and rigorous,” Owen said. “Having gone there, I feel like there was so much homework at St. Mark's to the point where you're not really learning stuff in certain classes; you're just doing work.”

As a member of the St. Mark’s community for decades, Erwin has seen this commitment to academics throughout different eras of administration, faculty and student body. In his view, it has fostered an image of competence and excellence across many disciplines and, importantly, of integrity.

“I think that, ideally, we want to be thought of as a school that challenges our students to reach their full potential as scholars, artists, athletes and young men of strong character,” Erwin said.

For Eugene-McDermott Headmaster David Dini these experiences in academics, fine arts and athletics all serve as a tool in which the school aims to develop each student into a good man. And as good men, Dini hopes that each student can have a positive impact on their respective communities.

“It’s embedded in (the Path to Manhood) statue,” Dini said. “It’s a younger boy on (an older boy’s) shoulders, carrying the future. It’s symbolic of what the school stands for and all the pursuits that (students) are engaged in.”

Erwin believes the school has transitioned to a more important and nuanced method of instruction: character development.

“I do think that our focus on character and leadership has become much more explicit,” Erwin said. “Because St. Mark’s is an all-boys school, we use the term ‘manhood’ to describe the

kind of character we’re hoping to cultivate here. What we’re really trying to do is help our students grow into honorable, ethical, thoughtful citizens who are capable of being leaders in their communities. I would imagine that many schools have a similar goal, but what makes St. Mark’s unique is how much we talk very explicitly about these ideas and try to weave them into every part of the school day.”

To Owen, St. Mark’s seems unique from other schools in this way.

“One of the biggest changes for me when I went to Greenhill was not hearing the word ‘manhood’ for months.” Hanson said. “I didn't hear that word for months. I thought that was like a normal thing that all schools talk about, but manhood is not discussed at all at Greenhill.”

According to Dini, the school’s well-established reputation is a reflection of the people that make up the community, yet maintaining this reputation is still something to always be mindful of.

“Our real principal focus is on sustaining our mission and values as a school,” Dini said. “I would say reputation… is more of a product of doing the right thing. Our conviction and belief is that if you do things the right way (with) consistent commitment to our mission and values, then reputation will take care of itself.”

St. Mark's School of Texas

St. Mark's aims to prepare young men to assume leadership and responsibility in a competitive and changing world. To this end, the school professes and upholds certain values. These values include the discipline of postponing immediate gratification in the interest of earning eventual hard-won satisfaction; the responsibility of defending one's own ideas, of respecting the views of others, and of accepting the consequences for one's actions; and appreciation for the lively connection between knowledge and responsibility, privilege and the obligation to serve.

A plaque hangs on the wall of the first-floor hallway of Centennial Hall, reminding the boys of the mission of the school.

Graphic by Joshua Goforth

Each Dallas private school has its own reputation, forming a piece of the puzzle. St. Mark's fits in as just another piece making up the whole reputation of schools in the area.

Illustration by Joshua Goforth

Students, faculty find side hustles

Junior Mason Bosco and Assistant Director of Admission & Financial Aid Korey Mack ’00 share their stories and views on having side jobs.

BY EMILIANO MAYO AND GRAYSON KIRBY

School life is pretty hard by itself. Having a job takes time and can even get frustrating, but junior Mason Bosco has sailed smoothly through both. Bosco started his reselling business two years ago. He buys clothing items from thrift stores such as Goodwill and proceeds to resell them on eBay.

“On the weekends, going to Goodwill isn't that big of a deal, because it's actually kind of fun,” Bosco said. “But listing is pretty hard, because sometimes I’ll buy $100 or 100 items of stuff. Then, listing takes a long time, so I'm not even done listing all the stuff that I've bought over the past month.”

Maintaining a side hustle can be difficult for high school students since they have to balance the job and their homework, but Bosco manages to keep both things under control.

“I do most of (my work) on the weekends, so when I'm not going out to Goodwill I'm just listing,” Bosco said. “It's pretty much separated from my school life.”

To start his reselling business, Bosco had to adapt and learn from the market. This included using eBay’s special research feature which allows a user to check the average sell price for an object.

“When I first started it was pretty hard because I had to take out my phone and look up the brand for every single thing I bought because I didn't know any of them,” Bosco said. “But now that I've done this for almost every brand, I kind of know what's worth money, but I still have to research sometimes.”

Yet sometimes things won't sell. The market is constantly changing and so are people’s interests, so there are times when what went up one day won’t be as high the next.

“There's always things that aren't going to sell, but because the stuff I'm buying is so cheap, usually the other things I do sell will make up for it,” Bosco said. “I’ve had to learn what's not going to sell; right now, there's stuff that I haven't sold in the past three months.”

To maximize his profit, Bosco has implemented a method that allows him to keep making profit even if things don’t sell.

DURING COVID, I HAD TO BE MORE CREATIVE WHEN RENTING OUT THE BOUNCE HOUSES. I HAD TO SHIFT FROM LARGER CORPORATIONS LIKE CHURCHES AND SCHOOL PARTIES TO PERSONAL PARTIES SINCE NO ONE WAS HAVING BIG PARTIES.”

Corey Mack '00, Admission Officer

“You need to have a place to put everything,” Bosco said. “I would just buy a bunch of stuff and stop worrying if it's not selling in the first two weeks, because the biggest thing is making your stock.”

But to have such a large stock, Bosco has had to work on a better storage system to fuel his business.

“I've got this pool room where I have a billiards table that we don't really use anymore,” Bosco

said. “And so I've just got a pretty big room with clothes racks and some shelves for my shoes. If you keep buying stuff you'll make a profit eventually.”

Student side hustles are no new occurrence at the school. In 1998 Assistant Director of Admissions Korey Mack ‘00 started his first business, a DJ business that was inspired by his dad.

“One time I was playing with my dad’s turntables and he told me to go to the County Record Office and start a business," Mack said. "He said if I did that he would buy me my first speakers and turntables, and that turned into Start the Party Entertainment, which I still run today.”

Mack has only grown his business from there, expanding to DJ different events and also creating a bounce house business that has taught him various lessons, including how to adapt and grow his business.

“During COVID I had to be more creative when renting out the bounce houses,” Mack said. “I had to shift from larger corporations like churches and school parties to personal parties since no one was having big parties.”

The ability to adapt and shift his business was a crucial part in Mack expanding his company. He quickly expanded his inventory from five bounce houses to over 20 inflatable structures. This expanded inventory, however, led to new challenges with distribution to customers.

“When you have more inventory you have to still be able to have high quality service, you can’t compromise quality just because you have more things to sell,” Mack said. “If you treat a customer well, then they tell their friends, which leads to more business.”

Juniors organize, lead McDonald’s Week fundraiser

BY TEJAS ALLADA

From Nov. 11 to 15, the entire community participated in McDonald’s Week, an annual event run by the junior class that raises money for the homeless shelter, Austin Street. In order to create a great experience for students, the event required months of planning and a network of people helping. To accomplish this, juniors Samuel Bluementhal, Weston Chance and Dilan Koganti were elected to be the co-chairs of McDonald’s Week.

“I think the week went great,” Koganti said. “The junior class really came together really well. I think a lot of our events went really well. We were really on top of things. The car wash was a smash success. We got

a great turnout from that, and throughout the week, we got a great turnout for most events.”

The planning process for McDonald’s Week began in July. After student council officers had elected the co-chairs, junior class sponsors GayMarie Vaughn and Bryan Boucher worked with them throughout the summer.

“We met and called several times during the summer,” Koganti said. “We also created all of the subcommittees and who would lead them. Additionally, we got on top of the video production very early.”

While McDonald’s Week was a success, several challenges arose throughout the preparations for the week.

“One big challenge we faced was

reaching out to restaurants and businesses,” Koganti said. “I think also our organization was pretty lackluster during some things. For the most part though, we did pretty good.”

Considering McDonald’s Week is an annual tradition at the school, it's hard for some grades to truly differentiate themselves from other years. This year, however, the junior class placed a huge emphasis on creating an inclusive experience for all grades.

“I loved it,” fifth grader Michael Ruggeri said. “It was really fun this year. I enjoyed the all-day day in particular. We went with our teachers, and I also enjoyed the theme this year.”

Not only was McDonald’s Week a fun

experience for the school, but it also served a purpose by helping the less fortunate in the community. Because of all of the entertaining events scattered throughout the week ranging from dinners to a Lego building competition, students were truly immersed in the McDonald’s Week experience. Because of this blank participation, this year’s McDonald’s Week was the most successful in school history, earning more than $32,000.

“While most of the planning was very stressful, the fact that the week was very successful makes me feel very satisfied," said Koganti. "I am grateful to our class sponsors, the entire junior class and all the people who showed up throughout the week or donated.”

Korey Mack sets up bounce-houses with his children for various events across the year.

Photos Courtesy Korey Mack

Not Beer redefines responsible drinking

Dillon Dandurand ‘10 utilizes the feeling of classic American culture to create a safe and enjoyable alternative to popular alcoholic beverages.

BY DIEGO ARMENDARIZ AND WYATT AUER

A chance sighting of a billboard that prompted joking around with friends led to an innovative product for Dillon Dandurand ‘10.

The Not Beer founder created a fun new way to hydrate with his sparkling water, Not Beer.

“I was driving down the highway with a friend, and we saw a sign for a non-alcoholic, no sugar, zero calorie beer, and I was wondering at what point is it not beer anymore,” Dandurand said “Then I made a joke about branding sparkling water as Not Beer.”

This joke became a reality once Dandurand realized there was a gap in the market for a quality water that appeals to consumers in the same way as classic beer brands. At a concert Dandurand bought a can of Liquid Death which he connected to his joke.

“I end up drinking three or four cans, and then I go to another concert, three weeks later, I order another water, and this time it said Ozarka,” Dandurand said. “It’s in a bottle of thin plastic. I have to twist open the cap. The label starts peeling off and the bottle is crumbling in my hand. I’m not feeling any of those good feelings that I’m talking about. In fact, I feel the opposite. I feel I’ve given up on having fun, and I feel ostracized from the party. What a difference in the consumer experience based on the psychology, and the psychology is driven by the packaging, the branding, the marketing and, very importantly, the ritual.”

Due to his experience, Dandurand was able to take his idea and exploit the market of those who want this consumer experience, but with water.

“I was geting a lot of these benefits but none of the downsides, it wasn’t making my anxiety worse the next day,” Dandurand said. “So I thought, that’s a great experience.”

After truning his idea into reality, Dandurand took a deep look at the

psychology behind these brands and the environment they create.

“What a lot of drink companies do is, they sell us confidence, fun, relaxation and inclusion,” Dandurand said. “When you’re at a party and you’ve got a drink in your hand, whether it’s lemonade, sprite, root beer or beer, it’s kind of a shared experience. You feel the bond with other people, whereas if you’re just holding a plastic bottle of water, you’re not feeling that nice inclusive feeling.”

Many of these big drink companies, such as Coca-Cola, use red to attract consumers, and this inspired Dandurand to do the same for his brand.

“The color red is super important to us, red is the most eye-catching color to humans, and it’s not really used in the sparkling water category,” Dandurand said. “So there’s an opportunity to own that color and really make a statement when you’re on the shelf, which is important to catch the consumers. And so the red is crucial for us.”

Along with bottling Not Beer in Texas, Dandurand believes the color red also helps associate Not Beer with American values.

“The red, white and blue aspect to American sparkling water, leaning into the Americana aspect,” Dandurand said. “And then ‘Never a Bad Time’ is really important to us. So we looked at beer brands and, how do they talk about their product? And what they do is they create a fantasy world? When you crack open their products, you’ve entered into this fantasy world where it’s all good. There is never a bad time to drink

Not Beer. You can drink it in the morning, you can drink it at night. you can drink it during class. You can even drink it while you’re driving. There’s never a bad time to drink Not Beer, and you will never have a bad time drinking Not Beer.”

To help further imitate this ritual, Dandurand has modified the standard carbonation levels to make a less harsh, more enjoyable experience.

ST. MARK’S IS OBVIOUSLY A HUGE PART OF MY LIFE. I THINK THE EXPERIENCE AT ST. MARK’S REALLY GIVES YOU THE TOOLS TO BE SUCCESSFUL.”

Dillon Dandurand ‘10

“So it’s actually less carbonated than most sparkling water,” Dandurand said. “Most sparkling water is quite highly carbonated, so there’s a scale, and most sparkling water is around 3.5. We’re much lower than that, we intentionally went the opposite direction, and it’s less carbonated, and also has a mineral blend, which gives it a softer mouthfeel.”

Dandurand believes this mouthfeel helps to contribute to the same ritual associated with other beverage brands.

Those who know of Not Beer will be excited to hear of its upcoming variety of new flavors.

“It’s lemon-lime, black cherry and red-white-and-blue, inspired by the Bomb Pop,” Dandurand said.

Dandurand wants these new flavors to have intensity while remaining true to the brand.

“I always like it in the middle: more flavorful than a La Croix, but certainly not a soda,” Dandurand said.

Dandurand has put Not Beer on the shelves in United Supermarkets, Market Street, Brookshires and he has begun a trial launch with HEB with desires to expand into other grocery stores and grow the market for sparkling water as a whole.

“I don’t take the view that it’s you or me, a zero sum game; there can be multiple winners,” Dandurand said. “We can all be successful. We can grow the category together.”

As his company grows, Dandurand has found that the life skills he has learned here at St. Mark’s have been an enormous factor in his success.

“St. Mark’s is obviously a huge part of my life. I think the experience at St Mark’s really gives you the tools to be successful,” Dandurand said. “Learning how to solve problems, learning how to write well, learning how to work hard, learning how to communicate clearly, both verbally and written, interacting with various different types of people. I think it’s been a huge advantage and. I couldn’t recommend it highly enough. I think it’s laid the foundation for doing well in college and then, and then doing well after college. I think just as important is the friends that you could make at St Mark’s, you surround yourself with smart, hardworking, ambitious people, and that’s that’s amazing.”

Entrepreneur creates restaurant, breaks Dallas barrier

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

Inspired by a multitude of factors, he decided to create a restaurant to elevate the Dallas food scene.

“When I came to Dallas I was brought to a few different steakhouses here that were all impressive, but I have traveled to so many different places in the world, and I understand what the top world-class dining scene is,” Kim said. “Unfortunately, I don’t think I was able to find a spot that meets the world-class restaurant scene here in Dallas. Of course, I understand Dallas is booming; Dallas is evolving, and I do believe Dallas needs more world-class dining places.”

The restaurant and menu combine aspects from each place where Kim has lived, creating an international and sophisticated feel to pair with a complex menu. Even the restaurant’s name, Nuri, means “whole world” in Korean, further signaling the restaurant’s aim to achieve a global menu and theme. His commitment to his customers and

creating an atmosphere where guests feel welcome is of utmost importance to Kim.

“I really thought that I could open a world-class-looking restaurant with amazing foods from three different cultures, Asia, New Orleans and also Dallas, and a team culture that starts with care rights,” Kim said. “ It doesn’t matter to whoever comes into our restaurant; we will do our best to care right. When we say ‘care right,’ it starts (with culture) between us, between team members, but also team members to our guests, and, of course, our guests to our team members.”

Additionally, Kim uses some of the highest quality ingredients from around the world and, combined with a luxurious interior design, Nuri Steakhouse is designed to create an unforgettable dining experience.

“We use the best steaks in the world, and we also have flavors from New Orleans, Korea and Japan,” Kim said. “We are also very proud of our build out because we actually used six different design forms in this project. Design itself

actually took about nine months to finish the design phase and then another three years to build out. We always did not buy anything from the factory, and every piece (of furniture) that you can find in the restaurant, we customized.”

In the future, Kim hopes his philosophy will create a strong product that will become a mainstay in the Dallas food scene. He understands that culture is the heart of ensuring a company’s long-term success and is focused on the longevity of his restaurant.

“It’s a really long game when you really want to own a restaurant and you want to make sure that people love that restaurant,” Kim said. “At the end of the day, it’s a longevity game, and I really understand that making money is important, but when you taste your passion, when you taste what’s right for you, money follows, and I strongly believe in that. In the last seven days, we didn’t even talk about how much money we made because that’s not relevant. The most relevant thing is how our guests receive the service and how they are doing at our restaurant.”

A man picks up a can from a cooler (Left). Sparkling water flies everywhere as a can is opened (Right).

Photo Courtesy Not Beer

Dillon Dandurand ‘10 founded a sparkling water company after seeing a need in the market.

Photo Courtesy Not Beer

FEBRUARY 2

New administration on campus

The school saw significant administrative changes this year. Marion Glorioso-Kirby, a long-time drama instructor and Fine Arts Department Chair, was officially named Head of Lower School after serving in an acting capacity. Meanwhile, William Atkinson ‘95, a humanities instructor, was selected as Head of Upper School following a nationwide search. Atkinson replaced Colin Igoe, with Assistant Headmaster John Ashton having served as interim leader during the transition. Atkinson teaches ninth-grade English and has promised to bring discipline to his new role, drawing on his years of experience at the school and his background as a former student.

JUNE 27

Harrison Ingram ‘21 drafted

St. Mark’s has been the home to many actors, celebrities and even some professional athletes. But, until last April, the school hadn’t had an NBA alumnus. That changed when, with the 47th pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, the San Antonio Spurs selected Harrison Ingram ’21. Ingram played two years at Stanford before transferring to the University of North Carolina for his junior year, in which he averaged 12.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

NOVEMBER 9

Volleyball wins SPC

The Lions volleyball team entered the season with high aspirations after last year’s third-place finish, facing challenges from injuries and senior departures. As the first seed in SPC, they navigated a tough tournament with remarkable resilience. Their quarterfinal match against a formidable opponent went to five sets, which they narrowly won. The semifinals proved even more intense with the Lions trailing two sets to one before mounting a comeback victory in five sets. The gold-medal match was equally dramatic, with the Lions ultimately prevailing 15-13 in the final set. Their success hinged on fine margins and clutch play, with senior leadership playing a crucial role. Key contributors included John Householder, Jacob Lobdell, Charlie Gordy and Maddox Canham, whose experience and skill were instrumental in transforming challenging moments into a tournament championship. Their performance demonstrated not just athletic skill, but also remarkable mental toughness and team unity in the face of adversity. Throughout the tournament, the Lions showed that determination and teamwork could overcome significant obstacles.

2024

APRIL 8

Eclipse

In April, a once-in-a-lifetime event took place. Dallas was the site of a total solar eclipse — the first one in the city since 1878. To celebrate the rare occurrence, the school distributed eclipse glasses and designated a special free period so that students, faculty and staff could go outside and witness the cosmic event. Full totality was only achieved for a handful of minutes, but cheers could be heard across the football field when the clouds cleared and the magnificent sight was visible.

MAY 31

Generational teachers

In 2024, we lost some inspirational teachers to retirement. Both Dan Northcut ’81 and Marietta Johnson left the school after decades of service both in and out of the classroom. Northcut’s 37 years began just after his graduation from the school and never faltered in commitment. In his time here, Northcut led the greenhouse and helped develop the environmental science curriculum, as well as running the gardening club and being an earth science instructor for the Middle School. Similarly, Johnson contributed to the school community most recently as a substitute teacher in multiple departments and CML club, after serving as a math instructor for a number of years over her half-century career at the school.

Rivalry win

In a heart-pounding football season finale, the Lions faced their bitter rival ESD in a home game that would become an instant classic. The Eagles dominated early, racing to a commanding 21-0 lead before halftime that seemed to crush the Lions’ spirits. However, a crucial touchdown just before the break injected life into the home team, narrowing the score to 21-7. The second half transformed into an epic battle of resilience and strategy. Senior quarterback Lawrence Gardener emerged as the game’s hero, leading a remarkable comeback that electrified the stadium. His touchdown midway through the fourth quarter dramatically tied the game at 21, reigniting the crowd’s hope and momentum. With less than a minute remaining, Gardener connected with a receiver in the end zone, giving the Lions a dramatic 28-21 lead. The Eagles responded swiftly, scoring and attempting a two-point conversion for the win. In a moment of supreme defensive heroism, St. Mark’s made the critical stop, securing a thrilling 28-27 victory. This wasn’t just a game—it was a historic triumph. The win marked the first time in 11 years the Lions had defeated their closest rival, concluding their season with a respectable 6-4 record.

NOVEMBER 5

Presidential election

This year, the American people elected the 47th president of the United States, Donald Trump. Trump’s victory was a battle against the current vice president, Kamala Harris, but his strong performance in the seven swing states helped him take home an electoral college victory of 312-226. Trump also took home the popular vote, marking the first time a Republican has won both since George W. Bush in 2004. Texas, voters chose Donald Trump, so he will carry the state’s 47 electoral votes when they are officially counted in January.

Reflecting back on the events that have transpired in their lives over the past 12 months, students share the moments that made 2024 a year to remember.

Benjamin Yi Freshman

“I REALLY ENJOYED GOING TO THE ESD GAME BECAUSE OF THE ENERGY IN THE STUDENT SECTION. WE WERE DOWN 21 AT HALFTIME AND STILL WON THE GAME.”

JULIAN GERSTLE Sophomore

“MY FAVORITE MOMENT OF THE YEAR WAS RUNNING TRACK AT SPC IN MAY AS A FRESHMAN BECAUSE IT WAS A GREAT BONDING EXPERIENCE FOR THE TEAM AND A REALLY FUN RACE.”

“THE BEST MOMENT OF THE YEAR WAS PROBABLY THE MCDONALD’S WEEK CARWASH BECAUSE IT WAS FUN TO SEE OUR CLASS HANGING OUT AND WORKING TOGETHER.” WILL STEINGBREUK Junior

SAM LIGHT Senior

“MY FAVORITE MOMENT OF THE YEAR WAS FILMING LAST YEAR’S SPC BASKETBALL FINAL. A GROUP OF GUYS AND I TRAVELLED DOWN TO HOUSTON AND THE STUDENT SECTION WAS REALLY BIG FOR AN AWAY TOURNAMENT.”

Photo by Winston Lin

Photo by Winston Lin

Photo Courtesy UNC Athletic Department

Photo Courtesy Development Office

Photo by Bryan LI

REVIEWS

Tyler’s new album tops charts

When rumors about Tyler, the Creator’s new album “CHROMAKOPIA” started circulating, fans wondered if he could surpass the high standards that he set for himself with his previous chart-topping albums. After listening to the album, it is safe to say that Tyler has changed his own style, demonstrating his nuanced interpretation of modern-day hip-hop.

“CHROMAKOPIA” is an album that mashes many themes to create an uncanny yet incredible-sounding project. The listener is greeted with many depressing and dark themes throughout the album. Still, Tyler turns these dark themes into enjoyable and emotional experiences.

The first track, “St. Chroma,” is a perfect mood-setter for the album. The marching in the background gives the song an eerie tone, along with Tyler’s whispering verse. The track then begins taking shape with Daniel Caesar’s angelic chorus. After the chorus, the song swerves, adding a modern rap beat. “St. Chroma” brings the eeriness and beauty of this album into one song.

Even though there are very strong tracks, Tyler struggles on others. “Sticky” is definitely a standout on the album for all the wrong reasons. Strange features from both Sexyy Red and GloRilla cause the song to feel odd and out of place. Even though Lil Wayne’s verse outshines both Red and GloRilla’s, it feels forced and doesn’t add any good qualities to the song.

Thankfully, the album replaces mildly annoying songs like “Sticky” with emotional pieces like “Tomorrow.” This song is the best on the album, thanks to its heartfelt exposition and otherworldly production. “Tomorrow” tells a heartbreaking story about how the material things one possesses can never be more valuable than the memories and emotional bonds one can have. The track ranges from acoustic guitar chords to the gentle strings of a violin in the background.

The album comes to a close with its final track, “I Hope You Find Your Way Home.” The song is a bittersweet ending to the dramatic tale of this album’s character, St. Chroma. The song brings closure to the story, giving a silver lining to all the problems. An emotive audio from Tyler’s mother at the end instills hope in listeners, only to be interupted by the repetition of one word: Chromakopia.

Tyler is very vulnerable on the album, describing himself as insecure, scared, angry and evil. It’s a story of twists and turns that makes the listener want more. While the album does have some weak tracks, mostly from its features, Tyler is able to make up for those weird moments with impressive production. Overall, Tyler uses the album to show listeners that artists are humans too.

Holiday gift essentials

From childhood toys to trendy must-haves, here are the perfect gifts to brighten the holidays for everyone on your list.

BY WILL CLIFFORD

NINJA BLENDER MINI PROJECTOR LEGO SETS

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but most people don’t have time to cook up a feast with eggs, sausages and toast—instead, they settle for a cup of coffee. Eating an early meal can be a struggle for Marksmen, especially those who want to sleep in as much as possible before their first class. But this holiday season, get the gift to kickstart your mornings with a fast and easy solution to breakfast: the Ninja Fit Compact Personal Blender.

This summer, the blender was my go-to for a quick meal before long cross country training sessions in the blistering heat. It’s the perfect gift for anyone who’s on the go in the mornings—athletes can also toss in some protein powder to get an extra boost for your workouts. As long as you stay stocked up on frozen fruits, you can blend up whatever your heart desires, from sweet drinks to nutrient-packed smoothies.

The beauty of this gift is if you give it to someone in your immediate family, you’ll also enhance your own breakfast experience. Parents, don’t worry, the small appliance won’t be an eyesore for your kitchen and it’s easy to clean. So this holiday season, I recommend you help your loved ones start their day in a healthy way with the Ninja Fit Compact Personal Blender.

If you’re like me and your parents don’t let you have a TV in your room, this next gift is for you. While you could watch Netflix on your phone holding the screen close to your eyes to see what’s happening, it’s not the same as lying under a warm blanket on the couch and binging your favorite show on a big screen. Save your eyes from the intense blue light by setting up a mini portable projector in your bedroom. Or, if you want to bring the theater to a friend’s house, just pack up the necessary cables and put the light-weight projector in your backpack. It’s simple set-up makes it perfect for tailgates, in-home movie theaters and gaming, revolutionizing your in-home viewing experiences.

You can find mini projectors like the one in the image above for as low as $50 , however, some models don’t let you use device screen sharing to project certain streaming services due to copyright issues. But with the help of an HDMI cord, you can connect an Amazon Fire Stick or gaming console and stream freely. Get your family together, because this year you’ll be sipping hot chocolate while watching all of the holiday classics like “The Grinch” and “Elf” on the big screen with your new in-home movie projector.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a star athlete, math genius or master teacher-you’re never too cool for Legos. They are a timeless toy, catering to people of all ages and varying interests. Take a break from the unrelenting stress of life and let your creativity take the wheel. With a vast selection of sets, you can follow instructions to build almost anything from world landmarks to movie scenes. Or, if you want to freestyle, combine all of your bricks and make your own creations.

With such a wide price range, a Lego set tailored to your loved ones’ interest can be the most thoughtful gift they receive this holiday season. If you know a Marksman who likes cars, you should consider a set from the Speed Champions series. Or, if you’re looking for a gift for a special friend, perhaps consider one of the many flower bouquet sets. If you want to go a step further, you can spend some quality time with others by building the set together.

Like I said before, from Fortnite to France, there’s a Lego set for everyone. Find a set you like and put it on your wishlist because when you’re bored over the holiday break you’ll have something to do while you sit by the fireplace.

IN THEATERS NOW

If you have some free time over the break, go check out these new movies full of star-studded casts and familiar characters. You won’t want to miss these blockbusters and unforgettable performances this holiday season.

MUFASA

Mufasa, releasing Dec. 20, follows the famous lion from The Lion King in his early days, telling the story of his contentious relationship with his brother Scar. Directed by Academy Award winner Barry Jenkins, this is one to keep an eye on as a potential pleasant surprise.

BY CAM HURLEY

NOSFERATU

Nosferatu is a remake of the 1922 film and is set to bring the scares this holiday season. Following the villainous Count Orlock, who is inspired by Bram Stoker’s Dracula and played by Bill Skarsgard, the film has so far received universal acclaim for its stunning performances and chilly atmosphere.

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3

After a brief tease in the end credits of Sonic 2, Shadow the Hedgehog, voiced onscreen by Keanu Reeves, is set to make his big-screen debut in Sonic The Hedgehog 3. The entire cast from the first two movies returns, including Jim Carrey as the villainous Dr. Robotnik. The buzz around this movie has been massive.

EMILIANO MAYO Staff Writer

EDITORIALS

Student newspaper of

St. Mark’s School of Texas

10600 Preston Road

Dallas, TX 75230

214-346-8000

Editor-in-Chief Hilton Sampson

Managing Editors Matthew Hofmann, Linyang Lee

Editorial Editor Oliver Peck

Enterprise Editor Lawrence Gardner

Assignments Editor Neil Yepuri

Photo Editor

Winston Lin

Digital Editor

Will Clifford

Digital

Managing Editor Akash Manickam

Focus Editors

Arjun Poi, Joseph Sun, Josh Goforth (Assistant)

SECTION EDITORS

Issues Kevin Ho, Andrew Ye

Academics Doan Nguyen, Kayden Zhong

Life Christian Warner, Eric Yi

Sports Weston Chance, Michael Jimenez

Copy Editor Christopher Guffey

Assistant Digital Editors Tejas Allada, Rohan Kakkar

Head Writers

Vikram Singh, William Kozoman, Ronit Kongara

Staff

Diego Armendariz, Wyatt Auer, Jackson Bailey, Shiv Bhandari, Michael Chang, Christopher Huang, Nicholas Huang, Rishik Kapoor, Grayson Kirby, Dilan Koganti, Emiliano Mayo, Sam Morse, Armaan Newaskar, Kiran Parikh, Holden Purvis, Marshall Sudbury, Archer Wilburn

Adviser Jenny Dial Creech

Headmaster David Dini

Audience

The ReMarker is intended for the students, faculty, staff and alumni community of St. Mark’s School of Texas. Press run is 3,800 copies, with more than 2,600 of those mailed out to alumni, courtesy of the school’s offices of External Affairs, Development and Alumni divisions.

Opinions and Editorials

Editorials present the views of the Editorial Board and are not necessarily those of the Board of Trustees, administration, faculty or staff. All personal opinion columns, bylined with the writer’s name and photo, represent the views of that writer and only and not necessarily those of the ReMarker, Board of Trustees, administration, faculty or staff.

Online

www.smremarker.com

lnstagram: @remarkernewspaper

Reader Involvement

The ReMarker encourages reader input through guest columns and story ideas. Contact the appropriate editor for suggestions.

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the editor are welcomed and encouraged. They must be typed, signed and not exceed 300 words. Submissions are not accepted.

Membership

The ReMarker maintains membership in the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, New York City, N.Y.; National Scholastic Press Association, Minneapolis, Minn.; and the Interscholastic League Press Conference, Austin.

STAFF EDITORIAL

Political appointments should prioritize competence

Many of the recent choices for executive government positions are seemingly unqualified and it's up to us to hold them accountable.

Choosing the right people to lead government departments is more than just a political shuffle after the turnover of each presidency — it's about making sure the people in charge actually know what they're doing.

The recent presidential nominations are not a thoughtful selection of experts, but rather a group of underqualified individuals whose fundamental perspectives are at odds with their job’s core mission. Even if many of these people have industry experience, it's like asking a bunch of vegetarians to design a steakhouse menu.

Take Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was nominated to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. A notorious anti-vaxxer, Kennedy is now heading the very department responsible for protecting our nation’s public health. He might have pledged to remove processed foods from school lunches or push for better chemical regulations in agriculture, which are seemingly great things, but those aren't even part of this department's core responsibilities.

what can we do?

So

The answer is pretty straightforward: get involved and be aware. This isn't about party politics — it's about making sure our government works for everyone, not just for the benefit of certain groups.

Education is key. Schools need to do a better job teaching students how the government functions. Understanding how departments work, what qualifications really matter and how political appointments affect our lives is essential.

Though we may not have civic engagement classes, you can still educate yourself on how to participate in democracy responsibly. Having these discussions in the classroom or through school-run clubs teaches students to think more critically about the effects of representatives in these positions. When people know more, they can make better decisions.

Our actions as individuals matter more than most people realize. Attending town hall meetings, writing to local officials or starting a petition are all ways to get involved in local politics.

Volunteering for campaigns allows students to directly support their candidates. These are the nuts and bolts of how democracy works, and actively calling for accountability in government will draw attention to prevalent issues.

Lastly, exercising your right to vote (if you’re eligible) in all elections is the best way to share your voice. Encourage friends, peers and family to vote for candidates who value qualifications and experience in government positions.

The problems don't stop there. Chris Wright, the chief executive at a major fracking company, is lined up to lead the Department of Energy, and Sean Duffy — someone who's been openly skeptical about electric vehicles and climate change — is set to run the Department of Transportation. And these are not minor discrepancies; they're potentially massive roadblocks to all innovation and progress.

These appointments aren't just about political disagreements. They represent a real threat to how effectively our government can solve problems. These departments manage billions of dollars and make decisions that impact everything from technological innovation to job scarcity to environmental protection. When the people in charge don't understand the basics of their own departments, everyone loses.

One voice might seem small, but thousands of voices can create real change. Democracy requires active participation from everyone who cares about their country. And even if you can’t vote, educate yourself on our government system so you can still advocate for your future.

These appointments are a test of how resilient our democratic system really is — as Americans, we shouldn’t accept leaders who are only interested in serving narrow interests. We need to fight for representatives who truly understand the complexity of their roles.

In an increasingly complex world, having qualified people in important positions is an absolute necessity. And it starts with us taking charge.

A street view of the Dallas County Courthouse — one of the most prominent political centers for our local governance.

Photo Courtesy Creative Commons

More pass/fail options will foster better learning

While grades are supposed to measure academic achievement, the constant competition and stress from our current grading system have instead created a toxic environment that prioritizes performance over intellectual curiosity.

The focus on just getting that 89.5% to keep an A, or outdoing classmates to gain an advantage in college applications can turn a truly special learning experience into merely a transactional one.

And regardless of what teachers or advisors say, it feels like students need to take as many AP classes as possible.

If we truly want to create the collaborative learning environment that the school aims to foster, we need to rethink our grading structure — one that moves beyond just letter grades and acknowledges a student’s curiosity and engagement with the material.

We need more pass/fail options. If students could take classes without the constant pressure of grades, they would be free to explore topics that interest them without worrying about the GPA consequences if they don’t excel immediately.

In the current system, students often opt for classes they believe they can do well in rather than courses that challenge them or spark their interest.

This takes away from the simple joy that learning can bring.

With pass/fail classes, students might choose to explore more niche topics surrounding the material that they find fascinating, rather than sticking only to a surface-level understanding of it.

This would not only lead to a more well-rounded knowledge but also allow students to pursue areas of interest outside of the standard curriculum.

There would be better collaboration amongst students to share ideas and support one another in truly understanding the material.Group projects, for instance, could shift from being a lackluster task to an opportunity for meaningful discussion and learning.

This approach doesn't mean abandoning the rigor of our classes.

Instead, success would be measured by intellectual curiosity, depth of understanding, and personal growth — qualities far more valuable than a numerical grade.

By eliminating the focus on grades, students may feel less pressure, which would allow them to approach learning with more enthusiasm, rather than viewing it as a burden or a competition.

If we want a school environment that truly nurtures a love of learning, we need a system where students are encouraged to take risks, follow their passions and collaborate freely.

A grading system that includes more pass/fail options would foster a stronger, more intellectually curious environment where students can focus on learning rather than just competing for a grade.

In their shoes: from a visitor to an ambassador

COMMENTARY

Matthew Hofmann Managing Editor

The first distinct memory I have of St. Mark’s was when I wasn’t even a student.

It wasn’t the acceptance letter, or walking onto campus in August of 2017 to take my first Scott Peek headshot for the directory. It was in the fall of 2016 — the day of my student visit. I remember the day extremely well.

My touring buddy was last year’s managing editor, Grayson Redmond, and then a fifth-grader.

I walked onto campus on a sunny, fall morning. I wore a polo and khakis.

What I remembered most of all was the feeling of being on campus — what it felt like to be a Marksman, even if just for a day.

I left that day knowing I wanted to be a part of this community, and fortunately, I was able to join the next year.

Looking back at the tour experience as a senior, I can say for certain that the tour day was the convincing factor that led me to go all in for St. Mark’s.

And from talking with fellow classmates, the tour experience is definitely a defining moment. What made it so special was seeing campus life through Grayson’s schedule.

I sat in his classes. Ate lunch with his friends. Played basketball with him.

There was something special about touring with a student versus touring with an admissions officer.

So it is no surprise that the student ambassadorship program at St. Mark’s is so important.

And I’ve been lucky to participate as a tour guide in many tours. The Lion & Sword Society, the Upper School organization that organizes student tour leaders for prospective family tours and other school events like Open House and Parent Coffee Panels, is an organization that I have participated in all through Upper School.

When the schedule changed a few years ago, the approach to tours on campus did as well. But the important details remained. In talking with Director of Admission & Financial Aid Korey Mack ‘00, it wasn’t the classes or other events during the day that were the focus.

It was lunch.

Looking back on my time at St. Mark’s, that makes sense. The Great Hall during lunchtime embodies the student experience at St. Mark’s, so creating the tour experience around it was a no-brainer.

That’s what made my tour so special. And during the tours I took students on, lunch was always a highlight.

I have sat on both sides of the tour. I recognized firsthand the value it brought to me as a prospective student. And I have seen the joy and insight it prints to prospective students.

To me, the student ambassador program is another layer in what makes this community so great.

THE GRID

An oversimplified guide to what falls where in our hierarchy of events across campus.

TOUR EXPERIENCES

Across campus, we asked current students what they remembered most about their tour when they were applicants. Here's what they said:

“I WATCHED ADVISORIES INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER AND MET KIND PEOPLE.”

“I WALKED INTO THE CHAPEL AND FELT SOMETHING I HAD NEVER FELT BEFORE.”

“THE BASEBALL TEAM LET ME PRACTICE WITH THEM AFTER MY TOUR.”

John Paul Hanks Freshman

Zachary Yang Senior

Jackson Williams Senior

Five days as vegetarian: worth it or not?

Almost all of my favorite foods have some form of meat in them. Whether it’s a cheeseburger, sushi, fried chicken, pork chop, or even just a cheese platter, I’m eating meat.

And to top it all off, I don’t like vegetables. Now of course there are a few exceptions, but I’m always going to choose a nice steak dinner over a veggie one. I even go so far out of my way to avoid greens that, at home my parents call me a carnivore.

So, I decided to challenge myself — I was going to go vegetarian for five days.

In doing this, I had three main questions that I wanted to find answers to.

First off, would I feel any different? I hoped that maybe my body might feel better from the healthy diet.

Next, are the vegetarian meals at school any good? After passing them by in the lunch line every day, I was curious to see if they were viable food choices.

And lastly, what would it be like eating out with friends when you have limited options and can’t order the same food as them?

Immediately after starting my new diet, I noticed a quick change: after each meal, I felt lighter. The food filled my stomach, but I never wanted to take a nap or felt like I was going to fall asleep during class. It always seemed to be the perfect amount of food. It was honestly nice.

I also noticed that I was starting to like some flavors that I previously thought I had disliked. Mushrooms and arugula on pizza? I’m down. But if you had asked me about it three weeks before doing this, I would’ve been appalled.

The second big question: school food. Now as many of my friends know, I’m a big supporter of Sage school food. I can’t tell you the last time I went off campus to get a “better” lunch.

The options at school are usually good, and if I don’t like them, I can always make a sandwich or some yogurt with granola.

But being a vegetarian wasn’t the same experience I was used to. Since I don’t like vegetables that much, most of the

veggies that I traditionally eat are ones where I can’t really taste them. Sadly for me, a good chunk of the vegetarian school lunches were heavy on the veggie flavor.

And while this isn’t a bad thing, it made it a little harder for me to find something that I wanted to eat for lunch. I could always resort to a PB&J or grilled cheese if necessary, but I thought I should at least try what they were serving for the day.

Honestly, I didn’t like every day’s entrée. But I will say that the veggie burger they served was quite good, and there is a very good chance I would eat it again.

Finally, the hardest part of this challenge: going out to eat. I went on this diet over the course of McDonald’s week, and I massively regret it.

On McDonald’s All-Day Day, I was the only one of my friends who couldn’t eat lunch at McDonald’s. The only vegetarian food I could get there were sides and drinks. It was so sad. I had to walk over to Central Market to buy myself yogurt and soup just so I could eat at McDonald’s with all my friends. I was shocked when I discovered they didn’t even have something as simple as a veggie burger.

However, most of the McDonald’s week dinners were pretty easy. Each restaurant had replacement vegetarian options for their most popular dishes. I could get a mushroom and spinach quesadilla at Escondido’s instead of chicken, and at Shake Shack I could get a Shroom Burger. It was nice having options when I went out to eat with friends.

Though, while I may have had those options, I still felt like I was missing out on the good stuff — that touch of added flavor from chicken in a quesadilla or beef in a classic cheeseburger.

So, after five days of living as a vegetarian, would I recommend everyone to go vegetarian? No.

Yet from this experience, what I learned is that I could do it. I was able to go vegetarian even though I don’t like eating veggies. Yes, it gives you less flexibility to eat, and in my opinion worse tasting options. But I think people should start giving vegetarian meals more of a try.

I know a lot of people who are “carnivores” like me who could probably find a way to fit some more vegetables into their diet. And searching for a tasty vegetarian option at a restaurant every once in a while is a great way to get those greens in. So, if you take away one thing, let it be that sometimes, it’s good to get rid of the meat and eat some veggies.

OLIVER PECK

You should go climb a mountain

3 A.M., Almont, Colorado. 12,000 feet. The mission: reach the peak before sunrise. After four hours of climbing the seemingly-endless boulder fields, we were nearing the culmination of a grueling three-day ascent to the summit of 13,281-foot Grizzly Peak.

Behind me, I heard Cory, a climber in our group who had fallen ill from altitude sickness, shivering as he arduously scrambled over a boulder. Even without his climbing gear, Cory was getting weak from the cold.

Realizing he needed assistance, I gifted my heavy pack to the biggest guy on the mountain and threw Cory’s arm around my shoulders. Another climber, Dylan, also rushed to help.

With Dylan and I on either side supporting Cory’s 200-pound frame, we pushed on, stepping in unison over the jagged boulders. We questioned if we’d make it at all, but decided that it was either all of us reaching the peak… or none of us.

Cory relied increasingly on us until we were practically dragging him up the mountain. By the last 30 minutes of the journey, it was almost a vertical incline, and we were pausing every few steps to rest.

But at last, as the morning sun's rays peeked over the snow-capped ridgeline, we reached the foot of the summit.

There, we found the rest of our group waiting for us, arms linked and ready to cross the finish line together. After nearly two hours of the hardest physical and mental test of my life, all I felt was triumph.

Completely exhausted from the climb, we lounged at the peak, basking in the warm sunlight. We laughed, we celebrated, we took pictures and we layed in the snow for almost an hour before we began the trek back down.

But during that time, I realized that having to help Cory up the mountain had actually been a huge gift.

It made me realize that it wasn’t just about the accomplishment I felt at the summit. It was about doing it with lifelong friends and strangers, each tied together by a common goal.

When it came time to help Cory, I didn’t even have to think about it for a second. I learned gratitude for what I had. In the face of adversity, I’d aided someone in their time of need, and knowing we had achieved it together meant more to me than anything else in the world.

So if you ever have some free time, I highly encourage you to climb a mountain. Because, besides experiencing the beauty of nature and once in a lifetime opportunities, you never know what kind of obstacles you might face, what acts of kindness you might commit or what kind of friends you might make along the way.

CHILL GUY Cartoon by Joseph Sun

ASHER BABILLA Guest Columnist

A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that only 10% of adults across the country are eating the reccomended daily serving of vegetables.

Photo courtesy Creative Commons

SECTION IN BRIEF

PRESEASON TRAINING BEGINS Many spring season athletes are beginning to prepare for their upcoming seasons. For the lacrosse team, that means participating in team lifts Monday, Wednesday and Friday along with early-morning positional meetings on Thursday’s. On Tuesday and Thursday, the team does conditioning and suits up for intrasquad scrimmages. Track and field have begun their team lifts, running and drills. The crew team is currently doing independent training and working to improve their times before the January preseason starts.

ANNUAL SPIKEBALL TOURNAMENT Senior

Wyatt Loehr hosted his fourth St. Mark’s Spikeball Tournament. Around 30 Upper School students signed up to compete in this tournament. The single bracket tournament welcomes all levels of players, with matches being played during lunch or community time. The tournament championship was held Thursday, Nov. 21, juniors Andy Li and Matthew Liu took home their spikeball medals after defeating juniors Doan Nguyen and Winston Lin.

FOOTBALL ELECTS CAPTAINS Juniors Adam Dalrymple, Marshall Bagley and sophmore David Dickson were elected as the Lion’s football team captains for the 2025-2026 season after a teamwide voting process. Despite both Dalyrmple and Bagley being sidelined for an entire season over their careers, the team chose the two soonto-be seniors to lead the team to success in their upcoming season. For the first time under coach Harry Flaherty, the team chose to elect a third captain, Dickson–also the first non-senior captain with Flaherty at the helm—who looks to build on his success as a junior.

THE SCOREBOARD

VARSITY BASKETBALL, 12/5

St. Mark’s Tascosa

VARSITY SOCCER, 12/6

VARSITY WRESTLING, 12/4 1 2

St. Mark’s Kinkaid

Soccer program looks for continuity with new head coach

Varsity soccer coach Joel Reemtsma brings a wealth of experience coaching Marksmen. This season, he will look to continue on the success of past years and has his eyes set on an SPC title.

BY WESTON CHANCE AND MARSHALL SUDBURY

Following last year’s season, varsity soccers head coach Corindo Martin stepped down after serving as the head of the soccer program for 34 years. His departure left a tremendous void to fill. Through his 28 years as head coach, Martin experienced tremendous success, leading the Lions to a top four finish in the Southern Preparatory Conference (SPC) tournament 14 times. Now, as the 2024-2025 season begins, the new Lions varsity head coach Joel Reemtsma hopes to continue a legacy of winning and believes this year’s team has what it takes to bring home a SPC championship.

Reemtsma first started working with Marksmen 12 years ago, but his coaching journey began long before that. Motivated by a love for the game and a desire to deliver sound guidance to aspiring players, Reemtsma began coaching a recreational team with some of his college teammates.

“We got together to coach some high school rec league coed teams, and we definitely trained, but we also had a lot of fun with it too,” Reemtsma said.

“He’s very much in line with what we want,” Martin said. “As far as character from our players, he understands that they should not only be good soccer players, but good men.”

For Martin, Reemstma’s organization skills and patience with players made Reemtsma stand out as a top choice to take over the soccer program.

“He’s very well organized. He’ll have a very set ideas on what he wants to do,” Martin said. “He’s very patient, and I think that’s an important quality when you’re working with young men.”

Like Martin, senior captain Alex Abel feels strongly about Reemtsma both as a coach and as a person, and Abel also believes this team has what it takes to succeed in the postseason.

“He’s a really nice guy, and he’s very welcoming and open to make changes that I feel like we need,” Abel said. “And this year, we are definitely hoping to make a deep SPC run.”

To carry through on these high hopes, Reemtsma plans to build on the culture cultivated under Coach Martin.

“There are a lot of great traditions I want to continue, and I love the heart and tenacity that the guys have always played with,” Reemtsma said. “Coach Martin always, always motivated the guys to give 100 percent and play with determination and skill, so I hope to carry that on.

St. Mark’s ESD

SPORT: Basketball

GAME: St. Mark’s vs. Tascosa - Amarillo

DATE: December 5

SCORE: Lions 59, Rebels 55

STATS: Laczkowski had 30 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in his game in the Jesuit Knight of Columbus tournament.

After college, Reemtsma engaged in a variety of coaching experiences, including for club teams and for his high school alma mater in Alaska.

“I like coaching at all levels because there are different challenges,” Reemtsma said. “Different challenges with boys, with girls, with little kids, with high schoolers, with college kids. So, I have kind of had the chance to coach across the full spectrum.”

After moving to Dallas, Reemtsma became connected with the school through various coaching connections, primarily Varsity Basketball Head Coach Greg Guiler. It was then that he met Martin, who now has full faith that the team is in great hands with Coach Reemtsma.

“I think he’s an excellent teacher… one of the first things I noticed about Coach Reemtsma was just what a good teacher he is,” Martin said. “He has always been critical in the development of the boys because I think he focuses on the right things.”

Reemtsma’s teaching abilities and development of young players convinced Martin to name him junior varsity head coach. Over the past decade, Reemtsma has grown to understand what the soccer program’s goals are for players.

Coach Martin is confident Reemstma will be able to do just this using his experience as the junior varsity coach.

“He’s very much a part of our culture,” Martin said. “He’s been here for years. He knows what the expectations are. Our JV team should be a developmental program to make sure that we can take those boys and bridge the middle school to their varsity experience, and I think he’s always been great about knowing what the right priorities of his job is, and I think he’ll bring that to the varsity.”

Although the soccer program has had dominant regular seasons over the past few years, the team has come up short in SPC playoffs each time, a trend that Reemtsma is trying to end.

“It’s important to peak at the right time, so we want to focus strategically on that tournament,” Reemtsma said.

Reemtsma also believes that how players develop into young men is just as important as how the team performs on the pitch.

“Off the pitch, I want our guys to develop more of the heart, character and integrity that we encourage all Marksmen to strive for,” Reemtsma said.

Even with the high expectations and pressure that come with a head coaching job, Reemtsma feels blessed to be given the opportunity.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to lead the varsity program here at St Mark’s and it’s been fun getting to be a part of it for the last decade or so,” Reemtsma said.

Photo by Bryan Li Head soccer coach Joel Reemtsma coaches the varsity soccer team in a game versus Parish Episcopal school.

Rowers shine through dedication

Although their sport is somewhat unorthodox and sometimes overlooked, these three juniors have seized each opportunity within it, working at all times to get better together.

BY MICHAEL JIMENEZ AND SAM MORSE

5:55 a.m. The alarm clock beeps and instantly jolts you from your sleep, the pulsating numbers on the clock making you question your commitment. The drive to St. Marks is quiet and dark, not a soul on the road at this time of day.

Most people prefer to sleep in.

6:30 a.m. During the peaceful morning, others begin to file in Spencer Gymnasium to begin one of the many off-season 90 minute steadies. All before school starts.

For the majority of students, a 5:55 wake up call is entirely out of the question, but for junior rowers Ian McGowan, Elijah Kraus and Hewes Lance, this everyday routine is merely a minimum requirement to the success they’ve seen throughout their respective careers. They set the standard.

While McGowan, Kraus and Lance differ in their background and introduction to the sport, they have a seamless collaboration between not only their personal goals but the goals for the entire crew team. Despite being juniors, they have already changed the culture of the school’s rowing team through their relentless work ethic and unique approach to competition, creating something that will outlast their Upper School rowing careers.

For McGowan, his path to success was paved well before he knew it. Coming from a household built on rowing, McGowan shares his passion with his brother, Evan McGowan ‘22, who he accredits his desire to be the best to.

“I started because of my brother,” McGowan said. “I saw him rowing during COVID a lot and erging, so I decided to try it out and got really interested.”

Similarly to McGowan, Kraus’ background in rowing stems from a familial tie to the sport. Ever since his father

was exposed to the sport during college, rowing has played a substantial role within their family.

“My dad lived with members of the men’s Olympic team in Princeton while they were training there,” Kraus said. “He rowed for a little bit in college, but one of his close friends was part of that boat, so when I was looking for a sport in seventh grade, he told me to try rowing.”

Beginning his career in crew unusually late compared to most rowers, Lance’s introduction required some friendly encouragement and a leap of faith. For Lance, a conversation with math instructor Corindo Martin is what ultimately kick started his career.

“I started spring of my freshman year just to sign up,” Lance said. “Mr. Martin told me I needed to do a sport when I met Ian (McGowan) and Eli (Kraus). I can’t really run fast or play lacrosse so I just decided to try crew.”

Because crew is one of the most team-oriented sports, the three juniors had to accumulate immense trust and chemistry to maximize the success of their boat. Through years of practice, the three have learned their roles to perfection and move as a unit.

“The middle of the boat is referred to as the engine room,” Kraus said. “So we’re solely dedicated to focusing on Ian, while Linyang is focused on making sure our boat doesn’t crash and steering it.”

Although the three have differing backgrounds, shared experiences are a common goal of building success around the program, ultimately leading to the team’s early morning practices. During his eighth grade year, McGowan tagged along with Brendan Kelly ‘24 to a morning workout and realized how effective it was to the team’s performance.

“We figured out that we need to continue this so we doubled down and instead of 45 minute steadies we made it 90,” McGowan said.

The following year, the juniors began to lead the attendance of the practices and set an example. After some time,

other rowers began to follow in their footsteps. Through the junior’s leadership, what once was a dying practice soon became a revived St. Mark’s rowing tradition.

“Eric Yi and Walker Stevens started showing up and once those guys started coming, it was kind of like a chain reaction where all of the guys that were really successful on our team were showing up to the morning workout,” McGowan said.

With desire for excellence and a collegiate future in the sport, the three decided they had to take their commitment to a further extent, uniting to compete together outside of school.

“Over the summer we all went to a camp with Dallas United and we practiced there for a month and then we raced at summer nationals.”

Perhaps their biggest race this year came when they traveled to Boston from Oct. 18-20 to race in the Head of the Charles Regatta. Although competing against some of the world’s strongest competition was a challenge, the team faced another problem.

“We went into the race racing in a boat we had never ridden in before and with a coxswain that we had never met before,” McGowan said. “We were also racing in a different kind of boat. We were racing in a cox quad when we train in a coxless quad, so it was heavier and rowed differently.”

Despite these hardships, the boat finished 15th out of 50 teams and top 10 in the nation. Although the three continue to earn top place finishes and record the fastest times during an erg session, they feel as though their ultimate goal for the team has been met.

“I’m really glad we were able to build that culture,” McGowan said. “I think it was everyone that showed up to the morning steadies that built that culture and it’s a really fun one to be around.

Student-athletes learn to balance school and sports

BY ARCHER WILBURN

For high school athletes, balancing academics and sports requires discipline, time management and sacrifice. Sometimes doing what you’re supposed to do is hard after a long day of practice or a tiring game.

At St. Mark’s, where academic rigor reaches its peak, students have to accept their challenges while also maintaining a healthy balance between sports and school work. The athletic program has always held student success as a top priority, encouraging athletes to excel not only in sports but also in their studies.

The school requires a delicate act of balance that many students navigate with the support of coaches, teachers

and their peers. Sophomore David Dickson has developed strong habits to straddle between both worlds.

“The best way to balance sports and get good grades is by using your time wisely; you have to know when you can chill and when you have to get to work,” Dickson said. “Having time to go to the trainers and get a lift in is an important part for me, so I try to plan out my schedule far in advance.”

As the starting running back for varsity football, starting striker for varsity soccer and defensive mid for lacrosse, Dickson values his free time and handles it with excellence.

Facing adversity is a reality for many student-athletes who balance intense schedules and high expectations.

Juggling academic deadlines with demanding sports commitments can lead to stress, fatigue and even burnout.

“A big challenge I face is overload,” Dickson said. “For instance I have P.E., which takes away one of your free periods and I won’t have enough time to do my homework.”

The academic rigor here requires careful planning and nothing comes easy.

“Depending on the day there might be an hour or so of homework, but besides that it’s a good 2-3 hours so being productive is a key part,” Dickson said.

Overcoming these obstacles can build resilience, teaching young athletes to manage setbacks and gain strength during the process.

Along with their teammate, Linyang Lee ’25, Kraus, Lance and McGowan make up one of the crew team’s most formidable quads.

Photo Courtesy Ian McGowan

Rivalry games encourage athletes to perform

In any given football season, an athlete would play about 10 games. However, among the entire season, the two games against long-time rivals are unforgettable.

BY NEIL YEPURI AND MICHAEL JIMENEZ

It’s the game on the schedule that stands out.

The one that fills the bleachers and the stands, no matter how good either team is that year. The one that brings alumni back, and the one that changes the school atmosphere days or even weeks before it.

The one the coaches, players and administrators won’t talk much about, but secretly hope to win.

A rivalry is the purest form of competition, driven by history and tradition. Early on, kids are hard-wired to cheer for one side — and against the other — in these games.

And, high school sports, arguably, present the most simple and pure rivalries. These matchups are where the players are mature enough to understand the pressure of a rivalry game, while also remaining mostly untainted by the monetary incentive and hype surrounding massive college and professional rivalries.

While these games might only affect the communities of two schools at a time, those communities can be fiercely involved. For a night, the monotony of a season schedule is broken and gives way to tension, excitement and frenzy during the game.

The buildup to that Friday night spotlight starts much earlier, days before the game is scheduled. As a player understands more about how much a rivalry game means, they experience more profound and pronounced effects during the week prior.

“There are quite a few differences (between a rivalry and a normal game),” sports psychologist Dr. Yolanda Brooks said. “Primarily from what I’ve read and what I’ve experienced, a rivalry is more sustaining than a simple game or competition where you play the game and then you’re done. A

rivalry is ongoing.”

A rivalry game can also have significant mental and physical effects on a player, with their knowledge of the raised stakes of the contest and the importance of their own strong performance.

“Even if it’s not something they’re consciously aware of, there might be more adrenaline flowing, more anxiety, or perhaps a lack of focus,” Brooks said. “Players can be really pumped up sometimes, but sometimes that anxiety can drain the energy and create more distractions. In summary, though, I think (the pressure) is heightened in many levels.

YOU DEFINITELY KNOW IT’S ESD WEEK OR GREENHILL WEEK BASED ON YOUR PREPARATION. YOU’RE A LOT MORE FOCUSED ON WHAT YOU’RE DOING, YOUR SCOUT IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, YOU’RE PREPARED FOR THEM.”

Andrew Laczkowski ’20

It’s something that’s palpable in the atmosphere, noisier, more energy.”

Another aspect of high school rivalry is the limited impact a player might have on the overall status of the rivalry. If two teams play once a season, that leaves as little as four opportunities (assuming varsity-level performance in all four years of high school) for a player to play in a rivalry game during their career.

“I think perennial rivalries are a lot more fun, but also more challenging,” Brooks said. “And I know as a spectator, I probably get a lot noisier and more energized in those types of rivalries. Sometimes we create a situation where there are unreasonable and unrealistic expectations, but the exciting part of rivalries comes from the idea that ‘You never know what’s going to happen’. The

team could have a losing season, but when it comes to this rivalry, they really step up, and a lot of times they end up winning. Maybe it’s an anomaly, but it’s one during a rivalry.”

One player who’s no stranger to rivalry matchups is Andrew Laczkowski ’20, who played for four years on the Lions varsity basketball team before playing basketball at the University of Pennsylvania. Laczkowski is one of a few St. Mark’s basketball players to have scored 2,000 points at the school, and was at the heart of many fierce rivalries on the hardwood.

“You definitely know it’s ESD week or Greenhill week based on your preparation,” Laczkowski said. “You’re a lot more focused on what you’re doing, your scout is a little bit different, you’re prepared for them.”

Rivalry games are often susceptible to other factors outside the skill or talent of a team. Some examples include the players’ belief in their own ability and the physical presence of a raucous crowd.

This season, anticipation has reached new heights thanks to the enthusiasm of the school’s SuperFanMen, a legendary squad known for their outrageous costumes and relentless dedication to rallying the community.

“With rivalries such as ESD and Greenhill, it is important to show the opponent our confidence and ability to build up a game,” senior SuperFanMan Mateu Parker said. “The great thing about a rivalry is it doesn’t matter which sport it is – football, basketball or volleyball. It’s really easy to ramp up people’s emotions and convince them to go to the game because there is so much history between the two schools. We really mention the history and try to boost our confidence.”

The buzz and excitement they generate have a tangible effect on the team, generating an overflowing will to win.

Sophomore Archer Wilburn jumping up for a catch in the last game of the season against ESD.

Photo by Winston Lin

More recently, the SuperFanMen’s efforts have been bolstered by social media and constant posts to get the word out.

“In terms of social media, creating a really intimidating Instagram post and other students reposting it really helps,” Parker said. “Even though we do this every week, rivalry week gets the most reposts and hype around it. It’s the best way to get students who don’t play a sport to come to a game.”

By leveraging platforms like Instagram, students can foster excitement and unity around important games, especially during rivalry week, ensuring that the energy extends beyond the players to the entire student body.

For a player who’s been battle-tested in these sorts of games, the buildup is just as important as the game itself.

“Basketball has always been strictly business, so I would wear a suit all day,” Laczkowski said. “It wasn’t the most comfortable, but it gets you in the mindset that this is a big day to prepare for and you have to mentally that game.”

Laczkowski, however, notes that sometimes, he could feel the pressure to perform placed on him by the fans and other players.

“In the game, everything feels more important,” Laczkowksi said. “Each rebound, each possession, each shot, there’s more weight to it.”

But, due to that heightened pressure, players may also experience some negative effects and stressors in the buildup to and also during a rivalry game.

“When the anxiety inserts itself, it can undermine focus, concentration and decision-making,” Brooks said. “The dots aren’t connecting in a productive way, so therefore performance is affected as well. It might take more energy to do simple things in the game, and you might feel more fatigue or dehydration. You might have a brain fog. That’s when you might see penalties or unforced errors. That can be a factor, because it’s a rivalry and the person might be a little more worked up.”

Despite that, Brooks finds that some simple fixes can be applied when a player faces this sort of stressful situation.

PAST AND UPCOMING ST. MARK’S

“What I recommend is to have a tool kit of things to do that can help you stay calm and focused,” Brooks said. “And I start with diaphragmatic breathing, which slows down the anxiety. The oxygenation of the bloodstream relieves the tension so you’re not all wound up tight. The next thing is visualization, where you shut down everything surrounding you that can be distracting or reinforcing the anxiety and walk through every step, all the way up to playing time.”

And, above all, Brooks highlights that any rivalry game, however historic and heated, is still just a game. While winning might feel great, one must also consider the effects of a loss, and try to empathize with the unfortunate team.

“If you do well, you might enjoy the victory,” Brooks said. “But again, if it’s a rivalry, and you know some people on the other side personally, or maybe it’s the last game for this person, there may be mixed feelings. There’s a sadness. These games are more sustaining in terms of the emotional connection.”

COMMENTARY

A fitting end: Defeating our biggest rival

To a neutral observer, they’re just another team.

They’ve had good years, bad years, and everything in between, but one thing’s been constant over the last decade - they could always count on beating St. Mark’s.

It’s happened in many ways: double-overtime heartbreak, stunning blowouts, offensive fireworks, defensive stands. But at the end of every football season for the past 10 years, the Lions suffer a rivalry loss, hug their brothers, look out over the field, and hang up the pads.

Practices intensified before this game like every other year of my high school football career. After a humiliating road loss against EHS, we knew we couldn’t focus on the numbers, especially ESD’s deceiving record of 2-7.

We encountered a few hiccups in the days leading up to the game - illnesses, injuries and our game signals being compromised.

Everyone stayed locked in on our goal, not worrying about what they would do.

During warm-ups, I saw both familiar faces and strangers across the 50-yard line. The players might have changed, but the cheers and taunts always remained the same. The line between excitement and nervousness blurred as kickoff approached.

The ball was kicked, and the game began. The first quarter started like the last three years: the offense struggled to get going, and a surprisingly strong rushing attack led ESD through our defense for touchdowns. With three minutes left in the first half, we were down 21-0, and a familiar silence settled over the sidelines and the crowd.

Then, something clicked. The team collectively decided, “not this year.” With our backs against the wall, we pulled out our own version of the “Philly Special,” and the touchdown toss from receiver Mateu Parker to quarterback Lawrence Gardner got us on the board, down 21-7.

While the scoreboard still looked bleak, the energy had totally shifted. In the locker room, a strange air of confidence lifted our spirits.

After halftime, a lightning-fast touchdown drive brought us within one score.

We entered the fourth quarter tied. After some of the most exciting back and forth football we’ve played, it came down to a 2-point conversion attempt. We stopped them.

I’ve never heard Hunt Stadium so loud. Everyone from the defensive players who made the stop to the parents in the back row of the bleachers was ecstatic. We recovered the onside kick attempt, and the game was over. St. Mark’s 28, ESD 27. We had defeated our rival.

We celebrated as a team and with the fans, of course, and the seniors posed for pictures in front of the scoreboard, but the true meaning of this victory didn’t really hit me until I checked the Superfanmen Instagram page that night. When I saw alums who graduated a decade ago celebrating the victory, it dawned on me just how tight-knit our community is. All the congratulatory messages I got from former teammates now in college showed me that this win was for all 10 of the teams who lost before us, many of which I’d been a part of.

While I’m sad my football career is over, I couldn’t have scripted a better way to go out. No matter what happens going forward, we put on a hell of a show on Nov. 1, 2024.

Clockwise from top left; Senior Owen Ackerman slams the ball down. Senior Luke Laczkowski going for a tip off. Sophomore Dylan Bosita celebrates a point with his teamates. The football team and fans in front of the scoreboard following the ESD game.

Photos by Bryan Li (Top Right and Left, Bottom Right), Photo Courtesy SuperFanMen (Bottom Left)

MANICKAM

Local gym aids student athletics

BY ARMAAN NEWASKAR

The OAKFIT Sports Performance and Fitness Training Gym is an elite facility designed to bring out the best in any athlete. With a vibrant culture and detailed, individualized coaching, OAKFIT has been consistent in fulfilling this mission time and time again. Within its community are many Marksmen athletes, who have grown exponentially through OAKFIT’s guidance.

Junior Rocco Renda has been an OAKFIT athlete since eighth grade. After suffering a bone bruise in his right knee, his pediatrician gave him a list of places to help him recover and he put his trust in OAKFIT.

“What makes (OAKFIT) stand out is how much they really care about you. It’s not just a regular gym where they just throw a program at you and you just do it,” Renda said. “They really want you to get stronger, they want you to get faster and they really care about each and every individual athlete.”

Renda believes that the urgency for improvement that OAKFIT instills is essential to becoming a collegiate or professional athlete, and he credits a lot of his current skill in lacrosse to the gym.

“I’ve improved drastically speed-wise, I think weight gain was a huge piece cause it was one of my goals and OAKFIT gave me stuff to gain weight,” Renda said. “The biggest thing is definitely strength and training on a regimen that’s tailored to me helped me a ton.”

According to coach Rob Merckling, speed and strength have been a source of pride for the gym.

In Merckling’s eyes, the delicate balance between the two is indispensable to an athlete’s performance.

“We have implemented new and improved evaluation and training techniques along with innovative technology to help all of our athletes become both fast and strong,” Merckling said. “Improving both of these qualities will provide the means to stay healthy and succeed at all levels.”

Despite the excellence of OAKFIT, what holds it together is the commitment of the community.

The coaches are trained to elevate clients of all body types, but what matters most is within.

“An ideal athlete is someone who works hard, stays committed, and is always open to learning and improving,” coach Caleb Jonas said. “At OAKFIT, we help develop these qualities by creating personalized training programs that build both physical strength and mental toughness. Through a mix of hard work, teamwork and a supportive environment, we guide people to grow into confident and skilled athletes.”

It’s not like OAKFIT’s influence is limited purely to sports. Renda compares OAKFIT to a brotherhood centered around the ideal of cultivation. Everyone who comes into contact with the gym is cared for, and the connections between coaches and athletes run deeper than most.

“As a coach at OAKFIT, my favorite part is building strong relationships with the athletes and their families,” coach Lindsay Dobson said. “Maintaining these connections and supporting their growth both in the gym and during games is incredibly rewarding.”

OAKFIT is a place whose importance transcends its size. It has reshaped the path of St. Mark’s athletics through its impact on many of its best performers. The most exciting thing is that the depths of that impact have not been fully realized yet. As the gym and its clients continue to grow, the standards for athletes will reach unprecedented levels.

Reclassing alters college athletic process

Eighth grader Michael Sorrell is one of many kids across the country who has reclassed; however, many others use this as a means to game the system of college athletics to secure a higher ranking spot in a younger class.

BY ROHAN KAKKAR AND RONIT KONGARA

A 7-foot 13-year-old, throwing down tomahawk dunks.

A 9-year-old kid hitting 350 feet home runs.

A 12-year-old wide receiver with a full beard running a 4.6 second 40 yard dash.

While genetically gifted athletes certainly exist for every age range, the overwhelming amount of insane athletic feats pulled off at younger and younger age ranges is increasing rapidly. Every day it feels as if there is another five star recruit or number one player in the class pulling off improbable feats at very young ages.

A large cause of this new phenomenon is reclassing, where kids decide to change their grade in order to stay with a grade level that better suits their athletic or academic abilities.

While many times reclassing is a positive action, some athletes may try to game the system in order to become a higher prospect in a younger class, in turn hurting all the prospects who are true members of that class.

In the 2026 mens fencing class, the top 12 fencers are listed in the under 19 list, while typical junior fencers are in the under 17 list, indicating that many of the top fencers reclassed. While this is just one example, almost every youth sport is facing similar issues to this right now, creating tough decisions for athletes as to whether or not they should reclass.

Eighth grader Michael Sorrell recently reclassed from the class of 2028 to the class of 2029 for a variety of reasons.

“The main reason that I (reclassed) was to give my body and mind an extra year to develop, and for skill develop -

ment, but I believe that it will also help with college recruitment and maybe also professional opportunities,” Sorrell said. “Another reason was because I was honestly supposed to be in the grade that I am in now all along. When I got into St. Mark’s in 2nd grade, we had the choice to put me in 1st grade or 2nd grade, and at that time we were just thinking about what was best for me.”

Reclassing proved to be the right decision for Sorrell, helping him achieve good academic skills and develop physically for his upcoming high school season.

THE MAIN REASON THAT I (RECLASSED) WAS TO GIVE MY BODY AND MIND AN EXTRA YEAR TO DEVELOP, AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT, BUT I ALSO BELIEVE THAT IT WILL HELP ME WITH COLLEGE RECRUITMENT.”

Sorrell is a standout basketball player for his class and hopes to continue his high performance at the school.

“While I was homeschooled, I led my homeschool basketball team to a winning record while leading them in points and assists, and I believe that I made a huge improvement during my homeschool year as it allowed me more time to work on certain areas of my game, like my IQ and my skill development also took a big leap,” Sorrell said. “Outside of sports, I achieved a 3.89 GPA, which was my biggest goal to achieve. Also, I was able to play for my homeschool teams freshman and JV team as an 8th grader, and I was also able to

meet the Howard University’s Men’s Head Coach.”

Sorrell developed significantly as a player during his time while being homeschooled, due to the school not allowing students to reclass, and honed vital skills that will help him throughout the rest of his career. While Sorrell could have stayed at the school, he is grateful for the opportunities that homeschooling provided him and its preparation for high school.

“I believe that I would not be as prepared to play winning high school basketball,” Sorrell said. “I would also not have had to be able to get ahead on the rigorous St. Mark’s high school workload, so I think that both my academic and athletic career would have unfolded differently. I wouldn’t say it gave me an advantage, but I would say that it helped me improve in the areas that I needed to, and I am grateful for that.”

Deciding to reclass can be an extremely difficult decision, but Sorrell had the support of his family and friends the whole time, helping to ease the process. Additionally, reclassing also creates unforeseen issues that Sorrell had to solve, but in the end, he felt like he made the right choice.

“My dad was actually the person who first thought of the decision, so my family thought it was a great idea,” Sorrell said. “My teammates and coaches thought it was a good decision and said that it was smart to have an extra year to improve. (The hardest part) was probably socially, because when I reclassed I went to homeschool for a year, and I was missing all of my old friends, but I was able to make new friends at my homeschool basketball team.”

Michael Sorrell, eighth grader

Eigth grader

Michael Sorrell returned to campus this year and is happy to be back in the Lions’ Den.

Photo by Bryan Li

Volleyball team rallies behind seniors to win SPC

Led by six passionate seniors and motivated by a sense of togetherness, the Lions volleyball team conquered the SPC, bringing home first place.

BY WESTON CHANCE AND WYATT AUER

For some, it was their last game ever.

For others, their biggest game yet.

For all members of the Lions volleyball team, the objective was clear: win. And, after five tightly contested sets, the team did just that, defeating Episcopal High school (EHS) and rendering themselves SPC champions.

The team battled through a great deal of adversity in order to collect their hardware, with all three rounds of the postseason going the full five sets against strong teams.

“My favorite thing about this year is that there were no easy matches,” head volleyball coach Darren Teicher said. “Fort Worth Country Day was a very good team. Greenhill was a very good team. Trinity Valley was a very good team. There was nobody in our league that couldn’t beat us and for us to win this championship, we had to be perfect, and we were. So, I’m very proud of the guys for that.”

we really focused on off the court energy and team chemistry as well,” senior Charlie Gordy said. “The seniors specifically knew it was our last chance to leave a mark on the program, so we all agreed to band together and win.”

The leadership of these seniors was integral to the success of the team.

“My senior captains were outstanding this year,” Teicher said. “You know, between William, Owen and John they just did such a great job of being the leaders that they are.”

For senior captain William Morrow, this season gave him a voice to encouragesupport and improve the team.

“This year’s team means more to me, specifically for several reasons,” Morrow said. “First, I’m a senior, and it’s my last chance to leave an impact on the program. It means a lot to me that all the younger guys were willing to listen to us seniors and buy into a cause we’ve worked hard for.”

This cause permeated the team, concentrating its focus on a singular goal.

“Something that made this team special was how much we all wanted to win,” senior captain Owen Ackerman said. “There was no selfishness and regardless of whether somebody was on the bench or on the court.”

Part of what made the team so successful was the different leadership styles displayed among the seniors. For example, senior captain John Householder brings a quieter demeanor to the table.

“And now, he has committed to going to Stevens Institute of Technology where he will study biomedical engineering and play volleyball.”

Building on this foundation of growth, Lobdell has adopted a philosophy focused on continuous self-improvement in his son’s development.

“I believe everyone should endeavor to grow and improve themselves physically, mentally, academically and spiritually,” Lobdell said. “Having healthy play and competition through sports during middle school, in my opinion, is vitally important.”

SET SCORES

In their final match of the SPC tournament, the Lion’s volleyball team faced Episcopal High School, a team that bested the Lions in the 2023 championship. This year, the Lions prevailed.

FALL SPORT FINISHES

FOOTBALL

The varsity football team finished the season with a 6-4 record, capping off the year with a 28-27 Senior Night win against ESD. The Lions overcame a 21-0 deficit at the half and acheived their first victory against their rivals in more than a decade.

WATER POLO

The water polo team continued their years of dominance, showing remarkable prowess throughought their campaign and ending up easily taking home the TISCA State Championship by a lopsided 26-1 score.

CROSS COUNTRY

The cross country team ran strong throughout the season, ultimately coming in fifth place in the SPC championship at Norbuck Park. With a ninth-place finish in the final race, sophomore Jackson Bailey earned All-SPC honors.

FENCING

Darren Teicher, Head Coach

To conquer this tough gauntlet, Teicher worked hard to promote togetherness throughout the season and especially going into the tournament.

“The biggest thing that I try to express to the guys is it’s a team game,” Teicher said. “When we lose, we lose together. When we win, we win together. And that includes me.”

The Lions’ impressive efforts this season were spearheaded by a dedicated class of 6 seniors who have developed spectacular chemistry over the last several years: Jacob Lobdell, Maddox Canham, John Householder, William Morrow, Owen Ackerman and Charlie Gordy.

“Going into the season, we all knew we had the talent to win the championship, so

“John’s been a court captain the last for years and everyone’s just really thankful for him,” Ackerman said. “Our coaches really trust him and his opinions, and he has an incredible understanding for the game.”

This season, senior Maddox Canham also moved into a leadership position, transitioning from a defensive specialist to an outside hitter and serving an instrumental role on the team.

“Maddox Canham was probably our most consistent player this year… he brings so much to the team,” Teicher said.

For senior Jacob Lobdell, volleyball has served a critical role in his life and will continue to do so during his collegiate career.

“(Volleyball) was instrumental in building self esteem and confidence at such an important time in his growth and development,” Lobdell’s father, Bruce, said.

The fencing team, though not following the traditional schedule of most fall sports, sparred hard through their season. Two notable fencers, Carson Bosita and Christopher Guffey, achieved national honors earlier in the year for their fencing prowess.

Members of the volleyball team lock arms, celebrating and singing the Alma Mater while waving back and forth after defeating Episcopal High School for the SPC title.

Photo by Bryan Li

Photo by Winston Lin

Photo by Winston Lin

Photo Courtesy Alex Marczewski

Photo Courtesty Development Office

Special guests visit campus before break

On the Friday before Thanksgiving break, students brought grandparents to campus to celebrate Grandparents Day. The day consisted of a modified schedule with shortened classes so students could show their guests an abridged version of their day.

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Photos courtesy Dave Carden