The ReMarker | April 2019 by St. Mark's School of Texas

the ST. MARK’S SCHOOL OF TEXAS DALLAS, TEXAS

remarker

VOLUME 65, NUMBER 6 APRIL 12, 2019

STIMULANT ABUSE

Head of Middle School Warren Foxworth ’66 stands at the front of Decherd Auditorium, directing yet another Middle School assembly. Just a few rows away, Steven* sits in the eighth grade section. He can’t think straight. He’s short of breath, but he can’t convince himself to breathe. That morning, he had taken his first Vyvanse — one of his sister’s. Just so his doctor could guide him toward the right dose. He stands up and walks out. The medicine that was supposed to help him focus only made things worse. Three years later, he became the dealer.

focus COMING INTO

STORY CONTINUED PAGE 5 Editor’s note: Steven is a pseudonym used to protect the identity of the student interviewed. STORY Kamal Mamdani, Sahit Dendekuri, Parker Davis, Lyle Ochs PHOTO Kyle Smith

As final exams loom on the horizon for Marksmen in eighth to 12th grades, the question of how to best prepare is on every student’s mind. But when faced with that challenge, some may be tempted to cut corners.

Undersea explorer, investor Victor Vescovo ’84 named as Commencement speaker by Sid Vattamreddy eadmaster David Dini announced to the Senior Class March 26 that Victor Vescovo ’84 will speak at this year’s Commencement. Vescovo, who is a retired naval officer, a noted undersea explorer and a private equity investor, will return to campus May 24 to deliver the Commencement Address. Dini consulted with representatives from the Senior Class, including class president Joshua Kang, before Dini officially selected Vescovo as the speaker. “We started off with a list of notable alumni and people associated with St. Mark’s and whittled it down from there,” Kang said. “Vescovo came up when one of the class officers mentioned him, and he ended up becoming our choice.” According to Kang, Vescovo’s unconventional career

path was one of the main reasons he stood out as a candidate. “The eccentric nature of the projects he has done, including the Five Deeps and Seven Summits expeditions, was what drew us toward him,” Kang said. “He didn’t follow the traditional ‘go to a good college and make money’ career path, which made him a perfect alum in our minds.” For Vescovo, the occasion represents a chance to impart valuable wisdom to the seniors as they graduate. “It really isn’t about me,” Vescovo said. “It’s more about what message can I try to transmit to the students that are making a huge transition as they are entering the next phase of their life.” One of the key points Vescovo hopes to emphasize in his speech is the importance of going out of the comfort zone.

“We should have something in our life that stretches us beyond what we think we can do,” Vescovo said. “We are capable of achieving so much more than we ever imagine as people.” Similarly, Kang sees Vescovo’s life as something to learn from as the Senior Class leaves the school. “[Vescovo] has such a unique and different story he can tell,” Kang said. “There’s something we can all learn from his nonconformity.” Ultimately, Vescovo believes the opportunity represents him closing the circle as he returns to Commencement 35 years later. “I sat in those seats ages ago, and I’m right back in that same place but on the other side now,” Vescovo said. “As someone who’s been out in the world for 35 years, I hope to pass on something of value.”

agenda

THE REMARKER • APRIL 12, 2019

Inside 3 Issues

Coping with academic and athletic failure, 3

Psychostimulant medications and their abuse, 5 ERBs, standardized testing and their relevance, 6 Foreign language and computer code: interchangeable? 7 The value of study abroad programs, 8

Discoveries

The ethics of genetic engineering, 9 A preview of the new greenhouse, 10 Light pollution and how we can stop it, 11

INDUCTED Foreign Language Department Chair Zach Erwin ‘96 (center) and junior Tony D’Apice (left) shake hands with Chinese instructor Janet Lin (right) looking on before officially inducting D’Apice as a member of the Chinese Honor Society April 3. Seniors Mujin Kwun and Harrison Lee as well as juniors Benjamin Hao, Tianming Xie, Austin Zang, Sam Ahmed, Eric Lai and Sahitya Senapathy were also among the society’s first ever inductees.

Collin Katz photo

Climate change walkouts: what can we do? 4

‘

12 10600

Mark Sullivan taking on new role on campus, 12 Freshman Sam Reitich’s gaming community of thousands, 13 Sophomore’s initiative to educate the elderly, 14 Photostory: community service, 15

In brief

Helicopter parenting and its evolution into a nationwide scandal, 16-17 Director of Security Dale Hackbarth’s journey in law enforcement, 18

Diversions

19 20

Spring entertainment you can’t miss, 19

Culture

Celebrity influence on society: Is it right? 20 Sitting down with Stephen Arnold ’71, melody creator, 21 A look ahead to ISAS at St. Stephen’s in Austin, 22

Opinions

Buzz: the perfect spring basket, 23 Editorial: college admissions, 24 A letter to the editor, 25 Dendekuri: So, thank you, 26

Sports

Sam Acho’s philanthropic life off the field, 27 Behind the scenes of a water polo dynasty, 28 Faculty competing in recreational leagues, 29 Spring sports updates, 30-31

Back page

Senior college destinations for the next school year, 32

Energy is not free. Every day we should do our best not to have more light than is necessary because it’s costly. Even if you don’t look at how light pollution affects nature, it still has an economic cost too.

Spring Play The Fine Arts Department will put on its interpretation of William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing May 2-5. The Thursday and Sunday productions, at 4:30 p.m. and 2 p.m., respectively, will take place in the Dallas Gordon Rupe Amphitheather, while the Friday and Saturday productions, both at 7 p.m., will be held in the Eamonn Lacey Black Box Theater. Tickets will be $5 at the door.

—DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES DAN NORTHCUT ‘81 ON LIGHT POLLUTION STORY ON PAGE 11

ARTS NEWS > FOURTH GRADE WINS NATIONAL COMPETITION The fourth graders are in first place nationally in the WordMasters Challenge after winning the first two challenges in November and February. The students are preparing for the third and final challenge April 26. In 2003, the Lower School began participating in the WordMasters Challenge, a competition of three different multiple choice tests that require the students to learn 25 vocabulary words for each challenge and use critical thinking skills to answer 20 analogies. WordMasters will use the students’ cumulative scores from the three challenges to determine which school is the overall winner at the end of the school year. > SECOND GRADE TO HOST FINE ARTS NIGHT The Lower School will host the Second Grade Fine Arts Evening in the Dallas Gordon Rupe Amphitheater April 19 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Family and friends of the Lower School are encouraged to view artwork prepared by students, and the school will continue showcasing this work in the Lower School halls until the end of the school year. > CHOIR HOSTS MIDDLE SCHOOL ONLY EVENSONG The Middle School choir, led by choirmaster Tinsley Silcox, performed a Choral Evensong March 24. The event, traditionally held on Sundays, was accompanied by an organ recital by organist Glenn Stroh. While both the Upper and Middle School choirs are usually present at Evensongs, only the Middle Schoolers sang at the performance. It was the choir’s fourth Evensong of the school year and last performance before their Spring Concert April 9. > ALUMNI FILM FEATURING AT FILM FESTIVAL The film “White Feather,” produced by Matthew Theilmann ’18 and Sammy

Sanchez ‘18, will be featured in the CineArts festival in San Antonio tonight. The movie will be presented along with 10 other films produced by San Antonio area high school students. > BLUES CLUB WELCOMES NEW MEMBER The Blues Club has been hard at work practicing for their upcoming performances. They performed on April 11 at Austin Street Shelter, and have recently played at events like the Habitat for Humanity build. New Blues Club drummer freshman Zach Stone has recently joined the club, and will likely perform at upcoming events. Their current plan is to perfect the songs that they already know, but they might learn new ones in the future. They practice weekly in the band room. GENERAL NEWS > THIRD GRADE TRAVELS TO LAKE TEXOMA Third graders traveled to Camp Jolt near Lake Texoma April 5 with Lower School instructors Catherine Wetzel and Frank Jordan. The excursion respresents the first class trip outside of the Metroplex for the Class of 2028. At the site, students engaged in a variety of outdoor activities related to natural science to supplement what they have learned in the classroom. > ALUMNI OFFICE HOLDS SEMINAR On March 28, 2019 the Student Alumni Association and the Alumni Office hosted three alumni in Nearburg’s room N114 to share their tips and tricks on interview skills and resumé building. The three alumni were Seth Collins ’02, associate vice president of corporate development at Vrio Corp., B.A. Cullum ’99, vice president of Aspect Investors, and Jake Wagner ’00, co-CEO of Republic Property Group. The meeting was open to the entire Upper School student body.

At a glance: Spring SPC championships What

The track and field, baseball, tennis, lacrosse and golf teams will compete for the league championships.

When

May 2-4

Where

Episcopal High School, 4650 Bissonnet Street, Bellaire, Texas

The alumni spoke about interview tactics and the importance of research before interviews. The alumni also looked through personal resumés that students gave them and provided insight on how to improve them. > CHAPEL COUNCIL CHAIRS NAMED Juniors Kathan Ramnath and Christian Duessel were named co-chairs of the Upper School chapel council April 2, 2019. The two will take over next school year, assuming the positions currently held by departing seniors Will Hunt and Mujin Kwun. As members of the council, Ramnath and Duessel will facilitate student involvement within the chapel program. > ALUMNI OFFICE TO HOST ANNUAL BREAKFAST The Office of Development and Alumni Relations will host an alumni breakfast in Chicago on April 17. The morning event is part of an annual initiative by the Alumni Office to stay in contact with alums around the country. It will take place from 7:30-9 a.m., and Head of Middle School Dean Clayman will be in attendance as the special faculty guest. > COMMUNITY SERVICE DRIVE ITEMS DUE Middle School and Upper School students must have their items for the annual Spring Drive by April 15. The items are: small toys, travel-size hand wipes, toothpaste, toothbrushes, travel-size lotion, chocolate bunnies, stuffed animals, plastic eggs, coloring books, crayons, and spring grass or tissue paper. > ADVENTURE DAY TAKES PLACE ON CAMPUS Fourth graders participated in Adventure Day with the Hockaday fourth graders April 5. Hockaday and St. Mark’s take turns hosting the annual tradition, and this year coaches Bart Epperson and Greg Guiler organized games like kickball and relay races in teams of eight.

SPORTS NEWS > CREW COMPETES IN AUSTIN REGATTA The crew team competed in the Heart of Texas Regatta March 2-3. The regatta, a two day event, was located on Lady Bird Lake in Austin. Though the Lions didn’t feature any top racers, there were two duos which were able to capture second place finishes. Juniors Billy Lockhart and Christian Duessel finished second in the men’s junior varsity 2x heat 1, which advanced them to the men’s junior varsity 2x final, where they finished second yet again. The next day, sophomores Will Chance and Blake Hudspeth competed in the men’s junior lightweight 2x and finished second in the first heat, which led them to the final. In the men’s junior lightweight 2x final, they finished second. > JV SPRING SPORTS TEE OFF NEW SEASON The JV baseball team is the only strictly JV team this spring. Usually lacrosse fills a JV team, but with the lack of players, coach Hayward Lee pulled everyone up for varsity. Coached by John Hunter, the JV baseball squad is 2-1-2 and undefeated in counter play (2-0). On April 15, the Lions will host Cistercian at the Arthur P. Ruff Field at 4:30 pm. > MIDDLE SCHOOL SPRING SPORTS ROUND INTO FORM Middle School sports teams are off to a strong start to the spring season. The eighth grade baseball team is currently 3-2 and will play Good Shepherd April 15. The Middle School lacrosse gold team in 2-3 and will play Frisco Middle School Lacrosse today. The Middle School tennis team won its first match against Greenhill 5-1. They play Parish Episcopal next April 15. The Middle School track team’s next meet is April 16, in the Metroplex Championships. The Middle School water polo team’s next tournament is the North Texas Spring League Championships April 28.

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THE REMARKER • APRIL 12, 2019

DEALING WITH DISAPPOINTMENT

Game over

At a prestigious school with students focused on success, what happens when they’re not prepared for failure?

he senior looked around the small bus. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He watched as the gravity of the team’s loss hit each of the swimmers. First, it was the captains; the guys who had made four years of sacrifices. Then, it was the underclassmen, some at only their first SPC championship meet. Heads were down. Tears were flowing. Calls were being made to former swimmers. Then it hit him too. On the brink of their tenth straight swimming SPC championship, he and the other captains had let everyone down. Within those two fateful days in Conroe, he watched as a dynasty toppled. For the first time in his swimming career, Niteesh Vemuri ’18 felt like a failure. ••• That very feeling of failure is something students in a highly competitive environment tend to avoid, but Director of Counseling Barbara Van Drie sees falling short as an experience to learn from. “If you haven’t had a failure experience at St. Mark’s, that means you have taken no risks,” Van Drie said. “You’ve only done safe things.” Based on her experiences and what she’s witnessed here, Van Drie sees failure as not just something students need to be preNiteesh Vemuri ’18 pared for — it’s Former something every swimmer student must go through. “Failure experiences are as important to the journey as successful ones are,” Van Drie said. “Everyone goes into something hoping to be successful, but failure — or the unknown — should be part of it as well. Otherwise, you’d never develop those skills.” Last year, Vemuri was one of six captains of the swim team. After putting his best foot forward, the team was confident they’d put “2018” on the SPC banner hanging in the Ralph B. Rogers Natatorium. “All I ever knew was winning, all the seniors ever knew was winning and all the seniors before us ever knew was winning,” Vemuri said. “I mean, I had never heard the word ‘loss’ associated with the swim program.” Ever since his freshman year, Vemuri had witnessed the winning culture on the team, the high expectations and the win streak since 2009. And when they lost – by just four points to St. John’s Episcopal School — it was a reality check for everyone on the team.

“

Every hour of practice was leading up to this moment. A senior is supposed to win SPC. But that bus ride back was one of the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. Ever.” — Former swimmer Niteesh Vemuri ’18

“I’ll never forget that feeling,” Vemuri said. “We had let every expectation down. [The coaches] were grooming us to win SPC. Every hour of practice and all the hard work we put in, it was leading up to

this moment. As a senior, you’re supposed to win SPC.” But they didn’t. And on that bus ride back, Vemuri looked around and saw the true colors of his teammates. “I’m honestly glad it happened to us because it helped us learn what failing was,” Vemuri said. “It gave us a better perspective on what that could look like and how you deal with it. Are you going to be a guy that steps up or are you going to be a guy that takes the easy way out?” For Vemuri, that one swim meet was the end of his high school career. But failure isn’t always on the playing field, and it isn’t always make or break. At the end of his freshman year, Carson Crocker ’18 looked at his transcript: one A, the rest B’s. 3.17 GPA. “That wasn’t bad, but I just didn’t apply myself as much as I should’ve,” Crocker said. “I wasn’t really involved in any activities at school. I didn’t really put in that much effort, and I wasn’t in any clubs. At best, I was an average student.” After seeing his grades and having a talk with his parents, Crocker understood he may not be the smartest student, but he wanted to be the most hard-working. “I finished sophomore year with a 4.0,” Crocker said. “That was the first time I had ever gotten more than one A. I made a commitment to myself and my parents that I was going to excel no matter what it took.” And he did. For the rest of his high school career, Crocker only got one B, and the rest of his grades were As. “My failure changed my perspective,” Crocker said. “If I studied really hard for a test but ended up doing poorly, I could look at it and say I put forth my best effort. I did what I thought I could do.” The ability to confront failures and use them to better yourself is what Van Drie describes as resilience. According to her, you can only build up that Carson Crocker ’18 resilience if the 3.17 GPA his freshman year people around you are allowing you to fail. “How do you bounce back?” Van Drie said. “That’s about having perspective, which can sometimes be hard to develop when people are not allowing you to fall down.” But, according to Van Drie, a student can’t just act resilient, expecting he’ll get the end result he wants anyways. He has to accept that you can’t always get what you want. In the beginning of the school year, senior Roshan Vemu applied early to Emory University. Not only was it his first choice, but he truly believed it was the perfect fit. So when he got rejected after a two-hour swimming practice in December, Vemu told his parents, his brother and then swimming coach Mihai Oprea. “He told me, ‘It’s a blessing in disguise,’” Vemu said. “‘This was not meant for you. Maybe you could meet your wife at a different university. This is just not what was meant for you.’” Vemu took those words to heart. He took another look at Emory, its culture and the pre-med path, and he realized it wasn’t for him. Vemu was disappointed finishing the first wave of college admissions with zero acceptances, but after doing more research, he found a different path he fell in love with.

STORY Ishan Gupta, Sid Vattamreddy ARTWORK Matthew Coleman

BOUNCING BACK Students that face disappointments — athletic or academic — are forced to find a way to up their game and turn their loss into a learning experience.

Two months later, Vemu was back in the swimming locker room. He was deep in conversation with his teammate when he saw the “NYU Business and Technology Management” notification in his email. He unlocked his phone, opened the email and found out he’d been accepted. “That was amazing,” Vemu said. “Oh my god, I felt so good. I read it, and it said ‘Congratulations,’ and I just started screaming and running around Spencer Gym. I told coach, I called my parents, I FaceTimed my brother.” Vemu didn’t end up with the result he was expecting, but his resilience helped him deal with his failure. Van Drie believes only experience can make students ready for the inevitable Roshan failures they will Vemu Senior face, but she still maintains they should stay focused on success. “I don’t think you can prepare

for failure,” Van Drie said. “I think you prepare your mind to win and go into it wanting to win. And if you get bested, you lose gracefully.” Professional athletes lose games. Entrepreneurs go bankrupt. Students fail tests. At the end of the day, failure is about more than just getting the grade you want. “Success isn’t what your GPA was or what your college admission was,” Van Drie said. “It’s, how did others view you in terms of reputation? How did you view yourself? Were you thriving? That’s a good criteria for success.“ Failure wasn’t easy for Vemu. It wasn’t easy for Crocker. It wasn’t easy for Vemuri. But despite the struggles he’s faced, Vemu still believes that failure is as essential to a student as success. “If you haven’t gone through St. Mark’s and failed a test or a quiz, there’s something wrong with you,” Vemu said. “That’s my opinion. I think you need failure, especially at St. Mark’s. That way, you’re going to be prepared for the future.”

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THE REMARKER • APRIL 12, 2019

CLIMATE CHANGE

Reversing the irreversible

After the student-led climate change walkouts around the nation March 15, environmental science instructor Dan Northcut ’81 and senior Chad Kim discuss how students can get involved in the movement.

TAKING A STAND As the climate change issue moved into the spotlight over the past decade, student-led protests have also become increasingly prevalent.

rom tests to projects to homework to other time-consuming assessments, most students wouldn’t think twice about skipping school. So why did teenagers from 153 countries all around the world decide to skip school on the same day? Climate change. After multiple failed attempts and impasses by world leaders to stop pollution and end globe warming, students are trying to take matters into their own hands. ••• Pulitzer Prize nominee and 16-year old activist Greta Thunberg pioneered the movement in her native country of Sweden by starting the first school strike over climate change last Aug. Just last month, on March 15, students across the globe organized regional school walkouts to spread greater awareness on the growing issue that is climate change — during that time, most Marksmen were out enjoying their spring break. Environmental science instructor Dan Northcut ‘81 has noticed the recent walkouts and thinks they can be a source for positive change. “I’ve been watching that progress,” Northcut said, “and it’s taking root in other places around the world like here and it’s interesting. I think it’s nice that the young-

er generation is trying to do something to get the older generation’s attention — to an important issue. It’s good that they’re getting involved.” Northcut thinks that making an event at school could be beneficial to raising awareness as long as it doesn’t interfere with actual academics. “I think that if we did it in the right way,” Northcut said, “it could be something that would be a unifying practice for the student body as well as the school in general. Protesting like that — it’s walking a fine line that can easily turn into a non-constructive type of event. But if we did it, I would want it to be something that would be able to drum up conversation and interest and more activity in the future.” Northcut notes, however, the school is already taking steps to combat the climate change issue. “The fact that we can get a third of our electricity from non-coal or non-fossil fuel or renewable energies is a good thing,” Northcut said. “It’s a little more expensive, but it’s getting less expensive as the years go by. That’s a plus because one of the biggest ways that greenhouse gases are produced is coal burning for electricity.” Nevertheless, there is always room for

improvement, as Northcut believes that we can still cut back on our energy use. “As a school we should always try and use as little energy as we possibly can while still getting the job done,” Northcut said. “Part of the thing we can do on our part is always remembering to turn the lights off when you leave a classroom. We should always remember that if energy is being used, then that means a portion of that energy is being made from burning fossil fuels, which adds to climate change.” Within the student body, clubs and organizations such as the Green Club, led by senior Chad “If we did an event on Kim, are pavclimate change in the ing their own right way, it could be a path to benefit unifying event for the student body as well as the cause each the school in general.” in their own — science instructor respective DAN NORTHCUT ’81 ways. “Earlier this year, we had an assembly, where we basically a true or false activity to build recognition and awareness of some issues, including climate change,” Kim said.” The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change forecasts a temperature rise of up to ten degrees over the next century, an increase that Kim believes warrants serious consider-

ation and action. “Climate change is a pretty pressing issue because in the next 50 years it could have detrimental effects, and oil will most likely run out,” Kim said. “Then we’ll have our own crisis on our hands, and we’ll look back and wish we had done something about it.” Kim advises the younger generation to step up and fight for a cause that can hold serious implications for the future of the world. “Don’t think that your small change will only be a small change,” Kim said, “because change happens through the sum of all the little changes. It all adds up no matter what you contribute. St. Mark’s likes to pride itself on the idea of courage and honor — I hope that we will take these issues head on as leaders.” Ultimately, change begins with small actions, and Northcut believes clubs like the Green Club can energize the movement within the 10600 Preston Rd. community. “There’s definitely a lot of space for clubs to continue to do things that get people’s attention that help educate and motivate them,” Northcut said. “We have so much creativity here in our student body. I know people have a lot of ideas, and I encourage them to go ahead and work on them and make them happen. If our clubs can fill in that information for guys, then that’s all the better.”

STORY Christopher Wang, Paul Sullivan PHOTO Courtesy Creative Commons

New Chinese Honor Society holds inaugural student induction ceremony April 3 by Christopher Wang he first Chinese Honor Society induction ceremony in school history was held in the chapel April 3. To be qualified for selection into the society, students must have taken Chinese at school during freshman, sophomore and junior years and finished each year with an A level grade in the class. Last year, Chinese instructor Janet Lin joined the Chinese Language Association Secondary School, allowing her to bring the opportunity of a Chinese Honor Society chapter to the school. According to Lin, observing the long-standing tradition of the Spanish Honor Society inspired her to start seeking for a similar opportunity for her Chinese students. “Spanish has had a long history with the honor society,” Lin said. “My first year here, they had the induction ceremony, and I have been watching for the past two years and wondering why Chinese does not have something like that. It is a great motivation for kids doing well because being inducted is a great honor.” Lin believes the Chinese Honor Society will help promote Chinese students in the process of deciding which language to take. “Many students now are taking Spanish, and there is a

very small percentage of people taking Chinese, and we are thinking about how we can encourage students to take this course and how we can reward them for working hard,” Lin said. “We think that the best way is to have the honor society.” Senior Mujin Kwun, a six-year Chinese student and Honor Society inductee, shares the same sentiment as Lin, and he has observed the gradual growth of the Chinese program during his time here. “Chinese has always been a lot smaller at school,” Kwun said. “We’ve had around five kids in the AP Chinese class for a couple of years and only now has it begun to grow. A few years back, instead of Asian Studies, it changed so that the kids would take Chinese instead, so now, a lot of younger students have continued taking Chinese.” Other students inducted were juniors Benjamin Hao, Austin Zang, Tianming Xie, Sam Ahmed, Tony D’Apice, Eric Lai, Sahitya Senapathy and senior Harrison Li. Ultimately, Kwun appreciates the efforts Lin has made over the past couple of years in

promoting Chinese to the younger students, and he is hopeful to see the positive impacts that the new Chinese Honor Society will bring. “Ms. Lin has really been pushing to increase interest in Chinese in middle school,” Kwun said. “The introduction of the Chinese Honor Society coincides with the time that Chinese has really started to grow here at school.”

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THE REMARKER • APRIL 12, 2019

CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE

In his own words

‘You might as well be smoking meth.’

Dr. Spencer Miller, owner and operator of Neuro Performance Center neurology clinic in Dallas, explains what happens to the brain when someone takes a stimulant medication. “When you take the medication, it releases multiple neurotransmitters, mainly norepinephrine, which basically increases the heart rate and the blood pressure. It’s kind of an ‘upper,’ if you will. It stimulates function of the brain and spinal cord. The other, which I think is even more important, is it enhances the release of dopamine. That neurotransmitter is ultra-stimulatory, it has a weak pleasurable sensation and substantially increases the ability to concentrate. That’s what most people are using it for: the dopamine effects. In an ADD/ADHD brain, they operate pretty fast, and they’re looking for an energy source to keep them in the upper space.”

The abuse of stimulant medications in high school and college has skyrocketed in recent years. With only weeks until students take final and AP exams, we look at the repercussions to taking these medicines.

teven started selling Adderall his junior year. And every time he sold a pill, he’d remember that same feeling, that feeling of losing control of his body and his mind. “I’m really cautious when I give it to people because of my first time taking Vyvanse,” Steven said. “I’m super nervous, and any time I gave this to people, I would try to tell them my story of having taken it and having a bad reaction.” Despite those misgivings, Steven said he felt more comfortable selling stimulants in an environment like the one he sees here, where students are less likely to make dangerously impulsive decisions. “At. St. Mark’s most people are inquisitive and worried about this kind of stuff, so before they take it, they look up what happens to them,” Steven said. “Because of that, I don’t think it’s as bad of a problem in a community like St. Mark’s.” But Dr. Harold Urschel ’77, chief medical strategist at Enterhealth, a clinic that deals with all types of addiction, believes the only way to properly mitigate the risk that comes with taking stimulants is to consult with and have them prescribed by a doctor. No amount of student research, he said, can prove equally reliable. “The misconception is that they are safe because they are prescriptions,” Urschel said. “That and because the FDA approved them and a doctor prescribed them. But they’re not safe. Would you ever take your best friend’s

By the numbers 70 percent of students have not used a stimulant medication 16 percent of students have taken a stimulant medication without a prescription 14 percent of students have taken a stimulant with a prescription

percent

To gauge an understanding of how aware students are about the misuse of stimulants on campus, we asked 196 Upper School students how prevelant do you think illegal use of Adderall, Vyvanse or similar stimulant medications at St. Mark’s is?

26 51 percent not at all

percent

somewhat

percent very

percent

extremely

SOURCE: A POLL OF 196 UPPER SCHOOL STUDENTS

From Lion Tracks “St. Mark’s views the use of alcohol or illegal drugs, and the misuse or abuse of legal drugs or other potentially dangerous or damaging substances or paraphernalia, as detrimental to the physical and psychological health of its students.” “St. Mark’s not only opposes the following activities, but its Board of Trustees has adopted this policy that prohibits the following activities on School property or at School-sponsored functions: ..... ~ students’ misuse, abuse, or possession or distribution of legal drugs, or other potentially dangerous or damaging substances or paraphernalia in quantities or circumstances consistent with their misuse or abuse…...Participation in these prohibited activities will result in disciplinary action under the system described in Lion Tracks, up to and including dismissal from the School.”

THE EXCHANGE The illegal use of stimulant medications has become incresingly prevelant across US high schools with about six percent of high school seniors reporing non-medical use of Adderall in the last year, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

high blood pressure medicine? Would you ever take your best friend’s insulin? No. That’s a big deal. These medicines are only safe when prescribed by a competent physician and used in a way and the dose that they are prescribed. They’re not safe. However, if you don’t have ADHD and you take a stimulant, it’s like using meth. You might as well be smoking meth.” Urschel contends that students often convince themselves that they aren’t in the wrong when, in fact, they are fully aware of what they are doing to their body. “People justify all the reasons in the world to smoke pot or to drink when they’re not supposed to or use stimulants,” Urschel said. “There are all kind of reasons, that’s just them talking to themselves to help themselves come to grips with the fact that they know they are doing something that they know is not the right thing.” In place of using a stimulant to stay up late to study, Director of Counseling Barbara Van Drie recommends sleep above any drug to improve performance. “I would almost say study less, sleep more,” Van Drie said. “Sleep would be so much better for you because you would have full access to your long term memory and rely on the fact that you’ve actually heard it in class at some point, and you could retrieve it. That would give you much better chance of doing well on a test. If you’re sleep deprived, it’s like you’ve been drinking. It’s like you’re going into a test drunk.” However, for the students who are diagnosed with ADD or ADHD, Urschel emphasizes that proper use of these medication can prove to be largely beneficial. “The people who are on it, we don’t want to scare you away” Urschel said. “If you really have ADHD, if a doctor has really taken the time to test you, and the only real way to know is called psychological testing where you sit and take a few tests.” After selling less than 20 doses of the stimulants he had been prescribed, Steven stopped supplying them to others, worried about the ramifications of being responsible for giving possibly unprepared students a medication with side effects that go far beyond what most students suspect at first. Those side effects are the main reason senior Cole Arnett stopped taking Vyvanse after over a year of taking the prescribed medicine, even though it still helps him control his ADHD when he feels it’s necessary. “I started taking it junior year [after diagnosis for ADHD] and it, for the most part, was pretty helpful,” Arnett said. “I was focused during the school day. I was getting stuff done. But the drawbacks were enough to this year, with a lower workload senior year, I stopped taking it unless I really need to for certain days.” Because of the tolerance he slowly developed to the

medicine, Arnett and his physician slowly increased his daily dose from 20 milligrams to 70. At that point, the medicine truly began to take a toll on his well being, even though it helped him through the rigorous academics of junior year. “My dosage was heavy enough to where, last year, I didn’t eat lunch, and I would have small dinners,” Arnett said. “I would skip breakfast. So I lost a bunch of weight last year. Sleep was also tough to get. There were definitely weeks my junior year when I would sleep one or two nights during the week, then the rest of the nights I would just stay awake doing work or other random stuff.” While those side effects are a key piece of an ADHD-affected student’s experience with stimulants, those are only a small portion of the dangers Urshel sees for non-ADHD-afflicted teens taking those medications, dangers that can lead to addiction in a very short time span. “If you use somebody else’s ADHD meds, it’s like you’re cheating,” Urschel said. “It’s not you. You change your brain and maybe you can really study and really cram and you do really well on that test. Well, then what’s going to happen next test? You’re going to be tempted to do it again. It’s not like you’re doing the studying beforehand. It gives you less confidence that you can do it on your own, and then you get trapped.” According to neurohospitalist Dr. Spencer Miller, who owns and operates the Neuro Performance Center neurology clinic in Dallas, there are two sides to the addiction coin. “In general, mothers and fathers who ask me, ‘do we want to start my kid on this medication?’ are worried that it might make their child an addict,” Miller said. “In reality, if Adderall is prescribed in a proper dose by the physician and used as it’s prescribed based on the response of the patient, then it actually reduces the chance of that person becoming addicted to something else.” When it comes to students not prescribed these medications, according to Miller, the effects can be detrimental to their mental development. “On the other side,” Miller said, “if you are misusing it, when you have that withdrawal, your brain will crave other things and can actually make people do things not as bright as they normally would and become addicted to other drugs. It helps if you use it correctly. If you’re misusing it, it can lead into something else such as marijuana, alcohol or heroin abuse.” While, according to Urschel, the misuse of Adderall or similar stimulants will not cause permanent damage, the short term effects can often lead to other issues with the use of and addiction to related medications. “When you use substances that you’re not supposed to, you don’t get addicted usually right away,” Urschel said. “What happens is you injure your brain. The more you use the more you injure it. You don’t damage it, but you do injure it. You get hurt like when you break your arm. If you break your arm you put it in a cast and it heals. You take the cast off and your arm’s fine. That’s kind of how your brain is.” Ultimately, Urschel believes that abusing drugs such as Adderall is a zero-sum game, where there are no real short or long-term benefits to the user. “Are St. Mark’s and other high schools hard at times? Of course, but it’s less hard if you plan and you focus and you do what you’re supposed to do,” Urschel said. “A lot of times there’s a lot of temptation not to do that. Then with social media it seems like everyone is doing it and it’s really safe. They go online and on the internet and they read more blogs about it and stuff like that. It’s all inaccurate data. These are very powerful medicines that are very helpful when used appropriately and are very destructive when not.”

STORY Kamal Mamdani, Parker Davis, Sahit Dendekuri, Lyle Ochs PHOTO Kyle Smith

issues

THE REMARKER • APRIL 12, 2019

Student Council elections held April 9

MIDDLE SCHOOL ERBs

The testing standard

It doesn’t affect grades. It doesn’t affect college admissions. So why do Marksmen take the ERB year in and year out?

hy do we take the ERBs? Do they even matter? Where do the results go? From second to ninth grade, Marksmen take the ERB standardized test every year. Every student is familiar with the test itself, but not many students know the true purpose of the exam. ••• The ERB, or CTP-5, achievement test is administered to thousands of students every year in independent schools across the nation. According to academic support coordinator Julie Pechersky, who administers the exam, the ERB serves as a test to prepare students for future standardized tests. “It gives students a chance to just experience that standardized testing environment,” Pechersky said. “It’s why we do it all the way through ninth grade, right up before tenth grade, when students take the PSAT.” The school also administers the ERB to track student, class and departmental performance. “It allows us to monitor achievement over time and look for any discrepancies or weaknesses,” Pechersky said. “It allows us to look at trends in terms of the school as a whole down to grade levels, and then even at a departmental level.” However, the ERB is only one point on a student’s “At the end of the day, graph of most of our reliance is performance; going to come from a stuthe school dent’s achievement in the classroom. We don’t put a does not use one score lot of stake in a student’s ERB scores.” to evaluate — Academic Support a student. Coordinator Instead, JULIE PECHERSKY they look for trends in a student’s work to identify strengths and weaknesses. “For our purpose, it’s really to track students over time and have a kind of preventative measure if a student is struggling,” Pechersky said. “They are not getting grades, per se, for a while. So as early as third grade, we can start watching an individual student. We don’t use the scores to make any hard and fast decisions just based on those scores.” ERB scores can be a useful tool when diagnosing learning disabilities as well and can be requested to serve as evidence for a test. “An example of when it would be requested is if a student is having a psycho-educational evaluation, and they are

TESTING IN PROGRESS Members of the freshman class took the ERB for the last time April 1-2. Marksmen take the test from second to ninth grade.

trying to determine if there’s a learning disability or anything like that,” Pechersky said. “The more data you have over time is helpful.” Students are also able to use ERB scores to see how they compare to other students in specific categories so they can identify any academic weaknesses that need improvement. Even the school as a whole can use the collective scores of the students to identify weaknesses and strengths. “What the ERB allows us to do is see a student’s achievement compared to national norms, his achievement compared to other independent school kids, and then also his achievement compared to his classmates,” Pechersky said. Taking a few days away from regular classes and being tested on material in a new way can also give students a new perspective on certain topics and a new way to think of concepts covered in the classroom. “Being able to get outside practice of what you’re learning in class, that’s

certainly good just because you can understand more and apply that to other things,” seventh-grader Jimmy Francis said. Compared to major standardized tests that factor into the college admissions process, the ERB is much less influential, so Counseling Director Barbara Van Drie believes students should not be stressed about their performance while still trying their best. “It’s not like the SAT or ACT. It’s not a high stakes test,” Van Drie said. “There may be kids who are anxious about it, and I think there are parents who might be anxious about it. They might transmit that to their children, but it’s not really high stakes.” Parents should not be telling their kids they have to do better on the ERB test, according to Van Drie. The purpose of the exam is simply to gain standardized testing experience and to identify curriculum weaknesses. “That should never happen,” Van Drie said. “It’s like taking a snapshot of ‘How am I doing this year?’ It’s relative to last year, and ‘Am I still getting better?’ That’s it.”

STORY Robert Pou, Henry McElhaney PHOTO Rohit Vemuri

In my opinion

Students give their take on the purpose of standardized testing in Middle School. a student is really ‘ Ifstruggling with a

‘

It’s a way to see our grades compared to our ERB scores and see if they’re similar or if we’re not doing as well in the classroom. If your grades are much worse than your ERB scores, you might need to talk about your study habits.” Aaron Greenberg eighth grader

other than being sort of a benchmark. It just says this person knows this.”

certain subject, that really helps the teachers to know what the student’s strengths and weaknesses are. I just don’t think we should take so many.”

Nolan Marcus seventh grader

Ethan Xavier seventh grader

doesn’t serve a ‘ Itpurpose, in my opinion,

by Henry McElhaney pper School Marksmen voted on their 2019-20 Student Council representatives April 9. Results were not known at press time. Each year, Marksmen vote peers into Student Council positions including Student Council president, vice-president and secretary. Each position serves the student body differently, but the application process is the same, according to council sponsor Casey Gendason. “Students interested in running for Student Council or Class Officer must complete a declaration form first,” Gendason said. “Candidates will then attend an election workshop to discuss the expectations for candidates and their speeches and write a speech that conveys qualifications and how the candidate plans to pursue the position.” Once those speeches were approved, the candidates delivered them to their classmates April 8, and voting ensued the next day. Student Council President Landon Wood applied for Student Council president last year after having his sights set on the position since his sophomore year. “The whole process started when I decided that being Student Council president was something I wanted to do during my sophomore year,” Wood said. “And then I got to understand what the position actually meant.” Being Student Council president isn’t just about leading Upper School events; the Student Council president also serves as an example for younger Marksmen. “I try to serve as a role model,” Wood said. “Knowing that I’ve been put in this position, I know that I have a chance to impact people’s daily lives at St. Mark’s. I try to conduct myself in a way that is right for that job. I want to be seen as a good example of a Student Council president.” Student Council officers represent the entire student body while discussing the state of the school with the administration. “These offices help to shape the tone of the Upper School and each class, and the officers work to provide an enjoyable and inclusive experience for all students,” Gendason said. “We want students with diverse interests and talents to serve in these positions.”

Years Marksmen take the ERB in their academic careers.

The election of ‘ Tohowgivewellyouyouanareideadoing

in school and how much you have learned the curriculum.”

Stice Neuhoff eighth grader

you used to taking ‘ Itlonggetsstandardized tests. The LSAT, MCAT, SAT, everything. Especially long ones.”

Toby Nwafor junior

Executive offices, Student Council: • President • Vice president • Secretary

THE REMARKER • APRIL 12, 2019

issues

LINGUISTICS

The ‘language’ of coding

Habitat house dedicated by school

With policies changing in certain states, instructors and students discuss whether computer science can be incorporated under the foreign language requirement.

s programming a language? It’s a decision the Florida and Maryland Legislatures recently answered with a resounding yes, incorporating computer science courses as an aspect of the foreign language curriculum. But at 10600 Preston Rd., foreign language and programming can be vastly different courses. Should they come under the same umbrella of requirements? ••• Computer science instructor Kurt Tholking believes that a programming language should not fulfill a requirement for a foreign language. “You’re not learning just the syntax in the language itself; you’re learning about the culture in the countries,” Tholking said.

Foreign languages and their countries of origin add another dimension to their study that Tholking believes is disparate from that of computer science. “In any programming language, you have to learn concepts,” Tholking said, “in foreign language, the biggest difference is the culture, the language and the people.” Tholking acknowledges that motives behind some changes in requirements may have been driven by full schedules. “If their schedules are being filled, students who can’t take so many classes may have to find creative ways to meet graduation requirements,” Tholking said. But letting a programming language fulfill the foreign language may not be the best thing.” Programming and its many forms

of language comprise only one part of computer science. The aspects that Tholking incorporates are not limited to just languages. “We are teaching more and more of the concepts,” said Tholking, “and ways to get those concepts across without teaching one programming language.” J. J Connolly Master Teaching Chair Nancy Marmion agrees with Tholking’s assessment. She sees foreign language as a discipline involving even more aspects than just the language or culture. “When you learn to think in another language, it has all sorts of repercussions,” Marmion said. “I think there are a lot of benefits to foreign language that are beyond just ‘Oh, I’m going to go do business in Mexico one day, or I’m going to work in China.’” However, she sees a potential benefit in a computer science requirement in the school’s curriculum. “I would not object to the school having a [foreign language] graduation requirement and a computer science requirement,” Marmion said. “I don’t think that computer science is the equivalent of a foreign language because it doesn’t involve all of the aspects that learning a language does.” Senior Creston Brooks, who currently takes computer science and Latin, finds the processes for learning both languages to be similar. “On some level, they’re both like solving a puzzle,” Brooks said. “When you’re reading Latin, a lot of it is figuring out what goes where and piecing it together. And the same thing can be said about when you’re reading code.” Brooks agrees with Tholking and Marmion that they should be taught and required as distinct subjects. “I think foreign language enriches your life in a way that working with computers can’t,” Brooks said. “It opens you to expressing yourself and millions of new people that you can connect with, which is something that coding can’t do.” For Brooks, this is true even for Latin, a language that isn’t spoken or used regularly in any part of the world today. “With Latin, the culture is mainly history and the inklings of that history that have seeped down into modern day,” Brooks said. Brooks would caution students who would eagerly dive into a class that would further their careers over one that would allow them to experience the Foreign Language aspect of the school’s curriculum. “It’s tempting to be drawn to skills that you think might just help you make more money,” Brooks said. “But I think when you’re making these decisions about what you want to study, you have to take into account what you enjoy as well.”

by Cristian Pereira he most recent house built by the Habitat for Humanity team was dedicated to Terefe Bezabeh and Tequadesh Eshibelachew March 28. The crew was led by sophomore Gabe Bines and junior Toby Nwafor, who have been spearheading this effort since the house began its construction. The house will be occupied by Bezabeh and Eshibelachew, who, according to Community Service Director Jorge Correa, were selected based on their financial and current living situations. The couple have been living in the U.S. for eight years. “Giving a family a new house not only provides for permanent shelter, it also makes them part of a new community,” Correa said. “As homeowners, they become an active part of the city of Dallas with the privileges and obligations that this implies.” Correa appreciates those who helped make the construction of the school’s 13th Habitat for Humanity house possible. “The habitat house demands a lot of effort and dedication from a lot of people,” Correa said. Besides Correa, Assistant Director of Community Service Isabel Toledo was present at the dedication ceremony as well. “The ceremony started with an introduction of the family and continued with the presentation of gifts,” Correa said. “Flowers that remind people of new life and growth; bread, to symbolize many happy meals in their home; wine to celebrate joy in their lives; the Bible to have the presence of God in their homes; a Home supply kit to keep their home in good repair; a Garden bench built by the Freshman Class to have a place to relax and lastly the house keys, wishing that they keep their door open to friends and neighbors.” Correa’s feelings to all of the students who took time out of their busy schedules to build the house are nothing but positive. “I feel nothing but pride for the students who helped build this house,” Correa said. “We all know what a big demand is to keep up with school work, athletics and personal matters. However, our students find the time to serve their community well beyond the minimum requirement the school asks them to fulfill. That’s dedication and responsibility to serve their community.”

T TORN BY INDECISION Faced with increasingly busy schedules, students like senior Creston Brooks are often conflicted about whether to take a computer science class in addition to fufilling the foreign language requirement.

“

Computer science is what makes up a language —functions and loops and things like that. That’s not really culture. That’s computers.” Computer science Instructor Kurt Tholking

STORY Michael Lukowicz, Alam Alidina PHOTO ILLUSTRATION Rohit Vemuri, Jamie Mahowald

issues

THE REMARKER • APRIL 12, 2019

STUDY ABROAD

A new experience

From Maine to Switzerland, students at 10600 Preston Rd. have many options to study away from the school — but is it worth it?

Say what? Comments from all around campus

‘

I have three stomachs.

— Sophomore Aayan Khasgiwala

students who participated in Swiss Semester in the Class of 2020.

‘

When I was a child, I was scared of mirrors. — Senior Jonathon Taylor

harlie put his boots on the skis and stomped his heels. That satisfying click, ensuring him he was ready to safely traverse the mountain. He focused his eyes out past the ridge and took one last look at the Swiss landscape. Then, he narrowed his vision onto the steep slope. It was time for school. ••• Junior Charlie Rose first heard about Swiss Semester in eighth grade. “Whit Payne, who went to St. Marks a little while ago, went on it, and I thought it sounded pretty cool,” Rose said. “I became pretty interested in it, because I’m a big skier and snowboarder.” Rose says having two of his classmates there made it easier to acclimate to the new environment. “They made it a little easier, just because you had someone that you knew,” Rose said. “If you needed someone to talk to you could always talk to them, rather than just kind of having to fall on somebody else’s shoulder that you met like two days ago—especially in the first week.” Rose says one of the most memorable differences between St. Mark’s and Swiss Semester is that Swiss Semester students have a much smaller timeframe to do their homework. “The classes themselves weren’t harder at all. I’d just say that the time that you have to do for your homework in there is much shorter,” Rose said. “You have like two hours and 15 minutes in total to get all your homework done, which is kind of a time crunch so you really have to manage your time. You have to prioritize.” In Switzerland, Rose was forced to put his phone down for longer periods of time. Doing this, he says, was one of the greatest benefits of the program. “Before I went, I was kind of a phone addict,” Rose said. “Once I got up into the Swiss Alps with no phone, I mean, it just made me want to go out hiking, skiing, and stuff like that. I think I made a lot more fun.” Rose says another great benefit of Swiss Semester is the cultural diversity that he was exposed to. “Everyone in the town spoke at least three languages,” Rose said. “I found that interesting because here in the US, we’re so focused on one language.” After his time in Switzerland, Rose says starting school at 10600 Preston Rd again was not as difficult as some may think. “In my math class, when I came back, I was actually ahead,” Rose said. “When I came back for history, I was in Dr. Westrate’s class and I didn’t have to study the entire cirriculum to do well on the final exam.” However, the biggest hurdle, he says, was definitely working out his science schedule. “You miss chemistry [in Switzerland],” Rose said. “So if you’re trying to do a bigger science, you have to take two sciences your senior year.” Director of Academic Information Systems Paul Mlakar agrees with Rose—the toughest thing about a returning student’s schedule is working around missing chemistry during sophomore year. “St. Mark’s students can’t join one of our chemistry classes upon their return,” Mlakar said. “They sometimes are able to study geology at Swiss semester and then return to our astrology and geology course, but that particular course doesn’t often have enough students to

make [a class] at St. Mark’s.” However, Mlakar says that many students who experience out-of-school programs return here in an opposite situation. For example, many programs greatly improve a student’s foreign language abilities. “We’ve had students study abroad for a year in a language full immersion program,” Mlakar said. “They are sometimes able to come back and skip a year of foreign language and take a more advanced course.”

‘

This one looks like a football bun.

— Sally and Edward Genecov Master Teacher Amy Pool on a graph

Mlakar stresses schedule changes should not be a key I may be old, but factor to deciding whether or not to spend time studying I have a quick outside of school. He says students should focus more on first step. the experience and learning opportunities the program will yield. — Thomas S. Ad“There’s always the possibility that students who ams Master Teacher John Perryman study abroad have a different St. Mark’s experience upon their return than they would have if they hadn’t left,” Mlakar said. “But isn’t that the point of studying abroad—the unique experience of doing so?” I had to read the Communist Assistant Director of College Counseling Casey Manifesto for Gendason says there are a few key factors when deciding history, and it whether or not it would benefit the student to experience kind of makes an out-of-school program. sense. “I look at the students’ overall academic performance, — Sophomore Leo the study habits he’s formed, the work habits he has, and Ohannessian his ability to juggle multiple responsibilities on his own,” Gendason said. “The adjustment and transition will likely require a lot of juggling.” However, Gendason says that for many students, outof-school programs will help them thrive as leaders and thought-bringers. I can taste the “The student gains independence and places himself corn syrup. in a location and often a culture that is going to be a change and a risk,” Gendason said. “Hopefully, they come — Freshman Enoch back to our school more worldly and ready to enrich our Ellis while drinking conversations and classrooms with neat and different chocolate milk cultural experiences.” Gendason says these programs will be new and at times frightening for students, and especially so IN THE PICTURE for those who don’t often leave the campus bubble. “If you have not had an experience where you have been out of your comfort zone, this will stretch you,” Gendason said. Rose agrees with Gendason. Studying outside of school is a transformative experience, but also one that only certain students would really benefit from. “I don’t think it’s for everybody,” Rose said. “I know St. Mark’s can get At a glance: Alumni Weekend FORMER GRADUATES Classmates search really tough, and if you’re for their names on What: When: Who: looking for a little bit more the walls of Graduate of a break, this is a really Hall during AlumA chance April 25-27 Nearly great way to figure some ni Weekend 2018. for alums 1200 Alumni Weekend more stuff out about what to return Alumni I want to do and explore a to campus and their Chair Parag Vaidya ’00 organized this families little bit more.” year’s event.

STORY James Rogers, Cristian Pereira PHOTO Courtesy Charlie Rose

‘

Dave Carden photo

STUDY BREAK Junior Charlie Rose (far right) takes in the view with his peers during his semester abroad in Switzerland last year.

discoveries

THE REMARKER • APRIL 12, 2019

SCIENTIFIC ETHICS

Genetic engineering

With gene editing, scientists can change how animals look or how resistant they are to certain diseases. But what are the implications when the next subject is not a rat, but a human?

hanging eye-color, altered physcial characteristics and higher intelligence. The next steps in human evolution through genetic engineering. With clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR), a gene editing technology, genetically engineering people to have certain traits seems not too far in the future. Chinese scientist He Jiankui has been reported to have modified human newborns so that they are more resistant to HIV. Yet, there are too many debates surrounding this topic to count. What are the consequences of gene editing? Is CRISPR morally sound? Are we truly ready for this technology that could alter a human’s genome completely? While the practical applications of gene-altering are still a long way off, the questions it raises are a problem for today. ••• For next year’s returning DNA science class, AP biology instructor Mark Adame anticipates giving students opportunities to become familiar with gene editing techniques, although the subjects will not be too complex. “They’ll be genetically engineering different, what we call plasmids,” Adame said. “My biggest goal is for the students to be able to be proficient in doing all sorts of molecular biology and DNA science techniques. They’re going to use all these different techniques to come up with cumulative year long projects where they have to genetically engineer or genetically alter some form of bacterium to use as a tool or to show that they could do it, whether it’s bacteria or algae or yeast or whatever single celled organism.” Adame believes mastering genetic engineering is an important, but potentially dangerous prospect. “You see how difficult it is to do gene editing and see why it’s so important in certain situations,” Adame said, “but you don’t want to start messing with genes in human populations. Once a person’s genome is altered, they will pass those genes on, so you’re kind of altering evolution in a population.” Junior Neal Reddy agrees genetically engineering humans should be held off for now. Reddy worked in a lab at UT Southwestern for six weeks, genetically modifying mice using CRISPR to test for certain diseases. “What we did was use mice for a model for gastrointestinal inflammation, specifically related to ulcerative colitis, an autoimmune disease in the gut,” Reddy said. “We used a forward genetics approach to simulate the disease and trace it to certain genes. We used CRISPR-Cas9 to modify mice embryos. We didn’t personally

“

You see how difficult it is to do gene editing and see why its so important in certain situations, but you don’t want to start messing with genes in human populations. — AP biology instructor Mark Adame

do it, but we experimented with those mice.” Animal experimentation itself may draw ethical concerns. Reddy felt guilty at first for testing on mice, but he eventually got used to the process. “I think [animal experimentation] is a necessary evil,” Reddy said. “At first, I felt really terrible doing it, but a couple of weeks into it, I completely got used to it. I think

it’s a really necessary thing, and I think that animals, mice in particular are great models of our immune system and our physiology.” Adame also says animal experimentation in labs is monitored, so the whole process is as humane as possible. “They follow a very strict protocol. The animals are housed, they have to have the appropriate housing, and they have to meet certain guidelines for euthanizing the animals,” Adame said. “I started doing that in the early ‘90s, and it’s been going on for longer than that. There were tight regulations on that for each lab and the animals.” In DNA science next year, Adame does not foresee experiments involving too many animals. “I doubt we will go as far as actually doing whole organisms. We could work with vertebrate tissues, themselves and grow the tissues, I mean, from cells and just grow a whole cell line that has been altered and then perform experiments on those but nothing as a whole organism itself,” Adame said. “It’s expensive, too.” When Reddy first heard about Jiankui genetically engineering human embryos, Reddy felt the leap from animals to humans was too large and there were many ethical issues regarding the technology to be solved first. “I have only seen it with animals, so I thought it was a little extreme to use that same process on humans. I don’t think that was ethically justified,” Reddy said. “It’s worth examining both sides of the equation when we look at genetic modification, but at the same time, I don’t think we are ready for that.” Instead, Reddy thinks CRISPR should be mainly used for research purposes rather than experimenting on humans. “I’ve seen the good of CRISPR through research, and I think it should remain a research oriented tool until we understand it better and gain a better moral compass regarding CRISPR,” Reddy said. “I think it’s a job for bioethicists. I think it’s their job to look at that.” Rather than focusing on creating people with enhanced genes, Reddy believes research should be focused on better understanding diseases. “I think it should be oriented to fixing diseases because I think those are the most urgent issues, whereas traits such as eye color or hair color would be less important,” Reddy said. “Maybe it’s the government’s job to regulate that. I think it should be, but that’s just my opinion.” Like what the World Health Organization is trying to do by making these kinds of experiments regulated in a registry, Reddy believes that for now CRISPR should be restricted because of its dangers. “I think it’s an emerging field,” Reddy said. “I think it’s a really cool thing, but it’s also really risky and could have potential social effects. We are better off regulating it for now until we better understand what is ethical and what is not. I think it’s up to society and the people who are trained to study bioethics to decide that.” Even if CRISPR does become usable on humans, Reddy foresees potential issues in social development because of the technology. “It could easily become a tool for the very rich if we are talking about use of CRISPR on human embryos,” Reddy said. “We would see inequality from financial sources be utilized to cause inequality in genetic and physical appearance. I think that area of CRISPR is potentially the most harmful to society.”

STORY Cooper Ribman, Matthew Zhang ILLUSTRATION Michael Lukowicz

Public Opinion of Genetic Engineering Percent of Americans who approve of modifying an unborn baby’s genes to prevent uncurable diseases like Huntington’s

Percent of Americans who approve of modifying an unborn baby’s genes to reduce the risk of diseases such as cancer later in life Percent of Americans who approve of modifying an unborn baby’s genes to change physical charcteristics like height or eye color.

67 10 SOURCE: GENETICSANDSOCIETY.ORG

discoveries

THE REMARKER • APRIL 12, 2019

GREENHOUSE

Planting the future The new Greenhouse will provide students with a working lab space that gives more opportunities to study plants and develop their own projects.

y next school year, the new Greenhouse will be filled with plants from not only all over the United States but all over the world. Three main sections make up the new Greenhouse — the Mediterranean area, the tropical area and a workspace. Unlike the old Greenhouse, the new Greenhouse’s work room will be where classes will be able to grow their own projects, embodying the overall goal of the Winn Science Center of providing more hands-on experiences for students. “In the new Greenhouse we have a working horticulture area; in other words, an area where we can actually do planting and experiments on growing plants,” AP environmental science instructor Daniel Northcut ’81 said. “The old one was more of a display Greenhouse. You really couldn’t fit a whole class in there to do work, whereas in the new one we can fit a whole class with enough of everything so that every student can have pots, seeds growing, materials, everything.” The other two sections of the Greenhouse will be aimed to mimic the actual conditions of Mediterranean and tropical environments in nature. Northcut will be trained in the software to maintain the different environments for the two areas. “The tropical area is going to warmer and more humid, and the Mediterranean area is more of a temperate to desert type of environment, much less humidity, and probably a little less heat,” Northcut said. Plants for the new Greenhouse were not only chosen based on how interesting they were, but also how much they could contribute to classroom lectures and discussions. “Once we decided we would do tropical and Mediterranean, then we have to decide of the zillion plants you could pick, which ones will be the most interesting,

STORY Matthew Zhang PHOTO Collin Katz

mostly for evolutionary purposes,” Northcut said. “Most of the plants that we picked for both sides had interesting aspects of them that we can use in learning more about biology, plant biology, botany and evolution.” However, the new Greenhouse will also feature some of the plants from the old Greenhouse that could be salvaged. “We will have a certain number of the cacti that were in the old Greenhouse’s desert section,” Northcut said. “We have been saving those in a little Greenhouse near the tennis courts. There were some orchids and so forth that were in the middle section of the Greenhouse that we kept, so there’s a representation of some of the stuff that was in the old Greenhouse definitely.” In addition, the Math and Science Quadrangle will feature more native plants to make the area more educational. “We will begin to in maybe the summer or the fall to redo what used to be the Math Science Quadrangle in a way that we will have more native Texas plants,” Northcut said. “It’s not in the Greenhouse, but coming to the Greenhouse. We will be able to enhance that whole area into a much more educationally useful area. And more gardening space too up here next to the Greenhouse for kids to grow materials outside.” Northcut looks forward to the opportunities the new Greenhouse will provide to classes, and he believes that his AP environmental class will get to work on projects that the old Greenhouse would not have had the room for. It’s really exciting to have a new working Greenhouse,” Northcut said. “I love the old Greenhouse and what it represented, but this one is going to have a lot of that as well as the ability to do more horticulture and hands-on botany. We will have more chances to do long

MOVING IN The plants for the the new Greenhouse should arrive by the start of the next school year at latest. Some of the plants from the old Greenhouse will be included too.

term growing experiments, and lab wise, we will have a lot more opportunities to experiment with different types of plants, fertilizing or pesticides. There’s a lot more that we can do now.”

discoveries

THE REMARKER • APRIL 12, 2019

LIGHT POLLUTION

Blinded by the light

Lights are everywhere around the city. Although lights may feel essential for many people, light pollution causes more harm than people realize.

arkness. True darkness is an experience most will never have. Street lights, car lights and stadium lights pierce the night sky making it nearly impossible to view the Big Dipper, the North Star and the planets. Unfortunately, society is becoming more and more dependent on the unnatural light that floods the night sky, covering the beauty of the stars and planets. But, there are steps that people can take to help reduce light pollution. ••• Light pollution is not some distant problem. It affects the school too. Because of increasing levels of light pollution, the school decided not to include an observatory in the Winn Family Science Center that opened last month. The old science center was constructed in 1961 and had an observatory. There were no neighborhoods around the school at that time, and starlight shined brightly in the night sky. Over time, as the population grew and light pollution increased, the observatory became difficult to use. The observatory had difficulties finding relatively bright objects in the night sky. “The light pollution was pretty bad,” Cecil H. and Ida Green Master Teaching Chair Stephen Balog said. “It went from the ability to easily distinguish nebulas to where it became difficult to even see the planets clearly, and the planets are pretty bright themselves.” The school decided that the addition of an observatory to the Winn Family Science Center would not be worth the expensive price tag. “It would have been a waste of money to put an observatory in the middle of a city,” biology instructor Dr. Bonnie Flint said. “With the high level of light pollution, you can’t see anything with a large, expensive observatory, that you couldn’t see with a relatively simple set of telescopes.” Instead of having an observatory, the school now has a small, dedicated pad for telescopes. The school owns a set of telescopes that students can use to look at the stars and moon. “We have a pad on the northwest corner of the building for setting up telescopes,” Director of Environmental Studies Dan Northcut ’81 said. “We can still do viewings of plants and the moon.”

It is important to be able to see the sky not just for scientific reasons. Being able to see the night sky gives a perspective of how big the universe actually is and how humans are just a small part of a larger system. “Part of the deal is that if we are not able to the night sky, it disconnects us from the world around us a bit,” Balog said. “It makes us very self-centered and just a little bit unaware of how big the universe is.” There is also beauty in the night sky, and light pollution makes it more difficult for humans to admire the elegance of the stars and planets. “There is a lot of beauty up in the stars,” Balog said. “There are a lot of cool things to look at and admire. With light pollution, you just can’t see any of it.” Before artificial lights came around, everybody could clearly see the night sky. Nowadays, many people have never had an unobstructed view of the stars. According to the British Broadcasting Corporation, over 80 percent of the world’s population lives under skies that suffer from light pollution. “All of your ancestors before light pollution came on took the sky for granted,” Northcut said. “And now, in the last 100 to 200 years, we see less and less in the big cities. A lot of kids don’t even know there are that many stars, other than in pictures.” There are ways to help reduce light pollution and make it easier to see the sky. A simple and easy way to fix the problem is by turning off lights that aren’t needed. “A lot of time, people leave a lot of lights on that aren’t necessary,” Northcut said. “I understand that people want some lights on at night just because they feel safer, but there’s probably a limit. A lot of times, it’s

STORY Jeffrey Chen ILLUSTRATION Jamie Mahowald

IN THE AIR As the city grows increasingly dependent on unnatural light, night skies are becoming brighter and unnatural.

overdone.” Lights only have to be bright enough for people to get around. Anything else is just too much light and the energy gets wasted. “We also need to make sure lights outside are not bright for the sake of being bright, but just being bright enough to help us see around and not trip over things,” Balog said. Making sure lights point down is another way to reduce light pollution. Upward pointing lights wash out the natural starlight in the night sky. “The best thing we can do to reduce that is to make sure any lights we do have outside are pointing downward,” Balog said. Humans are also affected directly by light pollution. Human bodies use light to tell people when to sleep and wake up. The human internal clock gets confused by light pollution. “I think for humans it is a problem, in that we evolved to run on a day and night cycle, where it gets pretty dark at night,” Flint said. “It’s not really getting dark at night for a lot of people anymore. It disturbs peoples sleep quite a bit.” Animals also suffer from the consequences of light pollution. Flint has first-hand experience seeing the devastating effects that light pollution had on animals. “It can be really problematic for animals that live anywhere near where light pollution occurs,” Flint said. “For example, when I was work-

ing on sea turtles. It can be difficult for baby sea turtles to know where the ocean is if there’s light pollution somewhere else on the horizon because they use the reflectiveness of the ocean to get to the ocean at night.” Many people just don’t realize how big of a problem light pollution is. Raising awareness for the problem can convince more people change is needed. “I think education is a big part of it,” Northcut said. “Most people wouldn’t even recognize there is such a thing like light pollution unless they heard about it in a documentary. They don’t even know that is a problem.” In addition to reducing light pollution, using less energy by turning lights off also has a financial benefit and can help reduce electricity costs. “Energy is not free,” Northcut said. “Every day, we should do our best not to have more light than is necessary because it’s costly. Even if you don’t look at how light pollution affects nature, it still has an economic cost too.” Northcut believes that reducing light pollution should be an easy decision. “Cutting down on light pollution should be a no-brainer,” Northcut said. “If it’s pollution, that implies that it’s not necessarily. If you have light going where it’s not necessary, then that’s just a waste of energy, which costs money too.”

Three students named finalists in F=ma competition

WINN SCIENCE CENTER UPDATE

Numerically speaking

16 seats in the Lower School lab for students

5 number of sinks in the Lower School lab

1 stove in the Lower School lab

by Cooper Ribman hree students, junior Nicholas Tsao, junior Benjamin Hao and senior Dylan Liu, were recently recognized as finalists in the F=ma physics competition. The F=ma competition, sponsored by the American Institute of Physics, is an annual event that allows students to demonstrate excellence in physics and qualify for the physics olympiad. “It’s a multiple choice test,” Tsao said, “similar to other competitions like the AMC that some students take.” Tsao has been involved in the competition for a number of years. “I first took the test my freshman year,” Tsao said. “I heard from some seniors that they were taking it and thought it sounded cool. A lot of the juniors and seniors have opportunities to take it from their physics classes, but I had to study by myself.” The three finalists are now preparing for the physics Olympiad, which will be held here April 2.

“If you do well on the olympiad test, you can receive medal titles like bronze, silver or gold,” Tsao said, “If you’re in the top 20 or so in the country, they select you for a training camp for the U.S. national team. The top five or so from that camp represent the U.S. competing in international competition.” Tsao credits much of the school’s success in the competition to the quality of the physics curriculum and teaching. “The physics program here is good,” Tsao said. “You learn enough material to do well on the test if you master it. The faculty are doing a good job exposing people to the material. By the time we take AP physics, we’ve completed everything that is on the test. Junior physics is pretty rigorous and even the eighth grade program is good” However, just knowing the material is not enough to be a finalist. “If you can master the material and be able to call upon it quickly in a test, you can do it,” Tsao said. “We’re all really excited for the next test.”

“

Education is a big part of it. Most people wouldn’t recognize that there is such a thing like light pollution unless they heard about it in a documentary.” Dan Northcut ’81, Director of Environmental Studies

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THE REMARKER • APRIL 12, 2019

ROLE CHANGE

New director in town

Having served as director of physical education and athletics for the past 20 years, Mark Sullivan will assume a new administrative position next year.

esign, sustain and provide state-of-the-art facilities and grounds that support a variety of teaching methods and incorporate new technologies to enhance learning opportunities. This is the mission statement of Goals for St. Mark’s IV. It is the backbone for the director of physical and experiential education position, a newly created administrative position that will oversee the existing wilderness, travel abroad, health and wellness and physical education programs. To expand, to guide and to weave these programs together into potential classes, seminars and discussions — these are just a few visions that have come out in the early stages of this new position. ••• Beginning next year, Director of Physical Education and Athletics Mark Sullivan, who has demonstrated a burning passion in each of these fields for the past 37 years, will be the school’s first director of physical and experiential education. As the school devotes even more resources and attention to physical, experiential and athletic programs, the school will hire an athletic director who will strengthen the school’s commitment to performance, sportsmanship and character. The school is currently doing a national search for the athletic director (see page 28) and has considered creating the director of physical and experiential education role for about two years. The goal of this position is to both expand and bolster existing programs. “It has so much thinking related to Goals for St. Mark’s IV, the self-study for the ten-year re-accreditation and thinking about important areas for the future, priorities that we wanted to address and aspects of the schools program that we want to enhance, strengthen and support,” Headmaster David Dini said. This position will begin to sew together the variety of programs Sullivan will oversee. Sullivan’s new responsibilities will gradually be determined based on areas the school believes need improvement. “We’re currently inventorying areas where we feel like things are operating well and then areas where we think we can do more or improve and expand,” Dini said. “It’ll be an evolutionary process where we’ll grow organically.” Health and wellness is one of the areas Sullivan will address. As the school has been reviewing the daily schedule, it’s thinking about how health and wellness will fit into the puzzle.

IN THE WILD Over 37 years, Mark Sullivan has led 33 Pecos trips and 75 Middle School campouts.

“That’s where you’ll see greater curricular development, more opportunities — whether it’s in class meetings, assemblies, speakers or those kinds of things,” Dini said. “As we think about health and wellness, sleep, time management, flexibility and alignment of time — whether it’s access to teachers or common time during the day — [there is] a lot of overlap in those topics.” Sullivan is considering whether the school can offer a more in-depth health curriculum above fifth and sixth grade, but the problem is that not all students are in physical education after seventh grade. “Our current schedule makes that somewhat challenging,” Sullivan said. “Potentially, the evaluation of a new schedule will allow us to look at things like that and figure out where the best places for things would be. My job in that regard will be

MENTOR Mark Sullivan coaches Lower Schoolers in physical education. Each year, Sullivan has managed 500 annual athletic contests and 45 Lions teams across 16 sports.

overseeing the health and wellness offerings.” these programs. Sullivan is on the Health and Wellness Com“It’s important that the right hand knows what mittee, which includes Lower School Head Sherri the left hand is doing, so to speak,” Sullivan said. Darver, Middle School Head Dean Clayman, Interim “Having policies that are consistent with the Pecos Upper School Head John Ashton, school nurse Julie trip also be consistent with the wilderness program Doerge, strength and conditioning coach Kevin Diland the Wyoming trip.” worth and head athletic trainer Matt Hjertstedt. Physical education, the fourth aspect of the new This committee had its first meeting with Dini position, is Sullivan’s professional field of expertise, March 25 and is in charge of making decisions about as he’s an elementary physical education major. individual health and wellness programs. This new role creates the opportunity to have “We’ll be looking comprehensively at what more hands-on curriculum guidance in what the we already do,” Sullivan said, “so I will serve as school offers in physical education at all grade levels, a member of that committee in determining those and the school can therefore invest more in athletics. sorts of things and any actions moving beyond that “Creating another administrative position and will come out of the committee, and we’ll determine dividing the physical education and athletics allows what it looks like.” us to bundle those four According to Dini, major priorities and then the school will emphapartition off athletics so size comprehensive that it’s a sole, focused These programs are deeply health and wellness administrative role,” Dini ingrained into who we are and what and prioritize its develsaid. we offer. The support I can give opment over the next Sullivan believes three years. his longevity has taught to those programs is going to be Furthermore, him to welcome and critical to maintaining them into Sullivan will bring his recognize the necessity of extensive experience to the next decade and beyond. positive changes to help the wilderness prothe community grow. — Future Director of Physical and Experiential gram. “We don’t need to Education Mark Sullivan “Having been up at change something just Pecos quite a number of times with him and seeing to every so often change something,” Sullivan said. how well he knows the landscape out there and “But be thoughtful about the direction of the school understands the outdoors, that’s one example of an and serve the students of today and tomorrow in the area where he brings a lot of skill, experience, knowl- way that they need to be served as opposed to the edge and wherewithal to help us grow, improve and way students 37 years ago needed to be served.” provide greater resource support,” Dini said. Both Dini and Sullivan are looking forward to what the new role will contribute. Similarly, Sullivan will further help the student “I am so excited to have the opportunity to aptravel program, led by Student Travel Programs Dipoint Mr. Sullivan, somebody who loves the school, rector Scott Hunt. Bringing his experience, Sullivan committed to the experience of Marksmen,” Dini has travelled on numerous photography trips with said. “I know he’s going to make a great difference. Hunt and went to Romania with the water polo team [We are] incredibly blessed and fortunate to have the this spring break. resources to be able to add a position like this.” Sullivan recognizes certain needs the travel and wilderness programs share like transportation, logistics and risk mitigation. Sullivan will institute departmental oversight over these programs so they can continue without becoming person-specific. For instance, third grade teacher Frank Jordan has led the Lower School trip to Wyoming for 25 years, and even though he’s retiring this year, the school would like to continue the tradition. Sullivan hopes to create a lasting interconnectedness between

STORY Sai Thirunagari, Tianming Xie PHOTOS Courtesy Mark Sullivan

“

INTERNATIONAL Over the summer, Mark Sullivan and his wife, receptionist and facilities scheduler Sherri Sullivan, went on the Bhutan photography trip.

THE REMARKER • APRIL 12, 2019

10600

ONLINE COMMUNITY

Gaming for a purpose Creating his gaming community – FSH Gaming – three years ago, freshman Sam Reitich is able to combine his love of computer science and video games to expand his community. “It’s really just an open community. There are a lot of nice guys; a lot of my close friends just came together, and we made a big community. We have it open to really everyone, and everyone can just come in and play and have a good time with anyone who wants to. “We all come together on Discord server and essentially it’s an open Discord server. We have the link on our website, and anybody can just come in and play a couple of games. We’ve grown since we are creating bigger parts of our community such as eSports teams to compete in online competitions and our subsidiary named Aqua Gaming that has a few people who develop games that are open to anybody who joins the community. “At our peak I think we’ve had up to 800 or 1,000 people on the community one time, so we’ve had to expand a lot of Discord servers and things like that, so we have a really big community. “It started three years ago with me and two of my friends Ekansh Tambe and Zach Lightfoot. A few years ago we all used to play Minecraft, so we would get on a server and we made some friends, and we had more people that just came together and we played games on there and just have fun. Back then, we had like 10 or 15 or 20 people at the time, and we just thought it would be cool if we just made a bigger community that people could be a part of. “On our website’s history, we have a list of the three different eras that we have been in. In the next month, we’re releasing the fourth era which will last

around a year. At this time, we usually like to focus on a new thing every year. This year we focused on bringing communities together, so we absorbed a lot of other communities. We also gave worldwide expansion, so now we have a lot of people internationally coming in and out, but essentially it really started with just a few of us just playing Minecraft together a few years ago. Since then, it’s grown to more games and more people. “I own the whole thing by myself and manage it by myself which is pretty cool. I have a couple other friends who help with the different branches of the community like eSports. The hardest part was to start handling and managing the pace at which people came in. I remember we had five voice channels in our Discord and now we have about 40 or 50. It was hard to get that sudden growth of players. “In seventh grade my dad was a mathematician, and his job required him to know a ton about computer science, so he’s really big on programming, and in sixth or seventh grade he really wanted me to start learning that, and that actually became my passion. I spend all my free time during the day just getting on and programming something or trying to figure out how to hack someone’s phone. I love computer science so much – I’m always on the computer. “There are games like Call of Duty which I just hate because there’s just no point. It’s just mindless shooting. Our favorite types of games are tactical first person shooters, so the biggest game that we play is Rainbow 6: Siege, which is all about thinking ahead and tactics and planning everything. I think if

HOT BREACH Ready to clear out enemy defenses, Freshman Sam Reitich queues for a ranked match in Rainbow 6: Siege.

you’re playing Call of Duty that’s just a really waste of time. “But if you’re playing a game like Rainbow 6: Siege, it’s great for bonding with your friends and getting to think ahead to make plans. It requires a lot more strategizing. “We don’t really have anything in the future planned too far ahead. We’re still expanding and growing because we are fairly young, but I think the biggest thing in the future is just growing from one company to a bigger thing. I think once that gets going it’s going to be good for us.

INTERVIEW Sam Ahmed PHOTO Ben Hao

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14 TECH TALK

Lower School holds April Goodwill drive by Dylan Liu he Lower School Goodwill drive, organized by the Lower School student council, was held April 1-5. The Goodwill truck was set up the Sunday afternoon before the drive by the Lower School sidewalk, and it was manned every day from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. “Every morning, the student council members will take turns holding their posters out to remind people to bring donations,” Lower School Head Sherri Darver said. “Those boys will help people get items out of their cars if they need to get their trunk unloaded and give the items to the Goodwill representative in the truck.” Each time a truck gets filled, it is driven to Goodwill, where it is weighed. About two weeks after the drive, the total weight of the donated items is reported. Last year, there were around three tons of donations. To prepare for the Goodwill drive, Lower Schoolers also created flyers, posters and signs to advertise their cause to the entire school. In addition, the Lower School student council created a skit to introduce their initiative at the Upper School Assembly March 28. With a history of more than 20 years, the Goodwill drive was started mainly to introduce Lower Schoolers to an opportunity to help their community. “It’s just so good for our boys to see that they’re participating in something that’s bigger than themselves,” Darver said. “It’s a way for them to go through their toys, books and clothes. There are so many things they don’t get to see the results of, and this is one thing they can participate actively in. They’re learning about giving back to their community.”

THE REMARKER • APRIL 12, 2019

Seniors get social

Teaching Technology Across Generations, a new club started by sophomore Sai Thirunagari, aims to instruct the elderly on how to use an everyday devices.

The Breakdown

The percentage of Americans who own smartphones. Eighty-eight percent of teens own smartphones, but only forty percent of elderly own these devices.

AT THE TOP Senior Trevor Burke traveled to Washington, D.C. for the annual Boy Scouts of America Report to the Nation over spring break. Burke, who has earned 139 merit badges and 23 Eagle Palms, spent his week at the U.S. Capitol, meeting President Donald Trump, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Texas Senator Ted Cruz, among other political figures.

eventy-seven percent of senior citizens would need help setting up a new device. Forty-two percent of elderly own a smartphone. Three billion dollars are lost by senior citizens every year to scammers. Sophomore Sai Thirunagari’s new club aims to reduce the numbers as they teach elderly citizens how to operate the electronic devices millions of Americans use daily. ••• Thirunagari’s Teaching Technology Across Generations (TTAG) has been gathering interest throughout the Upper School since its creation in September. He came up with the idea of teaching older people how to use technology during the summer, and, with the help of fellow sophomores Sam Morgan, Cristian Pereira, Beto Beveridge and Josh Mysoré, his club has been teaching senior citizens for three months now. During the summer, when looking to start this project, he and his mother came across Edgemere Senior Living, a retirement center. They contacted many different places, with some responding and some not responding, but they eventually settled on Edgemere. “We got really lucky,” Thirunagari said. “When we presented our idea, they [Edgemere] were willing to let us create percent this project, and we were really lucky that they said yes.” SOURCE: USA TODAY From there, Thirunagari met with them and that was when he decided to start the club. “I was planning to use this school year to get everything together and start junior year,” Thirunagari said. “But my mom encouraged me to just start it this year.” Thirunagari believed with the help of club members, he would be able to get everything organized quickly and be able to get the club running by Christmas. His first member was Sam Morgan, who is now the vice president of the club. Morgan Sai was one of the first Thirunpeople Thirunagari agari Founder of TTAG talked to about his idea, and he agreed to help with the start-up of the club by both visiting Edgemere and making posters for the club fair. Morgan believes teaching these senior citizens is important because they are generally less educated with technology and people try to scam them. “It’s different because they are older than us,” Morgan said, “but they are also like children because we know so much more than them about technology. And it’s special to me because you can see the difference that it’s making in their lives when they come back the next week.” Morgan knows a few senior citizens by name, who like to show him every week how they have been practicing what they learned. “You are able to see the difference in how you helped them,” Morgan said. “And they can live out the remainder of their lives with technology.”

In the future, Morgan sees other programs getting involved at Edgemere, like STORY Eric Yoo PHOTO Max Palys

HELPING OUT Sophomore Josh Mysoré teaches a senior citizen tricks on both an iPad and iPhone at Edgemere Senior Living. “TTAG is a unique outlet that lets me share my passion for technology with older folk who want to know about modern-day technology,” Mysoré said.

the choir. “We just want to create a partnership with Edgemere and the community service program,” Morgan said. Throughout the first half of the school year, the club aimed to discuss what their goals were and what they were going to do each session. They developed a curriculum they could present each time through a PowerPoint. They decided to focus on iPhones at first, then move on to computers. Each session is composed of a PowerPoint for the first part, then the club has a Q&A session because most times the senior citizens want to know how to do one specific thing. “We learned that the curriculum has to be flexible,” Thirunagari said. “But we always have a topic that we want to cover.” Sophomore Cristian Pereira is in charge of presenting the lesson each session. “There are two different groups of people there,” Pereira said. “Some of them actually want to learn, but some of them just want to know specific things. We tried one session without a presentation, and we learned that some of the people actually wanted to learn about phones.” The senior citizens developed a relationship with each

member. Every new session, individuals will ask certain members to continue what they had taught the previous one. “They value our knowledge,” Thirunagari said, “and they love to tell us stories about their lives and past experiences because they have so much knowledge. They make it fun to be there because they are really excited to learn, so we are helping them, but we are also enjoying spending time with them.” Thirunagari believes TTAG’s fast start was thanks to all of the club members being committed throughout the year. The club is also currently looking for more members in order to expand to more retirement homes. “I am really thankful that everyone has enjoyed it,” Thirunagari said. “Everyone is dedicated to helping the senior citizens, and making this club an amazing experience.”

THE REMARKER • APRIL 12, 2019

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COMMUNITY BUILDING

Learning through serving Marksmen are required to do 15 hours of community service, but some students go above and beyond to serve the greater Dallas community — from tutoring fifth-graders to helping out with carnivals and events.

JAMMIN’ OUT Blues Club members Collin Katz, Alex Estrada, Chirag Gokani ‘17 and Vikram Ekambaram (left to right) performed at Austin Street Center.

GYM TIME At Rays of Light, Sophomore Andrew Nuth talks to his buddy in the gym on Friday night.

HELPING HANDS Working with the Terefe Bezabeh and Tequadesh Eshibelachew family to finish their house through Habitat for Humanity, seniors Michael Lukowicz, Sahit Dendikuri and Davis Yoo celebrate their progress. See more about Habitat for Humanity on page 7.

BALL HELP A volunteer retrieves a soccer ball from outof-bounds for the goalie of the Lewisville squad during a Special Olympics event for teams across the Metroplex. GAME TIME Working with a middle schooler in a math game at Jubilee Tutoring, junior Carter Langbert attentively waits.

PHOTOS Courtesy Community Service Board, Christopher Wang

perspe

16, 17

aundry. Dinner. Appointments. Back when Rohil Rai ’17 was in high school, those weren’t even at the back of his mind. But as he transitioned into Boston University (BU) for his freshman year of college, all the little things — including the weather and social climate — were too much for him. He had to get out. •••

Rai transfered to Southern Methodist University (SMU) for his sophomore year in college. Part of the reason was that he wasn’t completely prepared for the switch to college life. “I’d find myself calling my dad in the middle of the night at 1 a.m. asking if I put my whites first, do I put all my laundry together?” Rai said. “They were always there for me.” Rai wasn’t completely lost when it came to life skills, but the comfort he was used to back home completely faded away when he walked onto the BU campus. “At St. Mark’s, everything was taken care of in my life,” Rai said. “My tuition was taken care of, all my bills were taken care of. But here in college, I’m getting the emails, I’m the one who has to tell my dad to pay the tuition or else I can’t take my final exam.” But it wasn’t the big differences that threw him off - he had heard about them, and he was semi-prepared. But it was the onslaught of smaller details that caught him off guard. “It’s a whole new world,” Rai said. “You have to figure out how to do everything out on your own. Even just water was a huge thing because we didn’t have a water fountain on our floor. So you just have to think about everything ahead of time.” Switching over to SMU in his sophomore year, Rai feels less of the pressure that was weighing him down at BU. But with the

“Parents, when they don’t see their child taking those things on, should start encouraging them to take on those responsibilities and help foster that development,” Van Drie said. Amy Ochs, mother of senior Lyle Ochs and freshman Lars Ochs, has found the Parents Association speaker series to be a valuable asset in terms of learning about the newest parenting styles and techniques. “I always think it’s interesting to talk to people that are educated in a field, especially with parenting and things that you can apply to your life,” Ochs said. “I look at the way you guys are growing up compared to the way I grew up. Your life is so different, and learning from other people that are specialists in their fields is really helpful as a parent to get more information.” Ochs, who has attended three of these events, understands the importance of independence in the lives of her children. “As a parent, my job is to raise these children so that when they leave the house they can be independent,” Ochs said. “And I think they need to have responsibilities and natural consequences while they’re still living at home. So we’re here to help them deal with situations that they don’t want to deal with on their own after they leave the house.” Victor Barton ’18 feels he entered college prepared, mainly because he’d already gained his independence. Throughout his life, Barton’s parents guided him through violin classes and track practices, but when he graduated high school, Barton wanted to find his own purpose and create his own path. I really wanted to prove myself to [my parents], so I needed to change something,” Barton said. “So I really developed my ‘why’ going into college. That’s one thing my parents didn’t do for me. That’s really what brought my success in college.” The difference between Barton and the students who struggle in Marksmen focus hard on academics, college is the motivation to create athletics and fine arts. But there are other something for themselves, and to Barton, over-involved life skills they need for college. For parents, according parents can ironically cause their where’s the line between sheltering and kids to lose that motivation. “Kids who had helicopter guiding in preparing for college? parents in high school, their parents change came drawbacks, too. are really driving the kid to go to a good “Now that I’m back home, my parents college,” Barton said. “Then once the kid is check on me a lot more,” Rai said. “There’s in college and away from the parent, away definitely some independence that’s lost from that voice in the back of their head, there.” they might lose their ‘why.’ And you need a The issue of independence isn’t unique ‘why’ for everything.” to Rai. Counseling Director Barbara Van Although parents play a big role in Drie has seen parents who don’t given their shaping their children’s ability to succeed in children enough freedom, and it’s held them college, it’s ultimately up to the student to back. take matters into their own hands, even if “If when you were learning to walk, that’s something they’ve never done before. your parents held onto you the entire “In high school, you can’t advocate for time,” Van Drie said, “would you have ever yourself yet,” Barton said. “Right now is learned to walk? No.” when you should be learning to advocate That idea doesn’t only apply for young for yourself, though, and you probably children. Van Drie believes that growing up, don’t have those skills yet. So your parents students’ ability to fend for themselves is may help you with that sometimes, but by heavily influenced by the amount of duties college, you should be able to do that for they’re given. yourself.” “Your maturity is reflected by how Rai challenges Marksmen to learn to much responsibility you carry,” Van Drie take care of themselves while they still have said. “Do you make sure that things are the support of their high school community. taken care of that need to be taken care of in “Have a week where your parents aryour life?” en’t doing anything for you,” Rai said. “All But it’s not only the child’s job to make I needed was my dad to show me how to do sure they’re getting those responsibilities. laundry once and I was fine. But if you can Parents play an important role when it do it just once, try it when you’re with your comes to developing their children’s matuparents, when you have somebody there to rity. guide you.”

Around the table: outtake

In a wide-ranging discussion, faculty and students tackle THE GROUP • Dr. Jerusha Westbury, history instructor and parent • Teri Broom, first grade instructor and parent of two Marksmen • Jack Katz, senior • Meyer Zinn, junior • David Fisher, History and Social Sciences Department Chair • Corindo Martin, varsity soccer coach and parent of two Marksmen • Max Wang, senior • Nancy Goldberg, parent of two Marksmen and Student Store manager • Jack Trahan, junior • Toby Nwafor, junior • Benny Wang, sophomore

STATEMENT Parents

should spend money on SAT tuto

Jerusha Westbury: As a parent, you would want to give your child every possible leg up, but the responsibility lies then in college admissions to make sure that they’re taking into account, if there’s a way to actually do that, for the backgrounds of the students with test scores. Is this a student who has every opportunity to have this kind of assistance, or is it a student whose family can’t provide that? Teri Broom: I also feel like, along with everything in society these days everyone gets private tutoring, and then you feel as a parent the pressure to give that to them because everybody else is doing that.

Jack Katz: Waste of time. Just going through the process, I barely saw my scores change between using the tutor and not using the tutor, and ultimately, I think just doing the practice test is just as effective as spending money on a tutor. You don’t have to waste the money or spend money that sometimes families don’t have to spend just to get that same result. Meyer Zinn: It’s presented as the great equalizer of college admissions, and the reality is that there is an entire industry pushing that equalizer into something that it was never intended to be.

Dr. Jerusha Westbury

real world WELCOME TO THE

STORIES Colin Campbell, Sam Goldfarb, Ishan Gupta, Tianming Xie PHOTOS Lee Schlosser ARTWORK Matthew Coleman

PUPPETEER When overinvolved parents are pulling the strings, their children can be unprepared for when it’s time to cut ties.

Student side Upper schoolers share how they feel about parental presence – how much parent involvement they face, and if the students welcome that involvement... or not. SOURCE: POLL OF 218 UPPER SCHOOL STUDENTS

Ex: When you’re allowed t hang out, curfews, who yo allowed to spend time wit

29.8%

27.1%

12.4%

Not Involved

Social Lif

ectives

THE REMARKER • APRIL 12, 2019

es from the college admission scandal

ed statements on privilege, parenting, college admittance and the always-present issue, money.

ors for their kids.

STATEMENT The

students admitted to those university through illegal means should be expelled. David Fisher: I have children who are moving up into high school, and I don’t want to put myself in a position where I’m pressuring them into ‘it’s Ivy League or bust,’ and I certainly don’t think that way. At the same time, I am cognizant of the fact that our jobs rest on the fact that this is what we sell. Jack Katz: I think colleges are waking up right now, and they’re going to have to find a way to solve the issue of trust. They’re going to have to find a way to reassure the public that their admissions process is actually truly holistic and not just based on test scores or how rich your parents are. Corindo Martin: The word is ‘preparatory.’ When I came here, the intentionality to get you into a college and give you the best options is by design. You come here to get into the college of your choice. Hopefully, college counseling helps you marry what you think is the college of your choice and what’s a realistic opportunity, and hopefully, those two merge into one.

College counselors add more insight to the discussion

arksmen attend a college preparatory school. Parents choose the school for their sons because they know their boys will be more than ready for the academic challenges of higher education. With an endowment greater than $100 million, the school has the means to provide its students opportunities, both in and out of the classroom. The administration and faculty have spent years building positive relationships with universities around the country. Preparing is important. Networking is important. Getting involved is important. And students here do all these things. But where is the line between creating an appealing candidate and abusing the system? And what’s going on from the colleges’ perspectives? The College Counseling office answers those questions.

Across the table

STATEMENT Familial

ties and donations to a university should help the applicant who is a member of that family. Jack Katz: Why should it be any different whether it’s a legal or illegal bribe?

Max Wang: It shows connection to the school, that they will continue supporting the school in the future, and then it also helps the applicants. Jerusha Westbury: It’s a pay to play system where everybody has to pay for these things to make their children competitive. Corindo Martin: There is a huge difference between legality and ethics. There’s a front door in, and there’s always understood to be the backdoor if you have enough money. There’s always going to be the opportunity that if you take my kid, that I’m going to make that donation.

Max Wang

STATEMENT Parents

should do everything in their power to make the lives of their children better. Corindo Martin, Teri Broom and Nancy Goldberg

Teri Broom: We tell our first grade parents at mini school, it’s not what you do for your child that will help them become a success, but it’s what you teach them to do for themselves that will teach them to be a successful adult, and you can’t stress that enough. As a parent, that’s always hard to do because you always want to swoop in and fix things sometimes, and we know that it’s not the best way to handle it. Corindo Martin: There’s that line between supporting your child and enabling them. You want to be supporting them and not enabling them.

to ou’re th.

Who’s accepted, what’s expected

Ex: Classes you take, helping with homework, checking on grades.

45.4%

It’s important to know that the conversations that happen between development [offices] and admissions are at a much higher level than admission officers in the trenches, reading applications, serving on admission committees. A decision based on a relationship regarding development would take place at a much higher level than the admission committee. Colleges are not sitting around waiting for high school students to apply. They know people are going to apply. They’re sitting around thinking “how as an institution are we going to be the best we can be?” There’s definitely a level of manufacturing that happens, and you need to put together an application that speaks to how you’ve drilled down into opportunities, into your interests, and potentially going to be able to bring that to a major or program or an activity, potentially, at a college. Going so far as to lie, or to convince yourself that it’s acceptable and helpful to say “I’ve engaged in these activities,” but you haven’t, isn’t going to get you where you want to go. If you attempt to, it very well might backfire.

40.8%

Neither

We don’t know what the college’s institutional interests are every year, and they could change from year to year. But what we try to do as a college counseling office is to prepare students to be the best person and the best applicant that they can be. Obviously, we can’t control what the colleges are doing. But, we can be very well informed of what they are hoping for. We are looking at admission trends, we’re looking at what has happened in the past-- we have all that data to then advise students. The main theme [in college counselor discussions] nowadays is over-scheduling — in terms of students being over-scheduled. Is that still appropriate? What are the effects of five years down the road? Do they know how to do laundry? Do they know how to make a meal? Because they’re so programmed as youngsters, are we, as adults, giving our children the ability to do some of these things? We still try to tell families and students that they are in an excellent position to be at St. Mark’s because there is a lot of opportunity, but you need to take advantage of those opportunities. We need to continue to help our students find that extra bump to set them apart in this process.

Desired Involvement

Less

Director of College Counseling

Ex: Cook dinner, make your bed, handle your schedule.

73.9%

Desired Involvement 0.9%

Veronica Pulido

Associate Director of College Counseling

65.6%

Desired Involvement Less

Jack Katz: I think that line is parents need to find how to be a parent and not be the kid’s friend. Parents, some of the time, take too much of their kid’s responsibility upon themselves and end up coddling their child. The line is drawn where you’re taking away your kid’s ability to actually deal with the real world themselves.

Casey Gendason

Less 7.8%

7.3%

Neither

38.5%

18.8%

53.7%

26.6%

20.6%

24.3% 17.4%

19.7%

19.7% 14.7%

10.1%

14.2% 7.3%

Heavily Involved

Not Involved

Academic Life

Heavily Involved

3.2% Not Involved

Home Life

Heavily Involved

10600

THE REMARKER • APRIL 12, 2019

Biology instructor pursues passion

POLICE JOURNEY

A life of the law

After three decades in the Dallas Police Department, Director of Security Dale Hackbarth shares the story of his path to the school.

is first midnight. A 25-year-old Dale Hackbarth coasts the city streets in his patrol car in the dead of night, one of the only graveyard shifts where the namesake carries its weight. Car chases, dope deals, stabbings, shootings: everything he wants in the profession of law enforcement is ahead of him. Eight hours later, he cruises off the streets and into the station, done with the first midnight of the rest of his life. ••• A native of rural Wisconsin, its crime rates and police activity equally meager, Hackbarth’s decision to enter law enforcement was not an obvious one. “My college degree was in business communications,” Hackbarth said, “either sales or marketing. But that never really panned out.” After graduating from Carroll University in 1982, Hackbarth wandered and looked around for jobs in the Midwest, spending stints in factories and customer service offices. He was struggling to find his purpose, but fortunately for Hackbarth, he had connections in the police force. “After numerous conversations with my brother, who was in law enforcement at the time,” Hackbarth said, “he explained to me and convinced me that I should give law enforcement a try, so I interviewed. Dallas [Police Department] was coming up to Milwaukee for a recruiting trip, and I had my résumé in hand and waited in line. That’s the start of things.” The Dallas Police Department (DPD) training academy, spanning 36 weeks and including more than 1400 hours of instruction, begins with a seemingly simple process: a civil service test, a physical, a medical physical and a physical agility test. But over two days, a recruiter grills the aspiring officer with questionnaires demanding backstories and scenarios to deep psychological troubles and secrets. “[There were] two days and five different levels of the interview,” Hackbarth said. “That was stressful. They let you know if you made it past each level, which added to the stress, especially the psychological [test], which we all think is a pretty easy test. But it was a very unique test to find out if there are any hidden issues in the closet. Their psychological tests are supposed to turn out things you don’t even know about.” After the hurdle of hiring, the DPD gave Hackbarth a two-month window to pack his things and head down south to be dropped into action, hitting the ground running his first midnight. And it was here his fondest stories lie. “Great, great memories,” Hackbarth

“I’ve been fortunate David to know Dini Dale [HackHeadmasbarth] for 25 ter years. He’s incredibly thoughtful, professional, caring and compassionate, and he’s a person with great perspective, and he’s always sensitive to and aware of his surroundings. He’s the kind of person who’s solutions-oriented, and he’s incredibly proactive, which is super important for the position he has.”

LOOKING BACK Director of Security Dale Hackbarth reflects on his path to the school after several decades of police work. “I’ve been fortunate to have an interesting and exciting career so far,” Hackbarth said. “The decision to transition from DPD SWAT to St. Mark’s felt natural and allowed me to continue to focus on what is important to me. Working here to improve and enhance school security with an administration and staff that support me and my team, it reaffirms that decision and helps me make an impact.”

said. “I was 25 years old. My first five years I was on patrol in a very hot, high crime area in Dallas. I worked from midnight to eight in the morning. It was a great time in my life; it was a very active time. And, honestly, it was fun.” Hackbarth saw those five years on patrol as an opportunity to gain familiarity with his surroundings, with his city and with those closest to him. He looked to his older brother, a burgeoning cop working one district over, as a shoulder to lean on. “We all try to lead by example, like my brother did for me,” Hackbarth said. “And being a director of security, and in life in general, I know people look up to me for advice, for direction, so it’s up to me to lead by example.” After five years on patrol, Hackbarth looked for another layer of duty in his life, so he turned to the operation most acquainted with action: the Special Operations Unit, also known as Special Weapons and Training (SWAT), and it was here he spent over two decades in the DPD’s highest echelon. “Our description as a whole is that we do dignitary protection,” Hackbarth said. “We did the barricaded persons. We conducted the drug warrants, which are very active in Dallas. And we trained our department and other departments in different tactics, whether it’s tactical pistol, tactical patrol rifle, basic warrant entry, route tactics, vehicle takedown. And Dallas is looked at nationally, because we do have a very, very good SWAT unit.” Hackbarth’s family coped with his seemingly perilous position with the trust

“Dale and I have been Martin friends and Hoffer worked Campus together Security Officer at DPD and here at St Mark’s for about 22 years. I know Dale to be a man of high morals and outstanding character. He is honest, trustworthy, competent and hard working. He is a husband, father, retired police officer and security director, all par excellence, and it is my great honor to call him a friend.”

they put into his team. “My wife had some concerns about the call-outs we got at two o’clock in the morning,” Hackbarth said. “But she realized that the unit was highly trained. She felt very comfortable and confident that the SWAT could take care of anything.” After his SWAT career winded down to its 28-year tenure, Hackbarth wanted to continue serving Dallas. He had been coordinating DPD officers on campus for a sustained period of time, so the school approached Hackbarth to serve as the head of security six years ago. His days of action and excitement in the darkest corners of Dallas may be over, but Hackbarth finds fulfillment in his life here in the school community. The phrase “faculty and staff” can carry the subtle implication that a difference exists between the two, but for Hackbarth, removing this separation comes easily. Strengthening the bond between his team and the greater school community has allowed both him and the school to realize that for the sake of our own security, we must be on the same page. And he derives satisfaction from how the community responds to the effectiveness of his leadership. “The bond has gone to friendships,” Hackbarth said, “and we don’t look at it now as a separation. I always throw out one test question to the faculty and staff. I ask them, ‘who, at the end of the day, is in charge of the security here on campus? And it’s easy to say, ‘the director of security’: me and my staff. But I say to them that we’re all in charge of school security here on campus. We’re all in charge of ourselves.” STORY Jamie Mahowald, Trevor Crosnoe PHOTO Jerry Zhao “Dale is a wonderful person, Curtis Smith and equally English spectacular Instructor is the fact that he hires spectacular people. Not only is he excellent at working with adults and students alike, he hires people who are excellent at working with the community. He’s full of fascinating stories, he’s got a great attitude, and he’s incredibly organized in thinking about how we can continue to improve safety here on campus.”

“

“Being a director of security and in life in general, I know people look up to me for advice, for direction, so it’s up to me to lead by example.” Dale Hackbarth,

Director of Security

by Luke Piazza From painting to cooking to yoga, biology instructor Nupur Israni has undergone monthly workshops and extra hobbies to fill her time outside of the classroom. After a year of teaching full-time, Israni decided to begin taking night school courses, extra classes designed for people who already hold full time day jobs to learn new skills or complete their education, so she could better understand what it was like to sit in the student’s seat. For her first time, she signed up for an oil painting class to enjoy a completely different topic for her. “I enjoyed the oil painting, and I enjoyed being a student,” Israni said. “And it was kind of cool learning something totally new and exercising a different part of my brain because oil painting has nothing to do with science. And so from there, I just kept enrolling. I would take these six-ten week block courses that were offered at like local community colleges, or even in some local high schools.” Following her exploration in the arts, she gathered her friends together to take a cake decorating and baking course; compared to her art class, however, these sessions were much more rigorous, necessitating nightly practice and homework involving new techniques and recipes she learned in class. “Because I started realizing that, first of all, I had all this cake,” Israni said. “So I would practice and then share the cake with my family and friends, and I was teaching so I would take it to school and share it with my students. So it was amazing and a win win for everybody.” Israni continued baking and teaching up until her immigration to the U.S. from Canada, where she had to wait to receive her teaching licence before she could continue instructing. At this point, she even considering opening a bakery fulltime, but decided against it in favor of her academic work. “If I hand someone a box of cookies, they just get that one box,” Israni said. “But to me that one box with 10 different cookies represents so much time and effort and love that’s gone into all of that. It’s fulfilling to do it, so that’s why I like to do it either at the holiday time or if I’m going to do it for students I like to do it right before the school year ends.”

diversions

THE REMARKER • APRIL 12, 2019

SPRING ACTIVITIES

The sun is out, and so are you

Spring is full of opportunities for enriching and entertaining excursions, whether solo or not — be sure to take advantage of them.

Sports in the city

The 2019 season is the Rangers’ last in Globe Life Park before moving to the new Globe Life Field next March. This 25-year- old historic Dallas ballpark is a feature every Dallasite should experience before it enters decommission. Tickets are as cheap as $20, but make sure to bring some extra cash for ballpark snacks. The park got several new additions to their menu this year including the “Fowl Pole,” a two-pound chicken tender strip, fried PB&Js, and bacon-wrapped chicken wings.

Twelfth Night date night An American Musical

Dallas Theater Center’s (DTC)’s March 29-April 28 production of William Shakespeare’s brilliant Twelfth Night, a comedy following a shipwrecked woman hired as a servant under the disguise of a man, is guaranteed to give you a fun night out. Even if renaissance theatre isn’t your jam, don’t worry. Compared to the more austere environments of the higher-brow theatre productions in Dallas, Twelfth Night has a more contemporary and casual setting, Tickets run as cheap as $20 on DTC’s website. If you come home from Twelfth Night hungry for more, DTC’s upcoming productions include Josefina López’s Real Women Have Curves, running a harrowing drama about the joy, humor and beauty women find in difficult circumstances; and Jonathan Norton’s Penny Candy, the story of a boy helping his father run a candy shop in a drug-fueled neighborhood. All productions price their tickets for $30 on opening night and weekends and $20 on weeknights.

A hop, a skip... and a woof?

You’ve heard the infinite praise for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton: An American Musical. But you’ve doubtless also heard the horror stories about pricing, admissions, travel, etc. Fortunately for you, though, Hamilton’s Dallas production through Dallas Summer Musicals (DSM), based in Music Hall at Fair Park offers tickets beginning at $80 in the musical’s tenure from April 2-May 5. DSM’s production of the famed performance gives Dallas audiences a chance to see the musical without giving an arm and a leg to fly out and buy tickets. DSM’s 2019/2020 season also includes productions of T. S. Eliot’s Cats, Benj Pasek’s Dear Evan Hansen, David Hein’s and Irene Sankoff’s Come From Away and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar.

Food for the mind

If you’re looking for something fun to do for Easter look no more. Oak Lawn Park’s Easter in the Park and Pooch Parade has everything you could possibly want. There’s a free Easter Egg hunt, photo opportunities with an Easter Bunny and tons of food trucks. If you need any more convincing on why you should come… there’s a pooch parade on Turtle Creek Boulevard. That’s right. Pooch parade. Bring your dogs (on leashes) dressed up in their Easter outfits and let them socialize with other pooches! The best dressed dogs will be awarded prizes. Don’t have a dog? No problem. Dallas Animal Services will be at the parade with adoptable pets. While you’re at the parade, make sure to stop by the Dallas City Hall on the Go truck where you can register to vote in the upcoming 2020 election.

Nestled in the Design District, Kitchen Dog Theater carries a well earned reputation for putting out challenging and experimental productions. Marisela Trevio Orta’s Wolf At The Door is no exception. In this shady rendering of the classic fairy tale, a pack of wolves, both literal and metaphoric, close in on a terrified yet resilient family. Tickets for the production, which runs from Apr. 11-May 5, range from $20 to $30 dollars for adults, a portion of which is directed to organizations pushing for safe and integral families. IN THE MOMENT Marisela Treviño Orta’s harrowing drama Wolf At The Door showcases the darkest iteration of a family drama. Photo courtesy Kitchen Dog Theater

The grid JMBLYA

Dallas Cowboys Draft Party

Dallas Pizzafest

Baseball Game

What

Cowboys autograph signings, live music, inflatables

Pizza. Live music. Enough said. Come hungry...there’s a pizza eating contest

Senior night game against Home School Athletic Association

Price

Admission & parking are free

Adults $10 Children $7

Free

$14

$130

Location

The Star in Frisco

Deep Ellum Art Company

St. Mark’s

The Sixth Floor Museum

Fair Park

April 14 12 p.m. - 9 p.m.

April 23 5 p.m.

New exhibit opened on April 5

April 25 - 27

Who to bring

Cowboys fans

Pizza lovers

Lions fans only

“55 Years”

New temporary exhibit in At JMBLYA you’ll get remembrance of the 55th to see Travis Scott, Lil anniversary of the death Wayne, Kevin Gates and of President Kennedy many more artists

History buffs

How ‘bout them Stars? The Cowboys came up short this year and the Mavericks certainly are not going far, but after a three-year drought, the Stars are finally back in the playoffs. No matter how much you know about hockey, a trip to the Stars game is bound to satisfy your entertainment needs. Starting at $40 for outer section tickets, you can yell “STARS” during the anthem and raise your fist after a goal—and make sure to keep an eye out for rookie defenseman Miro Heiskanen. At nineteen years old, Heiskanen flies around the ice. And if you’re looking for a souvenir, you can always pick up one of the Stars’ famous jersies for $80. Pro tip Head down to the glass during warm-ups and ask the refs for a puck (they’ll usually give you one). COMPILATIONS Andy Crowe PHOTOS Creative Commons

Finals and school may be taking a toll, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have any fun. Here are a some events to help you kick back and relax.

When

FRONT AND CENTER Lin ManuelMiranda’s famed musical Hamilton is now accessible to Dallas audiences. Photo courtesy Dallas Summer Musicals

Pro tip After batting practice before your game starts, make your way to first base dugouts, and they may give you an autograph or two.

May 3 6 p.m.

Hip hop heads

culture

THE REMARKER • APRIL 12, 2019

CELEBRITY INFLUENCE

Voices of change In an increasingly tense political climate, cultural figures around the world have begun to express their opinions. But how much value should we place on them?

ll around the world, celebrities have been using their platforms to spread their political message. From Ariana Grande and Jay-Z, who set up voting registration booths for their fans at their concerts, to LeBron James and Pharrell Williams, who produce media with political inspiration, today’s celebrities have used their platforms to influence public opinion. But in a world where politics have become such a divisive topic, how much should we value the advice of celebrities when it comes to something outside their forte? How much should we let celebrities influence our decision making? How much should we let celebrities influence our lives? ••• When Sammy Sanchez ’18 and Matthew Theilmann ’18 STRIKING A were making their CHORD dystopian movie With more Trump’d, they and more meant for it to be celebrities a fun alternate making their political history of what opinions would hapknown, there’s pen if Donald no questioning Trump won the both the influence presidency. But of their after the 2016 voices and election, seeing the polarizing the first part of nature of their seemingpolitics. ly impossible comedy come true, they felt an obligation to make a commentary on the country. “When we decided we wanted to make it,” Sanchez said, “we were like,

‘This is a goofy thing. We’re making fun of a lot of the crazy things that are happening recently.’ But also, the way we characterize people was not inaccurate, so we weren’t too far off from the truth. This is a ridiculous, almost comedically weird time in our country’s history. At a certain point, you’re making fun of these things that are already insane.” The film, which received recognition at the All-American Film Festival in 2017, was “made as a comedy, but released as a horror movie” according to Sanchez, and with a film so politically charged, Sanchez thought his film could be an escape from the real world. “I think there are a lot of movies that are just pure escapism,and they’re still fantastic,” Sanchez said. “It’s not really what we wanted to do in this particular one. At its core, it’s just a funny thing. It definitely is a comedy.” But with the movie partially turning into reality, Sanchez developed his perspective about social figures’ Sammy Sanchez responsibility in the world. ’18 “If you’re given that kind of giant platform to talk to as many people as you possibly can,” Sanchez said, “then you do have some sort of responsibility to say things and do things that you think can make an impact in the world.” Still, Sanchez doesn’t think a consumer’s decision should be solely based on his or her favorite celebrity’s beliefs. “If I’m one of the people who consume media,” Sanchez said, “I might be like, ‘Well, I have my own agency.’ Just because I like this person’s music doesn’t mean that their politics mean anything to me inherently.” Instead, Sanchez thinks decision-making falls squarely on the consumer, and regardless of the ce-

“

You always have to think on your own because you’re a person. We shouldn’t just have to listen to these people because they’re famous, but at the same time, they do have a responsibility to say something. — Sammy Sanchez ’18

lebrity perspective, it is up to the consumer to make an informed decision. “Everyone in the country definitely has a responsibility to be informed about what’s going on,” Sanchez said. “Otherwise, you’re giving up your power in democracy. If you’re not staying informed, your vote’s not going to be informed, so you may be voting for something you don’t even agree with, and you won’t even know it.” Sanchez thinks there’s still a responsibility on the people involved in the fine arts to send powerful messages through their work, no matter how popular the artist is. “If you made this movie, then you have this thing that speaks for itself,” Sanchez said. “You don’t really just have to take this random celebrity’s word for it that just because they’re famous. I can watch a movie by itself and know what the artist is saying

and why it’s powerful, regardless of his or her celebrity status. If that was made by somebody you didn’t know, you would still have the same power in the same message.” This powerful message is something in which Tony Vincent Fine Arts Department Chair Marion Glorioso believes teachers play an important role, as she, along with her fellow fine arts instructors, urges her students to discover their true purpose through the fine arts. “Finding what it is that you want to express is what we are encouraging our students,” Glorioso said. “I think finding your voice and letting the artwork portray that is the most impactful thing that we can do as teachers.” Glorioso sees fine arts as an invaluable medium for expression, especially in tense social and political climates, and whether it’s drama or painting, she believes fine arts can serve as a voice of discovery in many places. And with a change in campus attitude, where Glorioso, who has been on campus since 2004, has seen students master the basics and learn to think conceptually. Students are challenged to push the limits of normalcy and value their piece’s importance higher than its sheer looks is the next step in increasing fine arts’ relevance to the world. “They are finding imagery and sounds to convey something in a very meaningful way rather than just making something that looks good or making something that’s pretty,” Glorioso said. “We now as artists are willing to sacrifice some of the aesthetic for the meaning, but I’m willing for the final product to be less polished if it says something really impactful.” On a larger scale, Glorioso thinks celebrities have a huge influence on public opinion, as the things they do can determine large-scale public action. “If one prominent celebrity finds an upcomMarion ing artist they think is Glorioso Tony Vincent interesting and producing Fine Arts Department quality work,” Glorioso Chair said, “they start purchasing that art, and they’re seen with that artist and they’re seen with that artwork. Then, that artist will get more exposure. As far as patrons go, celebrities are the most high profile patrons of our time. You see the same thing with clothes. You see the same thing with music.” As for fine artists’ role in politics, Glorioso says the presence of political influence in art doesn’t magnify or diminish its appreciation by the masses as much as the work’s quality. Similar to Sanchez, Glorioso says art can purely be a form of escapism without direct inspiration from current events. “When art is making a political commentary,” Glorioso said, “it is pushed to the forefront of our viewing and our listening, and it gets a lot of publicity. But how well a piece of music is composed doesn’t have to do with whether or not the artist was inspired by a political issue. If you’re truly inspired by that or truly motivated to create something and you’re willing to do all the things that an artist needs to do to create something meaningful and impactful and beautiful, it doesn’t really matter whether the inspiration is a leaf or a politician.”

“

Art, whether it’s visual, music, dance or drama, is an expressive voice. What do you want your ceramics piece to say? What message do you want to send? What do you want the viewer to experience? What are you trying to invoke?” Tony Vincent Fine Arts Department Chair Marion Glorioso

STORY Siddhartha Sinha, Jack Davis ARTWORK Matthew Coleman

Recent major moments when celebrities have used their platforms to influence politics Oct. 7, 2018

One month before the midterm elections, Taylor Swift opens up for the first time and endorses democratic candidates running in Tennessee.

Oct. 22, 2018

A group called Rap Against Dictatorship released a rap music video to attack the political dictatorship in Thailand. The black-and-white video has accumulated over 60 million views

Oct. 28, 2018

Standup Comedian Hasan Minhaj releases his first episode of Patriot Act, a Netflix television series with weekly episodes where he makes political commentary in a comic setting.

Nov. 3, 2018

Showtime airs the first episode of Lebron James’ documentary series, Shut Up and Dribble, about players in the NBA bringing about change and making their own statements.

March 18, 2019

HeadCount, an organization which partners with artists to register voters at concerts, began to register voters at Ariana Grande’s Sweetener tour.

April 4, 2019

Ellen DeGeneres, George Clooney and Elton John lead a boycott of nine hotels owned by the Sultan of Brunei in light of the sultan’s new anti-LGBT law.

culture

THE REMARKER • APRIL 12, 2019

My Instagram

SONIC BRANDING

Behind the tune

A peek into Wesley Hibbs ’17 Instagram account, @hibbsw, where he posts a variety of photos. Here are a few in his own words.

After pursuing a career as a guitarist, Stephen Arnold ’71 finds his niche as one of the earliest pioneers and leaders of the sonic branding industry.

he low hum of a Macintosh. The chapel bells. The clap of thunder. This idea of sound evoking an emotion goes back to our fundamental nature, and under normal circumstances, the average person would dismiss it all without a second thought. But one person, often referred to as “the least known, most heard composer in America,” Stephen Arnold ’71, has built a career by turning letterheads and logos into sounds that we unknowingly hear everyday. From CNN’s The Royal Wedding to Shark Tank to CCTV to countless television, radio and other multimedia stations, Arnold is the man behind the leading sonic branding company, Stephen Arnold Music, that transforms business brands into simple but sophisticated melodies that speak to one of the brain’s most powerful memory senses. ••• Initially striving to pursue a career becoming a rock star on the guitar, Arnold acquired the basic skills for music production while working for free at the United Western Studios before pioneering his own company in sonic branding. Over time, he has created sonic brands for for major TV networks including ABC News, CNN Headline News, Sinclair Broadcasting Group, the Weather Channel and over 380 local stations. “[Companies] are always looking for some identifying musical signature,” Arnold said. “It’s something that when people are on the other side of the room, they hear it and go, ‘oh, that’s the weather channel’ or ‘oh, that’s the morning traffic report.’” With the rise of multimedia platforms, and as the number of sources people get their news from increases, the subtle presence of sonic branding has become a crucial part of advertising. According to Arnold, it’s extremely useful because it can identify a company within seconds. “Sonic branding is like the John Hancock of music,” Arnold said.

“It’s like your musical signature. It’s like the oral equivalent of the graphic logo. But what’s really interesting is that it taps into one of the brain’s most powerful memory senses, and that’s sound.” Arnold’s process is sometimes short and simple or long and complicated depending on the company’s agenda and how much they resonate with his first batch of ideas. After determining the company’s message and objectives, Arnold collects a number of audio samples from different artists, movies or other melodies to create a musical identity for the company. “All of a sudden, they go ‘we like this, this and this,’ and so that immediately gives us a shortcut to what they want us to create,” Arnold said. “Then, at least, we’re in the same musical style book, so to speak, that they’re wanting to do.” Next, Arnold creates several different simple melodies ranging from three to eight notes, usually on a guitar or piano, before refining one that the company feels suitable to their brand. “Many times, there are many steps in between be-

that photo on a trip to Romania with ‘theI took water polo team. We went to Romania for a

LEAST KNOWN, MOST HEARD Isolated in his studio, Stephen Arnold ’71 tests a few simple melodies for an upcoming pitch of a company’s sonic brand.

cause they may not like any of them, and so sometimes we may have to come back with round two and sometimes round three,” Arnold said. On the business side, one of Arnold’s biggest challenges throughout his career has been marketing his musical signatures to the decision-makers and business affairs people. “We’re always having to deal with the challenge where we’re trying to sell to the non-musical business person the value of what a good musical signature or brand will do,” Arnold said. “Often times, music can sort of turn into a commodity because music is so subjective.” Early in his career, one of Arnold’s most important lessons hit him while he was working for the Channel 5 KXAS team in Dallas. It was one of his first jobs, and he thought he had created one of his best melodies. “I played the rough theme I had created to get their feedback,” Arnold said. “And almost simultaneously, one of them said, ‘I don’t really like the beat — the music just isn’t getting it for me.’ The other person said, ‘the lyrics aren’t working for me,’ and the third person said, ‘The melody doesn’t seem like its working.’” The lesson learned by Arnold and the backbone to his success is his belief that an artist shouldn’t take criticism too personally. “In our business, you have to realize that just because somebody criticizes what you’re doing doesn’t devalue your talent,” Arnold said. “In fact, the more that you can not take things personally, the more successful you’re going to be when it comes to doing your musical art.” STORY Jack Davis, Tianming Xie PHOTO Courtesy Stephen Arnold

training trip, and of course, Coach Mihai is from Romania, so he showed us a bunch of the sites around Bucharest, which is where this concert hall is. We actually managed to get in there at a time when there wasn’t anything else going on in the concert hall. This [concert hall] is very, very well known, it’s a very famous place in the city of Bucharest. The room is a ring, and that mural in the background there actually goes around the entire room. And it is a painted history of some of the highlights of Romanian history. It’s one of my favorite photos that I’ve ever done. I managed to get sort of right in the middle there, as I actually took the photo standing on the stage.

So that building, it’s a funny story because I ‘was actually walking back to my car from anoth-

“

In this industry, you’ve got to be able to be a musical chameleon.” Stephen Arnold ’71, President of Stephen Arnold Music

er photo shoot that I did elsewhere in downtown, and I looked up to my right, and saw those guys there on the side of the building. I didn’t really think much of it at the time, but I thought, “You know, maybe something will turn out of this, it can be kind of cool.” So I just lined up, didn’t really think much about it because my mind was on my other project that I was doing, exposed and made the shot. It came out afterwards and as I was looking at it, I was like, “Wow, this is turned out better than expected.” That one out of all of the ones I’ve done gained me recognition through the St. Mark’s photography program. Life throws crazy things at you because I was planning on one thing, and ironically, I didn’t get any good photos from my main project, but then this one turned out completely randomly.

Stephen Arnold Music

1993 year founded

380+ television station clients

core team members Visit website for more information: https://stephenarnoldmusic.com

That is actually the President’s airplane Air ‘Force One, but in this particular shot the call

sign of the plane was Special Air Mission 41 because when I took this photo the plane was carrying George W. Bush. The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum is actually on A&M’s campus and College Station, so as part of this funeral ceremony and all the festivities that went along with that, Special Air Mission 41 did a fly over of College Station. So I went up on the roof of one of the parking garages, and I just lined up and then Air Force One past overhead, did a loop and then flew off into the sunset, quite literally. It was really a picturesque thing, and it was just such a beautiful thing for me as an Aggie, as an American, to see one of the most well respected people of this time of this country’s history being brought arrested at my own school. That was just a very, very special thing, and that was really big for the A&M community.

culture

THE REMARKER • APRIL 12, 2019

FINE ARTS FESTIVAL

Artists in action

Ceramics students showcase at UT Dallas

As students travel to St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in Austin, they reflect on what they hope to get out of the ISAS festival.

LINING UP Five artists — Matthew Raroque, Will Mallick, Darius Ganji, Daniel Wu and Lee Schlosser — represent their craft in a recreation of the Abby Road album cover.

A new perspective through ISAS I just want to see what other people do for art and how they interpret certain things. I know that I’ve only been by myself and I haven’t been exposed to how other people do art. I haven’t seen a lot of people’s art work per se. I’ve just been in a studio taking lessons or classes with several other kids. And I’ve had limited exposure to competitions or even art festivals. I want to see other people’s first, and then I might feel intimidated and be like, “No, I wanna hide.” But I guess some of my work I do want to show. I don’t know if I could show off my art because a lot of people’s work is good, but I do want to show what I can do and see what other people do as well. — sophomore Daniel Wu

A chance for friendly competition with other artists Honestly, I’m really excited because first of all, fine arts are separated so I don’t really get to see what other fine arts produce a lot, and also with photography itself. I see my classmates work, and whenever we submit to contests, we see the winners, but I’ve never really been able to see how my work directly compares to other people at schools in Dallas. We only see the winners. We only see the incredible photos and I’m excited to see everyone else’s work. I’m excited to get my work critiqued. And I’m excited to learn more about all the other fine arts that I don’t do. I am a little nervous, right. There’s always the worry that you’re going to go there and you’re going to show someone your work and they’re not gonna like it. These are subjective, but I’m pretty

confident. St. Mark’s photo program is incredible. I am excited, I think that my work and my peers’ work can compete. — jumior Lee Schlosser

The exciting environment of ISAS ISAS, in my opinion, is probably one of the most fun times for me of the year. The environment is so carefree, and you’re surrounded by so many people from different schools so you get to meet a lot of different people. You’re just going on your own through workshops, attending performances and other stuff, and it really just feels like you’re on like a college campus, going around with your friends and enjoying everything. But I had not really known a lot about [ISAS] going into my freshman year, which was the first year I did that. I had older brothers who experienced ISAS, and they had told me like, “Make sure to go to that! It will be one of the most memorable experiences of your high school career,” and I completely agree with that. So it’s one of the things I look forward to literally every year. — junior Matthew Raroque

The people at ISAS make the experience ISAS is really cool just because of the environment, it makes where it’s all these similar, creative minds coming together where you get to know new people and learn new things, and have all these workshops, and you can kind of build off one another not only from your respective areas schools, but also from that random Kincaid kid who can play the saxophone really well, or something like that.

by Han Zhang eramics pieces from five Upper School students were on display at the University of Texas at Dallas from March 1 through March 24 as a part of the Texas Visual Arts Association’s annual high school art competition, with pieces from juniors Odran Fitzgerald, William Holtby and JD McClain and sophomores Knobel Hunt and Mustafa Latif on exhibition. “There were 1008 pieces entered into the show and only 170 accepted, and I am thrilled that six pieces from St. Mark’s students were accepted into the show,” ceramics teacher Scott Ziegler said. “Students have been working really hard all year long and this was an opportunity for them to see their work on exhibit outside of our campus.” Holtby and Fitzgerald received honorable mentions for their work. Fitzgerald also had two pieces accepted to the show. “The two pieces that got in are a set of bark mugs with wooden handles and a grenade with a rat attached to the top,” Fitzgerald said. “I like the grenade more, simply because it contains more meaning behind it, and I put a lot of thought and design into it.” Fitzgerald is hopeful that his work will be able to inspire change in the community and is excited to see his work on exhibition. “I’m not quite sure what people think of my artwork,” Fitzgerald said, “but I like to see people enjoying my work, and it is extremely rewarding to be able to put an idea into someone’s head so that they can take a piece of my work with them even after they leave.” The students’ next notable exhibition is the ISAS Arts Festival, held April 11-13 in Austin.

So every year there’s this private Allstate audition for jazz band that I’ve been able to get into for the past three years, and this one kid from St. Stephen’s actually, his name’s Cole, who’s an amazing pianist. And it was cool to go and see him perform. Or like this other trumpeter I saw. I saw him perform in this really cool jazz group that had a flute in it, which was awesome. And just seeing all of these people you might have seen around from your respective art at this event and being able to see other schools’ really cool art is awesome.— senior Darius Ganji

The value of putting a smile on everyone’s faces Choir and doing plays and musicals and stuff has always been a safe haven for me almost. Whereas it’s a place where I can go and get away from everything else going on around school or whatever. And just like get away for a minute and do what I love. And so, for me, I like to think that everyone else that’s involved in ISAS has that same passion. I say this a lot to my friends and stuff, but my favorite part of like doing the arts and stuff is making myself happy while also bringing a smile to other people’s faces. And so I like to think that that’s what everyone else likes to, and so to me ISAS is basically an arts festival, but everyone that’s involved is trying to make you happy, whether it’s through singing, dancing, acting, painting, photography, ceramics, all this different stuff. So that’s why it’s so important to me as I like seeing other people trying to bring a smile to other people’s faces. — junior Will Mallick

150

Students and Teachers

Fine Arts

Schools

STORY Luke Piazza, Han Zhang PHOTO Jerry Zhao

Headliners Keep an eye out for these upcoming release, concert and drop dates.

VIDEO GAMES

CONCERTS

MOVIES

ALBUMS Interview Luke Piazza

World War Z Mortal Kombat 11 Days Gone

Release date

April 16 April 23 April 26

Gucci Mane Snow Patrol JMBLYA

Concert date

April 12 April 18 May 3

Missing Link Penguins Avengers: Endgame

Release date

April 12 April 19 April 26

Drop date

Map of the Soul: Persona, BTS April 12 Social Cues, Cage the Elephant April 19 Father of the Bride, Vampire Weekend May 3

buzz

THE REMARKER • APRIL 12, 2019

Spring into Easter prepared There are few things as versatile as an Easter basket. Maybe there’s someone special who you want to express your love to in Easterthemed glory. No matter what the situation is, however, you’re going to want the best, freshest ingredients. We got you covered.

W N

o Easter basket is complete without Peeps. There’s just something about taking a marshmallow and dipping it in pure sugar that just ends up tasting so good. We originally got the blue marshmallows because we thought they were blue raspberry peeps, but unfortunately fruit Peeps have not yet hit the market. Either way, the marshmallow poultry are absolutely delicious.

ay attention— this chocolatey Easter feature is essential to enjoying the spring festivities. Now, it’s easy to play it safe. Go for the solid chocolate, normal looking bunny. If you’re anything like us, though, you want your Easter basket to be as daring as it is delicious. For those people, we present Lil’ Crispy. You can probably guess that this no ordinary bunny just by looking into his eyes, and you would be correct. Lil’ Crispy is a delightful mix of both chocolate and a lil something else to add a crunch.

uncan, why are there little carrots all over the Easter basket? I would have though you learned from the jelly bean carrot—not everything is as it seems. These are no ordinary baby carrot, they are chocolate. Gasp. In addition, we picked up a couple of chocolate eggs. Each one is individually wrapped, and while that’s a pain—they are worth it.

e get it — you’re looking for a shoulder to cry on this Easter. This bunny, who we’ve aptly named Chester, is guaranteed to check all the boxes for any stuffed animal connoisseur — soft, cute, big ears — eyecandy for the dieting. I could keep naming incredible qualities, but that would just take up time you should be using getting in your car and buying all this stuff.

e know what you’re thinking: “Duncan, CJ, I want my Easter basket to be full of candy, not vegetables!” Here’s the kicker, though — the carrot isn’t actually a carrot. It’s made of — drum roll please — Jelly Beans. Big reveal. As extra as they may seem, Chester thinks otherwise, and you will too once you taste these beauties.

magine a normal, delicious lollipop. Good. Now pour sugar on it, make it colorful and make it resemble some kind of colored egg. Bam, instant Easter basket addition. Not only is this item a must have for anyone who likes eggshaped things, but its good. It just is. It’s a good lollipop. Trust us. We bought two. We also ate said two. Don’t worry one bit, there are plenty of colors to choose from.

Community Service Spring Drive With the annual spring drive concluding April 15, here are the items the bag will feature:

• Spring grass • Coloring book w/ Crayons • Plastic eggs with candy • Small toy • Stuffed animal

• Chocolate bunny • Toothpaste and Toothbrush • Travel-size lotion • Chapstick • Travel-size hand wipes

STORY Duncan Kirstein, CJ Crawford ARTWORK Duncan Kirstein

A shining example of great sushi, Tei-An delivers excellent service and even better food by Kamal Mamdani, Paxton Scott ei-An immediately stands out because of the acute attention to detail. As soon as we walked in, we were greeted by the host who took us to our seats. The ambiance provided for an intimate dining experience: dim lighting, tenebrous furniture and hospitable wait staff. For a high-end restaurant, the staff was unusually welcoming to two teenagers. They were incredibly knowledgeable about each dish, walking us through every decision we were considering. The staff exemplified “omotenashi,” the Japanese word for an intense amount of care and attention for every single customer that sets foot in the restaurant. We started with the lightly fried salted shashito pepper served on a cold stone plate. That was followed by edamame served on a tightly-woven bamboo strainer. After the appetizers came the

sashimi premium, the head chef’s selection of their bi-weekly importation of fish from the Kyushu island of Japan — the southernmost Japanese island — known for its clear waters and amazingly fresh fish. The dish came with 18 pieces ranging from salmon to oysters to luxurious blackfin tuna (because bluefish tuna are endangered, and Tei-An strives to be eco-conscious). After the light and delicate flavors of the sashimi came the meatier and bolder dishes. First up were the shumai dumplings, served in a laquered wooden box with a spicy Japanese mustard and a vinegar-based dumpling sauce. Craving sushi again, we ordered their round of the lightly torched kagoshima wagyu beef sushi and salmon nigiri, both hand pressed on delicate beds of vinegar rice. Next, we ordered spicy tuna oshizushi, cut down into cubes placed on vinegar rice. The hint of spice didn’t overpower the tuna, and added some flair. It was

perfectly mild for the dish and complimented the dish well. Then they brought out the most famous dish at Tei-An: the delicately handmade soba noodles, served chilled on a bamboo mat alongside a soy-dashi dipping broth. One is suggested to dip the noodles into the dipping broth and quickly slurp them up to introduce air, as one does with a fine wine. The final entree was a curry rice made with seared short ribs, braised in a curry sauce with a multitude of spices and vegetables for 12 hours. The dish consisted of a large piece of short rib and a carefully formed mountain of steamed rice along with a poached egg. It was at this point we knew we ordered too much, but we couldn’t stop eating. For dessert, they brought out a traditional order of mochi, a sticky rice ball filled with red bean paste. At the end, we struggled to even look at the dish, but it was impossible to resist. Throughout the meal, the wait staff

was incredibly helpful, keeping the table clean and constantly refilling our water. Overall, the fanciful melody of flavors provided for a culinary wonderland we have never experienced before in the occident.

JAPANESE CUISINE Spicy tuna oshizushi is served with a light salad, mound of garlic and a hint of wasabi.

editorials

remarker STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF ST. MARK’S SCHOOL OF TEXAS. 10600 PRESTON ROAD DALLAS, TEXAS 75230 214.346.8000

College admissions scandals reveals need for perspective during the process The status of getting into prestigious colleges often clouds judgment.

editor in chief KAMAL MAMDANI

managing editors PARKER DAVIS SAHIT DENDEKURI LYLE OCHS

head photographer KYLE SMITH

assignments editor JAMES ROGERS

creative directors JAHAZIEL LOPEZ MICHAEL LUKOWICZ

communications director CJ CRAWFORD

opinions editors CONNOR PIERCE WALLACE WHITE

opinions specialist DUNCAN KIRSTEIN

10600, culture editors SAM AHMED TIANMING XIE

discoveries editor MATTHEW ZHANG

focus editors

NATHAN HAN CHRISTOPHER WANG

issues editors

ISHAN GUPTA SID VATTAMREDDY

sports editors COLIN CAMPBELL AARON THORNE

perspectives editor SAM GOLDFARB

diversions editor ANDY CROWE

graphics director MATTHEW COLEMAN

copy editors

ERIC HIRSCHBRICH DYLAN LIU

research director NICK WALSH

THE REMARKER • APRIL 12, 2019

n the midst of their well-deserved Spring Breaks, Marksmen and their families, along with the entire country, received news of the largest college admissions scandal in the nation’s history. The allegations, which accuse many celebrities including actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, were released by federal authorities and consist of bribing college entrance exam officials, bribing coaches to designate applicants as recruited athletes, having ACT or SAT exams taken by third parties and creating falsified applications bolstered by concealed payments. Many of the nation’s most prestigious universities were included in the illegal operation, in which many parents paid anywhere from $200,000 to $6.5 million in order to have their The recent college admission bribery scandal — involving some of Hollywood’s most notable stars — has brought to light the power of wealth and influence in academic institutions.

children admitted to these universities. So far, 33 parents and 13 associates of Rick Singer, the man apparently at the center of the scandal, have been charged. While the illegality and crime associated with the scandal certainly feel disconnected from the college admissions processes that take place on our campus, we feel that the scandal can provide an important reminder to our students and families. At the heart of the scandal is the desire to use higher education as a means to receive social acclaim and status, a phenomenon known as “commoditization.” As a school attempting to give young men sufficient training in manhood and college preparation, we believe it is important to emphasize the former as seniors hear back from universities and juniors begin their college application process. While the name of a school or the rank of said school can appear attractive, it is vital that the fit and details of the school take priority. Life does not end

upon gaining admission to a certain university, and it is not worth sacrificing four years, and perhaps even a lifetime, of happiness for the shallow and superficial meaning attached to the name of school. This isn’t to say these prestigious colleges should be outright avoided, as they have served as a place of tremendous growth, education and home for many Marksmen throughout our school’s history. But it is our belief that college admissions can become a dangerous game, as evident by this scandal, when families distinguish only a small sample size of universities as acceptable for their boys to attend. We urge students and their families to step back and take a deep breath when it comes to college admissions. With the right attitude and passion, any university can set up a lifetime of professional and personal happiness. It is not about where we go to college, but rather what we do there and how we apply the academic and life lessons learned during our tenures at 10600 Preston Rd.

business manager PAXTON SCOTT

staff writers

ALAM ALIDINA, WILLIAM ANIOL, TREVOR CROSNOE, JACK DAVIS, MATEO GUEVARA, RAJAN JOSHI, JAMIE MAHOWALD, HENRY MCELHANEY, LUKE NAYFA, CRISTIAN PEREIRA, LUKE PIAZZA, ROBERT POU, COOPER RIBMAN, SIDDHARTHA SINHA, PAUL SULLIVAN, SAI THIRUNAGARI, ERIC YOO, HAN ZHANG

artists

COLE ARNETT

photographers

BLAKE BROOM, COLLIN KATZ, ADNAN KHAN, RYAN MCCORD, TYLER NUSSBAUMER, KATHAN RAMNATH, WILL ROCCHIO, CHARLIE ROSE, CHARLIE RUBARTH, DANIEL SANCHEZ, LEE SCHLOSSER, ROHIT VEMURI

adviser

RAY WESTBROOK

headmaster DAVID W. DINI

opinions and editorials

Editorials represent the viewpoints of the newspaper’s Editorial Board and 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 not necessarily those of The ReMarker, Board of Trustees, administration, faculty or staff.

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Each issue of The ReMarker, along with archival copies, can be viewed on the school’s website, www.smtexas. org/remarker.

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Off-campus speakers should return in chapel

Perspectives from outside our community can only benefit our school discussion.

n recent tradition, guest speakers from outside of the St. Mark’s community have appeared during Upper School chapel and presented the weekly homily. These speakers have ranged from presenters for religious holidays from a variety of different faith traditions such as a rabbi for Rosh Hashanah to visionaries such as Dr. Michael Sorrell, president of Paul Quinn College, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The Upper School student body and faculty have genuinely appreciated these off-campus speakers, as they have served to offer fresh, diverse perspectives that aren’t always available through speakers from the campus. Additionally, beyond offering these varying perspectives, the off-campus speakers have also broken the routine of weekly chapel services, offering a break from the valued but sometimes repetitive typical service. While these off-campus speakers have been appreciated in the past, this school year has seen the end of those speakers appearing in chapel. As of publication, no one from outside the school community has appeared in chapel this year. While some on-campus speakers have presented homilies this year, no presenter not affiliated with St. Mark’s has spoken during Upper School chapel. Granted, administrators say the potential still exists for

FROM THE PODIUM Off-campus speakers frequently bring refreshing and unique perspectives to chapel. Without them, the Upper School community may miss out on new viewpoints.

off-campus speakers to speak by the end of the year, but according to the Chapel Council, no off-campus visitors are currently scheduled to speak at this time. We understand that there are numerous valid reasons for this absence of off-campus speakers in chapel — speakers are often difficult to find. Additionally, there are a variety of factors administrators and the Chapel Council must consider when deciding whether to invite a speaker from outside the St. Mark’s community to give the homily. We believe the Chapel Council and administrators must work to ensure that in the future, diverse speakers from beyond the St. Mark’s commu-

nity appear in chapel to offer their wide-ranging perspectives on the world. These people’s experiences — and different faiths, beliefs and values — can add so much to chapel and to our broader campus discussion. Whether these speakers appear for special holidays or just to offer a break from the still-appreciated routine, their perspectives are simply indispensable. We fully understand the reasons behind the lack of off-campus speakers in chapel this year. However, we firmly believe that by finding a way to include these presenters every Wednesday, chapel will be enriched, and the entire St. Mark’s community will stand to benefit because of it.

editorials/opinions

THE REMARKER • APRIL 12, 2019

STAFF EDITORIAL

Administrators should consider late night on-campus study options

n the waning hours of the day after students get out of their athletics or other obligations at 6 p.m., many students go home to get started on a long night of homework. As many students know, however, not all study areas are created equal, and indeed, none are comparable to the campus itself. The campus provides a great place to study during the day, but we think that those same benefits of productivity can be extended to after-school hours. A regulated dedicated study location, such as Graduate Hall, would greatly benefit the community. It would be a productive and advantageous step to institute on-campus study options for after-school hours. We believe giving the students the

option to study late on campus during 6 p.m to 8 p.m in Graduate Hall with a supervisor will make students more productive and save time on the commute for students that live far-away just to start on homework. For example, Jesuit allows students the option to go to a silent, dedicated study area that is supervised from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Since their sports run at various times like 8 p.m in some extreme cases instead of our 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. allotment, it helps students to get work done. We urge the administration to employ a policy similar that accommodates the school environment. When after-school athletics and other activities get out, they sometimes extend past 6 p.m. In these events, students

have less and less time to do homework because of the time to drive home, eat dinner and get started. With on-campus options, it would allow students to get to work right out of sports in an optimal designated study place. There are many concerns to an idea such as this, including worries over student behavior after-hours, and finding an appropriate location that would be secure and provide a productive study environment. Ideally, there would be a rotation of school-approved proctors that might consist of faculty members or fully vetted adults to come in and oversee students. Students who cause disruptions or trouble should immediately lose the privilege.

In order to keep the system sustainable, it would be best to employ a variety of faculty members or well-vetted adults to keep rotations fresh and stress low for proctors. A location that is most appropriate for study would be ideal, in tandem with making it easy for a proctor to spot any behavior that would disrupt quiet study. The benefits of a program like this would be great for students. It would not only benefit students with long commutes, but it would also guarantee an optimal study environment for those who need it. With better study places come better grades and better overall academic performance. And isn’t that a big part of why we are here?

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Long practices are not endemic of all coaches and require more context Dear Editor: I am writing in response to the editorial page titled “Coaches must keep practices to alloted time.” While I have little doubt the piece was written with the best intentions, the delivery does not do the subject justice. Throughout the article there is a general reference to “coaches” which implies that the issue at hand is ram-

pant in all sports. Are we to believe that the problem is widespread? I am quite mindful of the time I am alloted to play and train, remaining cognizant of the demands placed on our student-athletes (emphasis on student). I do not believe I am alone. To my recollection, I have never been interviewed by any members of your staff to discuss the length of my

From arithmetic to algebra to calculus

ne indelible childhood memory has intermittently replayed itself in my mind more times than I can count. At nine years old, on my way to Ms. Materre’s fourth grade class for the very first time, I distinctly remember telling my parents, “I’ll try out St. Mark’s for a year. Just to see how it is.” Evidently, my “oneyear experience” defined my community for the next eight. I never anticipated so quickly taking root in such a vibrant community. Every morning of math in Homeroom C, I would aspire to out-compute Roshan Vemu’s lightning-fast division skills—I wasn’t used to such formidable competition, but that’s exactly what I needed. As math progressed from arithmetic to algebra to calculus, the same aspect of constructive challenge pushed me to match my peers, one concept after the other. If I went back a few years and took a glance at my calculus homework, I’d have probably wondered what foreign language was mixed in with the numbers. For the past nine years—half of my life so far—I’ve exploited every opportunity to consistently push my time management to its farthest limits, reaping every benefit

along the way. From fledgling advisee to Telos counselor, exuberant camper to insightful Sherpa and first-time Spanish Club member to Spanish Club President, my journey has taken me on paths I had merely glimpsed on the horizon as a curious middle schooler. I’ve battled alongside brothers in classrooms, pools, and race courses, each time finding inspiration in every single person striving alongside me to achieve excellence, regardless of the class or activity. The mentorship of older students and overall development of our grade fomented my fruition into a blue-shirt-wearing senior with responsibilities I’m now delighted to undertake.

Michael Lukowicz Creative Director

And now, nothing gives me more pride than sharing my accumulated advice—even with someone so much younger like my second-grade buddy, Timmy, who is still small enough to ride on my shoulders. Yes, I’ve imagined myself at all sorts of schools, and the first thing

that comes to my mind is always the time I’d have used to do anything besides endure long nights of reading and annotations after WebAssign after ingraining years of history into my mind. I’ve imagined times when time spent practicing for sports could’ve been replaced by extra time to get a head start on homework—whose quantity itself reminds me of a related rates problem—or just relax, for once. But no matter where I might imagine ending up, I wouldn’t change a thing about my experience or destination. Despite all the stories and complaints I’ve heard over the years based on the latently warm-hearted rivalry of siblings, I’ve always wished for one a little brother of my own. I’ve heard it from every other grade before me, but now, at last, I’ll feel the surge of pride that comes with graduating alongside 93 of my own brothers. Of course I anticipate moving onto the next stage of my life. And of course I’ll miss the daily presence of my peers, my unconditionally supportive parents and my whole community dearly. Whatever happens in my future, I’m determined to carry my St. Mark’s experience as far as it will guide my future. Wherever I may go, I’ll remember 10600.

training sessions; nor have they been observed to determine if the sessions regularly extend beyond their alloted time. I encourage your staff to check with the players in my program as well as the players in other programs. Your staff brings up a very important topic that merits strong consideration within our community; however, writing in such generalities dilutes the issue.

Greater specificity in your editorial would make your commentary more pertinent and lead to initiatives that would serve to advocate for our student-athletes. Otherwise, rhetoric that could carry genuine meaning becomes little more than idle pontification. Sincerely, Cory Martin

Around the

Quad Students and faculty share their opinions on issues in the news and around campus.

Q: Should the school provide

assistance and/or guidance to students looking to pursue internships?

think that the school ‘ Ishould prepare us for

should to an ‘ They extent, but in some

life after school. If we don’t know what to do after college, that’s not good. Ricky Rodriguez junior

‘

places it should be on the student to take initiative. Reid Fundis Sophomore

In order to expose students to various career options and paths they might not immediately consider, we must help them. Veronica Pulido Director of college

support ‘ School would undoubtedly benefit students. the school already promotes involvement in internships via alumni. Sahitya Senapathy junior

internships ‘ No, are really meant

for college and specific studies. Students shouldn’t specialize too early. Ayush Saha senior

are often told ‘ We that the school

has a great network, but we aren’t given good tools to navigate it. David Vallejo senior

because it ‘ Yes, give invaluable experience in navigating real-world problems. Max Wang senior

‘

The school should provide some way to pursue activities over the summer. The method wouldn’t matter, but some way would be good. Mason Rareshide junior

opinions

To all underclassmen: don’t make senior year a chore; instead, make it a year you will remember forever

o all underclassmen: I want to dispel some of the myths and common misconceptions of senior year before you go through it. From experience, I can promise you that the “senior slide,” “senioritis” or whatever nomenclature you prefer to describe the lack of school work and effort that is characterized by senior year is an illusion. I would even hazard to argue that senior year has been my hardest year at 10600 Preston Rd. And yes, grades do still matter. The teachers don’t back off on homework amounts and test frequencies, and your time only becomes more compressed as leadership positions dominate your free time when you are not working on college applications. It’s a time crunch with little time for reflection on the quickly passing final days and months. Sometimes we get so caught up in the moment with work we lose the opportunity to really think about our time here. Those points of realization come at random times. They do not creep up on you gradually but rather pounce on you when you least expect it. For me, it happened when I was

turning onto campus on a regular Tuesday morning, and it happened after my last soccer game among other times. These moments are an intense experience with vast amounts of repressed emotions bubbling up to the surface all at one time, and my advice is to steer into it. Let the emotions and Lyle memOchs Managing ories Editor wash over you and reflect over your time here. Times like that do not come often so appreciate them. Another common misconception of senior year that I was told about as an underclassman is the “special feel” of this final year. It was supposed to be a constant feeling of pride and honor that comes with wearing the blue shirt, but this is not the case. I will agree that senior year does feel different, but it is almost too easy to forget you are wearing a blue shirt and to take it all for granted. I have often found myself giving in to the tedium and workload of the

week and acting as if I will be back next year, but this is obviously not the case as my days are numbered here. So hopefully I can leave some advice behind in hopes that everyone’s else’s senior year is just that much better My final piece of advice is to avoid losing that senior feeling by preventing yourself from getting wrapped up in the monotony of a regular day. Watch a movie, play chess in the senior lounge or eat dinner with your family. I’m not saying blow off your homework but take time to relieve stress and think about the future instead of focusing on what is due tomorrow, or what test you got to study for. All work and no play is no way to have a senior year. Senior year will come faster than you realize it, underclassmen, and it will pass even faster. Take advantage of it while you can. Remember that senior year is about more than just getting into college and doing well in your first or second trimesters. It’s an opportunity to expand your horizons and make your mark at 10600 Preston Road.

The report card

Thoughts on happenings around campus Guest ethos speaker

Lt. Col. Matt Byrd engaged student and faculty alike with his perspectives on aviation and time with the Blue Angels. We thank the Ethos team for their efforts.

SAGE consistency

A+

Hot chocolate with morning coffee The sweet hot chocolate in addition to coffee in the mornings has been more than a welcome addition to Marksmen and faculty’s mornings.

A B-

BVU track meet attendance Although many students showed up to cheer on the Lions, the attendance didn’t match the massive significance of the event. Students should make an effort to come out to support the track team.

We thank SAGE dining services for providing consistently good food for us at lunchtime. Recently, students have enjoyed great food on a daily basis.

Tardiness to chapel Students have been walking into chapel late recently. We encourage students to be mindful of time and make sure to get to the chapel by 10:30 a.m.

C-

Junior stress levels The third trimester for juniors has only seen a monumental increase in stress. Juniors see their free time slowly turning into work, in addition to college counseling.

THE REMARKER • APRIL 12, 2019

It’s all about the small things

ere, the mentality of students and teachers always goes a little like this: “What have you accomplished? What have you done to make this community a better place? From now on, what will you accomplish? And how are you going to leave your mark on the century-old legacy of 10600 Preston Rd., the past that governs our future?” As a managing editor for the newspaper, as a co-chair of McDonald’s Week, as a member of the Telos program, those questions have helped guide me through my four years in high school. But even as I have asked myself those questions over and over again, trying to figure out the big picture of my high school career, I feel like some of the smaller things have slipped through the cracks. I wouldn’t call these regrets. Instead, I’ll just call them the things I wish I’d done. 1. Pick up trash I remember walking back from lunch one morning in Middle School and watching Mr. Holtberg (former Headmaster Arnie Holtberg) slowly walking toward the cafeteria, looking left and right, zig-zagging to pick up a few pieces of paper and plastic blowing lightly around the quad. And over the course of the past four years, I’ve seen Mr. Dini (Headmaster David Dini) do the same thing multiple times. But this isn’t just about Parker picking up trash. It’s about Davis Managing the fact that everyone can editor and should take care of St. Mark’s — and everyone who is a part of this community — as much as we can. Whether you’re a first-grader or a senior, it doesn’t matter. If the headmaster can pick up trash, so can you. It took me far too long to realize that. 2. Look beyond my grade The two pieces of the my experience that I think embody St. Mark’s the most have been athletics and journalism. In the publications suite and on the volleyball court and baseball field, I’m never surrounded only by members of the Class of 2019. During late newspaper work nights, juniors and seniors are all in it together, working countless hours with the goal of producing the best newspaper possible. It’s exactly the same during the daily practices in the fall and spring, except, in that case, we’re working toward an SPC championship. Whether we accomplish our goal or fall short, we always find ourselves closer than when we began, having created bonds that stretch over the boundaries of grade level. Often, I find myself wishing I did more of that, taking advantage of more opportunities that would have allowed me to branch out to get to know more of the Marksmen that came before me and after me. Because, in the end, we’re united by one simple fact: we’re all Marksmen, bound by the tradition and brotherhood we formed at 10600 Preston Rd. While these are just a couple of the things I wish I had done more of, there’s very little of my time at St. Mark’s I could ever say I would change, especially my time on The ReMarker. And while I was told I couldn’t make this column the stereotypical sentimental thank you, I’d be remiss if I didn’t break the rules for just one time. To everyone on The ReMarker staff — especially my fellow Jefes — thank you for making the publications suite feel like home, from the first day of second period J1 to the last production week Thursday night.

An hour-long drive to 10600 Preston Road, and why I wouldn’t have it any other way

ifty minutes. The time it takes from Frisco to 10600 Preston Road on a day with normal tollway traffic. The time it takes for a quick 30-minute nap plus an extra 20-minutes to finish my English reading (sorry Mr. Stanbury). And the time it takes for my mom to get through exactly ½ of her Bollywood playlist on Spotify, the other half was saved for the ride back. She’s driven the same route for the past eight years. Twice a day. There and back. On weekdays and weekends. In fact, she’s gotten so good at it she even claims she can drive it blind. I’ve always wondered what compelled her to give up her career. Her aspirations. And her goals to send me to this school. Wondered if she saw something here that I’d missed. After all, what makes this place so special? Is it the academics? The prestige? Or the resources? Now, after eight years here, it all makes sense... ••• It’s 10:00 pm in the middle of produc-

tion week, when everything that can possibly go wrong has gone wrong: missing photos, incomplete stories, and corrupted design files. But we’re still jamming to Blank Space and laughing about Michael “declaring bankruptcy” in the Office (the real fans know). Laughing through that Joe test we have to study for. Laughing through that Song of Solomon essay we have to write. We help each other stay afloat, as the ground beneath us sinks. It’s these moments of bonding over our shared challenges. These moments of laughter amid the chaos that have made every moment I’ve spent here worth it. ••• December 16th. That day it felt like my whole world had collapsed on me. Months of work poured into my application essays. Years of work inside and outside the classroom reduced to a simple… The Admissions Committee has deferred a decision on your application until spring. I didn’t know how I’d make it through

the next few months, grinding out apps, and keeping my grades up, without completely breaking down. At lunch, I opened up my laptop to find a message from Waseem Nabulsi ‘18 on my screen. I hadn’t spoken to Waseem much while he was here, so I wondered why he had messaged me of all people. Why he had gone out of his way to reach out to me. Hey Sahit, I’m really sorry that you got Sahit deferred. Dendekuri The mesManaging editor sage went on to offer invaluable advice and su pport. Looking back on it, it was the only reason I didn’t give up on the whole process right then and there. ••• I remember walking into Dr. Steg’s office to talk to him about some assignment. But, in typical Steg fashion, we ended up

going off on a tangent. And another tangent. And another tangent after that. An hour had gone by, and we were still just talking. About life. How am I doing? What are my goals? How could he help me achieve those goals? And so much more. Just like every other teacher here, he was deeply invested in my development and growth on the path to manhood, and, after that conversation, I stopped looking at my teachers as teachers. To me, they are so much more than that. ••• So, thank you mom for driving over 200,000 miles just to send me here. Thank you Kamal, Parker, Lyle and the rest of the Class of 2019 for making the last eight years a sweet memory. Thank you Waseem, Zach, Davis, and all my mentors who’ve shown me the way. Thank you Dr. Steg, Ray, Sr. Correa, and all of my teachers for going above and beyond to help me grow into the best version of myself possible. I don’t know what I did to deserve this. To deserve you, St. Mark’s.

sports

THE REMARKER • APRIL 12, 2019

NFL HUMANITARIAN

Outside the lines Sam Acho ‘07 has achieved many things on the football field, but what fans don’t know is that off the field, Acho spends his time serving the community and bringing health and wellness to the country of Nigeria. Although Acho is one of many professional athletes who has had an impact on the world beyond atheltics, Sullivan doesn’t believe their responsibility is any different than non-athletes. “I don’t think it is more their responsibility than any of our responsibility,” Sullivan said. “Particularly those of us who are in a community like this, that are privileged by nature. Some of us make more money than others, but we all live in an environment of privilege. Its incumbent on all of us to give back based on what is right for us.”

ALL SMILES Sam Acho ’07 (left) and his brother Emmanuel Acho ’08 (right) spend time with children in Nigeria at their family’s charity network, Living Hope Christian Ministries.

am Acho ’07 walked with parents in a community in Nigeria. Even though his parents had grown up in Nigeria, it was Acho’s first time there. Fifteen-year-old Acho looked around him and was shocked to see kids who had nothing. He met a boy who was also 15, but to Acho, he looked like he was nine, malnourished and unhealthy. It made no sense to him. Why did he get a privileged life in the United States, while this boy, who was the same age as him, was forced to live in Nigeria with no food and no access to doctors? That day, Acho decided he was going to do something about it. That day, Acho decided he was going to help these people in Nigerians and bring them closer to living healthy lives. Even when Acho got the opportunity to pursue his love for the game of football at a college, and then professional level, Acho kept that trip to Nigeria in his mind. He always made sure it was a priority of his to serve others. ••• For NFL player and humanitarian Acho, serving the community has always been a central part of his life and his family. “Before I even started serving on my own, I would see my parents serve every summer,” Acho said. “I would see my parents go to Nigeria, and spend about two weeks there, and they would do this medical mission trip. They would go sacrifice their time and take off work and go with about 30 other doctors and nurses and medical professionals and go and spend two weeks in Nigeria serving people.” Athletic Director Mark Sullivan believes Acho’s family life while he was younger is the most prominent factor in Acho’s drive to better his community. “When you look at the way he was raised, he was raised in a family that always focuses somewhat on

community service.” Sullivan said. “Sam’s parents are doctors, and they have built a hospital in their home country, so Sam and his brother Emmanuel [Acho ’08] were both taught to serve and give back to others.” Back in the United States, Acho’s college football days at the University of Texas further fueled his passion for impacting the lives of those less fortunate than him.

“

I remember in high school, we had our service opportunities, community service but it didn’t really hit home for me until I went on this trip with my parents to Nigeria. — Sam Acho ’07 “When I was at the University of Texas before our games on Saturdays, we would do these community service events on Fridays,” Acho said. “On Friday mornings, we would go to one of the children’s hospitals and go and visit some of the patients. I just always remember the joy that those kids had just seeing a college player come and visit them. And so, for me, even when I wasn’t going to Nigeria, even just going to the local hospital, to put a smile on a kid’s face meant a lot.” Along with the impact of his family, Sullivan credits the emphasis on community service at the school as another factor in Acho’s commitment to helping others. “When you couple a family like the Acho’s and the community service emphasis we have here at St. Mark’s, then you are going to produce kids that by nature are more willing to serve,” Sullivan said. Over 20 years ago, Acho’s parents, native Nigerians, started a nonprofit organization called Living Hope Christian Ministries in Nigeria. Acho’s mother, a Doctor of Nursing

STORY Aaron Thorne, Luke Nayfa PHOTOS Courtesy Sam Acho

Practice, and his father, a pastor, started the ministry that would bring together groups of medical professionals to serve. “My mom and dad saw that people in Nigeria were suffering and dying needless deaths,” Acho said. “Dying from an illness or an insect bite are just some condition that a trip to a local Walgreens could cure. They decided to start something and start this mission trip, this ministry that would get doctors and nurses, surgeons and dentists, pharmacists and pediatricians and the whole deal together to go and serve.” Acho, who has played eight seasons in NFL between the Arizona Cardinals and the Chicago Bears, has thoroughly enjoyed his time in the league, and despite the hard work, he has had the privilege of seeing his work pay off while doing something he loves. “You play a game for a living, which is awesome,” Acho said. “You get to experience so many different things. And so many doors are open, but it’s a lot of hard work. When you get a chance to have a winning season or go to the playoffs or just see the culture of the team change, that’s when you know that it’s paid off.” Despite the extensively successful football career Acho has had, as a kid, playing high-level football wasn’t necessarily something he expected to do. Now, Acho uses that to fuel his desire to fulfill every opportunity that he has, both on the field and off. “I just remember watching the NFL or even college football, and never thinking that could really be me,” Acho said. “And so when I finally got the opportunity, it just didn’t really seem real. And so I said ‘okay, I want to maximize this. I want to make the most of this because who knows how long it will last.’ For me, it was like, every opportunity I got, try and make an impact. You never know when it can be taken away.”

After being released from the Bears’ roster in early March, Sam Acho finds himself in a point of transition. However, Acho sees this as an opportunity to see what doors open for him for the next step of his life, whether that be football or something else. “[My future] could be in speaking, because that’s one thing I really love and I really enjoy so it could be doing that, it could be still playing football, and God might open up a different door, something different that I never would have thought of or expected, and that might be the path,” Acho said. “I don’t know yet, but I’m just going to continue to walk through the doors that open and just continue to see what’s next.” Acho has won numerous awards during his playing days. He was awarded the Campbell Trophy in 2010, given to the most dedicated scholar-athlete in college football, nominated as the Bears’ NFL Man of the Year for his commitment to community service and performance on the field in 2016-2017, and named as a football All-American multiple times as well. However, for Acho, the awards he wins aren’t his lasting memories. “That’s not the stuff that I remember so it doesn’t really mean too much to me,” Acho said. “What means more to me is the impact that I can have on people’s lives. When I think about these awards, they’re cool to get, but at the same time, I want to make an impact on somebody’s life whereas an award or a trophy you can keep in your closet. But if you touch somebody’s life, that’s forever.”

BEAST MODE Playing for the Chicago Bears, linebacker Sam Acho holds up the ball after recovering a defensive turnover.

sports

THE REMARKER • APRIL 12, 2019

STARTING FROM SCRATCH

Building a powerhouse

Search begins for new Athletic Director

When Mihai Oprea arrived on campus in 1996, the water polo program didn’t exist. More than twenty years later, things have changed.

t’s 2001. There are three water polo teams in North Texas. For the first time under head coach Mihai Oprea, the Lions have qualified for the state tournament. A powerhouse in the 1970s, the program has emerged from non-existence and once again surged to the forefront in Texas. But, the score of their first game of the tournament? A 38-1 loss. Yet, less than 20 years later, the team has accrued five Texas state titles. “We’ve been the dominant power in the state for this decade,” Oprea said. The metrics back his statement up. But it didn’t happen overnight. ••• When athletic director Mark Sullivan started at 10600 Preston Rd., a water polo team existed on campus, but continual travel matched with decreasing interest led to the abolition of the program in the late 1980s. A decade later, in 1996, then athletic director Tim Walsh called upon a Romanian working at the local Four Seasons to reinstitute the program. That man was Mihai Oprea, and he accepted and essentially started from scratch. “I volunteered some time and had about four or five guys, and we did something that resembles water polo,” Oprea said. “We started to build on those few guys and eventually we started a club. We started in the fall, and right at that time we were the only high school club in North Texas. Then in 1999 Richardson High School started a club and Denton also started a program, so now the three of us had clubs but we had no recognition for state or varsity.” As more and more students be-

T LEADING THE PACK Laser focused, Oprea sits and attends to his 2019 squad (right) and stands behind his state champion 2015 team (left).

came interested in the sport, the program developed likewise. Between that fateful 38-1 loss and Opera’s first State title in 2009, the year in which Water Polo was once again deemed a varsity sport, the Lions made several top ten finishes in the state. With the success came even more interest in the sport across all ages of Marksmen. This created impetus for a St. Mark’s Water Polo Club, now called “Trident.” Sullivan attributes a lot of the team’s success to the foundation this club lays for young Lion polo players. “It took some time,” Sullivan said. “There’s a lot of reasons why they’ve been successful, and to point at just one would be inaccurate. But one of those is the youth program. Typically, our aquatics kids swim and play water polo. So they’re in the pool naturally and in the pool for two out of three seasons of the year. The Trident water polo club starts the kids so early that by the time they’ve reached high school they’ve played water polo for several years. That’s an advantage over many of the teams we play.” Oprea attributes part the program’s rise to dominance to the coaching staff, including his wife. “It was the work of all of our coaches,” Oprea said. “Starting with my wife, she moved from cross country and track into water polo, and she put so much work into kids in their Middle School years. If you look at our coaching staff, our goalie coach is from Serbia, I’m from Romania, and another assistant coach is from California and is a former Olympic player. Another coach is from Hungary and another from Montenegro. We attract all the best coaches because coaches

STORY Colin Campbell, Rajan Joshi PHOTOS Rohit Vemuri, ReMarker archiives

like to be with a winning program.” But ultimately Sullivan feels the team’s decade of dominance rests on the work of Oprea and the culture he has created. “The other huge advantage we have is Coach Oprea,” Sullivan said. “He is the only coach that I know of in the state who has spent so much time learning the sport even after having played it at high level in Romania. He has spent a significant amount of time visiting the Serbian program, one of the best programs in the world, and learning from them.” This commitment to excellence has led to victories, which in turn has led to a positive culture. A culture at the heart of the program.

State titles under Oprea

“The hardest part was to create a disciplined program and imposing a winning culture, Oprea said. “You have to win something to start to feel confident and then you have to believe in yoursel. Now everybody who shows up for water polo knows what to expect. They know it’s hard work.” As Oprea reflects on his career he believes he has carried out a good recipe for winning over many years. “It takes good coaching, it takes good kids, it takes good family to support it, and it takes a lot of consistent work for over twenty years,” Oprea said. “That’s the recipe. It’s not easy to do. It takes time and I’ve been lucky enough to be here long enough to do it.”

by William Aniol he school has launched a national search for a new head athletic director, after Mark Sullivan, who has served for 20 years as Director of Athletics and Physical Education, has taken a new position. Sullivan will serve as director of physical and experiential education next year, maintaining his position as department chair of physical education but giving up Director of Athletics. “By having me take over the physical education piece, that leaves the new hire with only having to focus on the athletics program along with what the mission for that is and what the coming years hold for the program,” Sullivan said. The nationwide search will be led by Interim Upper School Head John Ashton and a search firm has been hired to assist with the process. “I’m sure we will name a handful of Changes in athletics finalists,” Sullivan said. “They’ll all come on campus and meet with Current a committee that’s been athletic direcput together to identor Mark Sullivan tify that position, in has been named addition to the Athletic director of physDepartment, myself, ical and experi[Assistant Athletic Diential education. rector] Joshua Friesen A national search and the other people in is underway for the department before a new athletic we narrow it down to director. the final candidate.” As far as the desired qualities of the new hire, Sullivan believes the school will be searching for a candidate with a certain set of guidelines. “We want an Athletic Director who can lead our coaches and our teams with regard to maintaining a high level of sportsmanship, a high level of competitiveness and a high level of just general character,” Sullivan said. “Also, for that person to be able to demonstrate those traits, personally, and be able to guide our coaches and our teams in those directions as well.” Ultimately, Sullivan feels that the new Athletic Director should prioritize the personal growth of Marksmen, guiding students in their transition from boys to men. “We have the path to manhood as kind of our symbol for the type of boy and type of young man we want by the time you graduate from our school, to have the skill set to being good contributing young men,” Sullivan said. “We’re going to be looking for an Athletic Director, who through his role in athletics, can continue that process of teaching our boys how to be good men.”

THE REMARKER • APRIL 12, 2019

sports

REC LEAGUES

Faculty playing sports Faculty members Greg Guiler, Ryan Hershner and Johnny Hunter share their stories about participating in recreational sports leagues outside of school.

THE LINEUP In their lives beyond coaching students on campus, Greg Guiler, Ryan Hershner and Johnny Hunter enjoy playing sports and staying active themselves.

William Aniol: What are the details of the league you play in? Head varsity basketball coach Greg Guiler: I’m in great shape. I have played in different men’s basketball leagues over the years. Right now, I’m playing in one with Ryan Hershner, our track coach, Hank Williams and Dan Pitts, all guys who’ve been involved in the basketball program. Right now, we’re in a league in Park Cities Baptist Church, we’ve played the in the Jewish Community Center, the leagues in downtown YMCA, all over the place. Assistant track and field coach Ryan Hershner: We play at Park Cities Baptist Church so we have games on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays depending on the schedule. We play from 7 to 9 p.m. once a week in a round robin format to start, and the top four teams move to the playoffs and are put in a bracket. Head varsity baseball coach Johnny Hunter: I currently play in the top division of the North Texas Premier Soccer Association’s over-40 men’s league. The league has two seasons—Fall and Spring— and games are played once a week on Sundays at various complexes around the DFW area.

me to join a 30 B-team and am still playing today.

Nick Walsh: How did you get started in this sports league and what motivated you to start playing? GG: I just enjoy playing basketball, it’s fun. I like the exercise for basketball a lot more than the exercise of just running around a track or going to the weight room and lifting. It’s social—I love hanging out with other guys— it gives me an outlet to burn some calories but also relive the glory days. JH: I was actually a club soccer player growing up and always had an interest in playing again after my baseball career ended. I got started when a friend invited

NW: What does playing with people you know well from the school add to the experience? RH: It’s fun because you get to see people professionally and then you get to see people on more of a relaxed scene, so I think you get to see both sides of the coin. It’s being able to hang out with them as friends there, but when we come here, we’re on the coaching staff together. I think the cool part is when you really get to know the other guys on the other side of the coin.

WA: What do you feel like playing in this league and playing sports in general brings to your life? GG: When you go to college, if you’re not an athlete, intramural athletics are such a cool opportunity to meet people. I would say most of my best friends have been people with whom I’ve done some sort of competitive activity with, you learn a lot about who people are when you compete with them. The social component is huge, but certainly staying in shape is an important factor, and I just enjoy competing too; it’s fun to try to win. RH: I would say mainly for us three we all played or did some sort of college sports. Obviously Guiler played at Cedarville, Dan dove at SMU and I ran at Kansas State. It kind of gives us competition, the little adrenaline rush again, some of those nerves or anxieties, those feelings back which make it fun. We can kind of go out and be a little relaxed but have something structured and organized. It’s just fun to get together once a week and play.

NW: What is your favorite moment

so far from playing in this league? GG: I played in the JCC Basketball League two summers ago comprised of all alumni, and they asked me to play with them. They play in the top men’s league and we won the majority of the games but ran into some tough teams, and there was one game in particular where for whatever reason the ball ended up in my hands and I hit the game-winning shot. It was just one of those moments where you feel like no matter how old you get, to hit a shot at the buzzer and win a game is just fun. I’ve played in a million basketball games and I’ve only done that maybe a time or two. RH: We are 0-4 in the finals so I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily my favorite moment but I think it’s what keeps us coming back to this league. JH: I actually scored five goals in a game against another 40 A-team, which was certainly a special moment, as it was the most I’ve ever put in the back of the net playing in a men’s league. WA: What are your overall takeaways along with what you cherish the most about playing in this league? RH: If you love basketball, if you love soccer, there’s many opportunities out there to play and get in an organized setting, and you’ll see it is competitive and fun. My wife is also a track coach here and we’re on the same volleyball team, and it is kind of the same thing. You go and you meet a bunch of people, and it’s a great way for me to come to a city and meet people. I would say when you go off to college and you have an interest in it, try it out. You’ll meet a lot of friends, and I think it’s a fun and easy way to get out of your comfort zone and do something with other people because there’s automatically a common interest with the people you’re around.

INTERVIEWS Nick Walsh, William Aniol PHOTO Courtesy Greg Guiler, ReMarker Archive

Sophomore chosen for national water polo training by Paul Sullivan ophomore Leo Ohannessian was selected to participate in the National Training and Selection Camp for water polo. Ohannessian was picked to be among the top 48 water polo players between the years of 2002-2003 in the nation. If he makes it through the camp, he will be selected to the US national water polo team for kids his age. “The goal is to get selected into the national team,” Ohannessian said. “College coaches come to the NTSC camp and they watch players play. That’s where I actually met a couple of coaches from California. It has given me a lot of exposure to college coaches.” This is Ohannessian’s second time at NTSC camp, after being selected last year, but not making the national team. “Last year I was selected to NTSC and I was

unlucky,” Ohannessian said. “I didn’t prepare myself correctly and I didn’t have the right mindset going in and I wasn’t selected to the national team. I hope to improve from that in the future and do better this year and hopefully continue going to NTSC.” While at the camp, Ohannessian will be doing a lot of conditioning, drills and scrimmaging to demonstrate his athletic ability to the judges. “NTSC camp is actually really grueling,” Ohannessian said. “We do lots of swimming and conditioning for the first day and then on the second day we work on skills, and then we do scrimmages as well so that the judges can see where we are skillwise.” The key to Ohannessian’s success in water polo has been the amount of daily work he puts in. He practices by himself 30 minutes before and after water polo practice

normally starts, as well as attending numerous camps to supplement. “One of the major camps that I’ve gone to a lot is a camp hosted every year by fourtime Olympian Tony Azevedo,” Ohannessian said. “It’s really helped me improve my skills and has shaped me into a better player overall. Also, every Sunday I scrimmage with the Dallas Masters Water Polo club, which is a team comprised of 20 year olds and up. But the greatest contributors to my success has to be the St. Mark’s coaching staff who have taught me to always remain disciplined and coachable.” Ultimately, everything Ohannessian has done has been in pursuit of his one goal: to pursue water polo in college. “It’s one of my dreams and I know that it’s going to take a lot of hard work and dedication but I hope that one day might happen,” Ohannessian said.

Alumni athletes start spring seasons by Aaron Thorne With spring sports well on their way, Lions’ alumni athletes are playing important roles on the court, field, course and in the pool for their respective college teams. Parker Dixon ’16 has been named to USA Volleyball’s Men’s World University Games Team. Dixon is one of 12 men’s college volleyball players from all around the country on the roster. Dixon is leading the Princeton Tigers men’s volleyball team in kills, kills per set and total attempts. The team will play in a series of matches in Napoli, Italy July 3-14. Jack Gordon ’15, senior captain for the Cornell University Big Red basketball team, finished the regular season as the team’s fourth-leading scorer. The Big Red finished 7-7 in their conference and 15-16 overall. Garrett Mize ’18, midfielder for the Washington and Lee Generals, is fifth on the team with 13 goals in eight games. Mize’s teammate Max Sadlowski ’15 has picked up four ground balls and caused four turnovers. Daniel Cope ’17 came in sixth place in the 1500 meter race in the W&L Carnival on March 15-16. Zach Landry ’18 has started in nine games at second base for the Haverford College baseball team. He has a .333 batting average with one double and one triple as a freshman. For the Princeton University Tigers golf team, Sam Clayman ’17 finished as Princeton’s top performer at the Mission Inn Spring Spectacular Tournament at the Mission Inn Resort and Club in Howey-in-theHills, Florida March 1617. Clayman also finished tied for 28th place in the tournament of over 100 competitors. The Tigers went on to finish 11th in the tournament. Reece Rabin ’18 has appeared on the mound four times for the Princeton Tigers baseball team with five strikeouts. On the Sewanee University lacrosse team, Jake Vaughan ’17 has scored four goals and dished out one assist in five games.

sports

THE REMARKER • APRIL 12 2019

ON THE RUN Junior defender Carr Urschel makes his way up the field after scooping up a ground ball during the Lions’ win over McKinney. The final score of the game was 10-0.

Lacrosse team opens district play with wins over McKinney, Frisco and Rockwall 2018 RECORD 13-7

2018 STATE FINISH 2nd

2019 RECORD 8-3

NOTABLE The team has recorded two shutouts: vs. Bishop’s School and McKinney. NOTABLE Senior John Burton was was 100 percent on faceoffs for the McKinney game March 29. THEY SAID IT “The Lions are playing some good lacrosse right now. We had a really tough

game against ESD in which we got into a hole. But we outplayed them for the rest of that game and used that momentum to start the important counter season with a 3-0 record.” – Senior long stick midfielder Will Kozmetsky

TEE TIME Junior Will Rocchio hits a ball into the distance with his iron. Rocchio is one of many juniors in the top ten of the power rankings of the team.

OVER THE NET Freshman Jeremy Yu eyes prepares to slap a forehand over the net. Yu played as the number two singles player in the Lions’ counter match against ESD.

Golf squad finishes second in major tournament

Led by seniors, tennis looking to end long drought

HAWK’S CREEK TOURNAMENT 2nd 2018 SPC FINISH 11th

2018 RECORD: 9-4 2019 RECORD: 2-1

NOTABLE Junior Romil Mathur tied the top score at the Hawk’s Creek Tourna-

ment March 19 with a score of 75. He lost the tiebreaker and finished second.

THEY SAID IT “Personally, my game has been up and down, but the team has

had some really good results so far, especially in the Hawke’s Creek tournament. It’s been awesome to see the freshmen step up and help out the team when us older guys have occasioanlly played below our standard. I’m looking forward to playing these tournaments down the stretch.” - junior Camp Collins

NOTABLE The team swept Trinity Valley School, winning five matches to the Trojans’

zero in the counter matchup between the two teams.

THEY SAID IT “We’ve been playing really well, and hopefully we can advance really far

when it counts. Our team is really shaping up to be great this year, and I’m really excited for the coming season.” - sophomore Mark Motlow

Water polo team getting off to a strong start 2018 RECORD 14-3 2018 STATE FINISH 3rd 2019 RECORD 12-0 NOTABLE The team recently returned from

a training trip to Romania, where they faced off against the best teams in the country. THEY SAID IT “Last year in state we lost to

Flower Mound, and we won yesterday 9-5. That’s really encouraging. We’re all really excited for the rest of the season. We’ve clearly gotten better.” – sophomore Ryan Park PATIENCE Sophomore Metehan Punar looks to pass the ball to a teammate during junior varsity water polo practice. COMPILATIONS Jack Davis, Aaron Thorne, Cooper Ribman, Colin Campbell PHOTOS Rohit Vemuri, Peter Malouf, WIll Rocchio

sports

THE REMARKER • APRIL 12, 2019

GETTING LOOSE Sophomores Henry McElhaney and Josh Mysore prepare for the upcoming set of intervals by taking warm-up laps around the track before practice.

FLICK OF THE WRIST Winding up for the throw, senior Jack Rocchio prepares to toss the ball to his teammate. The team is currently 3-1 in counter play.

Combination of speed, endurance powers track team

Baseball squad experiences rocky start to season

NOTABLE FINISH 1st in the BVU Invitational

2018 RECORD 9-9

2018 SPC FINISH 3rd

2018 SPC FINISH Lost in quarterfinals to Kinkaid

NOTABLE Senior Seth Weprin and junior Pablo Arroyo ran the mile in 4:25.26 and 4:25.70, respectively, at the Texas Distance Festival, placing them in the SPC’s top five times for the mile this year. Sophomore Kit Colson ran the 100 meter dash in 10.92 seconds.

NOTABLE Junior Mason Rareshide leads the team with 14 strikeouts

THEY SAID IT “I’m proud of how engaged our team’s been this season. Our commitment has been great, and I think our team has really come together through our workouts. I’m really looking forward to seeing how our team does at SPC.”— senior George Lamb

THEY SAID IT “The season has had ups and downs, but it’s been a great experience to play with the older guys this year. They have taught me a lot, and I look forward to the rest of the season.”— sophomore Jacob Daniels

NOTABLE Junior Aaron Thorne leads the team with one home run against ESD.

COMPILATIONS Siddhartha Sinha, Luke Nayfa PHOTOS Rohit Vemuri

For the sports

junkie

A deeper dive into Lions sports for the spring season. Statistics and records reflect games through April 6.

ADVANTAGE, LIONS Sophomore Mark Motlow, senior Adnan Khan and freshman Jeremy Yu strike the ball during the warmups of the team’s match against ESD April 5. Despite their valiant effort, the Lions went on to lose the counter match 0-5. THSLL lacrosse

SPC Baseball

Water Polo

SPC golf

SPC track and field

SPC crew

Advanced stats:

Standings

The next seven:

The next three:

North Zone:

North Region JV Championships

4/20

Chick-fil-a tournament 4/15 @ Squaw Creek

SPC North Zone Meet

vs. Southlake

4/24

9 hole match vs. 4/18 Greenhill @ Brookhaven

Navy-Green tri-meet with Hockaday, Greenhill, and ESD

4/26

Central District 5/5 Youth Championships

Senior night match with Hockaday

SPC Championships Day 1 in Houston

5/3

USRowing National Championships

SPC Day 2

5/4

vs. McKinney 2g, 2a for senior Connor Cheetham 4 goals for senior Lyle Ochs 10-10 faceoffs for senior John Burton

The next three: vs. Allen

4/18

FWCD Trinity Valley

5-0 2-0

St. Mark’s Greenhill Oakridge Casady Cistercian ESD

3-1 2-1 2-2 0-2 0-3 0-2

@ Highland Park

4/23

The next five:

SPC Tournament

4/26

@ FWCD Casady HSAA @ Oakridge SPC Tournament

THSLL North District Standings Highland Park 3-0 St. Mark’s 2-0 Rockwall 2-1 Frisco 2-2 Allen 1-1 Plano West 1-2 McKinney 0-3

4/16 4/18 4/23 4/26 5/2

Advanced stats:

vs. Greenhill 1 3B for sophomore Abe Echt 2H, 2RBI for junior Aaron Thorne 3H, 3R for senior Jack Rocchio .

North Region 4/26 Championships Day 1

4/24

North Region 4/27 Championships Day 2 TISCA Championships 5/3 Day 1 TISCA Championships 5/4 Day 2 Private School State Championship

Advanced stats: Required equipment: Team Cap Team Speedo Ball

5/11

4/18

Texas Rowing 4/21 Championships

Advanced stats:

SPC tennis:

Results from Trinity Forest 3/27

SPC Records

Next 3:

Team

423

Romil Mathur

Anashay Monga

Mac McKenzie

Camp Collins

Tony D’Apice

Rex Corey

100 Meter dash 10.57 1600 M Run 4:16.52 High Jump 6’ 9” Shot Put 58’ 4” Discus 178’ 9” Triple Jump 46’ 7.25” Long Jump 23’ 5.5” 200 M Dash 21.31 110 M Hurdles 14.22 300 M Hurdles 38.12

6/8

@ FWCD

4/16

Casady

4/18

Oakridge

4/26

SPC standings: ESD St. Mark’s Cistercian Greenhill Casady

2-0 3-0 2-1 2-1 1-1

remarker

the photo courtesy Development Office

ST. MARK’S SCHOOL OF TEXAS 10600 PRESTON RD. DALLAS, TX 75230

RUNNING LINES Practicing their dialouge druing class time, Upper School drama students enjoy a nice day out on the Arthur P. Ruff baseball field.

backpage

THE REMARKER • APRIL 12, 2019

VT (1)

NH (5)

NY (9)

IL (3) CO (2)

PA (6)

IN (2) OH (2)

NJ (3)

MO (2) VA (6)

CA (6) OK (1)

CT (1) MA (8)

TN (8)

DC (7)

NC (3) SC (3)

AL (1)

GA (3)

TX (44)

Europe (2)

COLLEGE DECISIONS

Bon Voyage After receiving news in early April, seniors must now decide where to spend their next four years of school. Shreyas Annaswamy Rhys Arana Cole Arnett Alex Baker Gabe Bankston Colton Barber Emmett Berger Keeton Brewster Creston Brooks Trevor Burke John Burton Noah Carr Gabriel Castrillon Connor Cheetham Alex Ching Parker Clark Matthew Coleman CJ Crawford Andy Crowe Kristof Csaky Parker Davis Sahit Dendekuri Owen Ditore Cole Duffy Alex Estrada Ruoming Fan Darius Ganji Mateo Guevara William Haga Nathan Han John Harbison

UT Duke University Vanderbilt University Harvard University Yale University Dartmouth College Texas A&M USC UT UT (Liberal Arts Honors) SMU Princeton University SMU Purdue University Texas A&M Texas A&M UT Georgetown University Austin College SMU Boston University Carnegie Mellon University NYU Boston College UVA Princeton University UT (Plan II) Vanderbilt University University of Oxford Duke University Stanford University Princeton University Columbia University CU Boulder Virginia Tech Texas A&M Boston College University of Tulsa UPenn Cornell University NYU Texas A&M UT Sewanee

Eric Hirschbrich Chase Honaker Charlie Hubbard Will Hunt Antonio Ivarra Philip Jenevein Jayan Joshi Raymond Jurcak Joshua Kang Jack Katz Adnan Khan Chad Kim Duncan Kirstein Will Kozmetsky Mujin Kwun George Lamb Harrison Lee Dylan Liu Joe Lofgren Jahaziel Lopez Michael Lukowicz Albert Luo Davis Malouf Kamal Mamdani Jack McCabe Daniel Mirochna Austin Nadalini Shane Ndeda Colin Neuhoff Robert Newman Lyle Ochs Dylan Osimetha Harrison Pancerz Jason Peng Connor Pierce

SMU UCLA UT USC UChicago WashU American University SMU Cornell University Vanderbilt University Duke University NYU Santa Clara University Middlebury College Tufts University UT Harvard University Furman University UT MIT UT Clemson University SMU Texas A&M Notre Dame MIT University of Georgia UT UT (Plan II/BHP) Texas A&M UT UT (BHP) UT UT Villanova University University of Richmond Kenyon College Texas A&M SMU Dartmouth College UPenn Northwestern UT (Plan II/BHP)

Matthew Pollock Samir Ratakonda Jack Rocchio James Rogers Blake Rogers Ayush Saha Wheeler Sears Richard Shen Jonah Simon Kyle Smith Madden Smith Billy Stalder Mark Tao Alex Tate Jonathan Taylor Michael Then Simon Unglaub David Vallejo Roshan Vemu Nick Walsh Max Wang Ryan Warner Mark Weisberg Seth Weprin Landon Wood Jake Yarckin Davis Yoo Matthew Zhang

University of Richmond Georgetown University Vanderbilt University UT AUP UT Georgetown University Vanderbilt University Georgetown University NYU Georgetown University CU Boulder (Engineering Honors) University of Richmond Sewanee Furman University Texas A&M Dartmouth College Georgetown University Rice University SMU UVA Villanova University SMU Case Western UPenn NYU Santa Clara University Baylor Trinity University Columbia University UChicago Dartmouth College UT UT (Plan II) Georgia Tech Dartmouth College University of Alabama UT Vanderbilt University Rice University WashU Emory University

*List subject to change. Waitlist decisions not included. Key to abbreviations: UT: University of Texas at Austin CU Boulder: University of Colorado Boulder Georgia Tech: Georgia Institute of Technology UVA: University of Virginia UChicago: University of Chicago Sewanee: University of the South SMU: Southern Methodist University WashU: Washington University in St. Louis UPenn: University of Pennsylvania NYU: New York University USC: University of Southern California MIT: Massachusets Institute of Technology UCLA: University of California Los Angeles AUP: The American University of Paris Case Western: Case Western Reserve University BHP: Business Honors Program