The ReMarker | April 2016 by St. Mark's School of Texas

STATE OF CHANGE

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

DREW BAXLEY PHOTO

After recent controversies surrounding noted philanthropists like Cecil Rhodes and Alfred Nobel, we explore the school’s culture of giving — and how we hope to avoid similar controversies.

APRIL 15,11, 2016 MARCH 2016 VOLUME 62 ISSUE 6 5

PAGE 3 ‘WE

NEED

IS IT REALLY A CLUB?

KEEP OUR HEADS

AT COFFEEHOUSE With noKICKING special IT designation At a recent coffeehouse, Life for interest groups, many of writersso-called Davis Bailey and Zach the school’s ‘clubs’ Gilstrap sharejust what happened: end up meeting a few music, acting — surprise. times during theand year.

DOWN AND THEN

GO HARD

IN ORDER TO WIN.’

- Sophomore Kabeer Singh PAGE 23

REMARKER

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College path ISN’T THE ONLY

MAKE GOOD GRADES. GET INTO A PRESTIGIOUS UNIVERSITY. DO WELL THERE, AND YOU’RE SET FOR LIFE. AT LEAST, THAT’S WHAT YOU’VE HEARD. BUT COULD THERE BE ANOTHER PATH TO SUCCESS?

T STAR GE E COLL

STAR CARE T ER

pril is that time of year when the community hears all the incredible places the seniors will be going. Duke. Harvard. Stanford. The month we anticipate the incredible things they will do in the classroom, the incredible work they will achieve with a college degree. So when Sohail Prasad, older brother of junior Dhruv Prasad and a former Marksman, opened an acceptance letter to Carnegie-Mellon University in March 2010, it was all smiles and high-fives. Four years studying electrical and computer engineering and business. Then working up the ranks of a big company. He’d make a name for himself. It was a dream come true. At least that was the plan. Then he dropped out. Continued, page 7

all rshar a M e

ie p y arl ga llege Ch Took a re co fo be

Sohail Prasad Entrepreneur, college dropout

News Malecall Life Perspectives Buzz Commentary Sports Backpage

R EMARKER

THE VALUE OF COLLEGE

INSIDE

Zuy v Gr a S wo aphic evi ll rk af ed f artis a ter t o hig r a ye , hs cho ar ol

STORY AIDAN MAURSTAD, WILL CLARK, NOAH KOECHER PHOTO ILLUSTRATION ABHI THUMMALA, PHOTOS COURTESY SUBJECTS

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Class officer speeches, elections set for April 25-26 by Austin Montgomery

lections for class officers for the 2016-2017 school year will be held April 26, with candidates making their appeals to their classmates April 25. Class officers, including class president, vice president, secretary and Student Council representative, are responsible for representing and advocating for their class’ interests during council meetings. “I’m really looking forward to see what happens in this election,” current Student Council President JT Graass said. “Even though I won’t be here next year, it’ll be cool to see what ideas whoever gets elected brings to the table.” A veteran of student government, Graass stresses the need for candidates to find ideas and platforms to set them apart from the pack. “Figure out what your platform will be. What will you add to the Student Council? Do you have any unique ideas?” Graass said. “Make sure that you prepare to explain how you’ll be different from the other candidates. It’s Class leaders important to be realistic though. Students will go to Don’t make the polls April 26 to promises you elect class officers. can’t keep.” Each class will be While represented by four Graass feels elected positions: the student body has taken • President the elections • Representative seriously in • Vice president recent years, he • Secretary also stresses just how crucial the decision on who to vote for is. “I know it’s tempting to vote for who your friends are or who can make you laugh the hardest,” he explained, “but I’d encourage you to vote for whomever you believe best represents their opinions, themselves and an ideal Marksman. Which of the candidates do you look up to the most?” Graass hopes the newly elected officials will continue the Student Council’s tradition of leadership and service in the school community. “To next year’s student council, stay organized and listen to the voice of the Upper School body. Ask people what they’d like to see in Superfanmen, pep rallies and Homecoming,” Graass said. “And don’t be afraid to try anything new that hasn’t been done before in school history.”

INSIDE

Senior Section

• See The ReMarker’s special section which documents the Class of 2016 en route to their graduation next month. Find out the traditions, the outstanding events of senior year and even where these seniors will be in the future. Addendum, Pages 1A-8A

N new s

JOSHUA CHOE PHOTO

AMONG THE STARS

An intern at National Geographic and winner of the national Intel competition, senior Joshua Choe now has a planet named after him and a profile picture with famed astronomer Neil deGrasse Tyson.

REWRITING HISTORY

APPLE TECHNOLOGY

Debate sparked by controversy over the checkered past of some of the world’s most famous philanthropists has swept the nation.

If St. Mark’s had the ability to hack into locked iPhones to more quickly resolve disciplinary issue, would the school use it?

MALE CALL

The ReMarker explores parks around Dallas, tells you how to finish strong as the year winds down and provides some snacks you can make out of your pantry.

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PAGE 2 FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2016 I REMARKER

wish I could appreciate this place more. But I guess I’ll just have to wait because right now with the finish line in sight and 35 days until we walk across the stage, all I can think about is ending the race that has been my nine years at St. Mark’s. I say this because from inside the bubble, I can’t look at St. Mark’s for what it really is. I haven’t seen enough of the world to understand what St. Mark’s truly has to offer. But I’ve got an idea. From the flock of alumni that comes back every spring to the smiles on the faces of our lower school buddies, to the generosity of our community, there has to be some thread. There’s something this school offers that is rare. Right now I don’t know exactly what that is, and I can’t really even feel it yet. And I think that’s okay. Right now the main thing I feel is relief. A sense of making it through the battle, alive and intact but a little rattled. It’s a battle I’m damn proud to have fought. There have been times I’ve cursed this place and times when stepping on campus was the best feeling in the world. There have been days I’ve sped away from school at 3:05 and nights when I haven’t left until after midnight. WILL CLARK The campus looks completely different at night if you’ve never seen it. There have even been moments I’ve wished I had never gone here. Thankfully I gave that wish up before being launched into an It’s-aWonderful-Life-style movie. There’s a sense of moving homes now. What we seniors have grown to know and love over the past however many years is about to permanently change. And I think that detachment of time and distance will make me miss and appreciate this school even more. Like I said, I want to appreciate this place, but what a 17-year-old me perceives is great about St. Mark’s is probably very different than what an adult me will see. One thing that I can appreciate now is every student and faculty member’s dedication to his or her work. It’s what makes the fiber of the school so strong. More than anything else, that’s what has driven me during my time here. The teachers and staff come here everyday for one reason: us. It’s all for us. If there’s one regret I have, it’s that I wish I had done less résumébuilding and taken more time to build relationships. As senior year comes to a close and (I’ll admit it) grades become less important, I’ve been able to focus more on the relationship-building aspect of St. Mark’s. It’s way more fun to be a senior, by the way. I guess I’m really just saying you don’t know what you have until it’s gone, and as the student aspect of my life as a Marksman is slipping away, I’m starting to see the whole picture. It’s not clear yet, but day by day the pieces are starting to come together.

• SPRING BASKET DRIVE COMPLETED Advisories across campus assembled a spring basket of various items to donate to shelters and agencies across Dallas this March. After a one year hiatus, the project was jump started once again. “We heard from the agencies that they really missed our contributions to the families they serve,” Community Service Head Jorge Correa said. “Missing one year made us realize that people do count on us.”

stories around campus in brief • GRADUATES RETURN FOR ALUMNI WEEKEND Alumni Weekend begins April 14 and spans two days. Activities begin with a golf tournament at the Brookhaven Country Club followed by alumni classes on campus and reunion dinners. “The memories you make as a Marksmen last a lifetime,” Director of Alumni Relations Alex Eshelbrenner said. “Each individual returning to campus adds a tremendous amount of value to our story.”

• ACUPUNCTURIST VISITS CHINESE CLASS Dr. Qiong Bai, a professional acupuncturist came to Chinese classes on March 30 to demonstrate his profession, sticking several needles into sophomore Avery Pearson to relieve pain. “I thought it was a very enriching experience,” Pearson said. “I was always skeptical [of Eastern medicine], but when Mr. Bai stuck the needle in me, the pain in my knee disappeared.”

In China, acupuncture is an ancient tradition going back to two thousand B.C.E. Acupuncturists stick needles into patients to alleviate nagging pains or other injuries. “Although I trained as a Western doctor and did thirty years of research as a molecular biologist,” Chinese Instructor Dr. Lei Zhang said, “I think medicine is a very important part of Chinese culture, reflecting wisdom, history and philosophy.”

• CUM LAUDE ANNOUNCEMENTS The Cum Laude Induction Ceremony will be held next Wednesday after school in the chapel. About ten percent of the juniors and seniors will be inducted, chosen by a committee of faculty members and senior Cum Laude Society members. “It’s not just grade point average,” senior Alden James, a society member, said. “You’re looking for people who aren’t just smart, but those who bring a positive aura to the classroom.”

— Reece Rabin, Blake Daugherty and Aidan Maurstad

in the

MOMENT events on campus told through photos

THE HOUSE THEY BUILT With the keys in his hand, senior Jackson Cole dedicates the 2016 Habitat for Humanity house to Martha Devila. Over ten weeks, the Upper School constructed its tenth house in as many years since the program’s inception.

the

Around corner

Say what?

what you need to know in the coming week

TODAY What Children First: An Evening with UNICEF When 7-10 p.m. Where 6500 Cedar Springs Road

What Wiesenthal When 7:00 p.m. Where Eisemann Center for Performing Arts, 2351 Performance Dr.

WEEKEND What Earth Day Celebration When Saturday All-Day Where Arboretum, 8525 Garland Rd

What Spark! Family Day When Saturday, All-Day Where 1409 South Lamar Street

NEXT WEEK What USA Film Festival When Wednesday, All-Day Where Angelika Film Center, 5321 East Mockingbird Lane

ARNO GOETZ PHOTO

QUICKhits

CHRIS MCELHANEY PHOTO

An honest look back

What April 19, 1943, One Day in the Holocaust When Tuesday, 2- 3:30 p.m. Where Holocaust Museum, 211 N. Record Street

MOTHER NATURE Celebrate Earth Day tomorrow in the largest park in Dallas. Festivities will be held all day to complement the Arboretum’s collection of flowers, trees and other botanical wildlife.

comments made by faculty, staff and students around campus If you’re playing a battle on your laptop during school, you better be winning. — History instructor Myles Teasley My mom gave me until the first night of Passover to decide. — Senior Arno Goetz on making his college decision

My aunt thought South by Southwest was a chili festival. — Junior Gordon Gunn

There’s no ‘u’ in lunch. — Sophomore Zach Landry

Aren’t we all potatoes? — Science instructor Jon Valasek

He’s going to run this school, me and Ward’s kid. —Senior Tim Skapek, unprompted

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APRIL 15, 2016 REMARKER

NEWS

REWRITING HISTORY

Modern morality What happens when students realize one of their school’s donors from the past has done things that are against contemporary societal norms? That’s the predicament many colleges and universities today are facing.

or more than a century, St. Mark’s has strived to create a culture of philanthropy. The fruits of that labor can be seen in new buildings, better wages for faculty and greater opportunities for students to explore their interests. But as a recent article, “Donor Beware: The New Realities of Philanthropy,” by Christopher Caldwell in The Wall Street Journal points out, recent protests against philanthropists like Cecil Rhodes, Alfred Nobel and James Buchanan Duke, men whose donations greatly contributed to society but whose actions painted a different picture, have sparked a worldwide debate over judging historical figures by current standards of morality.

Director of Development Jim Bob Womack, however, believes the school has put itself in a good position to avoid this sort of conflict, due to the smaller size of the school and the very personal nature of the giving culture. “Donors to our school are really well known [in the community],” Womack said. “The people who have names on buildings have lifelong connections to the school. That’s an important thing to note. It is important to know who's giving to our school. Having a relationship beyond just money is critical for the school and the donor. It’s about so much more than the dollars.” The school, which currently has the highest percentage of alumni donating back to the school each year, also sustains a community that values philanthropy as a vital way for the school to grow.

“Our culture of philanthropy is everything,” Womack said. “It drives so much of what we’re able to do as a school and a community. Because philanthropy accounts for so much of our budget, it truly distinguishes us. Philanthropy is not only giving. It’s an investment of resources and time. It’s not just sending a donation and walking away from a place. Everything counts. Every investment makes a difference.” Outside of St. Mark’s, however, the controversy rages on. Recently on the UTAustin Campus, Student Body President Xavier Rotnofsky led a successful campaign to take down the school’s statue of Jefferson Davis, a figure with a severely controversial past as president of the Confederacy and proponent of slavery. “The statue itself was a symbol and taking it down is also a symbol,”

A look back

University of Oxford

resident Woodrow Wilson, whose presidency encompassed most World War I, has recently come under scrutiny at Princeton, where he served as President for almost a decade before his election. Wilson resegragated several federal offices after Teddy Roosevelt desegregated them and required applicants to government jobs to include a photo of themselves in their application, viewed by many as an attempt to weed out African Americans in the government. Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for his work during the Treaty of Versailles following World War I, he left behind a complicated legacy as an idealist. A building named after him at Princeton was the target of several campus organizations as they attempted to remove it in favor of a less offensive title. The university recently decided to keep the name.

DES TRO STA Y THE TUE

Rotnofsky said. “The University of Texas has a deep history with racism and to this day we’re still struggling with it. There are issues that need to be overcome, and I think that what removing the statue did was to show that the university is trying to work on these things.” To Rotnofsky and the rest of the student government, the removal of the statue represented the removal of a symbol of treason. “It turned into a discussion about the role of Confederate symbols mostly because the principle there is that the Confederacy was a rogue separatist nation that tried to basically destroy the United States,” Rotnofsky said. “It wasn’t part of the Union. When you venerate that cause, you venerate treason.” At the other end of the spectrum, Caldwell’s article points to the negative side of rewriting history, examining some of these individual’s achievements like the Nobel Prizes created by the Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite and the Rhodes Scholarship, created by Cecil Rhodes at Oxford College. “The issue right now is with things like the Rhodes Scholarship and the Nobel Prize,” Womack said. “These are people who have given amazing gifts, changed the world and inspired generations of people, but because there’s an opportunity to look back on history and judge people in a different way, some people favor changing that history.”

WE DON’T WANT IT

When examining current big name philanthropists like Nike founder Bob Knight, who authorized factories in Asia with very poor working conditions, and former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates, who some claim controlled a monopoly in the computer software industry, the question becomes whether or not generations in the future will question the character of men who have donated billions to charity? In a similar vein, will St. Mark’s one day face the same issue? “Are those guys [like Knight and Gates] going to be judged the same way in 50 years as they are today? Who knows,” Womack said. “We have no way to predict that from any of our donors. Having a relationship and asking people to be fully invested in the school is an important way to prevent that.” Womack, however, believes that the close-knit fiber of the school will help prevent it from running into similar problems down the road, adding that donations from alumni will only continue to grow as the school grows. “The people who invest in our school are invested 100 percent in making us better,” Womack said. “Whether they’ve had a son or grandson or have attended personally, this place is home to them, and they do have an opportunity to get to our community in such a personal way. The relationships they build here are so powerful that they translate to giving back.”

Recent protests at several universities across the world over some of their most influential donors have started a national debate. Here are four of the biggest debates.

Princeton University

A president’s legacy questioned

R IT TE A N ! DOW

A magnate’s ethics challenged

ome to the world famous Rhodes Scholarship, students at Oxford have recently protested the use of Cecil Rhodes’s name on the scholarship. The diamond magnate and philanthropist is viewed by many as a controversial figure in society despite his support of education. An ardent supporter of British colonialism, Rhodes helped expand the British empire in modern day Zimbabwe and Zambia, which until recently were named Northern and Southern Rhodesia after Rhodes. Through his support of these colonies, he also supported the atrocities committed against the Boers in South Africa and the subjgation of African peoples under the control of the British Empire.

University of Texas

Amherst College

A president’s actions protested

resident of the Confederacy Jefferson Davis’s statue was on display at the UT-Austin campus in public view near the clock tower. Many students see Davis, the president of the states rights oriented, pro-slavery Confederacy, as a symbol of racism and discrimination. After petitions and discussions to have the statue taken down, school administrators thought it would be more appropriate to house the statue in the Briscoe Center, the school’s history museum with an extensive collection of Civil War artifacts. Some entities in the school community, such as the Sons of Confederate Veterans, are appealing the decision, claiming that the statue is representative of their history.

A general’s morals exposed mherst’s former mascot, Lord Jeff, named after Lord Jeffery Amherst, the namesake of the Massachusetts town and the college in it, was removed earlier this year after protests from university students. Amherst, a well known army officer and poitician, advocated the use of smallpox infested blankets against Native Americans in the Ohio River Valley during Pontiac’s Rebellion. By giving tribes blankets containing the exremely contagious and deadly disease, Amherst hoped to wipe out large numbers of Native Americans. While several infected blankets and handkerchiefs were given, the actual effect is unclear.

STORY PHILIP MONTGOMERY, BLAKE DAUGHERTY ILLUSTRATION NAFTAL MAUTIA PHOTOS CREATIVE COMMONS

PAGE 4 APRIL 15, 2016 REMARKER JOSHUA CHOE

A scientific Marksman As a finalist for a prestigious research program, senior Joshua Choe traveled to Washington D.C. as one of only 40 students. However, his missed school prompted a situation for which Lion Tracks has no precedent, leaving Choe with weeks of makeup work after returning to campus.

INTEL CONFERENCE (Above) Choe presents his research on a poster. (Left) Choe meets renowned astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson at the Intel STS Gala. (Far Left) Choe poses for a photo at the National Building Museum at a gala where he received his award next to, on the left, Maya Ajmera, President and CEO of the Society for Science and the Public, and on the right, Kim Stevens, CIO of Intel.

he Intel Science Talent Search recognized senior Joshua Choe for his research on lung squamous-cell carcinoma, a previously deadly subtype of lung cancer. To apply for the competition, Choe wrote a 20-page research paper on his findings along with some smaller essays and also compiled teacher recommendations. “Cancer grows very, very quickly and in order to fuel that high rate of growth they need a lot of energy, so what I found specifically was that lung squamous-cell carcinoma was addicted to glucose,” Choe said. “So by blocking the protein that carried the glucose to the cancer, I was able to starve the cell and found that lung squamous-cell carcinoma, specifically, was killed, which opens up a new treatment possibility.” Once selected as a finalist, Choe traveled to Washington, D.C. to go through a series of interviews and present his project to a panel of judges. “There were five judging interviews, each 15 minutes with two or three judges who bombarded you with different questions about science,” Choe said. “Then also, I had to give a three-hour presentation to the judges about my poster and then another three-hour presentation for the public at the National Geographic Society.” The three-hour presentation entailed an explanation from Choe about his project followed by questions from the

judging panel. “When I went in with my poster, I had to explain the details of my project, and the judges would ask questions about the logic flow of my project,” Choe said. When he was not presenting or being interviewed, Choe attended talks, where he met a number of highly esteemed scientists as well as alumni of the Intel Science Talent Search. “One night, there was a gala at the National Building Museum, and I actually got to meet Neil deGrasse Tyson, who was the keynote speaker,” Choe said. “On top of this, another night we had the director of the Lincoln Laboratory come and talk

to us about minor planets, what they were and how they were discovered.” One of the biggest surprises of the conference came during Tyson’s presentation. “But while he was talking, we were wondering what minor planets had to do with our research, until, right at the end, he got up and said they were naming minor planets after all of us,” Choe said. “For me, that was one of the most exciting moments.” But Choe, now back at school after the two-week program, has realized the strain the amount of work has put on his research time. “It is definitely not easy to manage both my personal research and my school work,” Choe said.“And some teachers, I think, don’t necessarily understand the importance I put on these so-called extracurriculars.” Choe still holds his classes as the main priority, but he could not complete all his makeup work without extra time. “Of course I believe schoolwork should be my number one priority, but I also have other priorities other than that one single class,” Choe said. “For this

STORY JAMES HANCOCK PHOTOS COURTESY JOSHUA CHOE

Senior named Morehead-Cain Scholar by Zoheb Khan

enior Philip Smart became part of the three percent of applicants to receive the prestigious Morehead-Cain Scholarship at the University of North Carolina, announced March 11. The Morehead-Cain Scholarship offers four, fully-paid summers of various activities, which range from corporate internships to trips accross the world to outdoor adventures, along with full tuition and room and board SMARTYPANTS Senior Philip Smart is costs covered. looking forawrd to the “[The Morethree week kayaking head-Cain Scholartrip sponsored by the ship] is a huge honor,” Morehead-Cain. Smart said. “Every time I think about it, I just think I’m the luckiest kid in the world.” While Smart believes he worked hard to become a Morehead-Cain Scholar, he thinks that factors outside of his control helped him get the scholarship. “There was one time where somebody told me, back when I was a semifinalist,” Smart said, “‘Oh, you won semifinalist. Wow, that’s like winning the lottery.’ At first, I was like, ‘No, this is something that I earned.’ But then I thought about it, and I realized that it is

like winning the lottery. I’ve won the lottery in terms of being born in America, being able to go to St. Mark’s for all these years and knowing the faculty and other kids around me.” Smart was chosen as the school’s candidate for the Morehead-Cain Scholarship in September and was faced with several essays as part of the application process. “One of the questions was ‘What is your leadership philosophy?’” Smart said. “That was an easy question just because of the Telos and the Leadership and Ethics programs and my involvement with The ReMarker kind of set me up and taught me a lot that I needed to know for that question.” Smart says the experience was humbling and eye-opening. “I’ve always thought that St. Mark’s was the center of the universe,” Smart said, “Then I saw all these other kids who were brilliant and extremely interesting, so I think that was one thing I learned; that there are a ton of really smart kids out there who are extremely capable.” Smart is excited for the many opportunities ahead. “If you’re comfortable in a situation, you’re not learning as much as you can be,” Smart said. “You lean into discomfort. Whenever you get out of your comfort zone, you experience these new perspectives that are going to build yourself. I think it’s important to experience not only these different people and cultures but the world that’s out there.”

reason, I need the extensions and help from my teachers that has gotten me this far essentially.” Interim Head of Upper School Scott Gonzalez has worked with Choe and acknowledges that the school is working on an attendance policy that will provide a protocol for these special situations in the future. “Right now, if you go online or in Lion Tracks, you will find that we really don’t have, what we call, an attendance policy,” Gonzalez said. “But with these special programs that require missing a lot of school, we expect the students to realize that they will have to make up the work that is part of the class’s curriculum even if that means the homework load will be larger over the next couple weeks.” No matter how much time a student misses, students are always expected to complete the assignments they missed. “If you go out and miss 20 days of school in one chunk, there are quizzes and tests and readings you will have to do because that is required as part of the departmental requirement for that particular class,” Gonzalez said.

PAGE 5 APRIL 15, 2016 REMARKER

NEWS

PRIVACY RIGHTS IN TECHNOLOGY

Cracking the code As Apple Inc. is involved in suits with the FBI regarding its surveillance practices, the school’s technology department explores the ethics of accessing a student’s phone. LOCKED OUT The FBI’s lawsuit with Apple Inc. over phone privacy has sparked a nationwide debate over whether or not the company should create software that can break into iPhones.

ith the recent controversy between Apple and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) filling headlines across the world, questions about the rights of companies and citizens have surfaced. Additionally, because Apple refused to assist the FBI in hacking the phone, many people have begun to question whether this was correct or not. To Chief Technology Officer Paul DiVincenzo, the answer is clear. “The premise of Apple refusing to do so was much bigger than just this particular FBI case or the United State’s jurisdiction,” DiVincenzo said. “And that is if Apple or any software company for that matter can be forced by government to write a back door, then our privacy, the world’s privacy, is not longer a value, and it no longer means anything. If the federal government of the United States can do it, then what’s to stop the Chinese government, or the Russian government or whomever?” DiVincenzo is also worried that, since the FBI managed to hack into the phone, many peoples’ security and privacy will be compromised. “What concerns me, and granting this was an older model,” DiVincenzo said, “is that the FBI has been able to get into it without Apple’s help, which mean there’s a flaw. I don’t happen to know what iOS version it was installed on, and we know it was an older model of the iPhone, but what’s to say that flaw doesn’t exist. I don’t know about you, but I have an iPhone right here and that causes a lot of concern for me.” If the technology to hack into and

monitor phones were available to schools, it would become a very complex issue, says Assistant Head of Upper School John Perryman. Perryman believes that it is not as simple as searching something that belongs to the school. “I do think there’s a difference between the school monitoring school equipment, and the school monitoring personal belongings,” Perryman said. “That being said, the school does make clear in Lion Tracks that it reserves the right to go through a locker if it deems absolutely necessary. But there does seem something different about going through the private belongings of a phone. But, if there’s a cause because of a specific, very important thing, then perhaps [we would monitor a phone].” DR. JOHN PERRYMAN suggests hacking can be justified

Even if the technology were available, AP Computer Science instructor Kurt Tholking believes that it would be unnecessary to use hacking software to get into a phone. “If we have a suspicion that an inappropriate use has happened,” Tholking said, “then action would be taken. Now, the FBI and Apple case is special because the person in question is dead, and it was more of a terrorist act, which is a little different. So if we have a student whose doing something they shouldn’t be doing, then we can ask them to unlock the phone if we suspect something. If they’re doing what they should be doing, then they shouldn’t have a problem unlocking their

phone when a teacher asks.” That being said, Perryman believes that this would be dealt with on a case by case basis, as Lion Tracks does not directly address the issue, and there have been no discussions so far on the possibility. “There are some things that Lion Tracks doesn’t cover,” Perryman said. “It only provides a framework for most things. Some of the more frequent offenses are listed. The school however, does reserve the right at its discretion to act upon special circumstances to protect the integrity of the community and the integrity of the school.” DiVincenzo believes the answer to whether such hacking technology should be used on campus is purely ethical. “I personally, and St. Mark’s as a school, take privacy very seriously,” DiVincenzo said. “Just because I have technology user rights to look at your email, or anybody’s email, doesn’t mean that it’s ethically right or moral to do. There is really a code of morals and ethics that go along with the user rights of a system administrators.” Tholking held discussions with his students about the conflict between Apple and the FBI, hoping to see their perspectives and opinions. “A lot of them actually sided with Apple that they should never get into the phone,” Tholking said. “But here on campus, they should never be using that on a student. A student would have to refuse to unlock the phone if a teacher asks.” But while DiVincenzo believes that the downsides of having the ability to hack into somebody’s phone far outweigh the benefits, he still believes that such technol-

ogy could be useful. “You can look at the obvious benefits,” DiVincenzo said, “and the obvious benefits in this particular situation between the Apple and FBI is if the FBI is able to learn more about what the terrorists were plotting and who they were in communications with. That can certainly lead to arrest and convictions of known associates and co-conspirators. It could also lead to the prevention of future terrorist attacks.“ Even though this information would be useful to prevent terrorist activity, DiVincenzo does not believe it is worth sacrificing civil liberties for such precautionary measures. “The right to privacy, I think, is something all Americans hold sacred,” DiVincenzo said. “It’s easy to sit here and say, ‘The FBI is allowed to do that and Apple should give in beHACKED New controversy cause it’s over hacking into iPhones has somebody sparked a growing concern else.’ But as over privacy. soon as it’s your own right to privacy on the line, no. And that’s really what you put yourself into: a position that it one day might be you, whether you have done something wrong or not.”

STORY CORDAY CRUZ, ZOHEB KHAN PHOTO ARNO GOETZ ILLUSTRATION DAVIS BAILEY

UNICEF Club hosts annual Water Week

Dini travels to Asia by Andre Arsenault

ugene McDermott Headmaster David Dini traveled to Tokyo April 1. He visited several international schools, attended an alumni gathering and spoke at a conference, and returned April 11. During his trip to Tokyo, Dini toured Nichimachi International School and the American School in Japan as well as families and alumni from the schools. Similarly in Hong Kong, he dropped by Hong Kong International School and Hong Kong Academy. “Mr. Dini met with the heads of school, toured facilities, and looked at programs unique to each of the schools,” Associate Headmaster John Ashton said. “Mr. Dini also toured important historical sites, and he met with St. Mark’s alumni.” In Hong Kong, Dini attended an alumni gathering hosted by Tim Zee ’84 who moved to Singapore after landing a job with Barclays Capital Asia Limited. Also on the trip, Dini attended the CASE Asia Pacific Conference at Hong Kong Academy, an annual event for advancement professionals to equip delegates with knowledge and resources. “Mr. Dini was asked last year to present at the CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education) Asia Pacific Conference,” Ashton said, “so [this year] he decided to take the opportunity to visit schools, visit with alumni, and learn more about this part of the world.”

by Naftal Mautia

ater Week, starting March 14 and ending March 18, helped raise awareness about water related issues. “Water Week is a week’s worth of activities through UNICEF to raise awareness about water and sanitation related issues around the world,” senior Henry Goldberg said. The event helps students to better appreciate the importance of water. “Water is all too often something that people don’t pay attention to in the United States,” Goldberg said. “We don’t think about how lucky we are to have it, and we don’t think about the massive amount of water we waste every single day.” Goldberg, head of the school’s UNICEF club, manages everyone so that the whole event runs as smoothly as possible. “Each individual activity is planned by [UNICEF] club members to raise awareness during the week,” Goldberg said. For the club, Water Week is about raising awareness. Across the world, 16,000 children die everyday due to lack of clean water, and 2.4

billion people lack basic sanitation facilities. Goldberg believes our easy access to water makes it difficult to comprehend the situation around the world. “The fact that we have these water towers that allow us to flip a tap and get clean water instantly, it becomes something people take for granted,” Goldberg said. “I think water week helps the school as a whole take a step back from that and look at [the issue] from a world wide perspective.”

PAGE 6

NEWS

APRIL 15, 2016 REMARKER

MALECALL

THIS ISSUE

SPRING SPOTS PANTRY MEALS TIPS TO FINISH THE YEAR

Taking you back to the basic fundamentals of all things manly.

OUTDOOR AREAS

MAN SCHOOL TIPS TO FINISH THE YEAR IN STRONG FASHION

STAY FOCUSED

ummer is right around the corner, but that’s a double edged sword for anybody not wearing a blue shirt. Stay focused on what’s important right now: school. There will be plenty of time to party and unwind once May 27 strikes, but for now you have to keep your eye on the prize and finish the year strong.

GET ORGANIZED

he night before your final is not the time you want to start looking for your first test in August to review. If you haven’t been staying the most organized the past few months that’s okay, you have plenty of time to recover before exams. The best thing to do is keep things simple. As long as you haven’t thrown anything out you’ll still be in good shape if you start looking for old material now. Even if you have tossed some stuff, now’s the perfect time to figure out what you need and ask a friend or teacher for help getting it.

Spring spots Lakeside

erenity. That’s what you’ll find if you take a trip down Preston to the Turtle Creek area. Park along Lakeside, near the cross street of Lexington, to begin your blissful trip and find a cure for all your third trimester exam stress (unless of course, you’re a senior. Then it’s just even more fun). If you’re the type who prefers to sit back, unwind, possibly read a book, maybe even just enjoy the view like our grandparents did back in the 20th century, then grab a bench around Turtle Creek. You’ll likely see hordes of lily pads, swans, willow trees, a blue sky and — of course — turtles. If you’re the don’t-tell-me-what-to-do type of person, well, here’s what you should do: find the trail path (it’s right below a birdhouse a few paces south of the bridge) that takes you to an up-close view of the creek. You can follow along the rocks to a waterfall beneath the bridge there. It’s a lot of fun, and the views are straight out of a Pinterest location or something that was taken out of Austin hill-country. And yes, it is a nice part of town, but you aren’t required to wear a collar to the pond.

White Rock

o a lot of us, White Rock Lake is just that T one body of water we know of, because the Trinity doesn’t usually count, that is out in

East Dallas. But really, White Rock Lake is a vibrant source of recreation during the most beautiful six spring weekends of the year. Most of us should take Mockingbird east until we hit the lake; there, there is so much to do. Yes, you can do all sorts of water activities: sail, kayak, fish. Yes, people. Right here in Dallas. You can take your corgis, labrador retrievers or your Yorkshire Terrier to the dog park by the lake. You can have a party and grill, bring your Jambox to pump some tunes and burgers to pump up your cholesterol levels on a nice

Finally, that one part of the year where the weather is perfect. You can’t let it go to waste, so explore these parts around town.

Saturday afternoon. There’s lots to do at White Rock. And if you’re lucky, the ice cream truck will show up. Pro-tip: set up your ENO (translation for the older and wiser: an ENO is a hammock) at the corner of Lawther and Sunset Inn. There’s lots of beautiful shade under some of the tallest trees in the metroplex. There’s a big green field nearby too if you get bored of ENO-ing and want to throw the football. All in all, it’s an underrated spot.

Addison Circle

ree to roam, free to soar. Free to cartwheel to your heart’s content. At least in the F emotional sense.

Addison Circle park is one of those places that just makes you want to lie down somewhere that’s not illegal, but perhaps frowned upon. In a pleasant, personally disruptive sort of way. A mostly flat area decorated with paths and terraces, this sprawling 10-acre city expanse has become one of Addison’s main event centers, serving as the annual home of Addison’s Kaboom Town Fourth of July fireworks celebration with more than half a million attendees. What makes a park a real recreational juggernaut is it’s location. It is embedded into the Addison Circle residential and retail community, putting it in perfect proximity to plenty of restaurants, amenities and small businesses. If you want it, Addison Circle has it. Should you consider yourself an amatuer patron, you could even take a short stroll through to the Watertower Theater, just feet away from one corner of the greenspace. If I had one complaint, the park’s flatness can make it seem visually stark when compared to the small forest spaces of Turtle Creek or White Rock. So go, bring your dog. Drag along some poor date. Somersault till you embarrass yourself. Go ahead, we won’t stop you.

CHILLIN AT THE CREEK Along Lakeside Ave. is Turtle Creek, a great spot to fish, walk your dog or even explore an area next to a waterfall. Lakeside offers a peaceful atmosphere that the more popular parks in the Metroplex cannot, and it is a perfect place to unwind or read during this time of the school year.

SLEEP MORE

rust me, I know this is way easier said than done. For most of us, getting north of 6.5 hours seems like an impossible task. But all the hours add up, whether you realize it or not. Getting as much sleep as possible right now will be crucial come the final weeks of May and the dreaded exams.

REMAIN CALM

es, things are going to get stressful. But just keep doing what you’ve been doing all year and don’t let the nerves of exams and final grades get to you. Just stay calm and pay attention in class. Do your homework. Study for your tests. And you’ll be in good shape. TIPS TO FINISH THE YEAR BY ZACH NAIDU

BIG LAKE, BIG FUN At White Rock Lake, there are a variety of activities offered — or you can get creative and come up with your own. STORY PHILIP SMART, AVERY POWELL PHOTOS CHARLIE O’BRIEN

Home cookin’ (in 25 minutes or less)

MaleCall has some tips if you’re in the mood for something other than a peanut butter and jelly. You’ve got all you need in your fridge or pantry.

Tuna Salad Sandwich Cook time: 20 minutes

Fridge: mayonnaise, lettuce, sweet pickles Pantry: bread, tomato, canned tuna

Quesadilla Cook time: 20 minutes

Fridge: cheese, butter Pantry: tortilla, bell peppers, salt ZACH NAIDU PHOTOS

Breakfast Sandwich Cook time: 15 minutes

Fridge: eggs, sausage, cheese Pantry: English muffin/bread

PAGE 7 APRIL 15, 2016 REMARKER

NEWS

THE VALUE OF COLLEGE

We do as we’re told, and as Marksmen, we’re told college will lead to a successful career. That’s the only option we’re ever presented, but it’s time to ask the question:

rasad had always been a fast learner. He skipped two years of high school, going straight from an eighth grader at St. Mark’s to an 11th grader in the Texas Academy of Math and Science program. He graduated high school when he was 16. But he wanted to do more. Through working with Google’s R&D Department as an intern the summer after his freshman year, he was encouraged to take a year off school and work with a startup in Silicon Valley. “I got to live the dream and join a company like Google and also be surrounded by so many people who were doing so many things,” Prasad said. “And so that was one thing that was really cool to me, which was that people were actually doing things, not just cramming for tests.” And after his experience, he never went back to school. Now, five years later, Prasad has started his own company, Equidate, and has years of experience working with tech companies like Zynga. But still no college degree. But in the age of ever-mounting college debt and seemingly mandatory degrees, more and more people are wondering if the classroom is the best teacher or if college is the most financially viable option. For Zuyva Sevilla ’15, the financial burden of college led to an impromptu gap year — he didn’t qualify for a full ride at college, and couldn’t pay the difference. In high school, Sevilla won numerous awards Average annual for his graphic college tuition in 2014 design work as creative director of The ReMarker and even started The typical American a freelance family income in 2014 design company, Galactic Atlas. So instead of taking the conventional SOURCES: U.S. NEWS AND path into his career WORLD REPORT AND THE U.S. CENSUS BUREAU through a college degree, Sevilla started working and has gotten a glimpse into the design industry while gaining real-world experience. But perhaps the most practical aspect of college is the connections made with a national family of alumni, according to Sevilla. “Even if you have the best portfolio ever, if no one gets a chance to see it, you’re kind of stuck there,” Sevilla said. “But if you have people you can connect with, you can send your portfolio this way, that way, it makes it a little bit easier.” Though Sevilla focused on career experience during his gap year, he stresses there is no “best” gap year a graduating high school senior can take. “In doing this [taking a gap year] I knew where to apply, what type of jobs to do and how to not waste a year,” Sevilla said. “But at the same time you can do a different type of gap year where you go and explore — a ‘find yourself’ type of gap year. And for some people that might be something they need, that they find fulfilling for their life.” That second reason is exactly why Charlie Marshall took his gap year after graduating from here in May 2014. “I had wondered throughout high school whether or not college was as important as everyone said it was, and I wondered if there were other options,” Marshall said. “The St. Mark’s college counselors said taking a

$44,740 $53,657

college path? THE ONLY

year off was an option, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to see what else there was before I went to college.” Marshall spent his gap year working on a farm, backpacking across Italy and wandering the Australian wilderness. Now enrolled at the University of Chicago, he finds the academic learning he’s gained from the classroom is just as valuable as the practical learning he’s gained from his gap year. “They’re really different,” Marshall said. “Learning how to hoe and learning about George Berkeley’s theory of immaterialism are hard to compare, but I kind of doubt I’ll use either of them in my day to day life going forward. I think what’s important is that I had fun learning both of them and having to do both helped build a work ethic.” ut even though both Marksmen took alternative paths to college, they still plan on getting college degrees. The school’s website still boasts a 100 percent matriculation rate to four year universities for seniors, a number far above the 65.9 percent national average for high school graduates going to college. Yet for the first time in history, this national average is declining. The number peaked in 2009, when 70.1 percent of new high school graduates went to college, according to The New York Times. Prasad’s decision to leave school didn’t have anything to do with the usefulness of college, however. “It’s not like I said, ‘I don’t need the education,’ or, ‘It’s not important at all,’” Prasad said. “It’s just that there’s so much I wanted to do right then that I had to prioritize.” So is Prasad, the college dropout with a startup in Silicon Valley, an anomaly or the start of a trend? “One thing I wanted to do was create luck,” Prasad said. “The way I still think you can do it is be at the right place at the right time with the right people. And for technology, that is in San Francisco — Silicon Valley right now because this is where everything is happening.” And while they admit there’s a lot of valuable experiences that can be gained outside the classroom, college counselors Veronica Pulido and Casey Gendason encourage all students to get degrees. For many students and parents the idea of not having a degree is just too risky. “I think the pro of getting a college degree is that you minimize the notion that you can get by on luck and being at the right place at the right time,” Gendason said. Likewise, Dallas billionaire and entrepreneur Mark Cuban stresses the benefits of a college experience. “College is worth it,” Cuban said in an email with The ReMarker. “It is where you learn how to learn and learn how to apply what you have learned. That said, I would always choose a college you can afford. It’s not worth taking on debt if you can avoid it.” Yet even while stressing the importance of college, Cuban predicts some colleges will go out of business as student loan debt grows and matriculation rates fall. As an alternative to the college experience, PayPal Founder Peter Thiel, a Stanford graduate, now has a fellowship that pays exceptional students not to go to college. Their slogan is, “Some ideas just can’t wait.” “BE A SMART CONSUMER AND “Nothing forces us to funnel COLLEGE WILL BE students into a tournament that WELL WORTH IT.” bankrupts the losers and turns the winners into conformists,” Thiel MAVERICKS OWNER MARK CUBAN wrote in The Washington Post. “But that’s what will happen until we start questioning whether

STORY AIDAN MAURSTAD, WILL CLARK, NOAH KOECHER

college is our only option.” Pulido still sees college as an essential component of a successful career. “Ultimately, in the competitive world we live in, that’s just the next step in terms of having the background to go into whatever field you might want to go into,” Pulido said. “Startups are a completely different animal and I get that. Many people wouldn’t be where they were if they hadn’t taken that risk. But the number of people that do that is very small.” or Prasad, that risk was worth it, and he still thinks even if he lost his job today and had to get a job with another company, his experience as an entrepreneur would give him just as competitive an edge as someone with a degree. “It’s one of those things that part of it is people’s mentality and that stigma and the other part is just yourself,” Prasad said. “I think it would be fine, that over time with the experience I’ve gained and the network I’ve built I would be fine.” Some people, including the college counselors, disagree. “Without a college degree, you’re not going to be very marketable for jobs that require creative thinking and problem solving and the ability to relate to others,” Gendason said. “You’re probably not going to get as good of a look without a college degree.” After interacting with many college graduates in the business world, Prasad has gained an appreciation for college and graduate school for the framework it gives a person for the future. But that’s not the end of the story with higher education. “Even though college is very valuable, if you don’t

The current amount of the nation’s education debt for graduates with a bachelor’s degree and their parents is

$68 billion

’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15

SOURCE: THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

know what you want to get out of it, sometimes it can be really hard to get anything out of it,” Prasad said. “Then you just go through your four years and you get the checked box and then you move on.” Yet even after being successful without college, Prasad wouldn’t recommend this path for everyone. “I would recommend from my past that you have to know what you want to do and why,” Prasad said. “And then be open to opportunities. If you’re really aware of what your goal is and what your path is, then you can figure out what those opportunities are for you, whether that’s dropping out or doing something else in college like research or a startup.”

WHAT MAKES A CLUB?

ROCKIN’ OUT ON THE QUAD

ISAS ARTS FESTIVAL

Upper School students traveled to San Antonio for the annual festival.

Continuing the tradition from last year, Tim Mank '87 will headline the Underground River Festival, which will be held on the Perot Quad rangle May 6.

ALDEN JAMES PHOTO

li fe

With gray area surrounding what constiutes a club, we ask for perspectives on problems and solutions.

HOW TO DEBATE

Given the modern day hostility between people with opposing views, is it even possible to have a peaceful debate?

NETFLIX ORIGINALS

With recent releases of new seasons for several Netflix Original shows, we give the lowdown on what to watch.

page 10

9 11 14 15

PAGE 8 FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2016 I REMARKER

HANGING OUT WITH

QUICKhits

ABHI THUMMALA

• ENGLISH STUDENTS ATTEND SYMPOSIUM English instructor Geoffrey Stanbury took five of his students to a symposium on William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream Feb. 29 at the Greenhill School. Freshmen Andy Crowe, Jack Rocchio, Charlie Hubbard and Antonio Ivarra were among those invited. Freshman Jason Peng was a discussion leader in the symposium. “The students worked hard to achieve good things with their papers,” Stanbury said. “My hope is that they experienced how

PHOTO ARNO GOETZ

The ReMarker Creative Director does a lot of work behind the scenes for the publication. In his last issue as a staff member, we get a closer look at what goes on in his strange, artistic mind.

stories around campus in brief literary inquiry can be a fulfilling and shared experience between different people from different places.” • ORCHESTRA SPRING CONCERT IN APRIL The orchestra will hold its annual concert in the Decherd Performance Hall April 26. Members will be playing an arrangement from the popular TV show Downton Abbey and three other movements from Star Wars. For the first time in many years, the orchestra will be performing with professional wind instrument players .

“They’re freelance professionals in the area that I know, and I play with a lot of them in the Richardson symphony,” orchestra director David Fray said. “And a few others are graduate students at SMU. [Playing with wind players] gives the string players the opportunity to play with a full orchestra.”

submissions, McClain’s piece received a regional Gold Key and a national Silver Medal from the awards committee. Upon hearing the news of his success, McClain was ecstatic. “It made me feel proud of myself that I won an award like that,” McClain said. “I was just really happy.”

• JUNIOR TAKES HOME SILVER MEDAL Junior Christian McClain’s woodworking piece, entitled the “Goo Table,” was recognized by the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Among more than 320,000

• COFFEEHOUSE RAP COMING UP Coffeehouse, with its new theme of Mickey Mouse Rap House, will be held in Decherd Hall 7 p.m. April 23. This is the second Coffeehouse to use

Decherd instead of the Eamonn Lacey Black Box because of space restrictions for the audience. Performances will be made by the Improv Troupe, Will Clark, Harrison Chen and Avery Pearson. “It’s always fun to know that you produced a night that makes so many memories,” Fine Arts Board President Powell said. “For a lot of the students that perform, it’s the first time they’ve put their talents out there for everyone to see. It’s an experience that’s as nervewracking as it is rewarding.”

— Kobe Roseman, Daniel Cope, Zachary Gilstrap and Mo Singhal

in the

MOMENT events on campus told through photos

Why is your email bloop007@gmail.com? I’ll answer that in two parts. Bloop is one of those words that rolls off your tongue, you know? If you say it, it puts you in a better frame of mind. In seventh grade, that was my favorite word. And it is a word. It’s some deep sea transition technique for a submarine. See? You’re laughing. It’s fun to say. And then, if you had to pick one guy at school to be James Bond, Abhi Thummala is the first name that comes to mind.

What is your favorite color? Orange. It is objectively the best color, and if you disagree, then you’re wrong. Because if you combine red and yellow, you get orange. Red and yellow are warm colors, and they represent the sun. And the sun makes people happy. So for you, is orange the new black? Never seen that show, but to me, orange has always been the black. Whenever people talk about their least favorite color, it’s always orange. Maybe because people see it as a Halloween color? I don’t know. That makes me want to cry. You are notorious for having several nicknames. Which is your favorite one? Westminster Abhi. That one is just so classy. I spent two hours with Bradford [Beck] everyday because of track, and he just comes up with nicknames for me. Westminster Abhi, blase and others were all conceived in eleventh grade by Bradford. He even changed my name on Facebook to Westminster Abhi. And he guessed my password, which was Bloop7. So then I changed it to Bloopity77. One of the things you’re famous for is your slip during the senior retreat. What happened? Okay, let me get this straight. I’m actually not that bad at whipping [a popular dance move]. I’m mediocre, at least. But that day, Niegel Stevens was hitting the quan [another dance] before me, and he spilled Sprite on the floor. So then everyone told me to whip. And I did it because of peer pressure. And then when I tried to whip, my left foot slid on the Sprite, and then I slipped and fell in front of the whole grade.

ARNO GOETZ PHOTO

When did you start becoming the artist for almost every school event? That was never supposed to happen. I entered journalism. I was going to be an incredible writer. And then one fateful day, Zachary Naidu decides to say, “Hey Mr. Westbrook, Abhi knows art.” And ever since then, I was locked into my fate.

Prisoners of the play

eenacting a scene from their play Red Badge of Courage, juniors Evan Baker (left) and Leo Weiser (right) practice with sophomore Niteesh Vemuri before the ISAS Festival. In the scene, Vemuri acts as a prisoner locked in his cell while the juniors serve as the guards of the prison, hoisting prop guns and standing vigil behind the imprisoned character.

ArtistsinAction

the Around corner

What you need to know in the coming week

TODAY What Show Boat Presented by the Dallas Opera When 7:30 p.m. Where Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, 2403 Flora St.

What Garland Symphony: Delmar Pettys, Violin When 8 p.m. Where Granville Arts Center, 300 N 5th St.

Shining a spotlight on a student artist at St. Mark’s

THE ARTIST Andrew Chuka

THE ART

Industrial arts pieces using various woods

HIS WORDS WEEKEND What Anne Frank: A History for Today When 9:30 a.m., Saturday Where Dallas Holocuast Museum, 211 N Record St. What The Spring Fair When 11 a.m., Sunday Where Congregation Anshai Torah, 5501 W. Parker Rd.

What Critterman When 11:30 a.m., Saturday Where Galleria Dallas, 13350 Dallas Pkwy.

What Dallas Symphony Orchestra: Opus 100 When 2:30 p.m., Sunday Where Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, 2301 Flora St.

NEXT WEEK What Wicked When 7:30 p.m., Friday Where Music Hall at Fair Park, 909 1st Ave.

What Dallas Kwestival When 11 a.m., Saturday Where Klyde Warren Park, 2012 Woodall Rogers Fwy.

Wood and Metal has allowed me to unify into a single activity my abilities as an engineer, technician and an artist.

PAGE 9 APRIL 15, 2016 REMARKER

L LIFE

THE ROLE OF CLUBS AND INTEREST GROUPS

Is it really a club? As more and more clubs form every year, the distinction between a club and an interest group needs to be made— for the members and for the leaders.

THE WAITING GAME Sitting vigil at his desk, junior Gordon Gunn patiently looks for people to sign up and attend meetings, but the lack of participation has caused the club to not flourish.

ery few events command the attention of nearly the entire Upper School. Rowdy pep rallies. Thundering football games. Memorable Coffeehouses. But there’s another event, one that comes quick, leaves its mark and then rushes out of your mind. The Club Fair. Bold, inviting colors line the walls of Spencer Gym in September as hundreds of students, administrators and faculty pour into this bustling hub of activity. Armed with candies and fliers, leaders fling sales pitches at nearly every student walking by, hoping to lure them into joining their clubs. Most clubs are ones that have been here for years, building off their strong core of seasoned members. But near the back wall, you’ll see a club that isn’t like any of the others. Action Sports Club founders Gordon Gunn and Todd Murphy stand beside their station, showing off their skateboards, mountain bikes and scooters. Then right next to them, a club that could not be more different: the Student Alumni Association, a club that has been present in past years, a club that has a real impact on the school community and a club that is, simply put, a club. As the number of Upper School clubs steadily increases, a new question arises: what makes a club actually a club? According to Assistant Head of Upper School John Perryman, a club carries in its purpose a concrete service or product for its community. “A club should have some sort of stated mission or goal or metric you can determine,” Perryman said. “Ideally, it should provide some sort of opportunity to give back to the community. It doesn’t have to though. There should also be a faculty sponsor and meetings on a regular basis.”

‘

INTEREST GROUPS ARE 100 PERCENT FINE. WE WANT STUDENTS TO GET TOGETHER, BUT DON’T WANT IT TO BE REPRESENTED AS SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE SERIOUS.

DR. JOHN PERRYMAN

This insistence on drafting a mission statement was a decision the administration made in recent years to promote the use of an intentional and organized set of goals that leaders can use to move their club forward. “[The idea of a mission statement] emerges out of the desire to just be more

intentional,” Perryman said. “You can always go back and tweak your mission statement, but it’s good to have a scaffolding upon which to build. A mission statement is a good first step in that.” During this stage of registering his club, Gunn realized his club wasn’t a club after all — it was an interest group. The purpose was to simply “to go out and have fun.” But at that point, there wasn’t any differentiation between a club and an interest group, which is something he would change about the system as it is now. “[Splitting the categories] is a good idea because it makes it easier for someone to make an interest group versus a club,” Gunn said. “When you are filling out the form for your club, there should be some box that you tick asking, ‘Is this a club or is this an interest group?’ I think a club’s impacts are evident but an interest group’s aren’t. That is the main distinction.” And sometimes, even if a club outlines its mission and sticks to it, it can fail through one simple reason: members just simply do not find time to meet and follow through with planned actions. And if that occurs, then the problem lies past even the general distinction between club and special interest group. “We haven’t really done much this year,” Gunn said. “Originally, we were planning on going to the skate park or wake boarding a few times, but honestly, everyone is so busy this year on the weekends with community service and other things that actually matter.” Unfortunately, Gunn’s club is one of many clubs on campus that doesn’t fit the description of a club. This failure to meet and fulfill the missions outlined by the clubs not only prevent its current members from experiencing the benefits of the club, but can also have an adverse effect on the club and its members in the future. As the president of Caduceus Medical Club, Abhi Thummala has witnessed the first-hand effects of this particular phenomenon. “After being successful for my freshman and sophomore year, the club was almost dysfunctional last year, largely because of a lack of effort,” Thummala said. “I feel like students were still interested in the club, but the one or two meetings that actually happened were poorly planned and obviously occurred sporadically.” As a result of its “failure” last year, the club is reeling and lacking consistent member participation, despite the presi-

dents’ attempts to rejuvenate the club. “I think it comes down to the leaders’ passion and willingness to work all throughout the year,” he said. “The leaders last year were great guys but were also really busy, and for whatever reason, they decided not to prioritize the club’s success. One year of poor leadership has proved to be too much for us to overcome in bringing this club back to the student body. When people collectively decide that a club is nothing more than résumé fodder, they’re obviously not going to be drawn toward it.” This peculiar trend begs another question: why do students serve as leaders for clubs, yet fail to hold meetings and fulfill the listed missions? ABHI THUMMALA President of Caduceus Club

According to Associate Director of College Counseling Casey Gendason, the answer could be joining and leading a club provides a potential benefit when it comes to the college application process. “Colleges receive applications from so many academically qualified students,” Gendason said. “They have excellent grades, they take challenging classes, they do well on standardized tests and so clubs and extracurricular activities convey to colleges where the students’ interests lie. Clubs also provide the opportunity to convey personalities, show passions and demonstrate to college that students can do more than just academics.” Some students take advantage of this potential benefit offered by clubs, utilizing clubs to build their college applications, attempting to demonstrate their leadership capabilities to increase admissions chances. “I get a little chuckle when new clubs are created in February, March and April by juniors,” Gendason said. “Because clearly they are thinking about the application process. They want to be able to convey that they started a club and followed their interests. I think these clubs exist in the idea phase and they move forward with formation, but never take another step for work or contribution. So some clubs become quite watered down. Because it’s all about the chart and the ability to check a box.” Ironically, this focus on strengthening one’s résumé rather than pursuing one’s interests can be detrimental to an application.

STORY GOPAL RAMAN, ANVIT REDDY PHOTO ILLUSTRATION RILEY SANDERS

“I feel comfortable that colleges see right through everything,” Gendason said. “When a student gets to an interview or comes time to write recommendations and there’s no mention of any of those clubs or the students can’t articulate how he’s put his thumb prints on an activity, then it carries very little weight. It could even hurt if a student has pursued activities but there’s no depth.” Clubs are a staple to any high school experience. However, in order to take full advantage of them, students must be dedicated and willing to lead the club with purpose. By doing so, students can find tremendous academic and personal growth, according to Perryman. “There is absolutely no doubt that some of the best learning that takes place on this campus are with these extracurriculars or co-curriculars where students have the opportunity to write the mission statement or to guide the agenda,” Perryman said. “What better opportunity to learn how to lead than by leading a club?”

CLUBBING AROUND The breakdown of the many different clubs run by Upper School students.

55 10

Number of clubs for Upper Schoolers

service-oriented clubs

8% Out of the 25 students who signed up for Caduceus Club, only 8 percent attend regular meetings.

New clubs formed this year

L LIFE

PAGE 10 APRIL 15, 2016 REMARKER UNDERGROUND RIVER MUSIC FESTIVAL

When music fills the quad The Underground River Music festival will return May 9 with performances from alumni, students and teachers. BIG-TIME PERFORMERS A variety of performances will be offered at the second annual Underground River Festival. Last year, Will Clark (left), alumus Connor Youngblood ‘08 (top right) and humanities instructor Tim Mank ‘87 (above right) entertained the crowds.

is hands shaking and palms sweaty, junior Andrew Chuka steps up to the microphone set up in front of the quad. After a quick nod from his band members, Chuka turns to the mass of students, teachers and alumni sitting on the grass and begins to play. As the sounds of guitar, bass, drums and vocals fill the air, all of Chuka’s nervousness vanishes. As the sun sets and the quad fills with people, music and the alluring smell of a cookout, the second annual Underground River Music Festival is about to begin. The festival returns to campus May 9, providing an opportunity for Chuka and other students, alumni and teachers to show off their musical talents and fine arts pieces to the community. George Lin ‘15 started the festival in 2015 as a way to give back to the community, later passing on the leadership role to current senior Tim Skapek. “I’m taking care of the general stuff, working with the administration, getting food and money,” Skapek said, “and I’m taking care of all the logistics including setting everything up.” With the help from several other seniors including Will Clark and Fine Arts Board Chair Avery Powell, Skapek hopes to create a fun, relaxing environment the whole school can enjoy. “The weather’s getting better, it’s a really fun time to spend with your friends,” Tim said, “and it leads into a great weekend.” As a showcase for musical talents,

the festival will have performers including: Tim Mank ‘87, the blues club alongside science instructor Stephen Houpt, senior Will Clark and the student-band Pink Freud, consisting of senior Harrison Chen, juniors Andrew Chuka, Todd Murphy and Patrick Magee along with freshman Raymond Jurcak. “We were able to get a lot more student acts than we had last year,” Clark said, excited for both his own performance and those of the other performers. “It’s so fun to play in front of my friends and to see the excitement on their faces when they listen to music.” Besides the opportunity to listen to a live performance from the community’s own musicians, Clark emphasizes the enjoyable and laid back atmosphere that the festival provides for all the attendees. “It is a great way to get students listening to other students playing music,” Clark said. “It’s fun for everyone to hang out in the quad on a Friday afternoon and listen to music. Good times, good vibes.” Skapek and other leaders of the festival feel that, since not all students get to go to fine arts exhibitions like ISAS, the arts — specifically music — aren’t always fully appreciated. The Friday night festival brings the community together in celebration of the accomplishments of all artists around campus. “It’s an opportunity for the kids who don’t get to go to ISAS or who aren’t as involved in the arts to see what all their classmates are doing in a very convenient manner,” Skapek said. “It

gives an opportunity for family members, friends and classmates to come by and see what’s really going on here.” Much like Skapek, Powell views the festival as an opportunity to give back to the entire community — not just the students. With fine arts displays, food, games and relaxation in the quad all alongside the backdrop of musical performances, the festival is set to be an enjoyable experience for all attendees. “The cool thing about the festival is that it is community service oriented,” Powell said. “The music and art is by kids for the community and by the community for the community.” Powell expects a large turnout for the festival, hoping to reach more people than ever with the arts and music showcase. “Attendance last year was good,” Powell said, “but I’m really interested to see what the attendance of this will be since Coffeehouse attendances have been so high this year. Typically, you would expect this to be even higher. It’s quality, quality on many fronts and unique.” For both the audience and the performers, the festival is poised to be an unforgettable experience. With his band Pink Freud, Chuka looks forward to the opportunity to put on such a unique performance, hoping to stand out and provide quality entertainment. “[The festival] is going to be a really great experience for me, exploring the onstage band dynamic,” Chuka said. “People will be there to enjoy the music.”

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW The important information of the Underground River Music Festival

Musical performances, featuring senior Will Clark, Tim Mank ‘87 and Pink Freud, will begin 5:30 p.m. May 9 on the quad.

The student art showcase will begin ninth period in the amphitheater, displaying visual and performance art.

Burgers prepared by the cafeteria staff will be served for $3 each on the quad during the festival. ILLUSTRATION DAVIS BAILEY

STORY DAVIS BAILEY, CRAFORD MCCRARY PHOTOS ALDEN JAMES, MASON SMITH

Students present film at South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin by John Gunnin

alking into the festival, sophomore Matthew Theilmann was overwhelmed by the multitude of stands across the convention floor. But the only stand he was looking for was the one titled, “Distractions, by Matthew Theilmann, Devan Prabhakar, Elijah Hubbard and Will Ingram.” On March 12, Theilmann attended the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival in Austin, where he viewed talks from famous people in the film industry and saw the screening of his own film. His film, Distractions, was also produced by Prabhakar, Hubbard and Ingram. A story of a high school student trying to write an essay, it displays the various distractions that interfere with homework. The festival in Austin spreads around the entire city, with stores ready to receive the filmmakers from around the region. “In the city there’s lots of stores decorated just for the South by Southwest Film Festival,” said Theilmann. Tech companies, like Google rented spaces on the

convention floor to showcase various products. Since his crew got a film into the festival, Theilmann received a filmmaker’s pass for the festival, giving him access to all film-related talks, events and screenings at SXSW. Film Studies instructor Jennifer Gilbert believes that attendance to the festival will help give the students a new perspective on film, improving their projects in the coming years. “It’s great for them to be able to go down and see other filmmakers, especially the other high school filmmakers, because all we see is the ISAS stuff,” Gilbert said. “Exposing them to other schools and letting them see that what they’re doing is comparative is pretty cool.” But the best moment of the festival for Theilmann was watching the debut of his film. “The coolest part was seeing something I worked hard on with others up on a big screen,” Theilmann said “and hearing the applause that followed.” When making the film, Theilmann and his team came across many issues, which resulted in some last

minute changes to the film. “The ending wasn’t allowed because it involved taking prescription drugs, which the school doesn’t allow in our films” Theilmann said. However, they rewrote the ending and fixed all their problems. “We weren’t sure the movie would even be good because of all the problems it had and rewrites we had to do,” Theilmann said. “So the fact that it got accepted into SXSW was truly a big surprise and an honor, and the big applause at the screening and the fact that the audience liked it was the cherry on top.”

PAGE 11 APRIL 15, 2016 REMARKER

L LIFE

ISAS ARTS FESTIVAL

In the spotlight Several students attended the ISAS Arts Festival, which was held at St. Mary’s Hall in San Antonio. Sophomore Avery Pearson sat down with staff writer Daniel Cope to discuss his festival. 1

What got you into improv? Actually, it started with my friend [sophomore] Sunny Agrawal. He started freshman year and he got in so he asked me if I wanted to try and I was just like, “Sure, why not?” So I tried out, and it was really scary, but I got it together and got in.

before I got on, it was nerve-racking. The band was playing before me and I was just like ‘please, please don’t let the song end.” So I was just waiting and [senior] Matthew Dominguez came back to talk to me, and he’s like, “Avery, just don’t mess up,” and I’m like, “Yeah, thanks, that’s really hard to do Matthew.”

How’d you get into standup? Well, it was really my sister and Sunny. They told me, “You should really try this. I think you’d be really funny if you just went up and told your stories.”

How’d you calm down before getting up there? I’ve done speeches all over the country, and I’ve never been afraid. This is honestly one of the first times that I have been. So I dealt with it by just taking three breaths. Specifically three.

I came up with so many routines, and they thought they were all terrible until I finally settled on one that fit. And comedy’s a pretty hard thing to pull off. It’s hard to find things that are funny to everybody. Did you listen to other people’s stand-ups for inspiration? Oh yeah, I listen to a bunch of other standup. Kevin Hart, Dave Chapelle and Eddie Murphy, mostly. Those guys just really got me in the right mindset when I was trying to come up with something for my own routine. Describe your first time going up alone on stage. On stage it was pretty chill and cool and all that but

So that’s how I overcame it because I knew I had to go out there. My name was on the board, and they called me so I had to go out there and do what I had to do. What made you most excited about going to ISAS? Doing my stand up there got me pretty amped. I was really looking forward to that. I was excited to perform the play we did in drama, and I’m obviously really excited about the improv troupe of course. But yeah I’m probably most excited for my stand up because it’s all new material, and I’m just hoping it’ll go over well in front of that many people.

JAMMIN’ OUT Junior Andrew Chuka plays on his electric guitar as a part of his performance at the arts festival. HARMONIES Directed by choirmaster Tinsley Silcox, the upper school choir sings one of its signature pieces.

ACTING OUT Glancing out across the crowd, sophomore Avery Powell tells several jokes as a part of his stand-up comedy act.

ONE MAN SHOW Playing the harmonica and the piano while also singing a song, junior Cameron Bossalini captivates the audience with his multifacted performance

STORY DANIEL COPE PHOTOS DREW BAXLEY

Senior named finalist for Sony International Youth Photography Award by Mohit Singhal

enior Arno Goetz saunters around the Gadna military base in Tzalmon, Israel, enjoying one of his few periods of free time, when he came upon an empty classroom. Awestruck at the beautiful light entering the room from the windows, his inner photographer kicks in. Immediately, he turns to his friend and says, “Let’s do a cool photo.” Little did he know that spur-of-themoment picture would be placed on the short list of the Sony International Youth Photography Awards, for which Goetz is invited to the exhibition at the Somerset House in London, England from April 22 to May 8.

“It’s very exciting, being included in a very prestigious competition,” Goetz said. “Especially because this is the first time I’ve applied to anything that’s international.” Goetz made the photograph during his involvement in a program for young Jewish teens to visit Israel during the summer. “[We] could either go and do community service for a week,” he said, “do this thing called Sea to Sea where you basically hike from one side of the country to the other, or we could join the military for a week.” Seeking adventure in Israel, Goetz chose to join the Israeli Armed Forces. “[At Gadna] we were in a simulated,

but very real, environment,” he said. “We went through the first few days that a regular Israeli soldier trainee would go through.” At Gadna, the teens experienced what every person in Israel experiences when they turn 18. “We got uniforms, we ate what they ate, we were yelled at in Hebrew, which was very difficult for us,” Goetz said, chuckling. “We might not have made it, but one of the kids in our group spoke fluent Hebrew.” All in all, Goetz is just honored to be recognized. “Getting recognition while competing against the world is pretty incredible,” Goetz said.

WINNING SHOT During his trip to Israel, Goetz used his friend as a model and made this photo, which was recognized by the Sony International Youth Photography Awards.

PERSPECTIVES

PAGE 12-13 APRIL 15, 2016 REMARKER

A numbers gam

Repeating a year. Holding back. Primer. When admission warp the birthday range, turning age at 10600 Preston

The outliers

Feb.

Oct.

6 16 1997

The birthday of senior Harrison Chen, 19 years old. Chen, who entered in the first grade, is now the oldest student at St. Mark’s.

1998

The birthday of senior Akshay Malholtra 17 years old. 20 months younger than Chen, Malhotra is the youngest of the Class of 2016.

The number of months between the oldest and youngest student in the eighth grade class. The class of 2020 holds the title for greatest age disparity at the school.

The second grade holds the title of least age disparity, with a difference of 15 months between its oldest and youngest students.

Jan.

July

29 20 2008

The birthday of first-grader Anderson Lee, 8 years old, who is well known by his peers as the oldest of the class of 2027.

2009

The birthday of first-grader Theo Pavpavasiliou, 6 years old. Fresh to the mantle of youngest student at the school.

n the first grade, being older is a badge of honor. Everyone on the playground knew who’s oldest right off the bat. Only second place was up for contention. “I’m the second oldest.” “No you’re not.” “Yes, I am!” First-grader Harmon Pope pointed out kids dashing through the jungle gym, listing their birthdays down to the month. Anderson Lee, the oldest of the bunch, was proud of being the oldest. Frankly, he said, because the younger ones got tagged more. He didn’t like being tagged. Honestly, they might be on to something. Of this year’s winter sports captains, 84.6 percent were born in 1997, and 38.5 percent turned 18 before their senior year even began. Basically, they’re old. However, only 19 percent of the entire Senior Class was 18 before the school year started, and 58 percent of the class was born in 1997. At first glance, the message is clear: the older the kid, the better the results. From first hand experience, Ackerman Family Master Teaching Chair in Lower School Kay Carrio sometimes notices these advantages. “My experience tells me that the older boys in first grade have a slight advantage,” she said. “They’re more mature, and with the maturity they’re able to handle the social situations as well as the academics a little easier. I’ve even noticed that the boys go to PE and the older boys just seem to do better in PE class.” However, we may not really be able to consistently rely on chronological age to determine the intelligence, physical ability or maturity of a student. We’ve all heard the stories of parents “holding their kids back” to gain advantages — but does that really do anything for them off the athletic fields? According to Director of Counseling Barbara Van Drie, the development of a child does not always correlate with his or her age. “Chronological age and developmental maturity are two different things and not necessarily in sync,” Van Drie said. “A student could be 16 years old and late-maturing and be at the same place in their cognitive, emotional and social development as a student who is 14 years old and early-maturing.” However, being chronologically older can

still create a chance to gain an advantage — but it’s no guarantee. “The advantage of being chronologically older in a grade is you have a greater chance of reaching developmental maturity,” Van Drie said. “Your cognitive development has a greater probability of being on grade level.” This chance is something first grade instructor Teri Broom, who has two sons at St. Mark’s of her own, thinks every parent should take advantage of if they can, as waiting that extra year could benefit a child for years without much risk. “If you’re considering as a parent in any school, anywhere, I don’t think you can go wrong by holding your son back,” Broom said. “Their confidence is so much higher. Just because they are smart enough to be in first grade doesn’t mean they really should be. As a whole boy, socially, athletically, all the parts of the boys that we work with because we don’t just teach them — we want them to develop the whole boy.” But while the extra year may have some lasting effects on students, Broom says the age differences are less noticeable as time goes on. “By fourth grade, it’s not as noticeable because the young ones aren’t as baby-ish and they’ve developed more maturity, so there is less of a gap,” she said. “Not academically, but in social situations it’s different. Socially it affects them more than academically.” Before senior Brent Weisberg’s parents enrolled him into St. Mark’s, they thought it best he enter a program called “primer,” which serves as a bumper year in-between kindergarten and first grade. BRENT WEISBERG Believes age can make a difference

“Primer itself wasn’t a huge milestone in my personal edification, or a life-changing, life-altering stage of my life,” Weisberg said, “but what it did do was set me on the path to go to St. Mark’s. So I don’t know if it would be a rule, but in my case, in my incident, it gave me that opportunity.” Because of that extra year he and his family waited before applying, Brent became an “older kid” of the first grade of 2004, an unofficial designation he would have throughout his high school career. “I can see how being at either end of the [age] spectrum could be an alienating, isolat-

ing, position,” able to say tha [Chen], and o I could say ‘W been like I’m older. I could experience.” But for se months youn Senior Class, huge differen “Being yo major impact said. “Of cour jokes about it enior Jac an old th at St. Ma difference wh “I never f of the guys in really notice i felt younger a younger, kind me, but when felt like I was Carrio wa bringing in a more develop be problemati “You can boy into first rio said. “The for him. So ev keeping going at every boy i a right fit.” So becaus school uses a which they co second grade the best fit. “[Two-on every grade, t mission & Fin two-one is no You apply for means we con and we also c Baker see another step i each boy who ent grades. “You wou mittees, and t

STORY AVERY POWELL, CAMERON CLARK, ZACH NAIDU

AGE ADVANTAGE

While some students don’t even notice a difference, others who have summer birthdays can feel like the odd boy out among a crowd that is eith

me.

n is on the mind, all these different strategies Rd. into an anomaly that spans all 12 grades.

” Weisberg said. “I’ve always been at [seniors] Roby [Mize], Harrison other people are older than I am, so Well, I’m not the oldest.’ I’ve always a little bit older, but not that much see how others could have that

enior Akshay Malholtra, who is 20 nger than the oldest student in the feels that his age hasn’t made a nce. oung for my grade hasn’t had a on my experience at St. Mark’s,” he rse there are some good-humored t, but it’s all fun.” ckson Cole, who went from being hird grader to a young third grader ark’s, recalls that he only noticed a hen he was younger. felt like I was older than the rest n our grade; in fact, I didn’t even it,” Cole said. “I did notice that I at my old school, and I always felt d of felt like people were older than n I came to St. Mark’s, being older, I s the right age. I felt like I fit in well.” arns that sometimes, however, boy who is significantly bigger or ped than his peers in his grade may ic. n make mistakes too by accepting a grade who is so much bigger,” Caren it’s just going to cause problems very case is different, that’s what I g back and saying, you have to look in every situation and make sure it’s

se of these potential problems, the strategy known as “two-one” in onsider an applicant for first and e, then decide which, if not both, is

ne] is not a test. We do that in almost to some degree,” Director of Adnancial Aid David Baker said. “The othing more than a dual application. r second and first grade, which just nsider your application for second, consider it for first.” es the application process as simply in deciding what the best fit is for o could potentially be in two differ-

uld be read by two different comthe committees decide if the boy is a

fit in one or the other or either,” Baker said. “But those boys take the second grade test because they’re already in first grade; so, they take the second grade test, and we look at them as possible second-graders, and we also, because of their age, look at them as potential first-graders.” And the main goal is not to balance out the average age of each grade, but rather to find the ideal group of boys developmentally, intellectually and more. “The idea is to get a group of 32 boys together that are obviously very talented but are roughly in the same range,” Baker said. “And I don’t know that that has a lot to do with how old they are or not. It has a lot more to do with where they are relative to what we think they need to be successful at the school.” DAVID BAKER Feels maturity is more important than age

That means that while it may seem that older boys sometimes have an advantage, the younger ones cannot be counted out; and there are often other factors that contribute to the developmental maturity of a boy. “Some of the boys who are very young are already ready to lead,” York said, “and there’s a natural maturity and ability to do things that older boys can usually do. Sometimes there are other influences other than just chronological age. If you a kid has older brothers, oftentimes he’s going to be able to know and show some things that a boy who doesn’t have [an older brother would].” The way Weisberg sees it, the older and younger students can both benefit from one another’s presence if they have the right perspective. “When you’re younger and you’re with older people, there’s a drive I think to be more mature,” Weisberg said. “There’s more of a pull. I’m not saying that as a rule, I just felt like having an older brother pulled me more to do that, to have to be on the same level.” Although there appears to be a general edge for older boys, that trend is not totally consistent, and Baker stresses the importance of looking at the whole person rather than their age. “It’s really about ‘where’s the bar,’ not ‘where’s the age,’” Baker said. “And if these guys are over the bar, then they’re over the bar no matter how old or young they are.”

U PHOTOS ARNO GOETZ

her older or younger than they are, especially when teams are being picked.

Playing the odds While older kids don’t have an advantage 100 percent of the time, statistics suggest that they have an edge to some degree, and some parents are taking advantage of that.

75 PERCENT more likely that younger kids in their grade would be diagnosed with ADHD, according to a 2016 study in Taiwan.

75% 3X 12%

THREE TIMES as many kindergarteners over the age of 5 in 2009 as there were in 1970.

12 PERCENT more likely that high school students who were among oldest in class would attend a fouryear college or university.

4 TO 12 PERCENT higher standardized math and science test reported from students considered “older.”

4-12%

SOURCES: NPR.ORG (2016) AND PARENTS.COM (2011)

UPPER HAND, LOWER SCHOOL Although the superficial advantages of age may not extend into academics, first-grader Maximilian Lee (center) knows being older can change things on the playground.

L LIFE

PAGE 14 APRIL 15, 2016 REMARKER

PEER DEBATES

It’s one of those conversations. That fist-clenching, heart-racing, head-shaking debate that’s fought with a pit of hate turning in your stomach. Neither side will budge. How are you supposed to debate issues with a peer when all you can think is —

TUG OF WAR Looking to pull the other to his side, fourth-graders Nathan Meyers (far left) and Matthew Gomez (right) stand on opposite ends of the rope in a heated battle over who’s right.

unior Nick Chaiken leans back in his chair and shoots a smug smile to the floor. Arms folded across his chest, he subtly shakes his head in disagreement. Across from him, senior Davis Marsh’s eyes are glued to the Harkness table’s glossy surface — too focused on his opening statement on gun control to notice Chaiken. Four minutes go by and the two continue their “debate.” Marsh proposes the government should issue a voluntary gun buyback program. Chaiken fires back. People could just get the guns in Mexico instead. It’s not going to make a difference if — Marsh sits up taller in his chair and cuts Chaiken off before he can finish. Now, it’s a battle for speaking time, and you can start to hear their conversation from outside the door. As the clock ticks above them, the two students continue walking the line between a peaceful debate and a violent argument. The same line that media outlets claim presidential candidate Donald Trump is crossing when he made a statement about wanting to “punch” a rally protester in the face. Although Trump says that he does not “incite violence,” media outlets have claimed that he is straddling the line between encouraging peaceful debate and violent arguments. On the first day of Middle School

debate, Director of Debate Tim Mahoney always teaches his students that debate is “learning to listen and respond.” Having built the program on top of this, Mahoney believes that peers should aim to have debates, and they should stick to this foundation in order to keep it from becoming an argument. “There’s nothing wrong with these being intense discussions and having strong feelings, but always [try] to be a respectful listener,” Mahoney said. “We don’t necessarily have to disagree with everything that our colleagues have to say. Find those areas of common belief and then go from there and be like, ‘what is our actual thing that we disagree about?’ As opposed to being more personally or emotionally driven.” ne of the main ways Mahoney teaches his students to avoid these emotionally driven conversations is keeping it about the research rather than trying to solve a moral or relative issue. “We don’t try to answer if Trump should be the next president or if Hillary should be the next president,” Mahoney said. “We don’t try to take a position on that kind of thing. What we are really trying to do is teach people to be able to research those things themselves and then figure it out.” Chaiken, however, who enjoys discussing issues with Marsh and others in places like Political Forum, believes that using research in conversations with

peers can constrain both sides to be more closed-minded. “When you talk about just the issue — if it’s just me and someone else, talking about whether something is right or wrong — you can kind of come to more of a middle ground without stats,” Chaiken said. “[Debaters] are in a competition and have to prove that they’re right. But here, part of the goal is to see what you agree on. If all that you’re trying to do is show that the other person is wrong then you’re not going to get anywhere.” NICK CHAIKEN Co-Founder of Political Speaker Series

Having six years in the debate program under his belt, senior Ammar Plumber finds that using his competitive debate skills of listening and responding in his conversations with peers helps make it a more productive conversation. “A lot of conversations tend to happen in a way that one person is saying what they think and the other person is saying what they think, but those two don’t clash in any sort of way,” Plumber said. “Often those aren’t very productive discussions or very meaningful conversations. When I have a conversation with someone, my thoughts are organized in a way that my mind sort of organizes what was said and groups them into certain categories of

arguments and then respond to them.” According to Interim Head of Upper School Scott Gonzalez, once peers can get to the point where they are listening and responding to each other, both end up taking something away from the conversation and it ultimately becomes enjoyable. “What happens is when you have a debate, people get so defensive and they put their shields up and they’re not willing to admit that neither side is perfect,” Gonzalez said. “A debate should be that not only do I espouse certain facts and viewpoints, but that I learn in return, and that’s the fun part of it.” Despite the shouts over each other, the snarky sarcasm and the interruptions of one side in order to criticize the other for interrupting, Chaiken and Marsh get to hear the other side of things whenever they sit down to discuss issues — and they both think it’s fun. They can stop their argument on gun control, laugh about each other’s “I got him” and “he’s going to use that against me” moments, and then pick the discussion up another day right where they left off. And even when Chaiken smiles at the floor and shakes his head in disagreement, he can’t help but have a level of respect for Marsh. “I like Davis,” Chaiken said. “He’s well educated, smart, witty, he definitely does his research. And in terms of the debate setting, he’s a really smart guy.”

STORY KOBE ROSEMAN, JOHN GUNNIN PHOTO FRANK THOMAS

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PAGE 15 APRIL 15, 2016 REMARKER

BUZZ

L LIFE

THIS ISSUE NETFLIX ORIGINALS PRINCI ITALIA HEADLINERS

Reviewing the best of the best — and the worst of the worst.

TO BINGE OR NOT TO BINGE In the age of the binge watchers, Netflix has become the medium through which various shows beckon for our attention. So, we reviewed a few shows to see if they deserve your time.

CREATIVE COMMONS

he first season of Daredevil brought us a superhero show the likes of which we had never seen before - a dark, unflinchingly brutal exploration of the dark side of crimefighting that proved the viability of the online release. It was smart, gritty, well-written, and the audiences loved it - so much that it inspired a string of new collaborations between Marvel and Netflix. Now, Matt and his allies step into the ring for a round two that surpasses its already excellent predecessor. As the season opens, Daredevil finds himself pitted against Jon Bernthal’s grim, menacing Punisher, a brutal terminator of a vigilante that violently rejects Matt’s moral code. Bernthal is spellbinding, effortlessly leaping between the two sides of his character: the hateful, gangster-slaughtering incarnation of rage, vengeance and self-loathing and the broken, tragic and ultimately sympathetic human being beneath.

MAKING NOISE Upon the release of the new season of Daredevil on Netflix, the show instantly became a trending topic on social media.

Daredevil and Punisher’s dueling ideologies proves to be one of the show’s most intriguing conflicts: What is justice? And who has the right to enforce it?

The other notable newcomer, Elodie Young’s seductive assassin Elektra, doesn’t pack quite the same punch as Punisher, but is nonetheless excellent. An old flame of Matt’s, Elektra presents a different kind of challenge for our hero. Whereas Matt remains firmly devoted to his moral compass, Elektra has no such scruples, fully embracing her inner darkness; and the interaction between them gradually pushes Matt closer to accepting his. Punisher and Elektra push Daredevil to his limits - both physical and spiritual - as he draws closer to a confrontation with a mysterious new enemy. Despite its many improvements, Daredevil’s sophomore season isn’t without its flaws. Often, when Daredevil and co. aren’t beating down criminals, the script is beating down the audience with massive chunks of (often unnecessary) exposition. And while the amount of flashbacks has (thankfully) been reduced, the pacing issues from season one persist. Fortunately, the visceral, heart-pounding action has also carried over, and it’s better than ever. Nothing is more satisfying than the sickening crunch as Daredevil shatters someone’s sternum, or Punisher blasting criminals apart with military-grade weaponry, or Elektra hacking apart her enemies with sadistic glee. Daredevil season 2 is another knockout, raising the stakes from the first season by building on everything great about the first season. Brilliantly directed, addictive and emotionally powerful, it balances thrilling superhero action, with clever, mature storytelling. It’s everything a superhero show should be.

House of Cards comes back with a vengeance

etflix’s star-studded drama House of Cards has struggled to find its footing in the past few years. After a captivating first season, Netflix stumbled through the next two seasons, struggling to recapture the magic of the first 13 chapters. Season three’s cliffhanger finale was both frustrating and left much to be desired. With bonds seemingly irreparably broken and a campaign on the verge of collapse, the show’s drama began to feel more cumbersome. I’m sure I’m not the only one who met season four with some skepticism. Season four was a deft response to the murmurs that House of Cards had lost its stride. The twists and turns of the recent installments made us feel as enchanted and enthralled as we did in that first season. The new backstories and characters are organic. The plot twists are gut-wrenching. The tempo is absolute perfection. REVIEW DAVIS MARSH

ou would normally hear more about a new series on Netflix - a flurry of reviews, a few TV commercials and possibly some Emmy consideration. As such, I was curious as to why I hadn’t heard anything about the eight-episode dramedy Flaked, which debuted on Netflix in late March. As I would find out there was a very good reason for that. It’s a bad show. Flaked, as a comedy, fails on the most fundamental level: it isn’t funny. At all. The only joke here is that somebody got paid to write this. The efforts at humor are impressive in their unfunniness, while the drama is yawn-inducing. There is a bit of light at the end of the tunnel in Will Arnett’s multifaceted portrayal of the recovering alcoholic Chip. Chip spends most of the series as a thoroughly unlikable person- he’s lazy,

Parker McWatters compares the new Princi Italia in Plano to the location in Dallas we know and love.

arrogant and completely irresponsible. However, thanks to a powerful performance by Arnett, viewers can sympathize with Chip’s struggles, and sometimes see some of the Chip in themselves. The same cannot be said for the rest of the cast - they consist of a pack of tired archetypes that run the gamut from bland to downright annoying, failing to be either funny or interesting. While the show does attempt to add a twist late in the game, neither it nor Arnett are enough to carry this trash out of the gutter. It possesses none of the charm, quality, or good writing typically associated with Netflix series, and there’s no urge to binge through episodes. In fact, there’s no urge to watch any episodes beyond the pilot. With less heat on this show than on a frozen banana, Flaked is a boring, joyless slog with about as much appeal as dry toast.

REVIEW AUSTIN MONTGOMERY

A tale of two Princis faux-fanciness. For dessert, I selected the Chocolate Lava Cake. Everything came together on this dish, with the gooey chocolate mixing with its crustier outside to make a perfect dish. A large issue with the restaurant is not the taste of the food or the ability of the waiters, but the price. The pizza alone cost 16 dollars, and the cake (though delicious) cost 9 dollars. The exorbitant price makes one question the necessity of going out, driving to a restaurant and spending around 30 dollars with a tip for food that proves average and even comparable to delivery. I shared my pizza with another person, but knowing the average St. Mark’s student, a single pizza would be no issue to quickly devour, making the price of the entire meal almost doubled, considering that anyone could easily devour a second helping of cake. So, even when approaching the meal

INSPIRATION House of Cards incorporates inspiration from some of William Shakespeare’s plays, including tragedies Richard III and Macbeth.

Flaked makes an effort, but falls flat and lacks charm

REVIEW AUSTIN MONTGOMERY

rinci Italia, a mainstay of the Preston-Royal shopping center, has provided sustenance to those living in the area, St. Mark’s students and anyone in search of a good Italian meal. Their new location in Plano provided a similar opportunity: those who live nearby could get food as well as those wanting to see a movie at the nearby Cinemark. In large part, the two locations are functionally identical. The feel of the restaurants are nearly the same, with only small differences coming from the wait staff, with the newer location boasting happier, more helpful people in the quest for a good dish. At both locations, I tried the Black Fig and Gorgonzala Pizza, which proved good, even with the figs proving a strangely sweet topping for the otherwise salty pizza. The pizza proved more or less a standard fare, not too different from delivery pizza in anything more than price and

I know binge-watchability is no longer a remarkable quality among Netflix shows, but season four kept me up at night, hitting next episode, at the expense of a good night’s sleep. The hours I spent in Netflix’s thrall made clear to me, for as much as I may have doubted them, that House of Cards is back.

CREATIVE COMMONS

Daredevil is back and better than ever

searching to spend little, I found the price of the meal rather high. Though the dessert proved better than any food a call or click away, the rest of the experience did not give any impetus to return to the restaurant. If one wants to find a quiet restaurant with a friendly wait staff, good food, and a nice ambiance, then he could do a lot worse than Princi Italia. For the price, however, the food could be better. The restaurant is fun and good for a night out, but ultimately Princi Italia is an average night out for a strangely higher price.

Head iners Concerts Ellie Goulding

April 18 at 7:00 p.m. Verizon Theatre

Duran Duran

April 19 at 7:00 p.m. American Airlines Center

Easton Corbin

April 23 at 10:30 p.m. Billy Bobs

Off The Rails Country Music Festival April 23 & 24 at 11:00 a.m. Toyota Stadium

Albums Royce da 5’9 Layers April 15

A$AP Ferg

Always Strive And Prosper April 22

Goo Goo Dolls

Boxes May 6

Movies The Jungle Book

April 15

Precious Cargo

April 22

Ratchet & Clank

April 29

MODERNITY The new location in Plano boasts a contemporary design.

Captain America: Civil War May 6

REVIEW PARKER MCWATTERS PHOTO GOPAL RAMAN

L LIFE

PAGE 16 APRIL 15, 2016 REMARKER AROUND THE CAMPUS

10600

An Arno Goetz Photostory

LIKE YOU’VE NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE

We take you to some of the coolest places on campus that have been discovered by only a handful of fortunate, curious Marksmen.

2 52

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS From the perspective of the

of press box, overlooking Norma and Lamar Hunt 1 top Stadium, the varsity lacrosse team warms up against

their opponent, Southlake High School. The team beat its opponents by a score of 11-8.

THE SKY Pointed toward the heavens, 2 WATCHING the telescope is located in the observatory and allows visitors to see brilliant views of the sky. The observatory is located close to the Lower School. SOLAR SOLACE One of the least known campus

the planetarium only hosts one class: 3 spots, Astronomy & Geology. Often, the planetarium hosts light shows during the school’s open house.

IN THE QUAD As the campus stays inside 4 QUIET for classes, the Perot Quadrangle and the Ida M. and Cecil H. Green Commencement Theater remains silent during the middle of the day.

THE BELLS The top of the chapel, which plays 5 RING host to the school’s iconic bells, is the highest point on campus. This view provides an encompassing bird’s eye view of the entire campus and the surrounding neighborhoods.

MY DREAM JOB IS...

SENIOR TRADITIONS

SCHOOL DURING ISAS

Students share their most desired career paths.

As the Class of 2016 leaves, many of the traditions it founded should stay behind — find out which ones. Having school during ISAS is unproductive and unnecessary.

WILLIAM CALDWELL GRAPHIC

TIME TO STEP UP North Korea’s abuse of tourists as bargaining chips must end, and America needs to stop them.

commentary

page 19

PAGE 17 FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2016 I REMARKER

THE REMARKER

EDITORIAL

Current schedule needs a change

ith next year’s schedule-planning process right around the corner, we want to highlight an issue we feel needs to be addressed within the next few if not weeks then definitely years. There are so many problems in our day-to-day schedule that we think a schedule change is necessary. We need progression. By currently putting students in a rigid education format, we hold back the academic exposure a student can have. We know that people have been in talks about redesigning the schedule, and we know that a redesign is tough, so we think that if the school starts from scratch then our community would benefit greatly. With different requirements and a lack of options, we feel that we are choosing and taking classes that we are required to take rather than what we want to take. If the school changes its schedule, then students would have more freedom to engage in classes that interest them and that offer a unique perspective on different subjects, and the only way to do this is through a change in the current academic schedule. We feel that our schedule is too rigid, leaving little to no room for flexibility within the students’ everyday routine. Students used to be able to take a class during lunch. Now, however, students may not take an extra class during the lunch period, unless their schedule requires them to. We agree that a break in the day for lunch is necessary and such a structure allowed former students to perhaps overload their day, but the extra slot proved invaluable to enriching the St. Mark’s experience. With the same 45-minute

comes to

mind?

There are different things we wish we had on campus. Here are some examples of those things.

Here’s a topic that will hopefully provoke real thought and insight.

MANAGING EDITOR WILL CLARK SENIOR CONTENT EDITOR AVERY POWELL

classes every single day, there is little room for changes regarding special assemblies, meetings or other various activities. A change in the school’s schedule will offer an easy and effective change that will undoubtedly benefit our community as a whole. Frankly, our current scheduling system does not give our community the freedom that we think would increase our efficiency as a school and allow for as much variance in our dayto-day life. Because of such a rigid schedule, most of the problems in our school’s efficiency and effectiveness stem from the poor schedule. For example, interruptions in the day such as the STEM conference, late start days or special guest speakers tend to force administrators to rearrange the schedule which usually confuses students in general. Another way to facilitate these interruptions would be to lengthen the 10:30 assembly period to better serve the needs of these specific conferences. With a looser and more relaxed schedule, we think that students would be able to enroll and thrive in courses that they really want to take rather than what they are being forced to take. While we recognize that certain classes are undoubtedly required for students to take, we think that the addition of even only one more curriculum slot would elevate our entire curriculum to another level. Whether it’s changing up the schedule changing the length of periods or adding a period, we think that a change is necessary. The way the schedule stands now allows for very little

ISSUES EDITOR CAMERON CLARK CREATIVE DIRECTOR ABHI THUMMALA MAGAZINE EDITORS BRADFORD BECK, DAVIS MARSH DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR ZACH NAIDU RESEARCH DIRECTOR NOAH KOECHER HEAD PHOTOGRAPHER ARNO GOETZ PHOTO EDITOR FRANK THOMAS COMMENTARY EDITORS WILLIAM CALDWELL, JOHN CRAWFORD NEWS EDITORS CORDAY CRUZ, PHILIP MONTGOMERY NEWS WRITERS ANDRE ARSENAULT, RETT DAUGBJERG, BLAKE DAUGHERTY, JAMES HANCOCK, ZOHEB KHAN, NAFTAL MAUTIA, AUSTIN MONTGOMERY, REECE RABIN LIFE EDITORS GOPAL RAMAN, ANVIT REDDY LIFE WRITERS DAVIS BAILEY, DANIEL COPE, ZACHARY GILSTRAP, JOHN GUNNIN, WASEEM NABULSI, KOBE ROSEMAN, MOHIT SINGHAL SPORTS EDITORS RISH BASU, CASE LOWRY SPORTS WRITERS ALEC DEWAR, WILL FORBES, MIKE MAHOWALD, NICK MALVEZZI, MATTHEW PLACIDE, JIMMY RODRIGUEZ, SAM SHANE, SAM SUSSMAN CAMPUS COORDINATOR CRAWFORD MCCRARY

CONSTRICTED CHOICES Students do not have enough options in their course selections because of the rigidity of the schedule, which leaves classes with little flexibility.

to no flexibility within the everyday life on campus. We cannot add any sort of new education activity or improve our curriculum because the schedule, as it stands now, is fully packed. With any small change to the period system we have now, we would be able to add different activities that would allow for growth as a community, as well as provide for more options with guest speakers, special presentations and interesting activities.

“To be Godzilla.” — Sophomore Matthew Theilmann

“To be a software engineer.” — Sixth grader Drake Elliot

“An investment banker.” — Fifth grader Chase Fisher

“A Disney Imagineer.” — Junior Christian McClain

“Being William Caldwell’s son.” — Head of Middle School Warren Foxworth

“A major league closer.”

—Assistant athletic director Josh Friesen

My biggest regret of this year was... email submissions to 17crawfordj@smtexas.org

REVIEWS SPECIALIST PARKER MCWATTERS BUSINESS MANAGER ROBY MIZE ASSISTANT BUSINESS MANAGER CARSON CROCKER COPY EDITORS AIDEN BLINN, AIDAN MAURSTAD

My dream job is...

what

next month

EDITOR IN CHIEF PHILIP SMART

CARTOONIST ABHI THUMMALA STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS DREW BAXLEY, MATEO DIAZ, SAM EICHENWALD, WILLIAM HALL, WESLEY HIBBS, ALDEN JAMES, REID JOHANNSEN, GRAHAM KIRSTEIN, CAM LAM, CHRIS McELHANEY, CHARLIE O’BRIEN, TIM O’MEARA, TUCKER RIBMAN, NICO SANCHEZ, RILEY SANDERS, KABEER SINGH, OWEN BERGER, CORBIN WALP STAFF ARTISTS DANIEL BYEON, DANIEL GARCIA, JOON PARK, BRAYDON WOMACK ADVISER RAY WESTBROOK ONLINE VIEWING. Each issue of The ReMarker, along with archival copies, can be viewed on the school’s website, www.smtexas. org/remarker. READER INVOLVEMENT. The ReMarker encourages reader input through letters, guest columns and story ideas. Contact the appropriate editor for submissions. Suggestions will be given due consideration for future publication. ADVERTISING. Contact the business staff at 214.346.8145. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement. Inclusion of an ad in the newspaper’s pages is not an indication of an endorsement by The ReMarker, any of its staff members or faculty or staff members of St. Mark’s School of Texas. DISTRIBUTION. Press run is 3,800 copies. Copies are provided free of charge to students, faculty and staff at various distribution sites on campus. More than 2,600 copies are mailed out to alumni courtesy of the school’s offices of External Affairs, Development and Alumni divisions. MEMBERSHIP. The ReMarker maintains membership in the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, New York City, NY; National Scholastic Press Association, Minneapolis, MN; and the Interscholastic League Press Conference, Austin. St. Mark’s School of Texas 10600 Preston Road Dallas, TX 75230. 214.346.8000 www.smtexas.org

PAGE 18

COMMENTARY

APRIL 15, 2016 REMARKER

SHORT & TWEET

EDITORIAL

Library shutdown unnecessary, counterproductive

or two days in recent weeks, the librarians of the Green library had shut down the library to Upper School students after multiple behavioral issues with students in the library during fourth period. While the students’ behavior was completely unnacceptable and innappropriate, to bar all Upper School students for the entire day because of a small subset of misbehaving students was harsh and unnecessary. Many students who were completely unrelated to the issues no longer had a quiet place to study, which was especially problematic given the timing: the week of the end of the third mid-trimester. However, the blame is still two-fold: for students who enjoy causing disruptions in the library during their free periods, know that your actions prevent students from focusing on their work and studying for tests and quizzes, whether by being distracting in their presence, or by getting all Upper School students banned from the library for multiple days. Still, there are better ways to punish students for misbehaving in the library than punishing students who didn’t do anything wrong. Ejecting specific misbehaving students from the library is an effective method of ending their distractions, and punishing them individually with detentions is an ever-effective means of preventing them from repeating their poor behavior.

Unsung hero

A peek at Marksmen’s tweets

I hope Metro Boomin trusts me. — Senior Will Garden

LET IT BE KNOWN that at approximately 12:50 pm on Saturday, March 19th at the BVU track meet, I ran a faster 800 than @JTGraass. That is all. — Sophomore Sam Shane

willgarden1

samshane27_

*Aggies win baseball game* *Longhorns remind everyone that they won the last football game 5 years ago.*

broom_kent

—Senior Kent Broom

FabianReyher

This summer DJ Bapesta will be releasing a few demo tracks. Looking for artists who wants to collab #Bapestaonthebeat —Junior Fabian Reyher

MYLES TEASLEY ST. MARK’S FELLOW St Mark’s Fellow Myles Teasley offers a friendly face on campus.

hese past two years, St. Mark’s Fellow Myles Teasley has influenced this community is countless ways. Whether it’s being a regular face at clubs or keeping his door open and just chatting with students, Teasley has been not only a teacher on this campus, but also friend. Teasley keeps students entertained with his stories of Morocco and other travels around the world. Outside of his intriguing history class, Teasley coaches volleyball, wrestling and track, showing up to practices, meets and games to support all these teams. Teasley also has many connections to celebrities, giving many unique perspectives on life in California. We know that all students and faculty appreciate the work that Teasley does. Thank you, Mr. Teasley. We appreciate all you do.

hot or not?

30-word thoughts on some recent events at 10600 Preston Road.

EDITORIAL

Keep the traditions

Hot | Underground River Festival

Cool | Sprinklers Unexpecting students strolling across the Wirt Davis Walk are now under constant threat of being sprayed by the daytime sprinkler on its new schedule. But we like the grass.

This new opportunity provides students with much needed meditation, and now the onus is on the students to take advantage of it.

PHOTO ARNO GOETZ

PHOTO ALDEN JAMES

ome of the traditions the Senior Class have come up with are worthy of lasting for a long time. Whether it was the senior-freshman buddies or the Spring Fling, this class has invented some pretty amazing ideas and executed them perfectly, too, so we think that the future leading classes need to keep up the traditions. Also, every single member of this year’s Senior Class has led in his own way, and we think that all future classes have the potential to be very influential, positive leaders as well. Listen to teachers and parents; take in everything that this wonderful community has to offer. Get involved. One of the best things about this Senior Class is that the majority of members of the class found their passion. Whether it’s on the newspaper or in football, in the improv troupe or investment club, this Senior Class has left an impact on the school that is irreplicable anywhere else. So we leave you with this: keep up the traditions. The Senior Class last year left us with an amazing model on how to lead, and we know that they also have left the future classes with a great model on how to lead, for that is how legacies are left.

Warm | Morning meditation

To see this festival a second year brings hope that it is now cemented as a St. Mark’s tradition, where current and former student musicians can entertain their classmates and friends.

Icy | Student no-show Think about it: there are 535 congressmen in the country, and U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions on March 30 decided to give us his time. Surely, more than 50 of us could give him our attention, especially since half of those 50 came as a part of a club activity.

I would not want it any other way

could use a classic Marksman technique and BS about 100 stereotypical columns about how I’m going to miss this place; how although the work here was hard, it paid off. Yes, I’m going to miss it here, and I’m going to miss my friends, and the hard work here did pay off—but that tells you nothing new about the St. Mark’s experience. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. CAMERON CLARK So I’m going to take a different approach to this, something I think sometimes we don’t do enough of: I’m going to be honest. And I’ll start by saying I’ve never really been comfortable at a place that is pretty much my second home. I’ve spent 12 years here and I’ve spent a large chunk of my time stressed out, overwhelmed with work, pissed off. Yeah, I’ve had a breakdown here or there, but if you’re a Marksman and you tell me you never have, that you’ve never felt any of that stress, then I’ll tell you you’re lying. Because frankly, that’s what this place does to you.

But that’s why I love it here. If St. Mark’s allowed me to kick back and have a good time all the time, I would be maybe a tenth of the person I am today. Don’t get me wrong: you’ll have some of the best times of your life here, but that’s only because they’re made so rewarding by all of the work we do here—you can’t have the good without the bad. And although there have been many highs, I’ve never reached a point of satisfaction at St. Mark’s. Like I mentioned earlier, I’ve always been uncomfortable here. This place allows you to pat yourself on the back for a little bit, but before you know it, if you’re not ready, you can be blindsided by another slew of work and commitments. I know that sounds like a bad thing, but that’s the staple of the St. Mark’s challenge—I never would’ve kept growing if I reached a point of contentment with my work here. You’re allowed to get frustrated, you’re allowed to be nervous, you’re allowed to feel unprepared. Hell, you’re allowed to feel like you hate this place sometimes—because in the heat of the moment, you might

feel that way. I know I have before. But, realize what it took me a bit too long to realize— all of these moments, the good, the bad and the ugly, changed me for the better. Even though I’ve felt more stress and experienced more failure at 10600 more than I have at any other place, I love this place to death, probably more so than my own home right across the street. Why? Because St. Mark’s has my back. The St. Mark’s community isn’t here to highlight my many failures, but rather to pick me back up time and again, and most importantly, force me to keep pushing myself. So, yeah, over twelve years here, I’ve felt more stress than I ever would’ve imagined for high school, and coming up short has become a very, very regular part of life for me—it’s part of the St. Mark’s experience for everyone, but we should embrace that part of it. Because you know what they say these days: “High school is hard.” Damn right St. Mark’s was hard. But don’t think for a second that I’d have it any other way.

PAGE 19 APRIL 15, 2016 REMARKER

editorial

Finding a more creative solution E

very year, ISAS attracts dozens of St. Mark’s students to celebrate drama, music and other performing and visual arts at a select SPC school. With so many students gone for the festival, classes here become marginal as teachers try to avoid putting a significant number of their students behind and waste a class teaching something they know they will need to re-teach. However, the classes typically still assign homework, and students gone for ISAS become behind in their studies at a crucial point in the year — in the middle of the third trimester, preparing for AP tests, exams and a myriad of other assignments that wrap up the school year.

Thus, an unhappy medium is created in which students who attend school during the festival do not learn nearly as much as they usually do, and students who attend the festival get behind on homework at a point in the year when they can’t afford it. The most obvious solution is to do what Hockaday already does: not hold school during ISAS. While the school is trying to avoid disrupting the flow of school by having too many days off, the school days during ISAS do not amount to quality school days, and might as well not be held. To find a middle ground, the school could eliminate two other days off in the calendar, like the winter weekend, or to coincide a

different break with ISAS. Alternately, the school could prohibit homework from being assigned during the ISAS festival, while maintaining the days themselves. This would solve the problem of a plurality of students getting behind in their work, but would further marginalize these school days, providing yet another reason to just cancel them entirely. We understand the obvious reasons why the school wants to maximize the number of days of school, but to have days where students and teachers are not prepared to learn and teach, is not necessary and not beneficial, especially when many other students are getting behind in their studies because of them.

THE

MATRIX

Our musings of happenings around campus condensed into single boxes

ENJOYABLE

Senior CPR training

NOTABLE

Know now that if your heart stops, seek out a blue shirt for help. Unless they are in the senior lounge.

ESD lacrosse game

Senior tuxedo fitting

Even if St. Mark’s may not be favored, the team and its representatives need to get the word out about the game so that fans can show up.

Free food for all seniors means a happy and easy tuxedo fitting and thus a good looking graduating class.

ERB scheduling

Fenced off quad

New grass

The school needs to find a better way to schedule ERB testing so that hundreds of students not even taking the tests aren’t affected.

Why must the entire quad be blocked off to preserve grass that could have been planted at any time? How will middle schoolers play pick-up football games now?

The lush, green grass makes the entire school feel so much more fresh, and presents a beautiful view for graduation, but at a cost (see left).

Junior Class

ISAS

Wow. You’ve got some big shoes to fill next year. While we’re sure you’ll do great, from what we’ve seen of you so far, it’s very possible we come back next year and the school is in shambles thanks to the Class of 2017.

Viewing the cumulative hours of snapchat stories makes it seem like ISAS is undoubtedly one of the best events of the year. What is better than a two and a half day long Coffeehouse?

Senior skip day Starting with a Stars game, the seniors left the campus leader-less for 24 hours — and the underclassmen couldn’t have been happier.

COMMENTARY

America must be firm in dealing with North Korea The North Korean regime’s string of political ploys and scare tactics have continued with the arrest, detention and now sentencing of American student Otto Warmbier. Warmbier, a University of Virginia student who was visiting North Korea on a five-day guided tour, was intercepted boarding a plane to leave the country Jan. 2. Charged with attempting to steal a propaganda poster at his group’s hotel, Warmbier was detained for over a month before “confessing” to the crime at a press conference the regime claims “he asked for himself.” ound the ar The press conference Feb. 29 was the first chance Warmbier’s family had received in over two months to see Otto. The U.S. was hopeful in following weeks that Warmbier would be shown POLITICS mercy by the communist government, A discussion of issues outside the scope of and allowed a chance to return to his campus, around the loved ones as a humanitarian display of country and across good will. the globe. Their hopes were squashed, however, when Warmbier was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor March 16. His trial before the supreme court of North Korea was a single hour long. Warmbier’s sentencing is by no means the first case of the regime’s targeting of American tourists, but it is no less excusable. North Korean officials have told major news outlets that Warmbier is accused both of meeting with a member of a church in Ohio, who promised him a car for stealing the poster, and of agreeing to complete the “mission” to gain entry to the selective Z Society organization at UVA. However, the senior pastor of the Frienship United Methodist Church revealed last month that Warmbier isn’t even registered with the church, and Z Society representatives have confirmed that the third-year business major has never approached a single member of the society. Even with their accusations dispelled, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) holds Warmbier to another 14 years and 345 days of manual labor. Undoubtedly, he will be kept in decent health, utilized as a bargaining chip to force U.S. communication and negotiation with the regime. In a position of global leadership, the U.S. needs to take initiative and quickly secure Wambier’s release. To allow a rogue nation hold a citizen hostage as a diplomatic pawn is completely unacceptable. Little hope stands for Warmbier’s unconditional release, as North Korea remains stalwart, America remains indignant, and Warmbier’s classmates and family fall silent.

GLOBE

A letter to the semi-functional at best M

y biggest regrets as a Marksman? Not inventing time-travel so I can slap some sense into an aimless, 14-year-old Avery Powell. Not that I would necessarily use violence (although I probably would), and not that I was particularly maladjusted for a 14-year-old (because let’s face it, how many of them aren’t), there’s just so much I had so, so wrong. And well, since I never got a around to founding Quantum Physics Club to assemble a team of time warping Marksmen — although AVERY POWELL in hindsight that would’ve looked fantastic on my college application — I guess I’ll have to settle my frustrations some other way. Freshman self, if I can’t grab you by the collar and force you to be a better person the old-fashioned, Sci-Fi way, I’ll do my best to tell you from here. Even if this never arrives back in time through some reverse time capsule, I write this for all those other Marksmen currently enduring their awkward stage. If they’re anything like I was, they’ll need all the help they can get. Even though they’ll probably ignore it out of self-contrived pride.

Younger Avery, You don’t know much, let’s get that straight right off the bat. I mean, I don’t know that much, but I have been

around just a little bit longer. You’re smart, sure, but you just haven’t seen the half of it yet. And that makes you relatively dumb as hell. Relative to myself, that is. First off, the worst part about being at the start of high school is that everybody asks you to start thinking of who you’ll be in the future, before you’ve even figured out how to start thinking of who you are now. And it’s just plainly the worst. Avery, you think you want to be a doctor? You, who’s been lambasted for your poor daily organizational skills since you were six and have never once considered it requires four (as a conservative estimate) more years of indentured servit — schooling? The medical misstep you are currently in the process of taking brings me to my first piece of advice. You need to figure out what success means to you. That’s not to say that the clichés of what’s good and what’s bad for you won’t ever align themselves with your personal needs, but that your “decision” to be a doctor was obviously based on what other people proposed for you. You need to focus on what you know. And I don’t mean what you’ve learned in school. Be aware of what you struggle with — but, even more importantly, understand your skills, what you’re good at, wielding it as best you can. Wielding it. Not picking up a new skill. That’s good too, but different. I’m talking about honing what you already have.

I’d never really noticed how far that can take someone — until I was invited to see critically-acclaimed actress Viola Davis speak at St. Philip’s Academy’s Destiny Awards luncheon. Not just listening — watching her speak, while I sit, eyes glued at a table with faculty leadership from both St. Mark’s and Hockaday, stunned me into a realization. Davis spoke on her upbringing, how she knew she wanted to act since she was young and how following her dream of acting her from poverty in Central Falls, Rhode Island to Julliard to the Academy Awards. But as she spoke, it wasn’t her career accomplishments that impressed me. The way she sat in a room with hundreds of strangers, impacting them all. She was changing lives, and she was being exactly who she was meant to be from the beginning. Success, for me, I mean, isn’t the achievement of some status or title or finally grasping stability or even simply accomplishing exactly what you set out to do. For Davis, there was a clear-cut goal. A dream. But not everyone’s lucky enough for a “dream.” My kind of success, the kind that may finally put you at ease, isn’t just being a “good” person. It’s being an effective one. In other words, kid? Do good — and do it well.

Your wiser, more annoyingly prideful self, Older Avery.

S sports

ALUMNI COACHES

SPC PREVIEWS

LACROSSE

Three young alumni are back as coaches for spring sports.

WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE?

Spring sports are readying for the last SPC championships of the year.

Take a look into what’s okay for student section cheers and chants in big rivalry games.

A in-depth look at this year’s key players for the lacrosse team.

page 21

PAGE 20 FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2016 I REMARKER

stories around campus in brief

• GOLF SQUAD BREAKS RECORDS The golf team has had a record-breaking season, breaking the school scoring record with a 291 the weekend of March 11. The team broke its own record the very next day with a 290, and lowered the record even more hitting a 286. The team beat Kinkaid and all other conference competition at the Lost Pines Tournament where they shot a 286 and set the bar high for SPC. “The season we’ve had is just a result of

the hard work we’ve put in so far,” junior Nick Chaiken said. “I’m happy it’s gone the way it has and I am looking forward to winning the SPC championship.”

being nominated and winning the award. “This award came as a surprise to me, but I am really thankful for the opportunity,” Killian said.

• SENIOR WINS SCHOLAR ATHLETE Senior Bryce Killian was nominated for and won the NBC Wingstop High School Scholar Athlete of the month. The prize money is 1000 dollars and the reward is judged based on academic excellence, varsity participation, and community service. Killian is grateful for

• JUNIOR VARSITY STARTS STRONG Coach Dennis Kelly’s junior varsity baseball team has had an up and down season so far, often being hampered by a small pitching staff. The highlight of thei season was when they strung together wins against Fort Worth Christian and

Prestonwood to win the silver bracket of the Home School junior varsity Tournament. The junior varsity lacrosse team has showed off a lot of the lacrosse program’s young talent. “We are looking to end the season strong against some good public teams,” midfielder Blake Daugherty said. • MIDDLE SCHOOL STARTS SOLID The Middle School sports teams have started off well this spring. The seventh

grade lacrosse team came out of the gate hot this season, routing St. John’s 9-0 in their first game of the season, and they’ve maintained that momentum throughout the season. The gold team will host Highland Park next Thursday in the season finale. The eighth grade baseball team has been hampered by a small roster, however despite their winless record, this season has provided great experience for some of the younger members on the roster.

— Sam Shane, Nick Malvezzi, Will Forbes

in the

MOMENT events on campus told through photos

Michael Jordan plays at homecoming game

POISED During the Heart of Texas Regatta March 5 and 6, Lions rowers, led by junior Shailen Parmar, compete at Lady Bird Park in Austin.

the Around corner

what you need to know in the coming week

TODAY What Varsity lacrosse in SPC tournament When 7 p.m. Where Episcopal School of Dallas

The playmaker Establishing himself as one of the key players in the defense, sophomore goalkeeper John Gunnin has stepped up in the cage for the Lions.

What Varsity baseball vs. All Saints When 5:00 p.m. Where Arthur P. Ruff Field

WEEKEND What SPC North Zone track meet When Tomorrow, 9 a.m. Where Greenhill

NUMBER OF SAVES RECORDED BY SOPHOMORE JOHN GUNNIN IN A GAME AGAINST PLANO WEST HIGH SCHOOL MARCH 16

What Texas Rowing Championships When Saturday, all day Where Lady Bird Lake in Austin

JOHN GUNNIN

NEXT WEEK What Texas Rangers vs. Baltimore Orioles When Friday, 7 p.m. Where Globe Life Park In Arlington

What Varsity golf vs. ESD When Tuesday, 4 p.m. Where Sherrill Park Golf Course

What Varsity tennis vs. Greenhill When Tuesday Where Albert Hill Tennis Center

What Varsity water polo vs. DWPC When Tuesday, 7:15 p.m. Where Farmer’s Branch

DREW BAXLEY PHOTO

o this is it. I guess it’s only fitting that my final piece for The ReMarker goes in the sports section. Sports, after all, are what compelled me to join the newspaper. Four years ago all I wanted to do was write about sports. In the beginning, that’s exactly what I did. My favorite assignments in Beginning Journalism were those about sports. Sophomore year as a staff writer I wrote all but three sports stories, and junior year I was Sports Editor. Then came senior year, and with it a new challenge as a senior editor. I’ve learned a lot this year about the non-sports side of journalism and the St. Mark’s community. In a way, this has been my most enjoyable year on staff with all of the new challenges and experiences, yet I haven’t written a single story for the sports section until now. My 12 years at St. Mark’s can be summed up in a similar way. From day one in first grade, I was always told to strive to be the Marksman I could be. For the past 12 years of my life, much of my time here has been figuring out exactly what that means. Now, as I approach the light at the end of the tunnel, a few words come to mind when I think about the meaning of being a marksman: passion, love, brotherhood, leadership, hard-working, courage, honor. To me, being able to lead as a captain for the swim team meant far more than the four SPC championships the swim team saw. The love my teammates showed me as a team manager ZACH NAIDU when the water polo team won its first of two consecutive state championships meant far more than any individual victory. Whether it was Mrs. Jenkins’ genuine desire to help me organize my locker or Mr. Sberna’s thoughtful guidance in helping me eradicate comma splices from my writing, I always felt like everybody around me had my best interest in mind. These displays of altruism, and the countless others, have molded my interpretation of what it means to be a marksman. My fascination with sports often prompts me to find similarities between them and other experiences in my life, and the grandest one I’ve found has been the concept of St. Mark’s as a team – one giant, loving, talented team. There are teams within the team, of course. I have a water polo team and a swim team and a team in the class of 2016. But regardless of the team, I have always found the same qualities of love and caring, of courage and honor and appreciation for that one grand team we are all apart of. A month from now, graduation will be a very bittersweet night for me. Bitter because I will be saying goodbye to the single greatest influence on my life – my school. Sweet because I will be with my entire team at once for the first time in 12 years – all my teachers, coaches, friends and family will be there to see me. I’ve been a part of this team since before I could tie my own shoes. It’s crazy to think about how much I’ve grown since I was lucky enough to make the cut. It’s even crazier to think this is my last ride. I don’t want to end this column, but all good things must come to an end. So this is it. And I couldn’t be more grateful.

QUICKhits

ALDEN JAMES PHOTO

THE BIGGEST TEAM IN TEXAS

“We have a lot of talent on the team and we are looking forward to the SPC tournament. I feel like the team is clicking at the right moment near the end of the season. And I hope we can bring home the SPC trophy where it belongs.”

PAGE 21 APRIL 15, 2016 REMARKER

SPORTS

STUDENT SECTIONS

YOU CAN’T SAY THAT W

e have girls! We have girls! SAT scores! SAT scores! Emotions might flare on the playing field, but fans in student sections across the country often explode with taunts and insults, especially when a rivalry is involved. The chants can get heated and the fans can get angry. Not only at the opposing fans, but at the players and referees, too. If there is a controversial play or call, the officials will almost certainly hear about it from the crowd. But recently, a high school in a suburb of Boston, MA took the intensity to a new level. In their division title basketball game, Catholic Memorial School, was heard chanting, “You killed Jesus!” towards their opponents, Newton North High School, which has a largely Jewish student body. The students were punished accordingly, and each of the students involved had to personally apologize to the principal of Newton. As these disturbing events occur, the question must be asked: what is okay to say in student sections? If students were found chanting things of this nature at St. Mark’s, Interim Head of Upper School Scott Gonzalez says he would pull them aside, away from the students’ peers in the crowd and talk to them personally. “Look, you’ve got two choices,” Gonzalez said. “You can either tone it down and chill out, or you can leave, and it’s your choice. And if you continue this behavior, I’ll ask you to leave.” And that would likely be followed by a disciplinary situation, according to Gonzalez. In order to supervise the students during the competitions, Gonzalez has ways of monitoring them without directly involving himself. “[During the ESD basketball game,] I actually was over, as was [Assistant Ath-

While tensions run high on court, the crowds in the stands are the fuel to the fire, and sometimes, they cross the line.

letic Director Josh] Friesen, standing next to the student section,” Gonzalez said. “And I think what happens is the students know that we don’t mind them having fun – in fact, I like to have fun – but I think they also know that since we’re there, they know that we’re paying attention.” Super fan men Graham Kirstein and Philip Smart work together to create organized, appropriate chants and cheers for the student sections to execute during events. “A lot of times it is stuff that the GRAHAM KIRSTEIN Believes the fans have done a great job this year.

crowd can get into and something that everybody already knows about,” Kirstein said. “If we can keep the crowd into it while still respecting the opponent, then that is the best we can do.” Senior cheer captain Ellie Bush believes taunting chants are a part of rivalries in sports, and they shouldn’t deeply offend the opponents. “With any school rivalry comes a little bit of animosity and ‘trash talk,’ so I personally do not let other teams’ chants go to my head,” Bush said. “But, I suppose I can’t speak for everyone when I say that. The opposing crowd’s chants can come off as rude, but that is why they exist--to provoke the enemy.” irstein believes the super fan men have done a good job creating fun, appropriate cheers and chants that root for the team without dissing the opponent. “I can’t remember a time when the crowd got out of control [this year],” Kirstein said. “The crowd has been really good and really respectful, but also really into it and involved.” For Kirstein, the “Silent Night” game against ESD was a great example of a fun

?#@*&%!

and clever cheer without taunting the opponents. This cheer involved staying completely silent until St. Mark’s had scored 10 points, then going crazy. “The silent night thing was really cool,” Kirstein said. “Because even before the game we got to tell a bunch of lower and middle schoolers in the stands about it too. It is something that gets the whole crowd on the same page.” Bush doesn’t think the taunting actually upsets anyone, as they stay loyal to the team no matter what. “I don’t think that an overwhelming majority of the fans feel genuinely offended by certain snarky comments or cheers that stem from the other side,” Bush said. “At the end of the day, St. Mark’s fans remain St. Mark’s fans – and sometimes even more devoted ones at that.” Overall, Gonzalez thinks the student section has done a very good job this

‘

THIS YEAR I THINK THEY’VE DONE REALLY, REALLY WELL. I THINK THERE ARE WAYS THAT YOU CAN HAVE FUN WITHOUT GOING OVERBOARD.

SCOTT GONZALEZ

year of staying in control of its emotions, generally refraining from answering some opponents’ taunts with taunts of its own. “We really haven’t had a major issue in quite a while with our students being out of bounds,” Gonzalez said. “I think generally speaking, our guys have been really, really good at not reciprocating

opponents’ taunts. And I’m really happy, because it makes my life easier, and it makes their lives easier, too, in the big picture.” Kirstein agrees, as he thinks the fans have done a good job of getting involved without attacking the opponents. “In terms of classiness of our crowd I think we are pretty good,” Kirstein said. “You are always going to have one or two loose cannons. I mean it is a high school sports game and it’s easy get lost it in, but I think as a whole we have been pretty good.” ush believes the super fan men have been successful in getting fans to the games with some of the creative chants they think of. “I think that the super fans do a really good job of advertising events and getting people on board,” Bush said. “But then it is then up to the fans to play their part and wholeheartedly support the players,” Kirstein believes the old saying around campus, telling the students to ‘cheer for our team, not against the opponents,’ is a helpful guideline when it comes to finding a line for student sections. “As cliché as it is around campus, I think the ‘Cheer, Don’t Jeer’ guideline is a pretty good template to follow,” Kirstein said. “I think the line is crossed when the chants are targeted directly at an opposing player or are hostile towards the opposing school or its students. When you’re in the stands you’re there to support your team, and I think any aggression should be left to the guys on the court or field.”

STORY JIMMY RODRIGUEZ, NICK MALVEZZI ILLUSTRATION NAFTAL MAUTIA

SILENT NIGHT Students appeared ready to cheer on the Lions. Only...they didn’t cheer. For the first ten points, that is. After the first ten, the crowd erupted and cheered the Lions on to a big win.

After coming up short last year, baseball looks to finish the job by Sam Shane lmost all of the pieces of the puzzle are there. Once the players smooth out the kinks, they see themselves as unstoppable. They were almost there last year, but they just didn’t have enough to get the job done. Now, they’ve got the hot bats. They’ve got the ace pitchers. They’ve got the gold-glove fielders. All they need is to do is focus. Senior pitcher Hunter Alexander thinks the baseball team this year is exceptionally strong. “We were knocking on the door last year when we lost to Kinkaid, but we are better than last year’s squad,” Alexander said, “I think the title is definitely within

our grasp. Their sole loss this year came to Fort Worth Country, but the team has dominated the rest of the conference. However, Alexander still thinks that the team will have to play at an extremely high level during SPC to win. “It will take a true team effort.” Alexander said. “Our pitchers need to perform to the best of their abilities, the defense needs to be flawless, and the team needs to keep their bats hot and get hits.” All in all, Alexander thinks that the team will need a strong performance in SPC to win the championship. “Right now, we are focused, and as long as we stay that way, nothing can stop us from taking the title,”Alexander said.

PAGE 22

SPORTS

APRIL 15, 2016 REMARKER

ALUMNI COACHES

Back to their roots The arrival of spring season has brought back recent alumni as assistant coaches looking to further impact their high school sports programs.

hey aren’t hard to point out. They’ll crowd the rectangles of glass in the doors, craning their necks with a more excited grin on their face than anyone should have while looking into a physics classroom, straining to get a glimpse of a dear former teacher. They’re college students and recent alumni of the school, always striding around with confident smiles that show a comfort most never saw when they were here. They don’t always know when they will come back, or which teacher they will see first or whether or not they will eat in the cafeteria for old times sake, but they always come back because of the effect the school had on them. And for some alumni, the chance to come back proved too tantalizing of an opportunity as they joined the ranks of their former sports teams again to become a part of the school. For assistant junior varsity baseball coach Brett Mattingly ’10, the allure of St. Mark’s has a unique place in his heart, even after attending three other schools. “I went to school here for three years, and those years were some of the most positively impactful on my life; the relationships you make, whether it be friends, coaches or teachers, are unlike any of the other three schools I have ever attended,” Mattingly said. “I just wanted to find a way to be involved in and give back to the school that provided me with so much” Assistant crew coach Cameron Baxley ‘14 chose to return just two years after graduating to pass on the knowledge he gained while rowing for the U.S. Naval Academy after graduation. “It is definitely surreal at times being

back on campus with some of the kids that were sophomores when I was a senior,” Baxley said. “I love 10600 Preston Road and am just happy to be able to give back to the program that shaped me so much. Along with Baxley and Mattingly is assistant lacrosse coach Matthew Meadows ‘15, who missed his senior year lacrosse season due to a leg injury. For Meadows, the transition to coaching was a natural one, and the hardest part was learning the names of new players “For me it hasn’t been too difficult integrating since I knew all the coaches and majority of the players,” Meadows said. “I obviously know what St. Mark’s is about and what we want to achieve, so a lot of it was just learning the name of the players I hadn’t met before and getting to know Anthony, the other new coach.” Meadows hopes that his love for the game of lacrosse will help him become the best possible coach he can be. “St. Mark’s lacrosse will always be one of the most memorable and special parts of my life, and it gave me a true love for the game of lacrosse and a greater sense of brotherhood,” Meadows said. “So I hope I am able to pass that along to other players and have them get the same amount of joy I got out of it.” As far as Naval wisdom, Baxley knows what he learned at the academy will make the team better, even though the team may have a different idea after some of the grueling workouts. “My experiences at Navy definitely influence my coaching style.” Baxley said. “I learned a lot about composure and acting professionally as both a rower and a coach. I also learned a wealth of exercises and torturous workouts. Ask any of the

MENTORS (Clock-wise from the top) Baxley, Meadows and Mattingly use their experience to coach their squads.

rowers what an 8-count body builder is.” While these alumni were all proficient at their sport of choice here, coaching that same sport poses a whole new set of challenges that playing did not. “I did not realize how stressful coaching is,” Baxley said. “I thought I would feel more detached from the race outcomes, but I feel more involved because I have helped coach every boat that is out there competing, which makes me much more invested in each rower’s performance in relation to the goals they set for themselves.” Mattingly believes that his greatest challenge as a coach, and any coach’s greatest challenge, is finding his voice and coaching style. “Do you want to be an intense coach that drills their players endlessly? Or do you take a more laid back approach?” Mattingly said. “I think it is all about

finding a balance between the two that the players react positively towards.” Baxley sees his assistant job as a stepping stone to a greater coaching career and not just a side-job to make some money before returning to college. “I am definitely hoping to keep coaching,” Baxley said. “Hopefully, I will be at SMU next year so that I can continue helping with the crew team. I’m planning to major in kinesiology so that I can be even more effective as a coach and a personal trainer.” Mattingly finds that coaching is very rewarding for many reasons outside of success. “I think the most rewarding experience is being able to impact the lives of fellow Marksmen,” Mattingly said. “Coaching teaches students how to play a sport, but I also think it is a great medium for teaching life lessons as well. ”

STORY CASE LOWRY, RISH BASU, ALEC DEWAR PHOTO CHRIS MCELHANEY

by Sam Sussman

Sophomore Malvezzi travels to Germany for soccer training

ophomore Nick Malvezzi traveled to Germany on March 9 for two weeks for an elite soccer-training program where he trained with the team JFS Cologne. Malvezzi was one of four people from the United States to attend this individual training opportunity. While overseas, Malvezzi sharpened his skills through individual training with a goalkeeping coach. “I learned so many new things while I was abroad to help improve my game,” Malvezzi said. “The goalkeeping coach was very detail-oriented and helped me fix some of the little things, which made a big difference.”

For Malvezzi, the experience of playing in another country is unmatched. Malvezzi especially enjoyed the competition and the relationships he formed. “We were doing a drill in practice where there were three teams of five players, and the teams tried to keep scoring and keep a long streak of wins,” Malvezzi said. “It was great to bond with people who didn’t speak my language, and to play so well. It was a great feeling.” While in Germany, Malvezzi trained two to three times a day, but the program allotted plenty of time for activities outside of playing soccer. “When we were not training, we had the opportunity to explore the city of Cologne,” Malvezzi said.

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“We visited the heart of downtown, which was beautiful, but the coolest memory from the trip was when we got to attend the match between Bundesliga teams Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Hamburg SV.” Malvezzi learned a lot during his trip to Europe. He ultimately hopes that continuing to play soccer at high level will give him success. “This trip showed that if you want something bad enough, and if you work hard enough, you can achieve anything,” Malvezzi said. “I have always wanted to play in Europe, and even though I have participated in tournaments in four European countries, this was something different. It’s a dream that is coming true right before my eyes.”

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PAGE 23 APRIL 15, 2015 REMARKER

SPC PREVIEWS

SPORTS

Finishing with a bang

As the regular season comes to a close, spring sports teams hope their seasons will culminate with SPC tournament success.

Sophomore Sam Shane

Sophomore Canyon Kyle

Freshman Mark Weisberg

Sophomore Harris Wilson

The varsity quad

Sophomore Sam Schroeder

THE HOME STRETCH With the spring regular season coming to a close, spring sports athletes in tennis, crew, golf, track and baseball look to compete in SPC and state tournaments.

Tennis finishes strong going into SPC play by Will Forbes ew teams have rivalries as important as the tennis team’s rivalry with Greenhill. Every year, the two north zone squads duke it out during the regular season, and seemingly every year, both are near the top of the league heading into SPC tournament play. This year is no different as the tennis team is undefeated as it heads into its pivotal showdown againt unbeaten Greenhill April 12, with the number 1 seed on the line. For this year’s team, though, it is important that their strong play carries over into the SPC tournament, as they have faltered during their championship pursuit in recent years. “Greenhill is our biggest obstacle and I think it’ll be really close,” sophomore Harris Wilson said. “This year, they have another good, highly ranked player, so it’ll be quite tough.” Wilson knows the team is frustrated at being beaten by their rival year in and year out. “Since we have had a lot of success but have been consistently stymied by Greenhill,” Wilson said, “I think the rivalry with Greenhill has defined the team’s SPC experience.” However, Wilson thinks that this year’s team is uniquely prepared for the playoffs. This year, every starter has at least a year of quality experience under their belt. Wilson thinks this experience will prove invaluable. “We’ve got a deep team,” Wilson said. “There are a lot of teams with one or two great players, but the rest of the team doesn’t usually play. But all of our starting players are really solid, so our depth has been near unmatchable.”

Crew rows toward a state championship

Golf team on fire going into SPC tournament

by Alec Dewar crowd of Marksmen trod heavily along Bachman Lake, heads lowered. They glared down at the monotonous movement of their right and left feet meeting the ground, lifting back up and repeating the action. As the jog continued, senior Alden James, hunched over his knees, out of both energy and motivation. As he gave up Head Coach Pitts Yandell broke into a sprint alongside him. “Let’s see you finish this,” Yandell said. “You’re almost there!” James was inspired, finishing the exhausting run alongside his coach at full speed. And now, James hopes that he can take his talent to the next level. “I was never the most athletic kid, but he always believed in me,” James said. “Now I have an opportunity to be a D1 athlete. In no other place on campus have I ever felt so loved, so supported or so comfortable.” While James is confident in his team’s ability to succeed, he realizes that one of their toughest challenges to overcome will be their lack of time to prepare. “Our team’s greatest challenge is time; we had one race in March that was just weeks after the start of the season, and we were unprepared,” James said. “We don’t have the luxury of practicing year round, so we are having to work hard to catch up with everyone else.” His goal remains, though, to win a state championship. “While we have won first at Centrals and done amazingly well at Nationals in the past few years, we have not received first in a States race for a few years now,” James said. “Even if I have to do it alone in a single, we are bringing home a gold this year.”

by Sam Shane heir spirits were sky-high. After shattering the school record for scoring in a single day, the next day the golf team again broke the record they had just set. The bus ride back was full of laughter and chatter. They were confident, and they had the right to be. The golf team was back. The team is looking to win their first SPC championship since 2011, and only their third since 1977. Junior captain Sam Clayman believes that they have the skill to win the championship, but it will take more than just skill to win. “I know we have the ability to win,” Clayman said. “The only thing that matters is if we are able to ride the momentum of the other team members’ successes to do better.” Their biggest competition comes against a team that they aren’t able to face except for one tournament that happened April 3 and 4. “Kinkaid down in Houston will for sure be our biggest rivals,” Clayman said. “We don’t get to face them except for the Lost Pines tourney, so we need to do what we can there.” Because of the dynamics and the gameplay of gold, there has not really been one x-factor or outstanding contributor, but rather, brotherhood has been their x-factor. “Golf is such a team sport while seeming like an individual sport,” Clayman said. “Due to this, our camaraderie really has been our x-factor over a single person.” With the SPC tournament still a ways away, Clayman believes that the team needs to focus and if they do, they’ll win.

Track looks to win SPC at home by Nick Malvezzi ooking to make good use of their home-field advantage, the track and field team will look to win their first SPC championship since 2012. With the championship meet taking place on campus, captain JT Graass believes this sets them up with a great opportunity to take the title. “I honestly think that we have a solid chance of winning SPC,” Graass said. “In order to win, we’ll have to stay focused in the remaining weeks. And then we have to show up on race day with the right attitude, and we’ll have to perform at our best.” Coming off a tenth place finish out of 65 teams at the Texas Relays, sophomore Daniel Garcia believes that their strong performance will carry momentum into the rest of the season and the SPC tournament. “I was really proud of our showing,” Garcia said. “Everyone did really well and I think we can carry that into the rest of the season.” Graass was quick to mention the large amount of contribution from the younger members of the team. He is impressed with how the season has gone so far, and is optimistic that these contributions from younger team members will maintain this success especially for the SPC meet. “The season has been going very smoothly,” Graass said. “We’ve been getting personal records as a team nearly every weekend, and we’ve stayed consistent in training thus far.”

Water polo aims for three-peat by Jimmy Rodriguez he varsity water polo team looks into the pool they’ll soon play in. The other team whips the ball around the pool and launches it into the goal. The players are all extremely strong and physical. When the game starts, the 18 and 19 year old Romanian team from Steaua, the club team for which head coach Mihai Oprea used to play, was too overpowering. Although they lost the match, the team was able to bond, both as a team and as friends. The team boosted their chemistry by going to Romania for Spring Break. “Being together as a team in a foreign country, where a bunch of people don’t speak the language, really allowed us to bond together,” junior captain Andrew Lin said. “And I think it’s essential for our ability to play as a team, get to know each other as friends, and really be a unified group.” After losing collegiate water polo player Tim Simenc ’15, the team looks to new leadership in their quest to win their third TISCA Water Polo State Championships in a row on April 29 and 30 in College Station, TX. “Because we’ve had such a huge change with a bunch of seniors leaving, it’s a completely new team,” Lin said. “We’re trying to keep that same spirit that allowed us to win those previous two state championships.” Head coach Mihai Oprea believes everything needs to fall in place in order for the team to have success in the state tournament. “We’ve got to play four games of true value,” Oprea said. “Everybody needs to play their best. We can’t have anybody have a bad day. A little bit of luck, and it could happen.”

Sophomore Daniel Garcia

PHOTOS DREW BAXLEY, ARNO GOETZ

PALM PILOT Junior Andrew Lin cocks back his arm to launch a polo ball across the water in a team practice in the Ralph B. Rogers Natatorium. The team was prepping for a spring break trip to Romania.

R R EMARKER

ST. MARK’S SCHOOL OF TEXAS

ARNO GOETZ PHOTO

10600 PRESTON ROAD, DALLAS, TX. 75230

THE BACK SPORTS PAGE THE REMARKER FRIDAY APRIL 15, 2016 PAGE 24

ALL IN The Lions huddle at the end of the first quarter against ESD as they ready themselves to charge back onto the field. They went on to lose the game 15-6.

Golden reign S

by Sam Sussman ophomore goalie John Gunnin stands in the cage, nervous. This is his first game on the varsity lacrosse team, and he is tasked with the job of anchoring his team from the net. First shot comes, save. Another one, save. Gunnin proceeds to shutout Flower Mound in his half of play, leading the team to a 6-5 victory. A youthful lacrosse team is hoping to win their first SPC crown since 2013. The squad has started off the year with an overall record of 8-6 (as of Mar. 30), and is looking forward to the SPC tournament, which takes place April 15-16, at the Episcopal School of Dallas. Although senior captains Graham Gillespie, Roby Mize and Max Sadlowski lead the team, underclassmen such as sophomore John Gunnin and sophomore Sam Schroeder are called

THE SPECIALIST Junior Case Lowry leads the Lions at the faceoff, and that’s all he does.

THE WORKHORSE Sprinting back and forth on clears or beelining to the goal as a longpole middie, junior Nehemiah McGowan is always working.

THE PLAYMAKER Senior Graham Gillespie always makes something happen when the team needs it, whether it be a seemingly impossible goal or a lazer assist.

upon to play a lot of minutes throughout the season. “We have a really young team with tons of great young players so I’m excited for this tournament and the years to come,” Schroeder said. “As young players we hope to provide as much as we can to the table. Right now, we have four sophomores starting on varsity, but although we are young, we are skilled. Also, through getting experience while being underclassmen, it will benefit the team for the years to come.” The team may be young, but Schroeder believes that the team’s skill makes up for their inexperience. “We are a very skilled team with a lot of talent and athleticism,” Schroeder said. “We have tremendous talent on both sides of the field, and we have players that we can lean on to make the right plays.” From this team, Schroeder has noticed a few players specifically who

have risen to the challenge and are performing to the best of their abilities leading up to the SPC tournament. “Graham Gillespie has had a great season so far,” Schroeder said. “He is our leading scorer. Defensively, Max Sadlowski is the leader, and he is doing a great job. Also, John Gunnin is doing outstanding in cage. He sure has stepped up his game and has proven to be a great goalie.” Schroeder knows the team has to improve in some areas if they want to take SPC. “We need to work as a team and play smart while going 100 percent,” Schroeder said. While it is a tough task to win SPC, the team is very confident in their abilities and their chances. “I really like our chances this year,” Schroeder said. “I feel as if we improve our chemistry and work together as a team better, we will have a really good shot of winning SPC.”

THE SHOOTER Never afraid to let one rip, junior Rish Basu has notched eleven goals in thirteen games.

PHOTOS ARNO GOETZ

THE ATHLETE Sophomore Garret Mize’s speed and agility have proved vital in his ability to dip and dive through defenders and clear the ball.

THE BEAST Whether it’s initiating the offense off a dodge or scoring one of his three hat-tricks, junior Luke Rogers can do it all on the field.

ADDENDUM A REMARKER SPECIAL SECTION APRIL 15, 2015

Agents of XVI As the Class of 2016 flies off into the future, only one question remains â&#x20AC;&#x201D; will they use their powers for the greater good?

Inside Meet the hereos

Time travelling

Predicting the possible

Flying into the sunset

From their origin stories to their superhero nicknames, learn everything you need to know about the superheroes of the Class of 2016. Pages 2A-3A

With a timeline that documents the comic-book reality that is senior year, members of the Senior Class relive the not-so-distant past. Pages 4A-5A

Faculty members muse on the more plausible futures of current Senior Class members â&#x20AC;&#x201D; where will their super powers take them? Pages 6A-7A

Yep, now that the seniors have finished school at 10600 Preston Road, they actually do have to go to learn somewhere else. Find out where. Page 8A

REMARKER ADDENDUM APRIL 15, 2016 PAGE 2A

CLASS TRADITIONS

vengers ssembled

And we’re off! Let’s take a look at the heroic traditions and memories from the Class of 2016.

The retreat that never was or will be For most, it’s a time to bond and come up with ideas. But for the Class of 2016, it never happened.

DILL PICKLE (From left to right) Donning his volleyball uniform and his signature knee-braces, senior Matthew Lawson, also known as Bambi, hobbles across the court. As a senior and editor of the yearbook, Will Diamond went by the nickname Dill. He will go by that nickname for the rest of his life. With big saves at SPC in his familiar town of Houston, senior Sam Eichenwald’s teammates always use his self-proclaimed nickname to refer to their goalie — Chip.

Codename XVI Sam “Chip” Eichenwald Origin “So the background of my name — in Middle School someone was throwing pool billiard balls on a table and one popped up and hit me in the face, chipping my tooth in the process. I got it fixed, but years later after school I was carrying my bags to my car and didn’t have a free hand for my water bottle, so I held it with my teeth. When I flung my bags into my trunk the bottle hit the side of the car and popped through. I couldn’t get the operation to fix it that day, so I had to go to school for about 1.5 weeks with a chipped tooth. My girlfriend at the time called me ‘Chip’ jokingly, and then in a separate instance in my tenth grade Hunter history class someone else did, and I just said, “Oh my god, can people stop calling me Chip?” To the other guys, it was the first time anyone has heard it, and honestly it was only the second time I had. So because my question seemed so irrational the nickname stuck from then on.”

Favorite thing “I’ve always wanted a nickname that I can go by, and Chip really isn’t bad at all. By this point, I respond to either ‘Chip’ or ‘Sam.’ Also, since for the most part the nickname is a St. Mark’s thing, it makes me feel more integrated in the community, I suppose.” Least favorite thing “I’d probably say the least favorite thing would be the

The not-so-super alter-egos of Chip, Dill and Bambi consistent yelling of “Boo Chip!” basically anytime I say or do pretty much anything.”

Defining quote “Boo Chip.” Will “Dill” Diamond Origin “It all happened at a soccer practice my sophomore year. Jack Fojtasek ’15 was switching everyone’s first letter of their first and last names just for fun, seeing what they all sounded like. The two best were Dill Wiamond and Dam Sockery, but I was an unwise first year member of the squad and tried to fight the name. This, however, just made it stick and now its been two years since any other student has called me Will. Honestly I wish I had the superpower of time travel to go back in time and make sure that practice never happened.”

Defining quote “‘Dill rox’ is probably the most defining quote. Just the other night the Senior Class went to the Stars game, and on the way out, low and behold a “Dill rox” chant started. I can’t prove this, but I’m pretty sure random fans passing by outside the AAC even joined in.” Matthew “Bambi” Lawson Origin “The summer going into the Pecos, I did not prepare as well as I should have. Thus, coming back from the excursion and miles of mountainous switchbacks, I had a lot of knee pain and problems. One day, for freshman year volleyball tryouts, I hobbled into Hicks and I was like ‘Coach, I’m sorry, I can’t do it today.’ And he replied, watching me struggle to walk, ‘Okay Bambi, go do some homework or something.’ And there it is.”

Favorite thing “There are literally no favorable aspects of the name. Imagine having your name be synonymous with a pickle. I’ve heard them all from ‘Dill Pickle’ to ‘Pickle Wiamond.’ And I don’t even like pickles.”

Favorite thing “My favorite thing is definitely when I’m in a volleyball game and I do something good and I hear ‘Attaway Bambi!’ Or I hear the crowd chant ‘BAMBI!’”

Least favorite thing “The worst part is that the name has traveled far past the halls of St. Mark’s. I now go over to friends’ houses and parents are calling me Dill, on the soccer field, Coach Martin is yelling ‘Dill,’ and it has even reached the point that girls at Hockaday are thinking Dill and Will Diamond

Least favorite thing “When people are trying to roast me and instead of using my name they use Bambi, like it’s derogatory. I’m just thinking either about that time I was playing volleyball and the crowd went wild or I’m thinking, ‘I’m the Great Prince of The Forest dude, what are you doing.’”

Flops, fights and friends

are two different people.”

urger House. Balloon fight. Belly Flops. This is how legendary host, senior Thomas Mattingly summed up the annual end of year swim party. Adding in the tug-o-war, this year’s party is shaping up to be the best ever. It has been with the class the whole way, bringing the class together at the end of every summer. “It’s a great way to bring unity to the class,” Mattingly said. “It’s a tradition, really brings the class together after we’ve done a hard years work, finally get to be together as a class with no worries on our backs. Everyone is in a good mood.” Senior Jackson Cole, swim party enthusiast, looks at the class involvement in the party as a highlight. “It’s a real bonding experience, in fact for the past couple of years we’ve had like 99.9 percent of the class, and it’s been a really fun bonding experience for everybody to get to know each other but to just have fun, let

he Sophomore Retreat — a time of class cohesion, happiness and BBQ. But if one glaring hole exists in the legacy of the Class of 2016, although one does not exist, it would be the cancelled and never rescheduled retreat to Mesquite. “We could’ve gotten a head start on really coming together as a class by having some real deep, awkward conversations,” senior JT Graass said, who was president of the Sophomore Class. Cancelled due to inclement weather, the retreat was “postponed indefinitely,” despite several promises that it would eventually happen in some form. But was it really weather? Or something more sinister? “It was just because the weather and other conflicts,” Graass said. “Or because the administration was trying to sabotage our class since we were getting too powerful.” Senior Class President Philip Montgomery also gave his take on the episode, or lack thereof. “I’m a huge BBQ fan, and the day before we left, all Cyrus Ganji ’15 talked about was how great the BBQ was at the retreat,” Montgomery said. “When it was cancelled, you just feel a hole in your heart where brisket should’ve been.” Despite the pain, Montgomery believes the strife brought on by the crisis helped the class come together. “Yeah, we never had a retreat,” Montgomery said. “But I think it could be one of those what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger things. Our class overcame adversity and persevered when no one believed we could. Maybe that brought us together more than the retreat ever would have. Or I’m totally wrong.” But Montgomery believes the class would have benefitted from a day of introspection and bonding. “It would’ve been a good time,” Montgomery said. “To be honest, I have no idea what you actually do, since I’ve never been on one, but it’d be nice just to hang out with guys and talk about how we wanted the next couple years to go down. Also, I’m pretty sure it’s in Mesquite, which just so happens to be my favorite Dallas suburb. I’d describe it as magical.” Like Montgomery, Graass still sees some positive outcomes from the incident. “Maybe if we had the retreat, we wouldn’t blame Daniyaal for anything,” Graass said. “And who would enjoy that?” No one, with the possible exception of Daniyaal.

The annual superhero meeting where serious business goes down — like water balloon fights.

loose and enjoy the summer,” Cole said. Cole references senior Mitchell So’s belly flops as one of his favorite memories. “Mitchell So is a belly flop legend, that kid can belly flop better than anyone else,” Cole said. “I think that was really the best memory. You know Mitchell was a really quiet guy, and he’s still a little quiet but he’s certainly come out a little bit but he was a quiet guy. He stands up gives the best belly flop of the day and everyone went crazy, splashing water on each other. So that was a great memory.” So gave us some insight into what goes through his mind before the belly flops. “It’s for the people. Then, wait this is probably a bad idea,” So said. “Some people I hear use advanced techniques but the real key is just free style it.” Mattingly sees the effect that the party has on parents as well.

“Even parents love to come and watch their kids who think their kids might not be a huge part of the community and can see that we’re all bonding together,” Mattingly said. For Mattingly, the last party will be bittersweet. “It’s great but it’s also sad because I’ve been doing it for so many years and we’ve added some great kids,” Mattingly said. “It’s sad to see them all go, but it will be a nice end to our St. Mark’s career.” But Cole does not think this is the end of the annual swim party. “Well it’s not the last time,” Cole said. “Potentially, there could be an alumni reunion party. It could continue going, and I would hope it would to see who we could get in town at the end of the school years to come back together in the class but it’s definitely fun, excited to do it one last time for sure with the whole grade, see who shows up.”

STORY PHILIP MONTGOMERY, BRADFORD BECK PHOTOS CHARLIE O’BRIEN, ALDEN JAMES, MASON SMITH

REMARKER ADDENDUM APRIL 15, 2016 PAGE 3A

GRADE ICONS

Meet the heroes You may not see it walking through the quad on a Monday morning, but St. Mark’s, and the Class of 2016 in particular, is littered with heroes. Meet three of the most prominent heroes as they explain their origin stories, their talents and their dreams.

Greyson Gallagher: photoshop phantom

Niegel Stevens: birthday boy

reyson Gallagher was just a normal, quarter-Asian kid until, one day, he discovered a superpower that would change his life. Some say he was bitten by a radioactive USB cable, some say he was asked to place Dr. Balog’s head on Jack Sparrow’s body, giving him his first inspiration. We’ll never know the truth, but what we do know is that he can change a supermodel into a piece of pizza quicker than an Eric Li 50 yard freestyle with his photoshop skills. But a master artist must have a masterpiece. Greyson believes his coup de gras speaks for itself. “My greatest photoshop job was putting Al Hill’s head on a supermodel’s body because that’s hilarious,” Gallagher said, “and his hair looked like he could’ve been a woman anyways.” While we will not deny the womanly nature of Al Hill’s outrageous flow since he left for Atlanta after the seventh grade, Gallagher’s prowess with the Adobe program cannot be denied. However, it’s how he uses his powers that defines him. “I get asked to design a lot of shirts for classes, but I usually use my powers for evil,” Gallagher said. Victims of the Photoshop-Menace include Bradford Beck, Bryce Killian and anyone who dares challenge his authority. But there may a weakness behind that computer screen of destruction. When asked about his stop motion films, Gallagher declined to comment. “We don’t talk about those, it was a dark time for me,” Gallagher said, sobbing uncontrolably. When asked if he will take his talents to the collegiate or even professional level, he answered in a way that only a superhuman could. “I’m thinking of going pro. I’m already sponsored by Red Bull and Nike so I’m halfway there,” the legend himself said, while downing a Red Bull.

THE PHENOM HIMSELF Gracing the public with a slam-dunk of a photoshop, senior Greyson Gallagher displays his photoshop skills worthy of a reputation.

ike a real-life Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, Niegel Stevens wakes up every morning to the same day. It could be Monday, it could be Tuesday — but it’s always his birthday. “My real birthday is December 21, but no one seems to care,” Stevens said. And care we don’t. Gifted with the incredible power of having his birthday everyday, Stevens’s biggest challenge is keeping weight off from the daily birthday cake and Blue Bell ice cream cups. “I keep the weight off by being the GOAT [Greatest of all Time] and by flying when I jump,” Stevens said. While Stevens can’t actually fly, being constantly celebrated has given him the confidence to do just about anything. With the world at his back, he’s unstoppable. The only wonder is how he’s gained such a devastating superpower. Rumors divide the school. Some say it orginated in a donut-filled Father Dangelo history class, others say different. “I am a transcendent being,” Stevens said. “Plus, I’m the greatest person ever, so I need to be celebrated.” As one of the greatest heroes of our time graduates high school, his larger-than-life legacy only continues to grow with each passing birthday.

KING DILL Because of senior Will Diamond’s self-proclaimed title as “King,” Gallagher photoshopped this photo of the senior — truly fit for a king.

DUMB AND SMARTER As two of Gallagher’s improv-cronies, seniors Graham Kirstein (left) and Philip Smart (right) are photoshopped to don the suits worn in Dumb and Dumber.

TIMELESS With the superpower of having his birthday every single day of the year, Niegel Stevens lives the life. Next time you see him, be sure to wish him a happy birthday. Happy birthday, Niegel!

Charlie O’Brien: the ‘roid rager

ome say he slipped into a pool of testosterone. Others claim he found an unopened bottle of magic growth pills. Another prevailing theory is that he was kidnapped by barbaric men who stretched him and commanded him to grow. Like any good hero, his legend has grown. The line between what’s real and what’s not is long gone. What we know for certain is that he has an uncanny ability to grow. Scientists are stumped. Like the scientists, senior Charlie O’Brien was once stumped as well. His friends kept getting older while he stayed the same age. “It sucked. You know, I was constantly being compared to a 12-year old, no matter how old I got, it was always 12 for some reason. Even when I was 12, I looked like I was 12 but, as I kept getting older, it was still 12.” But once O’Brien got his superpower, he gained the respect of his peers. Or he just got

taller than them. “A lot of people look up to me now.” Obviously, there are lot of perks that come with superpowers. “The air is a lot cleaner, less pollution,” O’Brien said. “I can now ride all the rides at Six Flags.” But alas, like any hero, he has his weaknesses. “Now, I’ve got longer to fall,” O’Brien said. “Some people say I was already good looking, and now I’m just too good looking.” O’Brien also feels that he now has a responsibility to the great citizens of Dallas. “Getting things off the top shelf. I was recently asked by Michelle Wood (local businesswoman and mother of Willie Wood ’18) in the airport if I could grab her some chips and I successfully completed the mission,” O’Brien said. “I also have to save cats from trees.”

TREE MAN As you can see from this photo, O’Brien is quite a sizable fella now (that’s a meter stick, folks). But it wasn’t always that way. Through a combination of HGH, superhuman growth and sheer willpower, O’Brien has sprouted his way to the top. If that’s not a superpower, then what is? Answer: probably not the other two stories we put on this page.

STORY PHILIP MONTGOMERY, BRADFORD BECK PHOTOS ARNO GOETZ, OWEN BERGER, PHILIP SMART, COURTESY G REYSON GALLAG HER

REMARKER ADDENDUM AP SENIOR YEAR

BLUE BRO T HERS A timeline of the finest moments of senior year.

First roar - Sept. 10 Officially, this never happened. All we know is that before every home football game, toilet paper would somehow appear in the yards of a few Hockaday seniors. Remember that time Dill fell in the pool?

First Lions Pause - Sept. 15 “Isn’t Lions Pause just a monotony breaker for seniors?” Make no mistake, Lions Pause is so much more than a monotony breaker. During this Lions Pause, Tim O’Meara won a pie eating contest and appeared on the local Dallas Snapchat story.

First pep rally - Sept. 4

Opening Convocation - Aug. 25

As seasoned veterans of the pep rally, seniors go crazy during their grade level cheer. This pep rally was luau themed and featured a game of sharks and minnows, where senior Niegel Stevens was the last minnow remaining.

On the first day of school, President of the Board of Trustees Taylor Wilson ’81 invited all of the seniors and lower school buddies to roar. For the first time, the school gathered in the Great Hall for the opening ceremony.

Little buddies - Sept. 17 Harrison Kampf finds his inner child while drawing with his little buddy, Roman Derischwiler. The rest of the Senior Class also met their little buddies this day. Seniors also have the opportunity to play with their buddies every Friday before school.

Arno’s walk - Sept. 26 Despite gnarly traffic and waking up early on a Saturday, Arno Goetz’s team for the JDRF walk made a strong showing. The “Goetz Gaggle” came together in support of funding further reaserch looking to cure juvenile diabetes.

STORY DAVIS MARSH, ANVIT REDDY PHOTOS

BLAST FROM THE PAST After 12 years on campus, you collect a lot of memories to hearken back to whenever you and your classmates start to feel nostalgiac. Here’s a look back at our four favorite moments of years past in the storied reign of the Class of 2016.

The shot of a lifetime The annual ESD Basketball game is always a nail-bitter. But nothing holds a candle to the 2015 game where our Lord and Savior, Parker Dixon, then a junior, clinched a buzzer-beater three-pointer to win the game 61-59. Afterwards, the student section stormed the court and sung the alma mater.

PRIL 15, 2016 PAGE 4A-5A

Homecoming - Oct. 24

Senior auction - Oct. 4

Big football win - Oct. 3

All of the senior year fun comes with a hefty price tag — like the Senior Retreat, the end-of-year zoo trip and the Class of 2016 legacy gift. Naturally seniors offered their many talents — yoga, a baseball party and roasting a whole hog — to help support the cause.

The Interstellar-themed rave was a hit, with a light show supplied by DJ Umer. Avery Powell and Sloane Castleman were named King and Queen respectively after the inaugural lip-sync competition.

No-Shave November - Nov. 30

Christmas lights - Nov. 29

Leadership dinner - Nov. 16

As part of a month-long fundraising campaign for men’s health issues, many seniors chose to forego shaving and show their scruff. Here is a picture taken at the end of the month, showing the finest in Marksman facial hair.

On the last day of Thanksgiving break, all of the seniors braved the cold and met up to spread some holiday cheer across campus. That’s right, holiday lights don’t install themselves.

Having just lost to long-time rivals ESD, the varsity football team did not have high hopes for the rest of the season, especially since it was facing undefeated Oakridge. But with a momentum changing blowout, the football team completely turned its season around.

Christmas party - Dec. 18 Words can’t describe what it’s like to be the giants on whose shoulders the lower schoolers sit. With cameras flashing on all fronts and hundreds watching from the audience, we carried our buddies down the hallway and hung their ornaments with pride.

Assassin - Ongoing In order to bring the classes closer together, the juniors and seniors decided to go on shooting sprees against each other (with Nerf guns of course). Although mistakes were made in the beginning, we came together for a great game, and now only a brave few remain.

The class gathered in the Great Hall to hear Chris Lee ’96 share his experiences working in the financial sector and as a Marksman. The dinner featured great food and conversation but fairly stale chips.

Winter SPC - Feb. 13

Silent Night - Feb. 5 With the ever-important ESD basketball game on the horizon, our Superfanmen made a bold call - to have a “Silent Night.” The silence of our student section was defeaning, and once we pulled out the victory, our shouts echoed that much louder through Hicks Gym.

Thanks to Drew Baxley, no one had to miss out on Winter SPC. In a feat of logistics and organization, we carpooled more than 20 seniors down to Houston for the day to cheer on swimming, basketball and soccer in the SPC championship finals.

Senior skip day - April 1

Spring Fling - March 12

After a riveting hockey game the night before where the Stars beat the Arizona Coyotes, the seniors pulled a good old April Fools joke and skipped out on class. Naturally, the teachers were devastated.

After the profusion of parties in the fall, the Student Council saw a gap to fill in the events calendar during the spring. With a great theme, Dynamic Duos, Student Council threw together a great event for all in Hicks Gym, and the costumes did not disappoint.

S STAFF PHOTOS, COURTESY DAVID CARDEN

A car, a crash and a chip Snowpocalypse — the legendary time when Mother Nature liberated us from the clutches of the cumbersome second trimester. As we rejoiced the fact that our people had been let Joe, creating works of art in the snow, a small red Honda skidded across the ice at Overdowns and Preston, colliding with the pole on the median and throwing our world into chaos. What a damper — boo Chip.

One hail of a time

Ten days in the woods gives a lot of ammo for good memories. Here’s a few pieces of advice: stay away from the mushrooms, don’t lose the toilet paper, lose yourself in the natural majesty, especially those big, beautiful, sappy trees.

Way past their bedtime The smiles of young Marksmen has become synonymous with the Lock-In with Doc. Playing under the bright flood lights of the football field, devouring watermelon, getting pummeled in poison ball and staying up way past regular bedtime, the lock in is an experience that can’t be forgotten. Round after round of star wars, matball and pinball is scientifically proven as the only thing fun and tiring enough to wear down a pack of seven-year-old boys.

REMARKER ADDENDUM APRIL 15, 2016 PAGE 6A TEACHER PROJECTIONS

BEES KNEES Approaching Ludacris speed, physics instructor Stephen Balog and senior Ward Rushton will colonize the moon — with bees.

SMOOTH TALKER Armed with his people skills learned from selling cars, senior Chance Cooley will one day be a hostage negotiater, according to English instructor Geoffrey Stanburry.

sidekick to

HERO From

FLUFFY Destined to be editor of The Atlantic, senior Brent Weisberg will finally put all that knowledge of European history to use. Maybe. Maybe he’ll just play with hamsters.

WATER WORLD Drinking an ice cold water and rocking a cool pair of shades, UNICEF President senior Henry Goldberg is going to do big things. No water was spilled during the taking of this photograph.

Faculty members forecast the futures of senior Marksmen — where will their superpowers take these heroes?

CALIFORNIA LOVE After his many travels, senior Matthew Lawson will eventually land in the sunshine state. And to the delight of Barbara Van Drie, will end up as a sports psychologist.

SNAPPING THUNDER Coach Greg Guiler believes senior Brannon Rouse will teach Australian youths the sacred art of long snapping after a long day at the barbie. CEO Senior Michael Mosle is bound to be successful. Just ask anyone in this photo.

English instructor Geoffrey Stanbury on low-level celebrity Chance Cooley: Hostage negotiating hance will be potentially the world’s most charming and low-pressure hostage negotiator. He will be successful in his job just by, you know, inquiring about bad guys’ history and motivation, where they’re coming from, all that sort of stuff — what got them to this place. You know eventually, the bad guys will just be so invested in chatting with him and satiating his curiosity that they will say, sure, everything is cool. Crisis averted. He will still be closely connected to his brother and his dad and Cooley automotive of course. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s a good spouse and, probably, a good father as well. In Chance’s free time, he will enjoy going to basketball games, you know, shooting hoops. In his free time he will somehow just pop up in different parts of the country and other parts of the world. You know how he gets from place to place is kind of a mystery like a mushroom. Somehow he will just have wound up for a week off in the mountains of Utah and then sometime later will appear in Budapest. He was just there for a bit before coming back. He will be the first one to be driving a Jetsons car. But it will be a really cool Jetsons car.

Master Teacher Stephen Balog on bee-connoisseur Ward Rusthon: Colonizing the moon e will probably be trying to discover a way to raise bees on the moon. He’s probably part of the colonization process, and setting up a bee colony so you have enough food and such because honey is a high energy food. If he hired Greyson as his propaganda manager, the ensuing photo displays of how life could be if Ward were in charge would win a lot of people over. He seems the family type. He gets

quite upset when we discuss relationship issues amongst the guys in advisory, so he never really wants to talk about who he’s with and all that. He probably will have a family. He’s got the bees. Thirty years from now, they [his kids] may be old enough to live on their own by then, may just be a retirement place for him. Retire early and go to the moon and start a bee colony. We will probably get him to come in as part of the STEM conference to talk about the aerodynamics of bee flight in low gravity situations. The structure of hives under one-sixth gravity and how that effects the development of the hive structure, the way in which the honey ferments and coagulates and such. I think he’s given up on knitting lately. He’s been very involved in rocketry but he’s kind of abandoned us recently for the TARC (Team America Rocketry Challenge) rocket. I forget what he’s currently into right now, probably some new project. I bet he will still be trying to keep the car running, too. His massive land yacht. Also, I think he will be collecting coats for the homeless, as there are several dozen in the back of his car currently. Master Teacher Bruce Westrate on intellectual Brent Weisberg: The Atlantic...and hamsters would think that Brent will be an editor of The Atlantic. He brings humor to his writing. His store of knowledge will be vast by that point because nothing ever leaves his head once it enters it. And eventually, I think he’s going to turn all this to his advantage in some way, and so that might as well be it. I think he will have tons of kids and family. Absolutely. And he will be paid handsomely. I expect he will be in Manhattan somewhere. Not by choice, but his job will demand it. He’s a very creative young man, and I choose The Atlantic because that’s where a lot of creative knowledgeable people end up. Brent, I think after a fashion, is ambitious, but not

in a bad sort of way. He wants to pursue anything that interests him. I really do not think he’s driven particularly by money or the base concerns that envelop so many of us. Will he own a pet? A hamster, I think. Something kind of like him that goes round and round, incessantly doing something. I could see Brent as a Dave Cavett. I could see Brent developing interviewing techniques. I’m presuming after all this time his confidence level, sometimes he has a lack of confidence that I dont think is justified, but once he overcomes that, he will be a raconteur.

Director of Academic Information Systems Paul Mlakar on water-savior Henry Goldberg: Changing the world n 30 years, Henry will be the Secretary General of the United Nations, ending all world hunger and bringing clean water to the entire universe. Maybe he will be on Mars bringing clean water to Mars, too. I would suspect that Henry will have a slew of kids that he will be bringing out to help the rest of the world like he has set out as a goal for himself. I bet he ends up doing UNICEF or something at the collegiate level as well, certainly. He has definitely elevated the awareness of that particular program at St. Mark’s. So I would assume that’s a passion he will continue on in college and I hope that is something he does for life. It’s definitely something he has committed to the past couple of years and cares very deeply about, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him pick a career where he is able to have an impact as well. That’s Henry. A Nobel Prize? That’s hard to predict. I see Henry in the lines of the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie going out to save the world one child at a time. Will he have pets? That’s a good one. He probably has allergies.

STORY PHILIP SMART, BRADFORD BECK PHOTOS ARNO GOETZ, FRANK THOMAS

Varsity basketball coach Greg Guiler on Brannon Rouse: Long-snapping in the Outback e will be in the outback helping spread the game of rugby teaching rugby long-snapping. He’s going to teach a whole new way to play rugby, rugby long-snapping, to underprivileged Aborigines in the outback. He’s going to adopt. I’m guessing he’s going to adopt a couple Aborigine kids. He will definitely train them for sports. I think he sets up his own hair product and distribution line and makes a side killing with that business teaching folks how to manage their flow.

Master Teacher Lynne Weber on advisee Michael Mosle: Undoubtedly successful n 30 years, I see Michael back here in Dallas, his Stanford diploma and many talents spring boarding him to a CEO position in a socially responsible, ecologically conscious and flourishing business. Of course he’ll be married to a beautiful and intelligent woman and have a flock of adorable and athletic children who fill his lovely and gracious home with laughter and love. I envision his many current and future friends gathering often socially to bask in Michael’s warm personality and to enjoy his hospitality. He’ll own two enormous shaggy sheepdogs and a string of polo ponies.

Social Studies Department Head Byron Lawson and son Matthew Lawson: Sports Psychologist fter touring war-torn central Europe and monsoon-laden Southeast Asia for the last standing men’s professional volleyball leagues, Matthew Lawson will settle on the west coast, and serve as a sports psychologist to collegiate and professional athletes in sunny Southern California.

REMARKER ADDENDUM APRIL 15, 2016 PAGE 7A STAFF GOODBYES

Final ReMarks NOAH KOECHER

ROBY MIZE

As seniors head off to smaller things, The ReMarker staff bids adieu to its own seniors — and they respond.

ARNO GOETZ

CAMERON CLARK

AVERY POWELL

PHILIP SMART

WILL CLARK

ABHI THUMMALA

ZACHARY NAIDU

AIDAN MAURSTAD

PHILIP MONTGOMERY

WILLLIAM CALDWELL

BRADFORD BECK

DAVIS MARSH

ANVIT REDDY

JOHN LANDRY

Philip Smart Position: Editor-in-chief From the staff: Fearless leader, Philip Danger Smart, you’re the best editor we’ve ever seen. No one else could’ve gotten all 248 dope pages of The ReMarker Volume 62 done, and no one else could’ve made it more fun. With your benevolent yet swift arm of justice and mercy, you have truly shown us that not all treasure is silver and gold. Your spirit will live on. Response: This is what you get when you have the best staff in America. Every day in the pubs suite has been a blast because of you guys. The spirit of the Cupola Photo will live on. Will Clark Position: Managing Editor From the staff: Will, a.k.a Graeme Wood and Max Marshall, without you, no one would know what the pen tool is. That one skill alone propelled you to Texas High School Journalist of the Year. You and Snoop Dogg could end up as friends, unless you become the self-proclaimed Evil Dictator you hoped to be. You’ve managed this paper expertly, dealing with whatever happens in first period. See ya later, Space Cowboy. Response: While I could never live up to my father, Max, I do appreciate the comparison. Honestly, I’ve got no clue what happens in first period either. Y’all are the best, especially you, Mo. Avery Powell Position: Senior Content Editor From the staff: You know that thing you do when you kick your shoe really far? Keep doing it. Also, all your crazy theories that we pretended were super off have been spot on this whole time. You’ve saved the show and done amazing things this year, even though sometimes it took a bit longer than expected. You hold the record for naps in the production room. Response: Alright listen, you don’t have to tell me I’m right. I’m always right (as a general rule). But sure, I’ll accept your concession. And kung shoe isn’t a sport of distance, but accuracy. Anyways, it’s been real. Since becoming a staff writer, the pubs suite has been my home and you’ve been my family. Twenty-one issues, but a Ray’s cabinet load of memories. Abhi Thummala Position: Creative Director From the staff: Thx. Response: Lemme think of one. I want it to be sentimental. Something eloquent.* *Abhi never got the chance to respond due to an overwhelming amount of graphics. Cameron Clark Position: Issues Editor From the staff: You’re always solid. The dark horse of the staff. Definitely

underappreciated, but you continue to churn some of the best work we’ve done this year under serious pressure (see Todd Williams story). Late-night-production week Cameron is the best person in history. ReMarker Ball was legendary. Your no BS attitude is the best. Response: ReMarker Ball > Marksmen Ball. It’s been a ReMarkable year with you guys. Haha. That was terrible, sorry. But really, it’s been an honor working with all of you. Except for Abhi — still waiting on that graphic, buddy. Zachary Naidu Position: Deputy Managing Editor From the staff: Deputy Naidu, you are the cutest. The way you eat gluten-free chips makes our day. In fact, our lives. Never let boundaries confine you. You are truly a savant. Neco seges. Response: Wow, I didn’t know you guys cared so much. Thanks...I guess. Boo gluten. William Caldwell Position: Commentary Editor From the staff: You are so good at Commentary you did it twice. Through both years, you’ve written editorials that always make the student body question societal norms. And guess what? Commentary is done. Response: I loved Commentary. Even though my section was always finished before the newspaper even started, it was fun hanging with yall. Once again, for one last time, commentary is done. Noah Koecher Position: Research Director From the staff: Ah, Noah. There is no doubt in our mind that you will one day be a famous writer. Probably fiction of some sort. You definitely have natural talent. See you in another life, brother. The eagle has landed. Response: Jeez, how much does it take to convince you guys I’m going into computer science? Well, you’ll probably be right in the end — maybe a fiction novel written in binary. Regardless, it’s been real, friends. Write on, but more importantly, fight on. You’re a ReMarkable bunch. Aidan Maurstad Position: Copy Editor From the staff: Even though you haven’t been on staff very long, you’ve picked up on the staff culture very quickly. Your sarcasm and cynicism are greatly appreciated. You are the perfect copy editor — ready to rip anyone. We love you. Response: I feel obligated to write something funny, but honestly this is just too nice. Thank you all so much, I love you too. Arno Goetz Position: Head Photographer

From the staff: Honestly, you’ve been so clutch. Head Photographer is one of the most difficult jobs on campus, and you’ve handled it like a champ. Anyway, will you take some photos of us at graduation? Response: Thanks fellas... I’ve loved every minute. From riding in a helicopter, to eating more pizza than we could manage, it’s been quite a run. Bradford Beck Position: Magazine Editor From the staff: Drofdarb, No-neck, Braddlesnake, you have been a legend since your 2 a.m. Ebola story. Why do you always carry two cups of water? Seriously. Maybe it’s one of your many trolls. We’ll ask the Class of 2013, they might know. The magazines were good. Now go take Dill’s computer. Response: At the end of the day, water is water and water is good. Davis Marsh Position: Magazine Editor From the staff: Your close connection with Laura Miller was clutch for the Dallas Magazine. We will always know when you get your Whataburger order. Seriously, you’ve done some great work this year — like Oilgarchy. Nice job, Shiv. Response: It’s been a good time, boys. It’ll be tough having to start every day without Anvit’s unintelligible growling noises. But, you know, life goes on. Philip Montgomery Position: News editor From the staff: Dear Golden Boy, you were a good news editor, yes, but that doesn’t compare to that fact that you are The Greatest Male Call Editor of All-time. What do you and Bradford even do in there? Please teach us your ways with the opposite gender. Response: As the only freshman in the history of The ReMarker to write a cover story, I approve this message. Anvit Reddy Position: Life Editor From the staff: Does your cheek still hurt from the slap? We just now realized this was your first year in the class. Remember — never let others talk over you. Let your voice be heard. See ya, Gopes. Response: I know I can be too quiet sometimes. Thanks guys for giving me a chance to share my voice. “Hashtag” BestHeadlineWriterinDallas. Roby Mize Position: Business Manager From the staff: All those times we’ve been stretched thin on the budget you came in clutch. Always came through with a full-page ad. You’re the money-maker. You’ve taught Carson well. Continue to be a ruthless businessman in the future. Response: It’s been a great couple years with you guys.

ADIOS, FRIEND

lost a friend today. A good one, too. He was a social-butterfly — jumping to talk to everyone who would listen. He was smart, even funny, and he had a slight hint of multi-personality disorder. He taught me something new every day. Over the past three years, we grew closer than ink on paper. We had endless conversations together — debating, talking smack about sports, and throwing out our more oven-baked opinions at each other. He took me places, cities likes New York and L.A. He took me 1,000 feet above the ground when he snagged me and some buds a ride in a helicopter. He introduced me to people like Robert Decherd, Mark Cuban and more. But now he’s gone. Today, I lost a friend in The ReMarker. As Editor-in-chief, who is now turning over the reigns, I merely got to be a part PHILIP SMART of the experience that is The ReMarker, an experience that encapsulates being a Marksmen and continues to change the lives of staff members — starting by developing a belief that whoever can make the smartest, quirkiest, most cynical-est joke wins. It’s been a fast journey, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve hardly had time to reflect on the memories and lessons I’ve learned — I never will. So here’s an attempt to sum up this life-sculpting, jaw-smashing, brain-architecting life at St. Mark’s. In Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall,” the chorus sings: “We don’t need no education.” Man, they were wrong. People either love this place or they don’t, but somewhere deep down they sure as hell appreciate it, or at least have a far-off longing for seconds of Howard’s cornbread. You can put me in the love-it majority. Sure, it’s a cliché to write the “I’m gonna miss this place” senior column. But there’s a reason it’s a cliché. It’s because it’s absolutely true. I’m going to miss this place (there, I said it). It’s the center of our universe. Yes, it’s probably selfish to say, but I know it’s true until I finally get out there and find the next center of the universe. Of course, since I’m checking-off clichés, what senior column would this be without some advice? Here’s mine to the younger guys: seniors seem like they leave godly legacies, and they do, and one day you’ll do it, too. Make this place home, and it will be. If you see me at graduation, know that there’s just something stuck in my eye or that I have allergies or that I just watched Marley and Me or something. I would now like you to picture me in my white tuxedo, looking snazzy in a red corvette riding off into the sunset. What’s that line from Casablanca? This is the end of a beautiful friendship. See you soon, St. Mark’s. — 30 —

REMARKER ADDENDUM APRIL 15, 2016 PAGE 8A COLLEGE DESTINATIONS

Fantastic Future WA (1)

MN (1)

NY(11)

CO(2)

MA (5)

PA (6)

IN (6)

IL (7)

NH (5)

CT (4) NJ (3)

MO(4) VA (9)

CA (14) TN (11)

MD (1) D.C. (1)

NC (6)

AZ (1)

SC (1) AL (1)

TX (36)

GA(4)

LA (2)

From Palo Alto to Boston, the Class of 2016 is Hunter Alexander Drew Baxley Bradford Beck Johnathon Berry Justin Berry Kent Broom Jake Byers William Caldwell Spencer Cheng Harrison Chen Stephen Chen Joshua Choe Cameron Clark Will Clark Jackson Cole Chance Cooley Jake Curreri Bill Dannenmaier Will Diamond Parker Dixon Mathew Dominguez Sam Eichenwald Jake Galant Greyson Gallagher Will Garden Reid Gaskill Graham Gillespie Arno Goetz Henry Goldberg

Austin College Furman Rhodes Vanderbilt Richmond UT SMU Rice Purdue Georgia Tech Purdue Rice Syracuse Texas A&M UT Georgia Tech Santa Clara Vanderbilt SMU NYU NYU Columbia Cornell Amherst UT Yale UT Arizona State Texas A&M Purdue UChicago Tulane WashU UVA SMU Princeton St. Edward’s Penn UC Berkeley Georgetown Emory SMU Rhodes NYU Texas A&M SMU McGill Indiana SMU WashU Vanderbilt

GOING places

Georgetown Williams College UVA JT Graass UNC SMU Will Hardage Richmond Ashton Hashemipour UChicago LSE WashU Kevin He SMU USC Purdue Zak Houillion MIT Alden James Columbia Dartmouth UT Harrison Kampf UT Daniyaal Kamran Emory NYU UT Mahir Karim Vanderbilt UVA Trinity Ansh Khullar SMU UT Dartmouth Bryce Killian WashU Kevin Kim Vanderbilt Graham Kirstein Northwestern Dartmouth Noah Koecher Rice USC Cameron Lam UChicago USC Vanderbilt John Landry UChicago Matthew Lawson Juniata Yale Eric Li Link Lipsitz NYU Colorado Jalen Lynch Akshay Malhotra Princeton Penn Dartmouth Davis Marsh UT Georgetown Thomas Mattingly Blinn College Aidan Maurstad Pomona Dan McClain TCU Roby Mize W&L Philip Montgomery Stanford Michael Mosle Stanford

Zachary Naidu Charlie O’Brien Tim O’Meara Leighton Okada Matthew Placide Ammar Plumber Avery Powell Robert Qin Anvit Reddy Angel Reyes Taylor Rohrich Brannon Rouse Ward Rushton John Sadlowski Max Sadlowski Alex Sanchez Nico Sanchez Andrew Sharng Tim Skapek Philip Smart Mitchell So Eugene Song Niegel Stevens Drew Taylor Albert Thieu Abhi Thummala Grant Uebele PJ Voorheis Corbin Walp Brent Weisberg Kevin Wu

Stanford SMU Harvard USC NYU Santa Clara Occidental College SMU Penn Rice Northwestern Northwestern Whitman Franklin & Marshall Rhodes Penn TCU Texas A&M UVA Samford Vanderbilt TCU Texas A&M Baylor W&L Texas A&M Purdue Carleton Duke UNC Stanford Yale Duke Harvard Houston Stanford Air Force Academy Yale Duke Vanderbilt UTD Rice Cornell SMU Tulane Penn UVA Georgetown Princeton Dartmouth Duke

* List is not final and subject to change • No waitlist decisions were included Key to abbreviations: NYU–New York University, SMU–Southern Methodist University, USC–University of Southern California, UT–University of Texas, UTD- University of Texas at Dallas, UVA–University of Virginia, UNC–University of North Carolina, WashU–Washington University in St. Louis, TCU–Texas Christian University, MIT–Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Penn–University of Pennsylvania, LSE–London School of Enomics, W&L–Washington and Lee University, UChicago–University of Chicago, UC Berkeley–University of California at Berkeley