The ReMarker | December 2014

ST. MARK’S SCHOOL OF TEXAS DALLAS, TEXAS 75230 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2014 VOLUME 61 ISSUE 3

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VIII

NEWS

THE REMARKER

Following decades of interaction between seniors and first-graders, The ReMarker looks into the classic tradition of senior buddies.

Page 5

HO HO HO

Winter Break begins Dec. 19, with classes resuming Jan. 6.

COMMENTARY

NO-HOMEWORK WEEKENDS

LIFE

ORGAN DEDICATION Special guest Dr. David Heller will be the recitalist at the Jan. 11 organ dedication.

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‘As students, we are expected to complete nightly homework assignments, with one exception: no-homework weekends at the end of each trimester.’

Ice Bowl.

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OW

B

HISTORY OF THE SENIOR BUDDY

INSIDE

News Male Call Life Perspectives Vibe Commentary Sports Backpage

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2 9 10 14 18 19 22 28

SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Dini begins search for new assistant headmaster

By Abhi Thummala

A He’s with you 24/7, 365.

He’s there at your best.

He’s there at your worst.

He doesn’t judge.

He listens and occasionally speaks He’s everything you could ever ask for.

And he could be ruining your life.

Your new best FRIEND*

* hint: he’s not a person

‘I

know who your best friend is,” Dr. Sandra Chapman told a group of seniors in 2012.

And as seniors countered with blank stares, the answer remained elusive.

But Chapman, founder and chief director of the Center for Brain Health, had done her research.

She looked at the class and smiled.

“It’s in your pocket right now.”

With a growing presence of technology in students’ academic and personal lives, Chapman challenged the Marksmen with one task: “Walk through classes and put your technology in your pocket and talk to people. I want to see how many social conversations you can have.”

In an effort to curb the “devastating” consequences of an over-dependence on technology, Chapman had one simple request: story continues, page 8 Leave your phones in your pockets.

STORY SHOURYA KUMAR, CYRUS GANJI, MATTHEW CONLEY | ILLUSTRATION ZUYVA SEVILLA

nationwide search for an assistant headmaster, led by Eugene McDermott Headmaster David Dini, Dean of Campus and Provost Scott Gonzalez and the administrative team, has officially commenced, beginning the yearlong process of candidate evaluation.

Dini, who held the assistant headmaster position for the last 12 years, sees the assistant headmaster as a vital cog in the school’s operation. The assistant headmaster will assist Dini with all school-related issues and therefore be involved in all aspects of the school’s operation.

“The assistant head of school touches just about every area of school life,” Dini said. “When the David Dini Headmaster beginning search

headmaster’s not here, that person would be responsible for leading the school. The person in that role would participate in everything from personnel, program, facilities, governance. You name it.”

Dini believes that personality and complementing the current administration are important factors that differentiate candidates.

“I’m certainly a firm believer that whenever you hire someone, ‘fit’ is exceptionally important,” Dini said. “The personal qualities that someone brings to any role are vitally important, and the skill sets and experience they possess are certainly meaningful and relevant, but it’s also the personal traits, the character traits, that someone possesses and brings that often define, in most cases, their ability to thrive and contribute.”

While team chemistry is important, a deciding factor for the search team is the candidate’s ultimate goals SEEKING A SECOND for the school.

IN COMMAND WHO “[The WOULD PARTICIPATE assistant headIN EVERYTHING FROM master will be] PERSONNEL, PROGRAM, somebody that FACILITIES AND has mission GOVERNANCE. alignment,” Dini said, “that really believes wholeheartedly in our mission as a school and that is committed to providing boys opportunity for growth and development in its broadest sense.”

Because the 2014-2015 school year is Dini’s first as headmaster, he believes that first establishing teamwork with the new group is vital to the transition. Not rushing the hiring decision was another factor that postponed the search process.

“I felt like it was something that we needed, as a group, to have a sense of how we were working together as a team prior to making that decision,” Dini said. “

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, DEC. 12, 2014 | PAGE 2

Upcoming

IN THE SPIRIT

ARNO GOETZ PHOTO

USED WITH PERMISSION OF BLAKE DAUGHERTY

I

t seems any time controversy comes about in this country, I see the same reaction from everyone — a bit of discussion at the lunch table in the Great Hall, an argument between two surprisingly hotheaded students and nothing else.

Well, at least until I get home and open up Facebook. Because on Facebook, everyone has a law degree.

Everyone is an expert in every field and has been following it since day one, unlike you —you don’t know anything, unless, of course, you’re on their side.

So recently, this massive controversy has been stemming from Ferguson, MO, where a St. Louis grand jury announced it would not be indicting Darren Wilson, a police officer who shot Michael Brown, someone I am incapable of describing without angering someone on one side or the other.

But I’m not trying to talk about my opinion on Ferguson — to each his own there — I want to talk about everyone else’s.

As I watched the live feed from ABC, it was incredibly disturbing to watch all of the Ferguson citizens sit attentive and calm until the prosecutor announced the decision. At that point, they all left in riot without even listening to any of the details — the most important part of the decision. They allowed no explanation.

Their disgust with the decision came from the fact that it wasn’t the decision they wanted — not from the reasons it was made.

But an angry man is an angry man, and one can expect a somewhat impulsive attitude from someone in that situation. What was far more terrifying was the fact that ABC did practically the same thing.

As soon as the announcement was made, they cut the conference and went straight to their reporters’ opinions, skipping over the prosecutor’s explanation of the evidence. Seconds later, George Stephanopoulos literally said, “And now we take you back to Dancing with the Stars.”

And that’s the source of our generation’s biggest issue. We don’t want explanations in our news, we want the short and sweet version that just says what happened. But not why.

Because why it happened is up for our interpretation.

That’s the source of the “keyboard warrior,” the modern critic of society who has one key feature that’s new for our generation — a sense of anonymity.

Today anyone can have an opinion based on practically nothing, and they can instantly send it to everyone else.

The problem is, nothing good ever comes out of it.

People go on Facebook to rant about the most recent issue, basing their argument on nothing but opinion, and they refuse to acknowledge anyone with a counterargument as anything other than wrong.

Within a few minutes, some massive war of text is destroying everyone’s Newsfeed on Facebook until eventually someone gives up and goes to bed, ending the argument but solving nothing.

Everyone is open to have his or her own opinion, and nothing is wrong with that. The problem is that people truly believe they are accomplishing something, contributing to solving the issue by arguing in the comment section of a Yahoo news article. Gone are the days of writing a letter to your senator or actually trying to do anything. The era of the keyboard warrior is upon us.

So keep typing away at your random enemy across the country who might just be messing with you, keyboard warriors. Just know that until you step outside, nothing will ever change.

CHINESE COWBOY

Wearing his signature black cowboy hat, freshman Blake Daugherty claims his “Most Graceful” award at an international Chinese competition in Beijing and Kunming. Page 7

“I am excited to go down the aisle on [senior Raymond Chen’s] shoulders.”

— Andrew Browne, Page 5

Newsfeed

THINGS TO DO IN THE WEEKS AHEAD

NEWS AROUND CAMPUS

Today

Weekend

Next week

> If you’re interested in

> The Adventure to Santa

> It’s that time of year again:

speaking real-time with denizens of a magical version of the North Pole, consider The Special Hallmark Delivery: Northpole Communication Station exhibit which opens today and will remain open through this Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

exhibit will bring kids and families an interactive trip to a 2,000-square-foot holiday cottage and a guided tour of Disney characters Nov. 11 to Dec. 24. The exhibit is hosted at The Parks at Arlington, where admission is free.

> For fans of holiday tunes,

> The Cookies and Castles:

Grammy-winning music stars Michael W. Smith and Amy Grant will be partnering for a performance of holiday songs at the American Airlines Center 7:30 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com.

A Gingerbread Extravaganza event will be held this Saturday, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children.

Proceeds benefit the hospital’s prosthetic department as well as the Delta Delta Delta Foundation Crescent Fund.

the annual St. Mark’s Christmas Party will be held in the Great Hall Dec. 19 at the end of a half-day of school to kick off the two weeks of break.

> Both A Charlie Brown Kind

of Christmas and A Christmas Carol run throughout the week at the Art Centre Theatre and Wyly Theatre, respectively. Performances for “A Charlie Brown Kind of Christmas” run at 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., A Christmas Carol can be seen throughout the day.

Visit www.artcentretheatre. com or www.attpac.org for tickets.

Eric Kusin ’00 visited the Student Alumni Association Nov. 6 to speak about his recent appearance on the popular television show Shark Tank.

Students witnessed the USC graduate speak about his experience with his new product Reviver, an odor-eliminating clothing swipe, and how he and his brother Ben Kusin ’97 presented the product to the famous group of “sharks” for the episode. Additionally, Eric Kusin handed out free Reviver swipes for the students to use.

“Kusin’s visit was so powerful and intriguing,” Case Brabham, president of the Student Alumni Association, said, “because it gave us students an opportunity to ask an extremely successful young alum about his successes and how he came to achieve them. It was a great experience. We were all able to learn about the impact St. Mark’s can have on us and about the doors it will open for us in the future.”

...

Salvation Army Major Ward Matthews came to talk to the Upper School in an assembly held in Decherd Auditorium Nov. 7.

During the discussion, Matthews talked about the upcoming gift drive, which concludes Dec. 16, and why the Salvation Army has partnered with the school in the past.

“The Salvation Army strives to put out a high quality of work in everything we do, so a school like St. Mark’s is a great partner for us because we have seen that the students share our philosophy about high quality performance in their community service,” Matthews said. “That’s why we thought St. Mark’s would be a perfect fit.”

2015 GIFTS

the Student Council and Community Service Board hope to receive this year.

ALD EN JAM ES PHO TO

Fighting from behind the screen

NEWS

MATTHEW CONLEY

With renovations in tow, Headmaster David Dini (center) and his family have moved into the newlyrefurbished headmaster’s residence Page 3

MASON SMITH PHOTO

HEADMASTER MOVE-IN

...

A NORTH POLE OF THEIR OWN Donning holiday costumes, seniors Nathan Ondracek (left) and Justin Jones play the parts of a Christmas elf and Santa Claus himself, as they gather presents from students during the annual Gift Drive Dec. 1 to Dec. 16. Gifts will presented to the Salvation Army Dec. 21.

overheard COMMENTS MADE BY FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENTS AROUND CAMPUS

Sophomore

Andrew Lin “It smells like feet, is there a reason for that?”

Senior

Walter Johnson “You are literally Lenny.

You are a danger to society.

You don’t understand your own power.” (to senior Travis Nadalini)

Director of Advancement Services

Physics instructor

Stephen Houpt “Obviously, Ashton, you are one sick man.” (on Ashton Hashemipour’s obsession with Friends)

Scott Palmer

“Are you from High School Musical?” (on senior Umer Nadir playing basketball and an instrument in band)

Victor White Master Teacher Chair

Assistant Head of Upper School

John Perryman

“Here’s the catch: coach Friesen is dressed as a minotaur, and if he takes you down you instantly fail.” (to A.P. U.S. history class at McDonald’s)

David Brown

“Will Clark is a dude.” (after watching Sally’s Fiddle Boys on an iPhone. )

PHOTOS JAMES HANCOCK, MASON SMITH

Senior Aakash Pattabi and junior Haris Ahmad won two debate tournaments in Los Angeles with teams from around the country Oct. 31 to Nov. 4 and improved their national ranking from 12th to sixth.

The team debated at the University of Southern California Round Robin Oct. 31 to Nov. 1, defeating the team from Damien High School in the finals by winning two out of the three ballots.

Then they went on to the Damus Hollywood Notre Dame Invitational at Notre Dame High School Nov. 2 to Nov. 4, passing through preliminary and elimination stages and beating out Polytechnic High School in the finals. However, the team does not finish with these victories. Pattabi and Ahmad will debate at more tournaments around the country throughout the rest of the year.

“We’re going to the Montgomery Bell Academy tournament in Nashville and the Emory tournament at Emory University,” Pattabi said.

— Newsfeed stories by Philip Smart, James Hancock and Akshay Malhotra

NEWS

THE REMARKER DECEMBER 12, 2014 PAGE 3 4 MOST IMPORTANT CLASSES 5 SENIOR BUDDIES 6 LITERARY FESTIVAL 7 CHINESE COMPETITION

THE HEADMASTER’S RESIDENCE

Turning a house into a home

HEAVY LIFTING Eugene McDermott Headmaster David Dini (left) moves a chair into his new home, the recently refurbished headmaster’s residence on Norway Road.

Margaret McDermott (right), who along with her late husband Eugene, is recognized in the headmaster’s title and in other areas across campus, funded the home’s renovation.

The home’s entry (right).

After a 10-week renovation, the headmaster’s residence is ready for its newest occupants — David and Nancy Dini, and their four children

E

ugene McDermott Headmaster David Dini sets down the cardboard box.

More boxes litter the entry foyer, stacked against the walls or half-opened in doorways.

New paint coated the walls. The roof, reshingled, shined brightly above.

There’s still more to do. The moving van waits outside, nearly emptied. But the man behind the box is content and ready for what the future holds.

Because after ten weeks, the headmaster’s residence is finally complete — and the Dini family is moving in.

Now, after spending almost a month in his new residence, Dini loves the house and its homey feel.

However, he stresses the intentions of the renovation were to create a house more suited to general school use, rather than personalizing it to family preferences.

“We wanted it to be done in a way that it would support anyone really well,” Dini said. “If we moved in, it would be great. But if someone else moved in, it would also be great.

It’s not tailored to our own particular tastes, perspectives and ideas.”

Moreover, Dini emphasizes the primary objective of the renovation was to reconfigure the ground floor

DURING THE 21 YEARS FORMER HEADMASTER ARNIE HOLTBERG AND HIS WIFE JAN LIVED IN THE RESIDENCE, MORE THAN 12,000 GUESTS WERE ENTERTAINED.

to better adapt it for the dozens of events and hundreds of guests held on the property each year.

“There was one [large] change that was made to the house on the ground floor,” Dini said. “There was a bedroom and a large bathroom downstairs that were removed and converted into a dining room and a small powder room in order to accommodate more square footage on the ground floor for events and functions.”

In addition to modifications made to the ground floor, other improvements were instituted as a routine face-lift before the changing of the guard between residents.

“There were some ongoing, normal maintenance items,” Dini said, “like a new roof put on the house and a new fence. So there were some mechanical things that needed to be done to the house, and the majority of the work was things like paint and the normal routine things you would do to a home.”

With ten weeks between initial construction to move-in, however, the renovation was no small project and Dini recognizes and thanks each member of the group that made it possible.

“There were a lot of people that worked collectively on the plans for the house,” Dini said. “It was really a collective effort. It was led by the Facilities Committee of the Board: [Director of Finance and Administration] Mrs. [Suzanne] Townsend, [Business Office Administrative Assistant] Mrs. [Kristin] Mlakar, a contractor and [Director of the Physical Plant] Mr. [Mark] Webb.”

In the new home, Dini hopes to continue old family traditions of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and is eager for an opportunity to adapt them to a new environment.

“We have two daughters that are in college,” Dini said, “so we will have all of our children at home, and we like to do certain things around

Thanksgiving. We often go out and look at Christmas lights as a family.

We also have a long standing tradition of watching Home Alone every Thanksgiving; it’s a Christmas oriented movie, but around Thanksgiving you start to feel like the holidays are really here.”

More than just practicing traditional family customs, Dini hopes to create new ones during the breaks that he stresses are so crucial for cherishing and bonding with both immediate and extended family.

“We consider it a time for togetherness — taking stock and being grateful for what you have,” Dini said.

“Also, our hope is that we will be able to create some new traditions this year because we will all be here and be together.”

Stressing the importance of family unity during the holidays, Dini pinpoints his family trip to Italy as an important event in his life, and one of the greatest gifts he has ever received. Dini and his extended family received the opportunity four years ago, when his parents — who were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary — planned and provided a two-week trip across the Mediterranean country.

“To be with my whole extended family,” Dini said, “obviously my wife and all of our kids, my brother and his family, both my parents, for

two full weeks, was really a special experience. It is a memory that I will never forget. It’s really just one of those time capsule experiences that I’m sure you’ve had as well; It’s something I’ll always cherish.”

From memories he had in his previous home, Dini looks upon holidays when his children were infants and toddlers with a particular fondness but recognizes the different kind of joy he receives from holiday experiences now.

“My fondest memories of holidays were when the kids were small,” Dini said. “In some ways, times were a lot simpler then. But I wouldn’t say those are my favorite, necessarily, because there are elements now that I really enjoy about our kids being older.”

But as much as Dini remembers the past with love and respect, his emotions are just as strong for the future and the rare opportunities he now has for gatherings as a family with his wife and older children.

“Certainly, given that our kids are growing older now, being with our four children is really special, just because our oldest daughter is about to graduate from college and we saw her a week all summer. She was working in Missouri — where she goes to school — so it’s rare times when all four of our kids are together with us now. It just doesn’t come that often anymore.”

Inside the headmaster’s residence

NO PLACE LIKE HOME The living room, with historical items from the school’s past above the fireplace, offers a place for rest and relaxation.

MARKSMEN MEMORABILIA Placed above the fireplace, this portrait of the student body (above) represents the rich history of the school. Two copies of vintage Marksmen yearbooks (left) are framed to be put up on the walls of the newly refurbished headmaster’s residence.

SECOND FLOOR The entry to the residence, where guests will enter for events the Dinis host here.

STORY BRADFORD BECK, NOAH KOECHER | PHOTOS ARNO GOETZ, MASON SMITH

BACKYARD A large picture window provides views of the spacious backyard.

N THE REMARKER NEWS DECEMBER 12, 2014 PAGE 4 MOST IMPORTANT CLASSES

Picking and Choosing The sheer number and variety of optional classes offered here can often overwhelm students. Students have to choose a course load that they can balance, while also choosing ones that will help them most in college and later on in life, in jobs. Associate Director of College Counseling, Casey Gendason, and Provost and Dean of Campus Scott Gonzalez sat down to answer questions about the optional classes here.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS Coming into high school, students are presented with the challenge of picking and choosing a variety of courses that most benefit them.

How would you say the number of optional classes offered here has changed, and what do you think drives that?

Scott Gonzalez: What really drives it is student interest. We have a number of classes on the books that we have offered in the past that we no longer offer, because, students have not shown interest. I think part of that is driven by the fact that a lot of our guys are driven by taking courses that some believe give them the best chance of getting into a college that they would like to go to.

Having said that, usually when you hear that, the individuals who promote that kind of thinking are going to say, you need to be in an honors class or you need to be in a AP class. So the classes that might produce great thinking skills and challenging ways of learning and new discoveries are not necessarily going to be in those particular kinds of courses Scott Gonzalez Choices should be student interest-driven.

How do you think students should approach this course selection decision when the time comes in the spring?

Scott Gonzalez: Any boy at St. Mark’s who wants to go to college goes to college. The fear of not getting into college is one that is unreal and can’t be defended at St. Mark’s. So my desire for students would be for them to have a large amount of academic offerings.

The truth is we don’t have that many requirements for graduation. Three years of mathematics including Algebra II. I would say 90 percent of our students meet that and then exceed that. Three years of science including biology. That’s the only prerequisite.

Look at the course offerings we have in

science. I’d say the majority of our boys take more than three years of science. For foreign language three years including the final level or what used to be called level three. Also, one year of fine arts. I’d say the majority of our boys take more than one year of fine arts.

So continue to be looking at the opportunities out there because frankly when you leave here, you might not have as many opportunities to do things that you wish you would have done; playing sports, taking a fine art, taking a class in English you thought you wouldn’t want as opposed to taking one you’re supposed to take like an AP course because that’ll get you into the best college.

So I would ask them to look around a bit and try not to succumb to that pressure of always taking the hardest classes because you know what? You might learn something.

How would colleges view a B in an AP versus an A in the same class but at the standard level?

Casey Gendason: This is the million dollar question and comes up all the time. The answer is that colleges do not expect to see all A’s in a curriculum that is full of AP classes, and the colleges definitely give the student credit for taking the most challenging classes. At the Casey Gendason Colleges credit for challenging classes

end of the day, the colleges know that there are students at St. Mark’s who earn As in those AP classes. To take all AP classes and earn Bs when you have been an A student in ninth and tenth grade is going to potentially look like you weren’t able to handle our most challenging classes.

So students should not look at this as I could get an A, I could get a B, but what can I

handle as far as workload, homework load, what am I good at, what are my strengths, and take the most challenging classes in those areas, and do the best they can versus trying to take a high number of AP’s and then not having the grades to back it up.

So the answer is not a direct, take the AP and get a B, or take the regular class and get an A. The answer is take a challenging load that makes you look like you have selected the most challenging classes and take a load that you can do really well in while earning grades that indicate what you are capable of doing.

If you could recommend one optional class for a student to take, which would it be?

Harrison Perkins ‘14, Dartmouth: AP psychology with Ms. [Barbara} VanDrie was probably the most interesting and enlightening class I took.

It was something I took entirely for me and because I was interested in the subject not because it was required. It is a good combination of different types of sciences, and it is a very different subject than anything you are required to take at SM. Harrison Perkins ‘14 Encourages AP psychology

Ms. Van Drie teaches about a lot of different aspects of the subject that students can relate to on many levels including personal, social, and academic.

What effect, if any, do you think the optional classes you took will have on your career chioce?

Patrick McGee ‘11, Vanderbilt: I think my philosophy classes and photography classes (and many other classes, teachers and extracurric-

ular activities) set me up to have a successful and involved college career and has disposed me to look at the world in a different, open and creative way.

Patrick McGee ’11 Find ways to look at the world differently

I think I will likely be taking a job with a non-profit organization that combats Amazonian deforestation by working with landowners to help them find economic incentives to practicing good land stewardship. The road that has led me to this job certainly began at St. Mark’s.

Could you describe an eye-opening experience you had in an optional class you took here at St. Mark’s?

Tyler Mow-Unland ‘09, Georgetown University grad: I believe everyone should aspire to take Mr. [David] Brown’s AP English class. I learned more from him during my junior year than I did during any literature class at Georgetown! Mr. Brown covered everything — we learned about reading, writing, poetry, music and public speaking.

He will intimidate you at first — trust me.

In fact, I remember the majority of my classmates receiving a “C” on the first paper.

Tyler Mow-Unland ’09 Learned many lessons from AP English

However, you will learn to appreciate his attention to detail, especially after you breeze through those first few literature classes in college.

If you want to stretch yourself, do yourself a favor and take this class.

STORY DANIEL COPE, CRAWFORD MCCRARY, JOHN CRAWFORD | PHOTOS MASON SMITH, COURTESY OF HARRISON PERKINS, PATRICK MCGEE, TYLER MOW-UNLAND

Renowned paleoanthropologist Lee Berger visits school Nov. 11

by Bradford Beck and Alex Kim

Lee Berger, one of the leaders in the paleoanthropology field, visited 10600 Preston Road Nov. 11. Berger had visited two years prior Nov. 12, 2012 after being contacted by Eugene McDermott Master Teacher John Mead.

“Our relationship started in August of 2012,” Mead said.

“He and I were already friends on Facebook. As I like to say, he was a scientific celebrity by then, and I was just me. So he had thousands of friends and I had just four.”

After Mead contacted him, Berger decided to visit. But even after his visit was over, the two remained friends.

“He had offered me to come spend some time with him in his lab in South Africa, which, for me, was a dream come true,” Mead said.

Mead and Berger’s friendship, along with the impression the school left on Berger, led Berger to visit again.

“As for this particular visit, I had been contact with him about projects, all education-related,” Mead said. “I was pleasantly surprised when he emailed and said, ‘I’ll be in Dallas, and I’d really love to reconnect with the students.’ That was totally out of the blue. He could’ve easily come and gone

without telling us, but he was eager to share his experiences with us.”

When visiting Dallas, Berger also visited SMU and Hockaday. Berger is currenty being funded by Hockaday graduate, Lyda Hill, who’s family has connections to 10600 Preston Road. Mead believes that Berger’s current work, Rising Star, will have large implications in the paleoanthropology field.

“This work in particular is going to be large, I think,” Mead said. “He was asked in one of his lectures while he was here about what he thought the implications would be, and he was really direct in his answer, without going into much detail, that he felt like human origins will have to be rewritten when the Rising Star information becomes public.”

Mead thinks that certain information will not be released until all of the information can be revealed.

“So, my guess is we will be seeing a significant amount of information come out about the early stages of the genus homo, particular about the transition from small bodied, chimp-like bipeds in the austrolopificus realm to creatures that looked and began to behave a lot like us,” Mead said.

“But that’s all going to happen after April, when we get the official information on all of that.”

Mead believes there are two things to take away from Berger’s visit.

“The first one is one that he shared the initial results and the photos of the fossils, the excitement of the specifics of paleoanthropology and that it is a science that is very much alive and kicking in ways that people may have not seen five or six years ago.” Mead said.

Mead hopes that this connection encourages an interest in Marksmen to look deeper at the subject. “ On another level, when you talk to Dr. Berger for any length of time, you have a feeling that he is passionate about this idea about exploration,” Mead said, “that he had spent 17 years in his ‘backyard’ area, not finding anything, and changed how he looks at things.”

Mead hopes that his bond with Berger continues.

“We’re really lucky as a school to have stumbled across the relationship that I’ve had with him, and I’m happy that we’re able to share that,” Mead said. “Hopefully that will continue to grow in the years to come.”

THE REMARKER NEWS DECEMBER 12, 2014 PAGE 5 N SENIOR BUDDY PROGRAM

Forever linked

With generations of Marksmen connected through the senior buddy program, the bonds forged by age-old traditions can last a lifetime. These three generations of Marksmen have experiences of their own to tell.

“I think that when you are assigned a senior buddy, there is that instant connection that you never ever lose,” Eshelbrenner said.

“It’s really interesting that fast forward ten years, I still remember Raymond as being my buddy. [Seniors and their little buddies] have a bond that links them in St. Mark’s history.”

Although the history of the Senior Buddy program has deep roots in the past, the goals are timeless.

Senior Class sponsors Amy Pool and Joe Milliet are leaders of the Senior Buddy program.

“The program has not really changed in terms of what the purpose is, just the events might change,” Milliet said. “We want to foster a relationship where the seniors not just visit and have food — of course that’s always important with boys — but we are hoping they build a relationship that is based on our community here.”

Milliet hopes this community will share the school’s values.

“The seniors can be very influential in telling their little buddies about activities that they can participate in when they get older,” Milliet said.

Milliet believes the relationships between budA DECADES-LONG dies are so powerful that TRADITION LINKS they can last decades.

GENERATIONS OF “Often, when I go to the MARKSMEN ten-year reunions, [alumni]

will ask me who is in my Senior Class that year and they’ll often say ‘that was my little buddy,’” Milliet said. “So they remember, even ten years later, who their little buddy was. And I’m sure that’s true 15, 20 years later.”

Eshelbrenner sees the Senior Buddy program as a more caring version of the average bond between Marksmen.

“I think that the Senior Buddy program is just a microcosm of St. Mark’s in general,” Eshelbrenner said. “ I think that when you’re a senior you are given the responsibility of looking out for a first grader who is going to be significantly younger and who won’t have the same experience as you do.”

Seniors not only play and engage in fun experiences with their little buddies, but also engage in serious conversations. “[Seniors incorporate] the integrity and ethical discussions as well,” Milliet said. “Treating each other with respect, positive unconditional respect for a person and tolerance for other people’s viewpoints, no matter who they are; these are life lessons we want them to share with their little buddies, and they should do that by the way they act.”

Although these deeper, reflective topics serve as important conversations, Chen believes that other, lighthearted lessons are meaningful as well.

“I want to teach him to have fun,” Chen said. “At St. Mark’s it’s always about the grades

and sometimes you get distracted by all that. You forget to have fun. Last year was probably one of the least enjoyable years for me because I was too focused on getting the A’s. This year, I have more time to be able to hang out with my classmates and to do the things I enjoy doing.”

It’s one of these light-hearted moments that sticks in Eshelbrenner’s mind to this day.

“One day when we were visiting them, they actually gave us a gift,” Eshelbrenner said. “I specifically remember that Raymond gave me this really neat dragon. It was something that was really important PATH TO MANHOOD Sitting in front of the Path to to him and his family and Manhood statue, Director of Alumni Relations Alex Eshelbrenner ‘04 continues the tradition of the senior buddy to give that to someone program with his senior buddy, Raymond Chen and Chen’s they hadn’t even met yet, I senior buddy, first grader Andrew Browne. thought was really neat.”

For Chen, his favorite I’ve been on a senior’s shoulders three times, moment as a buddy came when Eshelbrenbut I’ve never had the experience of carrying ner shared time with him during McDonald’s somebody on my shoulders.”

Week.

First grader Andrew Browne is looking “I remember he brought an apple pie for forward to the Christmas party as well. me,” Chen said. “Before that, I thought they “I am excited to go down the aisle on were kind of gross, but then I tried it, and it [Raymond’s] shoulders,” Browne said. tasted much better because I was eating it with All in all, the Senior Buddy program is one him.” of the most celebrated and revered traditions Another memorable moment in a senior of the school. and a buddy’s life is the annual Christmas “I hope the Senior Buddy program stays party, where seniors carry their buddies on around for a long time,” Eshelbrenner said. “I their shoulders. think its something that everybody remem“I am looking forward to the Christmas bers, I think the students enjoy it. It’s someparty,” Chen said. “It’s a special thing where you thing I hope is part of the St. Mark’s tradition get to carry your buddy on your shoulders. forever.”

MASON SMITH PHOTO

A

lex Eshelbrenner ‘04, director of Alumni Relations, has been here before. As a first-grader, he was carried on his senior buddy’s shoulder to pin his ornament on the Christmas tree during the All-School Christmas party.

Now, his role is reversed. He is the one carrying a little guy on his shoulders.

So with confidence he picks up his first grade buddy, senior Raymond Chen, and carries him on his shoulders towards the tree. And towards Chen’s future as a Marksman.

STORY BRADFORD BECK, GOPAL RAMAN | PHOTO MASON SMITH

N THE REMARKER NEWS DECEMBER 12, 2014 PAGE 6 LITERARY FESTIVAL With the Literary Festival quickly approaching, Life Editors Avery Powell and Will Clark sat down with the five visiting authors to get to know them before their panel Jan. 9.

What would you want students to know about you or your work before you come to the school?

Robert Zorn ’75 non-fiction Wo rld

Life can take interesting turns, and I never really dreamed of being a writer, but I’ve been very much helped by many other people, including people

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STORY AVERY POWELL, WILL CLARK | ILLUSTRATIONS WILL CLARK, JOON PARK | PHOTOS USED WITH PERMISSION THE AUTHORS

story. The last book that I published, A Good Hard Look, has Flannery O’Connor in it, but she didn’t show up until I’d been writing it for a year.

So it wasn’t like I said I’m going to write about Flannery O’Connor. I never would have done that

in a million years, it’s way too challenging — I’m from the North, she’s like a southern literary icon — it’s kind of taboo to do that. It was just that at the year point she just sort of showed up in the book. So I guess I really follow my subconscious.

If I do understand correctly, you are a slam poet?

What do you like about being a poet?

Poet yes, slam poet no. Slam is just one part of what we do. It is a competition. It’s not an actual genre of poetry per se. I would say I’m more of a poet, but I do compete in slams.

Everything. The understanding that you’re connecting with people is the biggest thing. Expressing yourself via art form. Whatever subject matter you discuss, as long as you focus on human emotion, then you can kind of show people how they are connected.

people. I find it very hard to please everybody.

At times I get some messages from readers because my opinions do not match theirs.

And they think that I’m criticizing a particular religion or group of

What would you like students to know about you or your work before you visit?

I wrote in kind of a desultory way after college. By my mid-twenties I started to buckle down a little bit and publish book reviews and freelance stuff, but it took me a long time before I did anything very big.

LIT FEST AUTHORS | BY THE NUMBERS

St. Mark’s, but here in New Jersey, it seems like the kids only play one sport, try to be really good at one sport, rather than try to play multiple sports. I just think the more you can expose yourself the better.

What have you struggled with the most as a writer?

How did you become a writer and when did you start writing seriously?

Blake Bailey literary biographer

2

What advice would you give yourself when you were in high school?

I don’t know if it’s like this at

What inspires what you write about? How do choose what to write about?

INK

mpi

in the St. Mark’s community.

The St. Mark’s community is a wonderful network. Really brilliant people, great problem solvers, people trying to help.

I want them to know that writing is and will

Was there any particular event that’s affected you?

Being a writer is a very strange way to make a living and to make a life. Basically you can work in your underwear and if the weather’s warm enough that’s exactly what I do. But it’s hard to make a living at it so you’ve got to be kind of a

be always the most powerful tool to get a message across. In my case, I’m a writer of conscience and I want to address social issues, global issues and whatever the reason, writing is such a powerful tool and it can reach out to so many people.

strange character to choose to do that. I think what made me strange is somewhat suggested at by my memoir, and it’s that my family life was horrific. My brother was an alcoholic, a suicide [victim], a drug addict, and when you have those sort of psychic wounds you’re more driven to work them out than the average bloke is.

THE REMARKER NEWS DECEMBER 12, 2014 PAGE 7 N INTERNATIONAL CHINA COMPETITION

Breaking the language barrier Three Marksmen traveled to China to participate in an international Chinese competition, immersing themselves in the vibrant foreign culture and simultaneously improving their grasp of the Chinese language.

SUPERSTAR Chosen to represent team USA in the international competition, freshman Blake Daugherty participates in the talent show, which was one of the three phases of the competition. Daugherty issued a traditional Chinese performance, in which he made a witty speech in front of a panel of judges. Daugherty won an award that granted him a scholarship to study Chinese for a semester in China, all expenses paid.

H

e slowly walks up to the stage, as the bright lights pierce his eyes. He turns and faces the audience.

Freshman Blake Daugherty is unfazed.

He smiles at his competitors and begins to speak.

Daugherty speaks with a natural fluidity, carefully enunciating every word. Although he is speaking a completely foreign language, Daugherty knows exactly what he’s doing.

With so many months of practice, Daugherty has no trouble presenting his speech with mastery, amazing his competitors and the judges.

The moment he finishes speaking, Daugherty knows that he had nailed it. The speech had gone perfectly.

“The final speech I gave was the best out

NI HOWDY Cowboy hat donned as always, Daugherty’s enthusiasm helped him defeat older competitors and won him the contest’s “Most Graceful Performer Award.”

of all three speeches I gave during the competition,” Daugherty said. “I liked being on stage, it was never really a problem speaking in front of a large group of people for me.”

Daugherty competed in the seventh World Secondary School Student Chinese Competition, which was held in the Yunnan Province in China. The competition required the competitors to present speeches and talents that incorporated Chinese language and culture.

The competitors were selected from several countries around the world after local and regional qualifying events. Daugherty advanced in the local and regional competitions, which were held in March and April, to the international competition, which was held Oct. 16 to Nov. 2.

“The local competition was held at UTD [University of Texas at Dallas],” Chinese instructor Lei Zhang said. “Blake got in second place, and [Hockaday freshman] Ameya [Chavda] got in first place. Blake and Ameya also won the regional competition. From the regional competition, they went to China. Also the third place people were allowed to go to China and observe. So Ian [Fitzgerald] and Zachary [Gilstrap] went to China to observe the competition and participate in some activities.”

Although the team just barely missed an opportunity to move on to the next round, Blake’s performances in the international competition were remarkable enough for him to earn The Most Graceful Award, which was one of just five individual awards presented to

the participants. This award was even more impressive because of Daugherty’s young age compared to his competitors.

“Most of the schools send seniors to the competition,” Zhang said. “But for our school, it is very hard for students to miss classes during their senior or junior years. So I have to prepare them when they are in eighth grade, which is their second year of Chinese, so they have not yet learned all the grammar or vocabulary.”

Daugherty cherished the challenge of competing with more advanced Chinese students, and made the most of his opportunity.

“It was really fun competing against people who were older than me,” he said,” but difficult at the same time since they were really good, almost fluent.” hang was not surprised that Daugherty, Gilstrap and Fitzgerald, despite being a few years behind their competitors, made it to the international stage of the Chinese competition “Their work ethic is very good,” Zhang said. “Especially Blake’s. He spent an hour with me daily, working hard to make sure he knew the pronunciations and culture. I knew that they were going to do well.”

Zhang also made extra efforts to ensure that her students were able to overcome their lack of experience with the Chinese language and succeed in the competitions.

“I tried to help them prepare their speeches and prepare their talents,” she said.

“I asked Blake what he wanted to talk about.

He said that he really liked history, so he wrote a speech, and I helped him make it a more

Z

interesting.”

Both Zhang’s and the student’s efforts paid off, as the China trip increased the students’ cultural awareness and their passion for the language.

“Blake came back, and he wanted to improve his speaking,” Zhang said. “He is much more enthusiastic about the Chinese language and he is trying to really learn more. He even wanted to go to weekend Chinese school to hear other Chinese teachers.”

On top of his improved Chinese skills, Daugherty is thankful for the trip because it allowed him to increase his familiarity of everyday Chinese life.

“The most rewarding experience about this trip was meeting people from all over the world,” Daugherty said. “My Chinese also improved a lot. I learned a lot of slang, and I got to go to a lot of local restaurants.”

The hands-on experience of speaking to natives and staying in a foreign country was invaluable to Daugherty, who hopes that in the future, he will be able to use the experiences to improve his familiarity of the Chinese language.

“It was a lot of work but actually being in China and learning Chinese there helped me with pronunciation specifically, because it is so much different hearing it from people other than your Chinese teacher,” Daugherty said. “It also helped me learn more about the culture, because I got to go to all the places that we had learned about. So the trip made learning the language more relatable.”

STORY ANVIT REDDY | ADDITIONAL REPORTING RICHARD JIANG | PHOTOS COURTESY BLAKE DAUGHERTY

Alum serves as treasurer for million-dollar prize

by Noah Koecher hen Will Chang ’13 joined the Net Impact club at Yale College, he didn’t expect much.

He expected to organize a few non-profit consulting projects.

He expected to host some social enterprising events with a group of friends.

He expected an entertaining hobby that would accompany his studies.

W

Will Chang Handles million-dollar funds

Instead, he found himself becoming treasurer of the Hult Prize, a competitive start-up contest that challenges students to find solutions to a big social issue — and awards the winning team with a $1 million prize to make their idea a reality.

“Officially, I am treasurer of the Hult Prize team at Yale,” Chang said. “You can imagine that I handle things such as securing funding from the college, keeping track of expenses, etc.”

The Hult Prize has asked student entrepreneurs to solve world challenges such as global energy or clean water. This year, students compete to win the $1 million by suggesting start-up businesses that work to solve the problem of childhood education in urban slums.

“This is the first year that the Hult Prize has been hosted at Yale and other college campuses,” Chang said, “and the powers that be asked Net Impact to handle the logistics of the competition. The Hult Prize interested me because of its wide-reaching impact and a chance to work on a project with great people to help other aspiring social entrepreneurs from Yale hopefully win the whole thing.”

Chang’s most rewarding experience working with Net Impact thus far has been the first round competition of the Hult Prize at Yale, which took place Nov. 15 at the Center for Engineering Innovation and Design on the Yale campus. The winning team of the first round, RASA, presented a plan

to use wealthier residents of urban areas to subsidize childhood education for poorer residents of the slums. On the whole, however, Chang believes the greatest part of what he has learned lies in the relationships he has developed.

“I’ve definitely enjoyed working with the Net Impact team so far,” Chang said. “If anything, it’s brought us closer together as friends and colleagues. I’ve grown to appreciate the mission of Net Impact a lot more as well as becoming interested in getting more involved with the organization, maybe as a board member next semester.”

Despite the pressure of accounting for the expenditures of an organization with $1 million on the line, Chang has thoroughly enjoyed his experience and looks most forward to spending more time with Net Impact and the group he has come to love.

“I’m looking forward to taking part in more Net Impact events and projects,” he said, “so I can continue to work with this great group of people.”

MILLION-DOLLAR IDEA Designed to be given to the most creative and effective idea, the Hult Prize changes location and theme every year. This year, the prize will be held on the Yale campus and representatives from the Clinton Foundation will present the award.

N THE REMARKER NEWS DECEMBER 12, 2014 PAGE 8 COVER STORY continued from page 1

Generation

change

‘Take a look around the next time you go to a restaurant or even while waiting for a movie to start at the theater. As soon as people are alone, their first impulse is to pull out their smart phone.” • Dr. Gabriela Reed, Lower Grades counselor ower Grades counselor Dr. Gabriela Reed understands the increase in technology use among young children – an increase that stems from the desire for safety. Parents want the ability to be in constant contact with their child. But the byproduct is a source of damage to the child’s developing emotional intelligence, or ability to handle relationships empathetically.

“Empathy is the foundation of emotional and social intelligence, and it is a skill learned and fostered only through interactions within the social realm,” Reed said. “Just like any other skill, we develop and strengthen our emotional and social intelligence through practice via face-to-face connection with others.”

Facebook and Instagram give people a false sense of connection, she says.

“If we saw some of those same “friends” on the street, could we engage in meaningful conversation?

Emojis and emoticons are a great metaphor for the ways that technology fails us when it comes to empathic understanding — there will never be a substitute for face-to-face communication of emotion.”

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Dr. Gabriela Reed Lower Grades counselor

at the theater,” Reed said. “As soon as people are alone, their first impulse is to pull out their smart phone. We are constantly entertained and increasingly unable to keep ourselves company. This constant barrage of information has huge ramifications on attention span, particularly in the developing child. ” While Chapman realizes the obvious benefits of technology, she also recognizes the potential social and emotional consequences that can stem from an over dependence or addiction to electronics.

“What technology is good at is quick access to a lot information and entertainment,” Chapman said.

“But when it comes to developing emotional and social skills, it’s probably the most devastating thing that’s happened. Developmentally, young kids, they don’t know what’s appropriate to even say, so their Sandra Chapman Founder and Director of the Center for Brain Health

emotional growth is hindered.”

According to Chapman, however, the hardest part of learning is social cognition – learning how to think, feel and interact with the world around us.

“If you think about the most complex thing you learn, it’s social cognition,” Chapman said. “Every single person has a different set of emotions they come to, and the more a person engages in technology, the worse they are at [social cognition] because they gain confidence when it comes to saying anything they want on this [technology], but when it comes to facing you, that’s different — you’re looking at me, and it changes my confidence.”

In fact, Chapman explains that the inability of today’s society to appreciate the emotion and social benefits of a relationship can be directly attributed the notion that technology is man’s “new best friend.”

“This generation is growing up slower than any

But to balance out the attractiveness of a bright screen to young boys, Lower School Head Barbara York has set a strict rule to follow regarding technology in the Lower School.

“We have a really firm policy that we want to use tech as a tool,” York said. “The reality is that the boys are going to be growing up in a very heavily technologically oriented world and they • 90 percent of top performers have high E.Q. really do need to have the skills. So • E.Q. is resposible for 58 percent of job performance what we want to • People with high E.Q. make $29,000 more do is to start them annually than those with low E.Q. slowly.”

To ensure other generation,” she said. “Why is that? I mean, students do learn the skills they will eventually will they’re exposed to more, they have more technolneed, the Lower School has placed computers in ogy, they have more information…well, it’s because every classroom, and has recently adopted the use there’s sort of this technological blunting of social of Smart Boards. cognition, that makes you be able to really know “The [devices] we choose are the ones that how to negotiate.” require some active interaction from the boys,” York ••• said. “We can also limit that and use the hands-on, manipulative activities that help them to develop or first grader Joshua Goforth, technology is a given –— one that, since he can remember, has been an interminable source of entertainment, Barbara York information and connectivity.

Head of Lower “I don’t remember a time when I couldn’t use a School phone,” Goforth said. “[I like to] play games, play Minecraft, watch videos, look up information and you the skills in three dimensions. So in a school setting, can also, like, look up people during school and other we’re in control of what they see and what they do.” stuff. I do homework on the computer.”

In addition to using Smart Boards and computGoforth’s mother, Peggy Goforth, views technolers in each Lower School classroom, first grade stuogy as a necessary, beneficial and potentially addicdents under the direction of instructors Teri Broom tive resource, specifically regarding its distracting and Kay Carrio, have begun to use iPads to enhance allure. their curriculum this year ­­­— in an effort to formulate “I fear that [technology] can be overused,” a plan for the future. she said. “Sometimes Josh, or even the older one “We can also make [the technology] a partner[Zackary] gets a little addicted ­— they can’t stop, they ship,” York said, “or small group activities, and that get too hyperfocused…we still go to the library, we helps with the social interaction part, or working on something, being exposed to something that we couldn’t allow them to see without technology.”

For Reed, the modern reliance on technology has become a difficult challenge to overcome, and she has noticed drawbacks firsthand.

“Take a look around the next time you go to a restaurant or even while waiting for a movie to start

[

]

benefits

of E.Q.

F

‘THIS GENERATION IS GROWING UP SLOWER THAN ANY OTHER’ —SANDRA CHAPMAN

still check out books, we still hold the books and turn the pages. We try not to put our whole lives around technology.”

As a drawback to technology’s utility as a vast, global and accessible database, Peggy notes the impersonal nature of digital interaction – specifically its tendency to impair social skills and emotional cognition.

“I do feel that, with technology, you lose the

Josh Goforth First-grader

Tips for E.Q. success

• The best brain food during the personal touch, the personal holidays? Meaningful conversation conversations,” Peggy said. “In with loved ones. fact, when we were on vacation, my cousin’s kids – and there were like six of them at the table • The holidays are a busy time.

– all had their nose to the phone Our brain functions best when our texting. No one was having conenvironment is organized. Clear the versations; no one was looking clutter because an organized life each other in the eye and talking leads to a sharp mind. to each other. We were, but everyone else was on the phone.”

• Avoid brain drain. Minimize espite the drawbacks of multi-tasking as it diminishes excessive usage, Peggy mental productivity, elevates brain and Josh both affirm that the pros of technology — espefatigue and increases stress. cially the endless collection of information databases — out• Free your brain for creativity by weigh the cons. avoiding mind-consuming searches However, the question of for misplaced necessities. Stow your privacy creates another equally three key items in the same place concerning issue. (e.g. keys, cell-phone, wallet) every “Pros are, definitely, you time you use them. have information right there,” Peggy said. “There’s vast • Research at the Center for amounts of information. The cons are, it’s also the opposite: BrainHealth shows that memory there’s too much information. improves with exercise. Take a We don’t do Facebook, but a brisk walk after a holiday meal to lot of people do – they share increase blood flow to the region of too much information. You the brain that controls memory. don’t have privacy because of technology.”

— www.brainhealth.utdallas.edu However, when questioned whether or not a technology-deprived lifestyle would be survivable, Josh confidently asserted that, despite all of technology’s amenities, he’d have no real problem.

“I’d just play a board game, draw or do something else. It wouldn’t be that big of a deal if I didn’t have technology. I remember a long time ago when I couldn’t use an iPad for a month. I couldn’t use my iPad or computer — no technology except for TV. . . but I survived.”

Regardless of technology’s potential benefits or downfalls, Chapman stresses the objective significance of its effect on the brain and how technology affects the way we, as students, learn.

“The learning aspect,” she said, “if you can work it to how you’re using [technology], helps us create new knowledge because our brain was wired to create new knowledge – not work as a big IBM computer, regurgitating facts, which is what the computers are making us do.”

But, shockingly, the computers aren’t always right.

According to Chapman, our brains aren’t programmed databases. Nor are they rigid copiers.

Instead, brains have personality, foresight and creativity. Brains are innovators, and they don’t need technology to tell them something new.

They need technology to help them create something new.

“What the brain really likes to do is take in information to form new ideas constantly,” Chapman said.

“It likes to innovate. It’s wired to innovate.”

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STORY SHOURYA KUMAR, CYRUS GANJI, MATTHEW CONLEY | ILLUSTRATION ZUYVA SEVILLA | PHOTOS MASON SMITH

THE REMARKER NEWS DECEMBER 12, 2014 PAGE 9 M

MALECALL

THIS ISSUE: MAN GIFTS FIREWORKS DRIVING ON ICE

Taking you back to the fundamentals of manhood.

PRO TIPS FIREWORKS

There is truly nothing more manly than a massive explosion of light and fire in the middle of the air.. Editor-in-chief and self-proclaimed pyrotechnics expert Matthew Conley explored the wonderful world of fireworks for this edition of the Male Call. Here are his discoveries.

Where to get them

What to buy

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F

igger fireworks are better fireworks. And I’m only going to tell you about the ones that are bigger than MC Hammer’s pants.

The only problem is, you might just be breaking the law. So the first rule of fireworks: know your rights. There’s nowhere to buy fireworks in Dallas for good reason; they’re illegal.

But trust me, there are loopholes. Hop on I-30, drive a couple of miles east and you are in the breathtaking concrete jungle of Rockwall, where fireworks are legal to buy and fly. So stop of at the best fireworks store in the state — Nelson’s Fireworks.

ireworks come in quite a range, so we’ll start off with the small ones, the ones you’d let your little brother use because quite frankly you don’t care about anything that small. You’re a man. For a couple of dollars at Nelson’s you can pick Black Cat Ground Blooms. These devils jump around like nobody’s watching.

Now, move on to the big stuff. Artillery shells are sweet (see disclaimer). These Jerry Lee great balls of fire will light up the night sky begging for “ooh’s and ah’s” from Mom, Dad and that girl you are trying to impress. So check out the new for 2014 Black Cat Pro 4 Gold for 72 shots of pyrotechnic glory.

Disclaimer Know your rights — don’t break any laws. Stay outside of Dallas city limits and you’ll be safe. The best fireworks are artillery shells — these are the biggest bang for the smallest buck. You won’t be sorry. Always bargain at the last minute — these shops can’t stay open past New Years Eve, so whatever they don’t sell is useless. If you find yourself shopping for fireworks on New Years Eve, don’t even consider paying the sticker price.

MAN SCHOOL DRIVING ON

ICE

Don’t be that guy that runs into a pole and blocks up the entirety of Overdowns Drive as hundreds of Makrsman try to leave school to enjoy their well-deserved ice day.

Driving on ice is dangerous, tricky and the antagonist of a new driver. Ideally, you’ll stay off the roads, but if you have to go out, follow these tips.

1 STAY CALM

Winter

WONDERLAND

Male Call editor Philip Montgomery goes into the best tools to get yourself, or any other significant man in your life, this Christmas. Nothing says “I love you, bro” like a tool, and we have the best, cheapest and most trustworthy tools to finish any man-ventures you might embark on in the coming year.

Milwaukee 12 volt jigsaw

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et’s face the facts here: saws are fun. You can’t not love the feel of cutting wood in half. It tickles me every time. And, while they might not come in handy very often, when you need to cut a piece of plywood, nothing’s more tedious than running to the store and buying a saw (or, god forbid, getting Home Depot to cut it for you). This saw is small, but it packs a punch. For $177, it will rip through plywood like you would not believe. It’s pretty neat.

Bosch hammer drill

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very man needs a drill. It comes in handy anywhere from fixing things around the house to a variety of man projects. It doesn’t need to be big, flashy or expensive, just dependable. The drill should embody the man it serves. Bosch’s newest drill is light, powerful, durable and inexpensive. It can fit in any cabinet for easy storage and will always be there when you need it. ($169)

Dremel tool

T

he Dremel tool is the ultimate all purpose tool. You can literally do almost anything with it.

Smooth things down, cut through plastic and even slice metal. It handles all the weird problems you run into during house repair or other projects.

It recharges in an hour, and for $95, it’s the cheapest thing on this list.

Toro lawn mower

A

quick perusal of your local landscaping trucks will reveal that almost all of these companies use Toro lawn mowers. They’re fast and reliable, with weight being the only main issue.

However, since you probably won’t need to pick it up in the trip from the tool shed to the yard, it’s the perfect fit as a household mower. Also, real men mow their lawn. This mower costs $250. If you pay a landscaping company $25 a week to mow your lawn for you (a standard price for a medium lawn), you’ll make your money back in two and a half months.

STORY PHILIP MONTGOMERY | ILLUSTRATIONS ABHI THUMMALA | PHOTOS MATTHEW CONLEY, USED WITH PERMISSION CREATIVE COMMONS

Panicking will really mess you up here. Just keep your cool like a true man should. Also, steer in the direction you want yourS front wheels to go — it’s pretty straight forward. Steer left to go left. Right to go right. Don’t ever fight the car. It will only makes things more chaotic.

2 USE LOW GEARS A low gear on your car increases traction and gives your tires better grip on the road. It mitigates your speed and acceleration capabilities, but during an ice storm it can be crucial to having a safe drive home. Doing this coupled with low speeds and steady steering will prevent your car from sliding and give you more time to react in dangerous situations.

3 DON’T SLAM THE BRAKES The common instant reaction to any sudden danger on the road is to slam on the brakes. It is the worst possible thing you can do during an ice storm. Your tires will lock, and you’ll skid without any control of your car. Try to maintain low speed and pump the brakes so that you don’t start sliding in the first place.

4 AVOID OVERPASSES The most dangerous thing about driving in icy conditions is the bridges. Not only do they freeze over much quicker than normal roads because the earth can’t insulate them, but sliding off icy bridges is one of the leading causes of car-related deaths in the U.S. Sometimes you have to drive in bad conditions, but you can almost always avoid bridges even if it means going a couple minutes out of your way.

Driving on ice by Philip Montgomery

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, DEC. 12, 2014 | PAGE 10

PASSING IT ON

MASON SMITH PHOTO

The newly-formed Random Acts of Kindness Club has already impacted the Lower School with outstanding lessons and valuable gifts. Page 17

MCDONALD’S WEEK CHARITY

LIFE

Page 13

HANGIN’ OUT with Stuart Montgomery Senior Stuart Montgomery ­­­is known for his enthusiam, friendly disposition and overall hilarity. Life Editor Avery Powell caught up with him to ask him about his interests outside of the classroom.

TO H PHO N S M IT MASO

“Nick began by working really hard at it and over the years, he’s got it down to where it just flows.”

— Band Director Timothy Hicks

Upcoming THINGS TO DO IN THE WEEKS AHEAD

the Inbox LIFE AROUND CAMPUS

Today

Weekend

Next week

> Krispy Kreme Donuts

> Mexico 2000 Ballet Folk-

> Northpark Mall will be

> Reunion Tower will host

> Breitling Youth Theatre will

at 5118 Greenville Ave is hosting a Christmas Lights, Chocolate and Sips tour tonight on a private bus from 6:30 to 10 p.m. The tour will visit Nib Chocolate, Dude, Sweet Chocolate and the Village Baking Company.

> The Rankin Brothers’

Classic Christmas Show, a musical covering 40 years of classic modern christmas songs, is performing tonight at 8 p.m. at the Patty Greenville Arts Center in Garland.

lorico will be performing, “Christmas in Mexico”, a ballet demonstrating the traditional Pastorela-Dance Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Patty Greenville Arts Center in Garland. its “Holidays at GeO-Deck” celebration both Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring Santa and a special holiday fare at the Cloud Nine Café also found in the building.

How do you spend your free time?

I spend a lot of time alone, actually, just moisturizing and cooking for myself and talking I guess. I spend a lot of time on my skin, mostly because I swim and I’m being bathed in horrible chemicals for two hours a day. So normally when I’m not sleeping, eating or going to class, I’m trying to keep my skin from dissolving in the acid I soak it in on the daily.

holding a Menorah lighting hosted by Rabbi Mendel Dubrawsky on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free and complimentary refreshments will be served following the lighting.

perform the play “Miracle on 34th Street” Friday at the Plaza Theatre in Garland at 7 p.m. Tickets cost between $6 and $10 and proceeds will go towards funding the non-profit children’s theater.

6

The number of members in the bluegrass string band Sally’s Fiddle Boys

What are your favorite TV shows?

Bob’s Burger’s, American Horror Story and How to Get Away With Murder. I love American Horror Story, but I feel like it has the worst audience. It’s so campy and annoying, but I just have to watch it. I just have to see it. Last season, someone took out someone else’s eyes with a melon baller. What else could you want?

ALDEN JAMES

Do you have any nicknames?

Well I have my improv nickname from last year, and that was Ooey Gooey. My mom also calls me Stubaker, which is an old brand of car — or so I’m led to believe — and she calls me Little Big. Why do you like improv?

I really like to make people laugh. But also, I guess I’ve always liked attention. When I was little I made the decision to try to be funny so people would pay attention to me.

FIDDLE BOYS Leading the band, senior Walter Johnson plays the fiddle at the St. Mark’s Coffeehouse Dec. 6 for the local bluegrass band, Sally’s Fiddle Boys. The band plays classics like “Wagon Wheel” and “The Weight” at several prominent venues around Dallas.

ACTION RTISTS in

SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON ONE OF ST. MARK’S FINE ARTS STUDENTS

CO UR TE SY CR EA

TIV E CO MM ON S

THE ARTIST

What’s your favorite movie?

I always put Spirited Away on my college apps, but it’s slightly above average at best.

I guess I’ve seen it too many times.

You’re on an island for five years, and you already have all the essentials, what do you bring?

My laptop, an infinite supply of gumbo and all of Aditya Inaganti’s Snapchat stories for my entertainment. That would be the life.

With McDonald’s Week over, photographer Mason Smith depicts its best moments and traditions in a photo story.

Page 16

MASON SMITH PHOTO

THE MAN BEHIND THE HORN

James Zhang

THE ART

Oil painting

WHAT

Landscapes depicting nature and still life.

HIS WORDS “I think most people forget that the most important thing when it comes to art is not talent or inspiration, it’s practice, practice, practice. I’m only able to do what I do after thousands of hours of deliberate practice.”

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ive Upper School Choir members will participate in the 2015 Texas Private School Music Educators Association All-State Choir Jan. 29-31.

The five choristers — Weston Blair, Corday Cruz, Jack Dayton, Raymond Guo and Leighton Okada — were selected from a group of students around the state based on their submissions, which were scored by five judges.

The five finalists initially auditioned for the regional choir but underwent a second judging process for the All-State choir after advancing through the first round.

Members of the choir will perform the two audition pieces as well as additional material at the All-State concert Jan 31.

...

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he annual gift drive began Dec. 1. The drive will go until Dec. 19, the last day before Christmas break.

The goal for the annual gift drive is to get the same number of gifts as the year number.

For this year, the goal is to get 2015 gifts, and last year’s record breaking number of gifts is the goal for this year.

Jorge Correa, director of community service, hopes to see everyone get involved, and believes the key to meeting the goal is for community involvement.

“The main thing that needs to happen is people getting involved. People becoming ambassadors of the gift drive and representing what we mean to other people,” Correa said.

...

S

even Marksmen have been recognized as winners by the National YoungArts Foundation in the nationwide competition that celebrates the various media of art. These winners were among 786 out of 11,000 total applications.

Seniors Conner Olson (woodworking) and Ben Naftalis (woodworking) are finalists and will attend the six-day long conference in Miami March 10-15.

Harrison Lin ‘14 (design arts), seniors Mason Smith (photography), Adam Merchant (photography), Matthew Meadows (woodworking) and junior Zac Houillion (ceramics) all received Merit Awards. The YoungArts Foundation also nominates students for the U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts awards, which are the highest possible art awards for high school students.

“I've been involved in the Industrial Arts program since I came to St. Mark's in sixth grade,” Olson said, “YoungArts has been a kind of dream for me, so to be selected as a finalist and recognized for the work I've been doing over the last few years is like a dream come true.” ­ Inbox stories by Aiden — Blinn, Crawford McCrary and Abhi Thummala

After years of training and study, Glenn Stroh now plays the school’s worldclass organ, which will be dedicated by renowned organist Dr. David Heller Jan. 11.

I

t felt like being hit by a bus.

The massive Fisk organ at Oberlin University loomed over Organist and Assistant Choirmaster Glenn Stroh as he learned of his friend and colleague’s death.

She died instantly in a car wreck. No chance to say goodbye.

Despite this swirling blend of emotions, Stroh still needed to put on a recital to meet his graduation requirements.

But instead of letting his emotions cripple his music, Stroh played with a purpose he’d never felt before.

In the range of the concert, sorrow, anger, calmness and joy flowed through Stroh and out the organ. Memories of the good times mixed with the pain of present.

Everything was clicking, and to Stroh it seemed like he was “in a state of nirvana.”

Stroh’s exceptional playing led him across the Atlantic to Germany with a Fulbright Scholarship and introduced him to teachers like Dr. David Heller, chair of the music department at Trinity College and the recitalist for the school’s organ dedication January 11, 2015.

Glenn Stroh Organist and Assistant Chorirmaster

“He’s a really great musician,” Stroh said. “I studied with him at Trinity. One of the big concerts that I gave in Germany, David Heller came to visit for that concert. That’s the type of teacher he is. He came over to Europe and supported me.”

Stroh started playing organ in seventh grade, taking up the instrument at a local church.

“I grew up in a small town in central Texas,” Stroh said. “It’s called Marion, population 984. And basically, in a little church there was an old lady who had carpel tunnel syndrome. She had to stop playing, and they needed someone.”

He knew how to play piano, but the organ was

an entirely new instrument and new challenge.

“So I faked my way through it for a while until I was like, ‘Wow, I can make a pretty big noise with this,’” Stroh said. “It’s nothing like a piano. I reached out to some people and had organ lessons and got started that way. I really had no idea what I was doing. I still have no idea what I’m doing.”

Despite the difficulties of learning a new instrument, Stroh developed into a talented artist.

“A lot of people play guitar and a lot of people play piano,” Stroh said, “but the organ was this unique thing that was always interesting, even if it wasn’t really a career to me.”

But Stroh eventually progressed from playing at a local church to playing at universities, including Trinity College in San Antonio and Oberlin University in Ohio.

“I started out by going to San Antonio, which was the closest major city to where I was and playing in the university and churches around there,” Stroh said. “I went to undergraduate school there and that transformed into an opportunity in Vienna. From that to Oberlin. That’s where I really started to explode.”

Oberlin University has the oldest continuously operating conservatory for music in the world.

“I found myself with people that were incredibly talented and focused,” Stroh said. “Not to say, there are bright people at Trinity too, but [at Oberlin] it’s just ultra competitive and music is everyone’s focus.”

After his time at Oberlin, Stroh traveled to Germany to study music, giving him an opportunity to play organs over a century old.

“It was really cool to be interacting with that and making music through those instruments,” Stroh said. “It’s not just a piece of furniture that’s a few centuries old, you’re hearing what it sounded like when Bach was sitting down and writing music.”

Now Stroh has an opportunity to play on another great organ, the new, $1.6 million Létourneau organ in the chapel.

“For most of the history of the school,” Stroh said, “there’s been talk about the dream of having something more substantial for the choir and the chapel that really can support the music that they want to do.”

Organ consultant David Heller worked extensively with former Eugene McDermott Headmaster Arnie Holtberg, Eugene McDermott Headmaster David Dini and Stroh to find the perfect organ for the chapel.

“It had to be an instrument that could accompany a choir,” Heller said. “It had to accompany choral voices and a wide variety of voices. It needed to support hymn singing, and it had to be able to play some of the repertoire. But the primary need was a choral accompaniment.”

Dr. David Heller Consultant and dedication recitalist for the new organ

Heller, who has played around the world in places like France, England and South Korea, will be the recitalist for the dedication in January.

“Organ building isn’t simply just putting things together,” Heller said. “It really is a work of art in the way that it is architecturally designed.”

During the dedication, Heller will play the organ and talk about the various pieces of the instrument as well as all of those who worked on the organ.

“Without the donors, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation,” Stroh said. “[The dedication] is a way of saying thank you for that and celebrating all of that time that went into the organ.”

Donors, board members and faculty members from both past generations and today all contributed to the completion of this massive project.

“It’s humbling to work here and it’s challenging in a good way,” Stroh said. “It’s just a tremendous community to be a part of. I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be than here.”

MASTERPIECE With thousands of pieces, the organ’s visible portion only reveals a fraction of the actual number of pipes. Crafted in Canada but assembled in the chapel, the many hours of work will be commemorated in the organ dedication Jan. 11.

STORY WILL CLARK | ADDITIONAL REPORTING SHOURYA KUMAR | PHOTOS COURTESY OF SHAILEN PARMAR AND GEORGE DAU, ARNO GOETZ, DAVID HELLER

LIFE

THE REMARKER DECEMBER 12, 2014 PAGE 11 12 DAVID HUDGINS 13 NICK BUCKENHAM 16 MCDONALD’S WEEK 17 RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS

N THE REMARKER LIFE DECEMBER 12, 2014 PAGE 12 DAVID HUDGINS

After a deathbed conversation with his beloved sister, David Hudgins ‘83 ran away to the Tennessee hills to rededicate himself to doing what he loves — writing.

Faith Presbyterian Hospice

T

ending to his sister through her chemotherapy at the obstetric ward of Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York, David Hudgins ’83 grappled with his dissatisfaction with his life in Dallas.

Sure, he had a wife and two kids, whom he treasured. Sure he was on the partner track at a law firm. And sure, he had a great life in his hometown. But he wasn’t doing what he loved, and because of that, he was unhappy.

Then, in a moment of wisdom that comes only when someone faces the transient nature of her life, Hudgins’s empathetic and caring big sister delivered the message he needed to hear the most.

Shut up, quit your whining, and do something about it.

Hudgins’s sister Dr. Catherine Tuck died of breast cancer as a young adult. A Hockaday graduate, she received a bachelor’s degree from Princeton and went on to practice endocrinology and teach at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, acting as an idol for her younger brother.

As Hudgins puts it, when she was receiving her cancer treatment, she was surrounded by her students and co-workers.

“She was just one of the smartest people I ever knew,” Hudgins said, “and she was also kind and empathetic and giving and it was just a tragedy when she got sick.

Those words she said to me that day inspired me to take risks and change my life, and I’m glad I did because I love my job and am very happy with what I’m doing now. It was experience and wisdom and foresight that sort of paved way to make the change.”

Having graduated from St. Mark’s, Duke and SMU Law School and having worked for Al Gore for two years in Washington, Hudgins

“I was especially glad to do it because my sister went through hospice near the end of her life and the foundation was about hospice care and I do believe in the power of hospice and thats one of the reasons that I went back for that event.” — David Hudgins

On Oct. 31, Hudgins spoke at this year’s annual fundraising luncheon for Presbyterian Services & Communities and the Faith Presbyterian Hospice Fund, which hosted 1,000 people and raised more than $500,000 to enable the construction of a new hospice facility.

David Hudgins presenting to the Each Moment Matters Luncheon in the Hilton Anatole.

had a good job as an attorney here in Dallas. But if Hudgins’s experience at St. Mark’s and in college taught him anything, a law firm was not where he wanted to be.

“She asked me what I wanted to do and I wanted to write, make movies, and television, and she said well go do it,” Hudgins said. “I’m the perfect example that life is short, so what are you waiting for? She inspired me and I basically quit my job, moved with my wife and two kids to Tennessee and started writing.”

Hudgins also found inspiration from his former neighbors and classmates, the Wilson brothers, in their first feature film Bottle Rocket.

“I remembered the day that Bottle Rocket came out,” Hudgins said. “I knew they were making Bottle Rocket and I remember leaving work at lunch and going to see it at the Glenlakes theater off of Central. I watched it and I was so blown away and impressed that they had just done it, they had just decided that ‘we’re gonna do it,’ and they did it.” hile isolated in the Cumberland Mountains between Nashville and Chattanooga, Hudgins rededicated his life to what he loved most.

“Going to the hills allowed us to kind of disconnect, it allowed us to spend a lot of time together as a family,” Hudgins said. “Up there it was a much more isolated, remote sort of lifestyle. More than anything it forced me to write because there was nothing else to do in the middle of the mountains but to just get your butt in the chair and write. It was very formative in that way we also made some great friendships with some great professors at Sewanee and it was just it was a very I think it was a great way station along the way.”

Knowing that to really dive in to

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the screen writing business, Hudgins moved his family to Los Angeles after two years in the hills.

“I finally sold [a screenplay] to LeVar Burton of all people who had a production company, so I took that as a good sign, and moved out to LA,” Hudgins said. “I spent about a year and a half out here trying to break into the business, moving around town, meeting people, showing them my scripts and writing, and I finally got an agent and a meeting on a show called Everwood, on the WB, and I got that job and worked my way up since then, and I’ve been doing this now almost 12 years.”

After a successful career as a writer and producer on the hit drama series Friday Night Lights, Hudgins now serves as an Executive Producer on NBC’s series Parenthood. He has not, however, forgotten the impact that his school has had on his adult life.

“St. Mark’s does a good job of producing people that have success in the industry. In my particular case it’s all because of Rod Blaydes,” Hudgins said. “I was in all of the productions and he really inspired me on the creative arts side. I think [St. Mark’s] had a huge influence on me for several reasons. St. Mark’s has always had a very strong creative arts curriculum and I just loved it I sort of tried everything.”

His time at 10600 Preston Road also inspired Hudgins to give back to the community.

“When I was in school the ‘Canpaign’ was a big deal,” Hudgins said. “Every December the entire school would knock door to door and collect canned goods and I remember it being such a big deal. In fact, I was the campaign chairman my senior year because I thought it was such a great thing so I think the seed was planted there for giving

back its also that you have to do service at St. Mark’s. I feel like there is a responsibility that everyone has to give back.”

Now, over thirty years later, Hudgins finds himself inspired by the giving and caring spirit of his late sister.

“Grief is a very funny thing,” Hudgins said. “Grief comes and goes in waves. My sister was a healer and such a helper and she would tell me it would upset her when patients would come to the hospital and she would treat them and order a test David Hudgins ‘83 Founder of the Dr. Catherine Tuck Foundation

but they wouldn’t get the test because they couldn’t afford it. It broke hear heart.”

In memory of his sister, Hudgins founded the Dr. Catherine Tuck Foundation, which provides financial assistance to breast cancer patients who need it the most.

“Her belief was that medicine is about cure and about care,” Hudgins said. “It’s about taking care of the patient. So we took that to heart. The motto of our foundation is ‘Care, not cure.’”

Hudgins’s foundation gives money to women to pay for financial needs they have while battling a cancer diagnosis.

“There are plenty of people out there raising money for the cure,”Hudgins said, “the Susan G. Komen’s of the world, God bless them, but what we’re doing is taking care of the immediate financial needs of these women. We get applications and letters and the stories will break your heart and we want these women to concentrate on getting better.

STORY DAVIS MARSH | ADDITIONAL REPORTING JOHN CRAWFORD | ILLUSTRATION ABHI THUMMALA | PHOTOS COURTESY OF PRESBYTERIAN HOSPICE

December performances calendar When

Orchestra Concert

Piano Recitals

Lessons and Carols

Dec. 12 at 7 p.m.

Dec. 14 at 2 p.m.

Dec. 16 at 7 p.m.

Chapel

Where

Decherd Performance Hall

Decherd Performance Hall

What

Performances by Middle School followed

by Upper School Orchestra students.

Solos, duets and holiday carols from piano students in all 12 grades.

An Anglican Christmas celebration of a musical and scriptural telling of the Nativity story.

Who

Orchestra students conducted by Dr. David Fray.

Students of Angela Hendricks and Sandy Hall.

Choir, Chapel Committee and Rev. Douglas Carter

— Information compiled by Davis Marsh

THE REMARKER LIFE DECEMBER 12, 2014 PAGE 13 L NICK BUCKENHAM

I

o h n p o es x Sa our concert,” Hicks said. “He saved the thing when it needed saving. It shows what kind of a musician and person he is, to have the gumption to do that. And to do it in front of a crowd, that’s pretty amazing.”

It is this gumption and skill that have led Buckenham to compile an impressive track record.

He has made the TPSMEA (Texas Private School Music Educators Association) All-State Band four years in a row. He clinched first chair position in the TMEA (Texas Music Educators Association) second band. He was the lead tenor saxophone for the ATSSB (Association of Texas Small School Bands) All-Region and All-State bands.

Although all of the bands are competitive, TMEA is the most challenging to make, according to Buckenham.

“The order is TPSMEA as the easiest, then ATSSB and then TMEA as the hardest,” Buckenham said. “[For TMEA] Booker T. is in our division. They are just in the warmup room playing these mad scales up and down so fast. They all try to intimidate each other.” or some of the bands, the auditions are recordings, but for other bands, the auditions are live.

“For the [TMEA] audition, there are like 20 kids in the room that are really good, and you have to play the songs in front of all of them,” Buckenham said. “The judges are also in the room, but they are behind a panel and then, all the other kids are watching you. It is so scary.”

The TMEA All-Region band concert played Dec. 6 at Waxahachie High School.

Buckenham, now one of the school’s best saxophone players, has deep roots in music from a very early age. The skills he learned there assisted him in developing at a faster speed than his peers.

“Kids progress at different rates

F

and it depends on a lot of factors,” Hicks said, “Nick began by working really hard at it and over the years, he’s got it down to where it just flows. You don’t hear him working through things, trying to find the right note.”

Noting key techniques from other musicians is another important skill Buckenham wields masterfully.

“He listens to a lot of other tenor saxophone players like Sunny Rollins and John Coltrane,” Hicks said. “That’s the biggest thing about playing jazz, listening to other people. You can pick and choose parts of other’s sounds and incorporate them into your sound.

His improvisation is much more developed and mature.”

However, not all of Buckenham’s concerts have “brought the house down.”

“I remember once in Middle School, after everyone had stopped playing in the concert, I played [some extra notes] on the saxophone and Mr. Hicks just got so mad,” Buckenham said. “ I had to see him after class and I got so scared that he was going to attack me or something. Nothing really came out of it, but this was when I realized that playing with music could be really fun.”

Hicks believes Buckenham’s versatility and passion for jazz will keep his musical career rolling.

“He enjoys playing all different stuff with all different kinds of people,” Hicks said. “He has got his sound, and when you start with somebody that has that good a saxophone sound, that’s always going to be in demand.”

ss

t’s April Fool’s day.

Senior Nick Buckenham has been training for the 2014 ISAS Arts Festival, just two days from now. And he’s the lead saxophone player.

But there’s something different this morning. He has two broken fingers.

Band Director Timothy Hicks thinks Buckenham was playing a practical joke. So he sends an email to Buckenham’s mom, Carolyn Buckenham.

“I thought I would get a reply like ‘What? What are you talking about?’”, Hicks said. “She said, ‘We are taking him to a hand specialist this afternoon.’ At this point, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, what am I going to do?’”

Hicks had designed the band’s performance around Buckenham’s saxophone prowess and now that his playing hand was hurt, Hicks would have to find another plan.

Quick.

So Hicks bought a melodica, a harmonica-like instrument with a keyboard along the right side.

Buckenham would play it with his unharmed right hand.

“So I called him and said, ‘What are the chances of you being able to play one of these?’” Hicks said. “He responded, ‘Sure, I’ll give it a try.’”

Buckenham had only two days to learn an entirely new instrument.

Not only was its shape radically different than the tenor saxophone, but so were its notes.

“He just sat down and started playing it,” Hicks said. “He is playing different notes than actually what he is seeing on his music. He had to do the math in his head, and he was doing it as soon as he opened the box.”

Not only did Buckenham play this brand-new instrument, he played it superbly. He was featured in the official video for the event and had a mini-documentary filmed about his performance.

“He brought the house down at

u c ce

Nick Buckenham, a senior member of the Jazz Band, has compiled a an impressive streak of auditions and performances.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES During his time in the Upper School, Buckenham has made the TMEA, ATSSB and the TPSMEA bands.

STORY GOPAL RAMAN | PHOTO MASON SMITH

Marksmen flaunt beards to raise awareness for testicular cancer Organized by the Student Council, No Shave November campaign raises more than $2,000

Junior Tim O’Meara

Senior Tim Simenc

What celebrity would you say you most resemble with your facial hair?

If you could model anyone’s facial hair, whose would it be?

Hmm can’t think of any semi-ginger Irish celebrities so…

Khal Drogo from Game of Thrones.

What are some things people have told you about your beard?

Early on I got asked if I was really tired a lot because it was just long enough to pass off as five o’ clock shadow. Many people were also surprised that it was not redder. It’s more of like a blackish orange.

How do your parents feel about it?

My parents don’t like it that much.

They’re like ‘you don’t look that good.’ Whenever there are college visits or something they’re like ‘you need to make a good impression’ and I’m like ‘no.’

If you could model anyone’s facial hair, whose would it be?

Have you ever gotten anything stuck in your beard?

Seneca Crane, that guy with the really cool facial hair in The Hunger Games.

Mostly hair. Whenever I pet my cat he’ll rub up against me and I’ll get cat hair stuck. Sometimes it’s dog hair or even my girlfriend’s hair.

INTERVIEWS DANIEL COPE | PHOTOS MASON SMITH AND ALDEN JAMES

Physics Instructor Stephen Balog If you could model anyone’s facial hair, whose would it be?

Well, that was why during the third week in, I decided to do the Burnside. I thought it would look really cool.

How does your family feel about it?

They were okay with it. They were supportive, but after the month was over, my wife was like, “Shave!”

So I had to shave it all off.

Have you ever gotten anything stuck in your beard?

Not in this one, but in one of my previous ones, I got gravy stuck in it from when we went out to eat. That was kind of gross to take it out.

P THE REMARKER PERSPECTIVES DECEMBER 14, 2014 PAGE 14-15

FORGED FROM THE S Building another nationally recognized science facility isn’t going to be easy, but that’s the task in front of Board of Trustees members, the development team and science faculty, following a $10 million gift from The Winn Family Foundation.

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teve Winn ’64 had heard of a need to modernize the planetarium, a need spurred on by the facility’s aging technology and insufficient resources.

Winn, a former Board of Trustees member and longtime partner of the school, was intrigued.

Only one problem — he wanted to think bigger.

‘We want to be a part of the whole maker revolution, especially because instrumentation is getting to the point where it is inexpensive enough to use it in schools.

There’s a lot more that we can do, and we’re going to do it.’

— Stephen M. Seay ’68 Science Department Chair Fletcher Carron

Now, The Winn Family Foundation’s $10 million gift announced Oct. 28 toward the construction of a new science facility marks the official start of a lengthy process aimed at modernizing the oldest building on campus and enriching the school’s science curriculum.

As he announced the gift to an assembled faculty audience, Winn challenged all to look toward the future and continue striving for excellence.

“I’ve seen what you are capable of in the past 50 years,” he said. “Now, it’s time to think about the next 50 years and the 5,000 young dreamers who will delight us by graduating from this institution and change our future forever.”

‘Recapturing the western façade’ The observatory dome is an iconic image that, since its completion in 1961, has broadcast to the surrounding neighborhood and beyond that serious science is done at 10600 Preston Road. However, the science quadrangle wasn’t designed with any regard toward how it looks from the road, a problem administrators hope to address throughout the planning process for the new building.

“It’s a prominent site,” campus master planner Jeff Blanchard of the Blanchard Group said. “Everybody sees it as sort of in a back corner, but it’s very visible from Preston Road and very visible from the entrance to the campus.”

Blanchard, who has worked with the school since 2003 leading ventures such as the design and construction of Centennial Hall and the Hoffman Center, believes the site has significant potential that can be readily incorporated into the campus vision.

“St. Mark’s is a neat campus of courtyards and buildings that are roughly the same in architectural character, so when you do something special like the chapel tower or observatory, they pop out and animate the campus and say more about the institution,” he added.

Stephen M. Seay ’68 Science Department Chair Fletcher Carron hopes the facility will increase community involvement in the sciences as well.

“That is part of the mission of the current planetarium,” he said. “We do shows given to Boy Scout and Girl Scout groups, to schools who call us up and are interested. But with a new facility and the excitement around it, we could have a bigger footprint on that and we’d like to invite the community to join us.

One of the phrases we have is ‘making science more visible.’”

And to achieve that goal, the building must be as stylistic as it is functional.

“I think that the building will be iconic,” Director of Finance and Administration Suzanne Townsend said. “I think it will extrovert the science that is going on in the walls.”

In the early stages Despite the recent announcement, however, the path to a new science facility is still long and time-consuming.

“The Winn gift is a catalyst gift,” Director of Development Jim Bob Womack ’98 said. “We know we’ll need other support from donors interested in pushing this forward. There is no goal number yet.

The Winn family is the first piece but a very, very important piece of this project.”

While the Development Office continues to raise support for the project through contacts with school families and alumni, Townsend and the business office will coordinate with the Board of Trustees and

architects in selecting and staffing the project team, the nuts-and-bolts group that deals with the daily issues.

“What we had last time [for Centennial and Hoffman] — and I assume we will be doing again — is a committee we called the architecture and construction committee,” Townsend said. “That’s typically current trustees and maybe some previous people and they go through the process of deciding ‘How many architects are we going to interview?’, ‘How many requests for proposals are we going to send out?’ They interview the finalists, really make the selection of who the school will go with and make the decision of whether we will go out to bid or not for contractors.”

In addition, the committee will have to draft a new plan development document for the city, a process that will ultimately include presenting to the planning and zoning committee and conducting a public meeting for interested community members. With the architect selection process anticipated to begin in early February, the school is still years away from a transformed campus.

“I would anticipate that within a couple of years we’d be ready to begin construction,” Townsend said. “Once we do construction, that typically will start when school’s out immediately and will go through the next school year and summer and we’ll occupy [the building] that fall.”

However, although students were able to occupy Davis Hall during the construction of Centennial Hall and the Hoffman Center, classes will likely be forced into temporary buildings this time, while demolition progresses in the current science building.

“We may have a little more discomfort this time because of that, but I could see the [Class of 2018] as seniors potentially being in that building,” Townsend said.

A building for the next 50 years Through goals ranging from modernizing lab spaces to the inclusion of dedicated biotechnology and engineering labs, Carron hopes to see a building that meets not only today’s needs but also future challenges. “[Blanchard] has led us through conversations to think through what we need in a building and how that matches with our vision today and what science will be like 25 years from now,” Carron said. “We need to take into consideration where it’s going, not just what we need right now.”

And throughout these conversations, one prominent thread has popped up — engineering.

“It’s not a great fit for every class, but we will try to find ways to include everywhere it fits and more opportunities outside the normal curriculum,” Carron said. “We’ll have the facilities to support that.

Engineering should be more than the ten members of the Robotics Team because it’s the application of all the learning students are doing here.”

Among his many ideas, Carron hopes to create a memorable engineering experience for junior physics students by implementing an inter-class robotics competition.

“I envision in physics having an internal robotics competition where we design our own competition, or maybe the robotics team does, and then that would be an experience that every physics student would go through,” he said. “And if not, it would be.

of something similar that would give students experience into several different branches of engineering: mechanical, some electrical, some experiences with programming.”

To further explore the possibilities of the new building, members of the Board of Trustees, the Winn family, the development team and the science faculty visited St. Paul’s School, Deerfield Academy and Phillips Exeter Academy, all leading institutions that have constructed new science facilities since 2000.

“We want to see what’s happening out there in high school science,” Blanchard said. “We found places we

felt were peer in cation. We feel make sure we w research in pla Througho goal at 10600 P he had seen – a science educat “I think ou than the newes mean by that is might be intere

STORY VIKRAM PATTABI | ILLUSTRATIONS ZUYVA

STARS

In the beginning For 53 years, the McDermott-Green Science and Mathematics Quadrangle has met the needs of generations of Marksmen. Here’s how it started.

W

ith President John F. Kennedy’s rousing 1961 challenge to the nation of “landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth” still fresh in the community’s ears, the Dallas Morning News proclaimed “Space Age Entered by St. Mark’s” upon the opening of the McDermott-Green Science Quadrangle in the fall of the same year.

The building, now the oldest one on campus, earned 10600 Preston Road recognition from TIME Magazine as the bestequipped day school in the country because of its specialized facilities including the planetarium, observatory and greenhouse in addition to the plentiful lab space. Officially named a science and mathematics quadrangle at the behest of donors Cecil Green and Eugene McDermott, the facility was long used by the Mathematics Department which worked closely with science classes at the time.

“Due to the generosity of the Greens and McDermotts, the school will have a mathematics and science facility second to none,” former headmaster Tom Hartmann promised the Board of Trustees when the project was announced in the late 1950s according to St. Mark’s: The First 100 Years.

A 1961 pamphlet distributed throughout the school community to advertise the new building specifically highlighted the inclusion of technology liked closed circuit TVs, individual lab benches equipped with gas and air nozzles and the center pool and ecological garden which provided areas for plants and microorganisms to grow for study.

Although such technology is now significantly dated, the building’s promise, a promise to look toward the future that administrators again aspire to meet with the construction of the new facility, remains strong.

“St. Mark’s continues its concept of education, education for an era that is just beginning to exist,” Hartmann concluded at the end of his letter to the campus in the pamphlet’s opening page. “St. Mark’s graduates will carry with them basic scientific knowledge needed to cope with the new dimensions of this rapidly changing world.”

THROUGH THE PAST The 1961 brochure advertising the new building laid out the path for campus tours to which local community members were invited; the tours showcased features like the pond and garden (left) and access to the lower school (bottom) in addition to highlighting the greenhouse, planetarium, observatory and university-style lecture hall.

A WHIRLWIND TOUR Development team members, science faculty, members of the Winn family and Jeff Blanchard toured Phillips Exeter Academy, St. Paul’s School and Deerfield Academy, taking over 100 photos and hoping to leave with an understanding of what a modern science facility entails. Stephen M. Seay ’68 Science Department Chair Fletcher Carron noted the fully equipped, spacious lab areas of Phillips Exeter (top left), the interactive exhibits and displays at St. Paul’s School (top right) and the open, collaborative classrooms and work spaces at Deerfield (left).

nstitutions and leaders in science eduwe’re part of that group so we wanted to were doing thorough anning for our building.” out the trip, Blanchard noticed a unique Preston Road missing in the buildings a significant emphasis on a “wide lens” in tion. ur lens is broader than their lens, even st building at St. Paul’s,” he said. “What I s there’s no science that a student here ested in, botany or geology or some type

of space science or building something cool, that the capability to do that won’t be here.”

However, the trip nonetheless gave science faculty an idea of the potential of a new building, a potential Townsend hopes will match the high level of Marksman scientists.

“You look at what those guys do and what they teach in the spaces they have, and you imagine giving them something state-of-the-art and think of what can happen,” Townsend said. “I think at the end, all these places we’ve been sending people to will be sending people to come visit our spaces.”

SEVILLA | PHOTOS COURTESY FLETCHER CARRON

However, this new announcement actually heralds the second time the science building was modified. A campaign by the school in the late 1980s culminated in the addition of the Physical Science Center, which was dedicated June 1, 1990 and built under the leadership of then-headmaster David Hicks.

By elongating the existing building, the Physical Science Center added lab spaces for AP physics and chemistry classrooms on a new second floor and opened up room for Lower School laboratories in addition to creating the popular science building foyer near the entrance.

WORK IN PROGRESS Photos taken during the construction of the Physical Science Center display (right) the half-finished foyer and staircase to the second floor and (bottom) additional storage space for building infrastructure.

In addition to more lab spaces and classrooms, the new area included a high-tech storage room for chemicals with modern safety measures and ventilation to prevent accidental spills or reactions.

N THE REMARKER LIFE DECEMBER 12, 2014 PAGE 16 MCDONALD’S WEEK

FOODFITFORGODS

MASON SMITH PHOTO STORY

Junior Class presents McOlympus, a Greek Gods-themed McDonald’s Week to raise money for the Austin Street Center.

M

cDonald’s Week is the wonderful time of year that combines four days of fast-food mayhem with the gift of community service for Austin Street Homeless Center.

Every year, the event raises thousands of dollars for the food, clothing and shelter of those in need.

“I think that McDonald’s Week was a great opportunity to come together as a Junior Class and help the community,” McDonald’s Week Co-Chair Kevin Wu said. “Personally, I enjoyed the challenge of leading the project, and I learned about myself and my classmates.”

In the months leading up to the event, co-chairs Drew Taylor and Kevin Wu led the rest of their lass in organizing the annual fundraiser, directing everything from sponsorships to walking Lower-Schoolers to and from campus, ensuring a successful week of burgers, bonding and charity.

— Avery Powell Chemistry Instructor Ken Owens ’89 offering his annual chemistry show

Juniors leading the chariot racing event

‘I thought it was incredible how we were able to get so many guys organized and working on a single project without things falling apart completely. I think we were lucky because so many things that could’ve gone wrong didn’t, especially considering how much work was loaded on to us that week in our classes.’

‘Even though we didn’t win, I think we put up a pretty good fight, and it was fun to participate in a McDonald’s week event.’

HOCKADAY JUNIOR ILANA PERKINS

Junior Bill Dannenmaier, collecting donations

JUNIOR MAHIR KARIM

Ronald McDonald at the PrestonRoyal McDonald’s, entertaining customers

‘It was so great to watch the class bond and work together as a whole. On top of that, we raised a hefty chunk of change which made all the hard work worth it.’

MCDONALD’S WEEK CO-CHAIR DREW TAYLOR

Hockaday Juniors Ilana Perkins and Meg O’Brien, fighting for every inch during tug-of-war

THE REMARKER LIFE DECEMBER 12, 2014 PAGE 17 L RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS CLUB

Passing it on

IN THEIR OWN WORDS Laughter

Why do you like the club?

Kindness

Andy Browne I like being nice to other people even if they don’t give you anything in return, and it also makes you feel better.

Charity

Peter Gum Because it makes the whole community have a happy day.

First graders in the Random Acts of Kindness Club deliver spontaneous gifts, providing invaluable lessons to both the young club members and their unexpecting recipients

What ideas for random acts do you have?

A

flurry of ideas come forth as 13 first SHARING THE LOVE Once a month, the first grade Random Acts of Kindess Club travels the Hank Vig graders in the Random Acts of Kind- halls, brightening their older schoolmates’ days with gifts and uplifting messages.

When they look ness Club, sitting in their neon purple more to get them to selflessly give rather than expect any“One of away, just give plastic seats under their three-foot high desks, mark down thing in return,” Broom said, “and they get it when they see the things them a cookie. punny phrases on their posters containing candies, lip balm, the surprised and unexpected look on the recipient’s face, that we tell and other treats. when the other person sees what [the club] is doing, then they our boys Seriously, no “twix”, we think you’re awesome! understand that its really nothing, it’s just someone giving them is that we You were “mint” to be at St. Mark’s! Thanks for all you do! something out of kindness.” want them Michael Jimenez You’re the balm.com!

When someone Their act of posting “Take what you need” sheets around to write The energy is flowing in the meeting, the members colis away you could campus is based on a movement started by Broom’s sister-in‘pass it on’ lectively creating a mound of ideas to surprise unsuspecting surprise them when law’s niece, who posted similar sheets around the University on some of recipients. they get home with of Texas to provide intangible relief through the tear off sheets. their things,” a cake.

Founded last year after Lower School instructor Teri Broom believes this act has been the club’s best so far, providBroom said, Broom began teaching the first grade, the club has done four ing meaning to both the first graders and the recipients. “so not only random acts so far: creating Halloween decorations for the “It really seemed to be meaningful to the boys when they would they campus, reciting the poem “Monster Friends” to the Middle and were making the posters because they really had to think go and do a random act of kindness but also whoever they Upper School as well as the Development Office, making fliers about what someone might need out in the world on that passed it on would do an act of kindness too.” with attached candy to hand out to random recipients, and day,” Broom said. “We told them about how upper schoolers Broom now wants to have the first graders come up with most recently, making a sheet containing a number of tearable and middle schoolers sometimes have a lot of papers or tests their own ideas for the club, and Carrio believes she is already strips with virtues such as joy, laughter, or hope written on and they could be stressed out and how this could really help seeing a benefit from the club, not from the recipients but rather them, titled simply, “Take what you need.” them.” in a kinder class of first graders.

Fellow first grade instructor Kay Carrio joined the club this Carrio shares the same belief in improving the older stu“Since we started, the boys are nicer to each other in the year, and she believes the main purpose of the club is teaching dents’ days, and she hopes to use more metaphorical projects classroom,” Carrio said. “Just today a boy brought me a note and empathy. in the future. a necklace, and said that this was a random act of kindness, just “I think the idea of the club is to think of others,” Carrio said, “This last act we did, with the tear off poster strips, seemed to say thank you to me.” “to put yourself in their shoes and understand that everybody to have more of a positive effect on the boys than handing out Carrio believes this club is great for first graders as they needs something every now and then. I think it’s just teaching candy,” Carrio said. “So I’m going to keep looking for projects learn how to be kinder, nicer and overall better young Markskindness, teaching people to have positive respect for each that aren’t so much of an object, but more intangible.” men. other.”

The club was founded just as spontaneously as the acts “I think that first graders have a very tender heart to begin Broom believes the mission of the club is to have the club themselves — after Broom stopped sponsoring Word Masters with, and they get so much pleasure from making these little members experience giving without expecting to receive club, and she wanted to create another club to affect both her notes or little projects to give out at St. Mark’s,” Carrio said. anything. students and the people around them. She hopes that whoever “That’s what I like the most about this club — seeing their faces, “I would say that our mission statement for the boys is the club affects will pass the act on to someone else, too. seeing how excited they are about being kind.”

STORY JOHN CRAWFORD | ADDITIONAL REPORTING WILL CLARK | PHOTOS MASON SMITH Ray W. Gilbert, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist (Ret.) Polly S. Gilbert, M.Ed, M.L.S.

Library Consultant/Tutor Yavneh Academy and Good Shepherd Episcopal School of Dallas, 2008-Present Director of Libraries St. Mark’s School of Texas, 1985-2008 Coordinator SMU Summer Talented and Gifted Program, Four summers, 1988-1991 English Teacher, Head Librarian J. J. Pearce High School, 1975-1985 National Championship Academic Decathlon Coach, 1984 and 1985

Private Tutoring and Academic Coaching for Students of all Ages For over 25 years, TLC has provided academic coaching and tutoring for students from Akiba Academy, Bishop Lynch, Christ the King, The Episcopal School of Dallas, Fairhill, Good Shepherd Episcopal, Greenhill, Highland Park Schools, Hockaday, Jesuit, J.J. Pearce High School, and other Richardson Schools, John Paul II, Levine Academy, Parish Episcopal School, Plano Schools, Prince of Peace, Shelton, SMU, St. Mark’s, Trinity Christian Academy, Urusline Academy, UTD, and Yavneh Academy.

Courses and Services • Algebra • Biology • Calculus • Chemistry • Chinese • College Admissions Counseling • College Essay Guidance • Computer Programming • Economics • English • Geometry • German • Government • Hebrew • Grammar • History/Social Studies

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

ISEE, SAT, and ACT Test Preperation Japanese Latin Math Organization Physics Reading Research Paper Strategies Social Skills Spanish Speech Statistics Study Skills Teacher Pleasing Skills Time Management Skills Writing

TLC Faculty:

We have 42 dedicated professionals, including four retired St. Mark’s teachers, who teach with skill and “tender loving care.” They specialize in teaching bright students who have learning differences, ADHD, emotional difficulties, or particular challenges with study skills, organization, or specific subjects. Our teachers also coordinate correspondence courses for credit through the University of Texas and Texas Tech University. They work with students during the day at various schools, and afternoons, evenings, and weekends at the TLC office. The group also offers summer enrichment courses. Call the office for information and available schedules.

Please call 972-680-9279 for more information.

V THE REMARKER VIBE DECEMBER 12, 2014 PAGE 18

THEVIBE

THIS ISSUE MOCKINGJAY HOLIDAY CLASSICS FAVORITE GIFTS HEADLINERS

Reviewing the very best and very worst of it all

THE TOP OF THE LIST

REMARKER

When presented with some of this year’s hottest gift ideas, here’s what Marksmen chose:

Xbox One

12 %

8%

4 holiday songs everyone should have

‘All I Want for Christmas is You’

by Mariah Carey

T

his soulful, chipper love-ballad may only be 21 years old, but it feels like a classic.

Recorded in her prime, Carey’s vocal chops really shine through on this one. Her vocal range combined with the upbeat, catchy melody guarantee that this tune will be stuck in millions of heads this holiday season. There’s a reason it’s been the No. 1 holiday song on iTunes for two years running.

26%

Sports tickets

A vacation

9%

22%

PlayStation 4

iPhone 6/6 Plus

23%

Sweaters

‘Hannukah Song’

by Adam Sandler

A

lthough Adam Sandler’s voice is positively nauseating and the majority of his movies are abominations, this song deserves mention because it’s the first Hanuk-

Survey taken from 100 students Compiled by Jacob Chernick

kah song to enter the public consciousness since “The Dreidel Song,” which is probably thousands of years old.

The lyrics are pretty funny too, with Sandler eventually just listing a bunch of Jews and half-Jews before asserting O.J. Simpson as “not a Jew” to great applause.

As Sandler said, “I wrote this song for all the nice little Jewish kids that don’t get to hear Hanukkah songs.”

‘Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer’

by Elmo & Patsy

T

his ‘70s song is quite possibly the most annoying thing to reach the airwaves before the time of Rebecca Black. Part country, part annoying drunk relative, this repetitive novelty song tells the rather grisly story of a child whose grandmother gets brutally murdered by Santa Claus. So obviously the best course of action was to make a kids movie based off the song, which they did in 2000. Spoiler: it’s also terrible.

’’Zat You, Santa Claus?’

by Louis Armstrong

A

personal favorite, this relatively obscure Louis Armstrong ditty used to creep me out as a kid. For a Christmas song, this jaunty jazz tune is pretty atypical.

Featuring Louis Armstrong’s blaring trumpet and classic raspy voice, the eerie lyrics tell the story of a man who spots a dark, shadowy figure who may or may not be Santa Claus approaching his porch on a cold winter night. This one’s worth a listen. — Jacob Chernick

MOVIES

T

Head iners Concerts Fleetwood Mac

Dec. 14 at 8 p.m.

American Airlines Center

Mockingjay

USED WITH PERMISSION CREATIVE COMMONS

‘Mockingjay’ aims high but misses its target

UP NEXT

he newest installment in the Hunger Games franchise exists only as a lead‑in to the promising finale.

The film concerns itself with the rebellion of the districts of Panem, led by Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) against the villainous Capitol run by President Snow (Donald Sutherland) and the constant threat of action against Katniss and her new allies.

Fans of the book will likely recognize and bond with the new characters and untested allies, but moviegoers (even those who have seen the previous films) will prob‑ ably not understand these new characters.

Because of this disconnect between screen and audience, the emotion often becomes unbalanced, making it easy for the audience to lack empathy.

Unfortunately for the filmmakers, it becomes quite obvious that the audience should care about the lives and potential deaths of said characters.

Without an emotional center provided by these characters, large portions of the film feel disjointed and unnecessary, as Katniss is the only person on screen the audience can care for.

The film does have its merits, however.

Jennifer Lawrence embodies Katniss and gives a solid performance as her character struggles to cope with her new situation.

Having been forced into her new situation with little say in the matter, Katniss attempts to lead a battered but determined force against the Capitol’s sinister forces.

These action scenes, while few, are mostly shot well as the set design creates a dystopian environment in which Katniss and other revolutionaries must fight. Particularly

Movie review

Spoon

Dec. 31 at 8:30 p.m.

House of Blues

G-Eazy

Jan. 30 at 8:30 p.m.

Southside Music Hall

Opened Nov. 21 | Rated PG-13 Stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth

haunting are scenes in her home District 12, now a city of rubble and death. Such imagery drives the audience into a hatred of Presi‑ dent Snow, and this hatred is driven home

by Donald Sutherland’s sinister take on the villain.

Some action scenes lack any sense of realism as Capitol forces struggle to contain poorly-equipped revolutionaries.

Would the endlessly funded Capitol really only have eight guards to control a major station?

Unlikely.

Certain action scenes make the Stormtroopers look like Hawkeye as Capitol soldiers manage to miss rebels from less than twenty feet away with machine guns. These scenes take the audience out of the movie as the realism drops away almost entirely. nd finally, Mockingjay is cursed with the “Part 1” film curse: a stationary feeling.

The same point gets driven in continuously: The Capitol must be destroyed.

This lack of forward motion leads the viewer to question the necessity of two sep‑ arate films, because much of what occurs in Part 1 is ultimately superfluous or redundant.

The film clocks in at 123 minutes but it should have been cut down to about 110.

Certain scenes have no effect on the character development or overall story, and others feel entirely out of place. The film’s generally morose tone is destroyed in odd

A

FILM REVIEW PARKER MCWATTERS

attempts at humor, creating a rift within the film, once again taking the audience out of the screen.

The last 30 or so minutes of the film are the most essential, and assuming the second part is of similar length, the two could have most likely been condensed into one 150 minute movie. Until the release of the Mockingjay — Part 2 next year, however, that decision cannot be readily made.

Overall, Mockingjay — Part 1 contains a moderate amount of thrills that lead to an entertaining movie experience. Unfortunate‑ ly, the film misses in certain key areas, which causes such thrills to ultimately ring false or to be ignored owing to an overwhelming sense of boredom.

And seeing how Catching Fire only set up this film and this film does nothing but set up the final entry, one can easily guess why such boredom so easily consumes the audience. Ultimately, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1 does not manage to amaze or fully interest for its runtime.

Good performances from key actors and actresses and well-shot action elevate the film above complete languor, however, so Mockingjay — Part 1 manages to briefly entertain. It tries to draw out emotions, but Mock‑ ingjay — Part 1 can only give small pieces of excitement in an otherwise boring film.

C+

Albums Nicki Minaj

The Pinkprint Dec. 15

Charlie XCX

Sucker Dec. 16

Pixies

Dolittle 25 Jan. 12

Lupe Fiasco

Testuo & Youth Jan. 20

Movies The Hobbit Part 3

Dec. 17

Into the Woods Dec. 25

Unbroken Dec. 25

The Interview

Dec. 25

COMMENTARY

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, DEC. 12, 2014 | PAGE 19

CAMERON CLARK PHOTO

TALKING HEADS: WHEN IT’S TIME TO GET A TUTOR ALDEN JAMES PHOTO

Student involvement and input for plans for the new science building have been encouraging, and we hope that the faculty involved continue to factor in the opinions of students . Page 20

Thomas B. Walker III ‘73 Mathematics Department Chair Joe Milliet and junior Jalen Lynch debate on when to approach a tutor. Page 21

IMPROVE COMMUNICATIONS REGARDING THE 10:30 PERIOD

Guest speakers (see Target practice), Page 20

We’d like to see more organization during the 10:30 periods, perhaps by having someone send out a weekly email. Page 20

EDITORIAL NO HOMEWORK WEEKENDS

BENDING THE RULES?

By giving students assignments over a no homework weekend, teachers are, in essence, violating the key elements of the school’s honor code — which they expect us to live by

ZUYVA SEVILLA ILLUSTRATION

A

s we approach the end of each trimester, exhausted by the rigorous demands that come with the days leading up to a grading period, we have one thing in particular to look forward to: a no homework weekend.

But instead, when we show up to school Friday, this is what we hear: You guys have homework this weekend. Sorry, 20 minutes. Find the time.

If you didn’t finish the class work, finish it over the weekend.

You don’t have homework for Monday, but you have extra work for Tuesday.

As we all know well, the weekend at the end of each trimester is supposed to be a “no homework weekend,” one of just two weekends all year designated by the school for students to enjoy a break from homework responsibilities. Unfortunately, many faculty members ignore the spirit of the no homework weekend by blatantly assigning homework for the following Monday or by assigning extra work for that Tuesday.

Granted, many teachers do abide by the spirit of the no homework weekends (and we appreciate that greatly), but there were too many examples of teachers bending the rules during this most recent “no homework weekend” Nov. 8-9. Too many faculty members assigned extra work due Tuesday, or, worse yet, ignored the no homework weekend completely and gave us work due on Monday — a complete violation of what administrators have directed.

Yes, this problem may seem trivial considering the many academic advan-

tages offered by the school. Or it may seem insignificant if only about an hour of homework is assigned.

But these weekends mean more to the students than many may think, considering they are well-deserved breaks that are necessary after the busy weeks that fall before the end of each trimester.

The problem is not only the affect that the unnecessary work has on the students. Faculty bending the rules of a no homework weekend compares with students cutting corners on a homework assignment.

Therefore, this rule bending could be considered a breach of the school’s Honor Code. It’s a failure to comply with the code that students and faculty alike sign during advisory at the beginning of each year.

And even if the assignment over the no homework weekend comprises only 20 to 30 minutes of work, it’s something that’s hanging over our heads throughout the weekend — a weekend that is supposed to be completely void of assignments.

In other words, a weekend with any amount of homework assigned is not a “no homework weekend.” Ideally, we would like to leave school on Friday afternoon knowing we have no academic obligations over the weekend.

We understand teachers need to cover the entire curriculum of their class and need a lot of time and effort put in (on their part and ours) to do so, but we believe that giving no homework over

just two weekends throughout the ninemonth school year will not interfere with the class enough to change its course.

And we have support from other faculty members on campus who do abide by the rule and plan to enforce it.

Eugene McDermott Headmaster David Dini believes in the importance of no homework weekends and told The ReMarker he plans to bring up the topic in faculty meetings. We hope that Dini will make a definitive statement that forbids the assigning of homework (or the assigning of extra work due Tuesday) over the no homework weekends.

Head of Upper School Wortie Ferrell also supports the no homework weekends and encourages the faculty to abide by the spirit of the policy.

This bending of the rules can and must be stopped.

We believe finding ways to make students work over no homework weekends, whether it be by giving extra work due Tuesday or just assigning homework for Monday, is cutting corners by the teachers.

Since our school stresses honor, it is imperative that faculty members abide by the spirit of these no homework weekends so that we can live by our motto: courage and honor.

Most of the time, that means critiquing the behavior of students who may be headed in the wrong direction.

But, we feel that many faculty members have fallen short of the expectations of honesty set forth by the school.

People are always tinkering, looking for new creations that can change our perception of the world. We asked around to see what some of our bright minds on campus think someone should invent.

what

comes to

mind?

Someone should invent... ...flying cars (without wings).

Senior Elton McIntosh ...something that can desalinize water efficiently.

Junior Harrison Kampf

...a device that can go to the bathroom for you.

Junior Graham Kirstein

....something that turns the volume down on a TV automatically.

Junior Jake Curreri

...accessible and renewable energy sources.

Senior David Wikman

...very efficient solar cells.

Senior Rohan Pinto

...a cure for cancer.

...a device that gets mid-height, middle-eastern guys girls.

Junior Ashton Hashemipour

Freshman Willie Wood

NEXT MONTH’S PROMPT

‘A stranger would never guess that I...’

Submit your response to 16clarkc@smtexas.org for a chance to be featured in next month’s paper.

THE REMARKER

EDITOR IN CHIEF MATTHEW CONLEY MANAGING EDITOR SHOURYA KUMAR CREATIVE DIRECTOR ZUYVA SEVILLA DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR ALEX KIM HEAD PHOTOGRAPHER MASON SMITH ISSUES EDITOR VIK PATTABI SENIOR CONTENT EDITOR CYRUS GANJI OPINION EDITORS CAMERON CLARK, WILLIAM CALDWELL BUSINESS MANAGER ROBY MIZE NEWS EDITORS BRADFORD BECK, NOAH KOECHER LIFE EDITORS WILL CLARK, AVERY POWELL SPORTS EDITORS ZACH NAIDU, PHILIP SMART GRAPHICS DIRECTOR ABHI THUMMALA CAMPUS COORDINATOR RICHARD JIANG PHOTO EDITOR ALDEN JAMES MALE CALL EDITOR PHILIP MONTGOMERY REVIEWS SPECIALIST JACOB CHERNICK PROJECT MANAGER DAVIS MARSH COPY EDITOR WILLIAM SYDNEY CARTOONIST WALTER JOHNSON STAFF ARTISTS JOON PARK, KILLIAN GREEN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS SAM EICHENWALD, ARNO GOETZ, WESLEY HIBBS, GRAHAM KIRSTEIN, CAM LAM, ADAM MERCHANT, CONNER OLSON, TIM O’MEARA, NICO SANCHEZ, FRANK THOMAS, CORBIN WALP, MATT WOODBERRY STAFF WRITERS RISH BASU, AIDEN BLINN, NICK BUCKENHAM, DANIEL COPE, JOHN CRAWFORD, CORDAY CRUZ, JAMES HANCOCK, CASE LOWRY, AIDAN MAURSTAD, CRAWFORD MCCRARY, PARKER MCWATTERS, MATTHEW PLACIDE, GOPAL RAMAN, ANVIT REDDY STAFF ASSISTANTS ANDRE ARSENAULT, DAVIS BAILEY, KAL BUSCAINO, CARSON CROCKER, RETT DAUGBJERG, BLAKE DAUGHERTY, ALEC DEWAR, WILL FORBES, ELLIOT FORD, ZACHARY GILSTRAP, JOHN GUNNIN, ALAN JIANG, ZOHEB KHAN, HENRY KISTLER, CANYON KYLE, CHRIS MCELHANEY, MIKE MAHOWALD, NICK MALVEZZI, NAFTAL MAUTIA, AUSTIN MONTGOMERY, WASEEM NABULSI, SEUN OMONIJE, ETHAN PITTSON, REECE RABIN, OMAR RANA, JIMMY RODRIGUEZ, KOBE ROSEMAN, SAM SHANE, MOHIT SINGHAL, SAM SUSSMAN, OLAN WARE, WILL WOOD ADVISER RAY WESTBROOK COVERAGE. The ReMarker covers topics, issues, events and opinions of relevance and interest to the St. Mark’s School of Texas community.

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Inclusion of an advertisement in these pages is not an indication of an endorsement by The ReMarker, any of its staff members or St. Mark’s School of Texas.

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are provided free of charge to students, faculty and staff at various distribution sites on campus and at our sister school, The Hockaday School. More than 2,600 copies are mailed out to alumni courtesy of the school’s offices of External Affairs, Development and Alumni divisions.

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along with archival copies, can be viewed online at 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.

student newspaper of St. Mark’s School of Texas Dallas, TX 75230. 214.346.8000 www.smtexas.org/remarker

C THE REMARKER COMMENTARY DECEMBER 12, 2014 PAGE 20

EDITORIAL

NEW SCIENCE BUILDING

Student input in science building planning process is commendable W

ith the construction plans for the new science building announced last month, we want to commend the administration for getting students involved in the process. Last year, the school hired a professional architect to help sculpt the new building. Along with this professional, the school also incorporated student ideas.

Science Department Chair Fletcher Carron, along with all other science teachers, decided to sit out of the meetings so that the students could voice their own honest opinions.

Obviously, the faculty members who went out and toured other schools’s science facilities had an impact, but we want to commend the job those faculty members did in getting student

Letter to the Editor

opinion involved in the planning.

In such a significant development, receiving ideas from students might have been a difficult objective. These faculty members, however, went out of their way to hear not only students’ criticism of other buildings but also their praises of other buildings, an act that will prove to be valuable in the long run.

Now that news of the new science building has officially broken, we hope that the school will continue to have students involved in the planning process. We hope that the people in charge of gathering these plans will ask for student involvement and for student opinions. While we understand this might

SHORT T W&E E T

Department chair questions website editorial

A peek at Marksmen’s tweets

To the editor: I am writing to respond to your editorial “A Call for More Consistency”. I agree that club pages are good. I also agree that teachers should post assignments online, although whether they do the daily postings or post an assignment sheet for the unit as a download does not matter. Teachers should always clarify what the assignments are in class also.

For those with many absences, the posting of assignments is not a substitute solution for missing school.

However, the use of the online grade book is a different issue. You state that teachers should use this because “it gives us immediate feed back”. A grade book cannot do that. The teacher has to grade the work first. The issue of importance is the feedback in a timely manner, not the mechanism for that feedback. You have had me for a teacher twice and know that you receive your assessments back the very next day, and you receive a progress report the very next day after every major test. I am using a superior product to the Whipplehill online gradebook. It allows for more customization of progress reports and more control of input and scoring. Why should I switch to an inferior product? I have never had a single complaint about feedback in my class – ever. When the Committee on the Academic Program (CAP) met this month, a discussion of this topic took place as a follow-up to its discussion in September. One of the faculty members who

Cafeteria forks | off target

be difficult since the plans are being finalized, we think it would be extremely valuable to have student input because nothing is more valuable than actual student input.

Because this process of touring other facilities in order to find our perfect fit is going to take awhile, we believe that it would be best to get students back involved quickly.

The sooner the better because not only would it get more student input, but also it would hopefully expedite and simplify the searching process.

Overall, we loved the initial student involvement and want the planners to continue to let us students voice our opinions on the matter.

pushes the use of the online gradebook takes forever to grade tests. So, the feedback is not immediate at all. I asked the two students who were present in the meeting (President of the Student Council and the Senior Class Representative) if they would prefer the teacher who uses the online gradebook and takes a long time to return (and post) tests or the teacher who does not use it but gets the test back quickly with a progress report. Of course, they wisely chose the latter because they understood the issue was timely feedback, not the mechanism for the feedback. Another faculty member who was present said they tried the online gradebook this year but has regrets because of its lack of flexibility. That faculty member said they cannot grade quizzes the way they have in the past because of the restrictive nature of the online grade book. They said the mechanism for feedback should not drive the grading. I agree wholeheartedly.

Perhaps in the future you should interview more faculty (than one) before pitching the product that you propose we use. Our complaint about the online grade book is not a question of ability to use technology. It is a question of giving our students what we feel is the best product for our instruction. You do not want to be an advocate for making all teachers the same. That would be a loss for students.

Joe Milliet, Thomas B. Walker III ’73 Mathematics Department Chair

target practice

@

— Junior Kent Broom

graham_kirstein

I just watched “The Wolverine” for 20 minutes before I realized it was in Spanish #hughjackedman

— Junior Graham Kirstein

@

Are these thank you videos for real because if they are I’m really wondering why no one mwang23 has made one for me yet

— Sophomore Michael Wang

@

currywiththepot

@

CorbinWalp1997

I never sleep cause sleep is the cousin of death

— Sophomore Dhruv Prasad

16 degrees with a windchill of 5 degrees? Yeah I’m still wearing shorts #stmarks

—Junior Corbin Walp

things that hit or miss their marks at 10600 Preston Road 10:30 period | far off Ah, what comfort it is knowing that I can do my homework at the 10:30 period on either Tuesday or Thursday. But wait, apparently there’s a special assembly? Who would’ve known?

Almost every 10:30 period this year has been poorly communicated throughout the school.

We need to do a much better job of getting events out in the air. It’ll help. We promise.

SHOURYA KUMAR PHOTO

ALDEN JAMES PHOTO

Think of this: after waiting in the now calm lunch line (thanks Mr. Clayman) a few students finally walk through the doors full of excitement for another magnificent lunch: chicken pan pie, a favorite. The students grab a tray, grab a few napkins and reach for a fork, knife and spoon. Wait... no forks or spoons? Only knives?

While we might complain about the cafeteria staff not having everything prepared on time, it really is our fault. Posted on the wall were three utensils mangled and destroyed.

Really? What is the point of that? It’s vandalism.

Take care of our school property.

@

Hardest part of the PSAT was bubbling in my name tbh

broom_kent

Guest speakers | very good Security guards | bullseye

One common worry among students is whether or not we’ll be able to access campus buildings on the weekends, but we can always rely on one of the campus’s saviors — a security officer astride his golf cart like a triumphant knight arriving to open a campus door on the weekend.

Whether it be for quiz bowl, the Senior Class campus holiday decorations or just to get something you forgot, security is available to help 24/7. And we mean really 24/7. Like also at 2 am.

Unbelievable, robotics guys. Unbelievable.

Not to say our classes here aren’t exceptional, but… when you have the opportunity to listen to Lee Berger, paleontologist, or Gus Lee, leadership expert, then there’s a probability you’ll learn something of quality.

Praise to the Leadership & Ethics Council, the Student Alumni Association, the Visiting Scholars Program and the STEM Conference for providing students the rare, coveted opportunity to hear newspaper editors, Shark Tank entrepreneurs and China-historian-experts share their years of experience. That said, students want increased interaction with said professionals: please, keep ‘em coming.

THE REMARKER COMMENTARY DECEMBER 12, 2014 PAGE 21 C

The most wonderful time of the year

Talking

heads using tutors

B

SHOURYA KUMAR

Lynch: Students may have difficulty connecting with teachers

F

irst of all, I believe that tutoring should never take the place of good teaching. Here are some reasons, however, where I think tutors should be applicable:

Jalen Lynch

1. Teachers usually have one way they teach a subject, the way they believe will be most beneficial for the majority of the class. Tutors can help provide different suggestions to find the way that benefits that student the best.

2. A student should first meet with teachers to try to understand the material.

3. Some students have difficulty connecting with some teachers, making the curriculum hard to work with, as well as making it less likely for the student to want to meet with the teacher 1v1. That’s where well liked tutors come in play.

4. All support should have the purpose to increase skills, not grades.

5. Grades will increase as skills increase.

6. In order for students not to turn to tutors, teachers must be willing to teach and reteach important skills.

T

Milliet: A student’s first resource should be the classroom teacher if he’s struggling.

he issue of tutors used by St. Mark’s students is one that I deal with often as the mathematics department chair. In fact, if I recommend a tutor to a parent or student, I have to use tutors from a list of approved tutors that have been vetted by the school for ability, criminal background, etc., in order to make that recommendation.

Here are some points about the use of tutors by students at St. Mark’s: 1. Tutors should never be a substitute for good academic practices. They should never be used if the student does not do their all of their homework in a timely manner. They should never be used if the student does not prepare well for assessments by reviewing notes and assignments on their own. They should never be used as a replacement for the regular classroom instructor, meaning the student does not pay attention in class or take notes because they will “just get it from their tutor later.” The tutor should never be hired from the start of the school year (or course) as that sends the signal that “failure is a given” from the beginning.

If the student is exercising good academic practices, then: 2. When a student is having trouble with content, skills, applications, etc., in a class, the first resource should be the classroom teacher. Meeting with the person one-on-one outside of class who will write the assessments, grade the papers, evaluate the skills, review the lab report, etc., is always the best place from which a student should get the information and assistance. That classroom teacher knows what issues the student is having in class and can tailor the one-on-one session to address that student’s particular issues.

3. If that additional time with the classroom teacher outside of class is not sufficient to overcome the deficit or issues that the student has, then perhaps, at that time, the student might consider working with a qualified tutor from the approved list maintained by the school. Some tutors out in the public arena are just plain awful. They don’t know what they are doing and are just looking for money. They are often the ones who say negative things about the regular classroom teacher in order to try to convince the parents who are paying them that the problem is the teacher rather than the tutor. This is done in Is it okay to go to a order to continue siphoning funds tutor before seeing from the family. your teacher if you’re 4. In the case of extended struggling in a class? absences (e.g. a long illness, a concussion, a trip to a foreign country, etc.), then there may be a need for a tutor just because the classroom teacher may not have enough additional time outside of class to catch the student up on their own.

Joe 5. The tutor should always Milliet work closely with the classroom teacher.

They can communicate via phone, email, text or whatever medium is comfortable Question asked of 75 Upper School students with both parties to discuss the specific by members of The ReMarker editorial staff. needs of the student. This direction should be given by the teacher.

STUDENT POLL

Q:

Yes, that’s fine:

52 percent

No, you shouldn’t:

40 percent

It depends on teacher:

8 percent

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS | CARTOON WALTER JOHNSON

Hey, do you notice somethng different about the party this year?

Maybe it has to do with the new Headmaster?

No, I think it’s the new LED lights on the tree

MASON SMITH PHOTO

Just two weeks ago, the seniors had a “Lion Pause” (a monotony breaker on steroids) with their Lower School buddies.

If anything were to definitively show that Christmas is an all-encompassing holiday — one open to all colors, cultures and perspectives — it’d be the picture of first graders stuffing icing-loaded, sprinkle-drowned and diabetes-inducing loads of cookies into their throats (no lie: I thought my buddy ate half his body mass in 11 minutes) while their senior buddies watched, awestruck.

I was slightly concerned when my buddy decorated his cookie using red sprinkles as hair, a single M&M as an eye, threw on a mustache for fun, then looked at me and said, “Shourya, I made you a cyclops!”

These kids were from all sorts of ethnicities and backgrounds, but — when it came to the holly jolly Christmas spirit — we were all enjoying the same food, same culture and same holiday.

And frankly, that’s a very rare thing.

That’s the beauty of Christmas: the aura and understanding that all are invited to participate in the most wonderful time of the year.

Yes, some question why non-Christians celebrate Christmas; after all, despite all the seasonal electricity, the basis of Christmas is largely biblical.

That said, while some may question my place, no one discourages non-Christians from partaking in the celebration.

No one perceives Christmas as a purely religious phenomenon.

No, Christmas is — and always will be — a global chime of harmony, a call for peace in an exceedingly chaotic world.

Whether it’s the never-ending holiday marketing, the exceedingly-catchy Christmas tunes or the prospect of Christmas presents, December-spirit is non-biased.

When it’s all said and done, it’s all about raising the cultural awarness of our community. With that being said, I have a special message for you: have a happy Holiday season.

Happy Hanukkah.

Merry Kwanza.

Happy New Year.

And have a merry, merry Christmas.

Most of us can agree that tutors can be helpful, but there are many differences in opinions on when and how often we should decide to use them. We asked junior Jalen Lynch and Thomas B. Walker III ’73 Mathematics Department Chair Joe Milliet what they believe to be the appropriate use of tutors.

MASON SMITH PHOTO

ut you’re not even Christian.

I look back at him, eye-to-eye, in disbelief. I’m not allowed to celebrate a cultural holiday?

Truth is, according to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, approximately 81 percent of non-Christians still celebrate Christmas.

But you’re not even Christian.

As a Hindu, I’m not quite sure I know what that’s even supposed to mean. Throughout my life, I’ve been raised to fully embrace all other cultures and religions. I can pray in a temple.

I can pray in a mosque.

And I can pray in a church.

For me, setting parameters on one of the world’s greatest festivities makes absolutely no sense.

For me, the more, the merrier.

There are few holidays that I truly enjoy more than Christmas. As Dr. Fray pointed out in chapel a couple weeks ago, the spirit is simply electric.

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, DEC. 12, 2014 | PAGE 22

I

n November, it was announced that the 0-10 Houston Scarborough football team, in the midst of a 56 game losing streak, would compete in the Class 4A Texas State Football Playoffs.

Yep. 0-10. That’s 56 consecutive losses. And they’re playing for the state championship.

And that’s the way it should be.

For years, participation has been one of the defining qualities of the SPC, as every team has been able to compete in a playoff tournament. However now, there is only one championship tournament, with the top two teams from the North and South zones earning a first-round bye.

The competitiveness of the conference and its regular season has increased at the expense of the participation.

Yet, a 4A public school football team on a 56 game losing streak still gets to compete for a state title.

Looking at both of these situations, do either of them accurately represent why we play sports?

If the point of playing sports is to do what you love, as our moms and dads have always said, a few sports probably wouldn’t exist. Michael Phelps, the greatest American swimmer and most decorated Olympian of all time called it quits when he was 28. Although he eventually unretired, in an Aug. 4 interview, Phelps said how he came out of retirement because he was “bored” and wanted to have the “structure” back in his life that training and swimming provided, not because he missed how much “fun” the grueling training sessions are.

COURTESY CAROLYN COLE

Upcoming SPORTING EVENTS IN THE WEEKS AHEAD

ATHLETIC Tip-off STUDENTS’ ACCOMPLISHMENTS

J

Today

Weekend

Next week

>Junior varsity wrestling

>The varsity swim team

>Varsity soccer travels to Greenhill Dec. 16 with a game time of 7 p.m.

hosts a tournament in Spencer Gym at 4 p.m.

>Varsity basketball hosts Life School at 7:30 p.m. in Hicks Gym.

>Varsity swimming competes in the Texas Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association (TISCA) 5A Invitational Meet at Frisco ISD Natatorium

continues the TISCA 4A meet during the day Saturday (site TBD).

>Lone Star Pools Wrestling

Tourney hosted at 9 a.m. in the Winn Family Wrestling Center Saturday.

>The Mavericks host the Warriors for the first time this season at the American Airlines Center Saturday at 2 p.m.

>Varsity basketball plays Irving Nimitz High School at 7:30 pm Dec. 16. >Double-header kicks off for the varsity basketball team at 4:30 pm vs Highland Park and finishes off with a 7:30 p.m. match up with Tyler Street Academy in Hicks Gym Dec. 19.

effrey L. Price, member of the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee, visited the sports debate club, Around The Roar, as a guest speaker Nov. 12.

The award, named in honor of former Southern Methodist University running back Doak Walker, recognizes the nation’s premier collegiate running back for his accomplishments on the field, achievement in the classroom and citizenship in the community.

The committee selects ten semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award, which are then narrowed down to three finalists. During the club meeting, Price discussed the criteria for the award, the analytics used to narrow down the top running backs during the selection process, and current front-runners for the award.

In addition to serving on the committee, Price is a managing director at Jones Lang LaSalle, a global real estate company, where he works with Roger Staubach.

Dhruv Prasad, a vice president of the club, says the meeting drew an all-time high in attendance.

“It was a great experience having Mr. Price come talk to us about one of the greatest awards in college football,” Prasad said.

“The selection process and criteria of the athletes were something that intrigued all of the members in the club.”

...

T

15 15

POINTS SCORED

BY FRESHMAN FORWARD REECE RABIN AGAINST BISHOP LYNCH

GRAHAM KIRSTEIN PHOTO

On the other hand, you have a 40-yearold quarterback like Brett Favre who repeatedly came out of retirement because he still felt he could play.

In 2008, Favre so desperately desired to come back to football and return to the gridiron that when the Green Bay Packers, — his team for 17 years and the franchise he built his legacy playing for — said he could only be a backup if he chose to come back, he obliterated his revered legacy as a Packer by relentlessly lobbying for a trade. All of that was done just for three more years of semi-glorious football for two underachieving teams.

Finally, you have those special cases that show how powerful playing a sport can be for someone.

Cases like Lauren Hill’s.

Diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and told she had less than three months to live, all Hill wanted to do was play in a collegiate basketball game for Mount St. Joseph University, the school she was recruited by before her diagnosis, because she loved basketball didn’t see why she couldn’t play. The nineteen-yearold’s desire to play touched many people, and her moving story compelled the NCAA to move MSJU’s scheduled opener vs. Hiram College from Nov. 15 to Nov. 3 so Hill could play in the game.

Her game attracted more than 10,000 fans. She scored the first and last baskets in a 66-55 victory. Following the win, Hill said, “Let’s not call this my last game. Let’s call this my first collegiate game.”

So, Michael Phelps yearned for the structure provided by his grueling sport, Brett Favre wanted to sling a few more TDs even if it meant abandoning the franchise he had built his legacy with, and Lauren Hill, dying of cancer, wanted to play on the hardwood at the collegiate level just one time. All three of them had their own motive for playing .

But that doesn’t explain whether what Class 4A does by allowing a winless team to contend for the state championship is right. Is the point of sports to win or to let everybody who wants to play, play?

Or is it maybe to do what’s best for you from a structural aspect. Or perhaps it is playing until you can’t play anymore, even if it costs a legacy.

Lauren Hill played because she had always played basketball. And not even a malignant brain tumor would stop her from doing just that.

MAKING SAVES

“I like making the save. I like taking the pressure of being goalie and working with it,” junior goalkeeper Sam Eichenwald said. Page 24

FINAL SPRINT

Trotting into the end zone, junior wide receiver William Caldwell scores for the Lions.

The team traveled to Houston and lost to Episcopal High School 37-30 Nov. 1. Page 27

MASON SMITH PHOTO

For the love of the game, right?

DREW BAXLEY PHOTO

ZACH NAIDU

SPORTS

JUMP AROUND

Leaping for the ball, junior forward Parker Dixon helps the Lions varsity basketball team capture a 69-61 win against Bishop Lynch Nov. 14. Dixon hopes his hops can lead to a successful season. Page 26

TAKING IT TO THE HOOP Slicing through the defense, freshman Reece Rabin (number 31) scores a layup against Bishop Lynch as the freshman team lost 56-47 Nov. 14.

PRESS box

VARSITY SOCCER COACH CORINDO MARTIN AND VARSITY BASKETBALL COACH GREG GUILER

IN ONE SENTENCE, WHAT WILL MAKE THIS SEASON A SUCCESS?

“A top four finish perhaps, and obviously winning the final, but I would like to be in the top two in the North Division.”

Corindo Martin

Greg Guiler “We’ll find out in 20 years when we look back and see what kind of character these guys have.”

he winter sports for the middle school and junior varsity teams are now in full swing. The seventh grade soccer team is sitting at 1-0-1 while the eighth grade soccer team has got off to a great start at 3-0, defeating ESD in its first game. The junior varsity soccer team has a record of 3-0 and won 2-1 against John Paul II for its first game.

The seventh grade blue basketball team has gotten off to a slow start with a record of 0-2, while the eighth grade blue basketball team has a record of 1-2, defeating the Home School Athletic Association for the team’s first win.

“We lost our first game, but I think we are finally starting to play our best now,” said eighth grade blue team point guard Adnan Khan. “We really want to win the majority of our games near the end of the season.”

The seventh grade gold basketball team has a record of 3-0 and the eighth grade basketball gold team sits at 2-0, defeating Providence Christian 42-28 for its first win of the season. The freshman team sits at 1-1 and the junior varsity basketball team has a record of 3-2 beating Trinity Christian Academy by a margin of 31.

“We have got off to a really good start, and I hope it continues throughout the entire season,” freshman point guard Garrett Mize said. “I like the way the team is playing right now.”

The junior varsity basketball team also has wins against Bishop Lynch and Adamson High School taking place Nov. 14 and Nov. 25, respectively.

— Tip-off stories reported by Rish Basu

SPORTS

After years of failing to make team, senior perseveres to make varsity

THE REMARKER DECEMBER 12, 2014 PAGE 23 25 PULIDO FITNESS 26 WINTER PREVIEWS 27 SPC RESULTS 28 SAM EICHENWALD MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

ADITYA INAGANTI

After being cut from the basketball program for three straight years, senior Aditya Inaganti made the varsity team after intense training and devotion to the game he loves. According to Inaganti, focus on the fundamentals led to his success.

Making the cut

FAMOUS

CUT ATHLETES Professionals who faced rejection before success

MICHAEL JORDAN ‘I just kept telling myself that I want it more than the other people.’ • Aditya Inaganti

S

rini Inaganti sits in his car waiting to find out his son’s fate.

He waits to find out if his son, senior Aditya Inaganti, finally made the basketball team after getting cut from the team for the past three years.

Just like all good fathers, Srini has to be there. Just in case all of Aditya’s hard work over the summer doesn’t work out.

He knows he has to be there if Aditya doesn’t make the team again.

But Srini hoped this year would be different. Maybe Aditya finally got what he wanted. Maybe he finally earned a spot on the team playing the sport he loves.

But, this time, as Aditya comes bursting through the glass doors of Hicks gym, his father knows.

He knows from his huge grin and his son’s steady stride.

Even though Aditya is a senior now, too old for a hug, his dad doesn’t care — so the two hug in the middle of the senior parking lot.

Despite his unsuccessful past tryouts, Aditya kept playing basketball. He kept trying out for his love of the game.

“I just really liked basketball,” Aditya said.

“For me it’s a release, like something you do to calm down. I really liked playing it. I practiced for it all summer to try and make it this year.”

Having seen Aditya come to tryouts for the past four years, head varsity basketball coach Greg Guiler is aware of Aditya’s love for basketball. Before bringing his own basketball to school every day, Aditya would knock on Guiler’s office door to ask to borrow a basketball during his free periods.

“Most people like what they’re good at, but secondarily I would say you love what you invest in,” Guiler said. “I think there’s some of that with Aditya. He had a little spark of love for the game, and the more he put into it, the more he fell in love with it.”

For Aditya, that investment included practicing hard over the summer in order to try to make the team. After work, he would go to the Town North Family YMCA, come home for dinner, then go back to the YMCA until the workers there would kick him out at their 9:30 p.m. closing time.

The work Aditya put in at the YMCA, Srini Inaganti Proud of his son

however, was different than the practice he had done in the past.

“I looked up everything and tried to find out the things I needed to work on instead of just playing basketball,” Aditya said. “I did a lot more drills and stuff. I worked the same amount really because I couldn’t really work that much harder. I just focused on the fundamentals of the game.”

Srini knows Aditya put in a full effort to try to make the team. Srini thinks the challenge of making the team motivated Aditya.

“He wanted to prove that he could make it, that’s probably one of the reasons,” Srini said. “The other thing is he really started liking basketball. He saw he wasn’t good enough, and he improved and kept trying and stepping up.”

Greg Guiler Excited to coach Aditya this season

When Guiler made the decision to make Aditya part of the varsity basketball team, he thought Aditya’s shooting was one of the most convincing factors.

“I think one of the things is that sometimes you’re just looking for that one contributing piece that someone can bring to a table a fill a hole,” Guiler said. “We’ve got some pretty good shooters on this team, but I feel like Aditya has worked on becoming a shooter where he catches and shoots an uncontested three about as well as the vast majority of the guys on the team.” hile he works on his game, Aditya has to keep himself motivated. Also, when practices turn into grueling conditioning, he keeps a mentality that doesn’t allow him to quit.

“I just kept telling myself that I want it more than the other people,” Aditya said.

“I know that that isn’t the best way to think about it, but that helps me. I just kept thinking, ‘Why are you doing this?’ and my answer was that I really wanted it. I can’t just stop now because if I quit in the middle of a sprint, then I’ll look back knowing that I gave up. All that work would have been for nothing.”

In addition to Aditya’s hard work, Srini credits Guiler for his positive feedback with Aditya in helping him make the team.

“The way he communicates it [past cuts] helps Aditya, and he deserves quite a bit of credit for that,” Srini said. “Instead of him saying, ‘Sorry you didn’t make it,’ it was a positive way where he told Aditya if he works harder

W

for next year there’s a chance.”

Now that Aditya is part of the team, he hopes to contribute to winning an SPC championship. Senior captain Jack Gordon, attests to Aditya’s positive impact on the team.

“He [Aditya] will bring an air of hard work,” Gordon said. “He’s going to make everyone else compete because if they see him competing they’re going to want to try hard. He’s going to make practices more competitive in general.”

Throughout the entire process Srini has always believed that Aditya’s learning about life was more important than making the team.

“Even if he had not made it, the life lesson would not change,” Srini said. “It’s nice that he made it, like icing on the cake; it’s just a life lesson and I’m extremely proud and happy for him. It’s more than basketball for me. It’s just him not giving up and putting in effort.”

The same holds true for Guiler. He is more impressed with Aditya’s ability to strive and achieve.

“I think his courage and coming back again and again is one of the most astounding things I’ve seen,” Guiler said. “Him making the team or not making the team is secondary to just his willingness to set goals and his courageousness to try and achieve those goals.”

Aditya achieved his goal of making the team, but his love for basketball still drives him. Aditya will continue to do what he’s always done: working hard and playing basketball.

“I’m going to keep working; I’m not going to stop just because I made it,” Aditya said. “I will work and try to earn some playing time.

But as for contributing to the team, maybe not as much to the game itself, I will just try to be positive with my work out there and motivate my team.”

‘I CHANGED WHAT I WAS WORKING — THE THINGS I WAS PRACTICING. I LOOKED UP EVERYTHING AND TRIED TO FIND OUT THE THINGS I NEEDED TO WORK ON INSTEAD OF JUST PLAYING BASKETBALL. I FOCUSED ON THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE GAME’ SENIOR ADITYA INAGANTI

STORY PHILIP SMART | PHOTOS MASON SMITH, USED WITH PERMISSION CREATIVE COMMONS

Everyone knows how good Michael Jordan was, but as a freshman in high school, he didn’t make the team. Now, his name is synonymous with basketball.

JAMES HARRISON The All-Pro Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker and NFL champion did not make the Ravens squad in 2004.

MARK BUEHRLE As a MLB pitcher with the Chicago White Sox, Buehrle threw a perfect game in 2009. In high school, he didn’t make the varsity team.

GAMETIME Working on his lay-up

form, Aditya Inaganti leaps into the air in Hicks Gym after finally making the varsity basketball squad.

S THE REMARKER SPORTS DECEMBER 12, 2014 PAGE 24 SPC RESTRUCTURE

Bracket

7 2

2 TBD at 3:30

4

5

4 3

TBD at 6:30

TBD at 3:30

1 1

D T U B S E

With a complete restructuring of its playoff system, SPC has increased the competitive nature for a number of its sports.

8

9

H

ilario Vargas sits in the locker room with his teammates, bracing himself — physically, mentally, emotionally — for the grueling schedule he and the Lions soccer team would face over the next two days.

To their benefit, the tournament was hosted in Dallas, but even that advantage could help the team only so much. It didn’t matter.

Defending the school’s first SPC soccer championship in 29 years, Vargas and his teammates of the 2012 soccer team have the same exhausting schedule as that of the lowest seeded team in the eightschool, Division I tournament.

Two days, four games, very, very little rest in between.

Vargas and the Lions succeeded in their quest, but looking back on the championship, Vargas admits it was anything but easy.

“Playing four games in one weekend is tiring,” Vargas said.

“You’re physically tired, you’re emotionally tired, you’re mentally tired.”

But with the new SPC playoff restructuring, the magnitude of that intensity and pressure can dissipate with a first round bye. To receive that crucial exemption from the first round of play in the Division I tournament, the Lions will have to finish as one of the top two seeds in the North Zone.

Vargas is well aware of the benefits.

Hilario Vargas Views first round bye as major advantage

“That one game does make a lot of difference,” Vargas said.. “It’s a huge advantage to have a bye.”

Divided into a North and South Zone, the SPC conference has had a Division I and Division II tournament for more than 50 years. Division I was for the top four teams of each zone while Division II tournament was a consolation for the remaining teams. The Division I winner has been named the conference champion. Winning Division II has meant the school finished as the ninth place team overall.

Even if a team didn’t have a chance to compete for the big one in the Division I tourament, at least it had the experience of playing in a tournament.

In a May 13 press release on its website earlier this year, SPC announced a major structural change to the playoff system for field

hockey, volleyball, basketball, soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse and tennis. The restructuring includes the formation of one 12-team playoff bracket, with the top six teams from each zone, with no Division II tournament for the remaining teams.

Football, and individual sports cross country, swimming, wrestling and golf will remain unchanged.

While more teams will be able to qualify for the single championship tournament, those finishing outside of the top six will be left with nothing to play for at season’s end.

With the inaugural 12-team winter tournament just two months away, varsity soccer coach Cory Martin is aware of how the new system will alter the conference dynamics, especially since for the first time in SPC history, not every team will get to participate in the playoffs.

Cory Martin A step in the right direction

“The question is,” Martin said, “do we want a conference where everyone gets to come [to the tournament]. Especially in a league like SPC, where we have always tried to be inclusive. Overall, it makes the entire experience competitive and you’re gonna end up leaving teams at home.”

Despite the SPC’s decision to narrow down the number of teams competing in a tournament, Martin agrees the reward of a first round bye is a great addition to the system as it makes a transition to becoming more competitive while maintaining its standards of academic excellence.

“The day off is a wonderful incentive award for the teams that finish first and second,” Martin said. “I think SPC has changed in that sense.

We still value that we are private schools but we still want to feel like competitive teams. The same way we want our kids competing well in math tournaments, or chess tournaments. “ Martin also awknowledges that the changes will make competition much more intriguing at the start of the season. ”Teams that are in the seventh, sixth and fifth spots that are fighting to get in, it will be interesting to see what happens to them,” Martin said.

In addition, varsity basketball coach Greg Guiler feels the expansion of the number of teams included in the one true championship

tournament along with the bye will motivate his team even more.

“By expanding the field, I’m more confident than ever that we’ll make the tournament,” Guiler said.

“But being that one or two seed, automatically making the second round, that’s important. We’re gonna have to play well. I want the bye.” rom a player’s perspective, Vargas, now a senior and captain of the soccer team, knows as much as anybody how crucial the first round bye can be, given his experience in three Division I tournaments.

“Going into the tournament there’s a lot of nerves from all the players,” Vargas said. “But if you finish in the top two, you get that bye, you have a sort of a good feeling going into the semis because you finished top of the table out of six teams.”

St. Mark’s is not the only SPC program agreeing that the conference’s restructuring will promote competitiveness while not deviating from its core values.

F

Chad Wabrek Sees a simplified tournament

“Before it was, look we all wanted to win, but in the end everybody was going,” Greenhill Head of Athletics and Physical Education Chad Wabrek said. “So now it’s not everybody is going, ‘so you better be pretty aware of that.’”

ESD Director of Athletics Jerry would also agree with the changes, even though schools will be left out of the tournaments involving sports affected by the changes.

“I have to admit, I think it was a difficult decision, anytime that we’re going with the fact that we leave some schools out,” Reese said. “But I think for the educational purposes that we stand for, I have to support that it was the right decision to do.”

Logistically, Wabrek, Reese and Director of Athletics and Physical Education Mark Sullivan have acknowledged the changes have refocused the conferences’ objectives and enabled the tournament to run smoother come playoff time.

“The fact that we’re sending teams to cities in some cases, four hours away, to battle for 17th and 18th place, to me, is not the point of what we were trying to accomplish,” Wabrek said. “The major advantage is that when you go to a 12-team bracket, for the most part, you are allowed to have one site host one sport for the entire weekend. That’s

STORY ZACH NAIDU | ILLUSTRATION ABHI THUMMALA | PHOTOS ARNO GOETZ, COURTESY OF GREENHILL AND ESD

really a great thing. In the past sites would potentially have to host multiple sports and events.”

Sullivan points out there will still be a number of teams included in the championship.

“In this case, still the majority of the conference will make the bracket,” Sullivan said. “Now you’re playing for the conference championship, not just a Division II conference champion. You’re playing for the conference champion.”

Jerry Reese Agrees with single division format

Wabrek, Reese, Sullivan and the rest of the conference experienced a taste of the new changes during the fall SPC championship tournament Nov. 7-8.

“We just went through the 12 teams structure here [at ESD], we hosted volleyball,” Reese said. “And boy, it sure went smooth and we got it done in three days and we were finished by four o’clock on Saturday.

It was good. I am going to say that knowing the fact that I am from a school that had a sport left out. Our field hockey team didn’t make it.”

From the St. Mark’s point of view, Sullivan does not feel the changes will affect the school in

any way other than it will the other North Zone schools such as Greenhill and ESD. Rather, the changes as a whole are a great improvement for the conference.

Mark Sullivan Sees increase in competitive nature

“I don’t think the rules affect us differently as a school, I do think in looking forward at this point of time I’m very satisfied with the alignment and structure,” Sullivan said. “It was nice when we [SPC] were small enough to include everybody. But, if everybody gets to go, does that detract from it being a championship?

In that way, 12 teams get to compete for a championship, you have to earn your spot in those 12. I like it. I think its good.”

Maintaining it’s devotion to academics, the conference has now sparked greater competition and intensity while also simplifying the tournament to the benefit of everybody involved in it.

“I think it’s a nice change,” Sullivan said. “The conference has done the same old, same old all the time. I think its nice to see a little bit of change. I think it will certainly heighten the competitive nature of how some of the schools approach [the season].”

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THE REMARKER SPORTS DECEMBER 12, 2014 PAGE 25 S H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S

templo’

Spanish instructor Martin Pulido is known to be a fitness freak. Recently, Pulido has expanded his passion by participating in endurance races such as the Spartan Beast Race, the Zombie Run and — come March — the Navy SEAL-designed Bullfrog Run. According to the man himself, these races ‘are not for the faint of heart.’ climbing a hill, and you know that you’re filling up a bucket and carrying it up over this hill — slipping, tumbling, and then you have to run to the other side and carry a 70 pound bag of sand up.”

INCREÍBLE Spanish instructor Martin Pulido breaks a sweat swinging a kettlebell — just one exercise in his rigorous cardio workout, which Pulido complements with intensive weight lifting.

Recently, you ran the infamous Spartan Beast Race (a 13+ mile obstacle course). How’d you prepare for the challenge?

“I’ve done everything: I’ve run long distances, I’ve lifted weights…

I’ve done that. But it’s another thing when you’ve got to put it all together. You’ve go to do both.

So, it’s kind of a balancing act to see if you can do them both. And it’s all about the journey — what people don’t understand is, the race is the easiest part.

What’s hard is the journey getting there, ‘cause I’d run that race prior to even running it. I’d come Saturdays and Sundays and I’d run all 14 miles.

The only difference is that, now, I have a chip on my shoe, a bib on my chest and — for the Spartan races — a bandana. I’d been there and done that, it’s just the mental component.”

Describe race day. How did everything unravel?

“When I got up at five in the morning to drive two hours out to Rough Creek Lodge, I got there, waited for my two friends, got situated… then, we were the

second group to go off. We took off at eight in the morning. When you step up, the concept of finishing is inevitable… if you think for a moment that you’re not going to finish, don’t run.

Just that little sense of doubt, for four and a half hours, it’s going to wear on you. When I started that race, I knew I was getting a medal around my neck — whether I have to crawl, whatever. I’ve put six months of effort in this.”

Describe your thoughts amid all the pain.

“There were points when I kept saying to myself, ‘I’m just glad that they [my friends] aren’t here.’ Not that they couldn’t do it, I just wouldn’t want them in that situation: I know what I’m going through, and if I had to be there with them and worry about them as well — that’d be concerning.

I mean, mile ten was an absolute eye-opening experience. Even the people that were giving us water as we were running to the little hill, even they knew what was up, what we were feeling.

It was a kick in the pants, especially when you see people like ants off in the distance

What drives you? Why do you emphasize fitness?

“In terms of satisfaction…I’d say I train more for social reasons. I have training partners; I train with my wife, which is very enjoyable as well — watching her be successful.

I think training has more of a social component. It’s always a brother or sisterhood. I have a group of friends and we decide that we’ll do whatever whenever, and we do it because we’re in this together.

For now, I’m training for March, but who knows what the future holds; maybe, I’ll finish up and decide to go back to being old Señor — going up there [to the weight room] and exercising just because it’s good therapy.

Everybody does something just to keep themselves entertained, and for me, that’s just what I do.”

What are your maxes (for lifting exercises)?

“My max on the bench is like 335 pounds. I’ve done like 425 pounds on squats. My peak, in strength, was probably when I was around 23 to 24. I was unbreakable then.

When you’re young everything’s easier, and you really can’t mess up much because your body recovers quicker. At 43, it’s much harder now: you’re raising a family, you’re trying to find time for training,

you’re having to find time when you can because your juggling coaching your son’s soccer team, your daughter’s volleyball team, whatever it be.”

Did you ever doubt fitness’ role in your life?

“The hardest part is when, on the weekends, you’re running for three to four hours… it’s like, ‘you know what, I could be doing other things right now.’

But, it’s like anything: when you finish something, the satisfaction you get... it just makes me glad. Like Churchill says, ‘Pity those who know neither victory nor defeat.’

As long as you’re making an effort in trying…that’s what it’s all about. It’s all the little things that you do when no one watches, or when no one is cheering you on. I knew that I was here on the weekends for three hours, but no one else knew, and that’s fine.

‘AT THE END OF THE DAY, I JUST WANT TO GO UP THERE, LISTEN TO MUSIC... IT’S ME AND A BAR, AND I WANT TO SEE WHICH BREAKS FIRST’ SPANISH INSTRUCTOR MARTIN PULIDO

What Director of College Counseling Veronica Pulido has to say about her husband’s workout routine.

What’s the motivating factor for Sr. Pulido?

I think just the commitment in terms of being a strong person in body, mind and spirit. He really is very focused on making sure he feels good and up to par so then he can be productive for everyone else.

What are some fitness tips you’ve learned from him?

First and foremost he is an athlete and he is a coach, so he knows how to motivate people and he won’t let you just do the bare minimum.

I think in that respect he continues to motivate and push because he knows that three fourths of it is mental.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARTIN PULIDO

‘Mi cuerpo es un

Fitness partnership

Are there any exercises he tends to do more than others?

He definitely stresses weights. He knows running is a key factor, but ultimately to build muscle and to keep the muscle, it has to be a routine that incorporates weights.

Pulido’s

MAX

weight exercises

335 squat 425 clean 240

bench

STORY CYRUS GANJI, MATTHEW PLACIDE | PHOTO ADAM MERCHANT

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAVE CARDEN

LEARNING FROM THE BEST Lions wrestlers learned drills and tricks from Olympians Jordan Burroughs, Brandon Slay and Adeline Gray Nov. 6.

Olympic wrestlers provide guidance and training to Marksmen

by Roby Mize The Lions wrestling program had the opportunity to experience a practice run

by Olympic wrestlers Jordan Burroughs, Brandon Slay and Adeline Gray Nov. 6 in the Winn Family Wrestling Center through a fundraiser organized by USA Wrestling.

This interaction is highly rare for Texas high school wrestlers. However, it is even more special because of the highly private setting and the fact that the wrestlers donated their time. “ A lot of those guys, especially college coaches supplement their income by doing clinics,” said varsity wrestling coach Justin Turner. “We could call and pay ‘x’ number of dollars and have Jordan Burroughs come back and do a clinic for two or three days but it would cost us significantly, but to have them just come and donate their time like

that, it’s the first time in my career that I’ve ever had that happen.”

The visiting wrestlers not only taught the athletes about wrestling but also about life. Slay especially stressed the necessity of balancing education and sports.

“I think the thing that makes Brandon special is that he’s a 4.0 graduate from the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania,” Turner said, “and he just really expressed to them that there is the possibility to be a great student and a great athlete, and that neither should outweigh the other that you can work through both those things and have a high success rate.”

According to Turner, this type of interaction is very special because Texas does not have the strong collegiate wrestling program like other areas around the country. Also, it helped reinforce the values our coaches are

already trying to instill in St. Mark’s athletes.

“You don’t ever really get to connect with those guys because they are so far away,” Turner said. “Just the fact that they’re here and they’re names you’ve heard and you’re able to talk to and interact with them is huge. They were echoing a lot of things that we’ve already talked about here, but they carry a lot more credence and value because they were said by Brandon Slay and Jordan Burroughs.”

Each of these visiting wrestlers has a very notable background. Brandon Slay earned a gold medal at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Jordan Burroughs earned a gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games and is a two time world champion. Adeline Gray is a two time world champion and hopes to earn a gold medal in the 2016 Olympics.

S THE REMARKER SPORTS DECEMBER 12, 2014 PAGE 26 WINTER PREVIEW

Believe the hype Off to solid starts, winter sports teams are primed for successful seasons

Senior Landon Montgomery Freshman Arjun Singh

Basketball looks to continue success

Seniors Justin Jones and Daniel Wechsler

C

ommunication. Leadership. Courage. These words swirl around the locker room as the varsity basketball team takes on Bishop Lynch Nov. 14 in their first game of the season.

But despite the goals he has set for his team, Head Coach Greg Guiler says he will not know if his season was successful until his players have matured into gentlemen with characters he has helped shape during their time in the program.

“We’ll find out in 20 years,” Guiler said, “when we look back and see what kind of characters these guys have.”

Guiler predicts a competitive season ahead, with many teams having mostly returning players on their rosters, and others with new, promising players. The Lions will play in two tournaments before the SPC tournament in February, where the team hopes to improve upon their sixth place finish last year.

“I think our non-conference schedule is good,” Guiler said.

“The two tournaments we play in are very good; the second one is an invitational in Allen that should be especially strong. So, we have some tough opponents. We start with the same usual suspects in the North Zone: Greenhill has almost everybody back, Cistercian has almost everybody back, and ESD also has a good group returning.”

In addition to his hope for success, Guiler hopes to instill virtues, such as servant leadership, that will help his team grow together and become a truly cohesive unit.

“With this particular group, I would say servant leadership would be a big one,” Guiler said. “We talk a lot about the need to always love each other, and how that entails communication, entails looking someone in the eye and holding them accountable, verbally and through your behavior. It entails cleaning up after each other and just across the board, trying to make that kid next to you stronger.”

Despite the tough competition and the hard work necessary to succeed, Guiler looks forward to the rest of the season with the team.

“I think this group of guys is an exciting group to get to work with,” Guiler said. “I’m just glad that I get that chance.”

— Corday Cruz

BASKETBALL

Record HIGHLIGHT SM 69

6-3

SCORE

As of Dec. 5

BL

61

Soccer thrives at start of lengthy season

T

Wrestling team full of young talent

D

ue to a general lack of experience, the varsity wrestling team struggled in the Arlington Martin tournament on Nov. 21. Although the team’s overall technique is excelling, it lacks the depth in upperclassmen that it has had in previous years.

“I think technique wise and wrestling knowledge wise they are further than any group I’ve had at St. Mark’s,” varsity wrestling coach Justin Turner said, “but the knowledge of how to do something doesn’t always translate into the ability to do things. We have a very diverse group this year: six seniors, one junior, and the rest are sophomores and freshmen. Even though I’m optimistic on how fast they’re progressing, it could be a weird year.”

Unfortunately, the lack of upperclassmen also led to the problem of freshmen and sophomores being paired up against seniors of the same weight class at the tournament.

“There’s a difference in wrestling a seventh grader to a senior,” Turner said, “and, for a freshman to be on a varsity position, that’s what they’re going to encounter. Last year, their matches could have been against a 13 year old while this year their first match could be against an 18 year old, and there’s a significant developmental difference between those two individuals.”

Although this year’s team is structured differently, Turner plans to continue focusing on ensuring that every wrestler in the program has a positive experience. With this mentality, Turner hopes to help each individual improve every day.

“I’m not really doing much different this year than I ever have,” Turner said. “As coaches, we come into the room and coach as hard as we can every day. Whether they can be an all American or whether they are struggling to make our JV team, we want to make every kid better at wrestling. As a coach, our goal is to just focus on the kid and hope that they have a positive experience in wrestling.”

Looking towards future tournaments, Turner plans to continue improving the individual while keeping an ultimate goal for the team in mind.

“I always come into the year expecting to compete for a state conference title,” Turner said. “We don’t focus on it a lot, but instead we talk a lot more about just getting better at wrestling every day.

We can’t control what other teams have, but we can control getting better at wrestling every single day. And if we do that, then we have a chance to compete for some of those titles at the end of the season.”

— James Hancock

his season, the varsity soccer team is competing in an average of two games per week, yet the team still stands undefeated. While the sheer number of games are effective in maintaining a player’s physical condition, there is always a possibility for injury in this situation.

“An advantage of this season would be the amount of games we play,” captain Jack Fojtasek said.

“We play in more games than any other team and it pays off. It gives us the opportunity to be match fit year round and keep our skills at a high level. A disadvantage would also be the number of games we play. It is hard to keep everyone healthy and the large number of games we play allow for more injuries.”

Fortunately, the team is big enough as where an injury would not become too problematic for future games.

“Another advantage our team has this year is depth,” Fojtasek said. “We are an incredibly talented team, and everyone on our roster can contribute every game.”

As for the team’s overall technique, captain Ben Wilner believes that they have been constantly excelling.

“I think this year’s team is far ahead of last year’s at this point in terms of technical ability and overall game awareness,” Wilner said. “Also, everyone practices really hard, and it shows since we’ve won every game since tryouts.”

Looking towards the future, if the team is able to remain healthy and continue to excel in their practices and games, they believe they have the talent to potentially win SPC. — James Hancock

SOCCER

Record HIGHLIGHT SM 3

6-1-1

As of Dec. 5

SCORE

BD

0

PHOTOS MASON SMITH AND DREW BAXLEY

Swimming squad searches for team leadership going into SPC play H

ead Swimming Coach Mihai Oprea watches observantly as his swimmers swim lap after lap with the hope of shaving even the slightest bit of time off of their backstroke, butterfly, breaststroke, and freestyle times. They know in the heats of the SPC and State competitions, every fraction of a second counts.

Since the swim team will not compete against all the teams they will face in the SPC competition, Oprea and the team will not know how strong the other teams are until then. Oprea says meets like the St. Mark’s Invitational on Dec. 4 are good because the swimmers can compete with other teams, and they will know some of their competition before the SPC and State meets. Oprea also says that even one new swimmer can change the outcome of a meet.

“Swimming is the type of sport where you could get three really good freshmen and it would change the whole thing, so we don’t know,” Oprea said. “We don’t know. the most important thing is we’re not going to see some of these teams until SPC. So they can surprise you very easily. If we

are toughest on ourselves, it will be hard for any other team to be tougher than us.”

In order to succeed at the State and SPC levels, The team’s core values need to remain front and center throughout the season.

“I think the key roles in our program is work attitude, a positive atmosphere, no excuses, and no bad days,” Oprea said. “Those are things, the things that make the biggest difference, not necessarily individual swimmers. Like I said, we have plenty of very good swimmers, but that’s not what’s key for us and that’s not what pushes us.”

In addition to the values he hopes to instill in his swimmers, Oprea says that building a team chemistry and brotherhood among the swimmers will play a large role in their success during the season.

“Obviously, it’s leadership, it’s chemistry, brotherhood,” Oprea said. “That’s really big with our team because success and results will come with that and we’ve been lucky and pretty successful every year. That is important as a varsity

sport, but we are beyond that. I think we are at the point that it’s more important for us to have a great team chemistry and not treat swimming as an individual sport, rather as an absolute team sport. And get these guys to be close, like brothers and remember that. That’s more what we hope as coaches, even more than results and records.”

ALDEN JAMES PHOTO

by Corday Cruz

GOING THE DISTANCE Slicing through the water, junior Eric Li powers through a grueling butterfly stroke Dec. 2.

THE REMARKER SPORTS DECEMBER 12, 2014 PAGE 27 S

T

he bleachers tremble. Roughly a hundred jumping and chanting fans pack like blue and gold sardines in a third of the bleachers.

But it isn’t for a football game. It isn’t for a basketball game. It isn’t for a pep rally. It ‘s for a volleyball game, and a volleyball game that wasn’t even supposed to be close.

“Nobody was expecting Casady to be that close of a game,” junior Matthew Lawson said. “We beat them in four sets out of five in the other two times we’ve played them. So to take it to five games and seventeen-fifteen in the championship game is ridiculous.”

The games went back and forth with Casady winning the second and fourth and the Lions winning the first, third and fifth to cap off a SPC championship that was the third in a row and the fourth in the last six years.

Anytime a senior plays his final game as a Marksman, it is bittersweet, even when the season ends with a SPC championship.

“When it was 14-11 in the fifth game,” Simenc said, “I was savoring my last moments as a St. Mark’s volleyball player, but as soon as they tied us up I just wanted to win. It was a fantastic way to end a career.”

The squad came into the year heavily favored to win the championship for a third time.

“It was our tournament to lose,” head coach Darren Teicher said. “We were the strongest team all year and it was about our guys playing to their potential and being able to sustain that level of play throughout the season.”

The players also knew that they had big shoes to fill and that nothing less than a championship was expected of them.

“Coach Teicher had been telling us since preseason that we were expected to

Volleyball makes it a three-peat as fall SPC season comes to a close; cross country places third; football falls in first-round playoffs

three-peat but haven’t won anything yet,” Lawson said. “We were all going to work all season and really hard, and we are going to earn this championship.”

This was not to say the game went seamlessly. After the narrow loss in the fourth game, all the team’s championship hopes were hinged on the fifth and final game.

“I wasn’t ever worried that we were going to lose the match until the fifth game,” Teicher said. “Where we were down a little and it dawned on me that we could actually lose this game.”

“Ask anybody on the team—I don’t like going off the court,” Lawson said. “But towards the end of the fifth game I was thinking, ‘Maybe I will sit this one out.’”

The team had incredible depth in the squad with two players deep at every position, and leaving Teicher’s team in good shape for future playoff runs.

“In practice,” Lawson said, “we do this drill which is basically a scrimmage of the starters vs. the second string, and the second string is the best team we play all year.”

“The one thing I hear from almost every single team we play against is that we’re not arrogant,” Teicher said. “You know we are the powerhouse team but we don’t act like it. We win graciously and we respect our opponents and that’s something that I’ve been trying to preach. I’ve been proud of my guys the last seven years and how they’ve composed themselves.” he fifth and final game ended in a 17-15 win decided on a referee’s call of a double touch.

“I couldn’t believe it towards the end,” Teicher said. “Part of it was luck and some big points by Tim towards the end, but it was pretty nerve racking. It’s a shame that the game ended on a referees call but a win is a

T

ALDEN JAMES PHOTO

FINISHING STRONG

SPC WRAP–UP

GOING OUT ON TOP After winning his final match, captain Tim Simenc celebrates the five-set SPC championship game victory over Casady. This was the Lions’ third consecutive title and fourth in the last six years under coach Darren Teicher.

win and I love seeing the crowd come down and tackle the team and celebrate on the court.”

The crowd drowns the normally piercing shrill of the whistle out as it is blown one last time. Surging forward, the crowd pours onto the court, swarming the team.

The stampede of smiling faces and shouting voices consumes the entire floor of the gymnasium.

Simenc’s head rises up out of the sea

of people and the rest of his body follows as he is paraded around the court on the shoulders of his school.

“I could never thank the spurs, superfans and fans enough for all that they did to make it out to our game.” Simenc said.

“Being lifted on everyone’s shoulders at the end of the game and seeing all of the fans who were there for us, it didn’t feel right to be up there. The fans were the real MVPs of the game.”

STORY CASE LOWRY | PHOTO ALDEN JAMES

Junior Graass paces cross country team in race M

Norbuck Park.

“We were expecting to win at first, but we knew that it would be difficult,” Graass said. “That just shows the unpredictability of cross country.”

The team was disappointed at first because they fell short of their expectations after winning the title last year. Despite the unexpected SPC finish, senior captain Chris Carter, a four-year member of the program, appreciates the uniqueness and unity of

this year’s team.

“This team was probably the closest team I’ve been on because it was really small and everyone shared the goal of improving for SPC,” Carter said.

As a future leader of the team, Graass is already looking forward.

“Next year will be my last year with the team, and I’ve been through it all, so I know how to lead a team to victory,” Graass said. “We have a really good team, so I am looking forward to it.”

holiday catering and parties

by Rish Basu he football team finished third in the SPC North Zone rankings this season, making the playoffs for the third consecutive year. With Casady and All Saints having the top two records in the zone, the Lions finished with a 6-3 overall record while going 5-2 record in SPC play.

After beating Holland Hall in the homecoming game Oct. 17 to qualify for the SPC playoffs, the Lions lost in the first round 37-30 to Episcopal High School. Senior quarterback Walter Junior Johnson and senior running back J.T. Justin Jones both rushed for two Graass touchdowns in the playoff game against

T

MASON SMITH PHOTO

by Anvit Reddy oving at a steady pace, junior J.T. Graass methodically pumps his arms and his legs. The early November wind knifes his skin, but he doesn’t notice.

Then he feels a sudden pang. A cramp in his leg.

Fighting through the pain, Graass finishes third place overall individually. But it’s not enough.

The varsity cross-country team finished third place at the Nov. 8 SPC Championship meet at

Football falls to Episcopal Houston, 37-30 Episcopal High School.

The Lions got off to a slow start, trailing by two scores at the end of the first half but picked it up in the second half to lose by one score.

Junior wide receiver William Caldwell added one more touchdown, and a field goal from sophomore kicker Grant Brooks completed the scoring for the Lions.

“Despite losing in the first round, the team performed extremely well this season in my opinion.” Senior captain Case Brabham said. “We played our best really in the last game, and I’m happy to see the team finish the season by giving it their all.”

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St. Mark’s School of Texas 10600 Preston Road Dallas, Texas, 75230

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In the eighth annual Ice Bowl, ReMarker editor-in-chief Matthew Conley (left) hopes to lead his staff to a victory against the Marksmen staff led by editor-in-chief Carrington Kyle (right). The game takes place Dec. 19 in Hunt Stadium at 1 p.m.

THE BACK SPORTS PAGE THE REMARKER FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2014 PAGE 28

SOCCER STATS

Keeping it safe KEY

Saves (12)

Taking over for John Caldwell ’14, junior goalkeeper Sam Eichenwald has big shoes to fill. The ReMarker breaks down the stats of Eichenwald’s first starts.

Goals (3)

ACCESS DENIED In his first two games, Eichenwald cemented himself as the varsity goalkeeper. The results were a 1-0 shutout against St. John’s and a 1–6 loss against John Paul II, a game where the Lions did not have their seniors because of the Senior Leadership Dinner. Eichenwald let in three of the six goals in the loss against John Paul II.

SAM EICHENWALD Quick hits Learning the ropes “I feel like I have to go out and prove myself to show that I deserve the spot. I hope that I do and I think that I do, but I learned a little bit from being behind John Caldwell last year because he picked up being keeper really quickly.”

On the season

“I’m very excited. I think we have a very good team.

I think we have great captains in Hilario and Jack Fojtasek. I do think we can win SPC this year. It’s a team effort, it’s going to take all of us, on the field, on the bench, everyone. I’m just really excited.”

Team’s strengths

“I think the main strength of the team this year is the depth we have. We could probably field a second varsity squad with all of our reserves because most of the seniors this year were there last year and some the year before.

They are all veterans of the squad and have been playing soccer for a while.”

GAME BREAKDOWN

1-0 1-6 Lions vs.

St. John’s Home Nov. 14 Win

Lions vs.

John Paul II Home Nov. 17 Loss

Goalie mentality

“If I let up a goal, then I have to bounce back and stop the next one because I can’t do anything else about it.

Also, it’s really fun when someone crosses it into the box and you jump up and knock someone over.”

‘WE DIDN’T HAVE SENIORS IN THE JOHN PAUL II GAME. IT’S NOT REALLY AN EXCUSE. I CAN’T MAKE EXCUSES FOR OUR POOR PLAY. I THINK IT WAS OUR MENTALITY. ’ JUNIOR GOALIE SAM EICHENWALD

REPORTING PHILIP SMART | PHOTOS MASON SMITH | ILLUSTRATION ABHI THUMMALA, PHILIP SMART