The ReMarker | March 2018

The ReMarker newspaper • St. Mark’s School of Texas • Dallas, Texas • Volume 64 Issue 5 • March 9, 2018 News in brief

COURSE SELECTIONS CLOSE

Students were able to choose from a variety of classe for the upcoming 20182019 school year.

With the second trimester ending, upper schoolers had the opportunity to plan out the next academic year.

Students met with advisors to discuss schedule possibilities for their freshman, sophomore, junior or senior year Tuesday, March 6.

REMARKER

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THE SMOKING

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he teachers told them to start running.

Just run.

Explosions ripped lockers from their hinges.

The symphony of pager beeps tethered the hell inside with the outside world.

She remembers waiting for friends — friends packed like sardines in the choir room closet for three hours.

Waiting. Praying for the SWAT team.

And then she remembers her sister, Eliza.

A sophomore trapped in the cafeteria with a test that afternoon, Eliza had just left her friends, Cassie Bernall and Rachel Scott in the library — the library where two seniors massacred 13 of their Columbine High School classmates.

Columbine survivor Amalia Fernand admits that day — and the funerals, vigils, media storm and condolence-driven free movie tickets that followed — remains a blur.

But some things stick with her.

She still closes her eyes during violent movies.

She still remembers every detail of running across that field.

She still realizes how fragile life really is — that you never know what’s going to happen at any time.

STORY CONTINUES, PAGE 14

• Story Davis Bailey, Zach Gilstrap, Kobe Roseman Additional Reporting Parker Davis, Nathan Han, James Rogers Photo Riley Sanders

30 minutes with...

The point of churning ice cream is breaking [the crystals] up. If they get too large, you get icy ice cream. Icy ice cream is not what you want.

MUJIN KWUN Page 16

Life in brief

SPRING BASKET DRIVE BEGINS The annual Spring Basket Drive began March 5 and will continue for three weeks, ending March 26.

Community service board members hope to continue the tradition of spring giving, benefitting the Martin Luther King and West Dallas Community Centers, as advisors begin to assign items for students to bring.

The spring baskets will be filled with various items, including a small toy, candy and canned goods.

Also, a partnership with #LiveBeyond has resulted in the addition of toothbrushes and toothpaste to the baskets in order to benefit the lives of underpriveleged families in Haiti.

Sports in brief

IMPORTANT MATCHUPS Beginning a new season of spring sports, Water polo will travel to Carroll ISD Aquatic Center for the Southlake Carroll Tournament.

The lacrosse team will spend the first part of spring break in North Carolina for three days.

Finally, Track & Field will travel to participate in the Eaton Eagle Invitational in Haslet, TX March 17. The event will be immediatly followed by the Texas Distance Carnival in Southlake Carroll.

Gearing up to vote

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As contributing members of society, we have the privilege and the duty to take part in the selection of the politicians who represent us and stand for the ideals that adhere to our morals.

WASEEM NABULSI See Page 4-5 for information on voting and how the local elections will impact the community

Inside NEWS THE MANUAL LIFE PERSPECTIVES BUZZ COMMENTARY SPORTS BACK PAGE

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Ashes, dishes, reflection

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o, it’s not dirt. ​No, I didn’t put mascara on my forehead. ​Yes, it’s supposed to be a cross. ​That little smudge of ash that loses its shape as the day wears on has a symbolic meaning behind it.

In Christianity, Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, a day of solemnity where churchgoers receive ashes to remind them of human mortality and the need for repentance. ​While tradition holds that parishioners usually give up something for the duration of Lent, recent years have seen the rise of introspection and service to others in place of denying oneself. ​So after hearing Father Arbogast’s chapel sermon, I decided to adopt a generic Lenten promise to try to be more conscientious while also performing random acts of service. ​Day one began with me nonchalantly offering to drive my sister to the store since her car’s Andre headlight Arsenault Assignments was burnt editor out. She happily accepted and rewarded me with a quick “Thanks!” ​Day two, I was the first one to wake up in the morning. So naturally, my good deed for the day was trekking down the stairs and preparing the morning coffee for the house. By the time everyone else was awake, the sweet, delicate scent of dark roast coffee wafted through the air. ​ And so I continued with my sacred promise, trying to do some small act Kathan Ramnath photo each day: clean up the living room one day, take the dog for a walk on Humanities instructor Rebecca Jenkins and sixth grader Thomas Whitehurst prepare care packages of another. It wasn’t until a few days various school supplies in Graduate Hall during a sixth grade community service project for the Promise later when I quietly unloaded the House Homeless Shelter in South Dallas. Among the supplies were paper, colored pencils and notecards. dishwasher and began cleaning the dirty dishes that I realized something… disappointing. Even shameful.

News in brief ​As I finished scrubbing the last of advisors and parents to finalize recipient family of the Habitat for ed in their annual campout March 1 and is expected to end at 5:15 p.m. the dishes, my mom walked in, gawk- SOPHOMORE QUALIFIES their schedule for next fall when the Humanity house. and 2 at Mill Creek located in east ​Members of Quiz Bowl team will ing at the sight of a clean kitchen — a FOR PHYSICS OLYMPIAD Sophomore Nicholas Tsao has 2018-2019 school year starts.

Texas. also have the chance to qualify for mix of joy, confusion and dare I say qualified for the second round of DEBATE TEAM TO ATTEND ​The campout served as the the US Geography Olympiad and gratitude graced her face. the U.S. Physics Olympiad. Tsao SPRING BASKET DRIVE TO NATIONAL COMPETITION introduction to the wilderness prothe US History Bee. She thanked me enthusiastically, is one of the 300 students in the COLLECT ITEMS MARCH 26 The Upper School debate team gram for this year’s sixth graders. praising me for helping out. I savored The annual spring basket drive will attend the National Debate ​While on their campout, the UPPER SCHOOLERS PLACE that feeling of pride and triumphant- nation to make it to this level as 5,600 students took the first round ends March 26. Students should Coaches Association sixth-graders practiced fishing, SECOND AND THIRD IN TEAMS ly strode out of the kitchen before of the exam. turn in their assigned items to their National Champishelter construction, camp cooking Out of the six teams of eight settling down to research journalism This is the second year in a row advisors. onship, which will and other useful skills.. students each that participated in story pitches. that Tsao has made the second Community service director be held April 14-16 ​Wilderness program director the annual TEAMS competition Feb. ​After a few short minutes of perus- round, and he is the only Marksmen Jorge Correa emphasizes the at Marist School in Nicholas Sberna sees the sixth15, two teams in the ninth and tenth ing articles, I stumbled upon a heart- to qualify both as a freshman and importance of turning in all items Atlanta, GA. grade campout as a way for the grade levels placed second and breaking narrative about the impact sophomore. so that every basket will remain Senior Harris Wilson and juniors students to share experiences. third, and one team in the 11th and of the opioid crisis – a story of a girl consistent as they are donated.

David Vallejo, Samir Ratakonda and 12th grade level placed third. born to a drug-addicted mom, forced COURSE REQUESTS FOR NEXT Baskets will be donated Wheeler Sears will compete in the QUIZ BOWL TO COMPETE IN TEAMS, which stands for Tests of to raise her little sister while juggling SCHOOL YEAR DUE TODAY to various community centers field of policy debate.

NORTH TEXAS HISTORY BEE Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics several part-time jobs and school.

The deadline for students to and shelters throughout Dallas, ​The 2018 North Texas History and Science, is a competition ​Then it hit me: an avalanche of select their courses for next year is including the Martin Luther King, SIXTH GRADE ATTENDS ANNUAL Bee and Bowl will be taking designed to help students realize the end of today at 3:05.

Jr. Center and the Jubilee Park CAMPOUT IN EAST TEXAS place on campus March 24. The their potential in the engineering self-loathing and realization.

Students should work with their Community Center and to the ​The sixth-grade class participatcompetition will start at 8:15 a.m. field.

In that moment, I realized just how low the bar was for me. How easy I ­­­­­­— Lyle Ochs, Wallace White, Ishan Gupta, Mateo Guevara, Christopher Wang, Wallace White, Michael Lukowicz have it. How little I do to reciprocate to my loving, caring parents.

Say what?

Inside Around the corner The mere fact that I was praised, for Comments made by students, faculty and staff around campus executing a simple, household chore On campus called into question my role as a son.

Fourth grade Mother-Son Dance And given my challenge to be more Math Team I just tried to smell myself under · Where: Great Hall. introspective, it seemed like a perfect Taking a look behind the water. · When: March. 25, 5:30 p.m. chance to reevaluate. the scenes at the · What: A dance for fourth-graders and their mothers.

Where did I go wrong? How did I mathletes who make ­— Freshman Aaayan Khasgiwala as he comes manage to learn all the great values up gasping for air during water polo practice. up our Math team.

ERB Testing begins for Middle School St. Mark’s promotes yet neglect to · Where: In their respective classrooms. apply them to my home life? Most im· When: March 20-21. portantly, how did I fail so miserably · What: Middle schoolers will begin their ERB testing.

Mid Term Elections I know the longest word in the to give back, to help my parents who An insight into the Texas dictionary. Newton’s law of therwork tirelessly every day? midterm elections and a modynamics? No. SupercalifraGuilt overcame me as I thought of former Marksmen who is gilistic. No wait. I got it: Al Capone. all the things my parents do for me running in them. many times without even a simple ­— Freshman Harrison Ingram ‘thanks’ in return — from ironing uniform shirts, to supporting me in all my athletic endeavors, to making sure Future of TV News dinner is on the table every night, As more young people As I closed my laptop and drifted All right guys, break off like a tree Santa Fe Days in the Park prefer to receive their off to sleep, I vowed to make a change. and leaf. news online, the I vowed to pick up random chores Off campus ­— Humanities instructor Johnny Hunter future of television around the house. I vowed to utter Santa Fe Days in the Park news is uncertain. those simple words — “thank you” · Where: Sandy Lake Amusement Park.

— more often. I vowed to attempt, no · When: March 17-18, 10 a.m. matter the futility, to repay the un· What: Two-day American Indian Festival. measurable debt I’ve accrued.

Senior Follies I often fantasize about breaking out of Because in just a few short months, Texas Pinball Festival school by tunneling through the wall A forgotten tradition, I’ll be hundreds of miles away as I · What: Over 400 arcade games. like in “The Shawshank Redemption.” once an annual tradition begin a new part of my life. · When: March 18. of the senior class.

And this time, I’ll be ironing my ­— Junior Charlie Hubbard · Where: Embassy Suites Frisco. own shirts.

NEWS

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News • March 9, 2018 • The ReMarker • Page 3 In conversation

THE FORMULA FOR SUCCESS

After placing 31st at the Harvard-MIT Math Tournament (HMMT), members of the math team chronicle their quest to victory.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT Upper School Math Team members Devan Patel, Nicholas Tsao and Jesse Zhong (left to right) each take on challenging problems during an intense practice.

Christopher Wang: How has the Math Team evolved while you have been on the team?

CW: When mentoring the middle schoolers, what do you hope to achieve?

JR: Do you have any good stories or memories from your experiences?

Senior captain Kevin Feng: For the last few years the math team was really focused on the strong members, but now a lot of them graduated. So now we’re trying to shift the focus back more to interesting math for anyone that might be interested in problem solving.

Before, it was all competition. We focus on preparing for competitions, but now we’re [practicing] the interesting parts of math.

JZ: It’s fun working together because you can’t always do math by yourself. It’s like staying in your room and doing math. That’s really boring, so having people talk to you and having a mentor just makes it more enjoyable.

The ultimate goal is doing well in competitions, but why do math if you’re not going to have fun doing it?

NT: A math team highlight is the HMMT trip in Boston where we get the chance to reunite with old friends from around the country and make new ones. On top of that, we have a St. Mark’s alumni dinner reunion the evening after the contest to relax and talk with older graduates of the school.

CW: As a senior captain, have you seen your team grow or develop since the beginning of the year?

Senior captain Jesse Zhong: I think that, in some aspects, a lot of the underclassman have matured a lot throughout the process because they know that, when we’re gone, they’re going to be the leaders. Every year, people are leaving, and it’s time for others to step up. I think as the year’s progressed, they’ve learned to take things seriously when things need to be taken seriously.

CW: What are your goals and hopes for the up and coming leaders of the Math Team?

JZ: I think openness is something core to how the math team runs, and it’s just a good way to try being open to new ideas. When you’re solving a problem and you’re just stuck, being open to others and being open to criticism is really helpful. I think that also being open and really engaging with new people who want to come to math team, even if they come once a month, they are still valuable members, and just make sure we’re not segregating ourselves and placing ourselves on some pedestal.

James Rogers: What have the previous leaders taught you? Has it influenced your involvement within the team?

MENTAL MATHLETE Junior Jason Peng takes a practice test at a team meeting.

Sophomore Nicholas Tsao: I think older students always set an example for younger ones whether intentionally or not. The previous upperclassmen, especially the seniors who graduated last year, helped me understand the dynamic of many of these contests. They provided encouragement to everyone, and seeing their success inspired me to work harder.

JR: What are some of your takeaways from your time on the team?

NT: I think the biggest takeaways from my time on the team are problem-solving and collaboration skills. Both of these qualities make up the core of most of the competitions we go to and working with fellow team members to solve these math problems definitely improved both.

JR: What have the previous upperclassmen leaders taught you? How has it influenced your involvement within the team?

Junior Richard Shen: I can’t recall any explicit teachings from upperclassmen, but I definitely looked up to them because they were geniuses. They made math look so fun and easy. I think that’s what really got me into competition math in the first place.

JR: What are some of your takeaways from your time on the team?

RS: Being on the team taught me that fun and learning don’t necessarily trade off. Yes we have to do worksheets all the time, but it’s fun when we all work together. Also that you don’t have to be good at something to enjoy it.

• Interviews Christopher Wang, James Rogers Photos Lee Schlosser, Kyle Smith

Student Council executive office elections to begin April 9

by Reece Rabin he process for electing students into executive offices will begin April 9. Students are free to run for office if they fill out the form being released after spring break.

Student Council president Canyon Kyle ’18 knows how much the position means to him, and how he and the rest of Student Council have enjoyed the opportunity to serve an engaged, excited student body.

“My experience as Student Council president has been incredible,” Kyle said. “I never imagined the students could accomplish the things we have this year. There has been such an amazing and loving feeling throughout the community.”

The season will start with the Student Council candidate speeches, and students will be eligible to vote in the election online. The same process will apply for class officer elections.

Class officers will take on the responsibilities of their respective class, including planning activities and encouraging class unity and inclusion.

“I learned that there is always somebody in the community who wants to feel included,” Kyle said.

“It is my goal to make sure everybody feels appreciated for what they bring to school every day.”

The elections are open to anyone that has been at the school for one year and has a GPA of 2.8 or above with no failed classes or Level III violations of Lion Tracks.

Student Council advisor Casey Gendason has seen that anyone who fulfills the requirements and

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bring both charisma and genuine care for their position can rise to the top.

“There’s a generally equal playing field for all students that meet the requirements,” Gendason said. “Candidates who connect with the audience with personality, a genuine interest in serving and practical ideas about creating diverse, fun student experiences tend to fair the best.”

Although Kyle is sad to be moving on, he looks forward to seeing who comes next and how they use the position to continue making the school a better place.

“Student Council president is a position that gives someone the opportunity to make a difference,” Kyle said. “The only question is whether or not you choose to take advantage of that opportunity. In the end, when I pass on the torch, I hopefully can say that I made a positive impact in the community because there is no doubt that the student body has made a lasting impact on me.”

Current STUCO officers President: Canyon Kyle Vice President: Niteesh Vemuri Secretary: Joshua Kang

Three simple steps to apply 1. Complete the application form, available in the Upper School office after spring break.

2. Begin campaigning once you have applied, staying mindful of the rules and regulations.

3. Give a speech to the Upper School April 9.

The next generation

After placing second at the MathCounts competition, eighth-graders Matthew Fan and Alex Geng reflect on their success.

Christopher Wang: How has the upper schoolers’ mentoring benefited you?

Eighth-grader Matthew Fan: Every Tuesday, they come in and help us on problems, and this allows us to gain more experience. They’ve also taught us how to manage our time and to skip the hard ones and come back to them later.

CW: What have the upper schoolers taught you beyond just simple mathematics skills?

MF: They’ve taught us how to work together as a team and do what we need to do to work together as a group and help each other. They’ve been good leaders and they know what they need to do to make us better.

CW: What have you guys learned together as a team throughout the year?

Eighth-grader Alex Geng: We’ve learned how to cooperate with each other because I remember the first scrimmage match we couldn’t really work together that well.

We’ve also learned how to communicate with each other on what answers we got.

It’s a trust sort of thing. We’ve learned how to trust our teammates when they write down an answer.

CW: How have the Upper School mentors helped and guided you guys?

AG: Mostly by teaching us and giving us the experience of what it’s like to practice as if it was our competition. It’s basically like applying what we’ve learned and applying it to a competition. They’ve also taught us how to improve as a leader.

Page 4 • The ReMarker • March 9, 2018 • News

The value of a

VOTE

On March 6, the state came together to vote in the primary elections. Judge Carl Ginsberg ‘88, students and faculty discuss the value these elections have on the community.

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he Senior Class of 1988 was crammed into the tight, sweltering bleachers in Spencer Gym. It felt like a military drill.

Each student was passed a voter registration form and a special service registration form. For this group of guys, registering to vote was not an option. At the time, it was a requirement for all eighteen year olds at the school to register to vote.

One of those students who had to register was Carl Ginsberg ’88. Now, 30 years later, he is the 193rd Civil District Court Judge, and he ran for re-election this past primary voting season.

When he was a senior, the school made sure you were able to participate in democracy. Today, students must register on their own accord.

The midterm elections are often overlooked in the minds of voter in favor of the massive political spectacle of the presidential elections. Only about 40 percent of eligible voters show up to vote on average. However, with recent political polarization, rivals on Capitol Hill and their supporters see an opportunity to tip power in congress in their favor. This effort is causing a predicted record turnout to the congressional elections.

“There’s a massive interest in the midterm cycle this time around. Locally we’re seeing larger turnout on the midterm elections and the presidential level,” Ginsberg said. “But you have to be involved politically, you have to go out and get it.”

Younger voters tend to participate in elections in very large numbers, with about 84% of registered voters actually casting a ballot.

Ginsberg says that youth voting is important to create good habits and prevent voter apathy.

“Younger people have the time, the drive, energy and vision,” Ginsberg said. “It’s

good if people get involved early on to form good habits. If young people are voting now, they are more likely to become life-time voters.”

Voter apathy is at an all-time high.

In fact, the United states trails most developed countries in voter turnout, with Belgium having the highest at 89.4% of voters going out to the polls according to Pew Research Group.

“The French have a saying, “ if you don’t do politics, politics will do STANDING STRONG Ginsberg you,” Ginsberg said. “Younger people marches with a labor union as a have the time, the drive, energy and call to action in California. vision, and they must capitalize on that.”

The recent political polarization may have a considerable impact on how people vote. Some feel as if they’re forced to take a side. With extreme ideologies becoming more and more prevalent, moderates are suddenly losing backing and becoming irrelevant on a political level.

“We had a really divided electorate,” Ginsberg said. “We see this not just in America, this phenomenon is happening all over the world. The center parties are losing vote share to extreme left and extreme right.”

And concerning the race for judge, many question what one’s qualifications should be.

“Judges can’t run on policy issues,” Ginsberg said.

“The last person you want to elect as judge is someone who has had a bad legal record and are just looking for a stable job.”

The competition While there are no Republicans who ran for Ginsberg’s position, here are the Democrats he ran against in the primaries.

• Bridgett Whitmore • Joan Ballard • Lindsay Harrison

• Story Kamal Mamdani, Wallace White, Sam Shane, Lyle Ochs Photos Riley Sanders, courtesy Carl Ginsberg

Voices on campus Seniors and faculty who voted in primary elections speak to the importance of voting.

What is the importance of voting?

These five seniors explain the impact they have as student voters.

Getting involved in the political process at a young age is incredibly important – after all, we are the next generation of leaders, and it is critical that we understand how to engage the political dynamics that affect every aspect of our lives.

— senior Harris Wilson

It’s a way to express who you are and feel more integrated into society. You can vote for a person who follows your ideals the most.

— senior Cal Rushton

Freedom of speech allows you to share your ideas while voting brings them to life.

— senior Hill Washburne

If you have the ability to participate in the election process and you neglect to do so, you have absolutely no right to complain when elected politicians do things with which you do not agree. If you want to see change happen in your community, you have to take preemptive action and vote.

— senior Waseem Nabulsi

Voting is a civic duty. If people don’t vote, democracy cannot function as it should.

— senior Mateo Diaz

News • March 9, 2018 • The ReMarker • Page 5

Who you’re voting for

The process

With almost fifty positions on the ballot in the primaries, there were many options on who to vote for. Here are the leading Democrats and Republicans according to The Dallas Morning News and statements released about campaign funds raised.

Governor

For those who did not get to vote March 6, here is the process on how to vote in the midterm elections in November and the future.

House of Representatives

Senate

1. Make sure you are eligible You are eligible to apply to vote if: — you are a U.S. citizen — you are a resident of the country where you submit the application — you are at least 18-years-old on election day — you are not a convicted felon — you have not been declared by a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be mentally unstable

Greg Abbott Current Position: Governor of Texas

Ted Cruz Party: Republican

Current Position: Texas US Senator

Pete Sessions Party: Republican

Current Position: US House Rep District 32

2. Complete the application Party: Republican

Greg Abbott advocates for Constitutionality and a liberalized economy.

His Bicentennial plan advocates for constitutional rights and securing the southern border. He oversaw disaster recovery after Hurricane Harvey.

Ted Cruz is running for reelection as senator. Ted Cruz is on record saying that the FCC’s Net Neutrality policy was “Obamacare for the Internet.” He aims to increase the availability of legal immigration through the expansion of “H1B” high-skilled work visas.

Pete Sessions is running for representative of the 32nd district of Texas. He is an avid supporter of the 2nd amendment.

He is against the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulations on coal energy and supports a market-directed energy plan.

Other Republicans who ran: Barbara Krueger. Larry Kilgore

Other Republicans who ran: Stefano de Stefano, Bruce Jacobson Jr., Mary Miller, Geraldine Sam

Other Republicans who ran: Paul Brown

Lupe Valdez

Beto O’Rourke

Ed Meier

Andrew White

Current Position: Party: Current Position: Democrat Businessman Sheriff

Current Position: US House Rep District 16

Party: Democrat

Current Position: Dallas State Dept. official

Party: Democrat

— You can fill out a form online (https:// webservices.sos.state.tx.us/vrapp/index. asp).

— Print and mail the application to the voter registrar in your county.

3. Show up and vote — The Saturday before the election, your local newspaper will announce the address of the poling station in your precinct.

— Bring an acceptable form of photo identification and enter your vote in either an electronic machine or a paper ballot.

The breakdown

28.3% The Democratic race is led by both Lupe Valdez and Andrew White.

Valdez has extensive experience with state government as a Dallas County Sheriff, and White has a familial background in politics as his father, Mark White, was the governor of the state of Texas.

Other Democrats who ran: Adrian Ocegueda, Cedric Davis, Grady Yarbrough, James Jolly Clark, Jeffrey Payne, Joe Mumbach, Thomas Wakely

Beto O’Rourke is the current Democratic Representative for the 16th district of Texas around El Paso. He is running for US Senate against Ted Cruz. He supports tuition assistance for veterans and their families. He pledged to not accept PAC contributions to his campaign.

Ed Meier was the former senior advisor for the U.S. State department and is running against Pete session for the representative of the 32nd district of Texas. He advocates for a globalized economic policy. He advocates for clean energy expansion in Texas.

Other Democrats who ran: Sema Hernandez, Edward Kimbrough

Other Democrats who ran: Colin Allred, Ron Marshall, Todd Maternowski, George Rodriguez, Lillian Salerno, Brett Shipp

registered voters who voted in the last primary election

72% seniors who voted in the primary election SOURCE: votetexas.gov, poll of 75 seniors

What do you look for in a candidate?

Faculty and seniors share their insight on the qualities they hope to see in their leaders. They understand the impact these leaders have on the community.

I want to see someone who has a clean political record, who supports social causes that I believe in. I want to see someone who is willing to work with both sides to make actual change in office.

— senior Andrew Smith

I want someone who doesn’t have a shady background, someone who is straightforward. I want someone who is not extreme right or left, and embraces both sides. ­— senior Omar Rana

It depends who’s running, and what their qualifications are. I do look at their qualifications, and I look for the ones that fit the criteria I would have. It doesn’t depend on party, but rather the qualifications I think they should have. ­— choirmaster Tinsley Silcox

I want someone who will be able to make decisions that will help the majority of people in our country and not just a select few.

— senior Seun Omonije

It carries on whether it’s a state, local or national office. What I try and look for is someone who I believe is honest and sincere. I look for someone that aligns with my personal political beliefs. Honesty, sincerity, and clarity of thought and focus.

— Master Teacher Jon Valasek

I like to see that they’ve been consistently voting for things that align with my values, not flip-flopping on issues. ­— senior Sammy Sanchez

Page 6 • The ReMarker • March 9, 2018 • News

FADING INTO OBSCURITY Television news

As more youth are transitioning to getting their news from the internet, what will happen to television news?

• Story Lyle Ochs, Andy Crowe Photo Riley Sanders

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t used to be the main source of daily information and breaking news.

Anchors were celebrities – their words etched into history.

In the morning and at night, televisions would be tuned into hear stories about local communities and the world. But now, news is very different.

With the introduction of breaking news on the internet and platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, local television news ratings are dropping annually.

As young adults and teenagers grow up using other platforms to receive their news, the future of television news is uncertain.

In a Pew Research study on the television news viewership in all age groups in 2016, 27 percent of young adults received their news from television, compared with adults aged 30 to 49 at 50 percent.

This decline in viewership has been noticed by people in the industry as well, including David Schechter, a senior reporter at WFAA. “Primarily, in the ’70’s, ’80’s and ’90’s, we would have huge ratings, but there weren’t many other competing factors,” Schechter said. “Now, you have the internet, and it eroded the audience and then things like Instagram and Facebook eroded it even more. Even platforms like Hulu and Netflix are providing great content which is splintering the audience, so now we have a much smaller piece of the audience that we used to have all of.”

CBS 11 News reporter Brooke Rogers says the younger audience in particular is starting to decrease their viewing of nightly news.

“Eighteen to fifty-four is the primary demographic that TV news targets,” Rogers said. “We’re still getting the older viewers, but the younger viewers are not tuning in. There’s definitely a huge commitment in the industry to try to find ways to reach those younger viewers, knowing that the era of them tuning into the five o’clock newscast is gone.”

Junior Jonah Simon is one of many teenagers who receives his news primarily through online sources.

“I don’t knowingly choose Twitter or a website over TV, Simon said. “It’s just usually a more convenient way to stay caught-up with news.”

Rogers realizes the industry must make changes in order to increase the amount of young viewers watching television news.

“In order to reach that younger audience, we as an industry need to continue to find creative outlets to reach them,” Rogers said. “In the last couple of years, we have made advancements in the form of Facebook Live and an increased social media presence. I think that will continue, maybe to the point that that is the way we exclusively reach a younger audience.”

Although they have many competitors, Schechter says television news has something to offer that other platforms can’t.

“I think that the information that you find on Twitter or Instagram has a kind of “drive-by quality,” Schechter said.

“It may not go as deeply, and you generally have fewer time to consume it. If you’re taking the time to sit down and watch TV, you’re probably going to get longer stories with more information in them, along with characters and storytelling. There’s not a lot of storytelling going on on Twitter. It is more just presenting the information.”

Rogers also believes television news offers something unique.

“It’s the powerful combination of the image and the word.” Rogers said. “Good journalism is always about storytelling, writing and truth-telling. When you can combine those three things, I don’t think there is a more powerful medium than television.”

Even though the audience is decreasing as less young adults are watching the news, Schechter knows that the programs are oriented towards older audience members.

“You also have to think about how engaged in their communities they are, their maturity and their interest in the world around them besides their own lives because that generally comes later in life,” Schechter said. “I

IN THE FIELD Local news reporters David Schechter (left) and Brooke Rogers (right) report for WFAA and CBS respectively, and they have worked in the local television news industry for a combined 43 years.

don’t feel like someone who is between the ages of 15 and 19 will actually watch the news, but I feel like for people in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s, we need to do a better job of talking to them in ways they want to be engaged.”

In an effort to make television news more appealing to all ages, Schechter has created a new series within WFAA called Verify in which he provides insights to complex and relevant issues and explains the truth behind them.

“It’s pretty much my whole job with Verify, which is to make something that nobody else is doing and is not considered to be a cornerstone of typical news to keep people interested in watching the local news,” Schechter said.

“Verify was a part of a corporate initiative from our parent company, TEGNA. They knew that we needed to come up with new ways of reaching our audience, and without many instructions, that is what we came up with.”

Rogers and CBS 11 have also started to create new forms of content to increase viewership.

“At my station, we just started News Now,” Rogers said, “which is a digital news update where each reporter is shooting vignettes on what they’re working on and giving our viewers a behind-the-scenes look.”

While this may help draw people in, Rogers says she still hopes they will eventually find their way to the more traditional content that CBS offers.

“Right now our goal is to capture their attention in an online setting and then to drive them to either our news cast or to an online clip of our news,” Rogers said.

While online news sources may be more convenient, many are unreliable and lack a real connection with the audience.

“I feel like people trust us more than they trust national media,” Schechter said. “We do a good job of staying in touch with out community and bringing back the information.”

Simon says he has become weary of inaccurate reporting on the internet.

“It’s definitely more convenient, but with that comes some risk,” Simon said. “You never know for sure if what you are reading is the entire story or if it is biased in some way. I feel like traditional newscasts do a better job of establishing credibility than online news sources do.”

Rogers has also noticed this recent decrease in ethical reporting.

“Anybody can post something on a blog or on Twitter,” Rogers said. “It doesn’t make them a journalist nor does it make what they’re saying factual. I think it’s still extremely important to have credible sources where you know you’re getting accurate information.”

LOOKING ELSEWHERE Over 60 percent of Marksmen prefer to receive their news over the internet or Twitter instead of on television.

Panelists present at annual STEM Conference

by Ishan Gupta olecular biologist at UT Southwestern Rhonda Bassel-Duby, collections manager for the Perot Museum Karen Morton and founding partner of Global Infrastructure Partners Bill Woodburn spoke at the annual STEM conference March 2 in Decherd Performance Hall.

The conference, run by seniors Kabeer Singh and Jack Parolisi and junior Emmett Berger, did not feature any alumni guest speakers because the specific goal for this year was different than usual.

“A big push we had this year for the STEM conference was to show more gender diversity,” Singh said. “That’s why two of the three speakers this year are women. It’s an area that’s male-dominated, so we felt that it would be good to show there are strong women in the field as well.”

The conference consisted of an Upper School assembly, a fifth-grade panel and a mixed seventh and eighth grade panel. Each of the guest speakers also visited different classrooms based on their area of expertise. “[Woodburn] has a background in engineering, so he will go to the info engineering classes, the physics classes and the economics classes,” Singh said, “whereas [Bassel-Duby] will go to the biology classes, AP biology classes and also the sixth and seventh grade classes.

Thankfully, [McDermott Master Teacher in Science John] Mead has introduced his students to CRISPR, the gene-editing tool that she specializes in, so that they can have an interesting discussion.”

Singh hopes the conference helped students find interest in either a specific career path or even just a general field.

“The goal of the conference is to shine light onto people who are in different STEM fields, show our student body what they’re doing and basically get our student body interested in pursuing STEM fields as a career,” Singh said.

Although not every student is interested in STEM, the conference is still important for each student because of the importance of STEM in almost every profession.

“We want to show how diverse it is in the sense that STEM isn’t just ‘I’m doing engineering’ or ‘I’m doing medicine,’” Singh said. “It’s everything. Everything is somehow involved in STEM. We have someone who’s in a business-oriented position, someone who’s working in a museum as a collections manager and even a professor who’s doing research, which is more of a traditional role. We want to show that STEM is a diverse spectrum of professions.”

M

News • March 9, 2018 • The ReMarker • Page 7

Lower School adds Jackie Robinson to Leadership Wall

A LOST TRADITION Senior follies

From the 50s through 1990, the senior follies was a Senior Class tradition at the end of every year. Today, the tradition is forgotten by almost everybody. Except those seniors themselves.

Sid Vattamreddy: What were the senior follies?

Chemistry instructor Kenneth Owens ’89: Senior follies was a play that the seniors would put together during the time between the end of AP exams and graduation to make fun of all the goofy things that happened in the year. They would spoof what kids did, what teachers did, favorite idiosyncrasies of faculties and staff and so on.

SV: What were your favorite memories?

KO: I played the body of George Hague, my chemistry teacher for three years. George Hague was a loud person, so my classmate Greg Hutton played the voice of Hague and I had to lip-sync all of my lines because Hutton was on the speakers in Decherd.

I really enjoyed lampooning Mr. Hague after working with him for so long, and he seemed to enjoy it too.

Ishan Gupta: Why did so many people decide to get involved?

Chris Flanagan ’88: It was a bonding thing.

It was a fun way to go out of your St.

IN COSTUME Students sing, discuss and have fun performing in Decherd Hall.

by Chris Wang he Lower School held a special assembly March 7 in honor of its newest addition to the Lower School Leadership Wall, Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play Major League Baseball in the modern era.

One member of each grade of the Lower School spoke about a part of Jackie Robinson’s life and why he makes such a great leader.

According to Lower School Head Sherri Darver, the students employed a new process this year.

“The process has changed over the last few years,” Darver said.

“The way we did it this year is we had a nomination box that sat underneath the Leadership Wall since the beginning of the school year.

Any time a boy or a teacher had discussed somebody or thought of somebody they thought was a good nominee, they’d write down who they were nominating and why.”

The balloting came down to five nominees, and Robinson was elected as the next leader for the wall. Darver attributes his selection to the fact that there was no previous athlete on the wall until now.

“The boys realized that there were no sports figures out there on the wall,” Darver said. “He was On the wall... chosen because he Here are the noted was such a strong leaders who have been voted on to the leader in setting the bar for early Leadership Wall by previous classes: African-American baseball players.”

• Jackie Robinson Ultimately, • Mahatma Ghandi Darver hopes low• Harriet Tubman er schoolers learn • Abraham Lincoln • Martin Luther lessons from choosKing, Jr. ing Robinson .

• George Washington “We’re raising • John F. Kennedy the awareness of • Nelson Mandela • Mother Teresa these boys and • Dr. Norman Borlaug teaching them that • Malala Yousafsai a leader doesn’t always have to be the captain of the team or the head of something,” Darver said. “They can lead by example and lead by doing the right thing in moving their community forward. So we try to help them focus on how Jackie Robinson made a difference in the world and how he moved his communities forward.”

T SENIOR STARS All together in song and dance, the seniors poke fun at the actions of students and teachers from the year.

Mark’s experience. I think some were more creative and more involved than others, but generally most of the class was excited to participate in some way, shape or form.

IG: What were your best memories?

CF: The rehearsals were certainly fun, just being part of a production like that. I think we had three shows, and I forget the days, but we had two night shows and a matinee.

Just seeing the audience’s reaction and participation, it was funny. It was all just fun.

IG: Why were the Follies important to you?

CF: It was one of the last class memories we had. Frankly, it was one of the only things we all did and worked on together that was totally ours and fun. It didn’t matter if you were in band or orchestra, or in choir, or on a sports team, debating or anything like that. It really drew in the entire class, and that’s what made it special and unique.

Kamal Mamdani: Was it a big bonding experience for the class?

KM: Did your class’ independence make Senior Follies fun?

Paul Genender ’87: It was the independence, and I also think it was the ability to not take ourselves seriously. It’s an opportunity to laugh and to be self-deprecating, to pay a compliment to our teachers who were amazing. It was really an opportunity to let everyone laugh at themselves, and our teachers were amazing about that.

KM: How did it help bring your time here to an end?

PG: It was a fun way to do it because we went out with a class project. We had the campaign, we had the tradition, bringing in the kids into the chapel in the Christmas party, we had baccalaureate — this was just a part of those things. If you looked at our class at the time we graduated and looked now, many people would be very surprised how cohesive we are. I think the follies provided the foundation for that.

IG: How did senior follies come to an end?

Jeff Genecov ’77: No question. Our class started out with a lot of different groups. By the end of the semester, all those groups had pretty much disappeared. I think that’s one of the reasons our class has been so strong all these years because of the experience we had during follies.

English instructor Curtis Smith: It was Saturday Night Live a la 10600 Preston Road.

Some teachers became uncomfortable with it. It split into mockery and didn’t stay true to satire, so teachers would start withdrawing from it. It called into question whether the senior follies was a good thing to do, and it stopped.

KM: How did the production turn out?

IG: Could they come back?

JG: Some of the guys in the class who you wouldn’t expect to have the ability to mimic a classmate or teacher or had a talent no one knew about—all that came out during follies. One of the best skits we had involved a guy that was really quiet.

Nobody knew he had this great sense of humor, and he played it to the hills in one of the skits that went huge. That was neat to see your classmates find out their hidden talents and those unrecognized aspirations those guys had.

CS: Probably not. The world now is so much more politically correct. Nobody wants to mock people on stage. If it serves to tear down the community rather than build the community, then no. By and large, people are laughing at the person rather than laughing with the person, so those types of performances have to be closely monitored. For seniors, it’s their last hoorah, so there might be that bit of bitterness where they would just unleash off-script.

Given the times, I’d say no.

• Interviews Ishan Gupta, Kamal Mamdani, Sid Vattamreddy Photos courtesy Marksmen archive

News • March 9, 2018 • The ReMarker • Page 8

THE MANUAL

here are some of our early Bold predictions finalized, projections for the Big Dance.

Though the bracket has yet to be

Your guide to all things manly

PREDICTION: Kentucky bounces back and advances several rounds.

WHY: After entering the season with a lot of hype,

the Wildcats lost four in a row to start February, but they recently turned it around with four straight wins. With this freshmen-laden group looking to prove itself this March, it would not be surprising to see Kentucky go deep into the tournament.

In this issue: March Madness Bass Fishing

Your go-to guide to choosing a

PERFECT BRACKET

PREDICTION: Oklahoma’s star leads the team to tournament success.

WHY: Two words–Trae Young. If not the best player in the

nation, he is the heart and soul of the Sooners’ basketball team. After surviving conference play with an 8-10 record, the Sooners will most likely end up with a low seed. If Young continues his high-level play, Oklahoma is poised to upset a marquee program early in the tournament.

Despite the 1 in 9.2 quintillion odds of being 100 percent right, we have some strategies that might help shift the odds in your favor.

Look at the history

1

History tends to repeat itself. It’s always a good idea to look at the previous year’s games to find any advantage you can.

Choose some upsets

2

Every year there is a Cinderella team advancing deep into the tournament. Choose a couple or a few sleeper schools to take down the big-name giants.

PREDICTION: Nevada becomes this year’s Cinderella story.

WHY: This exciting mid-major program will

catch the nation by storm this year. After cruising through conference play and most likely the Mountain West tournament, Nevada will set its sights on defeating a tournament favorite. The Wolf Pack average 84 points per game, led by leading scorer Caleb Martin and breakout star Jordan Caroline. This red-hot offense will be their key to success.

PREDICTION: Arizona will be eliminated in the first round.

WHY: Though they have a high powered offense, the

Don’t fall in love with the one seed

3

Wildcats’ defense leaves much to be desired. Wildly inconsistent since the start of the season, they could get knocked off by an overachieving low seed. Alleged misconduct within head coach Sean Miller’s program seems to indicate a toxic team environment.

Yes, they were selected as a one seed for a reason. But remember, the Final Four has never consisted of all one seeds (except for 2008).

Predictions: Zach Landry Additional information: SBNation

Listen to the experts

4

Guys like Joe Lunardi and Jay Bilas know their stuff. So when in doubt, go with the expert’s opinion.

Numbers Never Lie Flip a coin

5

Can’t decide between an eight or nine seed? Leave it to chance if you truly have no idea what team to pick.

Battle of the mascots

6

Another great option if you aren’t a fan of digging deep into stats and insider reports. There’s absolutely no shame in choosing the coolest mascot.

WHEN: First games: March 13. Final Four: March 31. Championship: April 2.

HOW TO WATCH: Install the March Madness app. Live games will be on CBS. HOW TO MAKE A BRACKET: Create your entry on ESPN.com

your odds of picking a perfect bracket

8 68

the lowest seed to ever win the NCAA tournament

the number of teams competing in the Big Dance

$900 million

the revenue the NCAA earns from March Madness Source: SBNation

• Guide Zach Landry Photos Creative Commons

Places to go

Springtime bassin’

WHITE ROCK LAKE While it’s larger than most local spots, this lake is a perfect place to fish from the numerous docks or from a kayak, if you have one.

• Guide Zach Landry Photos Riley Sanders, Kathan Ramnath

TURTLE CREEK Running right through the heart of Dallas, this spot is an easy place to fish from the bank and catch some decent bass.

Here are the top lures and local places to give you the best chance at reeling in a largemouth bass.

Things to use CRANKBAIT Late spring is when you can unleash your full arsenal of lures, especially fast-moving ones like this crankbait.

SOFT-PLASTIC WORM Some bass will be protecting their nests during the spring. A finesse-style bait will be your best bet.

JIG Although the water temperatures will be warming up, it’s still best to stick with a slower-moving bait during this time period.

TEXAS RIG This versatile bait is great during the entire spring. If you can rig it right, you are almost guaranteed to catch a bass.

Page 9

Hanging out with... history instructor Brian Boucher

Find out about the history instructor’s favorite things and funniest experiences.

TOGA TIME

Adnan Khan photo What was your first impression of the school community when you came here?

I had been told that students here were very serious, so I was surprised by how engaging they were. I would say that there hasn’t been [a time] where I haven’t had a student make me laugh. That’s a good thing because I think it’s an important part of teaching and learning.

What is the origin story of the ‘cup of doom’ (the object in the photo)?

The cup of doom is just a random cup that I had since I started teaching. I started referring to it as the cup of doom because I used it to draw names out of that for groups or for games that we might be playing, and students would have a reaction.

How did those students react when you pulled their names?

They would either be really excited, or they would start to groan. Along the way, the cup of doom shattered and was put back together and was labeled. It has traveled with me throughout my teaching career.

Has anyone ever said you bear a striking resemblance to author and historian John Green?

Yes, I have heard that. I guess it’s cool. I don’t really have a strong opinion, but I hope that I don’t talk as fast as John Green because I think he talks too fast. But he’s a smart guy so there’s worse people to be compared to.

If you could meet any three historical figures from U.S. history, dead or alive, who would you choose?

The three that I would choose would be Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr. and Alexander Hamilton. Not the musical version of Alexander Hamilton, the real guy.

Describe your personality in three words.

Sarcastic, honest and compassionate.

What one thing would you like the school to know about you that we don’t know already?

I don’t take myself too seriously all the time, so no one else should here too.

Hockaday sophomore Ivy Becker (left) watches sophomore Will Mallick and senior Sammy Sanchez (right) perform for the audience at coffeehouse, while junior Will Hunt (center) explains what exactly is going on to the audience. The coffeehouse took place in Decherd March 3 at 7 p.m., and featured a variety of performances from singing to acting.

LIFE Owen Berger photo

Life in brief HOUSE DEDICATION TO OCCUR FOR HABITAT FOR HUMANITY The Habitat for Humanity house will be dedicated to the Badwi family March 24.

However, this date is tentative, as inclement weather projected for that day may push the dedication back.

Ahmed Badwi, his wife and their three children will be receiving the completed house built by the organization.

Students, parents and faculty have come together on seven weekend build dates to work on the house.

FOURTH GRADE ORCHESTRA HOLDS PERFORMANCE Members of the fourth grade

orchestra performed at their annual spring concert March 6 at 7 p.m. in Decherd.

There, the performers showcased the skills and pieces they have learned and mastered throughout the year, including well-known tunes such as “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and “Frere Jacques.”

coming speakers from both inside and outside the community.

Like other board leadership positions, Rocchio’s position will have a budget from the PA to be used to schedule speakers for the 2018-2019 school year.

PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION HEAD NAMED FOR NEXT YEAR The Parents’ Association (PA) appointed Lisa Rocchio to the Parent Education Chair, which focuses on procuring speakers with knowledge on pertinent topics to parents.

Grown out of a renewed interest for greater educational programs and positive parenting skills to deal with current issues, the new position coordinates in-

TWO SOPHOMORES COMPETE IN REGIONAL COMPETITION Sophomores Aaron Weiser and Odran Fitzgerald were picked to compete in the annual Texas Visual Arts Association Competition (TVAA), a program encouraging gifted high school students to seek further training in art.

Their pieces will be on display at the UTD Gallery space until March 25.

COMMUNITY SERVICE BOARD HOSTS ANNUAL BLOOD DRIVE A total of 23 upper schoolers

donated blood Feb. 21 to the annual blood drive hosted by the Community Service Board in Nearburg Hall.

The drive surpassed its original goal of 21 donors and was able to collect 27 total units of blood from those who donated.

The blood will go to area hospitals around the city of Dallas to help patients in need of transfusion.

FINAL CHORAL EVENSONG TAKES PLACE IN CHAPEL The final Evensong service of the year, led by seniors Benjamin Hurst and Michael Liang, occurred March 3 at 7 p.m. in the chapel.

Before the performance, an organ recital at 6:30 p.m. was organized as a prelude to the official service, which began 30 minutes later.

Organized primarily by assistant choirmaster Glenn Stroh, the final evensong featured students from the fourth grade to the Senior Class.

COFFEEHOUSE PERFORMANCE HELD IN DECHERD MARCH 3 The penultimate coffeehouse of the year, themed “Hollywood House,” was held March 3 in Decherd at 7 p.m. and featured a variety of performances across the Upper School.

The Fine Arts Board co-chairs, Kanaan Sharma, Niteesh Vemuri and Sammy Sanchez, hope to plan another coffeehouse within the next month with Hockaday by the end of the year.

Additionally, the co-chairs also plan to announce the new co-chairs for the 2018-2019 school year at the final coffeehouse.

­­­­­­— Christopher Wang, Eric Hirschbrich, Albert Luo, Tianming Xie, Dylan Liu, Sam Ahmed, Sam Goldfarb

Inside

10

Headliners

CONCERTS

Normally, it’s the teachers who teach. But what are some of the things they’ve learned?

12

What a desk can say...

Everybody has something strange that defines them on their desk. What’s on yours?

Senior Prank Day

It hasn’t snowed in years—so the Senior Class decided Feb. 12 to bring some to campus.

< Lorde at the American

March 18

Francis Trouble, Albert Hammond Jr.

Today

Airlines Center

ALBUMS

Drop date

< Bible of Love, Snoop Dog March 16

We Charity profile

18

Today

Lil Uzi Vert at the Pavilion March 17 at Toyota Music Factory

13

We take a look at one of the biggest, most prominent clubs at school—We Charity.

Concert date

A$AP Ferg at the House of Blues

Lessons teachers learned

Artist in action

Vacation in Hell, Flatbush Zombies

MOVIES

Junior William Haga’s woodworking and drawing

‘

I take wood and metal in a more conceptual way, so during my process [of woodworking], I tend to mull over a series of sketches and models before actually making my first cut.

6

hours per week in his sketchbook

4

total pieces made in woodworking

April 6

Release date

The Leisure Seeker Tomb Raider

< Pacific Rim: Uprising

Today

William < Haga

March 16 March 23 Riley Sanders photo

Page 10 • The ReMarker • March 9, 2018 • Life

LIFELONG STUDENTS Marcus Master Teacher Bruce Westrate, Suzanne and Patrick McGee Family Master Teacher J.T. Sutcliffe, chemistry instructor Kenneth Owens ‘89 and Green Master Teacher Stephen Balog learn a valuable lesson from sophomore Christian Duessel as he teaches a complex concept on the white board.

FROM TEACHER TO STUDENT Role reversal

Faculty members who have spent over decades on campus reflect on what students have taught them over time and how they have changed in 20 years.

‘Every kid is different.’

KIDS ARE TOUGHER than they often think they are.

Sometimes kids don’t realize what they have in them, and that they can do more if they’re given the right incentive, [and] given the right support they can do more.

They can accomplish more than they believe that they could if they didn’t otherwise have that support, that push and the engagement from their teachers.

For the most part I’ve learned that our kids want to do the right thing, and that’s a great piece of the school that they want to do well and what is Doc Browning right.

In some way every kid is different, but kids are kids and just learning those things has helped me better adapt my teaching style and what I do.

— Athletic Trainer Doc Browning

• Compiled By Matthew Zhang, Sam Ahmed Additional Reporting Tianming Xie, Eric Hirschbrich Photo Riley Sanders ‘Teachers do make mistakes – they do make errors.’

ONE OF THE THINGS I [have learned] is to confirm and compliment

students even in tiny little things as often as you possibly can. I’ve found maybe when I have complimented a student, maybe even five times in front of the class, then he would be more open to my making a suggestion to him in private.

The other thing I’ve majorly thought of is teachers do make mistakes – they do make errors.

Maybe if I spoke a little harshly to a child one time, the next day for me to make a huge effort to say before the entire class, “I want you to know, John, I ask your forgiveness, because I may have spoken to you too harshly yesterday. It wasn’t that big Marietta Johnson of a deal. Will you forgive me?”

And then to the class, “Will you all forgive me?”

So that’s an example of a figure who’s in authority, saying I made a mistake, and will you forgive me.

That’s one thing first of all I need to do, and secondly I think it’s a good example for the kids.

— In-house substitute and tutor; former

Math instructor Marietta Johnson

‘Sometimes the teacher thinks everyone is getting it, and they might not be.’

I CAN THINK OF ONE particular student that I taught in Spanish

II, back when we had a Spanish II, and he was struggling in the class.

It was hard for him, and one day he started crying in the hallway, and I remember sitting on the floor of the hallway with him, talking about how everyone has his or her own strengths weaknesses, and when I look back on that, [I think] about the importance of Nancy Marmion connections that you make with students.

Later on, that same student ended up in my AP Spanish class, and I would not have ever thought that.

Now, how much was [the] connection that I made with him at that point, sitting on the floor of the hallway, I don’t know.

But I think as a younger teacher, that was one of the lessons that I took away from that: the importance of making personal connections with students.

— Foreign Language Department chair Nancy Marmion

WHEN I CAME I HAD NO EXPERIENCE–either private schools,

[or] private boy’s schools. My preconceptions came from history, English, public schools and everything I read.

I think that caused me in the initial years to be a little too tough, living up to the stereotype of what these boy’s schools expected, but I got over that, and I’m glad that I did, and I really got to appreciate how teachable you guys are.

And that is the great thing about working here.

I came from a university, and I don’t have to teach down to any of you, I can teach where I always taught, and you guys come up to me and have shown me incredible adaptability. And that is good for both of us, it’s good for Bruce Westrate in terms of the amount you are able to learn and the amount I’m able to teach.

I’ve also been very impressed especially in the last ten years or so with the degree the class seems to be gelling more than I think when I first got here. [I’m] more concerned about the kids who maybe are left out.

— Marcus Master Teacher Bruce Westrate

MY VERY FIRST YEAR TEACHING, I was teaching earth science.

We went through the first three or four weeks, we had some little quizzes and I had my first test as a teacher.

I handed out my tests, and a couple minutes later one of the guys—there were just tears coming down his face.

I went over and was like, “What’s wrong,” and he said, “I just don’t get any of this.”

That was one of the first lessons– sometimes the teacher thinks everyone is getting it, and they might not be.

So I never assume that everybody has it down anymore. And I try and go the extra mile to try and make sure that I don’t leave Daniel Northcut ‘81 somebody behind, like I did on that one.

It’s interesting all those little lessons you learn from the students.

It’s how they react, how they win or lose, it’s all those things that you got to soak in and adjust for accordingly in future classes. — Science instructor Daniel Northcut ‘81

‘There is nothing I’m doing now that I was doing 20 years ago.’

I’M ALWAYS WATCHING what I’m doing. I try to keep track of

‘One of the lessons that I took away from that [experience]: the importance of making personal connections with students.’

‘I really got to appreciate how teachable you guys are.’

how well I’m able to connect with the students and how well they’re doing. I’m always trying to keep an ear open to that.

Since I’ve come to St. Mark’s, I’ve changed how I do labs several times.

I’ve changed how I do tests.

I’ve changed how I do homework.

Everything has changed.

There is nothing I’m doing now that I was doing 20 years ago.

I’m more patient and more understanding of the challenges that are out there. I am more technologically aware because I have to be.

Stephen Balog I have to keep up with what everyone’s doing. I have to keep up with not only the education aspects of something but also keep up with what’s happening in your lives and how that’s affecting your learning.

— Green Master Teacher Stephen Balog

‘I am more patient than I used to be.’

I FEEL LIKE I HAVE developed a more integrated curriculum

where I have connected experiences and ideas better.

I have a lot of new examples and modern implications that I can talk about.

I have lots of stories I can tell. I have done a lot of travel over the years and that has led to seeing sciences in other [places], and brought that back to the lab and showed the student how to do those things.

Kenneth Owens ’89 I am more patient than I used to be.

I’ve seen so many ways that students can do well and that students can makes mistakes. So less surprises me.

As a first year teacher, if a student dropped a piece of hot glass in the trash can and set it on fire I would freak out but as a 14th year teacher I would be like “yeah whatever.”

So having that background makes me more patient off campus too.

— Chemistry instructor Kenneth Owens ‘89

1968 1972 1974 1977 1978 1982 1984 1984 1985 1985 1986 1987 A list of 1988 current 1989 members 1990 of our 1990 community 1991 who’ve been 1992 a part of 1993 the school’s 1994 mission for 1994 at least two 1995 1996 decades.

1997 1997 1997

Faculty with 20+ years of service

Frank H. Jordan Mary Ann Livengood Marietta S. Johnson Curtis H. Smith Jacque Gavin Mark Sullivan David P. Baker J.T. Sutcliffe Robert “Doc” Browning Nancy G. Marmion Lisa Brandenburg Daniel A. Northcut ‘81 Ron Turner Barbara L. Kinkead Corindo I. Martin, Jr. John S. Mead Donna Mullet Etsuko Barber Clara Ann Norman Stephen N. Balog David W. Dini Scott Gonzalez John Turek Janis S. Oprea Mihai M. Oprea Kenneth R. Owens

Life • March 9, 2018 • The ReMarker • Page 11

A MUSICAL PAIRING Dynamic duos

Physics instructor Stephen Houpt and Chirag Gokani ‘17 have sustained their relationship through the power of melodic music.

D

uring every free lunch period he had, Chirag Gokani ’17 would go into that one drawer in that physics room on the second floor of the science building.

The drawer, simply labeled “tuning forks,” contains 36 metal tongs that all vibrate at different keys and pitches.

Soon enough, he had heard the noises produced by nearly all of those forks in that drawer, further expanding his already acquired taste in music and melody.

Now, using his musical ear, Gokani has joined physics instructor Stephen Houpt in producing albums and performing at venues after Gokani left 10600 Preston Rd. ··· For Gokani, his initial interest in music, which started as a student of Lower School music instructor Mary Ann Livengood, seemed to fade as he entered Middle School.

“It really started here,” Gokani said. “Ms. Livengood was a huge influence. I played the violin in the orchestra in middle school in fifth and sixth grade, and then I got tired of it.”

However, when Gokani entered eighth grade, he found his niche as a percussionist for the Middle School band by almost pure luck.

“In eighth grade, “Gokani said, “I joined the band, and it was actually a scheduling thing.

I couldn’t take a certain class, so it was very coincidental.”

As he adapted to his role in the band, Gokani’s interest and passion for music only grew as he was exposed to different types of music.

A NEW ALBUM Released Feb. 20, physics instructor Stephen Houpt collaborated with Gokani for the album White Rock Lake.

JAMMING OUT After recording, Stephen Houpt (left) and Chirag Gokani (right) take a break with their instruments.

“All throughout high school,” Gokani said, “I was really into fusion music and jazz music because I came from a very classical background— Bach and a ton of Baroque, like the Inventions.”

As he became more involved in the field of music, he found another role in the Upper School Blues Club, which seemed to appeal to his talents almost instantly.

“I’d say jazz is kind of my jam and butter,” Gokani said. “Blues Club definitely helped because I had a role to fill, and so I kind of had to be there.”

And it was during Blues Club, as well as physics class, that Gokani and Houpt began to work together and produce music.

“I think the way [Houpt and I] got to know each other was really reflective of the connection between music and physics,” Gokani said.

For Houpt, Gokani’s natural sense of music contributes to his knowledge of the mechanics of music.

“When he was playing bass in the Blues Club,” Houpt said, “he could

hear a song and play it right after. It may not be perfect pitch,but he’s got a really good ear. So, he knows the technical side of music, but he also has a really good ear, and he’s really good at improvisation.”

In fact, Houpt believes Gokani’s basic understanding of rhythm compliments Houpt’s style of playing.

“I think a characteristic of what happens when we play is [that] my big strength is not necessarily rhythm,” Houpt said, “and so [Gokani] is really good at following what I’m doing, and he’s able to play even though I’m not playing necessarily in a perfectly rhythmic way, and I think that’s a really good quality that he has.”

As Houpt and Gokani have grown

closer as a musical duo, the process of songwriting and musical production has become easier as they’ve become more accustomed to each other’s styles.

“Sometimes, the [guitar] strings are not tuned in a normal way,” Houpt said, “and I would come with a chord

• Story Mark Tao Additional Reporting CJ Crawford Photos Riley Sanders, courtesy Stephen Houpt

progression that sounded good to me, and then sometimes, [Chirag and I] would try to play it together, and it didn’t work for one reason or another.

So, I adjusted the chord progression, and it did work. And going to the recording studio, I thought that was really fun.”

Looking back, Houpt recognizes that he and Gokani’s close collaboration can be attributed to the school’s naturally close connection between students and faculty.

“I think something about St. Mark’s is that faculty members and students can develop a more personal relationship than you can at most schools,” Houpt said, “and I think that contributed to the whole thing.”

Ultimately, Houpt expresses confidence in the inherent chemistry that he and Gokani possess—showcased on Houpt’s latest album released Feb. 20, White Rock Lake.

“Chirag is able to play in a lot of different styles,” Houpt said, “so he’s been able to adapt to what I do, so that’s what makes it work.”

Page 12 • The ReMarker • March 9, 2018 • Life

THE INNER SANCTUMS In profile

A person’s workspace tells as much about them as the way they speak, dress and act. We looked at some of the most notorious desks and offices around campus — from the most organized spaces to the craziest messes — to see what they would reveal about their owners.

CHEMISTRY INSTRUCTOR KENNETH OWENS | SCIENCE BUILDING, ROOM 225

Inflatable giraffe ball

“A couple of years ago a bunch of seniors showed up with beach ball animals that they were bouncing around and they left one here and I kept it.”

Nuclear war fun book

“The nuclear war fun book is a little bit of cold war satire from 1982. Games you can play when you can’t go outside anymore. I inherited it from the previous master teacher.”

Voodoo doll

“I have the over the hill voodoo doll. You can put in various pins where you have problems and its supposed to help alleviate them.”

Air horn

“I use that to wake students up.”

HEADMASTER DAVID DINI | CENTENNIAL HALL, ROOM 144A

Framed leather patch

“We don’t exactly know what it’s from, but it’s an archive piece from the Terrill School. It’s almost like leather and was framed in a ragged frame, so tech took it out of the frame and had it archivally framed.”

Minion toy

“I love minions, I’ve got a minion in here. I love the minions, so I’m always playing with that kind of stuff.”

Spinning globe

“I’m a big fan of globes, so I have globes at home. This globe my wife gave to me. People always go ‘how does that spin?’ I don’t really know how it spins but its really kind of cool.”

Paper weight

“I love paper weights. I have a lot more than I have out right now.”

Glass desk

“I wanted a glass desk because it creates an open feel and environment.

I have a lot of history in the room. History is really important to me, and I think acknowledging the past is important. I like anything that has to do with history.”

CHOIRMASTER TINSLEY SILCOX | LIBRARY, WEST WING

• Interviews Eric Hirschbrich, Sam Goldfarb Photos Riley Sanders, Chris McElhaney

Travel mugs

“The most meaningful things in here, to me, are my mugs. They’re from all the different places I’ve been with the choir, my students and on my own, so there’s great memories behind each one.”

Hand goblet

“This object comes from Lord of the Rings. It has a really awesome design, and it’s from a great series.”

Wizard’s wand

“This is from the set of Harry Potter, in England. I stopped by with the choir on one of our trips. We had to get Professor McGonagall’s wand, because she’s my favorite character from the series.”

Jibo robot

“He doesn’t have as much raw functionality as, say, Alexa. However, he can recognize my face and greets me every morning with “Good morning, Tinsley”. He can set alarms, play music, and do most of the other functions that all personal assistants can, but he can also carry a conversation. And he looks so cute, with his little movements he does.”

Life • March 9, 2018 • The ReMarker • Page 13

RAISING A PROFIT Next Level

We Charity, a Middle School club, has gained recognition at the national level by being honored at We Day later this month.

I

t’s the only school club that directly benefits the impoverished and less-fortunate from around the world.

It’s the only school club being recognized at a national event for being the pioneers of a worldwide charity program in Texas.

Even more impressive is the age of its members. It’s not even an Upper School club—it’s We Charity, a club run by middle schoolers.

With its rapid accumulation of members, growing success throughout the years and young members, We Charity has proven itself to be one of the most influential, impactful and promising clubs on campus.

•••

An international charity and educational partner, We Charity, formerly known as Free the Children, is a Canada-based charity that aims to empower impoverished youth across the world.

We Schools is a subset of the We Charity program, in which young students raise money for

charitable causes by learning the tools of transformative social change.

Craig Kielburger, a co-founder of We Charity, came to the school in January to give a presentation to the members of We Charity. Now, the club members are looking forward to their next major event: members of the club will travel to the Culwell Center in Garland March 20th to celebrate We Day, where the school will be honored.

“This will be our first We Day celebration, and they’re honoring us because we have been the pioneers in Texas for We Charity,” We Charity sponsor Paula Cham said. “It’s a big celebration to say ‘thank you,’ especially to St. Mark’s, and that includes everybody that was part of Free the Children from the very beginning.”

Cham believes the reason the club attracts so many members is a result of the enjoyment the students gain from participating in and running a charity group.

“I think what sparked the

interest of the middle schoolers is that they help others while they are using their business side,” Cham said. “They enjoy the bake sales, they enjoy selling and they enjoy the exchange that they have with the community.”

The club, which primarily relies mainly on bake sales and coin drives to raise most the funds for its annual goal of $5,000, seeks to improve educational facilities for young students in Haiti.

For fifth grader Cam Hurley, one of the leaders of the club, We Charity has given him the opportunity to help the greater community at a young age.

“At the beginning, I wanted to do something for others, and that’s why I signed up,” Hurley said. “Over time, I started collaborating with Ms. Cham more, trying to expand the club, and so I kind of fell into one of the leadership roles because I really enjoyed doing things like that.”

With the club’s current goal is expanding its fundraisers

• Story Dylan Liu, Sam Ahmed Additional Reporting Zoheb Khan Photo Lee Schlosser

DOWN THE LINE Selling a variety of snacks to raise money during the bake sale held Feb. 24, students eagerly wait for customers.

beyond bake sales, Hurley has gained valuable leadership experience by immersing himself in activities and meetings.

Cham is also excited to see what the club will continue to do, as this is her last year at the school and as the club’s sponsor.

“It has been very for fulfilling for me to see these boys

want to do good in the world and to change the world and be part of the change,” Cham said. “We want to continue having the boys be a part of the leadership and to choose the country they want to help.

We’ve always had a lot of help, so I’m sure it will continue on with great leadership.”

Page 14 • The ReMarker • March 9, 2018 • Perspectives

CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE

‘I HAVE NEVER FELT HOPE AFTER ONE OF THESE... ...BUT THIS IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT.’

Since the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, conversations in the aftermath of the 17 deaths continue. Whether it’s campus security, mental health or political reform — students are making a difference.

• Story Kobe Roseman, Davis Bailey, Zach Gilstrap Additional Reporting Parker Davis, Nathan Han, James Rogers Photos Riley Sanders

A

nd 19 years later, she still sees Columbine in the headlines. On the front page, it reads, “Generation Columbine knows no other world” and is paired with pictures of the two shooters Fernand knew since the seventh grade.

Every time she reads the news of another school shooting in the country — 18 this year and 291 since 2013 — it’s “devastating.”

But something about the aftermath of the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School Feb. 14 — a tragedy that stole the lives of 17 students — feels different for Fernand.

“This is something different, something fresh,” she said. “It’s something new and surprising — and inspiring that they can be so brave. I think that it’s really making a difference — and I hope that everybody will keep going. I hope that something will really happen this time, because I’ve never felt that before.” ···

Something different: The movement

For today’s generation of high school students, the all-too-common news of mass shootings seems to be followed by an all-toocommon cycle of horror and shock, condolences and prayers and hashtags and media coverage, slowly subsiding until the next shooting occurs.

But ever since the shooting Feb. 14 at Stoneman Douglas High School, students around the country are calling to break that cycle.

After the events in Parkland, Fl., Stoneman Douglas students like Emma Gonzalez, David Hogg and Cameron Kasky have regularly spoken on national television.

They’ve pressured companies to withdraw funding for the National Rifle Association.

Sparked gun reform concessions from traditionally unwavering politicians. Funded a multi-million dollar march for gun reform across the country March 24. And on March 2, Hogg and Kasky appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher.

The movement gained momentum following a nationwide surge of support for victims — a surge of support that caught the attention of gun reform advocates and activists around the world.

As a former worker for President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign, Matt Tranchin ‘02 knew the power of a social movement. In close proximity to the organizers of the Women’s March and March for Science, Tranchin knew the power of mobilization. And when hearing the powerful voices of the Parkland survivors, he knew he had to do something.

So, using his experience, Tranchin helped organize the Dallas March for Our Lives, a demonstration assembling March 24 downtown.

The event is entirely student-led, with Tranchin

and other experienced advocates providing logistical support.

“This is really a student-led march here in Dallas,” he said. “Looking at what’s happening right now, I think it’s clear that what you’re seeing is not just the next generation of gun control activists; you’re seeing the next generation of activists, period.”

Tranchin, having been a freshman in high school when the Columbine High School massacre happened, has had to live with the terrifying reality of mass shootings for nearly 20 years.

“I remember getting emotional every time it happened,” Tranchin said. “But I remember feeling less sad. Just emotionally distancing myself of just kind of like an acceptance like, ‘well, this is our country.’”

So why is this shooting different? How will this march actually change things? And what will this mean for the future of student activism?

“You have this one moment in time where everyone’s rallying around this issue,” Tranchin said. “Leaders are stepping up. I mean you’re seeing them on Matt the media. You’re Tranchin also seeing them, I ’02 imagine, on camMarch for Our Lives puses.”

Organizer And the most important aspect of maintaining the momentum of this movement and translating it into actual, tangible, legislative change: being what Tranchin calls a “community organizer.”

“Being a community organizer is being a community leader,” he said. “There’s an opportunity to build the grassroots and infrastructure with like minded students, like minded individuals who are committed to this cause that will not just vote themselves, but will bring in their families, their friends, their neighbors, their church members, everyone they know and everyone they don’t know and try to persuade them.” ···

On campus: St. Mark’s

On the afternoon of Feb. 14, Headmaster David Dini watched as the situation in Parkland turned from bad, to a “horrific tragedy.”

Through that night, he spent time thinking, considering how the school might or should respond.

And the next morning it was clear — he wanted to communicate with the community.

He needed to touch base with how people were feeling.

In a letter sent home electronically Feb. 15 to parents, faculty, staff and trustees, Dini recognized that many people were wrestling with

Perspectives • March 9, 2018 • The ReMarker • Page 15

what the shootings meant for the community — and how the community should respond.

“There’s such a range of emotions,” Dini said. “People are frustrated, angry, hurt, concerned or alarmed… I thought about it a lot overnight and obviously it distressed a lot of other people. I came in the next morning and told Mr. Ashton that I really want to communicate with our community.”

One of the first things mentioned in the letter is security. The whole security philosophy of the school is one based on familiarity and long-term commitment. And the shooting in Parkland just brought that conversation back to the forefront of the community’s mind.

“It’s something that we’ve thought a lot about here for a long time and give a lot of consideration and a lot of priority to safety on campus,” Dini said. “We’re really fortunate in that we have the resources to do that and that we’ve made a commitment to do that. Deliberately over time there’s been a steady escalation of that commitment.”

Part of Dini’s commitment to campus security is establishing a team that builds a relationship with the community, with members that “know the campus, know the culture, know the environment, know the buildings, know the people, and people know them.”

“When you’re here, whether it’s a game or school every day, you see the same officers here all the time,” Dini said. “They know you and you know them. That’s a big part of our commitment we’ve had for a long time. Familiarity is really important. Continuity is really important because recognition and identifying things that are out of the ordinary matters.”

Campus security falls on the shoulders of every member of the community. In Dini’s opinion, it needs to be “automatic” and “part of the culture.” So every student, teacher and security officer needs to shoulder the responsibility of reporting dangerous or suspicious activity.

“See something, say something and say something, do something,” Dini said. “If you see something, tell somebody about it. If you say something, make sure you do something about it.” ···

“See something, say something”: Mental Health

<

“The shooter was mentally ill.”

In the aftermath of the majority of school shootings, the “mentally ill” label is plastered on newscasts and television reports nationwide, bringing the larger issue of mental health into global conversations.

To Director of Counseling Barbara Van Drie, this label is accurate for Stoneman Douglas shooter Nikolas Cruz, along with previous mass shooters, but merits deeper explora-

SINCE THE TRAGEDY IN PARKLAND, FLORIDA, THE HIGH SCHOOL’S STUDENTS — WITH THE SUPPORT OF MANY — HAVE CALLED FOR VARIOUS GUN REFORM POLICIES, INCLUDING EVALUATING THE ACCESSIBILITY OF WEAPONS SUCH AS THE AR-15 USED IN THE SHOOTING FEB. 14.

Congressman Pete Sessions > From the 2012 mass murder of elementary school children in Newtown, Connecticut, to the recent massacre of 17 students and teachers at a Florida high school, our nation has recently suffered some of the deadliest mass shootings in modern U.S. history.

As a nation, we stand united both in our shock and in our prayers for the victims of these tragedies, and we are thankful to all the first responders who have acted to save lives. I offer my deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of all the victims.

tion into its origins, and into what the term “mentally ill” actually entails.

“The question is always, what led to this?”

Van Drie said. “Lots of times there are many factors that contribute to the situation. Apparently, he was suffering from bereavement or depression, and is depression a mental illness?

Yes. But saying that he is mentally ill sounds stigmatizing rather than saying, ‘This student has gone through a lot.’ I’m not going to diagnose him, but there were obvious signs that he was in distress.”

When it comes to St. Mark’s, Van Drie sees the school community as a beneficial environment to students experiencing personal issues — and when it comes to “prevention of harm to self or others,” she believes students should report troubling signs to the counseling office as early as possible.

“See something, say something,” Van Drie said. “When you see someone in distress, say something. You see someone hurting, say something. You see a change in behavior, say something, because those are red flags. When you see someone not coping well, those are the indicators that something is going on. If you’re concerned about somebody, say it now. Better to get skills when you are 16 years old versus when you’re 36 years old.”

On the individual level, the counseling office works closely with teachers, coaches and advisors to make sure the boys who need help will receive it. Van Drie views this practice as the best way to address the problems boys here may experience, anywhere on the spectrum.

“It’s so much better to intervene now when we’re all around him than when he’s at college,” Van Drie said. “We’d rather assist him while his family’s still around him, while we are still around him. We’re just going to care for him — we’re not going to stigmatize him. It’s about caring, not stigmatizing.”

Holistically, Van Drie feels the school community can best prevent violence in our students through large-scale cooperation — she believes every person in the community has a vital role.

“When a friend, a classmate, a brother sees something going on, let us know,” Van Drie said. “This way, we can check in with him and get him help — the earlier we can intervene with someone and help them the better. I don’t know each and every boy, but I absolutely believe that I have to count on all the adults in the community and the students in the community to be those eyes and ears.

That is our system.” ··· When looking back, Columbine survivor Fernand is optimistic.

She sees teen leaders at podiums, speaking their truths to the masses.

She hears conversations arising on the future of gun control in our society.

She feels hope for the world — a world resolute enough to bounce back from recent tragedies and advance toward a greater tomorrow.

“We need people to remind everybody that this isn’t right,” Fernand said. “I think it’s really getting a lot of notice from adults because it is more surprising than just the same old anti-gun lobbyist speaking up again.

This is something different, something fresh and new and surprising and inspiring that they can be so brave. I don’t think that this revolution of trying harder to fight for gun control would’ve happened if these students hadn’t been brave enough to speak how they were feeling.”

Expert opinions Individual Ready Reserve member of the Texas State Guard Scott Hunt and Director of Security Dale Hackbarth weigh in on the security of our campus in the wake of the Parkland shooting.

“I think in an urban environment where you have a fairly quick law enforcement response, in very specific circumstances, teachers that are armed could be a force multiplier for school security, or in instances where there is no formal security presence, armed teachers could be valuable, but with caveats. I think if those people were authorized by a school district or headmaster to carry a weapon, it would have to be with some significant training.”

— Scott Hunt, Arnold E. Holtberg Master Teaching Chair

“While we have a very well trained and robust security team, it is incumbent upon every person in our community to pay constant attention to their surroundings, thoughtfully observe and report anything that seems out of place, and remember that we all share in the well being of our campus.

As we constantly remind the faculty and staff, and will share with the boys in the coming weeks – ‘If you see something, say something, if you say something, do something.’”

— Dale Hackbarth, Director of Security

Listen to an exclusive interview with Parkland shooting survivor Carly Novell on Focal Point Podcast today.

District 32 Representative Pete Sessions spoke to The ReMarker on the tragedy in Parkland — and how he believes the government can respond.

> It is vital that federal, states, and local law enforcement enforce current federal gun laws to prevent firearms from getting into the wrong hands, and we must do so in a way that respects our Constitution. It is time for us to come together in a bipartisan manner to address the underlying causes of this violence, including mental health, and to focus on not only criminals, but violent criminals.

> I believe it is important to note the work Congress has already done to address this issue. Congress has increased grant funding for training teachers and other professionals so that they can appropriately intervene before someone with a mental illness experiences a crisis. Congress also has reauthorized programs that focus on helping treat children early on with severe emotional disturbances.

Creative Commons photo

Link to podcast page: https://facebook.com/ theremarkermagazine/?ref=bookmarks

Page 16 • The ReMarker • March 9, 2018 • Life

THE INSIDE SCOOP 30 minutes with... Mujin Kwun

Becoming a sensation through his Instagram account, junior Mujin Kwun draws on his talents by making and decorating his own, homemade ice cream to share with the community.

A gallery of ice cream art > Mango sorbet

> Mint with brownie

> Chocolate peanut butter PREPARING THE ICE CREAM Mixing cream together, junior Mujin Kwun preps all the ingredients for the ice cream recipe he’s making.

J

unior Mujin Kwun reaches into the fridge at his house and grabs a pint of dark chocolate raspberry ice cream.

He scoops the last bit of his last pint of ice cream into a bowl.

A truly bitter-sweet moment.

He’s finally conquered every flavor the store had to offer. From “S’mores” to “Butter Brickle,” — he’s had them all.

Now, it’s up to him to make his own flavors. ··· Last November, Kwun decided to experiment with his own ice cream flavors.

Ranging from peanut butter with a strawberry jam swirl to sweet potato casserole with maple pecan, none of Kwun’s ice cream flavors are the same.

“I’ve always liked ice cream,” Kwun said, “but I don’t like eating the same ice cream twice, so I went to the store and tried different kinds of ice cream. One day, I ran out of ice cream to eat. It was a very low point, and I didn’t know what to do. In my misery, I decided to just make my own ice cream flavors.”

What separates Kwun’s ice cream from the average ice cream store’s is the flexibility Kwun has when making ice cream completely from scratch. A well-crafted ice cream, Kwun believes, must be creamy,

flavorful and most importantly: thick.

“Most stores have to use a pre-made mix because they don’t want to deal with what they can’t afford, buying a pasteurizer and getting all the licenses that they need,” Kwun said. “So they buy the pre-made mix, and you can’t really do much with that.”

Although the standard recipe for ice cream consists of milk, cream, sugar and egg yolks, Kwun has his own special way of doing it, which he believes contributes to its unique texture and taste.

Creating a new flavor almost every week,

Kwun allows himself to find new favorites, quenching his growing obsession for more and more abstract flavors.

“Peanut butter with chocolate flakes and honeycomb ice cream [are my favorite homemade] flavors,” Kwun said, “and there are still more flavors to come.

Kwun has experimented with all kinds of different flavors and techniques. At one point, he even tried making sorbet, which requires more fruit and does not consist of milk or cream. Safe to say, it did not go as planned. “[The sorbet] didn’t freeze, and it was just liquid,” Kwun said. “Then I just froze it, and then it just became ice.”

Kwun also considered expanding his

homemade ice cream into a business.

However, he is a bit apprehensive due to the high cost it takes to produce it.

“I’m not sure [whether to sell ice cream or not],” Kwun said. “Getting the permits and facilities necessary to sell ice cream is expensive.”

Inspired by shops he followed on Instagram and traveled around the U.S. to try, like Salt & Straw, Ample Hills Creamery and Smitten Ice Cream, Kwun updates his own Instagram with his latest creations, with drawn-in faces on the ingredients and a cookies-and-cream flavored ice cream that resembles the surface of the moon.

“I make ice cream whenever I feel like it,” Kwun said. “You’ll know when I make ice cream if you follow me on Instagram, which you should do—@Mujinkwun.”

Although the average person may eat ice cream for a pastime, Kwun considers ice cream beyond a pastime. It’s a part of who he is.

“From making ice cream, I learned that ice cream is yummy, ice cream is an art and ice cream is about succeeding and failing, and I learned how to make ice cream,” Kwun said. “To me, ice cream means warmth. I don’t feel comfortable going to bed without downing a pint or two of high quality ice cream.”

• Story Tianming Xie, Sahit Dendekuri Photos Adnan Khan

The Bottom Line The Washington D.C. Trip

‘

Jayden Musco, seventh-grader

The situation: For the first

time, 25 seventh and eighth-graders, accompanied by seventh grade humanities instructor Meagan Frazier, eighth grade humanities instructor Timothy Mank and History and Social Sciences Department chair David Fisher, will take a trip to Washington D.C. March 8-14.

The one-week tour includes visiting the National Mall, the site of the Battle of Gettysburg and several historically significant monuments.

It’s America. You have to know where you came from.

‘

I’m looking forward to seeing the memorials, museums, the White House and history.

Keats Leffel, seventh-grader

‘

We’re going to Washington D.C. because both the seventh and eighth grade humanities courses focus on American history, so we’re hoping to see all of the sites that we talk about in class.

Meagan Frazier, seventh

grade humanities instructor

> Apple pie

> Raspberry rose sorbet

> Cookies and cream

Source: Courtesy Mujin Kwun

Life • March 9, 2018 • The ReMarker • Page 17

BUZZ

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

DISTRICT DIVING Past the 10600 Preston Rd. bubble lies the Bishop Arts District—a bedrock of food, culture and entertainment that can’t be found in the Preston Rd. shopping centers where most students spend their free time.

In this issue: Bishop Arts District Fortnite video game

The place in the district to satisfy your sweet tooth

Traveling down memory lane back to childhood

Emporium Pies • Grade B+

Red Pegasus Comics • Grade A-

T

A

his little shop has the right vibe, the right location and most importantly, the right recipes.

The titular pies are excellent—I had the Blue Steel (a blueberry pie with hints of vanilla and lemon) and a pilfered part of Sahit’s Lord of the Pies (a deep-dish apple pie topped with cinnamon streusel).

The crust is flaky, the fillings rich, and portions large (as much as I wish they were even larger).

It’s the kind of dessert you have to walk off afterwards, though fortunately, Bishop

Arts district is a beautiful, quaint area with plenty of unique shops and odd locations to hold your attention while you burn off the calories.

Unfortunately, the store’s space is really as small as its personality is big—had we arrived at a busier hour, it’s likely we would have been waiting outside.

While this actually becomes a positive in warmer months, one can only imagine how unpleasant eating outside in the dead of winter must be, especially when you’re still paying more than $6 for a slice of pie.

surprising hole in the wall, Red Pegasus Comics awakens the comic book nerd in all of us. What started as a pop-up store in 2014, has grown into what we consider a must-visit destination in the Bishop Arts District.

From vintage editions of Marvel comics to Rick and Morty action figures, they have something for everyone. If collecting is not your thing, than we have something even better: browsing.

Just stepping into the shop and looking through the shelves for names and titles you

recognize can be a very satisfying experience.

Red Pegasus Comics is not just your average, run-of-the-mill comic book store, however.

They not only have a substantial collection of titles stocking their shelves, but also host regular book club meetings, movie promos and art contests.

Seriously, this place has everything. If you’re ever in the Bishop Arts district and looking for some time to kill before your reservation at Lockhart’s, we recommend you check out Red Pegasus Comics.

A classic place for some old-fashioned barbecue

Lockhart Smokehouse • Grade A-

P

laced right in the middle of what seems like a luxury shopping center, Lockhart Smokehouse’s friendly, rough-around-theedges environment stands out among its adjacent saloons with its casual walk-in atmosphere.

Lockhart Smokehouse feels almost like a bar—you come in with a friend, sit down and wait for someone to come to you, maybe have some conversation before a waiter offers you a menu.

The whole mood of the restaurant exudes that feel—big, eye-catching decorations populate Lockhart Smokehouse’s brown walls

as you chow down on your meat—which, to say the least, is soft and tender to a pulp.

The meat collapses, disintegrates and melts in your mouth as the meat in front of you seems to dissipate every second.

Although indispensably cooked to perfection, its taste is a little, well, underwhelming.

Sauce is indeed offered, but you shouldn’t have to slather your meat in it to get a good taste in your mouth.

Overall, it’s a great place—price extremely reasonable, meat cooked to perfection and a fun, relaxing environment to pass the time with friends.

Need a new, quiet and relaxing place to study?

Wild Detectives Bookshop • Grade A

T

he Wild Detectives Bookshop offers a cozy atmosphere with delicious drinks and books on every subject imaginable, along with vinyl records, board games and even a few pieces of artwork.

If you like your coffee on the bitter side, Wild Detectives is right up your alley, though for those who prefer coffee to be a little sweeter than what they have to offer, the mocha and hot chocolate remain as popular options.

You can ask them to customize it to your tastes, which the baristas will do happily and efficiently.

The coffee here is rich, deep and bold,

with complex flavors that leave you with that lingering, lively aftertaste of coffee beans.

It’s a great place to read a book, study or have a conversation with a friend.

Their atmosphere is very relaxing, even in the outdoor area, where several wooden tables are surrounded by a garden.

And that’s what differentiates this bookshop from your classic Barnes & Noble—the environment feels almost magically relaxing and serene.

And even though you aren’t allowed to bring outside food, pies from Emporium Pies are permitted.

An outside glance at the district

Emporium pies 2708 Main Street Offers homemade pies and tarts, priced from $6 to $30.

Lockhart Smokehouse 400 W Davis Street A wide selection of poultry, priced from $5 to $12.

The Wild Detectives 314 W Eighth St A new study place that offers books priced from $8 to $30.

Red Pegasus Comics 319 N Bishop Ave The most vibrant comics available, priced from 25 cents to $5.

• Reviews Sahit Dendekuri, Austin Montgomery, Mark Tao Photos Sahit Dendekuri, Austin Montgomery A new game

Fortnite — a school-wide sensational video game that takes up most students’ free time

by Duncan Kirstein

A

re you looking to be yelled at in over one-hundred languages for “not knowing the difference between a tree and an enemy?”

Are you looking to spend 20 minutes looking for literally anyone, teammate or not, whilst running frantically from a light drizzle that threatens your life?

Look no further, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is here!

I’m kidding, save your $30 and get the exact same game in Fortnite.

If you were one of the people who thought that they could definitely win The Hunger Games, here’s your chance to prove it.

At first, you’ll ironically put on a headset to communicate with the people around you.

As time goes on, this ironic wearing of the headset slowly becomes less ironic.

After a while, you’ll find yourself in a dark room with bedsheets blocking

out the light. This is when you should maybe go outside. You probably won’t, though.

Instead, you’ll stay in the wonderful, monster-filled cartoon world as you spend hours running in circles—searching for any kind of loot, armor or bottles full of strange liquids.

Creative Commons photo

The bottles glow and look weird, but you’ll drink them anyways!

There is truly nothing that beats the excitement of finding legendary gear in

an abandoned house, running away to find more gear and unknowingly running back to the same house in search of the gear you already took.

One of the best aspects of Fortnite, though, has to be its building system.

After my father made it clear he was disappointed in my lack of any skills relating to a hammer or nail, he was surprised and proud to see that, within seconds, I was now able to construct a small house for a family of four! And with only a couple of button clicks!

Fortnite brought my family closer together, reuniting me with my estranged father.

It unites the school together. It matters not what time of day it is, there’s always someone online to play with you—be it a best friend or some random stranger you’ve never met.

Few games have overtaken the landscape of the student body quite like Fortnite has—it feels as if it’s ingrained itself into the Upper School culture.

Despite its ability to mend broken

bonds, Fortnite’s building system has some downsides as well.

With a well placed wooden board and a hole in the ground that I found early on in the game, I was able to survive for over half the game.

Eventually, though, the storm caught up with me, and I was pelted with hail and rain until I was eliminated.

Through my experience with this masterpiece, I have watched my social life melt away, and—despite the hours spent jumping out of planes, falling off of houses and flailing around in the cartoony, monster filled world that is Fortnite—I am still yet to eliminate more than two people.

One of those was myself, too. I didn’t know there was fall damage in the game, and I fell off a mountain.

In conclusion—it’s confusing, difficult and exactly what you’re looking for to momentarily distract you from the two tests you have coming up. You can always study later. ​

Page 18 • The ReMarker • March 9, 2018 • Life

LET IT SNOW Lookbook

It’s a well known fact—you don’t live in Texas for the snowfall we get here. But in the spirit of the Winter Olympics, 10600 Preston Rd. needed some form of wintry joy. So, for their senior prank, the Senior Class brought their own snow to campus Feb. 12.

• Photos Lee Schlosser, Owen Berger, Chris McElhaney

ICE-SKATING DUO As Marksmen plow through the snow, English instructor Curtis Smith holds on to sophomore Alex Loftus as they glide across the ice out in the quad. At any given point in the day, many could be found exploring the snow, building snowmen and engaging in snowball fights.

LAYING IT OUT As the morning progresses, workers from the ice company lay down the bedrock of snow out in front of Centennial Hall.

The snow was brought in by two trucks early in the morning and dispersed out on the Perot Quadrangle field in front of the Path to Manhood statue.

AROUND THE BONFIRE On a day of cold, cloudy and inclement weather, it only made sense to set up a bonfire on the Cecil and Ida Green walkway outside of the A. Earl Cullum, Jr., Alumni Commons to roast sausages, drink hot chocolate and share stories as a community around the fire.

The seniors organized a station of hot chocolate just near the bonfire as the students gathered around to share experiences.

RIDE OF A LIFETIME Disregarding the unseasonably cold weather in the Perot Quadrangle, senior Daniel Garcia jumps headfirst on an inflatable unicorn en route to the bottom of a snowy peak. Senior Class members ordered over a ton of ice to create this particular snow patch.

CARRYING THE TORCH Gazing out onto the campus, the seniors decided to adorn the front of Centennial Hall with the five classical colors of the Olympic Games, as well as bestow a replica of the Olympic torch onto the Path to Manhood Statue.

Commentary • March 9, 2018 • The ReMarker • Page 19 Staff editorials

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

EDITOR IN CHIEF KOBE ROSEMAN

MANAGING EDITORS DAVIS BAILEY ZACH GILSTRAP

EXECUTIVE PAGE EDITOR MIKE MAHOWALD

ASSIGNMENTS EDITOR ANDRE ARSENAULT

CREATIVE DIRECTORS NAFTAL MAUTIA RETT DAUGBJERG

HEAD PHOTOGRAPHER RILEY SANDERS

ISSUES EDITOR BLAKE DAUGHERTY

COMMUNICATIONS EDITOR ALEC DEWAR

COMMENTARY EDITORS JIMMY RODRIGUEZ SAM SUSSMAN

SENIOR WRITER REECE RABIN

RESEARCH DIRECTORS ZOHEB KHAN NICK MALVEZZI

COPY EDITORS

MICHAEL LUKOWICZ SAM SHANE

PHOTO COORDINATOR OWEN BERGER

FOCUS EDITORS CJ CRAWFORD DUNCAN KIRSTEIN

LIFE EDITORS

SAHIT DENDEKURI MARK TAO

LIFE WRITERS SAM AHMED SAM GOLDFARB ERIC HIRSCHBACH DYLAN LIU ALBERT LUO TIANMING XIE MATTHEW ZHANG

NEWS EDITORS KAMAL MAMDANI LYLE OCHS

NEWS WRITERS

ANDY CROWE MATEO GUEVARA ISHAN GUPTA JAMES ROGERS SID VATTAMREDDY CHRISTOPHER WANG WALLACE WHITE

SPORTS EDITORS PARKER DAVIS CONNOR PIERCE

SPORTS WRITERS COLIN CAMPBELL JOSH DANIELS NATHAN HAN JAHAZIEL LOPEZ AARON THORNE NICK WALSH

SPORTS MAGAZINE EDITOR WILL FORBES

ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR ZACH LANDRY

REVIEWS SPECIALIST AUSTIN MONTGOMERY

ARTIST

MATTHEW COLEMAN

CARTOONISTS SAMMY SANCHEZ KANNAN SHARMA

BUSINESS MANAGER CARSON CROCKER

ASSISTANT BUSINESS MANAGER PAXTON SCOTT

PHOTO EDITOR KYLE SMITH

PHOTOGRAPHERS MATEO DIAZ ADNAN KHAN CHRIS MCELHANEY RYAN MCCORD JACK MCCUTCHAN RYAN NORMAN KATHAN RAMNATH CHARLIE RUBARTH LEE SCHLOSSER ROHIT VEMURI

MIDDLE SCHOOL LIAISON BEN ADAMS

STUDENTS MUST BE BETTER PREPARED IN WAKE OF SCHOOL SHOOTING

Parkland event shows we cannot become complacent here at 10600 Preston Road.

I

n 2017, the city of Parkland was named Florida’s safest city, according to the Washington-based National Council for Home Safety and Security.

Seven violent crimes were reported among the population of 31,507 last year.

Seven.

Then, on Valentines Day, Nikolas Cruz entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and killed 17 people with an AR-15 rifle — three members of the faculty and fourteen students.

All of this, in just six minutes.

The events that took place last month in Parkland, Florida should resonate deeply within our campus. We consider ourselves to be on a very safe campus, as we should: four members of the security staff had lengthy careers in law enforcement, including two who worked with the SWAT team. The security team constantly seeks ways to improve our campus’ safety and ensure the wellbeing of everyone.

However, we must be sure to not become complacent. We cannot allow ourselves to live in a “bubble,” not believing that anything could come to us, not on our campus, not here. Students must know what to look out for. What to do. Where to go. When to know it’s safe.

And right now, they don’t.

We were pleased to learn that the security team will be meeting with each grade in class meetings to discuss preparedness. The security team and administrators must be sure to talk about the following topics in each of the class meetings: • What to look for. Although seemingly obvious, many students likely do not know what kind of behavior or what type of personality to look for from a

potential threat.

For example, at what point should we do something about strange or concerning behavior? How should we go about interacting with someone whom we believe to be a possible threat to the lives and safety of others?

• What to do. In the event that someone comes onto campus with the intention of harming others, students need to know what to do. This is paramount. As of now, students would not know what to do in this scenario.

Should we stay in the classrooms and lock the doors? Spread out? Hide in windowless areas or rooms?

• Where to go. Not only must students understand what to do on campus, but we must also learn where to meet and how to get there. Realistically, if there were an active shooter on campus, the majority of students would likely try to run off campus. Is there a specific location suggested by the school as a rendezvous point, or should students be expected to spread out in the area surrounding campus and check in with school officials later?

• Knowing it’s safe. Because there would likely be a variety of places students could be in the event of an active shooter, a logical question would be how to account for every member of the campus after the shooting ceased.

How should students check in with the school if they have left campus? Is there a specific contact to refer? Moreover, there must be a system in place to communicate when the campus is safe again and when it is safe to come out of hiding or to stop attempting to evade the shooter.

Given that we haven’t had a drill in more than three years, many students and faculty alike would now know

ONLINE VIEWING.

T

his year marked the beginning of the newly renovated Ethos program directed by Malcolm K. and Minda Brachman Master Teaching Chair Dr. Martin Stegemoeller.

Although these Ethos task forces were designed to provide students with more leadership opportunities, many students haven’t capitalized on the opportunity they have been given, as many of these task forces fail to meet, thus depriving the whole community of exciting opportunities.

These many committees are assigned to cover a variety of tasks, ranging from chapel to guest speakers.

But many of these committees are failing to meet. Commitee leaders are not only wasting a leadership opportunity, but also they are depriving the community of the chance to benefit from the results of these task forces, whether it be hearing from interesting guest speakers or offering opportunities for classes to

bond.

These leaders are also hurting themselves. A goal of having many task forces was to give more people leadership opportunities. Many of those who applied for a leadership position and are not meeting are wasting a crucial chance to develop their own leadership skills.

These positions could have very easily been given to someone else, so those who were selected as heads of committees should be honored by this opportunity to lead, while also fulfilling their promise to direct these task forces in the right direction.

By not meeting, underclassmen who are looking for ways to get involved in the community are also being harmed as they are being given bad examples of what leadership is.

At the beginning of the year, there were Ethos meetings every other week, where the leaders of these task forces

One Sunny Wednesday...

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They must be typed, signed and not exceed 300 words.

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ADVERTISING.

Press run is 3,800 copies. Copies are provided free of charge to students, faculty and staff at various distribution sites on campus. More than 2,600 copies are mailed out to alumni courtesy of the school’s offices of External Affairs, Development and Alumni divisions.

1

Run

2

Hide

3

Fight

• Have an escape route and plan in mind.

• Leave your belongings behind.

• Keep your hands visible.

• Hide in an area out of the schooter’s view • Block entry to your hiding place and lock all doors • Silence your cell phone.

• As a last resort and only when your life is in danger.

• Act with physical ag- gression and throw items at the active shooter.

Information taken from the Department of Homeland Security

By not meeting regularly — or even at all — students are not taking advantage of leadership opportunities this program offers.

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

Contact the business staff at 214.346.8145. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement. Inclusion of an ad is not an indication of an endorsement by The ReMarker, any of its staff members or faculty or staff members of St. Mark’s School of Texas.

What to do in the event of an active shooter

Ethos task force leaders must fulfill promises to community

ADVISER

RAY WESTBROOK

what to do in a scenario like the one in Parkland, Florida. We encourage the students to take these meetings seriously — and administrators and security staff must be sure to make these discussions detailed, meaningful and regularly occurring.

We understand the security team has many years of experience and is constantly working to ensure the safety of the school. And we’re happy that faculty members and administrators have recognized the need to address the issue of preparedness.

However, we cannot become complacent. We cannot assume anything.

If there is a lesson to learn from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, it is that no place is exempt from potential violence.

Not even St. Mark’s.

Hymn 7

Hymn 7

Psalm 12

Psalm 12

met with Stegemoeller to discuss the progress of these committees. As these meetings have disappeared, so have many of the task forces.

Something must be done. The Ethos program is a great way for students to get involved in the community, and right now, many of these task forces are not taking advantage of this opportunity.

Whether the answer be punishments for task force leaders who continue to put off work, or whether it be the reimplementation of these semi-weekly meetings, the community needs these leaders to do their jobs.

The Ethos program was meant to be a great way to enhance our community’s development. It was not meant to be fodder for students’ resumes.

It is time for these students to be the leaders we expect them to be or they should to step aside and make way for someone who will do the work.

Page 20 • The ReMarker • March 9, 2018 • Commentary

Children at play, faster than the speed of light...

Embracing the ‘different’ side of myself T

he class’s eyes travel around the table, seat by seat, inching closer and closer to me.

There’s a choreography to it — someone stands up, takes out his poem, puts it up on the board, reads it aloud and hands the floor to the next person.

But it’s that steadiness — that ease of motion — that makes me so uneasy as I sit at the end of the table.

With just a few seats left, my eyes peek back down at the paper in front of me, and I run through it one more time before I decide once and for all: I can’t read my poem.

Thanks to me, Poetry Day — a Friday tradition in Ms. Vaughan’s English class — ended in a chokehold of awkwardness.

So to my third period English class: I’m sorry for that. And even if many of you thought nothing of it, I’ve regretted turning my back on that poem ever since.

Because the truth is, I wasn’t Kobe scared of public Roseman speaking. I wasn’t Editor in chief scared of how well it was written. And I wasn’t scared of being vulnerable in front of my friends.

I was scared of the topic.

Even the thought of touching on it made me uneasy.

It’s a topic that’s defined my daily routines, personality and life. And it’s a topic I’d always wanted to write about — but never had.

So in that sonnet assignment for Ms. Vaughan one Friday, I decided it was time to capture my experience, over the last five years, since being diagnosed with ADHD. It started after the test results came back, when my parents sat my seventh-grade self down on the edge of my bed and told me — no matter how much I pushed back — that it didn’t mean anything other than I was just a bit… “different.”

My eyes practically rolled back 180 degrees.

“All right.”

They followed it up by taking the bottle out of the brown CVS bag while trying to hide their we’reas-sure-about-this-as-you-are faces.

It was supposed to fix the problem — my focus, organization, work-ethic and grades.

So I trusted my parents, trusted the doctors and put my trust in that CVS bag.

I

see the sign every day on my way home. It stands on its rusty, rickety pole, diamond-shaped, canary yellow, slowly swaying in the gusty Texas wind. It’s a sign I saw every day as a child, a sign meant to protect me and keep my childhood fun alive.

“Slow down! Children at play.”

Passing the sign daily takes me back to a time when my four sisters and I used to stick our fingers in the muggy mud to pick up roly-polies. It takes me back to a time when we used to zoom our RC cars down the rugged sidewalks. It takes me back to a time when we were the “children at play.”

It was 2006. We were in the long stretch of summer break, and my sisters and I played tirelessly, every day under the blazing midsummer sun. Wearing my new pair of Spiderman rollerblades, I was ready to race my sister — who we call Nunu — down Jewelflower Drive.

My blades were adequate enough, slick-to-the-touch and time-tested, but Nunu came with the big guns ­— she wore her pair of pink-andblue-hued Barbie rollerblades, Zach equipped with the fastest blades Gilstrap Managing in DeSoto. She was tough compeeditor tition.

My next-door-neighbor and best friend, Damian, was the race officiator, aluminum whistle in hand. “Ready, set, go!” Damian’s whistle resonated, and we were off.

Dashing forward with a running start, I built the momentum for my rollerblades. I jumped a few inches off the ground and started skating, alternating left leg and right leg like I were skating for Olympic gold.

I felt a sharp gust of wind as my sister sped past me like

‘ Word on the

STREET

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

I will be waiting for my baby and probably eating a good amount of spicy foods so that I can induce labor.

Amy Stanbury math instructor

GRID

BAFFLING

THE

There was suddenly a pride and excitement in my

work. A surreal joy in finally being able to listen in class. And an embrace of when I can use ADHD to be inspiringly ambitious and creative — while also knowing when I need to mute those off-the-rails impulses.

In the U.S., there are 6.1 million kids with ADHD. And more than half of that number fit into the adolescent age group — the group that includes seventh-graders.

If you studied this group at random, you’d quickly realize ADHD is not a one-size-fits-all problem — and I know there isn’t one solution or story.

So it may have taken this long for me to put pen to paper because it’s taken this long for me to see where my own story ends.

And even though I know I’ll live with this the rest of my life, I can’t help but appreciate where I’ve ended up.

So on Poetry Day’s eve, I grabbed my computer, sat down on the edge of my bed and began to consider it on paper for the first time. And sitting in the same place my parents had urged that seventh-grader to appreciate ADHD for nothing more than just being a bit “different,” I realized the eye-roll was a bit uncalled-for.

Because they were right.

It’s just part of who I am… and I’ve learned to embrace it.

I regret ever thinking otherwise.

And when it comes to Ms. Vaughan’s Poetry Day, I regret turning my back on my poem, letting third period end in a chokehold of awkwardness and missing the chance to communicate what I’ve learned since the seventh grade.

Because for the 6.1 million kids diagnosed — and the countless yet to be — I regret letting myself be hesitant to speak on the topic that had defined so much of my life.

The topic I’ve learned to embrace every inch of, even if it took a full sonnet and column to get onto paper.

Our opinions on what’s going on around campus, all in one place.

NOTICED

Black History Month We hope next February will see a marked improvement in the school’s efforts to emphasize the importance of Black History Month. This year, we felt that the national month of recognition was never mentioned at the school, not even on the bulletin board in the Commons which usually has posters with important black leaders, past and present.

STEM Festival This year’s STEM Festival, led by co-chairs senior Kabeer Singh, senior Jack Parolisi and junior Emmett Berger, provided a great opportunity to hear from and visit with three renowned scholars in the scientific field.

Senior prank The Class of 2018’s senior prank, with the theme of Winter Olympics, was stellar.

Not only did the prank bring joy and laughter to the students, but the faculty and staff joined in on the fun, as well.

Tennis courts, baseball field

Without lights on Locker room showers the tennis courts Student athletes around campus hope and the baseball field, the teams to see the Hicks Gym locker room showers are unable to start any of their games improved: the tiling on the floor is grimy past approximately 4 p.m. without and filthy, the soap running the risk dispensers in each of of being unable the showers do not to play because of work and some of the shower heads are darkness. We hope some lights will be broken. added.

Student council The Student Council, led by president Canyon Kyle, has done a great job of organizing and planning events in a timely fashion, with the most recent example being the announcement of Spring Fling, which will have the theme “Dance for the Decades” and will be held April 7.

Coffeehouse The most recent coffeehouse, held on March 3, with the theme “Hollywood,” was a great event for students from both St. Mark’s and Hockaday to showcase their talent in front of their peers.

BRILLIANT

a dart, her beaded braids swinging and swaying in the hot air. At the speed she was going, she’d complete the upwards-of-70 meters stretch and take home the win. But as her younger brother, I couldn’t let that happen — I just couldn’t.

I huffed a heavy breath and pushed my legs harder and harder, left, right, left, right, slowly closing the seemingly-endless gap between her and I. Dashing at breakneck speed, I passed Nunu by a few meters, squeezing every bit of stamina I had out in each push. I looked behind my shoulder to laugh at my sister, struggling to skate over each crack in the sidewalk.

A few seconds later — as fate may have it — my front blade on my right rollerblade got caught in one of the crevices of the sidewalk, and in a matter of moments, I was on the grass in front of my neighbor’s home, writhing in the pain of imminent defeat. I soon saw Nunu, braids swinging and all, zoom past me to a triumphant stop at the fire hydrant.

I heard Damian blowing his whistle like a madman, signalling the race was over, crowning Nunu as “block champion.” She still holds this win against me today.

Nowadays, when I think back on when we were those “children at play,” I experience a swarm of sweet nostalgia.

But on my way home, passing by that rickety sign in my neighborhood exposes the reality of kids and teenagers like me today — we’re no longer the “children at play” we used to be.

I don’t mean to gripe, but it’s interesting to see my neighborhood playground empty all summer long and our perfectly-functional bikes accumulate dust in the garage. I honestly can’t remember the last time I played outside in my neighborhood. The sign stands idle on my street, warning drivers to slow down for children who just aren’t there.

Thinking back on my countless rollerblade races with my sisters and nights spent digging through mud for bugs, I remember that some of my best memories come from those cracked sidewalks on Jewelflower Drive. Memories that every child, teenager or adult deserves to have.

Memories of rollerblades faster than the speed of light. Memories of crimson red fire hydrants. Memories of whistle-happy next door best friends. Memories of losing pitifully to older siblings.

Memories of “children at play.”

Ever since, it’s been a rollercoaster of emotions.

There was the thousand-pound feeling over my head on days we tweaked doses too far. The nights I spent in a physically-can’t-fall-asleep limbo. And the moments of slight embarrassment when taking a test with extended time.

But somewhere along the line, something clicked.

OVERLOOKED

‘

My family and I are going to go to Aspen to do some white water rafting and spend some quality time together.

Luke Nayfa freshman

‘

‘

I’m hopefully going to ski in Winter Park, Colorado.

William Gonzalez sophomore

I’m going on a cruise to Mexico with my best friends.

Avery Pearson senior

What are some of your plans for this year’s Spring Break?

‘

I’ll be practicing every morning with the water polo team. The head coach of the Romanian national team is visiting to coach us, so I’m really excited for that.

Robert Newman junior

‘

I’m going to Orlando Studios with one of my best friends, so I’m excited to do the rides and walk around.

Mason Rareshide sophomore

‘

I’m really excited to go on the senior Spring Break trip to the Bahamas with my brothers. I think it’s going to be really fun, and I can’t wait to make some memories while I’m there!

Edward Ro senior

Commentary • March 9, 2018 • The ReMarker • Page 21

Some strange co-ed version of duck, duck, goose without an ‘it’

S

t. Mark’s Life Lesson #783: Never try and slow dance without any music.

This lesson, like any other lesson that will stick with me for all my life, comes from a great story. Actually, really a pretty pitiful story of failure.

For anyone who wasn’t at the school as a Middle Schooler or who didn’t have the same amount of social expertise and mastery I possessed as a sixth-grader (absolutely none), I’ll lay out the two biggest socialization expectations so as not to confuse anyone. #1. You go to the varsity football games.

Davis Bailey #2. You don’t actuManaging ally watch the games. editor Sixth grade, after all, is when these games start to be pretty much mandatory, but they’re an entirely different beast than football games as a fifth grader — which were pretty much just time slots when you’d buy five candy bars with the ten dollars your dad gave you for food and play as much Airheads-fueled touch football that an 11-year-old could handle.

Sixth-graders, clearly, are above this peasantry.

Sixth-graders, obviously, have better things to do. And sixth-graders, for the first time, have to deal with an entirely new part of the football-game-recreation-equation — girls.

Enter 11-year-old Davis.

With pretend confidence and some stylish khaki shorts on, I step onto the back field during the first quarter of the first game of the season, NERF football in hand, ready to drop some passes in touch football.

But the field’s almost empty. I can’t hear Canyon Kyle or Reece Rabin or any of the other touch football juggernauts screaming out their victory whoops. I do see, though, what I think has gotta be some strange coed version of duck-duck-goose without an “it.”

So I trot across the field, my size eight grey New Balances propelling me towards an uncertain fate.

When I get within hearing-range of this seated circle of guys and girls in my grade, I heard the three words that’ll make any sixth grader’s stomach plummet like a runaway elevator.

“Truth or dare?”

I had always heard infamous stories about this game.

Summers spent watching Nickelodeon and Disney Channel had taught me the value of Truth or Dare, how every high-school party had a game going, how every long-term relationship started with it, how anyone who’s anyone knew the rules.

Needless to say, I was in.

So I sat down cross-legged at the fringe of the circle, listening in, hoping and praying to get dared into popularity with the girls or truthed into revealing some big, endearing secret.

I waved at the circle’s officiator, facilitator, and dictator, the most beloved and most prominent sixthgrade socialite at Hockaday, Mia (name changed).

“Alright, everyone,” Mia said, all eyes and ears on her, “someone give me one!”

“Fine, Mia,” six sixth-grade voices responded in fake exasperation, “truth or dare?”

No hesitation from Mia.

“Dare!”

And then someone from the group throws out that magical dare, the dare I thought would catapult me into the girls’ good graces, the dare that would make up for the lack of touch football being played.

“I dare you to slow dance with a guy… for twenty seconds… without music!”

Immediately, a symphony of ooh’s and aww’s erupts from the crowd at what was, without a doubt, the most salacious dare ever thought of in sixth grade truth or dare.

So Mia lets the crowd die down and expertly pivots.

“Yeah, but then I’d need a guy to dance with.”

And without a beat, Canyon Kyle, right next to me, pipes up.

“Davis wants to dance with you!”

Thanks Canyon.

Without waiting for a response, I stand up, ready to start my wordless waltz. And as I’m standing there, digging through my brain to find the steps to the foxtrot from Cotillion, Mia responds with the exact words I still remember to this day.

“Ugh. As if I’d dance with someone so… repulsive.”

Now, as a senior, I’ve talked to Mia, who had no clue this ever happened, and I’ve talked to Canyon, who thinks it’s hilarious but doesn’t remember volunteering me.

And while I laugh at it now, I’ll probably never forget that infamous game. And I’ll never again try to slow dance without any music.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Why 2018 will be missing from the swimming championships banner

Dear Editor: Someday in the future, some 20 years down the road, there’s going to be some prospective Marksman who notices the glaring gap in the swim team’s SPC banner and asks the burning question.

What happened in 2018?

I’ve heard a lot of answers thrown around over the past few weeks – overruled disqualifications, a lack of divers, a few bad swims – but frankly, we’d expected all of those going in. The hard truth is, while we were a great team,

they were just a little bit better.

There’s something beautiful about losing though. Something that strips away the results and egos — and reveals the deeper core.

You see Jack Palmer, a freshman, sitting boldly in the back of the bus among the seniors – the most defeated of the lot – with the biggest smile on his face. His massive hugs and awful jokes are strangely uplifting, not because we need the consolation, but because, for the first time I can remember, a freshman has stepped up to be the bigger

man.

You see Andrew Lin on an iPhone screen, passed throughout the bus, knowing exactly what to say to lift each swimmer’s spirits. It’s mostly irrelevant stuff, casual words about college life and water polo and reminding Eddie Ro just how terrible a person he is. But it has an effect; as the FaceTime call ends, there’s finally a palpable air of levity.

Future Marksman, you’ve chosen a tough path coming to St. Mark’s, rife with disappointments and upsets.

TAKING

Unsung hero

Ar Scott Ziegler

A discussion of issues outside the scope of campus, around the country and across the globe.

e would like to thank ceramics instructor Scott Ziegler for his help in the fight against hunger.

Ziegler recently had his students create dozens of bowls for the North Texas Food Bank’s Empty Bowls Fundraiser, in which guests sample food and get to take home an artisan bowl, such as the ones created by Ziegler’s classes.

Not only is Ziegler an exceptional ceramics instructor who consistently brings the best out of his students, but we are happy to see he is taking a servant-leadership mentality with his classes, as well.

Teaching students to create bowls and pots is one thing, but then having these students donate these bowls for a better cause is a perfect example of what this school should strive to do.

We would like to recognize Ziegler and his ceramics students for fighting the cause against world hunger and for him efforts to give back to the community.

Thank you!

Cape Town set to become first major city to run out of water in modern times

Ceramics instructor

W

I

STOCK

Looking at the rising and falling stocks around campus

e

d the glob oun

There’s going to be a lot of losses, whether it’s a “C” on an algebra test or a season-ending ankle injury.

But when people look at that gap on the banner, I want them to remember this: behind those losses, there’s always the silver lining. There’s the memories about the journey, and there’s the people that continue to keep you smiling and laughing with their unconditional love.

And sometimes, that’s all the motivation you need to press on.

Niteesh Vemuri ‘18

n recent months, Cape Town, South Africa, announced its water supply is dangerously low. As of Feb. 20, the city officials predict that the city will be completely without potable water by July 9. If they are unable to find a miraculous remedy to their problem, Cape Town will be the first major city to run out of water in modern times.

However, residents have already drastically cut their water use, which has postponed “Day Zero,” the day on which the city runs out of water, three times.

The events in Cape Town have opened the world’s eyes to the dangers that come with overconsumption. While many think their actions do not have consequences, we must always keep in mind that the planet has limited resources, and that we must think of future generations as we live in sustainable ways. Thus, we urge St. Mark’s to increase its efforts for sustainability. If Cape Town is any indication, we must pay attention to the world around us and continue to strive towards eco-friendly living conditions and consumption methods.

Winter Formal

Many students who were fortunate enough to be asked to the Hockaday Winter Formal dance enjoyed a night of fun, filled with friends and music as students were able to enjoy the hard work that Hockaday put in to ensure a fun night for all.

Batting cages Baseball players are enjoying the new batting cages that have been provided to them. This upgrade has given players the opportunity to improve their swings in a much needed, newly created area.

Teacher cramming Although we understand that teachers want to fit in a few extra grades before the end of the trimester, it is unfair for students to have to handle the onslaught of papers, quizzes and tests given to them the week before the trimester ends.

Sick students

If you are sick, do NOT come to school. Even if you might have to make up a test or go see the teacher to catch up on missed work, it is important that you stay home in order to prevent a disease outbreak at our school.

Page 22

Moving on to the next level, unrecognized

SPORTS

N

ational Signing Day occurs on the first Wednesday of February every year. Most high schools hold signing day events on that day (or the next day, as Hockaday did) recognizing their athletes, and an additional ceremony may take place at the athlete’s club if they played a club sport.

For those of you who don’t yet know, I committed and signed to play soccer for Boston University last month. But that isn’t the focus of my message.

I signed that Wednesday night at my soccer club, and I would be looking forward to the ceremony that St. Mark’s holds in May to recognize seniors who are going on to play sports in college.

However, I can’t look forward to that honor because I won’t actually be recognized.

The same scenario held true for every graduating member Nick Malvezzi Research Director of my club soccer team, including fellow Marksmen Houston Engleman, who will continue his soccer career this fall at Claremont McKenna.

The reason for our absence?

We never played a high school sport for St. Mark’s.

That’s because both of us have played in the US Soccer Development Academy program since the U14 age group, and the DA contract states that players may not play high school soccer.

As proof, two players were recently cut from DA teams in our club for playing high school soccer, for Flower Mound Marcus and W.T. White respectively.

Academy soccer provides an opportunity that is unparalleled in our country: highest-level training, and competition weekin and week-out with the best players in the country at our age, including several players who have already signed professional contracts.

And because of the high level of play and high quality of talent, college coaches from the D1 national champions to junior college level and everything in between flock to the bi-seasonal Academy showcases in search of potential recruits. For dedicated players who hope to ply their trade at the next level and who look to use their sport as a gateway to a school which may otherwise be a reach, the Academy is the clear choice.

Without a doubt, times have changed from an era where playing soccer with a local club in conjunction with high school was the best route to the next level The eight of us Marksmen have been through the same grueling struggle, and we have all done exceptionally well both in the classroom and on the playing field. To not recognize two of the eight, when we all went above and beyond, is simply not right.

Our seniors will attend Colgate, Haverford, Washington & Lee, Yale, Princeton and Harvard—a collection of schools for which only a place like St. Mark’s could produce student-athletes. It’s shameful that Claremont-McKenna and Boston University and their athletes aren’t celebrated in the same vein.

Riley Sanders photo

PASSING LANES

Looking into the paint toward sophomore Andrew Laczkowski, senior Reece Rabin prepares to throw a pass during the basketball team’s game against Kinkaid Feb. 17. The team went on to win the game 55-48 to secure a third-place finish in SPC play after losing to Houston Christian in the semifinals 71-54.

Sports in brief MIDDLE SCHOOL SPORTS LOOK TO START STRONG The Middle School sports teams started up their spring seasons with several games this week.

After several games were canceled due to rain, the seventh and eighth grade baseball teams opened their seasons with a game against Cistercian Robert Newman March 6. The two teams also participated in a double header at Trinity Valley yesterday.

The Middle School track and field team participated in a meet at ESD with Hockaday, Greenhill, Good Shepherd and Parish March 6.

Tennis and lacrosse also got their seasons started with games against Trinity Valley and Highland Park, respectively.

JV TEAMS MAKE USE OF WEEKS OF PRACTICE IN FIRST GAMES The school’s two JV teams have begun their 2018 seasons.

The JV baseball team played their first game March 3 against the Texas Homeschool Educators Sports Association and followed that game with battles against Bishop Lynch on March 6 and Parish on March 7.

The JV lacrosse team has yet to play a game due to its small numbers.

RIBMAN EARNS ALLAMERICAN RECOGNITION Senior Tucker Ribman was named an All-American after earning an eighth place finish at the

Prep Nationals Wrestling Tournament hosted by Lehigh University in Pennsylvania Feb. 23-24.

Additionally, Ribman won his second straight Texas Prep State Wrestling title in the competition held in Houston Feb. 3. This continued his season-long undefeated streak in Texas.

At the state level, the Lions would go on to place 10th out of 26 schools that competed. Teams came from both the SPC and the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools.

NEW BATTING FACILITIES INSTALLED AS REPLACEMENTS New baseball batting cages have been constructed between Orchid Lane and the Over Downs Drive entrance to the school after a donation from Ricki and Andy Rabin, the parents of senior Reece Rabin and fifth grader Cooper

Rabin.

The cages, which will provide hitters with brand new turf, screens, netting and home plates, were needed because the old ones had to be torn down to create room for the construction of the new Winn Science Center.

SOCCER TEAM RECRUITS UNLIKELY GOALIE Junior Emmett Berger filled in as an unlikely backup goalie for the varsity soccer team after junior goalie William Haga tore his meniscus.

With no previous soccer experience, Berger was forced into action two days into his soccer career against Parish on Jan. 5. After having a rough night in goal, Berger had a strong next game, only allowing one goal against Greenhill in his time as a goalie.

“It was a really awesome experience being a goalie and I definitely want to do it next year,” Berger said. “It’ll be tough but I really enjoyed goalie and I’ll definitely be training hard next fall.”

JUNIOR VARSITY BASEBALL TEAM BRINGS IN NEW COACH Sean Webb has been named the new junior varsity baseball coach. Webb replaces Dennis Kelly, who had served in the same position for the past four years.

Webb, the son of Director of the Physical Plant Mark Webb, is Carson Crocker looking to lead the all-freshmen JV squad to their second consecutive winning season.

­­­­­­— Colin Campbell, Nathan Han, Connor Pierce, Aaron Thorne, Parker Davis

Inside

23

The scoreboard Varsity Baseball

0 2

A new sports revolution

A look at the rapidly transforming world of fantasy sports and sports gambling.

Wins

Varsity Water Polo

2 2

24

The sports way

Examining the way of life and culture of St. Mark’s athletes and how it can radically chance in just one season.

26

Wins

28

Rock climbers

The lives of Marksmen who spend their free time scaling the rocks of Dallas-Fort Worth.

Losses

Varsity Lacrosse

1 2

Wins

Losses

Varsity Tennis

1 0

Wins

‘

‘

Sophomore Mason Rareshide

2

1

Number of sophomores on varsity baseball

Losses

SPC spectating tips from the Superfans

Captain selection

We all know and see the impact of our team captains. But how are they chosen?

Losses

Highlight reel

All right, boys, it’s SMLAX season. This is our last trimester of sports to cheer on, and for us seniors it’s our last sports season to cheer on in our high school careers. Let’s make it out to every game and cheer our boys on, while also giving love to tennis, baseball, track and water polo”

— Senior Sam Sussman

Every sport needs a big crowd to support it in times of need, and to celebrate in times of joy. But to never yell or jeer at the opposing team. I’m excited to promote lacrosse, baseball, tennis, and track and field in all of their endeavors.

— Senior Avery Pearson

.250

Rareshide’s batting average in the team’s intersquad scrimmage

33

Rareshide’s bat length in inches

Sports • March 9, 2018 • The ReMarker • Page 23

WHERE VEGAS MEETS THE FIELD Keeping perspective

Sports betting has been illegal in 46 states since 2006, but with a Supreme Court case possibly legalizing sports gambling in New Jersey, the future of sports betting and fantasy is up in the air.

F

orty-five years old.

That is the average age of the 30 general managers in Major League Baseball, all of whom have spent years working their way up to have a chance at this job.

But in his mid-50s and with no baseball operations experience, Kent Pierce, father of junior Connor Pierce, has the opportunity to own and help run the front office of a professional baseball team.

But not in real life. ···

Through RSports Baseball, a virtual

baseball league, Kent Pierce, the majority owner of the rRangers team, gets to experience what it’s like to have all the responsibilities of a Major League Baseball (MLB) front office, all with an opportunity to win thousands of dollars over the course of years.

The league, which was made to try and emulate the MLB as closely as possible, was created by Tory Hernandez, a former major league baseball operations analyst and general manager for the Los Angeles Angels.

“We’re taking the e-sports concept for fantasy sports,” Hernandez said.

“With having a real sports league where we don’t actually take the controller and execute the plays, you’re not swinging the bat for Mike Trout, but you’re owning the team, managing the team.

We’re taking that hybrid of the e-sports concept and merging it with sports management to offer to the 99 percent of people who will never own a sports franchise.”

All 30 teams in the league, which bases its realtime stats and results off of actual player performances, have an opportunity to win real money, while also increasing the value of their respective

RSports Baseball With RSports Baseball, people can buy a team with real money, manage it and take them through a season with a chance to win tens of thousands of dollars a year.

Data courtesy rsportsbaseball.com

Buy in Price

$20k

$10k

$2k rDodgers

rRangers

rWhite Sox

Fantasy Sports

29% • MALE PARTICIPANTS • FEMALE PARTICIPANTS

32

the average age of fantasy sports participants

59.3 Million

the estimated number of fantasy sports players in 2017 Source: Fantasy Sports Trade Association

teams.

Each investment in the league is more than just having faith in your fantasy skills. It’s also an investment into the future of the league and other leagues like it, a bet on the future value of a team in the league, a bet Kent made in acquiring a franchise in the RSports Baseball League.

“I think [the league] potentially has good long-term prospects,” Kent said.

“It is mildly parallel to the development of e-sports. Do I believe it has a chance to be successful and as popular and prosperous as e-sports? You never know.”

This league is aimed for those looking for a more complex fantasy sports experience. However, more common fantasy sports are on the rise in popularity, requiring very little time investment.

But with a recent Supreme Court case potentially legalizing sports gambling in New Jersey and setting a powerful precedent for sports gambling across the nation, the culture of fantasy sports and sports betting is controversially changing.

Fantasy sports are defined as a game

of skill in the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, one of the important distinctions between fantasy sports and sports betting. Fantasy sports have been and are clearly marked as legal under the law.

But with unclear distinctions between the two and a pressing need for more defined laws for sports gambling, the approaching Supreme Court decision will have a major impact on sports betting, fantasy sports and the overall sports culture.

Executive vice president and general counsel at Mark Cuban Cos. and Dallas Mavericks lawyer Robert Hart understands the nature and nuances of the currently illegal sports gambling world. He believes legalizing sports betting would help provide more structure to an already prominent field.

“Today there are billions of dollars being spent [in illegal gambling],” Hart said. “Because this business is underground, run by bookies and mobsters, it creates the opportunity for violence, cheating and other issues. Legalizing allows for regulating it and mitigating the criminal aspects and tax evasion of this underground industry.”

According to Hart, the legalization of sports betting is certainly imminent, and the business will be regulated and managed similar to the casino gambling of today. But the legalization of sports betting will have an impact beyond bringing a Vegas bookie to your doorstep: it will entail further changes to online sports betting.

As of now, the legality of online

• Story Nathan Han, Nick Walsh Photo Owen Berger

HOLDING THE CARDS Once relegated to whiteboards in office buildings, fantasy sports leagues have come full circle, now raking in billions of dollars annually.

betting is unclear. While there is no federal law in place, many broad state laws may include restrictions on online gambling. But these laws are rarely, if ever, enforced. However, any rulings concerning online gambling will not be coming any time soon, owing to their complex nature.

Both relaxed fantasy football leagues and the more serious leagues like RSports are currently legal and under no immediate threat of becoming illegal.

However, legislators will have to examine the gray area between RSports, which is based on real-life performance and tries to simulate games as closely as possible, and exact online Vegas copies.

“It’s very difficult to understand the full scope of what’s gambling and what’s not,” Hernandez said. “Playing poker is clearly a game of skill for some people, but when I look at daily fantasy sports, for some people that’s a skill, but for the vast majority of people that are playing it, it’s pure gambling because they’re really not assessing true value, and they’re taking names out of a hat.”

What after all, actually defines a game of skill?

Junior Jack McCabe was the odd-

man-out in his fantasy football league last year. After getting last place in his league, he had to take his punishment: having his head shaved by the winner.

“We used to put money on the league, but it got boring,” McCabe said.

“So we decided last year to have the

winner shave the loser’s head. I don’t regret it now because it was a really fun season, but I definitely really regretted it for a couple of months.”

Along with fantasy football, McCabe has also participated in DraftKings, a daily fantasy sports provider where you bet on sports related contests to win money. McCabe believes the lure of money adds a unique incentive to do well in the league.

“I got much more invested into what I was doing and researching with DraftKings,” McCabe said. “I definitely think there is a big difference between DraftKings and my fantasy football league. One is just something you do with friends and the other is on a completely different scale.”

McCabe and Kent are just two unique examples of people on the wide spectrum of the growing business of fantasy sports and to an extent, sports gambling. However, with the expanding industry comes legal headaches which will be increasingly dangerous to navigate.

So while friends put down a few dollars on March Madness brackets, sports fanatics dive into the world of working in a MLB front office, and lawyers contest a decades-old sports gambling act, one thing is certain: fantasy sports, sports gambling and everything in between are here to stay.

“The concept of this baseball league is something you’ll definitely see more and more of,” Kent said. “Right or wrong, it’s going to become more of a phenomenon over time.”

Seniors commit to play college athletics

Page 24 • The ReMarker • March 9, 2018 • Sports

SPARKING THE FIRE New sports culture

How do two teams nearly double their wins, earn tournament byes and improve six places in the conference standings, all in a single season? The answer lies in culture.

I

s soccer just too young to compete right now?

Do they have the skill to contend for a title?

Will they even qualify for SPC? After a 6-2 defeat at Parish just days before the first counter game of the season, varsity soccer coach Corindo Martin found himself hearing questions like these across campus. He knew his group had potential, but coming off of a disappointing tenth-place finish the year before, he wasn’t sure how to harness it.

The five senior soccer players refused to let any doubts take hold of the group. They gathered the squad, reset mentally and responded with a dominating 4-0 victory against a highly competitive Fort Worth Country Day team.

“I thought the seniors did a really good job of circling the wagons, and we came out against Country Day and played our most complete game of the season,” Martin said. “We played as unselfishly as ever. It set the tone for SPC, and I really credit the seniors for doing a lot of that.”

From then on, the team played exceptionally well. The group marched to a second-place finish in the North zone, earning a bye in the SPC Tournament.

Senior captain Cal Rushton, a three-year varsity player, helped lead the team as a contributor all over the field.

“One success was that the soccer team earned a bye for the first time in the new format,” Rushton said. “I think a lot of that came from the seniors. We knew what it was like to have to play an extra 80 minutes at SPC. We knew that we had to work hard during the counter season to make SPC easier for us.”

As Martin knows, early poor performances and a loss of confidence can throw a season into a tailspin, and both he and Rushton worked hard to stress that final scores are less important than the process of building a cohesive team.

“All those games in the beginning of the season, it’s not really the outcome that matters, it’s developing a playing style and becoming the team that we can be,” Martin said. “I think that that’s where the seniors did a really nice job of just staying the course, and helping our younger kids go through the ebb and flow of a long winter season.”

In the gym, just a hundred feet from the

pitch, the varsity basketball team took a similar path to success. After a ninthplace finish last year, the team, led by six seniors, came into the season ready to

AT ATTENTION Members of the varsity basketball team stand in line for the national anthem at their game against the Anglican Church Grammar School, which visited from Brisbane, Australia to spend a few days on campus.

compete for a title.

“I think there was an overall enthusiasm, buy-in and sense of ownership, that the seniors knew was paramount to the success of the squad,” head varsity coach Greg Guiler said. “Talent wins. But there’s a degree to which togetherness, toughness and technique have to maximize the talent.”

Similar to soccer, the basketball team embraced the path to SPC redemption.

The team knew the mission to chase a trophy began in the offseason, and that pursuit was led primarily by a driven and determined senior class.

“The seniors in particular set a tone for the offseason,” Guiler said. “They came to summer league games, they did open gyms, they were invested. The fall came along and they were the ones that entered us in a league at Sportsplex – that wasn’t me, that was them. All of them were locked and loaded, wanting to make this year special, and knowing there were things that needed to take place in order to get off to a good start.”

As Guiler notes, the senior class brought a consistent work ethic to practice from day one. Despite a challenging early season schedule, in which the team played against powerhouse teams such as Highland Park, the group fared well and entered counter play with a 17-4 record. Much of that success was due to senior captain Sam Sussman, a key figure on the team who was later named an SPC All-Conference player.

• Story Reece Rabin Photo Ryan McCord

“This year’s senior class was very straightforward with our goals,” Sussman said. “We knew we wanted to win every game, we expected to win every game, and that mentality spread throughout the whole team. Each senior gave it his all every practice and every game, and as a result, the underclassmen picked up on our winning mindset and really bought into our goals.”

While semifinal losses derailed both teams’ championship pursuits, the renewed and revitalized cultures helped the basketball and soccer teams finish in third and fourth place in SPC respectively, up from ninth and tenth last year.

Despite adding just two players to the varsity roster from the previous year, the basketball team went from 15-9 to 256, the most wins in Guiler’s tenure and the seventh-most in program history.

And though the class of 2018 will be leaving after this year, the tone they helped set will remain, and both coaches know the expectations get even higher from here. More important than their on-campus success, the seniors hope future teams follow their example and keep the revitalized teams strong.

“I definitely think the foundation they laid is going to resonate for a while,” Guiler said. “I think we all know the talent that exists right now. There’s some pretty fun years ahead. I think the seniors created an expectation with the underclassmen, and they’ll carry the torch.”

by Josh Daniels wo seniors have recently committed to play college sports.

The first, Reece Rabin, has committed to play baseball at the Division I level for Princeton University.

Rabin attributes his achievement to his willingness to put in the extra effort and time perfecting his craft. However, he knows he couldn’t have reached his goal by himself.

Aditionally for Rabin, the recruiting process was full of twists and turns, but in the end, his dedication to the sport triumphed.

“Ironically, the most frustrating moment of my recruiting process came after I pitched badly at a camp at Princeton,” Rabin said. “A few weeks later, in my last showcase of the summer with nearly every Ivy League head coach in attendance, I knew I had one more shot to firmly put myself on the Division I radar. We had a 7 a.m. game, so I woke up at 5 a.m. and warmed up for two hours before gametime. While other people were still yawning, I was able to put everything I had on every pitch.”

As Rabin heads to Princeton next year, he already has certain goals in mind that he wishes to achieve both on the baseball field and in the classroom.

“I hope to win an Ivy League championship, meaningfully contribute to the team and be a great leader,” Rabin said. “Off the field, my main goal is to excel academically to prepare myself for life after college.”

T

Addtionally, senior Nick Malvezzi will

continue his soccer career at Boston University.

Malvezzi is pleased with his decision, as he believes the university is a great fit for him both as an athlete and a student.

“This decision means a lot to me,” Malvezzi said. “To find a place that is a great match from both a soccer and academic perspective really makes me happy with my decision.”

Although Malvezzi has found his home after St. Mark’s, the process up to that point was a rather difficult one. While Malvezzi had been talking to other schools for years, none moved as quickly as Boston University once they saw him compete in a showcase.

“While from the outside the recruiting process seems easy and fun, it’s honestly quite stressful and painful,” Malvezzi said.

“Boston University didn’t see me until a showcase in early December, and everything moved along quite quickly, whereas some other schools I had been talking to for more than a year.”

As Malvezzi prepares himself for college soccer, he hopes to contribute to a team that is coming off of a strong season.

“Last year, the team finished second in the Patriot League and lost in penalties in the Patriot League Tournament,” Malvezzi said. “Going one step further and winning the Patriot League title and getting into the NCAA Tournament is the goal.”

Sports • March 9, 2018 • The ReMarker • Page 25

COMEBACK SEASON 21 minutes with... Colin Neuhoff

After days in the ICU, weeks in the hospital and months away from athletics, junior Colin Neuhoff is getting back on the field.

I

n the middle of the third quarter of the season’s eighth high school football game, there isn’t a lot of time to make decisions. But for junior Colin Neuhoff, there really isn’t a decision to make.

It’s ESD. He’s the starting quarterback. He has to go back in. Go back in for the team, the school, his own pride.

Two plays before, Neuhoff had been sandwiched between the knee of one ESD defender and the bodies of two others.

“I just got the wind knocked out of me,” he thinks, his heart pumping, his shoulders rising and falling with heavy, somewhat labored breaths.

So he puts the helmet back on. Snaps the chinstrap into place. And still with that splitting pain in his side, he’s back in.

Less than half an hour later, with the game still going on at school, Neuhoff is in the passenger seat of his dad’s car on the way to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital. Faster than waiting for an ambulance. He can’t wait too long. Athletic trainer Matt Hjertstedt’s best guess on the sidelines had been a ruptured spleen.

Trainer Matt was right.

That night began a weeklong stay in

the hospital and a nearly three-month recovery process for Neuhoff, a process that would end his football season and prevent him from wrestling even a single match throughout the entire winter season. The biggest pain, however, came the night of the game.

“Having to walk off really hurt,” Neuhoff said, “I mean it actually hurt, but it hurt because I wanted to play so bad.”

Neuhoff, however, didn’t walk off until after he had gone back in to play for nearly an entire quarter before breathing became too difficult to keep playing. For varsity football head coach Bart Epperson, that moment sticks out above the others.

“That just speaks volumes of who he is and what he’s done all year long on putting the team first,” Epperson said.

“He felt, at the time, that he could go back in and compete at an extremely high level, and he did and threw a touchdown.

That’s just a fierce competitor. I mean that’s just someone that’s going to give everything they possibly have for the betterment of the team.”

For Neuhoff, the few days after the injury were a blur, filled with visits from family and friends, dozens of texts and phone calls from friends and family and gift bags and cards that came in by the armload.

“All of that stuff really helped,” Neuhoff said. “Just knowing they were praying for me or looking out for me. But after that dies down, after the first week or two, everyone was still supporting me, but at that point you just have to wait it out yourself.”

Neuhoff went into those three months expecting to catch up on school and rest, but he faced a very different reality without athletics, a staple of his life for as long as he can remember.

“I started to miss the day-to-day practice and workload,” Neuhoff said.

“It’s something that, especially as an athlete here, sometimes it can get a little tough, repetitive, hard to keep on schedule. But I found myself missing having a two-hour practice and going home and having to do your homework right then.

I really liked that set schedule. I just had too much time. It was as simple as that.”

‘I REALLY JUST WANT TO GET BACK OUT THERE AND JUST PLAY MY GAME.’

During his time away from athletics,

Neuhoff found himself with a lot of time to think. About that night. About those three months. About the future.

“Well, for one thing, I learned what a spleen is,” Neuhoff said with a wry smile. “Secondly, really just to not take your time in high school for granted, especially when you’re playing with OFF THE FIELD After a spleen injury ended his football season and kept him from wresyour guys, whether that’s in wrestling or tling in even a single tournament, junior Colin Neuhoff is ready to make his return.. football or whatever it may be. Any sport, there’s nothing like it. It’s something prepared, mentally and physically, for played with before his injury. special.” football next year,” he said. “He will be “I think it may still be in the back of Despite the ups and downs of the wearing a rib protector though.” my mind,” Neuhoff said, “but I’m not gopast few months, Colin’s step-father Scott Colin plans to attack summer working to approach next season any differentVan Buskirk is ready to see Colin back on outs, practices and games just like he ly. I really just want to get out there and the field. always has, never losing the mentality he play my game.”

“We know that Colin will be fully

• Story Parker Davis, Jahaziel Lopez Photo Kyle Smith

Lone senior looks to lead in water polo season

by Nick Walsh oming off a season with six seniors, the water polo team has only one senior, Ryan Norman, playing this year.

Norman is looking to make a big impact on the team as they search for their fifth straight Texas State Championship and 17th straight regional title.

“Being the only senior really pushes me to do my best every day because it’s my last season,” Norman said. “I want to give it all I have and leave it all in the pool.”

While Norman understands the season ahead will be tough, he looks forward to the challenge.

“It’s hard being the only senior,” Norman said, “but we have really strong juniors this year who are great leaders, so I think leadership-wise it’s going to be a great year.”

Norman feels his situation presents him with a unique opportunity to showcase his leadership.

“I’m not a captain,” Norman said, “but I still want to really push myself to be a leader for the team being the only senior. For swim season I wasn’t a captain either, but as a senior you still have certain responsibilities to be a leader.

Leadership is definitely an important

C

goal for me this year.”

Along with Norman, the team is led by junior captains Robert Newman and Chase Honaker.

As one of the most prominent sports at the school, Norman feels the lack of seniors is a very rare situation for a team.

“The lack of senior leadership on the team is kind of weird,” Norman said. “Last year, there were at least six or seven seniors on the team, and the juniors right now have six or seven guys.

It’s weird to me so many people from my grade dropped out.”

Norman feels a sense of responsibility to help lead the team to a successful season.

“One negative coming from this situation is the pressure I’m putting on myself to step up,” Norman said. “It feels like I really need to be a role model for the younger guys on the team.”

Overall, Norman is excited for the upcoming season.

“I’m really looking forward to the season,” Norman said, “and I think we’ve a really strong team this year. It’s going to be a great, fun season with all the leadership and talent we have on the team.”

By the numbers

Athletic Directors’Cup Point Distribution

25

30

35

35

Fall SPC Finishes Cross Country 4th Volleyball

3rd

Football

4th

Winter SPC Finishes

St. Mark’s St. John’s 1st

2nd

EHS 3rd

Kinkaid 3rd

Basketball

3rd

Soccer

4th

Swimming

2nd

Wrestling

5th

Totals are for top four teams after first two seasons

LEADING THE PACK After two seasons, the Lions are in first place in the quest to retake the Athletic Directors’ Cup. Last year, The Kinkaid School came in first place, taking the boys’ cup for the first time in their history. The Lions, however, have placed highly in both seasons this year, taking second place overall in each individual season. Despite teams not gaining an SPC title thus far, the effort has been enough to land the Lions in first place overall.

Page 26 • The ReMarker • March 9, 2018 • Sports

ATHLETIC DEMOCRACY

Captain selection

Captains. Every team has them. They’re looked up to by teammates and spectators. But how do they come to be leaders on the field?

A

captain is an essential part of any team. He’s the guy in charge of communicating with the coaches, the team and the officials. He’s the guy the team looks to in times of success and failure, in the weight room, in the film room, on and off the field.

PLAY TO LEAD Senior William Hall is one of four captains on the varsity football team, chosen by their peers for their leadership.

But how are those leaders chosen?

Some teams let the players choose, while others let the coaches make the decision. Above all else though, a captain is the leader who bears the honor of representing his team.

Over time, there has never been a clear-

cut protocol for how different sports select their captains.

“We have never had a blanket policy in the department in how captains need to be selected from team to team,” Athletic Director Mark Sullivan said. “And so, while coaches have come and gone, what has remained the same is their prerogative to make those selections however they see fit.”

While all coaches have different ways of selecting their captains, head football coach Bart Epperson uses a solely player-based election process, where the coaches have no input at all.

“I allow the players on the team to vote, and we do that after our last preseason practice in August,” Epperson said.

“We put them into the locker room and give them the opportunity to select two offensive players, two defensive players and one special teams player. I have the team do it because everyone’s out there looking at them when they’re in the huddle and out of the huddle. When things are good, bad or indifferent, the captain is going to

• Story Aaron Thorne, Josh Daniels Photo Riley Sanders

be leading them through everything.”

Aside from doing the coin toss and being recognized at pep rallies, the captains of the football team mean more in the eyes of Epperson.

“Captains are the guys that have that ‘PMA,’ which is positive mental attitude,” Epperson said. ”They are making sure the rest of the team has that PMA in the locker room, in the weight room, on the field.”

A football captain himself, senior William Hall believes the number one job as a captain is communicating with his coach as well as his teammates.

“A lot of communication is involved,” Hall said. “Any concern that any players have is something I voice to the coach, which isn’t the most fun, but it’s something I have to do. Also, leading stretches, leading everything you can. In a way, you’re an alternate coach.”

For this past football season, the three captains’ elections stem from November 2016, the end of the junior football season and into the summer strength and conditioning program.

“They really worked their summer vacations around the strength and conditioning piece,” Epperson said. “They were here all the time. I would say that this past year that’s how these guys became captains. The team really looked up to them as leaders because it wasn’t just something that started when we reported on Aug. 7.”

While the captains are vital to the football program, Sullivan believes the usage of the captains varies from sport to sport.

“Some coaches lean a little bit heavier on their captains in terms of just organizational stuff where some coaches tend to use their captains differently,” Sullivan said. “So, in general, I think that the captains are expected to assume a leadership position, but then depending on each individual sport the coach has different expectations.”

For Epperson and his team, captains

are vital to the team’s success. Epperson believes the captains’ leadership directly correlated with the team’s outstanding season.

“We had a fabulous year,” Epperson said. “We were 5-3, and it was really good.

A lot of that was because of those three captains we had, keeping a positive mental attitude the whole season long.”

At the end of the day, Hall took a lot of pride in his role as football captain, and he really enjoyed taking lead of the football team.

“I appreciate that my teammates put that kind of trust in me,” Hall said. “You don’t always get that in other places on campus, and it’s really an incentive to not let people down. The way that other people looked up to me made me feel really good.”

Sports • March 9, 2018 • The ReMarker • Page 27

FACEOFF Junior John Burton (right) and sophomore Kyle Fisher (left) square off at midfield during lacrosse preseason. The team won their first game 21-3 against St. Stephens.

BRINGING IT HOME Two minute drill

As the third and final season of the year kicks off, we take a look at the teams, players and coaches looking to bring home a title.

REARING BACK Senior Josh Daniels nears the net during preseason lacrosse.

WINDUP Senior Will Forbes prepares to throw a pitch in an intrasquad scrimmage.

LEAP In last year’s SPC, now senior Fausto Reyher nears a hurdle in the 300m race.

CHIP SHOT Senior Rett Daugbjerg takes a shot during a practice round.

LOVE-LOVE Preparing for a serve, junior Samir Ratakonda grabs a ball.

UP AND OUT Junior Robert Newman lunges out of the water during a drill.

2017 SPC FINISH 2nd 2017 RECORD 13-6 NOTABLE The lacrosse team has one of the most unique schedules of any sport, playing schools such as Highland Park, Jesuit and Plano West.

THEY SAID IT ”We play two of the best teams in the state in our first three games, so we’re going to learn a lot about ourselves and what we need to work on. But I have loved my time with our guys so far, and they have done an awesome job in the preseason.” — head coach Hayward Lee

2017 SPC FINISH 5th 2017 RECORD 8-8 NOTABLE New batting cages have allowed for quality practice for the team members during the off-season after the old batting cages were torn down.

THEY SAID IT ”We feel great about the season. When you have a group of seniors who have been playing together since they were toddlers, the leadership is much stronger and the understanding between each other is tremendous. ” — senior captain Canyon Kyle

2017 SPC FINISH 4th HIGHEST FINISH 2nd in the Bradley V. Urschel Inviational meet NOTABLE Junior Dominic Fronc is the first decathlete the team has ever had.

THEY SAID IT “Based on the preseason or initial workouts, the initial health of some big important people at the start of the season and the influx of quality athletes from the eighth grade lends me to believe that we are going to have a very successful season and improve upon last year’s results.” — head coach John Turek

2017 SPC FINISH 4th NOTABLE The team placed sixth out of 20 teams at the annual Jesuit Invitational to open the season.

THEY SAID IT ”I think we lost some really talented golfers, but when I look at this group of guys, there are some guys with really nice swings and great potential, and more than anything just the drive to get better and work at it. I think that the degree in which we invest will be the degree in which we will see a return in investment.” — head coach Greg Guiler

2017 SPC FINISH 3rd NOTABLE The varsity team combines both younger and older talent. The team has 16 members, including four seinors.

THEY SAID IT ”I’m really looking forward to the team coming together as a whole by the end of the season, firing as one unit and hopefully taking home first in SPC. We also have a new coach this year, and with our new coaching situation and this team, we can really make this season what we want to make of it.” — senior captain Davis Bailey

2017 FINISH 1st in both the regional and state tournaments NOTABLE There is only one senior on the team: Ryan Norman. However, all of the team’s captains—Mark Weisberg, Joe Lofgren, Robert Newman and Chase Honaker—are juniors.

THEY SAID IT “With strong junior leadership and a massive, enthusiastic freshman class, we plan on giving this season everything we have, maintaining our winning culture and bringing home a fifth consecutive 6A state title.”

— sophomore Lee Schlosser

Winter sports finish year strong, teams all finish in top five of respective SPC tournaments Swimming SPC FINISH 2nd STROKE Competing in the team’s time trials, sophomore Sean Zhao pushes on through the breast stroke. In the SPC tournament, the team came in second place, the highest by a Lions team this year. It was, however, also the team’s first loss in the competition in over a decade, ending a run that made them one of the most dominant teams in the school’s athletic history.

Soccer

SPC FINISH 4th DOWNFIELD Senior Kabeer Singh dribbles the ball downfield in the soccer team’s game against Greenhill in the SPC tournament. The team lost the game by a score of 2-1, securing itself a fourth place finish, a five-place improvement over last year’s finish.

Wrestling

SPC FINISH 5th REVERSAL Maneuvering around his opponent, senior Calvin Hosler attempts to pin him during the wrestling team’s tri-meet with Kimball High School and McKinney Christian in December. The team took home a fifth place finish at SPC.

Basketball

SPC FINISH 3rd THE OPEN MAN Junior Austin Nadalini tosses a pass to the corner as senior Reece Rabin and three Kinkaid defenders look on. The team won the game 55-48 to secure a third place finish in the tournament after losing to Houston Christian in the semifinals.

• Compilations Colin Campbell, CJ Crawford, Josh Daniels, Parker Davis, Nathan Han, Jahaziel Lopez, Nick Walsh Photos Chris McElhaney, Riley Sanders, Adnan Khan, Owen Berger, ReMarker Archive

In the picture IN THE HUDDLE During one of the varsity lacrosse team’s first preseason practices, head coach Hayward Lee talks to his players. The team opened its season in Austin winning against St. Stephen’s Feb. 23. The team will travel to North Carolina over spring break.

REMARKER

St. Mark’s School of Texas

10600 Preston Road Dallas, TX. 75230

Sports • March 9, 2018 • The ReMarker • Page 28

CLIFFHANGERS Alpha males

Juniors Colton Barber and William Haga don’t live in the mountains — but they’re taking on a new challenge: conquering the rocks in the concrete jungle.

Duncan Kirstein: What sparked your interest in rock climbing?

Junior Colton Barber: I like rocks.

Actually though, I had a friend in elementary school and he had a party. It was at The Summit in Carrollton. That’s a place I go to now. I went to that party and had a cookie cake, and we went rock climbing.

I thought the whole thing was fun, partially because of the cake which was really big and shaped like a giant cupcake, but that sparked an interest in rock climbing because the entire experience was enjoyable, so early on I had a very positive connotation with rock climbing.

From then on, every time I went on a Boy Scouts campout, we’d actually climb like once a year, and I’d do that, and I realized that it was something I actually really enjoyed.

Junior William Haga: It was a long time ago for me. I did a rock climbing camp, and I was basically afraid of heights, but my mom wanted me to do it. The dude who ended up teaching the camp encouraged me to keep climbing, and eventually I started climbing indoors and that just evolved throughout the summers.

DK: So if you were afraid of heights, was it terrifying at first?

WH: It wasn’t that scary, it was just uncomfortable. But I think rock climbing is generally uncomfortable. Everyone usually walks on the floor, and now you’re expected to go in the complete other direction: up. It’s somewhat unnatural.

DK: Where are your favorite places to rock climb?

CB: So there is a local gym, actually off of Forest, which is 15 minutes away from here called Summit Climbing Gym. It’s a pretty nice gym. It’s almost entirely boulders, which is kind of sad because bouldering is short climbing and you can drop from the top safely without a rope, but they don’t have very much lead climbing and top rope climbing, which is the really high stuff where you actually get scared.

WH: I started climbing in a gym up in Aspen, Colorado. It’s a local gym called the Red Brick. It’s pretty small and looks like a cave.

DK: How often do you all rock climb?

CB: I would go basically every day, but Coach [John] Turek doesn’t let me skip track. He doesn’t encourage me doing anything other than track in-season, so

I’m basically training for track the entire school year, which means on weekdays I’m doing something after school, so I can’t go rock climbing as well. I just climb over the weekends or whenever sports are cancelled.

WH: It’s about the same for me. It’s been a little less recently due to injury. I’ve been out of it for a while, but I remember at the end of the summer we were going almost every day.

CB: Over breaks I go every day, and that actually gives me tendinitis in both my elbows and both my shoulders.

WH: Thanksgiving break we were there every single day.

DK: Have you ever gotten really hurt doing it?

CB: I got tendinitis in both my elbows and both my shoulders. I probably climb for like three, maybe four hours usually. I take a lot of rest, but you’re still putting a lot of stress on your arms, so my tendons got really swollen, inflamed and aggravated. I had to take a complete rest from physical activity for like a week.

WH: I had an injury rock climbing a couple years back with my finger, where I’m pretty sure I was dropping down from the top of a route and I hit my finger on a hold, and I thought it wasn’t that bad, so I didn’t say anything about it. It kept hurting, so I just taped my finger. It turns out I tore a ligament in the final digit in my finger.

DK: Have you seen improvement in other sports after climbing a lot?

HANGIN’ AROUND Juniors Colton Barber (left) and William Haga (right) hang from the rocks at one of their favorite climbing gyms.

be able to get off the ground. All of those problems are so hard and all those people are so good.

CB: My calf extension got way bigger. A big thing about climbing is foot placement.

The holds get so small at a point where you have to put all the weight on just the big toe. Basically you’re always pressing with your calf. So it actually benefits running because it helps that explosiveness in that calf.

WH: I don’t have a lot of interest in competitions. I love climbing for other reasons.

WH: I haven’t noticed that much. I think my grip strength from climbing helped me out with pole vault.

DK: What is your favorite thing about climbing?

DK: Do you all do competitions?

CB: Actually, that is the end goal for me. I would like to start competing in competitions because I actually recently started watching a lot of competitive rock climbing. As it turns out, one of the requirements for competitions is being good. I do not meet that yet. Going to a competition would be fun, but at my level I’m worried that if I went to a competition I wouldn’t

DK: The courses are called problems?

CB: Yep. A rock climbing route is called a problem because it’s a short little thing with like six really hard moves.

WH: My favorite part is probably how different it is from other physical activities. It’s cool how much of a puzzle it can end up being. You sit there and are just like “how is this done, this doesn’t look feasible.” The fun of it is figuring out the puzzle with your body and physical exertion.

CB: It’s easy to gauge the rate at which you become better. It sounds weird that climbing up a wall using your hands and feet would be fun, but there are some really

• Interview Colin Campbell, Duncan Kirstein, Aaron Thorne Photo Riley Sanders

interesting ways to change it around.

WH: Another thing that Colton and I have found, especially this year, is how easy it is for people to pick up. People are interested at first sight of it, so we’ve been able to take friends and whoever there.

DK: What advice would you give to someone trying to start rock climbing?

WH: It’s super easy and the community is really cool. Everyone is super open at any kind of level, and if you ask or even if you don’t ask, there’s gonna be someone there to help you.

I would really suggest trying to put yourself in the middle of everyone. If you want to get better, going alone is cool because people end up giving you advice more often than if you were with someone else.

CB: My piece of advice is probably that if you want to take rock climbing seriously and have no mentor to look towards, you should definitely go online because it’s very easy to injure yourself or train incorrectly. Be cautious.