The ReMarker | March 2015 by St. Mark's School of Texas

ST. MARK’S SCHOOL OF TEXAS DALLAS, TEXAS 75230 FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2015 VOLUME 61 ISSUE 5

Smlax. Page 19 COMMENTARY

NEWS

RETURN OF A GIANT

THE REMARKER

LIFE

A SONG FOR THEIR TROUBLES

Class of 2015 leaders chose Sam Acho ’07 as their commencement speaker. Acho will address the graduating seniors May 22.

With the power of music, junior Eric Li provides comfort for patients at Baylor Medical Center.

Page 3

Page 9

FINDING FATHER RIGHT

Encouraging administrators to further improve student involvement in the search for chaplain candidates.

Page 15

HOME

WHEN THEY’RE AWAY Performing their various out of school activities, Amy Pool, Emmett Gilles, Lynne Weber and Mark Adame find balance in their lives.

INSIDE

News Male Call Life Perspectives Vibe Commentary Sports Back Page

2 7 8 12 14 15 18 24

We see them every day, but no one really knows what goes on when they aren’t at school. So we spent the day with a few teachers to find out who they really are.

y 6 p.m. every day, most teachers have left school. But where they go after hours is another story altogether. Sure, some teachers share humorous stories from their weekends or talk about their favorite hobbies, but what is life really like for them ouside when their daytime hours at 10600 Preston Road are done? To find out, we followed Amy Pool, Emmett Gilles, Lynn Weber and Mark Adame and discovered their home lives, hobbies and interests to be just as rich as the subjects they teach.

STORY MATTHEW CONLEY, WILL CLARK, PHILIP SMART, AVERY POWELL PHOTOS MATTHEW CONLEY, WILL CLARK, PHILIP SMART, ALDEN JAMES

Arrest leads to further developments in Christina Morris case

Develoment Office coordinator remains hopeful after a more-than five-month investigation By Anvit Reddy he sits at the breakfast table, peering over the coffee beside her. The house is silent as Development Office coordinator Anna Morris and her husband Mark quietly eat their breakfast. Suddenly, the shrill ring of the phone breaks the silence. Morris picks up the phone. What she hears next will reignite her hope. Her hope that her daughter, Christina Morris, will finally come home after being reported missing Aug. 30, 2014. “We got a call that there was police activity at the Arochi family home, which is a couple miles from my home,” Morris said. “My husband started to head that way when the police detective in charge of the case actually called him and said, ‘I’m on my way to you.’ They came over to the house and they outlined what they were able to get: the arrest warrant and search warrant of the house.” Enrique Arochi was arrested at the Arochi household for the disappearance of Christina Morris. His arrest marks one of the most significant developments in the search

for Christina, especially as it occurred because of the type of evidence. “Several things led to his arrest,” Morris said, “but the biggest thing was Christina’s DNA was found in the trunk of his car. In the police interviews, from the very beginning when they interviewed him, there was just lie after lie basically. Cell phone records helped the search. “They were able to establish that Christina’s cellphone and his cellphone were together for more than a couple of hours after she disappeared,” Morris said. “He maintains she has never been in his car, but her DNA was found in multiple locations of his car.” Morris hopes that, due to his arrest, Arochi will provide valuable information that will lead police to Christina. “We pray, we hope and that’s all we can do,” Morris said. “We’re doing everything that we can do to encourage him and encourage his family to tell him to just tell us what happened to Christina.” Even though Arochi has not provided any information concerning Christina, the

police and the community are making concerted efforts to continue searching for Morris’s daughter. “Plano Police Department is still spending a lot of resources and manpower physically searching for Christina,” Morris said. “We have volunteers who are working with us, and they do organized searches every weekend to try to locate information on Christina.” Morris is thankful for the community that has supported the search for Christina. “We are surrounded by a whole lot of wonderful people who’ve never met Christina and never met us before this happened,” she said. “They have a group of people who search every weekend without a fail. Also, the news media is great. They keep coming out and talking to us, and they keep finding reason to put her face on TV.” Morris and the volunteer group are also using social media to raise awareness and continue to keep Christina’s story in the public eye. “We also have a Facebook page that’s pretty much dedicated to events and news

stories that come up called Find Christina Morris,” Morris said. More than 11,000 people following the invesitgation through social media. “We have over 11,000 people that follow it,” Morris said. “On Twitter, and any of the social media, if you hashtag #FindChristina, there is just a ton of information out there. We did a documentary in the early days of her disappearance, and they [social media volunteers] air that quite a bit.” With the arrest of Arochi and the supportive community behind her, Morris continues to hope and fight for the safe return of her daughter. “We do not have proof right now that she is not alive,” Morris said. “Until we have that proof, we are looking for her as if she is waiting to be found. There have been a more than a handful of occurrences when people have been missing and they were found alive against all odds. That’s what we’re holding out for, and Christina is a feisty, strong-willed person and I’ve got a feeling that if anyone can survive what’s happened, she’ll be the one.”

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2015 | PAGE 2

DAVID CARDEN PHOTO

OUT OF DEBT

Basically, what I’m saying is the cult cricket culture is extreme. Even the most die-hard football fan has nothing on the raw fervor of a disappointed 50-year-old whose beloved India just lost a wicket after a stellar bowl by Pakistan (what does that even mean?). The match began, much in the spirit of cricket, with a surreptitious announcement and the first throw — no outrageous fireworks, flashy displays or American-Airlines-center-style light shows. But like I said, cricket fans are pretty intense. When the camera panned toward the match’s spectators, I caught a glimpse of Indian supporters decked out in the nation’s orange-whitegreen hue sporting comically large afro-wigs and waving miniature flags. As the game trudged on, I spied a cohort of Indian fans in tricolor goat costumes dancing around the edge of the pitch — although the Markhor goat, I later learned, is actually Pakistan’s national animal ; I’ll assume those guys knew what they were doing, because I certainly didn’t. My interest in the game fizzled out around midnight, but several particularly stubborn adults resolved to watch until the end — at 4 a.m. My cricket experience was absurd, loud, surprising and, in retrospect, enjoyable. And while my cricket craze may end just as abruptly as my interest in soccer did this past summer, it’s certainly been worth it. After all, I’ve come to understand the intricacies of what is essentially my cultural sport. I appreciate Ireland’s record-breaking performance against the UAE a week ago, recognize just how impressive it is that the team from Afghanistan qualified for the tournament and deftly sidestep a conversation about where I’m headed for college by asking, “Have you been watching the world cup?”

Upcoming

COMMENCEMENT “St. Mark’s sets you up with a foundation to change the world. St. Mark’s means everything to me.”

ALDEN JAMES PHOTO

COURTESY MARKSMEN YEARBOOK

ot gonna lie, watching cricket is pretty boring. There’s only so much unintelligible Hindi commentary and unnecessarily dramatic close-ups of the players’ faces a guy can stand, after all. On the other hand, watching people watch cricket — that can be funny. Especially watching a bunch of middle-aged Indians enjoying the spectacle that was India v. Pakistan during this year’s Cricket World Cup. A couple weeks ago, worn out from my intense managerial duties at SPC and sadly dateless for Valentine’s Day, I had the great (mis)fortune of being invited to watch cricket with some of my parents’ friends, friends who, despite their good intentions, seemed to solely love the particularly intellectually stimulating conversation topic of college apps, one I’m never quite keen on. My apprehension was short-lived. I walked in to a rising wave of boos directed at the TV screen by adults lounging around, wearing the shiny blue of the Indian team and hurling insults at the Pakistani players walking onto the field. Welcome to the rather one-sided rivalry that is India v. Pakistan. Despite now having consecutively defeated Pakistan in the last six world cups, Indian fans still hold a grudge against their international nemesis because, well, human nature I guess? I was still unsure exactly how cricket worked, under the impression that it was basically baseball for all those nations not quite good enough for the “World” Series (read: everywhere except America). Content to sit quietly and somehow parse my way through the game, I was quickly amused by another surprising display — as the Pakistani players assembled and began to sing their national anthem, most everyone in the room, from the 40-year-old moms to the elderly grandparents, rose and began, quite poorly, belting out the Indian national anthem in an attempt to drown out their foe’s patriotism.

The story behind the teacher with the flashy shoes, funny jokes and copious amounts of basketball knowledge Page 5

— Sam Acho, Page 3

Newsfeed

THINGS TO DO IN THE WEEKS AHEAD

Today

Weekend

Next week

> Classes will adjourn this

> Daylight savings time

> Malcolm K. and Minda

afternoon for a week-long Spring Break. Classes resume at 8 a.m. March 24.

> President and CEO of

the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Richard Fisher, whose sons, Anders ’95 and Miles ’02, attended 10600 Preston Road, will be presenting his last conference today from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency as he steps down from his position.

begins this Sunday at 3 a.m. Remember to spring forward and change clocks forward one hour.

> IKEA in Frisco will be

offering complimentary chair massages from Massage Envy Spa from 1 to 3 p.m. tomorrow. Those who really want to unwind from the stress of school would be well advised to arrive early.

Brachman Master Teaching Chair Dr. Martin Stegemoeller will be joining Nashville- area alumni for a dinner hosted by the Alumni Office this Tuesday evening.

> The annual joint St.

Mark’s-Hockaday college trip will visit various schools on the West Coast and will be chaperoned by Assistant Director of Admission and Financial Aid Kerry Schneidewind.

NEWS AROUND CAMPUS

ver the weekend of Feb. 14, the Upper School Math Team took home a second place overall finish at the Rice University Math Tournament. Eleven students made up the team, contributing to the total school score by placing in individual or team events. The squad of freshmen Kevin Feng and Jesse Zhong, sophomores Kevin Choi, Kaden Han, Liam Sohn and Daran Zhao, junior Tim O’Meara and senior Raymond Guo finished first in the team event category, adding a considerable number of points to the board. Among the individual winners were Feng, who tied for seventh in the algebra category, Sohn, who took tenth in the same event, and O’Meara and Han, who took sixth and tenth in the advanced topics category, respectively. Zhong and junior Eugene Song placed fourth and ninth in the general event, and Guo finished both second in calculus and seventh in advanced topics.

...

316

Mardi Gras has been celebrated in America

he Middle School Math Team also enjoyed a successful and eventful month of February. The team kicked off the month by winning the 2015 TSPE MathCounts Competition at SMU. The team of four individuals will continue to the state competition, which will be held Mar. 27.

YEARS

S PH OT O

Cricket or ticket

SITTING DOWN WITH RYAN PARKER

W ES LE Y HI BB

VIK PATTABI

NEWS

The ReMarker staff explores the school’s goal of becoming debt free Page 4

...

DRESSED TO JEST Donning checkered pants and a multicolored tabard, senior Roland Baumann and dozens of his classmates waited outside Nearburg Hall Feb. 17 to spread the cheer of a long-standing holiday celebrated across the world.

overheard COMMENTS MADE BY FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENTS AROUND CAMPUS

History Instructor

Johnny Hunter “I feel lied to. My kids and I were riding around jamming to Snoop Dogg and they changed it.”

Senior

Vignesh Babu “If Osama was a goat, he’d be that one.”

Sophomore

Vikrant Reddy “He threw dead ants at me in math class.”

Senior

Elton McIntosh “There’s no ‘I’ in ‘church league basketball.’ - To junior William Caldwell after his 15th missed mid-range jumper

Senior

Junior

Roland Baumann

“Has nobody touched my spinach quiche?!”

Asthon Hashemipour

“Well ,what happened to the white llama?”

PHOTOS BRADFORD BECK, DAVIS MARSH, PHILIP SMART

or his contributions to the school, Charles Nearburg ’68 has been named a Life Trustee on the Board of Trustees. Joining the ranks of such alumni as Robert W. Decherd ’69 and Allen E. Cullum ’64, Nearburg will continue toserve on the Board, working to set institutional policy and protecting the school’s financial position.

...

he six visiting tenth graders from Beijing #4 Middle and High School (BHSF) ended their three-week visit over the weekend of Feb. 7. The visit involved a variety of host families and trips across Dallas for the students to become immersed in local culture, customs and food. Through the program, BHSF and St. Mark’s have added another layer to the long-standing student transfer program between them, which also sent eight Marksmen to China last summer. BHSF is one of the most prestigious high schools in China, having grown to a student body of roughly 1500 since its founding in 1906. The school boasts a variety of acclaimed alumni, such as Fen Yuanzheng — the founding figure of bioengineering, tissue engineering and biomechanics.

— Newsfeed stories by Noah Koecher and Anvit Reddy

NEWS

THE REMARKER MARCH 6, 2015 PAGE 3 4 OUT OF DEBT 5 RYAN PARKER

GRADUATION SPEAKER NAMED

Tackling Commencement Alum Sam Acho ’07 returns to campus to deliver the commencement address at Class of 2015 graduation.

MR. SPEAKER Joining a list that includes Nobel laureates and leaders of the free world, alum Sam Acho, a defensive end for the Arizona Cardinals, will address graduates at Commencement exercises May 22.

he bitter January cold cannot stop him as he wreaks havoc upon the opposing team. Professional defensive end Sam Acho ’07 consistently weaves in and out of the Carolina Panthers’ offensive line throughout the tightly contested playoff game, which took place Jan. 3. He is unfazed by the pressure of an elimination game, and he is certainly unfazed by the towering giants on the opposing team. Acho’s fearless play was highlighted by his sack of All-Pro Quarterback Cam Newton and his forcing of a momentum shifting fumble late in the game. But his efforts were not enough to push his Arizona Cardinals to a playoff victory. Most players enter a relaxing offseason after their team has been eliminated from championship contention. Except Acho is not like most players. He has no offseason. Immediately after the playoff loss, he traded in the heavy football pads for heavy textbooks.

Instead of physically pushing himself to the limit at the Arizona Cardinals stadium, Acho decided to push himself academically at the Thunderbird School of Global Management. With four months until the NFL offseason ends, Acho hopes he can make significant strides toward earning his MBA at the university. Acho’s ambition and hard-working attitude are what led him to be chosen as this year’s commencement speaker. Acho has admirably created a balance between pursuing an NFL career and earning an MBA, which is even more astonishing considering how both pathways are very time-intensive. Acho’s unique combination of academic and athletic success has now made him the youngest commencement speaker ever to be selected. “I get a call from [Eugene McDermott Headmaster David] Dini, and he asked if I wanted to be the commencement speaker,” Acho said. “I was overwhelmed, I was shocked, I was honored, and that’s what I told him.” Acho immediately jumped on the opportunity to speak at the commencement ceremony in May. “He was kind of taken aback because he was like, ‘0h, I thought you would need a little more time to respond,’” Acho said. “My answer was, ‘That’s one of those things you put on your bucket list. It’d be a huge honor for me.’ I’m honored that [he] would even ask me, to even have my name in the conversation. [I said,] ‘I will be there and I can’t wait.’” Acho was selected to be the commencement speaker after a complicated process involving Dini, the senior leaders and class sponsors Amy Pool and Joe Milliet. “Every year the leadership of the senior class gets together with senior sponsors and they sit down with the headmaster to go through a list of candidates,” Dini said. “Generally, it is my understanding, as this is my first year selecting, there is a list of candidates that is maintained from year to year. In this year’s case, there was a discussion about a variety of candidates, but it was clear that there was unanimous desire to have Mr. Acho speak. We talked about his various qualities, what he has done at St. Mark’s and what he has done after St. Mark’s.” The fact that Acho was a young alumnus held a particular appeal for those who selected him as the commencement speaker. “We chose Acho because of his connection to St. Mark’s and how well he exemplifies what we as Marksmen want to be,” Senior Class President Nathan Ondracek said. “We all remember him around campus. We look up to him and all the things he’s done.” Ondracek believes that Acho can use his wide range of

experiences to deliver a memorable commencement speech. “He’s made it very well with his career as a professional football player,” Ondracek said. “He still goes to Nigeria every year for community service and he started a family. So I think he has a lot of perspectives that he can talk about. I think he has a lot of experience, which should allow him to have a really great speech. He will definitely be someone to remember, and people will be able to take something away from what he says and really take it to heart.” ini believes Acho is the perfect man to deliver the speech because he truly believes in and follows the core values of the school. “[ Sam and Emmanuel Acho ’08] are caring, empathetic people,” Dini said. “Obviously they also focus a lot of their energy on service. I think it’s certainly exciting that we have two brothers who play professional football, but I am most proud of the kind of men that they are. To have a man like Sam who embodies the positive values of the school, the values on the statue [on the quadrangle]. . .you’re not going to find anybody who is a stronger embodiment of those core values than Sam Acho.” Dini also mentions that Acho’s charisma and likability were fundamental to his as the commencement speaker. “Both of those young men are inspiring to be around,” Dini said. “Both of them are constantly smiling, constantly enthusiastic, constantly uplifting other people, finding the best in other people, looking for opportunities to contribute. Sam will be a great speaker, I am sure.” Acho sees the commencement as something he can put on his bucket list and looks forward to giving his speech. Acho also attributes much of his success to St. Mark’s. “The main message is reminding the Marksmen that St. Mark’s sets you up with a foundation to change the world, simple as that,” Acho said. “St. Mark’s means everything to me. I think that my time at St. Mark’s is the reason why I got a chance to go to the University of Texas, and not only to play football but also to be able to get into the Business Honors program at UT.” Dini is confident that Acho’s speech will have a large impact on members of the St. Mark’s community. “Hopefully it will be a great night,” Dini said. “I’m just excited to be able to welcome Sam and his family back to the campus. I am gratified that he will bring a message that I am sure will resonate here, add value and reinforce the things that make St. Mark’s. Obviously he is a guy that has achieved a tremendous amount, but he is grounded in his values, and he understands that these values are fundamentally important.” Acho also urges students to take advantage of their time at 10600 Preston Road, hoping his commencement speech will instruct students to take advantage of the opportunities that are offered to them. “When I was a student I took for granted all that St. Mark’s afforded me,” Acho said. “I took for granted the relationships and friendships. I took for granted the faculty and staff. When you’re in high school and middle school you don’t know any better, but as you get older you’ll start to see how much St. Mark’s helps in life.”

40 YEARS OF COMMENCEMENT SPEAKERS

Everyone from Presidents to business titans 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Lee Clark, executive producer of NEWSROOM Terry Sanford, president of Duke University Ronald Reagan, future president of the United States Bill Monroe, National Broadcasting Company Dr. Norman Hackerman, president of Rice University Bill Bradley, US Senator, New Jersey Dr. Frank E. Vandiver, president, North Texas State University William P. Clements, Jr., governor of Texas Dr. Paul M. Cubeta, director of the Bread Loaf School of English, Middlebury College Admiral Stansfield Turner, former director of the CIA Dr. Frederick Starr, president of Oberlin College David Alexander, president of Pomona Colege Dr. Henry Cisneros, mayor, City of San Antonio Dr. John V. Fleming, chairman of the Department of English, Princeton University Dr. Frank Press, president, National Academy of Sciences Dr. Ivar Giaever, professor of science, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Dr. Walter E. Williams, The John M. Olin Distinguished Professor of Economics, George Mason University Dr. Charles D. Hollister, senior scientist, vice president for External Affairs, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute Raymond G. H. Seitz, ambassador of the United States of America to the Court of St. James Dr. Daniel Steiner, scholar-in-residence at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University Dr. David E. Shi, president of Furman University Dr. William F. May, Cary M. Maguire University professor of ethics, SMU Peter John Dalglish, executive director of Youth Service Canada Dr. James Montoya, vice provost for Student Affairs, Stanford University William E. Strickland, president, CEO, Bidwell Training Center Greg Nobles ’66, chairman, Department of History, Technology, and Society at Georgia Tech University Mickey Edwards, The John Quincy Adams Lecturer in Legislative Politics, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University Dr. Lewis Duncan, dean, Thayer School of Management, Dartmouth University Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Wade Davis, explorer-in-residence, National Geographic Society Roger T. Staubach, CEO of the Staubach Company and Super Bowl-winning quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys Wallace B. Jefferson, chief justice of the Supreme Court of the State of Texas Thomas S. Adams, Cecil H. and Ida Green Master Teaching Chair in History, St. Mark’s School of Texas Dr. S. Alan Stern ’75, executive director of the Space Science & Engineering Division of the Southwest Research Institute Richard FIsher, president, Dallas Federal Reserve Board Steve Jurvetson ’85, managing director, Draper, Fisher, Jurvetson H. Ross Perot, Sr., founder, EDS, Perot Systems Gus Lee, Integware Mike Rawlings, mayor, City of Dallas Commander Rorke Denver, former Navy SEAL, author

STORY ANVIT REDDY, BRADFORD BECK | PHOTOS MASON SMITH | ILLUSTRATIONS ABHI THUMMALA

N THE REMARKER NEWS MARCH 6, 2015 PAGE 4 F I N A N C E S AT ST. M A R K ’ S

Debt free? In light of the Board of Trustee Finance Committee’s recently announced goal to eliminate all debt in the coming years, The ReMarker investigates how the school’s endowment and asset-to-debt ratio stack up.

utstanding debt and weak balance sheets just aren’t problems here because the school has historically had such a high assets to debt ratio, says Finance Committee Chair Jeff Hillier ‘76. But as of this year, the Finance Committee has made plans to eliminate all debt in the next ten to 15 years. The only debt that remains to be paid off is from the Nearburg and Hicks package from the year 2000. Originally, the school took on $18,420,000 of debt to construct the two buildings. However, over time $4 million of the debt was paid off, lowering the total to $14,185,000. Now, the finance committee plans to pay off $10 million this August, leaving a balance of $4 million. The committee has added about $285,000 to the school yearly operating budget to refinance the final $4 million in an effort to eliminate the debt. “That’s an amount that we are comfortable will not impact the program at all, it’s not like we’re going ot have to cutback a program

or anyone’s salary,” Hiller said. “We are very comfortable that the budget can support that without interrupting the day to day operations of the school. Each time the school breaks ground on a new building, it has either a collection of pledges or cash in hand equal to the cost of the building. “Our goal is to pay for the buildings when we build them,” said Suzanne Townsend, director of Finance and Administration . “Even if its over the period during which the pledge is being paid, we still know they’re going to be paid. We don’t have doubt about that.” The school remains prudent in matters of debit, according to Townsend. “It’s wise to have your money in hand,” she said. Because the school’s assets are so much greater than its debts, the school is very flexible financially. “We can pay off debt that frees up the

money to go to program and to expand our program, or to build buildings, or to increase faculty compensation,” Hillier said. “We can do all those positive things instead of being saddled with a lot of debt payments.” Because of the school’s endowment involvement, about 25 percent of the operating budget is covered by the Endowment fund. The Endowment Fund also helps lower the cost of learning for each individual student. “If you take our 30 and a half million dollar budget and divide by 850 guys that’s about a $36,000 per year, that’s the cost of educating all you guys,” Hillier said. “Tuition is only $26,000 on average, so there’s a $10,000 scholarship if you will as a result of the endowment and the annual fund.” “The benefit there is it helps us to hold down tuition costs, so we’re very fortunate in that regard and I think we’re in a lot better shape than a lot of our peer schools,” Hillier said. “Our ratio of assets to debt is just very

enviable. There are not many secondary schools that https://www.facebook.com/tinsley.silcox?fref=ts are in that position.” The school wants to keep debt at a very low level in order to not only give the school more financial flexibility but also to set the school up for success in the future. “When we build a building, we build a building that will last for a hundred years,” Townsend said. “And a hundred years from now, we want the school to be in such a situation that it’s not burdened by massive debt that future Marksmen and the community will have to deal with. That’s just the prudent way to operate going forward.”

KEY

Endowment

components by percent

—statistics courtesy Business Office

Financial Aid Faculty Support Sustaining Program Support Awards

STORY BRADFORD BECK, SHOURYA KUMAR | ILLUSTRATIONS ZUYVA SEVILLA

James O’Donnell, master of the choristers of Westminster Abbey visits as Dennard Visiting Scholar guest speaker by Bradford Beck Organist and Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey in London, England, James O’Donnell, visited March 2-4 and played a recital on the Roosevelt Family Pipe Organ. O’Donnell was chosen to be a Dennard Visiting Scholar by the Visiting Scholar Student Advisory Board, which is comprised of class representatives, class presidents and other students that have applied. The school’s connection with O’Donnell began when the choir visited London in the summer as O’Donnell’s special guests. O’Donnell has many of the qualities that Morrison looks for in potential Visiting Scholars. “A Visiting Scholar must be an expert in his or her field,” Morrison said. “He or she must be a dynamic speaker, and it is great when that person has interacted with St. Mark’s students or the St. Mark’s community in the recent past.” After receiving nominations from faculty, staff, parents and alumni, the Student Advisory Board gives their input to Marjorie Morrison, head of the Visiting Scholar Program, and then meets with Headmaster David Dini, who makes the final decision. “The best nominations are from members of the community that have heard a person speak who is considered an expert in his or her field and who loves working with young people,” Morrison said. Morrison hopes students can gain new insight through O’Donnell’s visit. “I hope that his talk with Upper School

students will enrich their education and give them some insight into a world with which they may not be familiar,” Morrison said. Morrison also hopes the students can truly appreciate O’Donnell’s performance and his ability as a musician. “I hope that students and all members of the St. Mark’s Community appreciate the magnificence of the music he plays at his evening recital on the Roosevelt Family Pipe Organ.” Morrison sees the opportunity for students to have access to an expert as the best part of the Visiting Scholar Program. “Allowing them James O’Donnell to interact with these noted scholars in • Master of Choristers at Westminster various settings, Abbey. both casual and • His choir performed at wedding of Duke formal, is what it’s all and Duchess of about,” Morrison said. Cambridge. “Whether chatting • Directed the music for a service in the with the scholar at presence of Pope lunch, working with Benedict XVI. the scholar in a small group setting or asking questions at the end of an assembly, the boys have multiple opportunities to access these experts and get a feel for what their lives and work are like. These experiences are truly remarkable.” O’Donnell is widely known for his solo performances and skillful directing of various choristers and orchestras.

Do you wish to improve your Spanish speaking skills? Planning to travel this summer to a Spanish-speaking country? Do you want to do better on your next Spanish test? I can help. I have eighteen years of experience teaching at ESD in both Middle and Upper school, was educated in Madrid, Spain and am fully bilingual.

Contact Joanne Donheiser at donheiserj@gmail.com.

33 31 21 14 1

THE REMARKER NEWS MARCH 6, 2015 PAGE 5 N

RYAN PARKER

e l o S n ma

You’ve seen h unmistakab im around. The le preppy. The mix of classy and flamboyant meets-cons undershirte unforgettab rvative polo-meetsle But do you shoes guy. Ryan Parke know who h r. e really is?

year, he needed a seventh grade coach. I was able to come back to St. Mark’s after coaching in Richardson and be a varsity assistant. I’ve been involved in some capacity on and off for eight years.

Humanities instructor and basketball coach Ryan Parker buttons up his sharp, blue-checkered shirt and dons a sleek pair of pants. But he’s still not complete: he needs the shoes. You’ve seen the shoes. They’re bright gold, subtle camo or a deep navy blue. In a conversation with The ReMarker, Parker opens up about his fashion choices, teaching experiences and more...

Coaching at a new school is one thing, but joining as a teacher must’ve been completely different. St. Mark’s was off my radar — I was assuming that it wasn’t going to happen. Coach Guiler called me up and said, ‘There is a open humanities position, you really need to apply.’ I said, ‘That’s great, I’ll do it,’ but I really had no expectation of getting in.

Talk about your fashion sense. I’ve had a long obsession with sneakers, probably longer than you’ve been alive. I remember when I was in the sixth grade, I played on my first real competitive basketball team in my life. My mom was proud of me, and she asked, ‘What do you want?’ I said, ‘I want to go wear the same shoes as Michael Jordan.’ She made that sacrifice, and I remember holding them in my hands and saying, ‘These are the most precious things I’ll ever have.’

At a place like this, your students care and want to work harder every day and your other teachers support you every day, whereas in other places, you are constantly fighting battles to get the best for your students. When you come to a place like this, it’s humbling to say you got the job. If you’re a teacher, this is a dream. In addition to that, because we genuinely care about making boys into good young men, you get so much freedom to talk about things when you otherwise wouldn’t have time at other places. I love the discussions we get to have and the topics we get to talk about.

A lot of people have hobbies, they might want to go fly-fishing in Colorado, but for me, I would rather just spend a few dollars on a pair of shoes. This year, I bought my first ever pair of all-gold shoes, so since our colors are navy and gold, I thought ‘these are perfect.’ The first time I wore them, we hit that buzzer beater against ESD.

You spoke about how Richardson ISD was often restrictive and stifling. How is the curriculum here different?

What did you do before working here? I was a teacher at Richardson for five years, and I was also a high school football and basketball coach near Austin for a year. I had an interesting college experience. I got married young, so my wife and I left [Texas] A&M, and I was in school into my mid-twenties. So directly after college, in 2007, I started working at Richardson ISD. I was also a traveling musician, touring during the summers. I played guitar and sang. When we played at House of Blues, it would be the full band, but at coffeehouses, I would do it alone.

How did you get connected? Eight years ago, I was looking for some summer work, and I worked a basketball camp for [assistant coach] Scott Jolly. That was [varsity head coach] Greg Guiler’s first year at St. Mark’s, as the eighth grade coach. I worked three or four basketball camps that summer, so Greg and I started working together. When he earned the head varsity job that next

RYAN PARK E year teach R — first er/coach impressing w teaching st ith his yl distinctive e and sneakers.

For example, we recently made a huge, RISK-type game where we made all the rules (it actually took us three or four class periods to decide). I put a map of St. Mark’s on the white board and we invented a game that was like ‘St. Mark’s Domination’ and to see how, as a leader, you can make smart decisions and be strategic. We spent a week creating and playing this game, whereas at Richardson, if it didn’t directly relate to whatever state test the students have to do well on, then it was a waste of time. It is enlightening that we have so much freedom to do those fun things and for it to be a really good use of our time.

Aside from your classes, what are you looking forward to in the future? I’ve got two children, a one-year old boy and a three-year old girl. I’d like to raise a good young man and a daughter who’s intelligent and respects herself. Being a present father is definitely my number one priority in life.

STORY GOPAL RAMAN, JOHN CRAWFORD | PHOTO MASON SMITH

catering and parties Whether you’re planning a big celebration or a small get-together, let Blue Mesa Grill bring the flavors of the Southwest and seamless professional service to your event. - Full service, set-up service or "no frills" pick up or delivery - Private and semi-private dining rooms in all locations - Order online: bluemesagrill.com

DALLAS 7700 W. NW Hwy. @ Central 214.378.8686

ADDISON 14866 Montfort Drive 972.934.0165

PLANO 8200 Dallas Parkway 214.387.4407

MENUS STARTING AT $10 FOR LUNCH ($8.50 BOX LUNCHES) AND $14 FOR DINNER

LET US CATER YOUR PROM

N THE REMARKER NEWS MARCH 6, 2015 PAGE 6 COVER STORY continued from page 1

WHAT GOES

THE OTHER SIDE (clockwise from below) Mathematics instructor Amy Pool displaying her airplane collection, history instructor Emmett Gilles with guitar student, biology instructor Mark Adame with one of his three rescue pups and Trustee Master Teaching Chair Lynne Weber instructing a college class.

From radio-controlled sailplanes and pet chickens to synagogue guitar sessions, these teachers aren’t afraid to pursue their passions.

THE OTHER CLASSROOM

fter a long day of teaching, English instructor Lynne Weber doesn’t go home and relax. Every Tuesday and Thursday, Weber drives her orange Jeep to The University of Texas at Dallas and continues to teach. Only now her students are soon-to-be English teachers, taking their last course before beginning to teach full-time. Weber’s eight students range from early 20-yearolds to nearly 40-year-olds, but even though she teaches students well older than any Marksman, both Weber’s mastery of the English material and her ability to teach still shine through. With a broad smile and cheerful enthusiasm, she tells her class how to get students to write a paper, how to guide conversation about a literary work and how to masterfully teach students a new topic. In the intimate classroom environment, Weber’s students get a good dose of her quirky personality as well. Weber’s combination of an easy-going, semi-hippie vibe and an intense passion for her work creates a dynamic classroom environment, captivating her students. Various arts and crafts projects decorate the walls of Weber’s class, adding to the eccentric energy of the room. Even though the glitter and glue projects belong to a different class, it would not be far-fetched for Weber’s zesty teaching methods to incorporate arts and crafts. But as soon as class is over, she gets in her orange Jeep and races off to another endeavor. She might go home to work on one of her two novels. When it’s cold she might bake cookies and keep her two cats, Jimmy and Whiskers, company. Or when the weather’s nice she might see a Shakespearean play at Samuell Grand Amphitheater. There’s never a dull moment in Weber’s life.

PLANES AND PRECAL

ath instructor Amy Pool bought her house because it could fit her airplanes. But the planes aren’t those jet airliners Steve Miller ’61 sings about — they’re radio-controlled sailplanes. She transformed the garage into a workshop for the planes because “cars are just transportation.” She leaves her green Toyota truck with a canopy out on the street and the planes occupy the garage — or the workshop. Ron Swanson of Parks and Recreation would love

the workshop. Hard work hits you in the face as soon as you walk in. There are two shelves with boxes of parts of the planes. One for her, one for Kelly Johnson. Pool calls Johnson her boyfriend or her significant other. That was a common relationship term she learned while living in Portland, but she says people here find that phrase weird. The couple has known each other for 22 years. Suzanne and Patrick McGee Family Master Teacher J.T. Sutcliffe calls Johnson Pool’s “number one beau.” Pool says there’s no “number two beau.” Kelly and Pool fly the radio-controlled planes all the time, usually on the weekends. They fix the broken planes during the week — accidents happen when you’re sailing through the air at high speeds. But they don’t just do it for fun: they compete on a national level. Pool says Johnson is better at competition than she is — he’s off in Arizona right now flying — but she’s won the first two of this year’s Dallas regional competitions. When Pool isn’t flying planes, she’s flying on her bike. She’s already biked 80 miles in a day, but she wants to finish her first century this year. Yep, 100 miles. On a bike. But she says it will happen this year. When Pool’s not flying or biking, she’s knitting. Her yarn — what she says those in the inner circles of knitting, or the Knitting Club she started at the school, refer to as a “stash” — live under her bed, in her closet and in the form of socks, mittens and caps. She’s most proud of the socks she knitted from her grandpa’s favorite sweater from Sweden. In her entertainment room, across from a red and white plane that she can’t bring herself to fly because her friend Pez gave it to her before he died, across from Kelly’s sword that was a gift from a sensei (he’s a black belt), across from a pair of socks she left out lies a card that reads, “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”

A POST-SABBATH REPOSE

utting it close. It’s already 11 a.m. and history instructor Emmett Gilles still hasn’t done his morning prayers. He sets up the plastic lunch table, grabs one of the synagogue’s Torah scrolls and wraps his head and left arm in two long, black straps, tefillin, all the while wearing his gray St. Mark’s baseball cap. Although his synagogue sits squished in the busyness of Uptown, the only sound that can be heard is the rhythmic mumbling of Gilles in prayer and the faint hum of rain hitting the stained glass windows. A repurposed used bookstore, the Intown Chabad doubles as a place of worship and regular hangout for the young history instructor. And despite its orthodox orientation, it still touts an AT&T Wi-Fi router on top of a small piano in the corner. For 30 minutes, Gilles cycles through a full range

of positions — standing, sitting, rocking back and forth and even taking a few steps backwards and forwards — that accompany his murmured speech. After finishing his religious morning routine, Gilles grabs some cake left over from a community member’s birthday for some post-prayer snacking. A few minutes later, Gilles’s roommate Jeremy strides through the main entrance with his melodica — a handheld keyboard/harmonica hybrid — ready for their Sunday jam session. Jeremy, whom Gilles met during an extended trip to Israel, moved in after earth science instructor Lukas Rahlson left for a new place. For a short while, Gilles managed Jeremy’s band. The two jumped into “House of the Rising Sun” almost effortlessly, with Gilles strumming the folk ballad on his guitar, which he taught himself how to play in the tenth grade. After singing alongside Jeremy in both “House of the Rising Sun” and their own rendition of Louis Armstrong’s “St. James Infirmary,” the two cap off their synagogue set with a duet: a mash-up of “Apologize” by One Republic and “Sorry” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. And Gilles, chord after chord, hits every measure perfectly — not even missing a beat to adjust his yarmulke.

CHICKENS, DOGS AND CUB SCOUTS

ome say TV dads are nothing like real dads. Step into biology instructor Mark Adame’s home and you’ll be immediately proven wrong. You might expect a biology teacher to have some cool pets or a lab full of test tubes hidden in his house, but you wouldn’t expect him to have installed his own hardwood floors. Head out to the backyard and you’ll see a massive chicken run he built, where he gets his eggs for breakfast each morning. This summer, he plans to make the thing solar powered so that his chickens don’t have to worry about the searing Texas heat. To add to the chickens, Adame has three dogs, Lucy, Freddie and Zoe, who all somehow manage to refrain from eating the chickens. But on a Saturday afternoon Adame doesn’t have time to play with his chickens or dogs; he’s den leader for his son Aiden’s Cub Scout troop. As a master of the Pecos wilderness, Adame sometimes has to realize that his pack of rowdy 9-year-olds might not be able to rough it the way he does every August. When he’s not busy with the Cub Scouts, he’s on his bike. His garage is dominated by bikes, spare frames and tires, and his day is never complete without a ride. He’s a semi-mad scientist, an amateur chicken farmer, an athlete and a super-cool dad. Your move, NBC.

STORY MATTHEW CONLEY, AVERY POWELL, PHILIP SMART, WILL CLARK | PHOTOS PHILIP SMART, ALDEN JAMES, MATTHEW CONLEY, WILL CLARK

THE REMARKER MALE CALL MARCH 6, 2015 PAGE 7 M

MALECALL

THIS ISSUE MARCH MADNESS SUN’S OUT, GUNS OUT WORKOUT TIPS

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

MAN SCHOOL

NOW THAT THE SUPER BOWL IS HISTORY AND THE FIRST COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF IS IN THE BOOKS, IT MUST BE TIME FOR

MARCH

TIPS TO GET

RIPPED

2 PULL-UPS Pull-ups are one of the best body weight workouts you can do. It takes less than a minute to pop off as many as you can in a row and gives you a great arm and chest workout in the process. You can buy pull-up bars for 20 bucks on Amazon. Doing 20 a night is easy and will build lots of muscle.

KENTUCKY

admit that it’s a lame pick to win it all in March, but it’s hard to fathom how dominant the Wildcats have been this year. Undefeated and leading the nation in defensive efficiency by miles (not to mention they’re eighth place in offensive efficiency), this Kentucky team is one for the ages and could go down as the most talented ever if they finish the deal. Not even John Calipari’s mediocre coaching — the 4-men-at-a-time substitutions are a cop out — can keep them from winning games by the boatload. Coach Cal is the world’s best recruiter, but he’d be better giving his best players like Tyler Ulis more minutes than splitting them equally. That’s harsh criticism for a guy who assembled the most stacked team ever, but I’ve never been a fan of his coaching style.

LOGOS FROM CREATIVE COMMONS

3 WARM UP

n upset victory over struggling yet always powerful Kansas put the Mountaineers on the map, but a closer look at their stats shows that this team is more than just a flash in the pan. In fact, they’re the best-projected giant killer in the country. According to ESPN, when you factor in West Virginia’s ability to hit the three, force turnovers and match up on defense, add 16.9 points per 100 possessions to their average projection and a 77.9 percent chance to beat the average giant, according to ESPN. That’s a lot. They’re a quality upset pick against almost any other team in the country.

team with Coach K at the helm is always a dangerous one. A team anchored by future no. 1 draft pick Jahlil Okafor doesn’t hurt their chances, either. Watching the 6’11”, 270-pound 19-year-old (for reference, your Male Call editor stands at a hefty 5’6”, 130) push people around like they’re Croatia vs. the Dream Team is a sight to see. A core with him, former all-SPC player Justise Winslow and Tyus Jones—who deserves more minutes—is a formidable one to say the least. Keep in mind that Duke always seems to go out in the first round or go all the way.

t’s not so much that I think EKU can pull off an upset, since they’re a little bit of a long shot to get into the tourney — it’s about the model they present for successful Cinderella teams. The Colonels match up statistically with the most effective giant killers (teams who upset their higher ranked, “giant” opponents). They shoot the three, they get steals and they take risks. Basically, they gamble and hope they get lucky versus the best teams in the country. Underdogs have to take risks, and this team does that better than most other potential giant killers in the country. Remember that not all bad teams are created equal, and some are better equipped than others come tourney time. Look for other teams that do the same to fill out your bracket.

STORY PHILIP MONTGOMERY | ILLUSTRATION ABHI THUMMALA

A lot of people skip breakfast, but not eating in the morning actually makes you gain weight. Breakfast is also objectively the tastiest meal of the day. With pancakes and bacon as options, there’s no reason to skip. Try to stay away from things like donuts that don’t help you, but eggs and fruit get the day started off nicely, as Mason alluded to.

PRO TIPS SUN’S OUT

GUNS OUT

As spring finally rolls around, The ReMarker Head Photographer and Alpha Male Mason “testosterone junkie” Smith gives you a sneak peak into his average day. Always remember, the ladies love the gun show, and tank tops are never a no-go.

6 a.m.

Wake up. 50 push-ups to get pumped up.

6:15 a.m.

5 MAKE A SCHEDULE

Cardio. You gotta stay lean and mean.

7 a.m.

Breakfast. Minimum six egg whites. Have to start off with protein.

8 a.m. School. Keep the mind as sharp as the body. 20 push-ups between classes to stay pumped up. MASON SMITH PHOTO

Workout Tips by Philip Montgomery

Side Note ESPN just came out with a great article breaking down Giant and Killer archetypes. It’s a great resource to try to make the best bracket you can.

4 HEARTY BREAKFAST

The hardest part about working out is doing it consistently. Make a schedule and hold yourself to it. Set reminders on your phone or do whatever it takes. Taking a day off only throws you off the schedule. No matter how much work you have, you can always find time to get ripped.

DUKE

EASTERN KENTUCKY

WEST VIRGINIA

Running is the worst, but it’s important to limber up before you start lifting to reduce the risk of injury. To get your muscles warm and ready to lift, run a lap or do some other cardio. Never lift or stretch on cold muscles. It doesn’t build them as much and also makes you more sore with a added injury risk

ith Selection Sunday set for March 15, Male Call dives into teams that have the best shot at basketball immortality, as well as under-the-radar giant killers primed to upset their vaunted rivals. The odds may be about 1:772 billion (or a 0.00000000012 percent chance if you’re into percentages) of picking a perfect bracket, but hey, there’s a chance to be the first human alive to guess all 63 games correctly. Here are some teams to watch in March to boost your odds..

MADNESS

1 WHEY PROTEIN Protein isolate is the best kind of protein to just build muscle. Other kinds of whey have additives that help you build mass but not necessarily muscle. For just the straight protein, go with isolate after every workout to maximize the fuel your muscles have available to rebuild..

12-3p.m.

More school. More push-ups.

3 p.m.

Core. Nothing is better than a little abs before practice.

4 p.m.

Practice. Don’t waste Polo time.

6:30 p.m.

Lift. What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.

8 p.m.

11 a.m.

Dinner. It’s been a rough day, so give a little and go for a cookie. Just kidding, you’re a winner.

11:30 a.m.

10 p.m.

Lunch. Minimize Carbs. Maximize protein.

Free Time. If the sun’s out, get your guns out.

Sleep. Lions need their beauty rest.

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2015 | PAGE 8

THE PHILOSOPHER FINDS HIS ZEN CREATIVE COMMONS

Malcom K. and Minda Brachman Master Teacher Dr. Martin Stegemoeller adopts the practice of meditation in daily life. Page 11

BITTER-SWEET SYMPHONY

KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE REVIEW

Page 10

MASON SMITH PHOTO

LIFE

such a strong healing power. People say music is a universal language — now, I agree.” — Junior Eric Li

MASON SMITH PHOTO

““I’ve never seen music as having

Reviews Specialist Parker McWaters takes a look at one of the year’s hottest films. Page 14

Upcoming THINGS TO DO IN THE WEEKS AHEAD Today

Weekend

Next week

> The North Texas Irish

> The Dallas Arboretum is

> The 36th annual Dallas St.

> The Tony-Award-winning

> The Giddens Gallery

Festival pays tribute to Irish heritage and includes Celtic music with an emphasis on the bagpipes. The festival will be held at Fair Park at 1300 Robert B. Cullum Blvd. Tickets are available online at www.ntif.org. The gates open at 6 p.m. today and celebrations continue into the weekend.

HANGIN’ OUT with Reid Gaskill

Junior Reid Gaskill, well known for his trumpet skills and a slightly viral video of a halftime dance, had a chat with Life Editor Avery Powell. Here’s Reid, un-tucked and ready to talk.

Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival is Saturday, March 14 and plans to continue the tradition of donating proceeds to Dallas ISD students. The parade begins on Greenville and Blackwell St. at 11 a.m. and ends at SMU Blvd. and Central Expressway.

of Fine Art is hosting the Featured Artists Show and Reception through March 14 at 624 S. Main St. and is featuring artist Donna Weber.

The number of No. 1 singles Steve Miller ’61 has recorded

M AS ON SM

IT H PH OT O

What’s it like being on crew for theater productions? Actually this year I started with the Hound of the Baskervilles and that was pretty fun, but after that I was full on into Sound of Music. For that I was part of set crew for a long time. I helped build a lot of things on and around the set. Then I transferred into lights crew with [senior] Roland Baumann and that was fun. I’ll be head of lights when Roland’s gone.

CREATIVE COMMONS

hosting Dallas Blooms, the largest floral festival in the Southwest that includes more than 500,000 blooming spring flowers. The Arboretum is located at 8525 Garland Road, and the festival will continue through April 12.

musical Kinky Boots is playing at the Music Hall at Fair Park at 909 First Avenue at Parry. The show runs through Sunday.

How do you normally spend your time outside of class? There’s band — I play the trumpet — there was The Sound of Music and there’s Spanish club. I play football in the quad sometimes if that counts, and I also play video games after school.

How long have you been playing the trumpet? I’ve been playing the trumpet since the fifth grade, but it’s mostly an in-school thing. I normally play with the band at football games and in our concerts.

the Inbox LIFE AROUND CAMPUS

THE SPACE COWBOY Backed by some of the school’s top musicians, Steve Miller ‘61 performed at a special assembly Feb. 20 in Spencer Gym. The following night, Miller and the rest of The Steve Miller Band performed at Celebrate St. Mark’s.

ACTION RTISTS in

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

THE ARTIST

John Landry Have you been on any vacations recently? Well, the last time I went on a vacation was to a ranch in Kerrville, which is kind of northwest of San Antonio. My family and I rode horses, and I did some other farm things like making cheese and butter, which was cool I guess. If you could create your dream theme park what would the theme be and what attractions would there be? One attraction: you go up this huge hill like all the way in the clouds, then you just go vertically down and do a loop on the way down that drop. Then you get launched into the air onto the cart, and you land back on the tracks and the ride’s over. It’s only been 10 seconds, but that’s it. Ride of your life.

THE ART

Woodworking

THE AWARDS

Numerous honors from Texas State Fair, the highest honor (Gold Key) along with two honorable mentions from the Scholastic National Art Competition.

HIS WORDS

“Art is a way for me to express myself without using any words. It has allowed me to show emotion and feeling through my works and continues to challenge my way of thinking.”

he Mock Trial Team competed in regional competition at the George Allen Courthouse Jan. 31, competing in three trials over the course of the day. At the competition, the team faced schools including Plano West and Lovejoy. The Mock Trial team, which meets regularly to organize their case, only competes in this single, annual tournament as a measure of their rhetorical and argumentative skills. “Although we did not make state, I thought we had a very successful day. I hope we can make state next year,” junior Jackson Cole said. Mock Trial is comprised of one senior, one sophomore and eight juniors, including captains Philip Smart, Jackson Cole and Anvit Reddy. •••

ed by English instructor Curtis Smith, this year’s Kick4Life shoe drive has raised more than 100 pairs of shoes for orphans in Lesotho, many of whom have lost both of their parents to AIDS. “I was pleased, but not surprised, at the generosity of the St. Mark’s community,” Smith said. “It was also a lot of fun standing outside, ringing that little bell and encouraging people to donate.” The cleats will reach Lesotho through the London-based Kick4Life foundation, which also sponsors a Lesotho Premier League football club. New or used cleats of any size can still be dropped off at Smith’s classroom, C211. •••

n Feb. 26 photography students submitted their photos into the Texas High school Shootout sponsored by the Third Floor Photo Society. Individual categories that were open to students included still life, architecture, portraits, sports, photojournalism, and landscape. “I was excited to submit my work for the competition,” sophomore Harper Sahm said. “It is a very prestigious competition, and I hope my pieces do well this year. Our photography teacher, Mr. Hunt, has been a very helpful guide through the entire process, and I know he looks forward to see how we place in the competition.” •••

unior Class members will be able to receive off campus privileges after Spring Break, a new responsibility traditionally earned near the end of junior year. “I can’t wait to take a break from school and go have lunch with my firends off campus,” junior Will Diamond said, “but it’s going to get really expensive eating at Cane’s everyday.” Inbox stories by Roby Mize, — John Crawford and James Hancock

LIFE

THE REMARKER MARCH 6, 2014 PAGE 9 10 ERIC LI 11 MEDITATION 14 ‘KINGSMAN’ MOVIE REVIEW

ARTS OR ACADEMICS

Constricted

We strive to educate ‘the whole boy’

curriculum

It’s a mantra plastered across the school’s mission statement. But with the school’s many academic requirements, students like junior Eugene Song are unable to balance multiple artistic pursuits in thier curriculum. While the school may nominally be pushing for the ‘the whole boy,’ in reality, students must make a choice between arts and academics.

TOUGH CHOICES With the academic curriculum requirements, junior Eugene Song cannot pursue his two musical passions, singing and violin, at St. Mark’s. He must make a choice.

efore his freshman year of high school, junior Eugene Song had to make a choice. Throughout Middle School, Song’s life was a balancing act. In fifth and sixth grade, he took choir and played violin on the side. In seventh and eighth, he took orchestra and sang on the side. Even though Song’s two artistic talents have led him to prominent organizations like the Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas (CCGD) and the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra (GDYO), he can only pursue one passion at school. No matter how he tried to shuffle the classes or squeeze the schedule together, by high school, he’s had to make a choice. Trapped by the school’s curriculum restrictions and culture of academics over arts, Song finds that the school’s emphasis on “educating the whole boy” has a caveat. “It feels like the arts contribute a lot to a kid’s education, but St. Mark’s doesn’t push that as much as the other areas,” Song said. “The only person who knows what’s best for you is you. For people who are interested in fine arts, [the fine arts] need to be a bigger part of their schedule.” When Song had to choose between taking an orchestra course and a choir course, he had to go outside of the St. Mark’s community for a chance to continue both his passions. “I took choir for two years and I enjoyed it, and then I wanted to try orchestra too, since

I played violin, so I tried orchestra seventh and eighth grade,” Song said. “I enjoyed strings as a course more than I liked choir as a course, that’s all it boiled down to.” Although Song focused on the violin during the school day, he continued taking voice lessons and eventually joined the CCGD and GDYO to bolster the creative side of his education. “My mom asks me why I do this stuff, and I just like it,” Song said. “It’s relaxing. Once you’re done playing that concerto, or you finish singing a song and it sounds pretty good, there’s a sense of accomplishment. You’re bettering society. You’re bettering yourself.”

‘I FEEL LIKE THE ARTS CONTRIBUTE A LOT TO A KID’S EDUCATION, BUT ST. MARK’S DOESN’T PUSH THAT AS MUCH AS THE OTHER AREAS.’ JUNIOR EUGENE SONG Song believes that both academic and artistic talent should be valued equally for a good education — that fine arts shouldn’t be something to sacrifice in pursuit of academics. “I feel like today there’s a focus on knowing a lot of one part of human knowledge versus being a Renaissance man,” Song said. “The definition of a Marks-

man is not just a really smart person. That’s included in the definition, but it also includes seeking excellence in other areas.” While St. Mark’s encourages students to explore the fine arts, in reality, that opportunity is not available to everyone. “[The fine arts] always have to turn people away,” Provost and Dean of Campus Scott Gonzalez said. “Do we hire more faculty in the arts in order to keep up with demand? That’s a real big question. At some point, if you really want to expand a program, either expand the facility or get another instructor, because there’s only so much one instructor can do.” ome students are turned away from fine arts courses and some stay away from them altogether, pressured by the college-focused culture of preparatory schools. “I think one of the problems we run into at schools like St. Mark’s is that there’s this idea that you have to ‘build your academic resume’ in order to get into the college of your choice,” Gonzalez said. “High school is a time to experiment. If you have made yourself only a mathematician by the time you’re a sophomore, you’re losing a lot of experiences that you’ll never get a chance to have again.” Every year administrators and instructors wrestle with the problem of the limited scope of the fine arts department, but they have yet to find a viable answer. “A St. Mark’s student is incredibly talented in many ways,” Fine Arts Department Chair Jacque Gavin said, “and I think this is a great time to discover those

talents, but there’s so much to do that I think something has to give, sometime. There are only so many hours in a day. I’m not sure what the solution is.” According to Gonzalez, education goes beyond academics and a person’s experiences at school. “Education is about learning how to live and learning to have purpose in life,” Gonzalez said. “Education is about finding purpose. Education is about constantly investing yourself in your humanity and the creation that we’re fortunate enough to be in.” But students who want to excel in both their academic studies and the fine arts often have to make sacrifices to follow their desires. “Certain individuals have the strength of mind and character and body to do well in all those areas, but not everybody’s made that way,” Gonzalez said. “You’ve got college to go to, and you’ll have plenty of time to explore there. So there have to be choices, and that’s the only way I can leave it. It’s tough, and you’re going to have choices you have to make all your life. You can’t do everything.” Song has had to make tough choices, but he refuses to let those stand in the way of his musical pursuits. “Music gives you another way to think about things,” Song said. “There’s an emotional side to it. Being empathetic beats any knowledge known to humankind. Emotional development is more important than academic development.”

STORY WILL CLARK, AVERY POWELL | PHOTOILLUSTRATION ALDEN JAMES, WILL CLARK

a closer look at the arts

6.1 44

Average number of hours St. Mark’s students spend on academics (classes and homework).

Average number of minutes St. Mark’s students spend on fine arts (classes and homework).

Students with

years of arts or music in high school average

100

points better on their SAT scores.

72 percent

of business leaders say that creativity is of high importance when hiring.

— statistics obtained from Americans for the Arts, The Conference Board, and polling. Compiled by Will Clark

L THE REMARKER LIFE MARCH 6, 2015 PAGE 10 ERIC LI

It started out as a typical hospital clerical job, but junior Eric Li soon took his volunteerism to another level.

trings of

OLACE

bedridden patient laid motionless, suffering the unimaginable pain of stage four pancreatic cancer. Surrounded by family, the ill man’s health continued to worsen. His relatives reluctantly wondered whether or not the synthetic hospital cot was a deathbed in disguise. Silently, they prayed for his pain — for their pain — to somehow dissipate. Silently, they prayed for an answer to their woes. Silently, they prayed for a miracle. In the heat of intense emotion and uncertainty, junior Eric Li knocked on the hospital room entrance. A family member quietly opened the door, surprised to see an adolescent with a violin in hand. Would you care for any music? The relative, in response to Li’s question, was perplexed. Now? Music? At that moment, a hospital nurse appeared alongside Li, arriving with the subsequent dose of the patient’s pain relievers. Yet

in a spontaneous moment of animation, the ailing man turned towards the nurse, denying any offer of chemical palliatives. Instead, he looked at Li. First, I want to hear this gentleman play. In retrospect, Li reminisces on his experience as one of the most poignant moments of MUSICAL THERAPY Junior Eric Li soothes a hospital patient by playing the violin at the his two-year tenure as a volunteer with Baylor Baylor Garland Hospital through the Spiritual and Palliative subdivision. Li has visited the hospital at least once every two weeks for the past two years to play for ailing patients. Garland’s Spiritual and Palliative subdivision. “It was powerful,” Li said. “I felt like I was service volunteer passed away soon after his and Daniyaal Kamran. directly contributing to someone’s well being.” departing, and so I was asked to perform for “Since I’ve been doing this for two years, For Li, who has been involved in music the volunteer’s memorial. It seemed like peoI’ve come to think a lot more patients could ever since he was a child, playing the violin at ple really appreciated the performance, and I benefit from this type of service,” Li said. “I Baylor Garland has also provided him a new wanted to continue.” figured a lot more orchestra guys could help, perspective on music. For the past two years, Li has visited the and I didn’t need to do too much convincing. “I’ve always appreciated music, but now, hospital weekly — and now every other week We eventually brought a whole quartet, which sort of in a different light,” Li said. “I’ve never — to play for patients. Not only has Li played to was beneficial in a lot of ways, to play throughseen music as having such a strong healing soothe patients’ illnesses, he has also inspired out the hospital.” power. People say music is a universal lanothers to pursue music. His experiences performing in the hospiguage — now, I agree. Having seen its healing “There was another patient who had tal have taught Li lessons that apply to many effect, its power, I can appreciate it more.” a daughter who was just starting the violin; parts of his life, as well as a feeling of purpose It took a while for Li to get started, howevand drive; yet above all, his ability to aid others er. What began as a volunteer program eventu- having therapeutically played for her father, I believe I inspired her to continue with training has proved inspirational. ally transformed into a weekly passion. and working in music,” Li said. “Right now, as a high school student,” Li “Initially, I volunteered to work in the In addition to his own contributions, Li said, “being able to contribute just a little bit hospital filing medical records after my freshhas brought in more student musicians to to others’ lives inspires me to work that much man year,” Li said. “After the four weeks, my perform for patients, namely sophomore harder, so as to be able to contribute so much Dad told me that the former musician — who Christopher Chen and juniors Joshua Choe more in the future.” played guitar — had left. The very first senior

STORY CYRUS GANJI, RICHARD JIANG, ALEX KIM I PHOTO COURTESY ERIC LI

THE REMARKER LIFE MARCH 6, 2015 PAGE 11 L

MEDITATING TEACHERS

To add peace and stability to their lives, Martin Stegemoeller and Stephen Houpt practice the art of meditation.

Mending the mind

t’s the end of the school year, and all the gifts start coming in. Candies, cards, books. Most are just normal gifts from students to simply thank their teachers. But for Brachman Master Teacher Dr. Martin Stegemoeller, one of the gifts changed his life. Jonathan Ng ’14 gave Stegemoeller a 160page book, called How to Become a Buddha in 5 Weeks. The book explains the seemingly complex world of Buddhism and meditation. “It was so perfect for what I needed at the time,” Stegemoeller said. “Anytime I had even been marginally interested in it before — I’ve read about Buddhism and Buddhist philosophy — I never understood it as a practice. That’s crucial, it’s the practice, like you could know everything, but you have to actually meditate. And it works.” According to Mayo Clinic, meditation can significantly reduce stress. In many ways, stress is one of the biggest issues that Marksmen all throughout Upper School struggle with. Stegemoeller, in his own words a “chronic bad sleeper,” said that meditation has tremendously helped him manage the myriad anxieties he faces in his life. “By far, this is the number one thing that has helped with stress,” Stegemoeller said. “Nothing has ever done that in my lifetime. And nothing has ever worked with sleep. Again, on any given night I could sleep well randomly, but now it’s steady. I’ve taken sleeping pills, but nothing has ever helped.” Barbara Van Drie Believes that meditation is a fluid, dynamic activity

Although it is a major part of his life now, Stegemoeller wasn’t as open to meditation in the beginning. “I’ve known about it for 20 or 30 years, but I thought it was always stupid,” Stegemoeller said. “Because again, I thought it was something like pondering the meaning of life, and I never knew what you were supposed to think about. My goal is to get

MEDITATING For Brachman Master Teacher Dr. Martin Stegemoeller, meditation is a recently adopted practice that has quickly become indispensible in his life.

positive and to get to a place where nothing is racing through my head, a place where there’s no worry. It’s great to wake up without being concerned, you just wake up with a clear head, and that’s so pleasant. It’s been really rare in my whole lifetime.” Director of Counseling Barbara Van Drie — who is trained in mindfulness-based space reduction (MBSR), a form of insight meditation — said that meditation is a constantly changing practice. “I’ve done many different kinds of meditation, and for the most part, it is focusing on nothing,” Van Drie said. “Most of meditation is about your mind or more precisely NIRVANA Although he only began meditation recently, Stegemoeller (right) your attention going away, bringing it back, now routinely meditates, allowing him a space to relax and prepare for the day. Houpt (left) has been meditating for more than 40 years. going away and bringing it back again. So in meditation, every day is the first day. You “At some point back there, it definitely helped me to be a bring a beginner’s mind. The moment you think ‘I’ve got this’, better person,” Houpt said. “It’s interesting because sitting there, you don’t have it anymore.” following your breathing, thoughts come up, and it’s almost like Another teacher who frequently meditates is physics you’re having your own little session with a counselor. The idea instructor Stephen Houpt, who used to teach Kundalini yoga, is to accept your thoughts for what they are and let them go on, a practice that dealt closely with meditation. Unlike Stegemoso it is sort of a stress reliever, too.” eller, meditation has been a part of Houpt’s life for many years. Meditation has brought such sweeping change in both “Years and years ago, I started meditating, this is probably Houpt and Stegemoeller’s lives, but Stegemoeller still regrets 1970 or so,” Houpt said. “Later, a friend of mine told me about not starting earlier. a meditation technique that I started to use, and it was really “It’s a neat ability to have, and in a sense it’s easy to do,” good.” Stegemoeller said. “Yet in a sense it’s not easy to do because it In Houpt’s life, meditation provided an opportunity to takes practice, but I feel bad I waited this long, especially since I haven’t slept since I was four.” examine his thoughts and eventually, to better himself.

STORY GOPAL RAMAN | PHOTOS MASON SMITH, ARNO GOETZ

Inside the box

A guide to your Spring Break staycation Place Address

Cost

iFly

8380 State Highway 121

$69.95 for two flights; $109.95 for four; reduced for members

Jumpstreet

Klyde Warren Park

11250 North Central Expressway

2012 Woodall Rodgers Freeway

$8-12 for the first hour depending on day of the week

All activities in park free; paid dining and food trucks

Perot Museum

2201 North Field Street

Victory Park location: $11 for youths; $17 for adults

Yelp

Description

Why you should go

iFly is Dallas’s premier (and only) indoor skydiving facility.

Jumpstreet is an indoor athletic center that features trampolines, a mechanical bull and a foam mosh pit.

Klyde Warren Park features performance pavilions, a restaurant, food trucks, a children’s park and more.

Indoor skydiving is a great way to fly away from all the boredom that comes with a stay-at-home spring break. With experienced coaches, an impressive wind tunnel and a camera that records your every airborne mistake, iFly is a blast for friends and family. And it’s harder than it looks.

What’s not to love about trampolines and mechanical bulls? Besides the hordes of kids that usually populate the place, Jumpstreet has no downside and even contains a dodgeball court (made of trampolines, of course), in which you can release all of your jumping-related rage.

Klyde Warren Park has a lot to love. Admission to the park and specialty classes are free, and if you’re craving a grilled cheese sandwich, you can head over to Nammie’s, one of the park’s many food trucks.

The Perot Museum contains some of the most interesting and interactive exhibits in Dallas.

Its exhibits, which all center on natural history and scientific themes, are bright and flashy enough for young kids and informative enough for teenagers and adults. Also, the Fair Park campus is unbelievably cheap – just a dollar for visitors and no cost at all for members.

COMPILED BY AIDEN BLINN

P THE REMARKER PERSPECTIVES MARCH 6, 2015 PAGE 12-13 NEW CH

who’s going to be the next chaplain here? and why is it so hard to find and keep someone in this position? and why are we always having to look for a new one?

t’s served as our house of spiritual education for decades. Thousands of students comprising many generations of marksmen

have sat through its services on their paths to manhood. Ranging from Lower School birthday chapels to the eighth grade

step-up chapel to the annual baccalaureate, the chapel has held lasting school traditions for years. But one key component of spiritual life at St. Mark’s is often changing — perhaps more often than we’d like: the chaplain.

he current chaplain search and has a much more intense and c the-scenes process than many be crucial to find the man who unique and significant role. A role that demands the managemen responsibilities on and off campus, b after the school day. One question th continue to cycle through chaplains hold onto one for a significant period According to Assistant to the He Lawson, this may be due to chaplain for a job that they see as their “calling “From somebody who has searc of chaplains, I think school chaplains with, ‘How can I best reach my callin you’re a school chaplain at a nonsect a very unique position to be in. On a level, you’ve been called, at least from to serve a specific religion, and part o faith — part of the Christian faith — [is posed to be a missionary. But you ca in this job.” That being said, the five changes position over the past ten years may chance, according to Eugene McDerm David Dini. “I think there have probably bee of factors,” he said. “Some of it’s just be where people have other opportunit things, and family or professional op them other places. Sometimes you e stances (with other positions, too) wh more rotation than you might prefer, been the case with the chaplain posi Not only does the chaplain prov with a foundation for faith, but he als spiritual guide and makes lasting rela students. That can be a challenge wh himself doesn’t last. “It would be nice to have someo permanent,” said Provost and Dean o Scott Gonzalez, who twice served as for the school. “I think the hardest pa the relationship part. They want to co their old teachers — [Interim Chaplai has worked really hard and fulfilled a we need, but it’s not permanent, and difference.” Although it’s only one of myriad the process, many of the administrat like to hire a chaplain who will stay fo come. “Hopefully we’ll find somebody a home here and really invest in the f — that’s our goal,” Dini said.

Part of the difficulty of finding and h chaplain comes with the very specifi regarding denomination and spiritua “You have to have an Episcopal p interested, willing, able and inclined environment that’s non-denominatio if you combine those two factors, tha

STORY CAMERON CLARK, VIK PATTABI | ADDITIONAL REPORTING MIKE MAH

THE REVOLVING DOORS OF THE ST. MARK’S CHAPLAINCY Since the new Millenium, the school has had six different chaplains, both interim and full time. Here’s a list of those men and their years of service.

Rev. Michael Percival

2001-2002

2002-03, 2011-12

Rev. Ri A. Tow

Rev. Kevin Huddleston

Scott Gonzalez (interim, two occassions)

2003-08

2008-11

HOL THE Y BI

BLE

APLAIN

KIN G

A’S H AMERIC

d selection, one that complex behindy may think, will o can best fill this

nt of many different before, during and hat has arisen as we s is why we can’t d of time. eadmaster Byron ns’ leaving St. Mark’s g.” ched for a number s always wrestle ng?’” he said. “But if tarian school, that’s very fundamental m my vantage point, of the Episcopal s that] you’re supan’t be a missionary

s in the chaplain y simply be due to mott Headmaster

en a combination een serendipity ties to do other pportunities take end up in circumhere you have r, and that’s certainly ition.” vide the students so serves as a ationships with hen the chaplain

one that’s more of the Campus s interim chaplain art for students is come back and see in Douglas Carter] a lot of the things d that makes a big

d factors that go into tors would ideally or many years to

who can really find future of the school

hiring the right fic requirements al guidance. priest who is to serve in an onal,” Dini said. “So, at creates an added

JAM

ISTORY

hurdle in terms of trying to identify somebody who is just the right fit.” With the number of chaplain candidates to choose from being relatively small (only about 10 percent of individuals who train in seminaries become chaplains to begin with), the school has to find someone who would be completely willing to dive into this new opportunity. “In many places, there is a trend of asking clergy to stay for a long time,” Carter said. “Long chaplaincies are now being encouraged at churches around the nation.” Carter says there can be some advantages to serving specifically as a school chaplain. “School ministry is, for me, a fascinating calling,” he said. “I just love it. I love the rhythm of the school year. In a parish church it just keeps going and going and going, whereas in a school, there’s a beginning in August, some breaks three or four times during the year, and then there is an end — a graduation, a commencement — in June, and it’s very exciting.” Some of the other credentials required for a chaplain to receive serious consideration include effective leadership and the ability to engage with the school community. Gonzalez believes it is crucial for the chaplain to enjoy working with young people, specifically the 850 students attending St. Mark’s. “They have to really understand and love kids,” he said. “There’s no other way to say it. If you’re going to be in this school, you better love kids.” With understanding young people comes understanding school life, one of the unique aspects of serving as a school chaplain. “Outside of being ordained, [they need to be] school people,” Lawson said. “Our chaplains have a big job — they perform a lot of pastoral care, they teach, they run clubs and they represent the school in a variety of formats and places. Finding a priest who fits in a school is really, really important. There are a lot of moving parts, a lot of different personalities.” The school has contracted Rev. George Andrews, a retired chaplain, to assist in the nationwide search and give referrals to Dini. Once potential candidates are identified, Lawson contacts them via phone call, after which they go through a series of interviews on and off campus. “We have a Skype interview, and if we think it’s worth having them come down after that point, we decide to then invite them down,” Dini said. “Some people have been excluded after a Skype interview because they didn’t make it past that round.” If the candidates are invited to visit the campus, they give a homily in chapel, preferably to all three divisions of the school, and then go through several interviews with many key administrators and division heads. Student input is given after the chaplains’ interviews from a combination of Student Council members and members of the Chapel Committee. Student Council President Carrington Kyle feels the interviews are important, but that the student input

won’t majorly influence the decision. “I assume it doesn’t carry too much weight,” he said. “I’m sure their [the search committee’s] opinion of him speaking in chapel weighs a little bit more and the interview does as well. I think it’s just more us getting to know them and seeing how the community reacts to them based off of their opinion already.” Student leaders not only have limited time left at the school, but they also don’t get the same kind of time and casual interactions with the prospective chaplains that key administrators do throughout the process. “[The students] haven’t had dinner with them, they haven’t spoken to them informally on campus and they haven’t seen them walking around,” Gonzalez said. “All they know is what they heard in the chapel and maybe what they saw in a classroom.” Still, student input does have some form of an impact on the selection given that students make up such a large part of the community. “Even though it’s hard to tell from a short interaction,” Dini said, “that is important because ultimately, you guys as students — you’re the largest constituent group on this campus by a longshot — so our chaplain needs to be an effective leader for you, and if he’s not, then we haven’t done our job.” A common misconception may lie in the idea that

chaplains are only at the school to give chapel talks and guidance, but in reality, they are constantly involved in campus activities, like serving on the school’s administrative council, known here as the A-Team. This includes serving as a teacher, most often in the history department, as an advisor and as the head of the chapel program. Perhaps most importantly, they must be available to serve a wide array of members of the community, including students, their families, faculty and staff and active alums, regardless of their religious beliefs. “Outside of the sheer numbers, this is a very important school in the city and an important school in the country,” Lawson said, “and so being able to just represent the school in that area matters a great deal. So, it is a big, big job, and we’re trying to find a person who can handle what looks like just 850 boys, but when you do the numbers, 6,000 [people].” The process has been a lengthy one that requires a large amount of work, communication and research, but at the end of the day, all that matters is who will end up standing at the chapel’s altar, serving as a spiritual guide for all members of the St. Mark’s community. “The bottom line is how you get to the result,” Dini said. “You could have a long, drawn-out process, but if you don’t get to the right result, then it doesn’t really matter.”

OWALD | PHOTO ILLUSTRATION MASON SMITH, ABHI THUMMALA

Rev. Douglas Carter (Interim)

Rev. Michael Dangelo

ichard wers

2012-14

2014-15

What they’re doing now • Percival left to work at St. Luke’s Episcopal in Westcliffe, Colorado. He now resides in Laredo. • Huddleston went to St. Michael’s and All Angels Church in Dallas to do mission-related work after leaving St. Mark’s in 2008. He now resides in Prairie View, KS. • Towers left to go into parish work in South Korea, but he currently resides in the United States. • Dangelo left to join his wife, who secured a teaching position at the Harvard Divinity School in Boston. He obtained a parish position in the Boston suburbs and keeps in touch with many alumni and faculty.

V THE REMARKER VIBE MARCH 6, 2015 PAGE 14

THEVIBE

THIS ISSUE ‘KINGSMAN’ SANDWICH SHOPS HEADLINERS

Reviewing the very best and very worst of it all

With superspy action, ‘Kingsman’ delivers excitement E

veryone wants to be as cool as James Bond, as lethal as Jason Bourne, as dedicated as Jack Bauer. Everyone dreams of being a superspy, a secret agent saving the world from extravagant villains using the newest, most effective gadgets. In Kingsman: The Secret Service, this incredible lifestyle suddenly falls in the path of Gary “Eggsy” Unwin (Taron Egerton) as he attempts to become a member of the Kingsmen, a top-secret spy agency, under the tutelage of Harry Hart (Colin Firth). As Eggsy slowly becomes Kingsman material, a new threat arises in the form of Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson), a nefarious (and… interestingly dressed) villain determined to extinguish mankind from earth. The film, based on the graphic novel by Mark Millar, thrives in its own fantastical universe and thrusts pure enjoyment onto the screen as the heroes slyly use their gadgets, skills and wit to fight their way out of even the toughest of situations. Colin Firth (in one of his rare, likeable roles) dominates the screen as a true gentleman on the outside with an inside that is more than equipped to take down just about anyone in a fight. Firth’s calm demeanor perfectly mirrors Egerton’s uncultured Eggsy as the two slowly form a bond while Eggsy goes on Opened Feb. 13 | Rated R Stars Samuel L. Jackson, Taron Egerton the coolest (and by Director Matthew Vaughn far most dangerView In wide release ous) job interview

Kingsman

The Secret Service Movie Review

ever put to film. In his first film appearance, Egerton owns his role and gives a certain charm to Eggsy’s abrasive personality even while sharing the screen with acting giants like Michael Caine, Mark Strong and Samuel L. Jackson. longside the great acting, the film simply oozes charm through its frenetic but focused pace and incredible camera work. Also, the best henchwoman never put in a Bond movie fights her way through the film in the form of Gazelle (Sofia Boutella), a lethal partner of Valentine equipped with razor-sharp prosthetic legs and not a single ounce of remorse. Gazelle presents the absolute best aspects of the film: its obviously ridiculous elements are completely believable within its own world and send a sense of childlike wonder into the audience. From Gazelle’s impossibly sharp legs to the Kingsmen’s bulletproof suits and umbrellas, the film presents a style that has not been seen since the Sean Connery’s James Bond and his pellet-firing cigarettes. Remarkably, everything works, most likely owing to the direction of Matthew Vaughn known for his other brilliant comic book adaptions in Kick-Ass and X-Men: First Class. Vaughn’s amazing camerawork guides the audience through quiet yet hilarious

Kingsman: The Secret Service grossed more than $36 million in its opening weekend.

scenes between Hart and Valentine and through what is perhaps the best action sequence since the final kitchen brawl in The Raid 2 as Hart fights his way through a church full of people intent on murdering him. Vaughn’s trademark R-rated charm and wit from Kick-Ass also comes back in the film as references to different franchises are tossed around as the characters fly through their choreography from scene to scene Simply put, Kingsman is fun. It is probably the most fun someone can have at the movies in the next few months (it’d probably be the year, but, you know, Avengers… and Ant-Man…and Star Wars). Even with those blockbusters coming out soon, the film is not one to be missed, especially not for any other recent big budget release (I’m looking at you, Fifty Shades of Grey). It may not hold the dramatic punch of films like Birdman (or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) or Nightcrawler, but Kingsman: The Secret Service knows what it is and delivers on every possible front.

FILM REVIEW PARKER MCWATTERS | PHOTO CREATIVE COMMONS SUB SHOPS

Sandwich shops The best and worst Jersey Mike’s I

f Jimmy John’s and Subway are fast food, Jersey Mike’s is the casual sit-down alternative. Sure it costs more than any other Dallas restaurant of its kind, but, in general, it’s worth it. It’s also worth noting that the service at most of their locations is truly excellent, mainly because the servers go out of their way to be friendly, laid-back and polite. The main prohibitive downside to Jersey Mike’s, though, is undoubtedly the cost. At $7.25 plus tax for each regular-sized sub, this costs more than every other sandwich chain in Dallas.

Jimmy John’s E

Whether it’s a worldwide chain or a local dive, there are myriad options for the sandwhich seeker, but Reviews Specialist Jacob Chernick sorted through the most commonly visited sub shops and decided once and for all which sandwiches are worth their bread.

nlike the majority of their competitors, Potbelly only sells hot sandwiches. It’s not like there's anything wrong with the cold cuts that most classic subs include, but it's hard to deny the satisfaction that comes from sitting down to a good, warm meal. It's the small things that make Potbelly's offerings so addicting: those tiny butter cookies they fit on their milkshake's straws, the eye-wateringly spicy peppers, that satisfying crunch of the first bite into their trademark toasted bread. This franchise also manages to create an ambiance free from the depressing sterility that plagues most other fast food locations. The only real complaint is that there aren’t more locations.

Subway S

ubway is essentially the McDonald’s of sandwich shops. It may have more stores worldwide than any fast food company on earth, but it’s also where good taste buds come to die. Somehow, this conglomerate found a way to surpass Mickey D’s as the world’s largest fast food chain by peddling chewy bread and pre-frozen veggies to the masses. Subway’s menu items often seem caught in the bizarre no-man’s-land between health food and junk food, but the reality is that its sandwhiches always end up looking about as unappetizing as feet and tasting worse than the floors of the company’s namesake.

REVIEWS JACOB CHERNICK | PHOTOS GRAHAM KIRSTEIN, CAM LAM

Head iners Concerts Cold War Kids

Potbelly U

B A B+ D+

verything you’ve heard about Jimmy John’s is true. It’s fast, basic and pretty good. The sandwiches themselves are pretty high quality, varying all the way from basic meat-and-cheese slims to the gut-shattering Gargantuan. The major perk to Jimmy John’s is the amazing delivery service. That motto, “Freaky Fast Delivery,” is glued to just about everything the company owns. Although other restaurants may have better sandwhiches, it is the convenience of having food delivered straight into your mouth in less than 15 minutes that makes Jimmy John’s subs the more appealing option so often.

UP NEXT

March 6 at 8 p.m. House of Blues

Milky Chance

March 20 at 8 p.m. South Side Ballroom

Ariana Grande

April 1 at 7 p.m. American Airlines Center

Albums Awolnation Run March 17

Modest Mouse

Strangers to Ourselves March 17

Darius Rucker

Southern Style March 31

Three Days Grace Human March 31

Movies Chappie

March 6

Unfinished Business March 6

Run all Night March 13

Get Hard

March 27

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2015 | PAGE 15

COMMENTARY

ADAPTATION TO TECHNOLOGY CAMERON CLARK PHOTO

We question why the school’s first instinct is to immediately shy away from new technologies,. Page 16

TRANSPARENCY OF GRADING ELECTIVES

ALDEN JAMES PHOTO

We’d like to see the library turn into more of a productive environment during lunch periods, but that can only happen if students exhibit appropriate and respectful behavior there. Page 17

The Sound of Music (see Target practice), Page 17

Often, students are surprised by the grades they receive at the mid-tri in their electives since there is often no way to see their grade beforehand. Page 16

EDITORIAL

NEW CHAPLAIN SEARCH

FINDING THE RIGHT ONE With another chaplain search underway, student involvement is critical in finding a leader who fits into the community. dent input can only carry so much weight in the selection process, we hope that Dini, Lawson and Provost and Dean of the Campus Scott Gonzalez will constantly keep in mind the importance of student opinion as the selection process comes to a close.

ZUYVA SEVILLA ILLUSTRATION

s our third chaplain search in the past decade comes upon us, we hope to find a candidate who can serve as a spiritual leader and counselor for all students of all religions. Immediately following the five candidates’ homilies in chapel services, students have had very mixed and inconsistent reactions, according to Headmaster David Dini. With that being the case, we hope Dini and the Chapel Committee will encourage students who feel strongly about one of the prospective chaplains to give in-depth feedback when possible. We understand that the chaplain already interviews with the Chapel Committee and the Student Council, along with many administrators, division heads and the choirmaster. But, we would like to see a broader student opinion of the chaplain’s strengths and weaknesses along with his ability to connect with the student audience. While we know asking administration to create a survey is not feasible given time constraints in the search, we have included a list of ideal chaplain qualitites that we hope Dini and other administrators involved in the process will keep in mind (see infographic). Regarding the chaplain’s visit to the school, we must keep in mind that their purpose is not only for us as a community to observe how he fits in with the school’s environment. As Interim Chaplain Douglas Carter pointed out in an interview

(see Centerspread), we must keep in mind that the prospective chaplain is also observing our community to ensure that he would desire to serve as a chaplain here. For that reason, it is imperative that we pay careful attention to our behavior during chapel services, especially as the service begins, when there is often some chatter among students. The last thing we would want is to have an ideal candidate slip through our fingertips and opt out of the job because he didn’t feel comfortable serving in our school environment, which is normally a remarkable one. Although we have recently cycled through five full-time and interim chaplains in the past ten years, much of that was due to their leaving for familial reasons or opportunities for them to reach their true “calling,” as Assistant to the Headmaster Byron Lawson put it. That being said, once a chaplain is selected, we must, as students, be sure to make him feel welcome in our community so that we can increase the chances of his staying for an extended period of time. While we understand that stu-

We would like to see a chaplain who will serve as our spiritual advisor, but who also engages with the students during chapel services by telling interesting stories that incorporate lightness and humor along with a • Open to talk with all students of all religions lesson that students of all religions can • Tells interesting stories in learn from. chapel services And, as Gonzalez said, we hope to hire a chaplain who • An engaging storyteller will leave his door • An approachable, wellopen for all students prepared teacher and respect the practices and tradi- • Understands school life tions of all religions, even though he will, • Respects other religions’ by the school chartraditions ter, be of Episcopalian denomination. • Makes enduring It is crucial that, relationships with students as an Episcopalian, he still fits into our nonsectarian environment, and that he understands and enjoys the responsibilities of school life as a chaplain so that he can be the perfect fit for our community. We hope that all persons involved in the search committee will take these suggestions and all student input into account when searching for a new chaplain.

What we’d like to see in a chaplain

As human beings, we don’t always make the best decisions the first time. Sometimes, we just have to learn things the hard way. Here are some lessons members of our community have learned — the hard way.

what

comes to

mind?

I learned the hard way that ... ...you shouldn’t tell lies.

...the expiration date on milk is accurate.

Junior Hunter Alexander ...I have no friends.

Junior Graham Kirstein ....it’s not good to leave your books outside.

Sophomore Michael Wang

Seventh-grader Pablo Arroyo

...you’re not supposed to put your finger in the oven.

...life is not fair.

...I’m bad at FIFA.

...I should do my homework at home.

Senior Miguel Plascencia

Freshman Willie Wood

NEXT MONTH’S PROMPT

Math instructor Lynne Steckler

Eighth-grader Myles Jones

‘ The weirdest gift I’ve ever received is...’

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

THE REMARKER

EDITOR IN CHIEF MATTHEW CONLEY MANAGING EDITOR SHOURYA KUMAR CREATIVE DIRECTOR ZUYVA SEVILLA DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR ALEX KIM HEAD PHOTOGRAPHER MASON SMITH ISSUES EDITOR VIK PATTABI SENIOR CONTENT EDITOR CYRUS GANJI COMMENTARY EDITORS CAMERON CLARK, WILLIAM CALDWELL BUSINESS MANAGER ROBY MIZE NEWS EDITORS BRADFORD BECK, NOAH KOECHER LIFE EDITORS WILL CLARK, AVERY POWELL SPORTS EDITORS ZACH NAIDU, PHILIP SMART GRAPHICS DIRECTOR ABHI THUMMALA CAMPUS COORDINATOR RICHARD JIANG PHOTO EDITOR ALDEN JAMES MALE CALL EDITOR PHILIP MONTGOMERY REVIEWS SPECIALIST JACOB CHERNICK PROJECT MANAGER DAVIS MARSH COPY EDITOR WILLIAM SYDNEY CARTOONIST WALTER JOHNSON STAFF ARTISTS JOON PARK, KILLIAN GREEN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS SAM EICHENWALD, ARNO GOETZ, WESLEY HIBBS, GRAHAM KIRSTEIN, CAM LAM, ADAM MERCHANT, CONNER OLSON, TIM O’MEARA, NICO SANCHEZ, FRANK THOMAS, CORBIN WALP, MATT WOODBERRY STAFF WRITERS RISH BASU, AIDEN BLINN, NICK BUCKENHAM, DANIEL COPE, JOHN CRAWFORD, CORDAY CRUZ, JAMES HANCOCK, CASE LOWRY, AIDAN MAURSTAD, CRAWFORD MCCRARY, PARKER MCWATTERS, MATTHEW PLACIDE, GOPAL RAMAN, ANVIT REDDY STAFF ASSISTANTS ANDRE ARSENAULT, DAVIS BAILEY, KAL BUSCAINO, CARSON CROCKER, RETT DAUGBJERG, BLAKE DAUGHERTY, ALEC DEWAR, WILL FORBES, ELLIOT FORD, ZACHARY GILSTRAP, JOHN GUNNIN, ALAN JIANG, ZOHEB KHAN, HENRY KISTLER, CANYON KYLE, MIKE MAHOWALD, NICK MALVEZZI, NAFTAL MAUTIA, AUSTIN MONTGOMERY, WASEEM NABULSI, SEUN OMONIJE, ETHAN PITTSON, REECE RABIN, OMAR RANA, JIMMY RODRIGUEZ, KOBE ROSEMAN, SAM SHANE, MOHIT SINGHAL, SAM SUSSMAN, ORLIN WARE, WILL WOOD ADVISER RAY WESTBROOK COVERAGE. The ReMarker covers topics, issues, events and opinions of relevance and interest to the St. Mark’s School of Texas community. LETTERS. Send submissions to the editor at 10600 Preston Road, Dallas, 75230 or via email at remarker@smtexas.org. Letters should be brief and signed, although the writer may request anonymity. Letters may be rejected if libelous or obscene material is contained therein. EDITORIALS. The newspaper’s opinion will be presented in each issue in the form of editorials, which are clearly labeled and appear on the Opinion pages. COLUMNS. Personal opinion is expressed through by-lined columns, which appear throughout the publication.Advertising. Contact the business staff at 214.346.8145. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement. Inclusion of an advertisement in these pages is not an indication of an endorsement by The ReMarker, any of its staff members or St. Mark’s School of Texas. DISTRIBUTION. Press run is 3,800 copies. Copies

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

MEMBERSHIP. The ReMarker maintains membership in the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, New York City, NY; National Scholastic Press Association, Minneapolis, MN; and Interscholastic League Press Conference, Austin. ONLINE VIEWING. Each issue of The ReMarker,

along with archival copies, can be viewed online at the school’s website, www.smtexas. org/remarker.

READER INVOLVEMENT. The ReMarker encourages reader input through letters, guest columns and story ideas. Contact the appropriate editor for submissions. Suggestions will be given due consideration for future publication.

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

THE REMARKER COMMENTARY MARCH 6, 2015 PAGE 16 C

EDITORIALS NEW TECHNOLOGY

New technology, such as drones, shouldn’t be shut out so quickly A t an Upper School assembly some weeks ago, the administration made an announcement stating that drones are not allowed to be flown on campus. We, as a student body, believe that drones should be allowed. There seem to be no repercussions from flying drones on campus other than the drone crashing and only doing damage to itself. Essentially, a drone is just a high tech remote control helicopter, and we believe that no harm could be done if drones were allowed to be flown on campus. Also, drones can offer a unique perspective on the school. This year’s McDonalds Week video used a drone on campus to capture a view of the school that could not be replicated by anything else. A few ReMarker cycles ago, we used a drone to capture an image of the new organ in the chapel. This perspective undoubtedly could not have been replicated by any other device or camera. We believe that the use of drones truly only has its upsides, for it provides unique perspectives of different parts of campus. Instead being so quick to strike down certain technologies, we believe that no other fun or unique perspective could be

Letter to the editor

replicated anywhere else, a reason why drones should be allowed on campus. But it is not just with drones. Many times, the administration seems reluctant to adapt to new forms of already established technology. A lot of this technology would greatly benefit this school and this community both as a whole. We encourage the school to accept new technologies such as tablets or iPads. These new and different technologies would only help our community become much more effective, a characteristic of communities that definitely benefits every person. Also, these changes could help the school become much more technologically advanced and assure u into the digital era. Everything these days is being adapted and changed into a digital form, and we believe that these new digital, technological forms of things help establish a certain culture around campus that would be seen as one with unlimited benfits. We would love to see these techonolgical changes be made around campus, for we believe that advancements in techonolgy would help this community become much more effective.

ELECTIVE CLASS GRADES

Elective class grades should be shared with students more often W hile the school’s elective system is unequivocally an effective way to choose one’s own classes, the grades in these classes have a tendency to be transparent. For instance, we never get an opportunity during class to see our progress and grades in those classes until the mid trimester or end of a trimester. Also, there are often not definitive numbers associated with these electives, making it difficult to give constant progress updates if requested by students. The downside to not knowing our grades in electives during the course of the year is that we are sometimes blindsided when the grading period comes. We encourage those who teach electives to prepare some sort of progress report for students so that they can give them an idea of where they stand in the class as far as grades are concerned. Taking this measures could help prevent conflict and confusion during grading periods for teachers of electives and the students enrolled in their class. Even though these electives might not hold the certain prowess that academic class grades hold, but these

grades are definitely important to us students and being caught off guard by these grades only has negatives. As mentioned before, to ensure that no students are blindsided by their grades, we encourage the teachers of these elective courses to every now and then update the students on their performances in these classes and what the student’s grade is. This community thrives off of communication, and ensuring that everybody is on the same page would only help to increase communication around the school. With proper communication, not only would these classes be more effective, but also the whole school would become more effective. So, with proper communication between students in the elective classes and the teachers of those elective classes, we believe that the effectiveness of the classes and simply just the happiness of students in those classes would greatly be increased in a way that could not be replicated. In order to increase the happiness, we urge the community to communicate more effectively so that it may run more smoothly.

Senior: let’s cherish our final months at the school

To the editor: Since 2003, St. Mark's has been my home away from home—a haven, despite the academic gauntlet through which we've had to run. St. Mark's has revealed to me what I want to do with my life, the importance of service and countless other tidbits I know will manifest no matter where I end up. Being an only child, I came into the school without a brother or something of the like, but first grade fixed that entirely—the friends I made that year have stuck with me to this day. The group text we share is always buzzing. I know I'm not alone in saying that the spirit of St. Mark's has seeped into my soul, and that I owe much of who I am today to this institution. That's why it's so hard for me to see us squander our time here. I have fallen victim to the college mindset. I, perhaps expectedly so, have descended

hopelessly into a perspective that comprises my focusing more on the college experiences that I might have next year than on the last few moments I have as a lion. I'll be the first, and probably not the last, to admit this. It's natural—we all have wonderful futures with wonderful things ahead of us. But I'll also be the one to call us out. Seniors, we need to seize these moments. Our days here are numbered, and it won't be long before the brothers and opportunities we take for granted are gone. There are three months before we will never be St. Mark's students again; before our attending football and lacrosse games will be the exception rather than the norm. There are three months before our stepping on campus will be an aberration, despite the warm smiles with which kind teachers greet their alumni; three months before we will have to wear nametags in order to walk on campus. Our

clock is ticking. To that end, be a part of this whole. Partake of the community—if you've never been to a Philosophy Club meeting, go to one. If you've never really gotten involved in a service project with your friends, try it. If you're one who typically chooses to stay at home instead of going to games and such, make a point to go to the spring SPC championship. Look for things to do on campus that you've never tried before. I promise you there are plenty. This place is a fraternity, and we should recognize it as such. To this end, I'd like to propose that we choose not to focus on the institution at which we'll be spending the next four or more years of our lives. Instead, we should cast our attention upon the institution that has gotten us this far. In my opinion, we shouldn't have a college shirt day. It propa-

gates the first mindset I mentioned—the one that focuses on the future while forgetting to celebrate the present. I understand that it's cool to see where people are going to college next year, but we have plenty of time to be proud of our university's name when we're actually at that university. It would be much better to use one of those precious few days we have left to just enjoy the state we're in. At any rate, don't spend your last hurrah as a senior whiling away the time, counting down the days until summer or the first day of college. You'll be able to take advantage of college life while you're there, but you won't be able to take advantage of St. Mark's life while you're there. So why not indulge in the latter? This is our last chance to be student lions. Let's not let it go by unfulfilled. — Forest Cummings-Taylor

SPRING CLEANING | CARTOON WALTER JOHNSON

Weight room before spring break

Weight room after spring break

THE REMARKER COMMENTARY March 6, 2015 PAGE 17 C

WILL CLARK

Return of the Space Cowboy

SHORT T W&E E T A peek at Marksmen’s tweets

e’ve been practicing for weeks, constantly preparing for this moment. Everything has to be perfect. A legend like Steve Miller is going to want nothing less than perfection. So when we’re just an hour away from our performance, and we still haven’t even met Steve, I begin to get a little nervous. We’re rehearsing one of Steve’s songs, “Mercury Blues,” when I see him walk in Spencer Gym. As he walks toward us I concentrate on hitting every note correctly and trying to perfectly imitate his voice, but I could tell he thought something was a little off. He loops his arm in a tiny circle and clenches his fist, the universal musical cue for “stop” that was terrifyingly used in the movie Whiplash by J.K. Simmons, who plays a strict and ruthless jazz band teacher. Steve is the opposite of Simmons’s character in nearly every way., but one thing they share is a passion for getting the perfect sound. We stop playing, and Steve greets all the band members—which include Nick Buckenham on keyboard and saxophone, Walter Johnson on fiddle and mandolin, Chirag Gokani on bass, Umer Nadir on drums and me on vocals and guitar. He asks to borrow my guitar and immediately fires off his version of “Mercury Blues,” a thumping, slow, deliberate blues song full of attitude. We stand staring in awe as he starts explaining exactly how he wants the song played, and I worry that he’ll use complex musical terms that will go right over our heads. But that’s where the inner Rock and Roller comes out of Steve. He describes the beat not in the standard beats per minute, but with adjectives like “menac-

ing” and “angry.” It’s these paradoxical, hyper-specific and completely vague terms that define Steve’s music, and I start to appreciate his casual and spontaneous personality. I’m still watching Steve play my guitar when Mr. Dini leans over to me. “Steve didn’t bring a guitar,” he says. Suddenly this spontaneity doesn’t seem so great. I race over to the band room and grab a spare guitar, cursing and laughing to myself at the same time. When I get back to the gym, it’s just half an hour until the performance, and we start playing together as a band for the first time. It’s thrilling and terrifying, but finally, we’ve got the guitar and we’ve got the songs down. No more surprises. Now the stands are full of people. The entire school is watching, and I’m ready to put Steve’s advice and our hard work to use. “To start off, we’re going to do one we haven’t rehearsed,” Steve’s voice booms through the speakers like a bomb destroying all our practice. I glance over at Nick, and we share a brief what-is-this-guy-thinking look before Steve tells us the key and counts us off. Suddenly, we’re performing with a rock star. We aren’t trying to sound like someone else because we have no idea what to try STEVE MILLER’S to sound like. PERFORMANCE We aren’t strugAT THE PARENTS’ gling to count beats. ASSOCIATION We’re just feeling AUCTION GIVES the groove. STUDENTS A We aren’t just CHANCE TO performing a song. PERFORM WITH We’re playing Rock and Roll. A TRUE ROCK ICON.

target practice Library behavior | too loud

groovykhan

— Sophomore Shaheer Khan

Mic doubles as a Wii remote. I see you KP

purnellc71

— Senior Corson Purnell

Thanks to @jackfoto9 I was introduced to heaven today. It is known as the Patty Melt from @Whataburger.

joshbando17

— Sophomore Josh Bandopadhay

Been in Miami for a day and I’ve already heard enough Pitbull to last forever

angel_reyes44

— Junior Angel Reyes

—Junior Charlie O’Brien

Happy National Pickle Day. I guess it’s not that big of a dill but try to relish these last few hours

Earthquakes are cool/fun

charlieobrien22

WillDiamond16

—Junior Will Diamond

things that hit or miss their marks at 10600 Preston Road Old chairs | fix them You know what the best part about St. Mark’s is? The chairs. Just kidding. The chairs, specifically those located within the science study center (next to the tile-assorted periodic table), are an outright danger hazard; at most, they can support roughly 980 Newtons of weight, which is discriminatory… and discrimination isn’t cool. Not to pick out a single genre of hazardous chair, but again, those in the science building — having been devoured by many a termite — are aesthetically unpleasing, functionally threatening and sadly old. Let’s fix the problem before it gets out of hand: save the chairs.

MASON SMITH PHOTO

CAMERON CLARK PHOTO

C’mon guys. The library has gotten out of hand. It really is not all that hard. All we have to do is obey what all of the librarians are telling us, and not only will the library be quiet, but those of us doing homework due the next period just might be able to get it finished, too. Just respect the librarians and the intended environment of the library. Trust us, everything will work out for the better.

On the Monday after the Oscars last year, we didnt have school...and that’s about to happen again #freaky

Fire drills | getting closer? The Sound of Music | bullseye

The St. Mark’s and Hockaday performance of The Sound of Music Feb. 6-8 was spot on all around. Whether it was the singing, the acting or the sets, the show ran smoothly throughout and left no one bored or unimpressed, even with its length of around three hours. Applause for the performances echoed throughout the auditorium constantly. Props to the talented cast for putting on a great show.

As the siren rang while students chowed down on their fifth period lunch, problems arose with this most recent fire drill. The main one being that it was during a lunch period. While it may not have been planned, it was very inconvenient for some students whose only free time in the day comes during their lunch period. Also, students talked too much throughout the drill, especially for a surprise drill — one in which we do not know if there is an actual fire or not. We’re improving, but we definitely need to keep quiet just in case there’s a real fire.

PHOTO COURTESY OF @SMTXBASKETBALL

THE REMARKER | FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2015 | PAGE 18

Upcoming SPORTING EVENTS IN THE WEEKS AHEAD

ATHLETIC Tip-off STUDENTS’ ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Today

Weekend

Next week

> Varsity baseball competes

> The crew team looks

> Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks host LeBron James and the Cavaliers during Cleveland’s only visit to the American Airlines Center March 10 at 7:30 p.m.

in the annual Cowtown Classic baseball tournament in Ft. Worth.

> Senior Tim Simenc and

the varsity water polo team leave after school for the team’s high altitude spring training in Park City, Utah.

> The crew team travels

south to prepare for the Heart of Texas Regatta in Austin.

to medal tomorrow and Sunday during The Heart of Texas Regatta at Lady Bird Lake in Austin.

>Varsity track and field

spends Saturday at the Jesse Owens Memorial Complex on Polk Street for the Skyline Classic meet beginning at 8:15 a.m.

> The minor league Frisco

Roughriders play the Arkansas Travelers at 7:15 p.m. in Dr Pepper Ballpark.

t the conclusion of their winter season, the junior varsity soccer and basketball teams along with the freshman basketball team all finished with winning records. The junior varsity soccer team finished the season with a record of 12-1-2. The team’s one loss came in a 6-0 defeat against Parish’s varsity team in the preseason. After its loss to Parish, the team only conceded five goals while scoring 46. The team’s only two draws came from a game against Greenhill and one against All Saints. Sophomore Daniel Chavez attributes their success to how well the team cooperated. “The team bonded extremely well after the first couple of weeks of training,” Chavez said. “The boundary between the freshmen and sophomores seemed non-existent once the season progressed.”

> Varsity track and field travels to Liberty Christian Field March 12 for the Bubba Joiner Invitational meet at 3:15 p.m. > The Mavericks host the Los Angeles Clippers at 7:30 p.m. March 13 at the American Airlines Center. The Clippers hold a 2-0 season series lead over the Mavericks.

...

127

VIK PATTABI PHOTO

When people who didn’t know what had happened to me saw me with the donut, they’d sincerely ask, “What happened?” I’d grit my teeth in embarrassment and give the response that I knew would not shed me in too good of a light: “Well, I was dancing at homecoming when somebody stepped on my foot and then somehow somebody else pushed me and I fell and hurt my bottom.” After hearing that, people didn’t know what to think of me. I could just imagine them walking away from the conversation, So he actually broke his butt dancing… What is wrong with that guy? Eventually the pain dulled and after six weeks I was fully functional and back to full strength in the water. But nobody would let me forget about my “injury.” Whenever I would mess around with Abhi, our conversation would always end with him cleverly saying, “Be careful, Zach, you don’t want to break your butt again.” And it didn’t stop there. During a swim team meeting the week of Junior Symphony Ball, the captains told all of us to be careful and not do anything stupid. Tim Simenc then shot me a look, “Yeah, don’t break your butts.” I didn’t go to JSB this year. With water polo season right around the corner, I knew I couldn’t take any chances. My pride and butt had already suffered enough, and three hours of square dancing was a risk I could not afford to take.

Surrounding head coach Greg Guiler, the varsity basketball team strategizes during an SPC tournament game Feb. 14. The team ultimately finished fourth in the tournament. Page 20

MASON SMITH PHOTO

‘H

ey Coach, so something happened at homecoming on Saturday night… I kind of hurt my lower back area, and I don’t think I will be able to swim for a while.” Translation: I broke my butt, or tailbone technically. Yes, I was on the dance floor October 17 when I fell flat on my “back.” The way I remember it, I was dancing when somebody stepped on my foot and then simultaneously I was bumped and couldn’t recover. It happened so fast that I barely remember hitting the ground. Everybody from the mosh pit I had been apart of was just staring at me on the ground, so I just popped right up and kept dancing like nothing happened, trying to prevent myself from looking as little of a klutz as possible. Everything felt fine the rest of the night, until that next morning. I opened my eyes and sat up in my bed. It felt as if somebody had hammered a two-inch thick nail into me, just below my spine. I hobbled out of bed, the sharp pain shooting up my spine and into my brain: ‘Wow,” I said to myself, “I think I broke my butt last night.’ The most painful part of the whole experience? The explanation I had to give Coach Oprea the following Monday afternoon. Of course, he was understanding. But that didn’t make me feel like any less of a disgrace. I mean I literally broke my butt, my coccyx. I had to sit out of the pool for three weeks and then could only pull with my arms for another two. For two months I carried around a black styrofoam donut to sit on. Not a day went by without a lighthearted stab at my condition when I passed somebody in the halls: “How’s the butt Zach?” “The butt-pad doing the job for ya?” And then there were the harsher ones for no apparent reason: Me: “Sorry, Mr. Houpt, I just don’t understand why the tension force isn’t accounted for.” Abhi Thummala: “Oh is it maybe because your butt is acting up again?”

WIN OR GO HOME

ALDEN JAMES PHOTO

A big break

STING LIKE A LION

“I like the one on one physicalness of boxing. Your overall performance is not hinging on your teammates. It’s just you and the guy in front of you,” Angel Reyes said. Page 24

FULL EXTENSION Diving into the water, junior swimmer Eric Li helps the Lions capture a seventh straight SPC championship during the tournament in Houston Feb. 14.

POINTS THE SWIM TEAM BEAT RUNNERUP CISTERCIAN BY IN THE SPC CHAMPIONSHIP MEET FEB. 14 IN AUSTIN. IT WAS THE TEAM’S SEVENTH STRAIGHT SPC CHAMPIONSHIP.

IN THEring

VARSITY WRESTLER JUSTIN JONES

he winter Middle School sports have completed their seasons. The eighth grade gold basketball team went 7-12, and the blue team went 4-10. The seventh grade gold basketball team went 12-5, and their blue team went 5-11. Randall Fojtasek, a member of the seventh grade blue team, enjoyed playing and learning this season. “I had a great time hanging out and playing with my friends,” Fojtasek said, “but I also learned a lot from coach Tholking, and I’m excited for next year.” The eighth and seventh grade soccer teams went 11-3-1 15-0-2 respectively.

...

avid Smith will be the new junior varsity lacrosse head coach. Smith served in the previous years as a varsity coach. However, this year he will coach along with Kurt Tholking to account for the junior varsity team’s recent development. Looking towards the future, the players are excited about having an extra coach to help improve them during the season. “I am excited to play for coach Smith this season,” freshman Josh Daniels said. “He is a good coach who knows what he is doing and it should be a fun season.”

...

Justin Jones

ZERO

SECONDS

ADAM MERCHANT PHOTO

ZACH NAIDU

SPORTS

SOMETHING NEW

Hustling down the field, sophomore attacker Will Cotton helps the Lions in a 14-4 win over St. Stephen’s Feb. 20. The sophomore netted two goals in the home game. Page 22

TIME ON THE SCORE CLOCK WHEN SENIOR JUSTIN JONES SCORED A TAKEDOWN TO WIN THE 170 POUND WEIGHT CLASS AT THE PREP STATE CHAMPIONSHIP BY 2 POINTS

yan Hershner will be a new assistant coach under John Turek for the track and field team this year. “Coach Hershner has already displayed expertise in helping us distance runners prepare and train for our specific events,” senior runner Nick Buckenham said. “This, combined with the large size of this year’s overall team could lead us to great success at SPC. I’m definitely excited to see how we progress.”

— Tip-off stories reported by Corday Cruz, James Hancock and Crawford McCrary

C U LT U R E C H A N G E

athletics cocky SPCchill championship hazing frat

banned elite bro winners banned goals championship

bro

elite

lacrosse Lacrosse athletics dudes goals broathletics champs banned SPC cocky cocky CHILL athletics lacrosse hazing

state

winners

athletics

hazing

elite

STATE

lacrosse championship

Head varsity lacrosse coach Francis Donald says the word smlax has a negative connotation. So we asked students what they thought smlax represented. The words in the graphic above are what they came up with.

here’s one word you can’t say during lacrosse practice. It’s not a cuss word. It’s not offensive. In fact, the whole team used to say it all the time. And not just the team. Other students would say it. Faculty and staff would say it. The word used to cover the team’s shirts, sweatshirts and signs. But not anymore. Because it’s not just a word. It’s an attitude. It’s smlax. Head varsity lacrosse coach Francis Donald, who joined the team January of last year, is phasing out the term “smlax” in all things varsity lacrosse. Donald, who hopes smlax will find its way off the campus, prefers the words “St. Mark’s lacrosse.” “I want them to understand when they step on the lacrosse field, they are still a St. Mark’s student first, and then they are a lacrosse player,” Donald said. “If I think that taking that word [smlax] out of the equation sends that message, however big or however small, then I’m going to do it.”

Francis Donald Phasing out the term smlax

The word smlax itself is not Donald’s issue. The seemingly innocent combination of St. Mark’s initials ‘SM’ and ‘lax,’ a shortened term for lacrosse, has become prevalent slang for the program and has adorned the team’s gear in recent years. Over time, however, Donald believes the term has grown to carry a negative connotation. “The word lax itself has become synonymous with that [type of] mentality,” Donald said. “That kind of elitist ‘we’re better than you’ and ‘I don’t really take what I’m doing that seriously’ [mentality]. So when you say the term lax instead of lacrosse, it just has this tone to it that is a little bit relaxed, cool. It’s just not everything you want out of a program.” Former player Evan Chang-Tung ’13,

who led the squad to a state championship, agrees that the term smlax comes with a certain baggage. “It does kind of carry a sense of entitlement,” Chang-Tung said. “I definitely agree with him [Donald], and I understand him wanting to start a new era of lacrosse at St. Mark’s.” For Donald, this new era of lacrosse begins with a culture change, a change that starts with smlax — he believes smlax creates a culture that distances itself from the school. “The smlax mentality lends itself to kids thinking that maybe they’re more special than others,” Donald said. “Our team has a specific name rather than just St. Mark’s football, so it kind of gives us a boost. I want our guys to understand that St. Mark’s comes before lacrosse, and when they play sports at St. Mark’s, you’re representing the school.” Despite eight SPC championships, five state championship game appearances and one state title in the past decade, Donald believes some members of the community may not first think of on-field success when they hear smlax. “That lax mentality is directly related to that jock and party type of atmosphere,” Donald said. “I think that is one of the reasons why I want to take us away from that.” Senior midfielder Michael Fletcher agrees with Donald’s perspective. “I, at first, wasn’t a huge fan, but now I completely understand where he is trying to move the program and I think it was a good move for him, for sure,” Fletcher said. “The last three years, everything I have known about St. Mark’s lacrosse has been ‘smlax.’ It’s a change, not liking change. But taking a step back and looking at it, I think it was a good move on his part for sure.” Fletcher recognizes the term can have a negative connotation. “There have been some incidences in the past that have brought upon a negative connotation to smlax,” Fletcher said,

“and some individuals who have not done some smart things while playing on the lacrosse team. I think that sometimes yes, it does have a negative connotation.” Matt Murphy ’11, a former four-year varsity team player, also believes that a move away from smlax is warranted if there is a reputation behind the term. “If there’s a negative image associated with it, then yes I definitely think it needs to be changed,” Murphy said. “I think there’s a lot of people who have a positive image of the St. Mark’s lacrosse team. A bunch of the guys on the team were on the community service board, and some were student body presidents. There’s a lot of positives too, but if there’s negative, then yes it needs to be changed.” When it comes to the reputation behind the program, Chang-Tung believes lacrosse players from other programs have given reason for the sport to be perceived as one with entitled members. However, ChangTung also feels many lacrosse players epitomized the exemplary Marksman. “When I played there’s definitely some kids who enforce that stereotype that the sport is kind of lazy and has some lazy guys,” Chang-Tung said. “But there’s definitely a ton of examples of hardworking students who aren’t really into that. Especially at St. Mark’s. I think maybe at other places you can have characteristics like that, but I think St. Mark’s is kind of immune to that because the focus on studies is so stressed upon that I don’t think that it really is an issue.” imilarly, for Murphy, the stereotype is not universal for the lacrosse program. In his experience, players strived for more than just academic success, but also social and athletic success. “It’s tough to have a balance of school, athletics and social life,” Murphy said. “I think a lot of the guys on the team, at least that I played with, we all found great ways to balance it and a great ways to have all three. We never picked one. We were always focused on school. We always went

‘I WANT IT [THE TEAM] TO BE PERCEIVED AS GUY WHO WALK DOWN THE HALLS THAT SMILE, WAVE, SAY HI TO EVERBODY. THEY ARE NEVER RUDE TO PEOPLE AND ARE OUTGOING WITH A VERY POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE ST. MARK’S COMMUNITY. ’ MATT MURPHY ’11

STORY PHILIP SMART, ZACH NAIDU | ILLUSTRATION ABHI THUMMALA

to practice.” Whether there has been a misconception or not about the culture of the St. Mark’s lacrosse program over the past decade, one thing is certain — Donald thinks ending the usage of smlax creates a culture change. “The culture of the team is directly related to how the guys perceive themselves,” Donald said. “As long as we can make sure that we understand that we are a school team, I think it’s a little more humbling than calling yourselves some different word. It very much affects the culture of the team.” By eliminating the word smlax, the team not only changes how they perceive themselves, but also how outsides to the program perceive the team. Fletcher, along with the lacrosse program, wants others not to judge character based on participation in the sport.

Michael Fletcher Supports coach’s decision

“When you walk into a classroom wearing a St. Mark’s lacrosse sweatshirt, a teacher looks at you and is like, ‘Wow, I have a lacrosse player in my room, it’s going to be a crazy year. I’m going to have to fight with this kid, make him do his work, I’m going to fight with him all year,’” Fletcher said. “I would rather that change to, ‘Wow, I have a lacrosse player in my class. I’m so happy I have a lacrosse player in my class. He’ll sit in front of the class, do his work every day and study as hard as he can. He’ll participate in class and help out his classmates, and he’ll be a leader in the class as well as on the lacrosse field.’” For Donald, removing smlax means aligning the program and its culture with the values of the school it represents. “We need to make sure that when we are on campus in our community and when we are in the outer community that we’re reflecting the ideals and the backbone of the school and that smlax name is not doing that,” Donald said. “Mr. Dini says we are here to build men of character, and the smlax mentality is not one that lends itself to being a person of great character and of great integrity. While people that are wearing smlax [gear] may be great people of character, that’s not how its perceived.”

SPORTS

THE REMARKER MARCH 6, 2015 PAGE 19 20 SPC WRAP-UPS 22-23 SPRING PREVIEWS 24 BOXING

S THE REMARKER SPORTS MARCH 6, 2015 PAGE 20 WINTER SPC WRAP–UP

Winter warriors

Swimming and wrestling bring home SPC championships while basketball and soccer fight hard in their last games

Wrestling gets back to its winning ways with SPC title

Basketball places fourth by Zach Naidu t was a season to remember for the basketball team. The eight game win streak in counter play. The thrilling victory over ESD, thanks to junior Parker Dixon’s buzzer beating three-pointer. All the laughs and the senior night win over Dallas Thunder. After defeating Houston Christian 45-44 in the quarterfinals, the Lions fell to Episcopal High School 53-47 but still finished the season fourth overall, one of the programs best finishes in recent years. Though the loss was difficult to swallow, the Lions held their head high even after the concluding two-point loss to St. Mary’s Hall in the third place game. Junior captain Jalen Lynch feels that there was a lot to be proud of and that the season was not a failure. “Well our expectations were to win SPC,” junior captain Jalen Lynch said. “Even though we didn’t win we played very well throughout the whole tournament.” Challenged early in the season with a difficult non-counter schedule, the Lions persevered and enjoyed their success throughout the season. “The season itself I thought went pretty well,” Dixon said. “ The best part about the season was just the overall atmosphere of the team.” Although this season was very enjoyable for the team, Dixon is also excited about next season, as the team will still be a contender for the SPC championship once again. But the junior also knows that the road to SPC will not get any easier. “We have high expectations for next season, as almost all our starting players are coming back,” Dixon said. “It still won’t be easy by any means, but if we do what we are capable of then we have a great shot at a championship.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF @SMTXWRESTLING

CHAMPS Holding up the number one, the Lions wrestlers smile with the trophy after taking the SPC title in Houston Feb. 14.

lowed the team to think, ‘well hey, if our leaders can do it, then we can do it,’ because we’ve set that example.” Jones also felt the win came from the support the team had for each other as a whole, which he saw was key considering the young team this year. “I think we relied on the younger guys since we have five freshmen in our starting lineup,” Jones said. “It really came down to everyone doing their part and every match, every single person on our team was watching that match and we were cheering on our teammates.” Additionally, Jones sees that since the team had such a young lineup this year, these players will contribute to the strength of the squad as a whole. “Not only for next year, but in the next couple of years, I think the team will be very strong because our lineup was filled with a lot of young guys who are pretty darn good at a young age,” Jones said. “Next year I see big heights and in the next years I see bigger heights.”

by Corday Cruz

he wrestling team took the SPC title in Houston at Episcopal High School on Feb. 14. This is the team’s first title with head coach Justin Turner. Additionally, senior captains Jake Holder and Justin Jones both secured first place individually, along with freshman Willy Wood and senior Andrew McClain. Turner feels that because the captains both finished first, this not only helped the team’s scoring but also the spirit of the team. “They both were able to individually secure a first place finish,” Turner said. “That was crucial for the point scoring, and they worked hard to continue to keep kids motivated and involved in the tournament.” Jones also agrees that the captains’ placing helped the team, but also inspired success in some of the other wrestlers as well. “With the captains being in the finals, it showed that we could pull it out,” Jones said. “I think that really boosted the team and al-

Swimming claims seventh consecutive SPC championship

ooking to the right of St. Mark’s’ block, senior captain Timothy Simenc knew the Highland Park relay team was ahead. He knew that the third heat was the heat St. Mark’s was supposed to lose. But, he wouldn’t allow that to happen. Through 75 meters of the relay, the Lions appeared on the verge of losing. But on the last 25 meters of his leg of the relay, Simenc powered through and gave St. Mark’s a lead it would not relinquish. It was the first time in school history that St. Mark’s defeated 5A Highland Park and Jesuit, and it wasn’t even the most impressive victory of the season. After winning that meet at Highland Park by more than 100 points, the Lions followed up with a nearly 450 point victory at the 5A Casady/McGuiness Invitational Meet public and private school in Oklahoma. The season of success was topped off with the schools seventh consecutive SPC championship, winning by 107 points over runner-up Cistercian, and left head coach Mihai Oprea considering this year as his best yet. “This season has been the best by far, just by the results alone,” Oprea said. “I could probably say without fear of being wrong that this is probably the best team we have ever had at St. Mark’s. No question in my mind.” Oprea hopes that for next year, besides having new swimmers, the team’s structure and strategy will remain the same as the team can continue to succeed in SPC. “Obviously, the personnel will change, but to be honest, I don’t expect a lot of other

changes, and I don’t want a lot of change,” Oprea said. “Normally, change is good, but you don’t need to change something that worked so well.” Besides improving swimming skills, one thing Simenc came into the season wanting to accomplish as captain was to increase the team’s confidence in the more challenging meets. “Everyone was kind of worried about the HP-Jesuit meet, and I wanted us to think, ‘maybe they have faster guys but we are not going to be scared’,” Simenc said. “I wanted us to go out there and show we’re FOUR OF A KIND Celebrating their win, (from left) senior Mason Smith and juniors Kevin Wu, Eric Li and Kevin Kim show their St. Mark’s and win.” medals from their first place finish in the 200 meter freestyle reBy the end of the lay, with a final time of 1:27.44, a seven second margin of victory. season, Simenc was Oprea does not see many areas the team thrilled with the guidance by the upperclassneeds to work on and can instead focus on men, but felt that the team as a whole needed simply improving and working hard every to work on knowing where to be during day to remain atop SPC for an eighth consecmeets. utive season. “This year, especially, we had never had “It’s very hard to improve when you’re as many missed events as we had ever had close to perfection,” Oprea said. “But we want before,” Simenc said. to see where we can take it, how far we can Other than this minor improvement, push it every year to just get a little better.” PHOTO COURTESY OF @SMTXSWIMMING

by John Crawford

Soccer finishes sixth by Case Lowry ojtasek, Wilner, Vargas. These three senior leaders were all chosen by their teammates to be captains of the squad, and they all dominated their area of the field. And before the SPC tournament, all three were injured. “Foto [Fojtasek] was out,” said head soccer coach Corindo Martin. “H [Vargas] was out, Wilner was able to play a little but was clearly injured. It made a big difference that all three were not on the field.” With senior captain Jack Fojtasek out for the entire season before the tournament as well, his goal scoring presence had been gone the duration of the season. “Of course Foto was an important part of our team,” said Martin. “Especially when you think of the trouble we had with the more physical teams, that would have been right up his alley. That’s why he is such an important part of our team.” The SPC tournament started off strong with a win against Houston Christian in penalty kicks, but the next game versus ESD was a 3-0 loss. The following game was played for third place in which the team lost in penalty kicks, and ending sixth place overall for the tournament. This squad is graduating 11 players total, with nine seniors and two players that will be taken by club team commitments in sophomore Josh Bandopadthay and freshman Houston Engleman. “Some of the freshmen and sophomores certainly have talent and I think we have some really blossoming players on junior varsity,” said Martin. “The concern I have is that not only do we lose nine seniors, we lose Houston and Bando, now we are looking at eleven players gone. So we are going to have to fight next year to be a top team.”

THE REMARKER SPORTS MARCH 6, 2014 PAGE 21 S

Properties of distinction. Agents for life. DavePerryMiller.com

5139 SENECA | $9,988,000

5604 CRADLEROCK | $2,750,000

804 KING BAN | $798,000 SOLD

SOLD

8211 INWOOD

7214 LAKEWOOD

EVERY HOME HAS A STORY. LET US TELL YOURS.

CHAD SCHULIN 214.529.1758 chad@daveperrymiller.com

PRESTON CENTER | 214.369.6000

HIGHLAND PARK | 214.526.6600 INTOWN | 214.303.1133

PARK CITIES | 214.522.3838

LAKEWOOD | 214.522.3838

S THE REMARKER SPORTS MARCH 6, 2015 PAGE 22 SEASON PREVIEWS

Springing into form Spring sports teams begin the final athletic season of the school year

TENNIS

2014 SPC finish: 5th Next Match: Multi-school tournament hosted by Hockaday March 18.

Junior captain Anvit Reddy

“Well, for the first time that anyone can remember, we have a team with no seniors on it. That obviously presents some unique challenges but also gives some of our juniors the opportunity to step-up and really take on a leadership role, which I think is exciting.” — Scott Palmer

Head coach Scott Palmer

“The other juniors and I will use what we learned from previous captains along with our own knowledge of the game to lead the team come SPC time.” — Anvit Reddy

WATER POLO

Senior captain Tim Simenc

2014 State finish: 1st

Senior captain Nathan Ondracek

Senior captain George Lin

Senior captain Mason Smith

Next Game: The team travels to Park City, Utah, where it will train in the altitude over spring break and play multiple local teams such as Kearns High School and Salt Lake Masters. “The team needs a strong bench. We don’t have as much depth as last year and that is what we need most. If we don’t have that then we will have no chance of winning. We can’t win a game with only seven guys, we need 14.” — Tim Simenc “We would like to bring home another state title. But more than that, I want to focus on building brotherhood, bonding and trust because that’s what we’ll remember ten years down the road.” — George Lin “I would love to keep the unity we had last year and carry it over to this year’s team. As far as changing something, why fix a thing that isn’t broken? Last year we had great discipline, team unity and skill, and that’s exactly what we need this year.” — Nathan Ondracek

Better teen driving, bigger discounts. Richard Ramirez, Agent 9400 N Central Expressway Dallas, TX 75231 Bus: 214-320-3000 richard.ramirez.b6o5@statefarm.com

Check out our Steer Clear Program. When your teen gets ready to drive, we’re there. They learn safe driving and you get lower rates. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. GET TO A BETTER STATE . CALL ME TODAY. ®

™

1001000.1

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, State Farm Indemnity Company, Bloomington, IL

TRACK AND FIELD

2014 SPC finish: 4th

Next meet: Skyline Classic at Jesse Owens Memorial Complex on Polk Street tomorrow at 8:15 a.m. “We need to work on our focus and work ethic. We have 47 kids this year, which is way more than we had last year. I think that we definitely have a better chance of winning SPC this year than last.” — JT Graass

Junior JT Graass

THE REMARKER SPORTS MARCH 6, 2015 PAGE 23 S SEASON PREVIEWS

BASEBALL

2014 SPC finish: 4th

Next Game: Cowtown Classic Tournament in Fort Worth today.

Senior Jack Dayton

“I want to keep the energy and heart we showed all during last year. We had some really close, emotional games, some that we needed to comeback late, and we always came through. That’s what you need to win baseball games.” — Jack Dayton

Junior Brannon Rouse

“We need to keep the leadership that last year’s team had. Our team has great junior and senior leaders this year, so I’m excited to see what the season holds.” — Brannon Rouse

2014 Season Record HIGHLIGHT

13-8

SCORE

SM 13 ESD 12

GOLF

Assistant coach Emmett Gilles

Senior captain Connor Mullen Senior Michael Fletcher

Senior captain Luke Hudspeth

LACROSSE

2014 SPC finish: 2nd

Next Game: Travels to San Diego for Spring Break to play Bishops, La Costa Canyon and Coronado. “Our main goal this season is to beat ESD in the SPC championship game; that is our main focus as a team right now. After SPC, we will look to compete for a state title. We can accomplish these goals by trying to get better as a team and as individual lacrosse players everyday.” — Connor Mullen

GOLF

2014 SPC finish: 3rd

Next Tournament: Match Play against ESD at 4 p.m. March 18.

Senior captain Weston Blair

“This team has some serious potential. With all of us firing on all cylinders, we can be great.” — Weston Blair

CREW

2014 State finish: 2nd Next Regatta: Heart of Texas Regatta this weekend in Austin at Lady Bird Lake. “I’d like this years team to be more inclusive, especially toward younger and less experienced rowers. On a good team, the cool thing to do is to welcome new guys, celebrate them as individuals, and bring out the best in their personalities.” — Emmett Gilles “Our goals for this season are to develop the sophomores and freshmen, and then having everyone working as hard as possible will make us the fastest team.we can be.” — Luke Hudspeth

STORY ZACH NAIDU, RISH BASU, CASE LOWRY | PHOTOS MASON SMITH

Sophomore Sam Clayman

“The ultimate goal is to win an SPC championship; however, in order to achieve that goal we just have to steadily improve season by season and we will get there.” — Sam Clayman

St. Mark’s School of Texas 10600 Preston Road Dallas, Texas, 75230

STATE SUPPORT

ADAM MERCHANT PHOTO

Celebrating Justin Jones’ state championship victory at the 170 pound level, Lion’s fans support the wrestling team during the prep state tournament Feb. 21. Other notable Lion wins at the tournament include senior Jake Holder’s first place finish at 145 pounds.

THE BACK SPORTS PAGE THE REMARKER FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2015 PAGE 24

ANGEL REYES IV

d e k o Ho l ventiona n o c n u e r r a mo eyes IV Opting fo r Angel R g. io n ju , t u boxing rin e h worko t in s d eeken spends w

FIST FORWARD Extending his glove (above), junior Angel Reyes IV boxes with his dad Angel Reyes III at the Lone Star Boxing Gym on Monroe Drive, a few minutes west on Walnut Hill from the school. Reyes concentrates during the mulitple phases of a drill (right) during a practice Feb. 21 and poses with his father (below).

n this sport, one bad move won’t leave you disappointed because you let up a touchdown, turned the ball over or missed an open shot. It’ll get you a black eye. Today, lots of kids will opt out of physical sports or their parents won’t let them play, But for junior Angel Reyes IV, the physicality and independence of boxing is what keeps him working out. “I like the one-on-one physicalness of boxing,” Reyes IV said. “Your overall performance is not hinging on your teammates. It’s just you and the guy in front of you and I enjoy the one-on-one aspect that boxing offers. Reyes, whose dad Angel Reyes III got him to participate in the sport, says that boxing provides a great workout. “I continue to box because it

is one of the best workouts you can find,” Reyes IV said. “In terms of conditioning and strength, it really puts your body to the test.” However, the sport took some time for Reyes IV to be comfortable boxing. “It was strange at first because it takes a while to figure out which hand is your jab or power hand,” Reyes IV said. “After you figure out your orientation, righty or southpaw, it comes very easy.”

As he grows older, Reyes IV plans to continue boxing — just like his dad. “I think that it is important that I keep boxing because it is the best way to stay in shape and have fun,” Reyes IV said. “So, I plan to box throughout my life.”

STORY PHILIP SMART | PHOTOS MASON SMITH